I enjoyed volunteering so much that I decided I wanted to participate the following year.
The basis of the event is: there are 5 trails and some challenges associated with each trail. Some challenges have a window of time in which they can be completed. Each trail has a particular distance and point value. My first year participating I thought I had a great strategy, but when I went way past the first trail’s checkpoint it lead me to missing challenge points and ultimately to deciding to sleep through the night.
The following year my objective was to complete all 5 trails and do challenges as they came. That was 2018 and I ended in 4th place because two women tied for 3rd received more challenge points.
2019 the venue location was changed and the event was cancelled a week prior due to fire danger, but the irony in that was a storm of snow blanketed the area we would have been without any way for us to access the area. 2020 that dumb thing Covid decided to rear its ugly head and cause race directors everywhere to try to recover their losses. 2021 saw fire and flood.
2022 the area is still closed and we were guests of camp trask which has graciously helped us throughout the years. The race director, his wife and SISU athletes have been putting in countless hours with mud removal, tree removal and area restoration to try to get it ready for us to get to participate in this event once again.
I flew to Santa Barbara Thanksgiving morning with the intention of spending the holiday with my family I was a nanny for years ago. They went out of town and so I walked 6 miles from the airport to their home and enjoyed the day with my Godson’s dog.
Friday I went to bed early and got up at 2am to prepare to be on the road by 3:00 am for Saturday’s 8:00 am race start. I had reached out to a running friend who looked at the trail distances and point value and he had great advice (thank you Zac)! Prior to the event he was the only one I had told about my desire I have held since 2018 to try to win the female solo division.
I started out with the longest trail highest point value that had an additional challenge point attached. I heard the word peak so that where I was going. This has been my strategy in years past, but this time I had a lot more company. I loved the climb to the peak!!! There is a stamp at the end of each trail for accountability but I couldn’t find it so I signed the log book with my sharpie and took a selfie with the flag.
The next thing I decided to do was the pool challenge. I had to jump in the pool and retrieve numbered discs to equal the number 11. I saw a 6,4,1. My friend Tommie who I know from many running events came out to support me. I just in the deep end a grabbbed the number 6 I then swam to the 4 and then the 1 as I reached for the 1 I couldn’t pick it up. I was out of breath and came up for air dropping both the 4 and 1. This meant I either had to quit or jump in again. After warming up a little I heard one of the guys yell,”go.” I jumped in and grabbed the 4 in one hand and 1 in the other. I told myself I needed that challenge and its points because I didn’t think anyone was going to be crazy enough to jump in that freezing water.
I went back to my car to put warm dry clothes back on. I’ve become really quick at car changing from doing my training runs after work getting out of my scrubs in to running clothes.
I went to the fort to tell them where I was going next. I heard Mayra tell them she was going to clam chowder. That made me laugh so much it was called clamshell but I liked her name for it more. I decided to go too. The egg challenge was associated with that trail. In years passed I never went for the egg challenge because all the fast runners went for it. As I was going to ascend the trail I had Mayra and some other runners warn me about the top part of it and ask if I had a headlamp. I made it to the top it was indeed pretty sketchy to get up, but I saw Ted as I was descending and I asked him if the eggs were there. I learned I had run right by them in the residential neighborhood I came through. On my way back I grabbed the egg, wrapped it in my buff and place it safely in my puffy jacket pocket.
I got back and turned in my egg and headed to mount bliss. It was the trail that Zac said had least distance for points value trail it is 12 miles round trip. This year it was different it went farther and the last 2 miles are super runnable but feel like forever. On my way up a runner was coming down and told me he had seen a mountain lion and thus wanted to go home and he advised me to be careful. I pray for my safety each time I go out on trails but my prayers became earnest at that point. I got to the checkpoint no lion sightings stamped my hand took a picture and ran quick back down so I could participate in midnight yoga because Jonathan who was contributing so much of his time to scoring had offered to lead it.
When yoga finished I said I was going back to mount bliss. I knew it was going to get me just shy of the 50 mile mark. I feel like I’ve been training for mount bliss on repeat for months as my favorite weekly run has a long fire access road climb with a fast run back down.
As I was nearing the bottom I saw Ted and told him I wasn’t sure I was going back out and my reasoning. Ted told me just stay out. I decided I was going to need the 50 mile bonus points and that I could do the 6 mile trail. I should take Ted’s advice. I told myself I needed to give all I had and that it was a 24 hour event not 21.
I checked back in and said I was going to deer creek lodge and quickly went to my car to refuel. I am so grateful for Fluid tactical citrus its always helpful when I no longer want food. I was nearing the flag checkpoint and I saw the female who I knew was running such a strong race she had been pushing me and a big reason along with Ted that I went for that last 6 mile trail.
I got back to check in and they told me as soon as the screen updated I would be first place female. I said I really thought Elijiah had more miles. They said I had 10 more points. I went back to my car and changed clothes and came back to see that Ted also won. Daren told each of us that he thought it was cool we both said we wanted to win and we went for it.
Keep setting big goals you might just achieve them!
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