The Last 3/4's : Cypress Bowl to Deep Cove ... by Curb Ivanic
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I hope people appreciate the weather
that we've organized for 2002 training runs. Unlike the last few
years which saw cool temperatures and liquid sunshine, this year the
race organizers opted for warm weather with cloud cover to keep the
sun off the runners. We stayed with this pattern for the run
from Cypress Bowl to Deep Cove.
A group of 40+ runners headed out
onto the trail and quickly spread out. The lead group also
quickly managed to zig when we should have zagged and went off trail
for a bit. The trail in the first section was muddy and wet,
with plenty of snow after we climbed about 500 feet. The snow
has retreated a lot in the last couple of weeks but there'll still be
some around on race day.
We had a couple of new faces show up
to lead the pack today and boy did they ever. Paul and Colin are
two accomplished athletes and set a mean pace coming into Cleveland
Dam. They didn't stop there too long and that was the last we
saw of them until the end of the run. It's going to be a great
race for first place this year; there is a strong field out there
training hard. We also ran into Ean "Having Fun in the
Sun" Jackson and Chris Mager, two speedsters themselves, near the Dam
The rest of the lead pack spread out
over the next section but still maintained a good pace. Apart
from the beginning of the run, the trail conditions were D-R-Y. Hydration
was key today as the mercury climbed higher.
The break at Lynn Valley wasn't too
long and we pushed on to the final leg. The sun poked through
the clouds as we approached the "Seymour Grind". A big
thank you to Judy K. for leaving water out again at Hyannis Drive!
It definitely hit the spot. As we cruised into the Cove, the
clouds opened up and a beautiful blue sky greeted us. All told,
Scott and I came in at 4:17, with others coming in by 2s and
3s behind us. Not sure when Colin and Paul finished but I
imagine it was in the 4 hour range.
Post run replenishment of a
donut and pop was just what I needed by this point. An
otherwise great day was somewhat tarnished by a speeding ticked
heading back UP the road to Cypress. Seems the police were
trying to fill their monthly quota and nabbing a few "speedy"
drivers, including yours truly. Heed my advice: save your
speed for the trail, its cheaper!
Next week we're doing the first 3/4's,
a 5-7 hour run. Please bring enough water to get you through to
Cleveland Dam as the water at Cypress isn't drinkable until early
July. Hope to see another good turnout for the final LONG run before
race day.
Have fun on the trails!
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