2008 PCT50 Re-Cap #29

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If you’re not entrenched in the sport of ultra-running, the PCT50 doesn’t seem to mean a whole bunch. My Budweiser lamp neighbor thought the PCT50 was a NASCAR event. My mom informed us that PCT50 is the active, streak-free ingredient in Windex. And, my car detailer asked me if you’re supposed to smoke or snort PCT50; either way, he wanted two grams. You would think because the Pacific Crest Trail, conceived by Clinton C. Clarke in 1932, covers 2,650 miles from the Mexican border up to Canada, everyone would’ve crossed its path and remembered it. No such luck. Guess the PCT needs a Starbucks to become part of the collective conscience.

John “El Cubano” Martinez’s PCT50 is one of the most deceiving 50-milers on Earth. And again, due to the “no pain, no gain” mentality in ultra-running, that’s hunky dory. Maybe it’s The Run Down, but each year those PCT50 single-track rocks seem to swell in size and number; they’re alive and multiplying. Again, forget the official online PCT50 course description. El Cubano needs an extended timeout for that misrepresentation of reality. The PCT50’s gain of approximately 5,600 feet is so evenly spread that you’re climbing 80% of the time. Even when you’re lucky enough to find yourself running downhill, an incline pops up and you bitch under your breath, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

With the PCT50, you better not take your eyes off the trail for more than a few seconds. It’s so technical and undulating that if you lose concentration and get casual, it's kneecap pizza. The whole scenario makes it tough (again, a good thing) to get into a relaxed rhythm. There are a whopping four 200-yard sections that offer a groomed, sprintable surface but like married sex, it’s over in a flash and then followed by endless miles of fossilized triceratops spines.

And as if that weren’t enough, we had the distinct pleasure of running into three rattlesnakes perfectly coiled smack dab in the middle of the trail. Perfect! We need a few more challenges in these races, so poisonous reptiles were a welcome touch. But, after seeing one snake, everything else resembling a bent line became a snake. Two blue-belly lizards humping? Provocative, but a snake! Rock crevasse? Must be a snake. Random twig? Freaking snake! That’s the issue with so many San Diego Bad Rats milling about: The trail becomes a moving rodent buffet for attracting our dual-fanged friends.

If you had to park on the far side of the street bridge and walk in the cold a quarter-mile to the check-in station, that’s because “Team Armstrong” was hogging 17½ prime parking spots for his unauthorized Mobile Endurance Institute. Complete with chef, experienced crew, prime rib rotisserie and post-race ice pants, Jerry has more staff members than we have friends. It’s a good thing his prize winnings and sponsor float the boat; that would be his stellar wife, Team Jenn!

Let’s break down the course in layperson’s terms:

Boulder Oaks to Fred Canyon Road (6.6 miles) – Pretend you’re climbing an endless set of broken stairs. Great view on the right during the final two miles, uphill, technical.

Fred Canyon to Dale’s Kitchen (7.3 miles) – Hardest section of the course; a few downs but mostly uphill, very technical in spots, and no kitchen appliances in sight.

Dale’s to Todd’s Cabin (3.8 miles) – Shade and trees, finally; some flat areas but it’s the PCT50, so don’t get excited. Some short, technical uphill sections.

Todd’s to Penny Pines (5.2 miles) – Emerge from the forest to witness the nuclear blast fall-line of the Anza-Borrego desert on your right; a couple of rocky sweeping downhill sections and a short uphill section toward the end.

Penny Pines to Turnaround (2.1 miles) – Rolling terrain; you’re a mouse in an outdoor maze with a clear view of hamsters negotiating the trails.

Turnaround to Penny Pines (2.1 miles) — Dodge people coming the other way; nice downhill into Penny Pines for drop bag and/or pacer.

Penny Pines back to Todd’s Cabin (5.2 miles) – Two nasty climbs. The day’s sun is likely pounding the exposed ridge. On your left, the Anza-Borrego desert looks like a nice place if you’re from Iraq. Easy to see where PCT50 entry fees are going: Todd’s Cabins’ new look resembles a Ritz-Carlton beach bungalow; aid station staff wearing Tommy Bahamas.

Todd’s Cabin back to Dale’s Kitchen (3.8 miles) – Short downhill. If you feel like DNFing at Todd’s, there’s a good chance you can walk off the demons between the two aid stations; get up and get moving. Sorry about the 24-degree climb out of Todd’s, but stairs haven’t been invented.

Dale’s Kitchen to Fred Canyon Road (7.3 miles) – Feels more like 730 miles.

Fred Canyon to Boulder Oaks (6.6 miles) – You'll be in a much better mood when covering this section earlier in the day. While you're away, they'll bring in a few extra rocks. You’ll never be happier while running directly under a freeway bridge.

OK, Let’s check in with the other PCT50 cast of characters:

The Hulk showed up with neon-green arm sleeves that after a few miles got rolled down and looked like “Flashdance” leg warmers. Pacing iKarly, Dean Dobberteen would deny his client the hat request despite direct sunlight punishing her citrus Vitargo soak. Dean’s reply: “No way, I don’t have any hair gel, keep moving.” You’ve got to love those sacrificial pacers. We’re still not sure which one of the duo looked hotter.

We could write a novel about Tracy Moore (7:32). On Saturday, Tracy was moving with such ease it was embarrassing. When he passed us (going the opposite direction) we couldn’t spot sweat on his shirt or dirt around his socks, his hair looked groomed (sorry, Kirk) and his trail etiquette reminded us of Mr. Rogers. “Hi neighbor, can you say ultra? I like the way you say that. Today, we’re going to hang the sweater in the closet and grab our trail shoes. Come on, let’s run 50 miles together and see some of our favorite friends like Queen Sara & Henrietta Pussycat. Won’t you be my neighbor, could you be mine, would you be mine?”

Honestly, is there a friendly, more even-tempered runner in the universe? Forget the talent and training, Tracy gets the good-guy award and shucks the cliché, “Nice guys finish last.” Tracy would tear the PCT50 to shreds, leaving everyone and everything in his hospitable wake. Maybe we didn’t originally know it but from mile one, everybody — including some podium elite runners — were all fighting for second place; overall first was a goner. Tracy would smash last year’s winning time by almost 20 minutes (that’s two miles, folks). Look out, 2008 WS100 and AC100 – Mr. Moore, that’s Tracy Moore – is coming to a neighborhood near you and he prefers his milk shaken, not stirred.

Akos Konya (7:53) came in third. We're in shock but yes, did short Injinji stock on Friday. Akos is the epitome of mechanical perfection in motion; his legs and arms alternate in effortless synchronicity. Apparently, "The Matrix” was no science fiction movie. That’s not Akos passing you, it's agent Smith. “Mr. Anderson, do you actually plan on beating me today, all of me?”

Kyle Hoang's (8:01) longish hair and GENr8 yellow tech shirt appear to be working out for the downhill speedster. Kyle would beat his last year’s blistering time by 10 minutes and improve his overall finishing place by a few spots.

It's easy to spot someone who knows what they’re doing. Scott Mills (8:21) is one of those guys. From gear to course mannerisms, it's always about control, calm and light-hearted confidence with Scott. He should consider putting on a race or something. Scott noticed The Run Down tech shirts rivaling the Bad Rat’s apparel line in trail frequency and immediately slapped an injunction on all TRD wear for the San Diego 100 & Noble Canyon 50k. That's fine, we've got pink "Dancing with the Stars" CoolMax shirts that absolutely rip.

Iso Yucra-Rivera (8:41) would be the top TRD bidder for Runners World Magazine's Andrew Hersams' running jacket. At mile three, we caught up with Iso and demanded he immediately pay the $15.50 winning bid. He tried the old "You take Diners Club?" but we would have none of it and slammed his PayPal account for 50 bucks; those late fees are killers.

Let’s analyze Jerry Armstrong’s (8:57:39) post-race words of wisdom: “Ya think running a full marathon with that climb to the turnaround in 3:40 may have been a bad idea?” Jeez, we’re not sure! But, if trying to drop at Dale’s Kitchen was part of Team Armstrong’s intricate race-day plans, then we guess not. Jerry would hit his 15’ x 40’ trailer wall at mile 36.7. Cindy Yankee would pump him full of SPIZ, play a Tony Robbins clip and send him on his way. Jerry would rebound and finish strong. We’re guessing that a longer rig taking up 30 parking spots would’ve improved JA's finishing time. We can’t wait to see Jerry’s C-130 Hercules transport plane at the SD100. If you’re participating in that event, ride a scooter if you want to park anywhere near the start/finish.

Turns out Mark Barnett (8:57:49) is my boss' neighbor; yes, I hold a job. Looks like we’ll have to be polite to Mr. Barnett, who's obviously the real deal. Mark, let Bill Rubin know if there's anything you need for that cold.

One of the best trail climbers we know, Kevin Nasman (9:16), comfortably in second place most of the race, was the beneficiary of a Steven King-size asthma attack around mile 38. If this had been a 50k, Kevin would’ve surprised a few folks. He’s a scary solid runner and life coach for soon-to-make-his-ultra debut, 25k speedster Ryan Yohn.

Robert Schipsi (9:19) had a nice follow-up to a tough Leona run. He looks prepared for SD100 and is TRD's pick for a top-10 finish.

Ted Liao (9:50) stopped an errant Border Patrol bullet whizzing straight for Elijah Liao (11:41) as Elijah emerged from an off-path potty break. Both runners share the exact same surname but deny any blood lines. Life partners? It's running, we're cool with whatever.

Andy Kumeda (10:16) was the most relaxed guy on the course. Just look at Andy's oozing LA coolness while outside the Penny Pines aid station; he's doing a 9-minute mile right there. It's all so easy for Mr. C2M.

In Michelle Barton’s own words. “This is Dan Brenden and Mrs. Brenden.  He’s a maniac at hundreds...worse than Robo. He races like crazy and is running the Grand Slam this year for the 4th time. He always finishes, too! Dan’s taper for Western States includes two 100-milers (Old Dominion and San Diego). He’s great and his wife is a sweetie. He always carries her across the finish line. It’s really touching.”

It’s always good seeing San Diego Running Institute's Dr. Victor Runco (10:26) adjusting the course. The studly doctor always looks in control and The Run Down had the pleasure of hanging out with the overachieving physician near the turnaround. We would’ve liked to continue running with Victor, but his shoe-fitting crew nailed us at Penny Pines and we got stalled buying a new pair of Brooks and a sports bra; man, they’re good!

On the drive home, Robert Cowan (10:29) was pulled over and cited for operating a motorized vehicle while under the influence of RECOVER-ease. Robo is seen here trying to inhale the evidence. It looks like this was his half-day supply. We think Officer Armstrong was confiscating the contraband for personal gain.

Robert Harris (10:35) had to explain to TRD his scientific theory of moisture, heat, BTUs and energy loss as it relates to exercising and how it all rolls into wearing the proper shirt come race day. Robert wasn’t wearing a shirt during the PCT50. We're confused, but he does work for the government.

How many So Cal ultras will we have to follow Bud Phillip's (10:40) infamous white cloth neck guard up some rocky mountain trail? Evidenced by no photo, we've never actually seen his face as we're always behind the super senior. Bud's taking on a headless horseman persona with TRD.

Back to trail running after a two-year hiatus earning his master’s degree, Ben Stegner (11:04) was looking fit. We’re not sure how smart he got, as he was running 50 miles, but rumor is Ben can now name all the indigenous PCT plants in Latin. He must be fascinating to run with.

Jeff Gilbert (11:59) almost pulled a DNS but was reported to be eating all the good pieces of pork and the biggest slices of pizza under the finishers' tent.

Robert Baird's (11:56) second 50-miler in three weeks ended in success. We're not sure where on Balboa Island he trains but maybe there's a hefty pile of trust funds for hill repeats. Whatever he does, it's working.

Poway's Paul Escola (11:57) had so much Dr. Runco duct tape, bondo and staples adhered to both feet we doubt he needed trail shoes on Saturday. Paul would complete the PCT50 with a pre-existing injury most folks would’ve used for an excuse to watch the NBA playoffs. He’s a proud member of the SoCal Trail Headz, so what do you expect?

Does Dmitri Chechuy (11:59) own another race-day shirt? Maybe he’s sponsored by Pepto-Bismol or is hiding track marks with the long sleeves. We don't know but Dmitri, with plans of dropping, was kicked out of the final aid station by the hardcore women of the SoCal Trail Headz; girl power! Check out his, from the heart, PCT50 re-cap.

Xy Weiss (12:37) was dressed down for this year’s event. While she did give Kirk Fortini a quick table dance inside Dale's, her blue digs were in stark contrast to the leopard skin and pink Victoria's Secrets running gear we’ve come to know and love. Does the Dirty Girl look mad at us?

Eric Lumba (12:47) should have been home working on the SoCal Trail Headz new logo but instead used the PCT50 as an excuse to kick an imaginary case of "creative block." We have his email address.

Kirk Fortini (13:18) had such an easy race that after crossing the finishing line he would sprawl out on Old Highway 80 to even out his tan. It’s too bad all those pesky medical personal reviving him were blocking the sun. Kirk would do his normal post-race recovery routine and down an entire bottle of Listerine. Isn't it important to have good breath before receiving mouth-to-mouth?

Fred Pollard (13:52), with bib number protruding from his hat, reminded us of our car when we pick it up from the service center; number cone magnetically attached to the roof. Fred appears to be running well but with his weekend habits we're recommending he purchase an extended warranty. Fred's a legend.

When we initially spotted Glenda Kimmerly at Penny Pines, we began spinning in the morbid possibility that maybe we were still running in 2008's Leona Divide 50-Miler. Only after downing some Hammer Heed, with its varying flavor choices (unlike Gatorade, don't get us started), did we realize Palmdale, thank the good Lord, was more than 300 miles away.

We may have to change Ohio Bob’s nickname. He spends more time in California than we do. Bob was cruising the PCT50 course, giving words of encouragement to all the other Midwesterners who flew out for the event. Mr. Bob Combs would complete Virginia's Masanutten 100 in 31:20 (41st) the very next Saturday. We're begining to think he's from Kenya.

Pat Knoff didn't have a finishing time because he was too busy working his rear off. Normally, Pat's dragging Jerry Armstrong out of some mountain stream but today he decided to do something easier and just take care of a hundred runners. Pat personifies unselfishness and our hats off to him.

Did El Cubano physically move the entire race? We all ran 50 miles and his collective mileage appeared to be in the neighborhood of 145 feet. We can’t wait to bug John, who's pacing PCT50 sweeper Jill Childers in June’s SD100. Maybe Jill’s planning on some type of shortcut so El Cubano can keep up. That comment's going to cost us.

Yorba Linda’s endurance king Eric Kosters would tear up the initial 26 miles of the PCT50 only to discover blood in his urine; not good. If it’s a 50k he continues and finishes the race in the top 15. But, it’s a 50-miler so he wisely bids good luck to the field, hugs his family at Penny Pines, and sips a cold one while we stumble around Todd’s cabin looking for an IV. Who's the smart one now?

  What a huge surprise: Team Fierce - Michelle Barton (9:05:10) and Keira Henninger (9:05:50) would dominate their respective field while also trouncing 95% of the men. What’s their silly motto? “Girls rule and boys drool.” If these two were professional golfers they’d play on the men’s tour. We think they enjoy passing the guys more than actually winning. In doing some research, we discovered the name origin of VITARGO (their sponsor) and the acronym is all very consistent with their “let’s get it on” attitude; Very Intense Training Always Runs Guys Over. We should’ve seen that one coming. Overall first female (iMichelle) and overall second place female (iKarly) would be decided by less than one second per mile; think about it.

Marisa Willment (10:42) looked sharp in her color-coordinated outfit. Is it us or does Marisa look like buffed-out Linda Hamilton in The Terminator? No migraines (me-grains) for Marisa on this day but that didn’t stop the native South African from hurling Biltong. Are we boycotting the Sun City 50k? We can’t remember: Are we still supposed to be pissed off about apartheid? Marisa?

It happened again! My iPod DNFd at mile 38 and I had too much time for uninterrupted thought. Have you noticed the price of food and refreshments inside an airport? The charges ignore all economic factors just outside their walls. At the Oakland Airport, I bought the world’s worst tuna sandwich for $14.95. Where else was I going to go? What were my available options? The 12-oz. bottled water was $4.75. We pay these prices and nobody blinks.

The topic got me snowballing (easy to do). What could an aid station charge for a cup of water? I mean, if they played hardball? After running for five hours, I’d pay just about anything for liquid; $24.95 to fill my Nathan bottle, no problem. What would my available options be? No thanks, I’ll wander over here and dig a well. In fact, you could charge $100 for 12 ounces of water, as the alternative is dehydration or death. Talk about a captive audience! I’m just saying, there’s money being left on the table.

Sooner or later, all good things seem to come to an end. It’s not far off before you’ll need a swipe card or Mobil Speed Pass to check into an aid station with cumulative frequent runner miles for discounts on races or crappy, overpriced merchandise. Ultra technology is coming and with it comes added expense and hassle. The PCT is just a Cat 5 network cable connecting Mexico (386, 1MB RAM, 600 MG Hard Drive) with Canada (IBM Blade Server) and it’s a matter of time before secured transactions start competing for single-track bandwidth. $65.00 is a smoking deal for San Diego’s PCT50, but get prepared. The aid station’s business model could morph into Edwards Theater popcorn pricing, so start carrying cash or MasterCard for the ensuing $68 Heed, $105 PB&J or the easy payment plan on the finisher’s pulled-pork sandwich. El Cubano is here to help but he doesn’t take America Express.

Time for the Weasel List. The folks below should’ve run in The PCT50 miler but didn’t. Injured, family responsibilities, financial woes, race next week --- all a bunch of girlyman excuses. Everyone of these veterans can complete an ultra and finish in the top echelon on short notice. We’re not buying into their stories.

1. Dean Dobberteen – Felt pacing was better for overall skin tone. Plus, resting up for “American Idol” tryouts.
2. Lambert Timmermans – Needed a more remote run to increase odds of not making it home alive.
3. Bill Ramsey – Busy running some city called Dana Point. BFD!
4. Jorge Pacheco – Too close to Mexico! What’s that supposed to mean?
5. Kevin McGuinness - Carving out a new 50k, all-sand course on Coronado Island.
6. Dennis Koors – Saving himself for the SD100, where he’s announced he’ll beat Karl Meltzer’s 2007 time; Dennis needs to back off the RECOVER-ease.

As for my personal trail escapades, they’re never exciting. As a running neophyte, my race-day milestones are a bit off compared to the athletes in this sport. I did pass three hikers like they were standing still (they were); if only they could afford skis to go with those shiny poles. Almost beat 26-ultras-a-year Rob Cowan to the first aid station. My Garmin 301 crossed the motivational line by flashing “Are you indoors?” How slow do you have to be moving for a 133-million-dollar GPS satellite to ask if you've potentially ducked inside? Only wasted one hour throwing up with not one chunk hitting my coveted Solomon XT Wings. And, didn’t have to use the actual Ziploc bag as a final potty break wipe. All in all, a respectable day.

As expected, the SoCal Trail Headz showed up in droves. Congratulations and/or thanks to the following members for participating and/or volunteering at 2008 The PCT50.

1. Michelle Barton - Laguna Niguel
2. Dmitri Chechuy – Ladera Ranch
3. Rob Cowan – Coto de Caza
4. Chris Diaz—Coto de Caza
5. Alexa Dickerson & BF – Lake Forest (v)
6. Paul Escola – Poway
7. Pam Everett – Laguna Niguel (v, in charge of Greg)
8. Jennifer Forman – Riverside
9. Leon Gray -- Fullerton (v)
10. Kirk Fortini – Wildomar
11. Greg Hardesty – Silverado Canyon (v, tried to DNF)
12. Keira Henninger - Laguna Niguel
13. Eric Kosters – Yorba Linda
14. Ted Liao- Monrovia
15. Eric  Lumba – Newport Beach
16. Michelle Mecham – Huntington Beach (v)
17. Kevin Nasman – Alternate Dimension
18. Charlie Nickell – Ladera Ranch
19. Sue Rudolph– Huntington Beach (v)
20. Robert Schipsi – Laguna Beach
21. Ben Stengler - Murrieta
22. Marisa Willment - Mission Viejo
23. Beiyi Zheng - Irvine (v)

(v) Volunteer

If you want to experience the benefits of training with an organized, accomplished and focused trail running group, send inquiries to cgnick@yahoo.com or visit www.socaltrailheadz.org.

The Pretty Crazy Terrain 50 (PCT50) is a must-do ultra. All sarcasm aside, we love the event and every year have a blast torturing ourselves. There’s no pure out-and-back quite like it anywhere else in Southern California. The aid stations have classic spacing, are manned by experienced ultra runners and stocked with all the necessary goodies. If you plan properly and know what you're doing, the course is difficult but fair. We dig the red technical PCT50 shirts as you can do the fake Target employee thing and shotgun a few Mountain Dews while pretending to restock sodas on Sunday.

The PCT50 throws a lot of runners (including myself) into a tailspin. Folks fail to recognize that you’re running a ridge adjacent to the Anza-Borrego desert. Don’t let the trees and lush foliage in your field of vision fool you. It may be San Diego County, but you’re not at Solano Beach dodging great whites. You could, for all intents and purposes, be in the Kalahari as the moistureless air sucks water right out of your pores. If you don’t up your water and salt intake, you’re going to have a very rough day. Rumor has it smart guy Tracy Moore was taking five salt pills per hour and no, he wasn’t filming a commercial for S-Caps.

We think the sport of ultra-running may have been invented by women; it tends to be dramatically overcomplicated. Desert dune buggy racing: Bud Lite or Coors Lite? Surfing: Long board, twin fin, cold or warm water wax?  Cycling: Spandex Target or Cinzano jersey? Ultra-Running: Salt pills or electrolyte drink? Liquid fuel or energy bars? Aid station food or pack your own? Salt every 30, 60 or 90 minutes? Gel with caffeine? Ibuprofen or Aleve? Concerned about kidneys, or not concerned? Gloves no gloves? New shoes or broken-in ones? Keira stalker or iMichelle fanatic? Music no music? iPod Shuffle or Nano? Get up early and drive or stay the night before? Carbo load Thursday or Friday? Drop bag, no drop bag? Chill drinks or aid station ice? Red Bull or Monster? Handhelds or hydration pack? Wipes or leaves? Hat, visor or nada? Out fast or start slow? Sunscreen or tanning lotion…? It's neverending.

On the drive back to Orange County, I pondered the various things I could’ve or should’ve done differently. All those thoughts started swirling in my head and suddenly I was doing 35 mph in the fast lane. To mentally detach from the day’s events, it was time for a call home to touch base with my wife, Lisa. I dialed up her cell phone and awaited her familiar voice. Unexpectedly, my 2-year-old daughter, Bennett, answered the phone with a basic, “Hello.” I responded, “Hi baby, it's daddy, where are you?” And, in her unique wisdom she replied, “I’m here daddy, I’m right here.'' And all of a sudden, life was simple again.

Written, ran and reported by Charlie Nickell.

Helped park your car and edited by OC Register reporter Greg Hardesty.

2008 PCT50 Summary

When: Saturday, May 10. / 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. start.

Where: Laguna Mountains, CA (east of San Diego) bordering the Anza-Borrego Desert.

Race Director: John “El Cubano” Martinez

Course Description: 100% single-track run on the Pacific Crest Trail through hilly mountains ranging in elevation from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. Course features a 25-mile out-and-back and a working water faucet. Trained snakes courtesy of Zoboomafoo and extra rocks provided by The Home Depot.

Number of starters: 108
Number of finishers: 93
Success rate: 86%

The RECOVER-ease Top Finishers:

Top three male finishers:
1) Tracy Moore  7:32
2) Steve Cunningham  7:49 
3) Akos Konya  7:53

Top three female finishers:
1) Michelle Barton  9:05:10
2) Keira Henninger  9:05:50
3) Renee Roberts 9:20

For Complete Race Day Results Click Here.

Web site: http://www.PCT50.com

TRD HOME PAGE

Comments

[dave]

great write-up, as always. one of these times i will say hello.

[Jerry Armstrong]

Great Job Chaz...

Who told you about the C130?

Someone's getting fired.