Way Too Cook 50k

This month I got to run my first 50K.

It was the Way Too Cool 50k in Cool, CA It is a part of the Montrail UltraCup series (as is Western States 100). Entrance to the race is by lottery. I put my name in for the lottery last December and sure enough I got in. I did not expect that! There were almost 300 people on a waitlist. These were people who had more experience running ultras than me. I guess it truly is a lottery.

From what I heard it is considered one of the most popular 50k's in the country to run (hence the lottery to get in). It is a beautiful course in the Sierra Nevadas which includes Western States trails. The weather was cool in the morning but got up to 59-60 with lots of sun. Ideal conditions for the run!

There was a lot of runoff from the rivers, streams, and creeks in the area. So the course was very muddy. There were also a lot of creek crossings on the course but none them were too deep. The deepest creek I had to cross came up to just below my knees. It all adds to the fun of trail running! I did manage to stop a few times to take pictures of the course with my camera phone.

I started to feel myself slow down around mile 13 but was able to pick the pace and feel renewed again by mile 17. (Thanks to salt, 7 up and PBJ sandwiches.)

I finished the race without setting any course records (darn it!), but I am happy with how I felt during the race and at the finish (no muscle cramps!).

I got to be rewarded at the finish with cupcakes!

Do I want to do it again? Absolutely! Crazy, I know. But I am hoping I actually have running ultras in my blood - at least I hope to have the makings of an endurance athlete (even if I'm not the fastest).

I'm still learning how to get the hang of Blogspot. I've never been a blogger before this and I'm not the writer in the family. So please be patient with me. :)

This first blog is about hiking the Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Pennisula of Washington. It is located just north of Sequim, WA. The hike from the parking lot to the lighthouse is 5.5 miles. There is still a small portion of the spit after the lighthouse, but it is a wildlife refuge area where seals, birds, other animals, and plants can be left alone. Actually, the whole south side of the Spit is like that and people are only allowed on the north side.

Anyways, myself and my friend set out hiking along the beach with the goal of reaching the lighthouse. The terrain along the beach was very sandy, very rocky, and we weren't always walking on solid ground. In other words, our feet would sink into the sand as we were walking like it does on all beaches. That didn't matter because we were taking out time to take it all in.

During our trek we spotted seals out in the water and lots of small birds. But I loved seeing the eagles best. We first spotted a bald eagle just calmly sitting on a perch. We then came across a golden eagle. I didn't realize how huge these birds are! It absolutely dwarfed the bald eagle. It was cool to see this behemoth sitting on its perch and then flying away.

We made it to the lighthouse and got a view of the area from the top. There was a sign post in the sand by the beach that oriented you to where you are just in case you forgot.

After the hike back, we headed back towards the ferry. As we were passing through Sequim, there was a road side sign flashing which read Elk Crossing. Sure enough, there was a herd of Elk on the hillside.

Overall, it was a great day. I'm used to hikes that involve mountains and elevation gains. But I enjoyed this kind of hike too!