So what can I say about this run other than it was awesome!!! This was an over 13 mile, almost 3,800 foot elevation gain, challenge that was worth every moment. I never thought I would summit Mt. Diablo on foot, but we did it.
Our family is familiar with the first three miles of the trail. A little over 3 years ago, when the kids were much little and I would push a jogging stroller on fire trails, we tried to climb up to Deer Flat. Mind you, it was in the 90's that day and I was not as healthy as I am today. That said, the trail is beautiful, with sweeping views of Mitchell Canyon and of the Clayton and Concord valleys.
Today the run started at a chilly 48-degrees. By the time we would finish (3 hours and 54 minutes, not bad for this type of run) it was 81-degrees.
This was also the first time we have run with Coastal Trail Runs. The race was well organized, challenging courses, two aid stations; however we have definitely been spoiled by running Brazen. That said, we would definitely run with Coastal Trail Runs again.
The run begins at the Mitchell Canyon Staging area on the north side of Mt. Diablo State park. For the first two miles, there is a mild incline. The majority of the elevation gain happens over the next 5.25 miles. Most of this is on fire trail up to the Juniper Campground, then gets technical to the summit. What goes up must go down on this race and my quads were crying for mercy after the first 2 miles down.
As I have stated before, my wife and I got into running about three years ago and we run most of our races together. This run was definitely an accomplishment that I really am proud to say we can share. When it came to this run, climbing is my specialty (due to my bicycle training) while Beth's specialty is the decent. So I was support for Beth on the way up, and she kept me going down hill. We also ran into our friend Alan (this is his blog) almost to the Juniper Campground aid station which gave us added support. You can follow his blog here.
No comments:
Post a Comment