Last July I was sitting in an airport, bored, flying home after pacing Jon in the vt100. I was googling random things, mostly races. He had mentioned the Headlands 50k, which I had heard about before. Then after meticulously reading through the website, I found there was no age group record for females 20 & under. It immediately sparked my attention. I texted Mary and Liz right away and asked "what if?" The race was a month away and I was training to try and make D1 XC team at cal poly. No way was I in any shape to run a hard 50k race. So I let it go.
Fast forward through the school year. I got injured and didn't make the D1 time standard the coach had, but rehabed my severely sprained ankle and ran club XC. In the spring I continuously increased my long runs and ran more hills, despite it being track season. I still had headlands on my mind and knew I'd run it this year.
As soon as registration opened, I signed up. Two weeks later I also decided maybe I should run a marathon first in prep and signed up for a road one as well. That's a different race report though... :)
After track season and school got out, I came back home to work at SFRC and train on the course. With the great running community established at the store, I found many supporters and received a lot of advice. I also had some quality training runs on the course.
Race morning I felt sharp, eager, excited, and springy. It was awesome socializing and knowing almost everybody there.
I lined up in front, behind Varner and next to the top ladies. I chased Bree from the beginning and held on for the first two miles. But going up coastal out of muir beach I fell back and decided it was smarter to race after the first half. So I kept running and enjoyed the scenery. I was still in about 6-7th place going up wolf ridge and I listened to a couple people's conversations. Coming down into rodeo beach was awesome. I had the folks on the sfrc group long run cheering me on as well as my grandpa on his bike.
I lined up in front, behind Varner and next to the top ladies. I chased Bree from the beginning and held on for the first two miles. But going up coastal out of muir beach I fell back and decided it was smarter to race after the first half. So I kept running and enjoyed the scenery. I was still in about 6-7th place going up wolf ridge and I listened to a couple people's conversations. Coming down into rodeo beach was awesome. I had the folks on the sfrc group long run cheering me on as well as my grandpa on his bike.
Going up miwok to Tennessee valley I felt confident. I just kept repeating my mantra: relax, be strong, be smart, be fun, be fluid. Once I hit Tennessee valley and started going up miwok from that side, I started feeling sick from all the sugars I was eating in the Gu and electrolyte drink. It was too much for me and I felt terrible miles 11-16. I just kept telling myself I'd see Mary at hwy 1, mile 14.5. Once there I switched to plain water in my bottle, which helped, and it was relieving just to see her and my friends there volunteering.
I had felt like puking up to that aid station and after down to muir woods. Strangely, I felt way better running up cardiac. It was hot and hard, but I ran most of the way up and passed several people suffering in the heat. It was like I had come back from the dead; a feeling unknown to me in my short running career. I got to the cardiac aid station and was welcomed by my friends there. They took care of me by filling my water bottle and giving me a cup of water to drink and half a cup of coke. I stayed for maybe less than two minutes and continued on to pantoll, welcoming the shade. I felt significantly better coming off of cardiac and one of the men I passed exclaimed I had, "come back alive". I felt like I was leaping and bounding down Matt Davis, which I always run with joy, towards Stinson because it is one of my favorite stretches of trail. And because I knew I just had one more big hill and a fast downhill to go.
I passed a woman and apparently moved into 7th place according to a man who was counting on the side of the trail. She passed me again and I lost sight of her. I got to Stinson and I could feel what felt like a small rock in my shoe. I ignored it and headed through the aid station. I filled up my bottle and got some water splashed on my back. It must have taken all of 30 seconds; I don't even think I stopped! Then I started the long last trek up Stinson and steel ravine. It was hot, I was tired, and it felt hard. I power walked the hills on the moors with Andrea, a woman I had helped at the store and caught up to. We chit chatted in between huffs and puffs. She told me I was like a little mountain fairy and would soon pass her. She pulled ahead for a little bit and I lost her in the switchbacks up Steep Ravine, but I caught up with a man and charged up the trail. I pulled him along with me and he talked to me, keeping me sane and present with my mind. Thank goodness for that; I was starting to lose my racing mind! I caught up to Andrea and passed her soon after the ladder as if she were standing still. This did wonders to my self-esteem and confidence. I soon passed another woman at Pantoll who cheered me on. I was on fire at that point. I was ripping up the trail at sub7 min pace, anxious she'd catch me again as I had moved into 5th place.
As I approached the 27.5 mile, last aid station at Cardiac, I thought, I'll finish in 22 minutes, it's not that far, she's right behind me, I don't need to refill my bottle or get anything! Wrong. Half a mile later, I stopped dead in my tracks as if I had been hit by a wrecking ball. I was hot and dehydrated. I continued running because then i'd finish sooner and get water and just be done. I wanted to cry I was so tired and dehydrated. I painfully made my way down the switchbacks of Heather Cutoff with the finish line in sight. Two men were hounding me right behind, but wouldn't pass, so I felt pressured and even more anxious. Moreover, the woman passed me in that last mile. I almost cried when I saw Mary at the end of the switchbacks as she cheered me on to the finish. I ran 60 more yards to the finish. I had absolutely nothing left. No finishing kick, no more motivation, nothing. I didn't even have the strength to stand. I collapsed at the line and was half-crying, half-laughing. My mom, friends and the race director, Tim, crowded around me congratulating me and asking me if I was okay. I was carried over to the medical tent and examined by the EMT. I was force fed a bagel, coke, water, and grapes. But I was so incredibly happy to be done and beamed with joy. Afterwards I enjoyed firetrails pizza (despite being gluten and dairy intolerant), and two huge chocolate chip cookies.
In just 5:45 hours, I had finished 6th female, 52 overall, and set a new CR in the 20& under age group as the youngest to ever finish the Headlands 50k. I am beyond happy and glad of my experience. I would definitely have changed a lot of things and have a lot of "could have, should have, what ifs", but I chalk it all up to learning experiences. I can't wait to improve and get after my next ultra!
