When planning this blog the I thought I would be simply writing a summary of my June races and the Boston Red Sox - Oakland A's game that I was going to go to with my sister and my niece. Then I attempted to do the Double Dipsea race and the theme of this post changed.
I had been sick the entire week leading up to the race and only ran 3 miles and walked 6 leading up to what would be the toughest race I had run since the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2009. The race was described in the November 1973 issue of Runner's World as, "The steepest footrace in the world". While I doubt that description is accurate, it can't miss by much. The thing that made the climbs more difficult is that there were so many railroad tie stairs going east, actually the reverse direction of the Dipsea. The race begins in Stinson Beach at sea level and tops out at 1500 feet. From there the course drops down, after another stair climb, to Old Mill Park at 60' elevation. You return in the western direction where you encounter a set of 671 stairs almost immediately after beginning the return trip.
It was those 671 steps that helped me make the decision to drop out at the halfway point, 6.85 miles. (The pictures on the stairs were taken looking up and down from the same place. At this point I had a genuine concern that if I leaned to far I would fall down the steps). As it is I should have missed the cutoff of 2 1/2 hours but for some reason the changed the cutoff to 3 hours and I was there in 2:46.44. And this is the reason for the title of this post. I thought about stopping at 2 miles and again at the top of Cardiac at about 3 miles. Then just after 5 miles, I did make the decision to stop and walk back to the aid station to see if I could catch a ride back to the start. That decision was made at just after 1:51. I turned around and walked back down the hill. Then I decided that I should at least try to get to the halfway point so that I would at least know what the rest of the Dipsea Trail was like. So that's what I did and it took me almost an hour to cover less than two miles. I knew that it would be unsafe and unhealthy to try to go back. Looking back and judging how I still feel two days later as I write this it was unsafe and unhealthy to start the race. Unwise as well.
Will I attempt it again? I'm not sure. I certainly don't feel that I have anything to prove and I have not second guessed myself even once for dropping. But I also know to never say never because time usually softens the impact whether positive or negative.
The weekend after returning from Colorado and just 6 days after running the Garden of the Gods 5K I had two races in California. I ran a two mile in the Hilmar Udder Run, a race that I ran and enjoyed last year on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Father's Day, I ran a The Fantastic Father's Day 5K in Salida. It was a small race only in it's second year and was sponsored by a local church. Unfortunately I think one feature of the race could potentially keep runners from returning. After the race we had to go into the church where we were presented our awards in front of the congregation and then invited to attend the service. I don't mind going to church but I want it to be my decision where and when.
It was a good weekend of races and a nice Father's Day. Stacie sent the following collages. Great memories.
The second example of why I chose the title, "Know When to Say When" occurred yesterday at the baseball game in Oakland. Despite feeling sore, tired and sick it was a great day. We first drove to Jack London Square in Oakland for brunch. We didn't have a plan about where to eat but decided on a family owned place, "The Home of Chicken and Waffles". Good choice!
The game? The Sox took the lead and never trailed but fortunately we still chose to stay for the entire game. I spent too much of my life being the type of person who starts thinking about leaving and the hassles that I might encounter as soon as I arrive somewhere. In recent years I've been able to overcome that attitude and have learned to enjoy the event instead and let things work out. In the past I probably would have left after the seventh inning stretch when the Sox were leading 6-1. In the 8th inning the Sox started had two outs and was pulled for a relief pitcher who immediately gave up three straight hits up the middle, each one scoring a run before the third out was made. So at the end of 8 it was 6-4. OK to leave now right? Wrong! The Sox didn't score and the new Sox pitcher gave up back to back home runs. 6-6. Fortunately the A's didn't score again and the game went into the 10th inning. In the 10th David 'Big Papi' Ortiz fouled off multiple balls and then hit a home run to straightaway center field and in the bottom half of the inning the A's went 3 up, 3 down. Great finish to a good game if you are a Sox fan. Needless to say, I'm happy that we didn't leave early in spite of the fact that we dealt with crazy traffic gridlock leaving the stadium.
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