Baz's Story...    Old Goats 50, miles that is.

Again another magic time was ad by all in the Cleveland National Forest for the second running of the Old Goats 50.  Course designer Steve Harvey is not totally satisfied because the original course he designed has yet to be used.  The fires last year and the “no trespassing” signs in the Trabuco Ranger District have held us back for another year maybe.  The forest service will be working hard to bring everything back to normal and nature is doing the rest. 

Running the Old Goats 50K along with the 50 miler worked out OK and starting at daylight seemed to help the runners have at least a couple of hours of cool weather.  Then it really warmed up, maybe over 85 degrees registered on the Main Divide Road around 3 PM.  Our aid stations were well prepared, with both water and cool drinks on ice. Probably just like at the Hilton. 

The overall winner Akos Konya surprised the runners and the aid station volunteers.  He took command early in the race and for most part ran with the leaders in the 50K.  For the first 25 miles of the course both 50K and 50-mile runners share the course.  Talking with him after the race he said he enjoyed the tough course and hopes to return in 08.  Seems he has big plans for his future races everywhere.  Our second place finisher overall was local girl Keira Henninger a 31 year-old mum with only a couple of years of trail running experience.  The boys had better watch out, she said that!  Third overall was 47 year-old Ted Liao, some 25 minutes behind Keira.  Only 22 finished the 50 mile out of the 35 starters, but it seems those who had problems will be back.  I am sure the surprise heat wave that came in on Friday played a big part in the fallout in both races.  Hey it means another year of miles under your belt before you challenge one of the toughest 50 milers in North America. One hopes we can use Steve’s original course and maybe the two races be separated because we are still limited to 150 runners per race and the overwhelming thumbs up could cause runners to miss out next time.  More on that later.

The sport of ultra running has grown and changed over the years I have been involved both as a competitor and RD.  All the new technology in sportswear and equipment, not to mention all the new supplements you can take for running over 4 hours. In the beginning for me anyway, was 1980 when I was asked to pace a runner the last 40 miles or so of the Western States 100.  Yes we ran under 24 hours, even in one of those terrible hot days you can get in the Sierras in summer.  Those early lessons of staying hydrated and wearing something white haven’t changed much, things I have tried to pass on to the new breed of trail runner.  As an RD I want all to finish and secondly enjoy the experience.  Really nice to see runners come back.  We hope the sport continues to evolve and I will do my part to make it a bit of fun. Maybe one day I will be back at the start line with two water bottles strapped to my side, but probably no GPS system on my wrist! 

To all the runners, stay healthy, maybe run slower on those long runs.  Most importantly don’t forget to hug your RD with feeling.    Love, BAZ the RD    bazhawley@sti.net

Co-RD Steve Harvey's Story...  A 50 mile trail race in the Cleveland National Forest                                

Five weeks prior to the Old Goat’s Fifty Mile race we running part of the course and the wind driven snow was almost horizontal at the top of Horsethief trail.  But, on race day, when the runners lined up at Blue Jay Campground it was already 60 degrees and climbing.  We knew beforehand it would be a hot day but we had not anticipated a record high for the date… it was 92 degrees at Horsethief by mid-day.

The Old Goat 50K and 50M are run concurrently on the same course for the first twenty five miles so the early aid stations served double duty.   The first nineteen miles is on a single track through oak forests, chaparral, sage, and wild flowers and this year’s bloom has been spectacular.  The stream crossings were easy, the waterfalls were flowing, and much of the course had been run in shade.  Though there is an elevation change of 4,200’ in the first leg, most of it is gradual.  It was a great day to be an Ultrarunner!

At mile twenty-one reality set in - the runners started their first major climb of the day a two mile 1,000’ climb on a rocky truck trail with no shade and it was already in the high 70s.  Fortunately, the aid personnel at the Trabuco Trail Head had taken ice chests and extra fluids…  Very few runners passed up the opportunity to hydrate and some were already showing signs of distress.

The Trabuco Trail section of the Old Goat has a combination of beautiful scenery, downhill running, and very sharp rocks, a sometimes ‘unfortunate’ combination.  The temptation to run and spectate can and did result in some nasty falls.  After two and a half miles through pine forest and cliff side trails the two races parted ways.  The 50K racers turned right and up the dreaded Horsethief trail… with the 50 milers continuing their descent to the mountain cabin community of Holy Jim Canyon, a few dozen rustic homes nestled among the sycamores, and a very popular starting place for other trail users.  The aid station folks at twenty-eight spent as much time explaining what was going on as they did servicing runners… “No, Ma’am – they aren’t nuts – they’re Ultrarunners”.

From the top of Trabuco Trail to the community of Holy Jim the runners descended 2,800’.  In the next eight miles they gave back those feet and tacked on 1,000’ more.  The climb is continuous and relentless and took place in temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s.  This switch-back climb is what makes Goats Old.  At the five mile point in the climb the runners arrive at the Bear Springs Aid Station, their drop bags, and shade.  This is where they steel themselves for the final push to the summit of Santiago Peak, at 5,600 feet.   At the summit, the runners reached the perimeter of the Santiago fire of 2007.  The Old Goat runners were allowed to approach the perimeter but not enter the fire area.  This resulted in some creative routing to make the course close to the advertised fifty miles.  The Forest Service mandated that the only race people allowed to the summit were the runners and one radio operator, which eliminated the possibility of adding an additional aid station.

From the summit the runners returned to Bear Springs via the Upper Holy Jim, considered by many (including us) to be the best trail on the mountain.  The view of the race course and the route back to Blue Jay is amazing - it looks like most of it is down hill – this is an optical illusion!

The remaining miles of the Old Goat are run along the Main Divide truck trail, a road meandering along the backbone of the mountains separating Orange County from the Inland Empire.  On a clear day you can see from Catalina to Palm Springs.  On race day it was dusty and smoggy… most runners were looking at their knees and dirt!   Though Blue Jay is 2,300’ below Santiago Peak the road to the finish includes several climbs totaling over 1,500’.  All but a few hundred yards of the Divide are fully exposed.  In past races, the aid stations along the Divide were four miles apart.  During the Old Goat we shortened that distance to two and a half miles and even with that truncated distance very few passed without taking refreshment.

Five miles from Bear Springs the fifty milers and 50K runners rejoined.  Most of the 50K runners had already cleared the Horsethief station when the lead fifty milers approached… but some of the 50K stragglers were still struggling up the hill.  Horsethief climbs 1,400 feet in a mile and a half…  One of the 50K finishers said he’s running the fifty mile race next year so he doesn’t have to climb Horsethief again.

The Main Divide rolls with easy ups and downs, twists and turns until arriving back at the Trabuco Trail Head.  That first 1,000’ climb of the morning is now a 1000’ descent into Blue Jay and the finish line…  Though there were several bloody knees and one face cut there were no complaints.  Sometimes we take pride not only in finishing a tough race but displaying the scars afterwards.

There was food, drink, and sharing of war stories at the awards ceremony.  Many of the conversations between the 50K runners included the word “Horsethief,” usually preceded with an unprintable expletive.  Hmmmm…  I wonder if we can reroute the 50 mile course to include the Horsethief next year… 

Keep the rubber side down and have a great day on the trails,  Steve and Annie Harvey doc.harvey@verizon.net

 Old Goat 50 Mile Results 2008