Over the last several years, I've participated in a variety of races of varying length, size, and setting. I've never done a race that I haven't enjoyed, however, some of them were one and done type deals. In most cases, I've done races where I've returned in subsequent years because I enjoyed the experience. In those instances, even though the races are often nearly identical to the first time I ran, the experience was always different. Multiple factors have an impact on the race experience, including weather, the personalities of the other runners, and my state of mind. For example, I could run a race where it's cold and pouring rain the whole time, then go back the following year, and have a completely different experience if it's sunny and warm. Similarly, I could have a certain experience at race if I were going through a personal hardship, like a recent death in the family, versus the experience I would have if I had recently gotten a promotion at work. Even if the race and the course are the same, no two race journeys are completely alike.
My experience running the Great Shasta Rail Trail race in McCloud this year versus last year is a prominent example. The most significant difference was the weather. Last year when I crossed the finish line of the 50K race shortly after 2:00 PM, the temperature was 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Psychologically, I felt great not only because I finished, but because I confronted my demons. I don't do well with running in heat, and I was overjoyed that I was able to persevere and push through the pain and discomfort. Although I was happy, I was a train wreck. I was overheated, dehydrated, and my legs were tying themselves in knots. Somehow I was able to make the five-hour drive back home without my legs cramping. The recovery was brief, however, and I was soon back to my normal self. I wanted to come back and run again this year because I had such a great time. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the runners, the race staff, and the volunteers, and the course was beautiful. Since I was having a tough running season, and had finished a 50K less than a month prior to the 2024 race, I opted to run the 30K this year instead.
I arrived in the town of Mount Shasta around 10:00 PM on Friday, the night before the race. The drive up was relatively uneventful. I enjoyed the views while my car stereo pumped an eclectic mix of punk rock and hip hop. Once I arrived in town, I headed into Handsome John's Speakeasy, a local bar. I never thought that I would walk into a bar in Mount Shasta and see the walls decked out with Detroit Red Wings, Tigers, Lions, and University of Michigan memorabilia. I found out from the bartender that the owner of the bar was a Michigan guy from my college town, who hitch hiked all the way to Mount Shasta in the early 2000's. What a small world. I had a fun time chatting with some of the locals over a couple of beers, but it was starting to get pretty late. I had to wake up in five hours to run eighteen and a half miles, so I'd better get a move on. In 2023, I crashed in the back of my car in the town of McCloud, near a gas station so I could have coffee in the morning before the race. This year I decided to try something different. I was going to sleep in my car at the race start and finish line in the remote wilderness. I packed my Jet Boil camping stove to heat up some coffee that I already brewed at home, so I could have some hot coffee in the morning before the race started. The remote road was dark and lined with tall pine trees as I drove through McCloud to the race start area. It was pitch black outside when I arrived. I was surprised to see that there were other cars who had set up camp in the area. For some reason, I didn't expect that. I was bumping Amy Winehouse's "Frank" album during the drive from the bar, and her song "Brother" was playing when I pulled up. It was knocking my bass speakers in pretty good, so I turned down the music as soon as I noticed the other cars. It was well after midnight, and I didn't want the bass from my car to disturb the others. In Silicon Valley it wouldn't be a big deal, but it was dead quiet out here in the wild. The trailhead had a small parking area off the side of the road, so I parked behind a small RV. I tried my best to stay as quiet as I could as I prepared for bed. I folded down the backseats, rolled out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, crawled inside, and promptly passed out.
The beer I had at Handsome John's Speakeasy, along with the cool night time temperature and the tranquility of the wilderness pulled me into a deep sleep. When my rooster alarm on my phone sounded at 5:00 AM, I was ready to run. I opened the back hatch of my Rav4, stepped out, and breathed in the crisp, refreshing air. It was still dark outside, and the sky was slightly overcast. The temperature was chilly, probably in the high 40's, which felt perfect. As I continued to get ready, I looked over towards the race start area, which was about fifty feet away. The other runners who had camped in the area were also outside of their cars getting ready and heading towards the start. The race staff had set up a table with a couple of lanterns for the packet pickup just off the side of the road. Just as I started to make my way over, I saw several runners gather around the start line, and Jen, the race director, began speaking from a megaphone. The group of 50K and 30K runners looked to be about the same size as last year and we listened as Jen explained the course and where the turnaround points were. I greeted her after the announcement and asked "we have about thirty more minutes until race start, right?" It was just after 5:30 AM, and my understanding was the race started at 6:00 AM, just like last year. "Nope, we're actually going right now". With that, Kristy, one of the volunteers, counted down from ten, sounded a bugle, and the group took off. I realized in that moment that I never actually confirmed what time the race start was, and I relied solely on my memory from last year that we started at 6:00 AM. I was still clad in a fleece jacket and sandals, and I hadn't even gotten my bib yet. I felt silly for making such a rookie mistake, but Jen was super cool about it, and allowed me a few extra minutes to get my bib and finish getting ready. Being a race director is not an easy job, and it's cool when they allow you to start late. My start time wasn't too delayed, only about ten minutes, and I took off from the start line at around 5:43 AM.
The trail was composed mostly of loose dirt and crushed stones, which made for a very gentle surface. It still posed more of a challenge than running on pavement, but it was much less taxing on my legs. The race was held on a stretch of rail trail that connected the town of Burney to McCloud, and averaged about six to eight feet wide. This was an out and back style course, so the width of the trail provided ample room for runners coming the opposite way. The reddish brown path stretched out in front of me for miles, and tall pine trees lined the trail for as far as the eye could see. I plodded along the terrain alone, enjoying the fresh air and marvelous setting. I feel like this is the part of California that often gets overlooked. Yes, there are beautiful beaches, lots of palm trees, and nice real estate, but this region of the north central part of the state is definitely a hidden gem. It was some of the most stunning alpine forest scenery I had ever seen. Although I has having a nice time, I didn't have a chance to heat up the coffee I brewed at home before the race start. I'm used to having coffee before I run, so I was feeling a little tired, but I just needed to get warmed up. As I progressed further, my energy levels began to pick up, especially when I caught up to some other runners and chatted with them. The 10K runners were only following the last section of the course in the opposite direction, so at this moment, only the 50K and 30K runners were on the trail. We were a pretty small group of about thirty, which provided a more personable setting than most of the other races I had done in the past. Before too long, I reached the 10K mark of the race, and the first aid station appeared as I approached an intersection with the rail trail and a desolate dirt road. This was the turnaround point for the 30K race, so I filled my water bottle, thanked the volunteers, and headed back towards the start line. I continued running on my own, enjoying the majestic surroundings. Occasionally I'd pass by another runner in front of me or heading the opposite way to the turnaround, but other than that, it was just me and the quiet wilderness.
As time passed and miles were covered, I eventually arrived at the 20K mark back at the start line. Next, I would continue in the opposite direction for just over three miles, turn around at the aid station where Kristy was working, then head back to the finish line to complete the 30K distance. I passed on eating any food since I wasn't that hungry yet, but I was excited for the post race meal that the staff and volunteers were cooking and the packet pick up table. I stopped by my car, applied some more Squirrel's Nut Butter lube, and continued onward. One thing I remembered from last year during this section heading out to Kristy's aid station was the trail was going to begin a gradual uphill climb after about a mile and a half. Once I reached this section, I decided to walk for about a quarter of a mile. I was feeling good and wanted to keep it that way, so I thought it was a good idea to not burn myself out. There were some high clouds in the sky earlier in the morning, but they burned off, and now there was some sunshine on the trail, which was nice. When I arrived at the aid station at the top of the incline I could feel a slight headache coming on, but luckily, the volunteers were able to hook me up with some Tylenol. I felt better during the final three-mile push, and I clapped my hands in celebration as I crossed the finish line. The small crowd clapped for me, and Jen's young daughter ran up to me and gave me my finisher's award, which was a customized race branded tree stump. I went back to my car to freshen up a little bit, then brought my camping chair, my Jet Boil, and thermos of coffee over to the finish line area to hang with the crowd and cheer on more finishers. Even if it was after the race, that hot coffee really hit the spot. It blended perfectly with the post race meal of beans, shredded chicken, tortilla chips, and salsa.
I hung around for another couple of hours chatting with the race staff, cheering on runners, cooking beans, and enjoying the beautiful setting. Even though the race and course were identical to last year, I thought about how different my experience was. It was thirty-five degrees cooler outside than last year when I finished. Granted it was still fairly early in the morning and the temperature was supposed to warm up to the low eighties in the afternoon, but there moments when I almost wanted to put my fleece jacket back on, as opposed to last year when I felt like my organs were going to melt. Also, unlike last year, there were more clouds in the sky in the morning, and the sun didn't come out until around 9:00 AM, which was actually pretty pleasant. We were also dealing with the effects of the Park Fire, which had ignited near Chico on Wednesday and was rapidly spreading. As the afternoon arrived, the horizon was becoming hazy and the air quality was slowly deteriorating. Last year's fire season was lighter than 2024 has already been, and I silently thanked all of the fire fighters and all the crews who were working to contain the fire. Additionally, Aidan is a whole year older this year. During last year's event, he wasn't even walking yet. Now he's running around, climbing on everything he can, and he's quite the social butterfly. It's also a slightly different era at work for me with more responsibilities, and changes in the line up of our team. Even though things in my life have progressed from July of 2023, It was comforting that I could come back and still run the same race with a great staff, great volunteers, and a beautiful trail. The cooler weather was definitely a bonus as well!
I closed out this mini solo running trip with a quick visit to Burney Falls and a lunch of onion rings, a hamburger, and chocolate shake at Floyd's Frosty in McCloud. I had an awesome and memorable time, but I was excited to get back home. I'm not only a runner, but I'm also a dad and a husband, and I was eager to get back to be with Samantha and Aidan and tell them about my adventure.
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