Have you ran skyline to the sea???

[debdebonthego]

Is the skyline to the sea run a bad idea for a newish trail runner? It's been almost a year since I started running and 95% of my miles logged are on trails. I have been very consistent but have never gone even close 30 miles in one day. What I was really looking for (and feel ready for) was a trail marathon but stumbled onto this and it really interests me... it looks like one of the easier 50Ks that pacific offers??? My goal would be slow and steady and to finish the course in the time aloud... at this point I'm not in it for the "race" against other, more of a personal mission. However, I don't want to do anything stupid either. Feeback please....

[Kabori17]

It will be my first 50K, too (assuming registration opens) ... and everyone I've spoken to while training and doing some smaller races has said it's a "good first 50K". It's supposed to be BEAUTIFUL, too! I just ran my first 21K trail yesterday, and will run my first 30K in March at Pirate's Cove. Good luck!
-kabri

[mweston]

It's a lot of downhill, and certainly some people fry their quads because of that if they're not prepared. Most of PCTR's 50K's have a 9 hour limit, and this one is 8, though if you miss a mid-race cutoff they'll have you skip a loop, leaving you with 42K (marathon).

All that said, it's a great race, even though I did it the first year, when they did it in September during bee season.

[willgotthardt]

Mike, you sure have a way with words.

Look, nothing ever easy about 31 miles...so yeah it's a relatively mild course in terms of elevation change, but you should still be trained/prepared for the distance & time on your feet.

One consideration is that once beyond the 32K/19M mark at Gazos Creek, you really have no option other than to finish, as the course is point-to-point, with no further crew access.

"Never gone even close to 30 miles in one day" would raise a red flag in my opinion...strongly believe you should be comfortable (including fueling & hydration) with runs in the 24 mile+ range prior to initial attempt at an ultra distance event.

Plenty of time to train however...

Good luck.

Will G.

[pureh2o]

Hey debdebonthego,

I've ran the course, with Mike, it's first year and have the privilege of Big Basin being in my backyard. Don't let the faster 50km finishing times lure you into thinking it's easy. Running the long miles of downhill has it's own challenges. If not prepared you'll find yourself walking downhill while your quads are burning murder. I'd say typical 50km training advice applies but with an emphasis on long, drawn-out, downhill trail running.

I too worry when you say "Never gone even close to 30 miles in one day". Like Will pointed out, your training should ramp you up to a long run of 20-25 miles, on trail --- especially for your first 50k. That long run will teach you a lot about your body's requirements for keeping you moving. Just words of caution.

The course is beautiful !!! A wonderful display of redwood forests, a touch of almost high alpine forests as you run through the Chalks, some marsh lands at the finish, and the beach for an extra excursion after the race (the finish is about .25 or so away from the beach).

Scott Dunlap's Blog provides PLENTY of pictures (Note: the bee problem was addressed by moving the race to a different time of year):
runtrails.blogspot.com/2008/09/skyline-to-sea-50k-california-dreamin.html

[debdebonthego]

Thanks for the sound advice. I'll try a couple 25 mile runs over the next 2 weekends and see how I feel before making a decision. Have you ever participated in any Xterra events? I'm wondering how they compare with Pacific.... besides not being nearly as long.

[paul taylor]

The advice on training and being prepared is right on. I did this event 2yrs ago as my first 50k and attempted it again last year but had to skip the loop as i realized on course i simply wasn't ready as i had hoped for the whole thing. It's a big jump from 20-30k to 50k, IMHO. It's hard to appreciate a beautiful trail when you are cramped up and your stomach is complaining! Something i never experienced on shorter runs, but something i'm still learning about on longer runs that always seems to happen and therefore needs to be managed. The longer training runs are needed to prepare, anticipate and respond - something that no amount of short[er] runs can simulate.

Good luck with the training, it's a great event to set a goal for. It won't be easy but it's worth it and i hope to see you out there!

...Paul

[mweston]

For long training runs, one piece of advice is to find a place where you can park near an intersection of a few trails, so you can use your car as your aid station. That way you can practice all the fueling, hydration, and electrolyte stuff too. And try to get enough hills on your route to get prepared, though a long sustained downhill will be hard to arrange without someone else helping.

Good luck! Once you start doing ultras you may find it hard to stop...

[mobur]

I may be way off here, but Im thinking you should go for it!!! Have some fun Deb Deb...by the way...love your blog debdebonthego.blogspot.com

[Alaskan Assassin]

Just do a shorter distance. Ultras are painful and pointless. Did I mention that they hurt?

Just kidding. Just run a bunch from now until then and you will do great. No sweat.

[thr3ee]

When you say "never gone even close to 30 miles in one day" what exactly do you mean? What is your longest run in terms of distance and/or time? How many long runs have you done? SttS is a great first 50K if you are prepared for the distance. However, as Will pointed out, it more committing than other races that PCTR puts on.

If you haven't done so, you might want to try a race in the 30K range first and see if you can finish feeling like you have 10-12 more miles in you. Woodside has a 35K option and is the tamest race in terms of elevation gain. Both Sequoia and Pirates Cove have 30K options that will be a lot steeper than SttS, but will certainly give you the feeling of a long race as most people take at least 3 hours to finish.

[trailhorse]

I agree with mobur--you should go for it. Just be conservative the whole way, especially the first 10K when everyone is zooming down the trail. Because it's your first 50K, don't be fooled into thinking that a downhill course is easy. This course also has a lot of little climbs to keep it interesting, not to mention the beautiful redwoods. Take walk breaks on the uphills, or when needed, take in some nutrition, and enjoy the scenery and the camaraderie! Happy Trails!