Saturday was the American River 50 mile run from Sacramento to Auburn. It was the run that I was training for before I got sick with my extended cold/flu thing. So I bailed on the run some time ago, I just could not get back into shape in time. However, I did get to pace my buddy Chuck over that last 10 miles of the run from Rattlesnake Bar up to the finish in Auburn. This is a beautiful trail to run, along the North Fork of the American River and at this time of year, in the Spring, the wildflowers were out in all there splendor. The magazine Runners World has a rave run in each edition of their magazine, and this bit of trail upstream from Rattlesnake Bar has to be a candidate, it is spectacular, particularly this time of year.
So Chuck and Diane and Leslie and all the gang were doing very well and still running by mile 39 when I met them. They didn’t slow down too much either in the section up to Auburn, except for that last, oh so cruel, 3 miles uphill to the top of the canyon. The designers of this race certainly had a sense of humor when they made a 50 mile run go uphill – wouldn’t it be quite hard enough if it went in the downhill direction?
It was kind of bittersweet to be out there running only the last part of a run that I had worked so hard for. I guess there will always be next year – but the conditions were just perfect this year! Anyway congratulations to all - Chuck, Diane, Leslie, Marie, Karyn B, Karen T.
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