Ken, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your race team for
giving me a milestone and my most memorable experience of my running career.
I had run in high school cross country in the 1960s at Sequoia High in
Redwood City, CA with Jose Cortez (winner of 1971 Double Dipsea). In 1970,
I wanted to run the Dipsea but was concerned about the steep stairs and
downhills and so chose not to run. I've regretted that ever since.
I did very little running in the intervening years other than maybe a few
times a month until last year. I had sever asthma in 2000/2001 and couldn't
go faster than a brisk walk. Within 6 months from Thanksgiving, 2002 to
May, 2003, I had 100% blockage in my right artery and 90+% blockage in my
left artery. After the fourth and last procedure in May 2003, I had 6
stents in my arteries, radiation treatment after restenosis had occured, and
had started to work out on a treadmill. 2 weeks ago, my cardiologist gave me
the final OK to run the Double Dipsea after doing a nuclear stress test. He
said to keep up the running.
I really enjoyed the treadmill work (indoors unfortunately due to
asthma/allergies), but ventured outside for some runs especially while
traveling as a consultant. I set some goals to be able to run a race in
Spring, 2004 and wound up running several (1 mile track, 5 miler, couple of
5ks, and a couple of 10Ks)and kept mile average mile time below 8:00, with
some fast one miles at 6:36 (best for me).
On several visits to San Francisco on business, I started thinking about the
Dipsea race and how I really blew my opportunity to run it in 1970. But
realized that I had missed the difficult deadlines and entrance
possibilities. Then I saw your web site information on the Double Dipsea
and decided that's the race for me: low-key, 1960/1970s style, really nice
race, no paid runners (like in the Washington DC area). Falling down my
attic stairs about 3 months ago didn't forbode well -- bruised ribs and
internal soft tissue damage. However, I felt that I had to run the Double
Dipsea. At that time I saw a bumper sticker about two months ago, "those
who put off things to the 11th hour usually die at 10:30" and felt that I
should just go for it.
So, I trained to practice some hills (we have nothing like your hills in the
Olney, MD / Washington, DC area), stairs, and on my CrossBow system for
quads/hamstrings, and a few exercises I thought up or saw on the internet. I
ran easy for several weeks prior to the race, 8:30 to 9:00 minute miles for
7 miles with a couple of weekend races. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough
and I had some hard workouts just a week before the race so I wound up
feeling tight on Double Dipsea Day.
I flew out on Thursday evening on frequent flyer miles and did some
consulting work on Friday, and then visited the "course" for the first time
to see the "stairs" and Stinson Beach and pick up some maps.
I got up at 4am on Saturday and headed out to the race and went over to see
the "stairs" again -- which I thought would be the most difficult part of
the race. I felt I could do them.
At Stinson Beach your team was great, warm and welcoming. The runners were
very friendly and supportive. The weather was warmer than I expected and so
I changed from my cold weather gear to warm weather gear and started to
jettison extra stuff -- some first aid stuff, extra food, jacket, running
pants (to protect from poison oak -- I thought), but kept my new hydration
pack (only worn once before).
Then the race started. I thought I was dying as I gasped through the first
two miles and realized that there were stairs on the Stinson Beach side
(somehow I didn't know that even though I borrowed Spitz' book from a fellow
runner in DC who had run the Dipsea). I discovered that it was OK to walk
up stairs (something I never thought I would do and never did when I ran
cross country in high school -- Crystal Springs Reservoir course,
Bay-to-Breakers three times, Statuto, and Novato races). But now that was
OK.
By the first aid station I was totally exhausted and out of breath. My
heart rate monitor reported I was well below my running target (141 to 150)
throughout the first 2 miles and so I took my emergency asthma medication
(hopefully I don't get DQ'd for that) and kept going.
My mind was playing tricks on me and I even thought about making up good
excuses to quit -- but none of them would do. My thanks to a tall gentleman
during the first couple of miles who tapped the overhanging branches of
trees so that I would duck after he must have seen me hit my head hard on
one of the big tree limbs (thanks to everyone for being so sympathetic along
the trail, it probably would have been laughable if it didn't hurt).
By the time I reached the stairs I started feeling better. At the
turnaround point, I knew I could make it back. So, I loaded up on bananas
and my snacks, water, etc. and headed up the stairs -- I tried two at a time
at first, but that didn't last long, power-walking worked, but then walking
finally got me up to the top, with a little jog here and there.
I don't really remember much for the next few miles except for the aid
station on cardiac -- another group of great people who initially thought my
red, white, and black neck kerkief might have been from a severe neck
injury -- maybe that was just a joke. Going across the weeds and hills I
saw a snake that got out of my way -- I was too tired to think much about
it, but decided I should speed up a bit after seeing some predatory birds
circling overhead.
As the runners were pretty spread out, I really began to enjoy the run
downhill and chatting with the few runners I met. The last two miles were
great. Going down into the Steep Ravine and into the cool forested area at
the bottom was fantastic and then I realized that this was what running was
all about. I felt great, refreshed, surrounded by beautiful scenery and I
was all alone and it was quiet except for my footsteps. This running
euphoria lasted until the end of the race.
My pace really picked up and I felt like I was flying down towards the end
of the race -- the first view of Stinson on the return leg was uplifting and
inspiring. I sprinted the last 1/4 mile just because I felt like it and
then I heard that there was another runner behind me...he must have felt the
same way. However, I only saw him after I crossed the finish line.
That was one of the greatest feelings I'd had. I finished 312 in 3:31 --
but since I hadn't run further than 7 miles prior to that and just over a
year ago I couldn't walk down a hallway without being out of breath, I felt
that I had reached a major physical milestone of recovery through running in
my 50s and had run a race I'd been afraid to run in my teens.
So, for all of your help in putting together this race: a great big THANKS.
I hope to run the Double Dipsea again next year (maybe check out some
running videos on those hills), rewatch "On the Edge" (which I saw four days
in a row before I left for the race), try to get into the Dipsea, and maybe,
just maybe think about the Double Dipsea.
Keep up the great work...I really appeciated the opportunity you and your
team provided for me to achieve this significant milestone -- too bad very
few people and runners in Washingon, DC have even heard about Dipsea. My
hope and prayers are for Jack Kirk to be able to recover and do the Dipsea
again -- that's one thing I hope will be the same from 1970.