Volunteer Report: Twin Peaks Trail Ultras
The highlight around which most of my weekend activities revolved was assisting where needed with Jessica’s first ultra trail races deep in the mountains and canyons of southern Orange County.
I spent most of Friday and Saturday nights baking 250 brownies that not only required 12 boxes of the basic mix and four big bags of Hershey’s kisses (my secret ingredient) but two unplanned emergency grocery store runs to replenish rapidly depleted canola oil and egg supplies. I also was bogged down by a bad cold.
I couldn’t sleep Saturday night and was on the road just after 4 a.m. to get to the start/aid station in an unfamiliar area. As it turned out, it was just several miles from where my parents lived prior to retiring to Oregon. All this time there were these beautiful trails out here, and I’d always felt forced during extended visits to run their very vanilla suburban streets.
I got momentarily lost and arrived just as the 50-milers were starting off. I also arrived with dead batteries in my camera, so you’ll have to check out other bloggers’ sites for pictures. I first found Angie despite the darkness. She was exactly as I imagined from reading her running blog. Full of spunk and energy. Next I saw a woman with long blonde hair and immediately knew it was Kim, who’d helped out before running her first 50k. I wished her well and then Jeff arrived for the 50k, looking fit and ready. I also very briefly saw Matt, who wants to run 50k every weekend, but didn’t get to introduce myself before the second group of runners were off. Later I’d unexpectedly stood next to Darrell as he was waiting to volunteer at an aid station. He too was just as nice in person as I expected.
After the rush of the number/packet pickup, there wasn’t much for us to do until the finishers returned hours later, so a group of us decided to go for a short hike up the course. It was already really warm and we wondered how the runners were handling the heat. The scenery was gorgeous and views crystal clear, as if to compensate for temps already into the 80s.
After returning, we visited this quaint wildlife sanctuary on the premises and then I drove with another volunteer, Karen, to get some ice and soda. Karen and her husband flew in from Delaware for his first 50k. Steve wound up finishing third overall and second among the men. The winner was Michelle Barton, who I recognized from a couple of ultramarathon magazine covers. Like everyone I met that day, she was super nice. Karen got to give her husband his medal because by then that was what the two of us had been assigned.
I did this until 1:30 in the afternoon, when my shift ended and I high-tailed it home for the Super Bowl. But even before the halftime show, my cold had worsened dramatically and it seemed no herbal remedy helped. I saw it was getting dark and wondered how everyone in Modjesko Canyon was faring as they welcomed home the 50-milers, led by Chula Vista’s Dave Goggins. The race crews were planning to stay until 9 that night.
Jess did a wonderful job as race director and I enjoyed every minute I was out there. Everyone was so nice and laid back. Not one person openly complained about my constant talking and coughing, I remember thinking around 8 p.m. as I drifted into a Nyquil coma.
I spent most of Friday and Saturday nights baking 250 brownies that not only required 12 boxes of the basic mix and four big bags of Hershey’s kisses (my secret ingredient) but two unplanned emergency grocery store runs to replenish rapidly depleted canola oil and egg supplies. I also was bogged down by a bad cold.
I couldn’t sleep Saturday night and was on the road just after 4 a.m. to get to the start/aid station in an unfamiliar area. As it turned out, it was just several miles from where my parents lived prior to retiring to Oregon. All this time there were these beautiful trails out here, and I’d always felt forced during extended visits to run their very vanilla suburban streets.
I got momentarily lost and arrived just as the 50-milers were starting off. I also arrived with dead batteries in my camera, so you’ll have to check out other bloggers’ sites for pictures. I first found Angie despite the darkness. She was exactly as I imagined from reading her running blog. Full of spunk and energy. Next I saw a woman with long blonde hair and immediately knew it was Kim, who’d helped out before running her first 50k. I wished her well and then Jeff arrived for the 50k, looking fit and ready. I also very briefly saw Matt, who wants to run 50k every weekend, but didn’t get to introduce myself before the second group of runners were off. Later I’d unexpectedly stood next to Darrell as he was waiting to volunteer at an aid station. He too was just as nice in person as I expected.
After the rush of the number/packet pickup, there wasn’t much for us to do until the finishers returned hours later, so a group of us decided to go for a short hike up the course. It was already really warm and we wondered how the runners were handling the heat. The scenery was gorgeous and views crystal clear, as if to compensate for temps already into the 80s.
After returning, we visited this quaint wildlife sanctuary on the premises and then I drove with another volunteer, Karen, to get some ice and soda. Karen and her husband flew in from Delaware for his first 50k. Steve wound up finishing third overall and second among the men. The winner was Michelle Barton, who I recognized from a couple of ultramarathon magazine covers. Like everyone I met that day, she was super nice. Karen got to give her husband his medal because by then that was what the two of us had been assigned.
I did this until 1:30 in the afternoon, when my shift ended and I high-tailed it home for the Super Bowl. But even before the halftime show, my cold had worsened dramatically and it seemed no herbal remedy helped. I saw it was getting dark and wondered how everyone in Modjesko Canyon was faring as they welcomed home the 50-milers, led by Chula Vista’s Dave Goggins. The race crews were planning to stay until 9 that night.
Jess did a wonderful job as race director and I enjoyed every minute I was out there. Everyone was so nice and laid back. Not one person openly complained about my constant talking and coughing, I remember thinking around 8 p.m. as I drifted into a Nyquil coma.
