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ULTRALADIES TRAINING RUN - SATURDAY, MAY 22

You will receive an UltraLadies emailed update about a week before each training run. It is always a good idea to check the Trail Run Events blog page: http://www.trailrunevents.com/info.asp?ns=ul on the night before each run in case there has been a last minute change of location or even run cancellation. This has happened on occasion due to park closures due to fire, for instance.

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE UPDATE: IT WILL HELP PREPARE YOU FOR THE RUN AND MAY EVEN SAVE YOU FROM GETTING A PARKING TICKET.

TRAINING RUN: Saturday, May 22

LOCATION : Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park (Valley Crest Half Marathon site). Exit the 101 Fwy at Reseda Blvd in Reseda. Turn South and go all the way up the hill. Continue through the gate into Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park. Park below the white line.

TOILETS: Toilets are located at the top of Reseda. Drive your vehicle up to use the toilets and return to park below the white line.

TIME: 7:00 AM -- Start time. New runners please arrive prepared to run, in time to attend the mandatory trail briefing at 6:45AM sharp.

DISTANCE: 19 miles

RUNNING TIME: 4h30m -- All runners please turn-around at Parker Mesa Overlook or 1h55m, whichever comes first. Please remember to go out SLOWLY and come back STRONG!

ROUND TRIP FROM RESEDA TO PARKER MESA OVERLOOK: 19 MILES (Please print the directions to carry)

1-Start Reseda fire road cul-d-sac
2-RIGHT turn on the Secret Trail (just after the cul-d-sac) and continue to Mulholland fire road -- mile 0.4
3-RIGHT turn on Mulholland fire road and continue to Fire Gate #30 -- mile 0.6
4-LEFT turn at Fire Gate #30 and continue to Hub Junction -- mile 2.5
5-RIGHT turn on Eagle Springs fire road and continue to Eagle Junction -- mile 4.0
6-CROSS STRAIGHT over Eagle Springs fire road and take MUSCH TRAIL down to Trippett Ranch Visitor Center (toilets/water) -- mile 6.2
9-Leave Trippet Ranch Visitor Center to junction of East Topanga fire road -- mile 6.5
10-RIGHT turn on East Topanga fire road and continue approx. 2.5 miles to Parker Mesa Overlook Junction -- mile 9.0
11-RIGHT turn on Parker Mesa Overlook fire road and continue to Parker MesaOverlook at the dead end -- mile 9.5

RETURN

12-Take Parker Mesa Overlook fire road to East Topanga fire road -- mile 10.0
13-LEFT turn on East Topanga fire road and continue to Trippet Junction -- mile 12.5
14-LEFT turn at Trippet Junction and go 0.2 miles to intersection -- mile 12.7
15-RIGHT turn at Trippet Junction 2 and go 0.1 miles to Trippet Ranch Visitor Center (toilets/water) -- mile 12.8 -- Be sure you have enough fluid; the last miles have some up hills with sun exposure.
16-Leave Trippet Ranch Visitor Center via Musch Trail to East Topanga fire road -- mile 15.3
17-CROSS OVER East Topanga fire road take Eagle Springs fire road to Hub Junction -- mile 16.7
18-LEFT turn onto Fire Road #30 (look for signs to Mulholland) and continue to Mulholland fire road -- mile 18.7
20-RIGHT turn onto Mulholland fire road and go 0.1 miles to Secret Trail -- mile 18.8
21-LEFT turn on Secret Trail and continue to Reseda cul-d-sac -- mile 19.0

WATER: Available twice at Trippet Ranch Visitor Center (mile 5.1 and mile 11.7).
See #15 above!

TOILETS: At Trippet (mile 6.2 and mile 12.8)

BOTTLES/HYDRATION PACKS: Carry enough fluid to allow you to consume +/- 20oz/hour. Please do not show up with those little tiny water bottles!!! Many of you should start carrying two bottles for the longer runs; one with water, the other with your electrolyte drink.

SIGN IN SHEET:
* Will be on the windshield of my gray Honda Accord. Please do not remove the sign in sheet!
* Please sign in legibly.
* Please give the license number of your vehicle. This will help to determine who might still be out on the course versus who turned back early and drove home.
* Please check your name off the list when you return from your run.

ARROWS: Trails will be marked with flour arrow but this does not guarantee that you wont get lost. Hikers may erase the marks. Other running clubs mark their own arrows too. Fatigue may cause you to miss an arrow. Please pay attention to your surroundings and check out what the turns look like, coming and going.

PACING: You might be a fast runner or you might be a slow runner! You might be a fast runner on the way out and a slow runner on the way back ;-). Please go your own pace, following the arrows. You are not expected to "keep up". As most of our runs will be "out-and-back", you are encouraged to go as slow as you need to go on the way out; that will help insure that you can come back a little faster.

ULTRA PACE is "walk the up hills; jog the flats and down hills". If you feel like running the up hills, save it for the return trip.

SNACKS: Bring a cooler with some drinks and snacks. A folding chair will come in handy as you wait for others to come in. It is a good idea for us to be sure that the last runners have made it in safely before leaving. This is the reason we expect you to all sign in and sign out and to respect the imposed turn around cut-off times.

STOP SIGN AT PARK EXIT: There is a PHOTO ENFORCED STOP SIGN at the park exit. Please stop and count to 3 before proceeding ahead.

REMINDER: Please go the Trail Run Events website and read the Trail Guidelines and FAQs before attending the first run. Link:
http://www.trailrunevents.com/ul/index.htm

MORE INFO:

DOING YOUR "BUSINESS": If you leave the trail for any reason, please leave your belt or pack on the trail to mark where you went in the bushes. Please remember to "leave only footprints"; pack everything out.

WHAT DOES "TIME ON YOUR FEET MEAN"?
Everyone runs for "time on their feet". The slowest runners should plan to maintain a pace of 4-mph overall to complete the distance. A cut-off time will be established for each run and if you are a slower runner you should expect to turn around at the cut-off time and head back to the cars. This means that although the run is tagged at xx number of miles, some of you may actually run fewer miles but will still complete enough "time on your feet" to finish a 50K race.

HOW CAN I FINISH A 50K RACE IF MY LONGEST TRAINING RUNS ARE SHORTER THAN THAT?
Which do you think is more advantageous for finishing a 50K: Running 26-miles in 4h or running 24-miles in 6h? The runner who spends more time on her feet actually has an advantage over the faster runner when it comes to distance running. On race day, the slower runner will have an easier time adding the extra 7-miles while the faster runner may struggle more to complete those last 5-miles.

VALLEY CREST HALF MARATHON: Online registration:

http://www.active.com/running/tarzanalos-angeles-ca/valley-crest-half-marathon-2010

Happy Trails,

Nancy