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by Victoria Cross (Acorn News)
Table manners were not important at aid station No. 2 (10-mile mark) of the Bulldog 50K Ultra run on Saturday, Sept. 9, as many runners stopped to stuff M & M's, pretzels, cookies, bananas or orange wedges into their mouths while volunteers refilled their water bottles. Apparently, those interested in being highly efficient, chewed all of the foods at the same time before slugging back a drink and dashing up the waiting hills.
Not everyone stopped to stuff. Others arrived at the 10-mile mark to pause for encouragement or a quick kiss from the spouse followed by a “wipe your mouth, honey”. This as Honey dashed towards the next hill with cookie crumbs clinging to her chin.
The Saturday morning event started and finished at Tapia Park off Las Virgenes Road, just south of Mulholland Drive. The 31 miles of mountain trails began in a cool morning fog taking the 122 runners through a 6,000-ft. elevation gain and rewarded them with spectacular views of the ocean and valleys. The fourth annual competition directed by Ingrid Shattuck of Thousand Oaks and sponsored by L.A. Cellular, had the feel of a friendly event attracting serious and casual runners.
Gabriel Flores, a 20-year-old resident of South/Central Los Angeles, sponsored by the Pacific Tire Team, was the first-place finisher at 3:44:45. He convinced his wife, Luz, to run the event and she proudly came in more than four hours later. She was as happy as he, this being not only her first race, but also the first time she had ever run more than 10 miles. “I was really thankful for the trail markings. I was so afraid that I would get lost”. This was Robin Cannon's only concern for four-and-a-half hours Saturday morning as she ran the 31 miles to the women's victory of the local event. A 36-year-old Chatsworth resident and mother of four, Cannon finished with a time of 4:34:03, smashing the women's course record by 25 minutes.
Agoura resident Nancy Shura organized, coached, cajoled and supported 15 women through a summer of training in preparation for Bulldog. Their early reward for their efforts was the unusually cool day provided for all who had trained and worked so hard during the hot summer. As Shura sailed into the second of five aid stations, her smiles dimmed only long enough to stuff bites of a bagel into her mouth, grab a new water bottle, stop to hug and console the only member of her brood who would not finish, and run up the next hill; all the while crewing and jabbering to co-runner and Malibu resident, Pauline Freeland. Shura has gained quite a following with her organized training camp and she seems a natural at coaching. Maybe her background as a Lamaze Childbirth Instructor as well as working for a local physician, have prepared her for this endeavor. Shura and her group plan to attack the 50-Mile American River run in April. If you are interested in being involved with the group, as a runner or crew support, contact Nancy through the contact link at the left of this page.
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