This is the view up Mission Peak in Fremont. It's at the start of the Ohlone 50K and was my second preview run of the course. This picture doesn't do justice to the 1800' of elevation gain and the pitch of the trail over the first 2 miles. It's a chunk blower.
When I arrived at the parking lot at the trailhead, it was already full and overflow parking began another 1/4 back down the hill. Surprisingly, the lot and trail were filled with families and hikers on this windy, overcast Sunday morning. I set off, intent on staying within my aerobic boundary to ensure that I'd have a good 16 miles despite the tough course. I would need to master this first 8 mile section as it would set the physical tempo for the remainder of the 23 miles in my upcoming run. Put too much energy in to it and I'd be spent before starting the next big climb 8 miles later in Sunol Regional Park.
This run would take me to the top of Mission Peak in a little over 2 miles and then a gradually sharpening descent down to my turn around point at Sunol some 6.8 miles later. Pace and tempo, I reminded myself as I launched up the hill.
I blew that mental footnote in the first 1/4 mile of the ascent up Mission Peak. Just 2 minutes in and with the trail pitching steeply, I was already pegging the top of my heart rate limit boundary. Just dandy. I forced myself into a walk a 1/4 mile later as I began hitting a solid and damaging Zone 4 heart rate--too much time in this zone and I'd wear down my muscles too early to sustain a long, tough 31 mile run. Even as I walked, my heart rate monitor quietly reinforced what my eyes told me...this was a very tough pitch. I overtook serious hikers and, of course, family groups with my heart steady at 159. I needed to be back down around 152 at the most, in fact. In a few sections, as the trail pitch decreased somewhat, I'd push back into a run, but not once could I get a walk to fall under anything less than 145 bpm. 40 minutes after starting out, I summited the crest and was hit in the face with a howling 25-30 knot wind. It cut through me and chilled me quickly despite the heat generated by the extreme climb up the hill. Pulling a jacket on from my bag, cap sinched, heart rate back down to acceptable levels, I pushed on into the teeth of the wind. Around me the green hills looked like pictures of the Scottish Highlands with its rocky outcroppings jutting from wind swept grasses. I steadied my pace and stole longing glances at the Redtail Hawks that screamed across the sky and hills around me.
The views of the coastal mountains to the east and the San Francisco Bay to the north were gorgeous and accentuated by bursts of gray from rain showers scattered about the area as I began my descent into Sunol. With gauges in the green, the balance of the 8.5 miles to my turn around point (at exactly the same elevation I started! YIKES) flowed smoothly. I passed one runner ascending the back side, the only human I would see on this part of the course. 1:21 after starting, I reached the gate to the Sunol Regional Park, hit my lap function on my watch, and began the trek back up the backside of Mission Peak heading for my truck.
In a couple spots, I slowed to a walk to keep within the zone, but for the most part, I managed a steady 11:00 miler ascent up from the 390' at Sunol to the saddle on mission peak at 2100'. I kept up steady fuel and water intake and took in the beauty of this wilderness jewel in the bay area. Nature rewarded me as I neared the top when I spotted a Bob Cat prowling across the grasses about 75 yards upwind. Spotting me, he took off in a sprint for a rocky outcropping, watching me I'm sure, as I resumed my not so nearly impressive run.
My first ascent of Mission Peak took me 40 minutes, but the steep downhill descent I faced as I reached the saddle was going to shorten that time considerably. The whipping wind alternately acted as a restraint and then accelerator as I madly let out the clutch and dove for the parking lot. Whipping past hikers and now a few ascending runners, I reached the parking lot at the trailhead 12 minutes later...6 minute miles down the peak that at times bordered on controlled falling. Hitting my stopwatch, I saw that I had covered the 17 miles in 2:49 for an average of 10 minute miles. Not bad. In fact, better than expected given the steep terrain.
A great run. A big lunch. A hot bath. A short nap. A great success, I think.
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