Lee's Big Sur Journal 2004
Big Sur International Marathon 2004 – The Power Walk

Friday April 23 - My first impression after less than a day in California is that Carmel was the wise choice for accommodation when attending the Big Sur International Marathon (BSIM). An evening stroll down to the beach after arriving in darkness to the Best Western Town Lodge, revealed enchanting soft white sand banks rolling down to an inky Pacific ocean set off by a crescent moon and stars. It inspired me to get up early for a final and short training walk this morning and a chance to explore the town in more light.

An early morning walk in Oakville may mean seeing a few runners or walkers in the space of 30 minutes whereas the dog walkers and others are out in full force here. I can’t tell whether they are visitors here for the BSIM or residents. My guess is that the extraordinary number of dogs and their owners must reside locally. Daylight on Carmel reveals a town where pride of residence is in full bloom. Gardens are inviting and intriguing without being manicured and the roads are narrow and winding without sidewalks.

My walk over, it is time to drive down the coast to take pictures of the course. It is a postcard perfect day with a slight breeze and not a cloud in the sky. Every turn is more breathtaking than the last. I end up at Big River Run Inn which is just the other side of the start for the Power Walk. Big Sur is more an area and a sensibility than a place. The Big Sur River Inn is a quaint bohemian style lodge with restaurant and boutiques. By the time I reach it, the day has turned hot. Set back from the ocean there are no cooling breezes. Twig chairs sitting in the middle of the river offer a tempting respite for hot feet and a perfect setting to enjoy my burrito and Odwalla Superfood ™ green fruit smoothie.

What was supposed to be a one hour drive of the route turns into almost 4 hours because of the impossibility of driving quickly through this beauty. Still, I want to make it to the Race Expo in Monterey to be sure I know the time of the clinics on Saturday. When I arrive in the late afternoon, Forest Gump or a very realistic facsimile is welcoming race participants and handing out complimentary treats. Forest Gump indeed! For those of us who have been training all winter Forest’s antics seem measly! The race expo has an excellent selection of gear…especially Big Sur paraphernalia. Much to my delight, I discover that one of the race sponsors, Earthbound Farms is offering samples of organic salad!

Saturday, April 24 - Because my batteries had died on my first drive along the route, I decide to drive the route one more time before heading off to the race clinics at the Race Headquarters in Monterey.
This drive is quite different from yesterday because of thick fog at the landmarks that jut into the sea. At one point I almost turn back to Carmel because it is so unnerving to know that I am driving at the very precipice of a cliff and I am not able to see it.

Within moments it clears up enough to be able to make to the start at Andrew Molera State Park. Getting out of the car, I can see Porta-Potties down in the parking lot. Could they be making us climb up the road at the very start? Of course, when I think about it, it makes sense because this arrangement means there is nothing to clear out of the way of the marathon runners that will come through after their start at 7am.

I drive back to Carmel and make a trip to Treadmill, a running store in the town that has given all participants a gift certificate for a free pair of socks if we drop by the store on Saturday. After this, I head off to Monterey to attend the race clinics. On the way I make sure I know how to get to the Monterey Peninsula College (MPC). This is the venue for bus loading for the marathon runners, relay team members for the first leg of the race and power walkers entering the 21 mile power walk. I do not want to be trying to find it for the first time in the dark tomorrow morning!

I visit the expo again with the intention of getting my Big Sur Poster signed by the artist who has been commissioned to paint Bixby Bridge, one of the highlights of the BSIM course. Walk Fast and Enjoy the View, Lee!

The first clinic is a panel discussion and features representatives from several points of view: the woman who has won it 9 times, the person who pushed for the Power Walk, Jeff Galloway of run/walk fame, a guy who has run it 19 times, and one of the race organizers who ran he course the previous weekend. Some suggestions were repeated enough to make everyone in the room tune in: including NOT going out fast at the start (for marathon runners) because of the downhill. Another piece of valuable advice is to pace carefully on Hurricane Hill because of the hills that continue through the Carmel Highlands. Finally, a third piece of valuable information proved prescient and concerned the camber in the road during the latter part of the course. This camber means that runners and walkers experience a real challenge to the left side of the body in balancing and braking.

The next clinic was “Running and Walking the BSIM” with Jeff Galloway. This ended up being how to run/walk the BSIM. It was interesting how many people are completely committed to this concept and follow his program quite religiously. Of course, I remain biased to a good strong power walk!

After the clinics there is time to stroll the Portola Plaza and Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s again a beautiful day with no clouds and temperature at about 22 degrees.

Pasta dinner is a banquet of endless artichokes (they seem to be in season!), focaccia, more artichokes, pasta with vegetarian sauce, pineapple upside down cake, fruit and bananas. I decide to leave early because it may be my only chance to drive the scenic 17-mile Drive. Whereas the marathon route is the height of rugged beauty, 17 mile drive is a stunning, yet manicured, vision of famous golf courses, ocean views and wildlife, and mansions. The area is owned privately and the road is open to public drivers only from 7am to 7pm. It is on this drive that tourists can see California’s famous Lone Cypress featured on postcard standings everywhere and the Pebble Beach Golf course.

I head into Carmel and walk down to the beach to say farewell to the day. It’s a foggy evening off the Carmel coast but still utterly enchanting.

When I get back to the hotel, I go through all of my race info one last time and make my plan. I have to be at the bus for 4:45 am for the bus to leave the MPC at 5am. I decide I should leave for the bus at 4:15 to be sure I can eat and drink the last stuff din the car on the way to the bus. That will ensure that I have finished eating and drinking 2 hours before the start.

Finally, make my way to bed at 10:30 and set the alarm for 3:35 and 3:37. That only gives me 5 hours of sleep but I know from experience that I don’t sleep soundly the night before the race.

Sunday, April 25 – RACE DAY! - When the alarm goes off for the second time, it surprises me. I get up to go to the bathroom and decide that I might return to bed for another few minutes while I drink some water. Once I get up, nervous energy keeps me on my feet.

I have to go outside and while it is warm, I know I will need sweats at the start. I head inside and put Vaseline on my feet, under my arms and, much to my regret later on in the day, forget to put some on my inner thigh area.

I decide on wearing shorts, a singlet, short sleeve shirt (with my bib number on it), long sleeve cotton shirt, a pair of sweat pants, sweat shirt, cool max fiber hat. I put thin tights in my sweat bag in case I decide at the start to wear them for the race.

I drink green Odwalla™ (yum!), eat yogurt and a California Sunbar™ (a delicious concoction of oats and dried cranberries I have discovered at a local coffee shop) and drink water. I head out the door with my sweat bag at exactly 4:17. I have been hearing cars all morning. They must be marathon runners going off to their buses that leave at 4:15.

I get to the MPC at 4:27am. I can see that the first car lots are full and that cars are being directed way up beyond the buses. As I continue driving following the long line of tail-lights, I am surprised by a traffic director moving barriers to a spot directly beside the buses! I am ushered in to my VIP parking spot right at the line-up for the buses! Clearly, the race gods are with me! I am FEELING GOOD!

All of the relay runners who are doing the first leg of the marathon are preparing to load their buses. The power walkers will be next. I get out of the car at 4:42, see a group of power walkers (identified by different colour bibs) and within a few moments we are directed onto the FIRST bus! Yahooo! There are just 22 of us on it. The clock on the bus says 5am as we pull out of the MPC parking lot and head to the start. Now this is a well-organized event!

Suddenly a marvelous thought occurs to me. When one is on the first bus to the start, one could potentially be first to the port-a potties! Now, I’m FEELING REALLY GOOD!

The route is extremely dark and it is not easy to see out of the bus because it keeps it’s inside lights on. Still, I can see that it is very foggy. Within 30 minutes, I can see the flash of a lighthouse every so often - Point Sur Lighthouse. Our start is just the other side of it! Once the road goes flat, I know we are just minutes from our start area – the floodlights light up the entrance to the park.

We are let off the buses and it is still dark. Floodlights shine invitingly over volunteers at tables filled with fruit and snacks, coffee and tea. I decide to take the smallest amount of coffee to flush out the system, it’s still feeling a bit sluggish even though I am FEELING GOOD! Within the space of a few minutes, the sky becomes bright with natural light as the sun seems to have made its way over the tops of the surrounding hills.

Two more trips to the green boxes and I feel ready for the gun! We are sent our way with a beautiful a cappella rendition of The Star Spangled Banner and an enthusiastic group countdown from 10. We’re off through the gate and up a 150m incline to get to Highway One! The walking has begun!

On Highway One the road ahead is flat and the sky is perfectly blue – not a trace of that earlier fog.

The first mile is a stunning yet peaceful pastoral scene of farmer’s fields. Within a short distance I pass a large ranch on the right. An American flag flies lazily at the entrance gate and as our group of leading walkers heads along the highway two graceful horses gallop out to the entrance to greet us. Too perfect to believe, I know, but it happened.

The hills soon start to rise before us and to the right. Within 3 miles the road begins to start rolling, and drum beats can be heard echoing off the hills. Otherwise it is just waves crashing, birds singing and sweet fragrances floating –a feast for all the senses. Still a little apprehension is building as the drum beats echoing off the hills draw us closer to Hurricane Hill – a serious 3-mile climb. As I wind down to the base of Hurricane Hill I pass the group of relay runners preparing to take over for their leg of the marathon. They are really encouraging comments about ‘great power walking form’! It’s always fantastic to have crowd support!

The Taiko drummers are lined up at the base of the hill and the emotion is overwhelming. The beat puts me in a confident mood to tackle the hill with energy. I try to remember the advice from yesterdays’ panel discussion describing the hills of the Carmel Highlands to follow but those drummers are inspiring and I can see a power walker about half way up already! Three-quarters of the way up the hill I look over my shoulder to see a wondrous sight of hundreds of power walkers making their way to the base of Hurricane Hill, the sun is on them and the white caps of the breaking waves at the surf. It is a powerful image and though only a few seconds will remain vivid in my mind for the entire race and in the weeks after..

I still have my eye on the one serious walker that I can see. Finally, I catch up to him and we pace each other for a bit. He is a retired teacher from the Monterey Peninsula College. His breathing is loud and I am a bit worried though I don’t say anything. Finally, he volunteers that he has always breathed like that! We exchange names, he is Lin, and later I see on the race results that he is 72 years old! I never cease to be in awe at these races at what people are accomplishing! We crest the hill together and find a sign that encourages us to look back and see where we have been. It’s good reminder because this is one view you’d hate to miss!

As we head downhill, Lin is much faster than me and I just can’t keep up. I find that downhill stretch on the other side of Hurricane Hill to be extremely challenging. I’m focusing all of my efforts on maintaining good technique, but every once in a while I drawn out of my focus by the sounds of piano. Bixby Bridge is around one of the next turns and it is the pianist playing.

Crossing Bixby Bridge with the piano man is a moment that is indescribable. This course is possibly on one of the most magical stretches of coastline in the world, the only man-made addition that could improve on this would be exquisite classical music played on a grand piano by a man wearing a tuxedo and playing the pedals in his bare feet (well, it is Big Sur!). With the sun and the quiet (there are no elite runners yet), this moment is wondrous. I try to be mindful of the moment even though it passes too quickly.

While the two most magical moments of the event are over, the stunning, overwhelming beauty never ends. Nor do the hills. As I approach the next hill, I leave my WoW long-sleeve shirt because of the heat. Hopefully, someone will find a good use for it.

While the view is a constant and wonderful distraction, after 2 hours the hills are starting to take their toll on my body and more specifically, my feet! At about Mile 11 at Rocky Point, the middle toes of my right foot seem to seize. Then, the top of my left foot is aching (as if my shoes have been tied too tightly) I did re-tie them at the start to be sure my toes would not slide to the front of my shoes on the downhill. I think the left foot is taking the braking load experienced from the camber in the road that was mentioned at the race clinic. One panel participant had suggested keeping to the very left while another’s strategy was to follow the centre-line. Both ideas seemed reasonable but the reality of the many 10-mile walkers at the edge of road and the elite and fast marathon runners coming up to my right meant that I was walking in the middle experiencing the steepest angle of the camber.

At this point the race is starting to get hot and as we get into the Carmel Highlands, I take my hat off whenever I am walking in a shady patch to cool off. Soon I am starting to pass walkers who appear to be strolling the 10km course. There are lots of comments from people encouraging me on my “power walk”. All along the route there are musical bands, a belly dancer and much more to keep us going. There are plenty of aid stations always with water, Gatorade and lots of fruit and watered sponges and very cheery volunteers!

Although the race does have a slight downhill at the end, the hills really to seem to be never-ending and the shaded stretches are welcome as the course heats up during the last 8 miles. As I come in to the finish I pass crowds of 10km walkers and I battle it out with several people who are run/walking. A race organizer dressed in a blue blazer (very official!) is at the finish to give me my medal and says he has been “Waiting for me!” And so are the massage therapists! There is a giant tent with more than 100 therapists. There are 2 to a participant! I love this. They help me up on the table, take off my shoes and work more Big Sur magic on some very tired calves and hamstrings!

The final touch is a walk down to the beach, after a shower, to walk in the ice cold Pacific - the perfect antidote for swollen tired feet and the perfect end to a perfect race!

Sign me up for 2005! (Registration opens September 1!)

P.S. This is a race for anyone who wants to experience the best in both challenge and beauty! To really enjoy it, I recommend following a good training schedule. This course is far too beautiful to be wishing it over because you are in too much pain.

P.P.S. For those committed power walkers in the crowd, you may disappointed by the many run/walkers and the fact that the results do not distinguish between people who choose to “walk only” and those who choose to “walk/run”. I hope the organizers will eventually have these two options on the registration and will identify participants accordingly on the results.