I started out at just after 6:30am this morning, pushed back from what I had originally planned to be a 6:00am start because when I woke up, I realized that the sun wouldn't be up until almost 7:00am and I would be able to move a bit faster in the beginning with a bit more light.
Previous runners of this route started out by running down Bandy Canyon Road until it connects up with the trail on the side of the road, but after asking Buzz a few days ago, he said that I could use the trail since it is almost the exact same distance and seems more in the spirit of running the entire trail. A few other previous runners had mentioned this as an alternate start and a few of our local San Diego races start out on that trail. I've run along that trail a lot of times, but I still always enjoy splitting through between the orange orchard to the east and the other farmland to the west. Lots of rabbits skittering off the trail and I saw a big black rodent that I think was a rat go off into the bushes.
The first 4 miles or so are fairly flat and there is a cool looking bridge about two miles in that you cross along the road before getting back to the trail. In my head, I had told my self that if I could just average 9:45 miles, I would be able to get the FKT. I didn't want to go out to hard and crash later so I was aiming for around 8:45 per mile to start and held pretty close to that until the climb up Raptor Ridge.
In my head, after each mile, I would calculate how far ahead of my goal pace I was in total and then sort of chant that in my head for the next mile. This was a good strategy for me to stay focused and keep moving at a decent clip. I did this all of the way up until the last mile when I knew I was going to make it. As I went up Raptor Ridge, the sun was just starting to peak out behind the mountains to the East and I could feel it warming up already. Luckily, as I dropped back down the other side at mile 5, it was still hiding behind the ridge and it was nice and cool again.
The next 4.5 miles is flat and partly parallels some agricultural land where they are growing spaghetti squash and butternut squash. At mile 10, you go under the 15 freeway and start to circumnavigate Lake Hodges. This is a part of the trail that I am less familiar with and I'm glad I did a few training runs there just to make sure I had bearings right. Up until I got to the Lake Hodges Dam, I was sort of in the zone. Up until that point I had drank one soft bottle of gatorade, some of my 2 liters of water, and eaten a clif gel block.
As I passed the dam, I decided to check on the leftover mashed potatoes in the plastic baggie in my pocket to see if they warmed up yet. They weren't but I had some anyway. Every mile just sort of clicked off and I was feeling really good, not pushing too hard. There is a nice downhill section where I picked up a bit of time but then I had to climb back up and lost some time there. Just as you reach one of the parking areas in Del Dios Gorge, off to your right there is a nice view of a pond that had some (I think) white egrets hanging out. After you cross through the top of the parking area, you drop down a bit and then hit the last two climbs of the run. The first is quite a few switchbacks and the second is a few longer switchbacks. I started to slow down a fair amount on the second climb. It was really starting to warm up by that point. Luckily, once you reach the top of that section and meander around the private property section, you get a nice downhill that ends up at the road that is flooded (as mentioned by previous runners).
By this time, I had finished a 20 ounce bottle filled with gatorade that I had. I filled it with water at this crossing to douse myself and keep cool. The water was super cold this morning and by the time I had shuffled through, my feet were almost numb. The ground underneath is super slick so you can't really run through it (or at least I didn't because I was afraid I would fall). The next couple miles until you have to take another detour is fairly sandy and probably my least favorite section of the run, especially just after soaking your feet.
Once I was through the sandy section, you get a short road section and I picked up some more time there. After the road, you bounce out onto the golf course. It is all listed as private property but I wasn't too worried as I had run through there a few times with no issues. Today, as I was almost completing that section, an employee of the course starting following me in his golf cart. The little side trail that leaves the golf course that everyone (bikers, hikers, runners...and tons of them every day) had a small wooden fence put up that hadn't been there even 2 or 3 weeks ago when I had last run there. I hopped over it and was gone from his view without any other issue. Just want to note this for any others that are planning on attempting this route...make sure you scout out this section and feel comfortable going through.
After the golf course, I ran by the San Diego Surf Soccer Club fields and then a bunch of the horse stables and dressage areas. There was a competition today in the horse area. A bunch of kids and teenagers were all riding around their horses and had numbers affixed to their backs. It looked like they were going to be trying to clear jumps. Then, I saw something I had never seen there before. At the far western end of the horse area, there was a group of nine or ten people playing polo. Would have liked to stay and watch but I pressed on.
The next mile or so is along the flat trail as the river begins to approach the ocean. After going under the 5 freeway and then finishing the trail section, there is one last short climb and my legs were really starting to hurt by then. I wanted to push and try to get under 5 hours but I didn't make it. After turning down 15th street, I sprinted down the little hill to the park and collapsed into the grass, thus ending a really great morning. I had a little knee trouble starting right after finishing a marathon, but it eased up after another mile or two. Plus, I set a PR on a 50K today so I'm double stoked.
A few minutes later, my wife and 7 year old son picked me to drive me back to my car. When we got back to Escondido, I realized I still had the remnants of my mashed potatoes in my pocket. My son didn't want any!
I didn't run with anyone or resupply food or water during the route. I started with 2 liters or water and three bottles of gatorade (one of which was a soft flask stuffed in my pack). I only ate the mashed potatoes and the gel blocks.