From: Lynn Rossiter (lynn_rossiter@mindspring.com)
Subject: Baldy 50k report
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 22:41:13 -0700

Hi All:

Last Saturday, at 6:00 am sharp, some 60  ultra masochists took on the
challenge of the Baldy Peaks 50k.  I decided to make this my first race as a
50 year old.

This is extreme running.  (If you're prone to vertigo, you may want to skip
this paragaph):  The race starts at about 5000 elevation, goes down to 4000,
then there's a tough 6 mile climb to 10,064, down to 6000, up to 10,064
again in 4 miles, then down to 7800, up to 8750, and then a long downhill
back to 5000.  There's 10,775 feet of climb, and just as much descent.
Finishing times are on a par with a moderately hilly 50 miler at near-sea
level, such as the Catalina 50m.

The sun was just coming up as we took off.  I settled into 7th place in the
lead group for the initial two mile downhill.  We came by the turnoff to the
trailhead, and kept on going!  I knew the route, but thought about it for
almost a minute before I shouted ahead "Hey Guys!  Stop!  Wrong way!"  I
turned around (now leading the lead group by 20 yards) and got us back on to
the trail.  By then a handful of the runners further back had gotten ahead
of us.  I started to climb (along with Micah White, the eventual race
winner) and waited for the fast guys to catch us.  Only one did.  Where were
the elite guys?  After about 10 minutes, I said to Micah "believe it or not,
we're 2nd and third place".

I kept up a steady effort at about 155 pulse, and a little distance on
Micah.  After about 30 minutes, the leader came into view, only about 100
yards ahead.  Ten minutes later, I passed him, this being the only time I've
lead a race in 150 tries.  I wasn't even close to hurting, it felt like a
smooth moderate effort, so I just kept on going.  I wanted to pinch myself.
Micah maintained contact a couple hundred yards behind.  After about 2 hours
of climbing I reached the summit in first place!  To my surprise, a smiling
race monitor was there and asked me if I wanted to stop for a picure.
Absolutely!  Micah did the same.

Micah blasted by me on the very steep, loose and rocky descent.  That guy
flies down technical sections.  Soon he was a couple of minutes ahead of me.
I regulated my pace on the next smooth downhill section to a little under
7:00/mile.  At downhill turnaround (6000' and 15 miles), he had about 4:30
on me.  Next was the brutal second ascent:  4000' in 4 miles.  I still had a
good load of glycogen in my legs at this point, but my quads started to
cramp whenever I leapt up to the next rock.  What curse was this?!  Feeling
really strong, and having my quads cramping?  So I had so slow waaay down to
keep the cramps at bay.  Nevertheless, no one passed me on the 1:45:00
ascent, and I closed to within 2 minutes of Micah by the time I summited.

I took a few steps downhill and my legs just locked up.  This was not good.
I stopped and massaged them and was eventually able to painfully hobble
down.  Part way down Brian Polly passed me (he was the initial leader), and
I told him my problem.  He was kind enough to stop and give me a couple of
advils.  Then off he went.  So here I was in third place, in a position
beyond my wildest dreams, but reduced to hobbling downhill with 11 miles of
downhill ahead of me!

A couple of miles later, another runner approached.  He tried to pass, but
darn it, I was not going to yeild to another whipper-snapper.  I held him
off a couple of times, then surged, every step painful, until I could no
longer hear him.  Geez, this was just like a road race!  At 23 miles I was
still in third place, somehow.  I had 9 miles to go, and every step was very
painful.  Several runners were within 2 minutes of me.  There was blood in
the water.

With 6 miles to go, the comely Anne Langstaff came up, running smoothly.  I
told her of my fate and she said that I was nevertheless running a good
race, and encouraged me.  I managed to painfully hang with her for about a
half mile, but my quads hurt too much, and it was too far from the finish,
so I let her go.  On the winding downhill I watched her fly ahead of me,
eventually putting three minutes between us before losing sight of her.  I
was 3rd male, 4th overall at this point, and I was determined not to give up
another position.

I creaked down to the last aid station at 30 miles, and as I pulled out for
the last 2.5 miles of (paved) downhill in 95 degree heat, another runner
came in.  Geez, I thought, there's no way I'm going to hold him off.  But
somehow I did, and gained a couple of minutes in the most painful two miles
I've ever run.  My wife Lynn, bless her heart, drove down with me and gave
me encouragement at every switchback.  I needed it.

The last 50 foot hill to the finish seemed like another mountain, so I
looked back, no one breathing down my neck, and walked up to the finish.  I
was thrilled to do so well, despite my problems.

The first four positions:

M open      Micah White       (39)   7:09
M open      Brian Polly          (2x?) 7:24
F  master   Anne Langstaff    (42)   7:33
M master   Dan Stumpus      (50)   7:35

PS:  Concerning my cramps, the general consensus of the finishers and race
directors was that I should have taken a Succeed! (salt) capsule at the
start, then at hourly intervals thereafter.  I took the first one at 2
hours, and had only 4 the whole race.  Any other anti-cramping advice will
be appreciated.  I lost about 5 lbs during the race.

--Dan Stumpus