Thursday, June 20, 2013

TRT (Tahoe Rim Trails) Training Runs

Day 1: Starts at Diamond Peak Resort. There is lot of parking space available at the resort. The resort is closed during the summer months, so not many people there. The run was supposed to be 20 miles but because of some mountain erosion concerns, the Race Director was not able to get a permit on the trails and had to change it last minute. It ended up to 25 miles. There was only one aid station (Tunnel Creek) but you go through it twice at Mile 5 and Mile 11. The aid station was good but the aid station volunteers there were also not aware of route changes, and mentioned that the run was a 20-miler. So, stock up on your water etc as at TRT, trail routes can change dependent on a various number of things. Because of last minute change, the trail was not marked properly, so be careful to listen to the instructions prior to the race. Restrooms are available at the resort, where the run starts. The run starts with a steep climb: Almost 2 miles of uphill, climbing 1700 ft - a good warm up. A hard climb, especially after the second mile. The views from the top of  the peak (referred to as Bull Wheel) are beautiful. Because of altitude, the air is thin, so there is difficulty breathing if you are not used to hiking at elevation. The training run also covers the Red House Loop. Still not sure why the Red House Loop is known as infamous. It definitely has some steep downhill but there must be some other reason for it to be known as infamous. The trails were not as technical as the Western State trails and had many shaded parts. The organizers of the TRT training runs have post-party food organized at the resort, which includes beer. Definitely the thin air makes you tired way before you can think of!

Day 2: This year it started in a dirt lot at the intersection of Freeway US-50 and CA-28 near Spooner Lake. Lot of parking available. There were a few porta potties available at the start, arranged by the TRT Training Run organizers. This training run is on the 50K course of the TRT. It is not 32 miles, but actually it is 34 miles (They should just call it a 55K race). There are 2 aid stations on the way (that you hit 4 times total). You can cut short the training run by not doing the 6-mile Red House Loop which is also covered on day 1. The trails are already well-marked and the organizers give you a map initially, which is helpful. The aid stations were good and so was the food at the finish. This year only 15 people (out of 200+) did the 34 miles while all the others did the shorter route of 28 miles.

What a weekend for Shavi! ~60 miles of trails with more than 20,000 feet of elevation change. The altitude training was an eye opener for what to expect at TRT 100 in just 5 weeks. The silver lining was that at least the views were 'breathtaking' (pun intended). The picture presented here is of Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe from Snow Valley peak at around ~9100 feet altitude.
Not bad for $10 fee for each day's training run. Looking forward to TRT 100 miler now (Not)!

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