KT Invitational: Running around Pt Reyes

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One week out from Christmas the last thing I thought I'd be doing is running 20+ miles around Pt. Reyes in a t-shirt and shorts snapping pics of deep blue skies and endless coastlines.


a) It's ski season and so there should be skiing. Snow, however, is not being kind.
b) I'm in "off season" mode and haven't run more than 12 miles in the last 2 months.
c) It was 38 degrees at the start. A t-shirt seemed unlikely.


But so it was that I was invited to join the Kara Teklinski Invitational (KTI), the first annual of it's kind, as we ventured north to run unfamiliar trails in the familiar beauty of a cold, sunny, late-fall California morning. We were there to enjoy the day (me, Falk), there to get in a training run (Jeremy), and there to get in a last long run before surgery (Kara). To be fair, Kara had posted the run on FB so the Facebook world was invited to attend but on the morning of, there were just the 4 of us who stood bravely at the start huddled in gloves and beanies.

Top of Arch Rock
I'll spare you the suspense - we all podiumed at the KTI. 1st woman and 1st man (23.7 mile category) and 1st woman, 1st man (33 mile category). Shabooya! It pays to jump on the bandwagon early.

Hanging over the edge at top of Alamere Falls
Without going into sweeping, cinematic-like detail: it was spectacular. Up over Mt. Wittenberg to warm up, through forested groves with streams of sunlight filtering down; winding towards the coast where we caught our first views of total, crystal-clear, unending awesomeness. Turning south we made our way to Wildcat Camp then to Arch Rock, then along the coast to Alamare Falls, a set of falls that plummets about 40 feet straight down to the beach. The 33 milers continued on from here while the short course runners started to head back along another trail, cruising over pine-covered trails of rolling singletrack with fire road mixed in. With just a few uphill bumps to manage, it was a pleasant 4-5 mostly downhill miles back to the finish.   


It was absolutely incredible to be out on new trails with fun people on such a spectacular fall day. I can only assume that its why I haven't completely lost my mind over the lack of snowfall - the fact that we've had week after week after week of crisp, clear days here in California. It's quite possibly been the best stretch of time for trail running all year.

Falk, Kara, Jeremy and me above Alamere Falls
Special props to Leor Pantilat who first wrote about this trail run on his blog and had us sold with the pictures alone. If you're looking for something new and different, get yourself out to Pt. Reyes now. There can't be a better time of year to be out there.

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