San Lorenzo River Trail Run 50k| Santa Cruz, CA| you may never be the greatest...

[@chrisreal22]

You had me in suspense!!!! Great Job Paul!!!! Another awesome adventure and great video!!! 🎉

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@chrisreal22 Thank you! I had a ton of fun running this despite getting so behind on time. On to the next adventure 🤙 🍻

[@csn583]

I've been missing the Skyline-to-the-Sea marathon, not sure how I was unaware of this one! I think I'll stick to the half or 30k as I don't love a lot of out-and-backing.

[@jeffbarton9148]

Great video!! Comparing is the thief of joy. I can’t believe all the things that went against you with delays, extra miles up hill and you finished positive. Great job.

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

Thanks, Jeff! I was very unaware of all the slow downs. I was so impressed and inspired by those 50k runners in this race. Despite the hold ups, they ran a great race! They must've been running 6 minute miles when they could. I ran everything runnable, I gotta work on my speed 🤣. In the film, when I talk about not being the fastest... that was a pep talk I was giving myself. I felt like I wasn't good enough to be out there. I knew a positive attitude would get me to that finish. I reminded myself to have fun, no matter what happened. And I did, I had a ton of fun. I grew as a person on this one. Something these ultras gift us; to know more about ourselves and how to be better. The journey continues. Hope your training is going well. On to the next adventure 👊💥

[@charliewollertz]

That was great! Loved the music and the trail looks amazing! Glad you finished and made up the time lost while getting lost and waiting in line 🤣

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@charliewollertz Dude! There are so many spots I lost time at. I still can't believe how far away the bathrooms were 🤯. When I realized I got lost, I thought I wouldn't make the cut off. I had to run faster more than planned to make up time. The 50k field was fast runners! I found out if I was in the 30k I would've podiumed my age group. Goes to show how fast those 50k runners were and how tough the course is. Very impressive athletes.

[@timshisler3826]

Can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. Running those trails and playing in the river was a staple of my youth. Been a long time since I've been on them, but could vividely remember neary every part as you shared your journey. Nice job on the run. When things open up again, if you haven't run Skyline to Sea yet (though sure you have) I'd highly recommend it.

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

I also grew up playing in these mountains as well. I remember they did this race and prior to being a runner, I thought it sounded so cool. Back then I said I'd never be able to run that far in the mountains. This was so much fun for me, despite being so close to dnf'ing 🫣. I'm glad you enjoyed following me along and seeing the trails, river... this was on a weekend and I'll say maybe the busiest I've ever seen the river! The whole stretch of it had people.

[@bdwdreamweaver]

you have been really moving up, and congrats hitting great numbers

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

Thank you! The training continues 💪

[@maryanneparsons5242]

Awesome 🎉

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@@maryanneparsons5242 Thank you 😊. Missed you guys! Next time

[@SippyCupAdventures]

This IS a marathon, or a run, and not a race, right?? When you got bogged down at the creek, I was reminding myself of that. If it were a race, then chaos would have ensued at the creek, I imagine 😆 I enjoyed how you came across when updating your "goal"! "Ok, well, now I am shooting for 7 hours. That's okay....." Snarky, yet, "motivational" 😆🥤

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@SippyCupAdventures I didn't get it on film, but there was a touch of chaos at the river 🤣. A handful of folks were crossing next to us, out of frustration of having to wait. The problem is it was overhead deep there, so they all got drenched 🤣. I had zero clue about all the slow downs I'd encounter. Hopefully, my video can be valuable for those looking to run the race. I really loved this run. The single track was legit gnarly though, I did not like that section. I tried to run it, tripped, and almost fell down the hill. It was a good mile of about 6 inches to walk and not fall down this hill. Admittedly, I saw people sprint this section. This was definitely more of an adventure than a race for me. On to the next 🍻

[@SippyCupAdventures]

@@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle Yeah, not sure what race organizers are supposed to do. They love promoting their location, certainly, and the chance to just run, yet, they can't really change the footprint of these trails without city/county approval and all the red tape that goes with that.

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@SippyCupAdventures I know. Personally I think they should stagger the start time. There was nearly 500 people starting at once. There was only 45 people in my race. If they would start each individual race 30 minutes apart There would be very little slow downs. I felt bad for the people turning around at the water only station. They not only got stuck in the beginning but had to now take on the back of the pack on their way back. Awesome event but they definitely could fix a few things. And the aid station at Henry Cowell's, why don't they move the aid station by the bathrooms and make that part of the course? That walk was a little ridiculous.

[@SippyCupAdventures]

@@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle As I have mentioned before, I am an event planner, by trade and ALL of these little nuances drive me nuts! This is why you do these events, or, one reason why, in entering these, to see how organized they are, or not so you have a better idea if you're going to do them again. Of course, location has a lot to do with it. If you and your family have a good time, separate from the event, then a few miscues during the race are acceptable.

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@SippyCupAdventures agreed. I will admit that after my first ultra (24 hours), I figured all races were put on with such high attention to detail and care. Now that I've done 6 ultras, I can say that most races seem thrown together. I don't know if it's a money issue or permits or laziness... the volunteers are always amazing, helpful, and really add to the enjoyment of the adventure. A lot of the issues in these events, to me, seem like easy fixes, but they don't get fixed. So far, my biggest complaint about these races is: #1 The aid station food sucks! I'm running for over 6 hours in the mountains, and you're feeding me snacks. How about real food. #2 bathrooms. For example, this race had 4 Porta pottys at the start. 500 people and only 4 toilets. Then the next toilet was 7 miles away. When you're constantly eating and drinking, you gotta go often. So my big things to fix in all these ultras are: better food, more porta pottys, put aid stations close to the bathroom, and write a brutally honest description of the course. Like, expect to be delayed 30 minutes in the beginning, at the river... with all that being said, I loved this run, I love these events. I'm sure it's a ton of work to put these on. There's definitely room for improvement. Maybe with ultras becoming more popular, we'll see some improvements.

[@charliewollertz]

Are you sure this is a race? I see a lot of waiting in line…

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@charliewollertz yes, a 31-mile line 🤣. The other 50k runners that got fast times seemed not real to me, so fast! I ran everything I could. The top runners were like 10 miles ahead of me! I got down on myself about it but then told myself not to compare and enjoy what I'm able to do. It was a fun race and I didn't fall once! 🤣

[@maryanneparsons5242]

Awesome 🎉

[@ChooseAdventureCaliforniaStyle]

@@maryanneparsons5242 Thank you 😊. Missed you guys! Next time