On April 19, David and I took off on the Tam Tramp, a 50-mile trail run from the Golden Gate Bridge to Limantour Beach via Mount Tamalpais.
The Tam Tramp route.
This was a route inspired by location. From MSRI’s perch in the Berkeley hills, I am often confronted by the Golden Gate’s careful poise and Mt. Tam’s seductive contour. So why not invent a little run through some beautiful country?
The bridge and the prominent ridgeline to Mt. Tam’s high point make up the first 21 miles of the Tam Tramp.
It was also my thirtieth birthday party, so we invited some hills and some friends to celebrate.
Elevation chart — 6,900′ of gain (and loss).
Then we had a big party on the beach with champagne and a fire and oysters and cake and a dilemma as to whether it was more fun to watch the jugglers or wrestlers.
It was a good day, and we finished the run in about 9 hours, 15 minutes. This was my first 50-mile run, and I was pleased with how my body responded to the distance. Ascending Tam from Muir Woods was an especially pleasant section. The redwoods quickly gave way to some serious elevation gain, and for once I managed to set the pace on some steep trail with David. The Coastal Trail above Stinson Beach is also delightful, especially in the spring with the wildflowers out.
David and the wildflowers on the Coastal Trail.
Miles 38-43 were by far the toughest. From McCurdy Trailhead on Highway 1, we traversed a swampy section of trail then made our final big climb into Point Reyes. The climb was tough, but gave me something to focus on. We were then faced with five miles of rolling terrain and trails frequently choked with stinging nettle before we burst onto the coastline and had the finish in sight. My energy waned dramatically after we crested the last hill, and my attention drifted inwards. Five miles is not a long ways. Five miles fresh on the roads at a comfortable pace is well under 35 minutes. On this terrain, at this point in the run, five miles is fifty long nettle-pricked minutes.
Thankfully, it is hard to see the Point Reyes coastline and not have ones spirit uplifted.
The Point Reyes coastline.
David reported a lot of fatigue in the last couple of miles, but I felt strong through the finish, even the final mile on the sand. It was great to be joined by friends and family there for a proper celebration.
I should also mention the great subplot of the day: Galen joined the running team last minute at the recommendation of a mutual friend. He had just raced a 100-miler in Zion two weeks prior, and I was impressed to see him anxious to tackle 50 miles so soon thereafter. From Muir Woods onwards it was clear that his legs were tired, but he made it to McCurdy Trailhead before David and I took off. When we hit the beach, though, he was nowhere in sight. Ninety minutes later there was still no Galen. Feeling apprehensive, we were ready to interrupt the festivities in order to mount a search and rescue operation. Suddenly, though, there was a green shirt on the horizon. Low on water, Galen had actually added two miles to the route to refill his bottles at Glen Campground, and he was now running up the beach. It was a happy sight.
Galen joins the party.
Finally, huge thanks to everyone who made the Tam Tramp possible. My parents and sister, Sarah, Ana, and all the folks who joined us on the trails or at the beach − it would not have been the experience it was without their help.
Extras:
- Google map of the route
- GPS data from the first 40 miles (battery died)
- Twitter updates (used to coordinate timing for the 30ish people who participated)
The Bright Obvious 
Kyle, that’s awesome, many congrats on both the run and joining the 30+ club.
Thanks, Jayadev. I’m happy about both.