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Ultra-endurance athlete, outdoor-adventure blogger and social media expert based in San Diego, California.

When I'm not online connecting people to the things they love to do, I'm out training for my next big adventure.

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King of the Hill: El Capitan Race Report

Posted by Toby Guillette Saturday, October 29, 2011

Last weekend I raced the third and final event of the new King of the Hill trail series: El Capitan. With 3400’+ of climbing/descending and physical challenge stations on one of the hardest local trails, this new race is a total beast!



Check out my race reports from the 2011 series:




The race began abruptly with 10 burpees and the super-steep climb up and away from the Wildcat Canyon Rd. trailhead. This thinned-out the field right away so there was less congestion on the trail. With my heart rate thumping, I jumped into top 20 and took on the big climbs, using any free speed from the downhill sections to help with the next climb.

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Nicole Decker at her finest ;)
There weren’t any clouds so when the sun came out, it came out strong and it got hot, fast. The next challenge station was 10 tuck jumps and 10 dive-bomber pushups. Then we hit the harder climbs and temps were now 80+ degrees. There was another challenge station with 10 starburst jumping jacks somewhere but its all a blur now. Before I got to the last challenge station at the saddle below the final push to the summit, the race leader passed by on his descent, which is just insane -- that dude tore it up (1:43 finish!) 
Thanks for the great shot, Meg!
50 mountain climbers later I was bushwacking the half-track trail to the summit where Meg, a friend and race volunteer, was stationed to photograph us climbing up onto summit block for official turn-around time before beginning our descent. 

Uphill both ways!
The descent was sketchy as it was so steep and fatigue was building from the tough terrain, climbs and heat. I pushed hard when I could but it takes a lot of concentration and speed-checking not to get hurt on that descent. The way down also offers challenging climbs to add to the fun. 

I was starting to get dizzy with a couple miles left to go, but when I came up over a hill to see the guy that beat me in the last 2 events, I got a burst of energy and decided to go for it and just kept pressing and pressing HARD.

The final section of steep switchbacks before the finish line was a blur and it felt like I was floating out-of-body. I crossed the finish line in 2:19 and crumbled into a pool of sweat, confusion and exhaustion. Moments later my coworker Todd finished and we both just sat there completely spent.  

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Todd cursing me for convincing him to sign up!
This wasn't the usual post-race hang-out, drink beers and tell war stories scenario: I was a total mess for about 10-15 minutes and it took another good 10 minutes to pull myself together before standing up. I was sort of embarrassed about my state, but also mildly concerned that I did some sort of damage to myself. 

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All this for 13th place overall and 10th in the 39 and under age group :)
I missed the awards ceremony because I had to make it to my friends surprise birthday party. Thankfully Alicia was with me because on the drive home I felt nauseous and ended up puking when I got to the party. I was out for the count until about 2:45pm when I finally managed to eat and keep down food. After that, I pulled it back together, had a few beers and had a great evening.

Happy Birthday to Luke!
Bravo to Joe and Nicole Decker and their fitness company, Gut Check Fitness, for the courage to host a new local event series on trails and up peaks that no one else has attempted. They lead by example and it’s no wonder they’ve cultivated a healthy and supportive community of great people who are willing to push their limits.  

"Are you ready for a Gut Check?"


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"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Isaac Newton

The guys in the photo with me are my giants -- they have helped me push beyond my limits and I'm forever grateful for their friendship and our time together on the trail. Here's to many more miles with you guys!

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[left to right]: Dax, Jess, Me, Todd

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