Lighthouse Hill Ranch 10/20 Mile/ 50K Trail Run Recap

Since I usually have a difficult time running any distance longer than 20 miles here locally, I was going to run the Lighthouse 50k as my weekly long run. Sometimes, it is an expensive thing to do my long run during a race. I know. I know. I can run it bandit, but I prefer not to.

My goal was to run it conservatively and just finish. Besides, it’d been raining all week, so I didn’t want to risk any sort of fall/injury. The fact that it rained the entire drive to Johnson City only reinforced my thinking. I actually thought “Do I wanna run in mud for 31 miles?”

The night before and the morning was actually really nice and cool. It was odd, because the day before, it’d been in the high 90s, and here I was less than 24 hours later wishing I’d pack a sweater.

I was pleasantly surprised that the morning of the race, the course was not very muddy. The temperature was cool, and no rain in sight.

Loop 1:

Lately, I’ve been very fatigued, so I was worried with the few “easy” climbs during the 1^st couple of miles because I felt sluggish. I guess after I warmed up (and coincidentally the climbs were over with), I began feeling stronger.

The course was fairly flat. As I was running, I could see huge hills I was headed towards. The course ended up going around them instead of over them. I was glad, but a little disappointed. These races in the hill country are my only opportunities to get some hill work done.

The rest of the course was very runnable. It passed through several pastures/brush areas – typical hill country minus the rocks and hills. There were quite a bit of longhorns and cattle along the course. Several times, I had to give some of them the right of way – more like I had to stop dead in my tracks while they crossed or even skedaddled down the same trail I was running.

I managed to run the 1^st loop in 1:36. I felt really strong and confident. I skipped each aid station since it was nice and cool, and I had my own handheld. I felt I was in pretty good shape downing a couple s caps and a couple stinger waffles. Besides, the aid stations were not manned yet, and truth be told, I sometimes prefer the volunteers to the goodies.

Loop 2:

Having restocked on haterade and finding out how many of my frunners were doing (some did the 10/20/50k), I began my 2^nd loop. Again, I began feeling sluggish the 1^st several inclines/miles. “How could this be?” I asked myself. “I felt great 5 minutes ago!” My only guess was that maybe I took too long at the start (10 minutes) that my body got out of it’s “zone.”

By mile 3, I felt much better and continued running well. I continued taking my s caps and nutrition at the top of the hour every hour.

The 2^nd loop was completed in 1:45.

So far, I was pretty content with my splits. If only I could be consistent during the last loop, I told myself.

Loop 3:

By the start of loop 3, the sun had come out and it was beginning to get warm out there. Again, yes, again, I struggled the 1^st 3 miles. The heat didn’t make it any easier on me. This time, it took me about 4 or 5 miles to regain my mojo.

At mile 5, when I was finally able to go fast (since it was a pretty steep downhill), a longhorn appeared out of nowhere and started taking its time on the trail. I came to an immediate halt. I started having an inner debate with myself:

What’s the proper thing to do when you’re running and a longhorn gets on the trail in front of you?

1.       Do you go around it? If so, will it chase me? (I decided not to chance it)

2.       Are longhorns like bulls? (Probably not, but not gonna chance it)

3.       Do they chase people? (I just don’t know)

4.       I’m tired. Can I outrun a longhorn? (Probably not)

5.       Should I “shoooo!” it? (I tried. It didn’t work)

6.       Should I throw a rock at it? (I just couldn’t do that. I threw the rock near it)

I ended up doing what any rational runner would do…I walked behind it for a couple of minutes until it went off trail. It served as a rest period, I convinced myself.

This time around, I was stopping at each aid station and pouring water over my head. The heat was becoming very uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I able to finish this loop in 2:04.

Overall, it was a nice race. Not too tough. Not too easy. I slowed the last loop but managed to place 1^st in my age group AND set a 50k PR by 17 minutes (5:26).

Photo courtesy of Run In Texas

 

 

Is There Ever Enough Time In A Day???

One of the benefits of being a public school teacher is being off the entire summer. My plan was to run early in the mornings and then (possibly) in the evenings this summer. The beloved 2 a days. Now that the summer has ended, I can admit that I only ran once in the morning. My bed was just too comfortable. The rest of my runs were in the afternoon/evening.

School's begun, and I get home tired and sometimes with work to do. By the time I get my run in, it's late, and it feels like I just get home in time to run, eat and then go to sleep.

How best to juggle school and my (lack of a) personal life is a difficult question.

I've run early a couple times since school began, but that's torture. I had to get up at 4:30am to at least get in 10 miles and be at school kinda early.

But it looks like I'll have to do some early morning runs to be able to juggle all that I have to juggle.

I'm curious how y'all juggle running, life and everything else that comes your way.

Rough Creek Death March...

The race on Saturday would be 3 13ish mile loops. I’d read race reports that the course would be exposed with little shade and to expect some crazy climbs. After upping my training the last several weeks, I wasn't expecting much more than just a finish to a really long run.

After getting lost a bit, we finally found the race location with less than an hour before the start. We got our bibs and began to get ready.

Loop 1:

Immediately, at the start of the race, I realized my hydration vest bladder had a leak. It was a slow leak, and my back and butt was soaked with Gatorade. I hoped that it was a slow leak and would not affect me much. Besides, I had no back up.

I ran this loop alongside Ace Gallegos and finished the loop around 2:40ish. We were running at a pretty good clip and were so self sufficient that we didn’t stop at any aid station. I began and continued eating something and taking an s cap at the top of each hour. About 10 miles of the course were pretty runnable with the exception of about 3 miles which had some crazy climbs. Looking back, I’d call them obstacle course type climbs. There were runners climbing the steep hills on all fours. We took about 10 minutes at the start before beginning our 2^nd loop.  

Loop 2:

The weather during the 1^st loop was pretty reasonable, and I knew it’d be getting hot pretty quickly during the 2^nd loop. My buddy, Ace, changed into a long sleeve shirt and cap with flaps that he had submerged in ice water before starting the 2^nd loop. I’d soon come to realize I should’ve done the same. Ace had an extra hydration bladder that seemed to fit my salomon vest. I quickly realized that it was a 2 liter bladder that was filled to the rim. I noticed the weight difference immediately but thought little of it.

7 or so miles into the 2^nd loop, the heat became unbearable. I felt exhausted, dizzy and just plain overheated. My calves and quads were screaming from the hill workout I’d just put them through. I found a tree that had some shade and sat my butt down. I rested for about 30 minutes before deciding I wasn’t going to chance it any further – I was gonna call it a day.

My plan all along was to treat this as a long run…a 40 mile long run. Truth be told, I’m more  likely to do a long run if it’s a race. I’ve never been able to complete a long run of over 20 miles otherwise.

I told myself to keep my eye on the prize, Cactus Rose 100, and not sweat this DNF. Nevertheless, I’ve already begun making a contingency plan for CR in case the heat becomes a factor.

A special shout out to my 1 & only, Sami, for completing her 1^st marathon. That day, the heat and course was too much for me…not for her.

Colorado Bend 60k Recap

Having DNF'd (or not continuing after 30k) at the Muleshoe 60k a few weeks earlier, I felt like I needed a good run at Colorado Bend.

The plan was to pace myself (something I am unable to do frequently) the 1st 30k loop so that I could finish well the 2nd 30k loop. We (Sami/me) started at the very end of the pack with the 60kers. My only concern was to finish the 1st loop before 1am (the cut off to start the 2nd loop is 1am).

I also wanted to work on my power walking/hiking up the tough climbs. This is something I need to start doing more - as practice for Cactus Rose because last year I did a lot of walking towards the latter part...if I can call it walking. It was more like crawling.

Loop 1 / 1st 30k:

The 1st 3 miles leading to the 1st aid station were very technical and tough. The next 5 to the next aid station seemed to be more of the same. Up until this point, I'd power hiked/walked all the way. At around this time, one of our friends, Donna, caught up to us and asked if she could tag along. Of course, we said it was cool. At this point, they said it was cool if I went up ahead. I ended up 5 miles or so with another runner, Rick.

My favorite part of the loop was a little dark section which seemed to be about 1.5 miles that was the most runnable part. It was narrow, surrounded by waist high weeds and next to a river/lake. It was eerily quiet, but I hauled it in this section.

Right after the last aid station, it was a return to the 1st/last 3 miles. At this point, I'd caught up to a lot of my friends who were doing the 30k. They appeared tired, but I was happy for them they were almost done. Also, seeing other runners who were starting their 2nd loop gave me that little extra boost.

I finished the 1st 30k in 5:15ish. The best part of it was that I still felt pretty well. I'd been taking my s caps hourly and drinking a steady stream of liquid calories. I took about 15 minutes to eat and fill up my hydration vest before starting the final loop

2nd Loop/2nd 30k:

I tried to hurry in the beginning of this loop, because I wanted to catch up to Nancy Marks. I knew it'd be tough, because she has a steady pace. So steady, that I'm kinda jealous of it. I ran into Sami/Donna at about 2 miles in, told them they had about 2 miles and to keep up the good work.

After the 1st aid station, I began to tire. I know this because I was not picking up my feet. I kept kicking rocks...it was the most painful thing I have ever felt. Little did I know that this would be a continuous thing.

I wish I could tell you more about the 2nd 30k, but the only thing I remember is kicking rocks over and over and over again. I was even afraid to take off my shoes/socks to see the damage at the aid station.

At the last aid station, Peter Bray, told me I had 3 miles and an hour and a half to do it in. I was almost done. These last 3 miles were the most interesting, though: my headlamp began to badly dim. It made this technical section even more treacherous.

Finally, I hit the little dirt road which meant I had less than 1/2 mile to go. Once I saw the time clock, I knew I was there.

Thanks to Alex Segovia who I ran into immediately as I hit the dirt road. He said he was about to go into the trail on a 1 man search party to see what had happened to me. I think he'd still been celebrating since coming in 3rd in the 30k 8 hours earlier.

Final Thoughts:

This course was a lot tougher than I remember it from last year, but it is also my favorite of the Capt. Karl night series due to its scenic awesomeness.

I ended up finishing in 11:35. Yes, 11 hours and 35 minutes. I ended up finishing 2nd from the last, and you know what? I'm a little disappointed. I woulda worn the DFL title proudly. Oh well...maybe next time.

Foam (Rockin' &) Rollin'

Every foam rolling session begins painfully - especially my calves and my IT band area - but it always gets more tolerable. I have begun foam rolling on days I don't run or almost immediately after a run. Ouch! The pain! The good pain!

My current roller is called "The Stick" which is from the gurus at Valley Running Co., but I've used a monster roller before that was some thing that you find in the middle of carpet rolls. Yep, you read right.

How hard to roll is always an issue with me. I begin gingerly and gradually increase the pressure. As I begin, I can feel the "knots", but by the end of the session, it's almost as if they've disappeared. I guess they get "knotted out".

A good buddy of mine (running cyborg that he is), Ross, recently said something that just made sense. I was admiring his ability to effortlessly put in 90+ miles a week when he mentioned that he does a lot of maintenance on his body. My body starts balking at my running whenever my mileage gets in the mid 40s range. Until recently, maintenance was not a concern of mine. It became a concern as I got older and the aches became more noticeable.

He is 100% correct: gotta maintain the body/

Pampering My Body

Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to pamper my body and feet by getting a sports massage. I've done this once before, but since I'd been a little achy lately, I decided to do it ASAP again.

As I blogged before, I've recently incorporated stretching and rolling into my running routine, so it made sense to get a massage.

I made an appointment for 9pm. I was a little nervous since I was scheduled to run a 20 miler the next morning. What if I was too sore? What if I'd be unable to run? Luckily, the soreness wouldn't end up settling in 'til about 24 hours later.

My massage began with a foot rub/massage. Despite having sensitive feet, it felt great. I won't lie, it was...kinda painful but not in a pain pain kinda way (if that makes sense).

What followed, was the most intense massage ever. There was quite a bit of moaning and grunting coming from that room. Several times I wondered if the room was sound-proof or what others in the building might think was going on. Yes, it was that loud.

Finally, the stretching began.  I've been stretching for a while, but prior to that, stretching (before or after a run) was a foreign concept. The massage therapist said I lacked flexibility...as if I didn't already know this.

This morning I ran 20 miles, and I felt really good. As a matter of fact, I hadn't had as good of a run as I did this morning in a looooong time. In addition to tweeking my hydration/diet during my run, I am sure the stretch the night before had quite a bit to do with it.

As I write this, the soreness is slowly creeping in.

As I've aged, I've re-discovered stretching and taking better care of my body thru diet and stretching mainly. Besides, I ask a lot of my body...it's only right I pamper it.

Pedernales Falls 60k: A Plan That Didn't Go As Planned

Dang, that's a long time.

The weeks prior to the Pedernales Falls 60k, I began doing the unthinkable: I started stretching prior to my runs, so it makes sense that I started stretching about 20 minutes before the start of the race last Saturday night. It turns out this was not such a great idea. As my awesome girlfriend, Sami, was helping me stretch, I felt a "twinge" on my upper butt cheek. It wasn't painful, but I felt it enough to immediately stop stretching.

My plan was to run at a steady 10 -12 minute pace. My main problem at each (yes, 100% of the time) race/run has been that I start too fast. Way too fast - at the expense of the latter part of the race. I'd also decided to make a better effort to drink fluids more than I usually do.

The final piece of my plan was to run the 1st loop under 4 hours, and the next one in about 4.5 hours.

The run of two 18.something mile loops began at 7pm. I had my handheld, my s caps, some stinger waffles/GUs and off I went.

The first couple miles were pretty runnable. The first "difficult" part came after running about 1/2 mile on a riverbed. I really enjoyed slab hopping. Immediately after this was a pretty gnarly incline that I decided on the spot to walk.

Pretty much the entire course was runnable. The most memorable points to me were:

1. the awesome dry riverbed.
2. that little tough incline immediately after the riverbed.
3. that dang fence line. It seemed to go on forever.
4. the steep incline (that seemed to never arrive) leading to the 3rd (and only manned aid station).

I managed to finish the 1st loop at around 3:40 which was a little faster than I'd wanted. I was a little concerned at this point because my lower back/upper butt cheek area was really bothering me. This caused me to modify my so called plan of mine.

Feeling pretty crappy at the end of the 1st loop, I made the decision right then/there that I wasn't going to reach my finishing goal. I think I probably didn't eat and drink as much as I should've.

At my buddy, David's, urging (and it didn't take much to convince me), I decided to take a little while before starting the 2nd and final loop. I took about 15 minutes. During this time, there were quite a few runners coming/going onto their 2nd loop.

Dang, all the runners leaving looked (and I'm sure felt) the opposite of how I felt. I figured I'd try to "latch" on to 1 of them and try to keep up.

I ended up running with Gumaro Rodriguez. We began chatting almost immediately and didn't stop until about mile 36.

I had a terrible 2nd loop. Nausea settled in quickly. Gumaro ran with me the entire loop. I kept telling him to take off and not wait for me, but he refused. He said he was good. I owe him a big thank you, because if I had to run that loop by my lonesome, I probably would've DNF'd. No doubt about it. I considered stopping at several points, since I felt so crappy. I almost turned back at the dreaded incline after the riverbed, but Nancy Marks, convinced me otherwise (without even telling me not to do it).

All this time, I continued telling Gumaro to take off, but he just wouldn't. That guy is 1 tough runner. I'm envious.

Finally, he took me up on my offer, and took off around mile 36. At around that time, I could hear noise and see some lighting coming from the start/finish area. This encouraged me to run a little faster to get there quicker.

As soon as I got to the finish line, Gumaro, my awesome girlfriend, Sami (who had a really nice run in the 30k herself) and a couple other runners who had finished anywhere from 5 minutes ago to a couple hours ago were there to greet me. I thought that finish line would never get there.

My 1 & only.

I finished in 9 hours and 57 minutes - quite a bit slower than I planned...who am I kidding??? Quite a lot slower than I planned.

Sami asked me if I was hungry or I told her I was hungry - I forget. Anyway, 1 of the disadvantages of being a slow runner is that all the faster runners have eaten all the food. She handed me a plate of pickles, onions and tomatos - they looked delicious, but I could only eat a bit.

My plan didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to, but you know what??? It's ok. I made friends with new runners, met some old running friends I had not seen in a while, and had a great time.

All in all, it was a great time, and I can't wait for the next 60k in 3 weeks...well, maybe the 30k this time.

SLUG  LIFE: gangstas - that's how we roll.