Captain Karl’s: Colorado Bend 30K Race Report

I’ve been using the Captain Karl’s series as a testing ground for TransRockies and this race was no different.  Tried new trail shoes with a total of 10 miles on them before the race, new socks, new shorts, and straight out of the Amazon box my new Ultimate Direction AK Race Vest.  With the TransRockies starting in 10 days the goal was to finish injury free and keep the ego in check when people started passing me toward the end.  I'm supposed to be tapering.

The basic strategy was to run as much of the course as I could in the daylight and once it became dark walk anywhere I thought I could trip and fall.  Carrying two water bottles and a two liter CamelBak I planned on skipping every other aid stations to minimize time wasted.  Hopefully finishing near my Pedernales Falls time of around 3 hours.  Like most race plans once you start, the plan goes out the window.  This race would prove to as varied mentally as the terrain of the course.

The car after the drive in

As Joe ushered us off the plan was to take it easy to the first aid station, running at whatever pace felt comfortable.  It seemed much cooler than the previous two Captain Karl's races, yet a mile and a half in and I was seriously considered walking back to the start and calling it a day.  Deep breaths felt like I had a respiratory infection or something.  It hurt to breath deep and I kept checking that the race vest wasn't too tight.  This has happened a few times to me in the last couple months and just mysteriously disappears during the run.  Seeing a tiny baby snake cross the path was the highlight of this section.  The first aid station is roughly three miles in so I didn’t need much.  I grabbed gel and headed back out.

There must be magic in Hammer Gel, because maybe a half mile out of the aid station I’m feeling great and running very well.  The course is pretty technical yet quite runnable in the daylight.  At this point I'm quite annoyed with the course.  There are runnable section but only for what seems like a hundred yards at a time.  The second aid station comes up quicker than I expected.  I hadn't realize how overheated I was until I emptied an entire water bottle over my head coming into the aid station.   At the aid station I refill everything with as much ice as they could hold, and put on my headlamp.  

It is truly amazing how an ice filled CamelBak feels when you are overheating.  Equally amazing is how fast everything melted and was back to “room” temperature.  Luckily the third aid station was less than 3 miles away.  Now that it is totally dark the near falls are happening more frequently and I’m forced to walk many of the rocky uphill and downhill sections.With not much of a moon the stars were amazing.  It was hard to not just stare upwards.  Pulling into the third aid station I’m back on the downward slope mentally.  Physically things are as good as can be expected, it is a race after all so the muscle tiredness is starting.  At this point I’m just really tired of being overheated.  I stick with my plan of skipping every other aid station and simply grab a gel and move on.  In retrospect I should have done more for my heat management.  

Running in the dark is quite interesting.  During the day I always feel the course is over marked.  Then the darkness comes and everything either looks like the right way to go or nowhere looks like the right way to go.  I'm standing at a course marking and can't find the next one.  Everywhere appears to be a dead end.  Luckily a woman comes from behind and points out that the branch just about head level isn't blocking the path like I thought.  We play leap frog for the next several miles and take the skunk crossing our path as a good omen.  Eventually we catch a group of five or so runners running just slightly slower than the pace we wanted to run.  There was not enough room to pass them most of the time and when there was room it was always on a section I didn't feel comfortable running in the dark.  So I waited until the aid station refiling only one of my water bottles and getting out in front of the group.

The last three miles is the reverse of the first three miles.  A few minutes outside the aid station I wipe out. I really didn't want to get behind the group again and I also didn't want to risk injuring myself so close to the TransRockies race.  I made the decision to power walk the rest of the course.  At one point the 5th or 6th placed women in the 60K passed me.  She is walking the technical sections and running where she can.  My power walking pace is just faster than her walking pace and we keep getting close enough to talk then far enough away that I'm back on my own.  We yo yo back and forth like this for a bit when finally the course flattens out enough that I'm confident in my ability to run with her.  We're chatting along when I need to jump over an enormous black snake that comes out of nowhere with a matching expletive.  I turn around and realize either I was hallucinating the snake or it was a shadow of some sort because there's nothing there but dirt trail.  I finish right at 4 hours ( a solid hour longer than Pedernales Falls) good enough for 26th place overall.  According to the big screen at the end of the race I was 15th in my division, looking at the results I'm not sure I believe that. 

Notes:

• One of these days I'll learn to not go out drinking with my coworkers the night before these night races.
• If it wasn’t for the CamelBak filled with ice I’m pretty sure I would have red lined.
• I noticed I didn’t drink as often as I usually do with the CamelBak.
• Skipping aid stations probably didn't save any actual time as I was forced to walk much more of this course than the previous two.
• Another 3+ hour race with no leg cramping issues.  Have I finally moved past them or the fact I walked at least 50% of the last 5 miles prevent them?
• Gear seems to be dialed in for TransRockies.  Now the big race nerves are in full effect.
• While I'm signed up for Reveille Ranch it's the weekend I get back from TransRockies, so I'm not sure if I really am going to run it.  Although I do want to be able to say I completed the Captain Karl's series.
• Freebirds waiting in the car is heaven after the race.

Capt'n Karl's : Pedernales Falls 30K Race Report

I pull into Pedernales Falls State Park around 5:30, park in the open field and step out into the furnace that is a Texas summer.  Temperature is 98 degrees with a heat index of 112.  Yet somehow it seems sane to be about to embark on 30K run after a night of drinking, little sleep, and eating a gas station pulled pork sandwich on the drive up.  The goal was only to get the trail miles in and start dialing in gear and nutrition.  At this point all roads lead to the TransRockies race.

The race started promptly at 7:15 and we’re off like a herd of turtles with me in the back of the pack.  I usually run after work so I’m somewhat used to the heat at this time.  I go out at what I think is an easy pace, passing several people early on, usually on the “uphills”.  This course is surprisingly flat and my goal was to run the whole thing.  The Colorado flat sections will more than likely be steeper than the hilly sections of this course.  The first section is very open so you are running in full sun and I’m starting to feel the effects of the heat.  “Fence” aid station is at the 5 mile mark and I already can’t drink water fast enough.  I say hi to Olga King as she fills my water bottle with ice and head back out. 

Coming into the Fence Aid Station

At some point I can hear a couple behind me having a conversation.  They are close enough I can clearly hear what they are saying yet far enough away I can’t really engage in the conversation.  At some point they pass me and a latch on behind them.  We pull into “Windmill” aid station and refill our bottles.  I take a little longer at this aid station and they take off.  Now I have a decision to make, try and catch them, or continue at my easy pace by myself.  It’s starting to get dark and everyone is beginning to turn on their headlamps.  Feeling good I decide to try to catch them.  Plus if I get lost in the woods I’d rather be with a couple other people.  This turned out to be a pretty good decision.  I catch Chet and Hannah, who as luck would have it, live about 2 miles from me and are undergrads at Rice University.  We’re chatting away passing runners at a pretty good clip.  I think we all could have run faster had it been daylight.  Around the same time we all noticed we’ve passed quite a few women.  It’s hard to tell which runners are running the 60K and which are running the 30K.  It’s a pretty good bet Hanna can place.  We pass a woman trying to find the trail and Rene joins our ragtag bunch.  Turns out she is also from Houston and runs with Brian O’Neil’s in Rice Village.  Had the “unmanned” aid station not been manned with two great volunteers we would have gone off course as the wrong way / caution tape was down.  With just about 2.4 miles left we all seem to be doing pretty well and pick up the pace to what the terrain will allow.  At some point we pass another group of 3 or 4 runners and Rene drops back with them.   Since she has another group to run with we don’t feel too guilty for dropping her.  The ending was mentally tricky as you can hear the post race celebration and it feels like you are running away from it.  Definitely makes you wonder if you didn’t get off course somehow.  We round the final bend and finish in 3:18.  Hanna takes 3rd place in the female division and Rene finishes a minute or two behind us taking 4^th place.    I finish in 27^th place in the male division (38th overall). 

The Houston contingency finishing up

I had plenty left in the tank and felt great afterwards.  Although it did take about 45 minutes before any food looked good. 

Lessons Leaned

•  Forget the sunglasses.  Even though they were nice to have the first hour, it was annoying to keep up with them the second two hours.
• Need to carry a second water bottle.  I felt I was rationing my water the entire race. 
• No more going out the night before a race. 
• Hammer Gel seems to be the perfect race gel for me.  I’ll have to buy a couple boxes.
• Don’t think you’re going to run a night race, sleep a couple hours in your car and then head home.  Get a hotel or bring the tent.
• If you ever lose faith in humanity come to trail race or ultra event.  It clearly attracts the nicest people on earth.

Woodlands Half-Marathon Race Report

This might have been my perfect race, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  If you read my last couple race reports you know I wasn’t very confident in my sub 1:40 (7:38 mile pace) prospects.  I guess I had the perfect storm of taking time off, perfect race weather, and the perfect course.  

Highlights

• Mile marker 1 must have been misplaced.  The timer said I ran in it in 6:47 but nobody’s GPS beeped.  When mine, and several others, chirped I was at a 7:37 pace.  Right where I needed to be.
• A group of about 10 of us all settled in about the same pace but spread out over 50 or so yards.
• Either a 7:25ish pace or a 7:50ish pace felt comfortable, anything in between felt unnatural.  I opted for faster as it’s almost always better to “hang on” than to “catch up”.
• Not sure why more people didn’t run the curves smarter.  Inside radius is much better/shorter than the outside radius of a 2-4 lane road.
• Negative splits baby!  7:29 average pace the first half, 7:24 average pace the second half.
• Fastest mile was a 7:19 at mile 9, after I had a cliff shot.  Several times afterwards I saw sub 7 minute pace on my GPS.
• That little voice that tells you to "slow down just a bit because it will be so much more comfortable and nobody will know the difference" never made an appearance.
• Finished in 1:37:47 (7:28 pace) destroying my old PR by over 5 minutes.  184^th overall (out of 3445); 141^st out of 1456 men; and 25^th out of 255 in my age/gender group.

Keys to success

• The weather; 40 degrees, clear sky, slight breeze makes for a frigid start, but an awesome run once you get moving.
• I had pretty low mileage in the 2 weeks leading up to this race.  The legs were well rested.
• Hitting the gym.  Box jumps, lunges, and core workouts had a noticeable positive effect on my running.  Still need to lose the 15 pounds I gained since I ran this race last year.
• The course.  With water stations every 1.5 miles and the mile markers at every mile, there was plenty of things to keep you motivated to the next small goal.

I’m ready to not race for awhile, but at the same time I really want to test myself in a road marathon.  It’s been over 10 years since I’ve ran one and I think I can get well under 4 hours at this point.  I haven’t signed up for the Hog’s Hunt 50K yet, but I’m pretty sure I will be doing it as a TransRockies training run.

Rodeo Run 10K Race Report

This race report is eerily similar to the Jingle Bell Run.  Met Liz down in the lobby and off we go to the rail.  Riding the light rail is always an interesting experience.  We arrive a bit later than anticipated and begin looking for Active Houston and The Icehouse runners.  Of course we find neither.  Oh well.

We line up directly under the 7 minute pace banner, only to hear the people around us discussing to “hopefully keep a 9 minute pace”.  It’s too late/crowded to move up much.  This start isn’t going to be pretty.  It does not help that the late arrivers are walking up the middle of the corral back to where they think they should be.  The first mile is like a game of Frogger, or maybe Pitfall, with constant dodging of walkers.  Mile 1 7:27 pace and lot of energy wasted weaving in and out of traffic.  One day I’ll learn to not have expectations of actually racing these big in town races.  At about the first mile mark I drop the thoughts of sub 46 minutes, and aim for a 7:35ish pace.  It’s finally starting to clear out when I hit the 5K timing mat 22:58.  Seems like sub 46 is still a possibility.  Shortly thereafter I start falling apart mentally.  My motivation for enduring the pain necessary is low.  A couple of times I caught myself “coasting”, but noticed when I did my pace was still a respectable 7:40ish pace.  I finished in 46:35 (7:29 pace),  388^th overall (out of 6310), and 54^th (out of 447) in my age/gender group.  Next up:  Sub 1:40 attempt 1 at the Woodlands Half-Marathon.

Notes:

• Bag drop was very well organized
• Light Rail is now my preferred way of getting to these downtown races.
• They needed to block off the start and force people to enter the corral from the sides
• I need to move up closer to the start line.
• Post race vendor tents were a mess.  Between the 5K and 10K starting at opposite ends and the sheer number of people it was difficult to get to the water/food tents.
• Watching a bit of the parade is always fun.
• First race I haven't bumped into someone I know.  Even finding Liz afterwards was tough.
• After Hogs Hunt I need to focus on getting my weight down.

Jingle Bell 5 Miler Race Report

We'll take a break from the Bachelorette show for our regularly scheduled programming. I signed up for the Jingle Bell 5 Miler competitive run based on the suggestion of my friend Devleena. It worked out that the start of the race was a 5K from where I live. Liz and I decided to make this race part of our weekend long run. We would run to the race, run the race and run back home, for a total of about just over 11 miles. Normally we would run a race as a race, do our best effort and move on. However, Liz is training for her first marathon and I'm training to finally break 6 hours in a trail 50K (31 miles) so we both have a reason to keep our mileage high.

The Jingle Bell run is an anomaly. Most races start early in the morning, but the Jingle Bell starts at 1pm. What amazes me is how a few hours difference in start time drastically changes my pre-race rituals. Normally I wake up have a small breakfast and push my legs, lungs, and mental focus to the limit. With a later start time I have to have a real meal and worry about cramping if I eat too much. The other big problem with afternoon or later start times is I have no problem going out the night before. If a race starts at 7am I have to be there by 6 which usually means I need to be up about 5 to eat, get ready, and drive to the race. With a 1pm start time I can roll in at 2am, make a late night snack, and still not need to set an alarm. So when Dev was having potluck night at her place how could I resist.

Liz and I meet up at noon to run down to the race. Neither of us is feeling our best for different reasons. Of course this is when I find out my Garmin is fried. I never run with a watch except for races. I like knowing my mile splits and it helps with the mental focus. Without mile splits I'm not sure how I'm going to keep my focus and hit my time goals. We get to the YMCA building downtown and start looking for Dev, the Icehouse Runners, and several of our other friends that are running this race. We meet up with several people we know and socialize before the run. I'm starting to get plugged back into the Houston race scene and these races are a great way to keep in touch with those I can't run with regularly.

They call for the competitive runners to line up so I make my way to the starting line. I'm way in the back. When the gun goes off it takes at least a full minute to cross the starting mat. The first mile is pure fun run hell. I have to weave in an out of walkers and others that should have been much further back. I hit the first mile mark in 8:22, I figure at least a minute to hit the start line so my first mile is probably 7:20ish. My plan was to run about a 7:30ish pace, a bit fast but not too bad. I hit mile 2 in 16:30 so about an 8 minute pace, not good. It's in the low 80's and I'm already dieing 2 miles in. Mentally I'm done at this point and I'm searching for reasons not to walk the aid stations. I realize I've backed off to my everyday fast pace when I hit mile 3 and they say 8:10 pace (with the minute to the start line probably 7:50ish pace). At this point I figure I'll just coast in with a comfortably hard pace. I hit mile 4 to see the people who are suppose to be giving the splits pack up and walk toward the start. The odd thing is I'm constantly passing people without anyone passing me. Had I started where I should have I would be running by myself with the top runners. With as bad as I'm feeling and running today, I know I'm pretty far up in the standings.  I enter downtown and kick it into high gear passing a number of people. This is when I realize I was just being lazy on this run.  I had no problem picking up the pace for the final half mile or so.  The clock says just over 40 minutes (official time 39:34) as I cross the finish line. Not my best run, but a good speed workout all the same.

Checking the standings I finished 84^thoverall (out of 1041 finishers), 17th (out of 110) in my age group, and at a 7:53 pace. Much slower than I should have run, and much slower than recent runs of longer distances.  Overall it was a tough run for me, but also after this week I needed to block out daily life and focus on a run for some mental rejuvenation.

Liz and I talk with a few friends and head back out for the 5K home after a bit of rest. After 11+ miles we're both wiped. We head out to dinner after cleaning up for a night of fun. I don't have a race coming up soon which is a bit of an oddity for me. Back to the Bachelorette show....