Texas Trail Run 50k

When I’m running an endurance event I think of hundreds of great topics to discuss on my blog. Somewhere between the trails and my computer something happens. It’s almost like I have too much to talk about. There’s a virtual bottle neck of thoughts that can’t make it to the keyboard. How can I have so much to say, yet not sure where to start?

I’m searching for a standard format for race review’s and recap. Awww, the beauty of having selective OCD, everything has to be standardized or at least organized. With that said, here’s the Texas Trails 50k race review:

Pre-race:
For nearly three-weeks I’ve been telling everyone I have my sights on a 50-miler. To be completely honest, I have a specific race in mind, the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler on February 10, 2010. My objective was simple. Finish the Rocky Raccoon 50k and Texas Trails 50k without any serious complications and I’ll register for RR50 miler. Well, both of those runs are now complete, but I’m not sure where I stand…

I assumed the second 50k would be easier than the first. The distance and the course were the same, but this was not an easy run. In fact, I found this run more mentally demanding than the first. RR50k was my first ultra, so there was a fair amount of hype and “the unknown” encompassing the run. While running TT50k, I knew the distance “could” be done, yet thoughts of failure tirelessly flooded my mind.

Weather:
Over the last week I’ve been nervously watching the weather. The forecast varied daily, depending on which television news channel I watched. The one thing they all had in common was a unified forecast of freezing temperatures with snow, ice, and/or sleet. Without stressing too much, I made a few purchases to ensure sufficient warmth during the run.

There was a chance of icy roads, so Kevin was hospitable enough to allow Andrea and I stay at his house in Conroe. Kevin’s home is 45-minutes closer to Huntsville State Park than Kingwood, which was safer and enabled us to sleep later. If that’s not enough, we saved $75 by not staying in a hotel. Thanks Kevin, you ROCK!!!

On race morning we were out the door by 5am. The morning temperatures were in the low 20’s. I knew it had been freezing all night by the crunching sound I heard as I walked across Kevin's lawn. It was so cold my truck door was stuck closed. Of course I pulled at the door till I freed it loose.

We arrived at the park 1.5 hours early, partly because we left a safe drive-time margin and we also thought the race started at 7am. We spent a lot of time meandering around the lodge and starting line. We got a true feel for how cold it was walking between the lodge and our truck. I tried acclimating to the temperatures, but it was not possible to keep warm while standing still.

Don’t allow me to paint the wrong picture. It was a beautiful morning. The temperature at the Lodge was 23 degrees with clear blue skies. The forest canopy was still covered in snow from the prior night’s winter storm and for those first few hours the sun glistening off the ice and snow was absolutely surreal. I wonder how many people know what it feels like to run in a forest while the sun melts the snow over your head, allowing smaller pieces of ice to fall all around you? If only I could run with a camera to capture these divine portraits, I’m sure I could sell them for thousands of dollars. I made time for a couple mental snap shots. These virtual snapshots will forever be personal treasures.

Timing:
The first three hours of running went great. I took my first walk break at nine miles. The pace was 11:30 for the first two hours, much faster than planned. I took two more walk breaks on the third hour, which only slowed my pace to 11:45. From that point forward I ran 15-minutes, followed by a 5-minute walk. This was all part of a master plan to run a sub-seven hour 50k.

As I mentioned above, I struggled mentally with staying in motion during the later parts of this race. Once I hit the marathon distance I walked all the hills. I was surprised how much walking the inclines helped. I continued my walk/run regimen with a bit more confidence. Walking the hills enabled me to greatly improve my overall pace, which was the result of running the flats and downhills faster.

At one time I thought a 6:30 finish was a real possibility. My original goal was to run a sub-seven hour 50k and I thought I would smash my first 50k time. In the end, I stopped the clock at 6:55:38, which was good enough for an 11-minute PR. It wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it! A PR is a PR, right?

Route/Course:
I thought I saw everything Huntsville State Park had to offer on the last run. I was wrong. The first 6.5 mile loop took us along the North side of the Park, which was not part of the RR50k route. The second and third 12.5 mile loops took us atop of the dam, which was scenic and also new to me.

For the most part, terrain and surface was the same. There’s not a bad run in Huntsville State Park. The entire place is a trail runners paradise.

As I approached the FINAL aid station, my Garmin 310 showed 29.1 miles. Knowing 50k is 31 miles, I was happy to know the pain would end in less than two miles. That was before the final aid station volunteer yelled out, "only 2.8 miles to the finish". The extra distance completely took the wind out of my sail.

I wasn’t the only one struggling, so I had a chance to talk with other runners over those final miles. Most of these runners had GPS watches too and we were all showing the course anywhere from 0.75-0.90 mile longer than 50k.

I have to realize trail races are an entirely different creature. Very few trail races are “certified” and I need to learn to be okay with that. An older runner said it best… “I like getting more than I paid for”. What a great point of view! In an attempt to cheer myself up I kept silently repeating, “It’s a good feeling to PR on a longer course”.

Damage Control:
I’m tired and I’m sore, but I’m NOT broken. My back bothered me a lot during this run. The issue started as early as the second hour of running. I went through multiple stretches trying to mitigate the pain. Nothing made the discomfort go away. On the other hand, the pain remained a constant and was never severe enough to stop me.

The big toe on my left foot was rubbing against my shoe. It was annoying in the beginning, yet never caused any real issues after the halfway mark. I also found a small blister on the bottom on my right foot.

As with most distances over 15 miles, my knees became extremely sore once I stopped running.

It sounds like a lot, but I fared well on the run.

Race/RD/Aid Stations:
One of the coolest features was the use of chip timing. I don’t hide the fact that I’m a total nerd for the numbers. The chip enabled me to see my time at each loop, pace, and place. Very cool!

Months ago I read somewhere that this race was the resurrection of the old Sunmart Race. I wasn’t expecting a lot, but I was a tiny bit disappointed at the price point in relationship to what I received. I’m not trying to sound stingy; I’ve just come to except swag from long distance races. I received two items for my endurance run. One was a nice technical shirt. The second item was a very inexpensive white hoodie. Those who run a lot of races get tired of useless medals and ask for more useful items, such as the hoodie. Because I’m still a newbie, I cherish ribbons and medals. These are tokens of my accomplishments. Call me shallow, but I also wish they would print the distance larger on the shirts. Seriously, I just ran 31 miles and I want everyone around me to know it! It’s difficult to see the distance on either shirt, especially the RR50k.

The aid stations were very well stocked, which you’ll read about under “Fuel”. At the finish line they provided warm food in the form of pizza and soup. Both had meat, so I chose to pass. Andrea said they had veggie pizzas at one time, but they went fast.

Gear:
I broke a cardinal running rule. I started the race with several new items. One was a Nathan Hydration Race Vest. I wore it on last week’s 18-miler and it rubbed a large raw spot on my back. I still have a 2-inch x 5-inch scab from last week’s run. I called Nathan and they talked me though the proper adjustments and assured me the rubbing issue would not happen again. Indeed they were correct. The vest fit well and didn’t cause any issues on today’s run.

As I went for my first drink I realized a major problem that was not a manufacturer’s defect. The freezing temperatures froze the water inside the hose and valve. When I realized this problem I blurted out loud, “You gotta be kidding me!!!” followed by a devilish laugh. A couple runners nearby looked at me with a puzzled look before I explained my problem to them. I stuck the hose in my shirt and within half a mile I was able to take my first drink. I assumed everything was in good order, so I decided to leave to hose on the clip. But once again, the water in the hose froze. Now that is cold!

Another new item I wore was calf compression sleeves. I’ve been reading about the benefits and seen lots of runners with them, so I figured I’d give them a try. I was hoping they would help with recovery. An added bonus was a smidge of heat retention for my lower legs.

I’m still not sure if they were a wise investment. They did well at keeping my legs warm, but that’s not entirely why I bought them. My shins are sore, yet my calves feel good. I’ve not run enough endurance runs to be able to feel the difference with and without the compression sleeves.

As important as what I wore is what I did NOT wear. I skipped the compression cycling-style shorts. They help me with thigh chaffing and I usually wear them when I run over 12 miles. It’s been a while since I’ve had any chaffing issues; therefore I skipped the compression shorts. A couple small areas chaffed, but everything was minor.

For 20 degree weather I wore: head band to keep my ears warm, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve technical shirt, race ready shorts, calf compression sleeves, Brooks Cascadia shoes, and gloves. Within three miles I was 100% comfortable.


Fuel/Hydration/Supplements:
As mentioned under ‘Gear’, I wore a hydration backpack. I took water at every aid station and conserved the water I carried with me. I refilled the pack on the start of the final loop, although I think I could have made it without refilling. I need to work of refilling the back in a race. It felt like I wasted a couple minutes trying to get the bladder out, filled, and secured.

I’ve continued with my regimen of one S-cap every thirty minutes and Gu every hour. They say there is a first time for everything. Well today was the first time I had to “chew” Gu. The freezing temperatures turned the gel into a solid.

After the first hour of running I noticed I was extremely hungry. I fought the urges to eat at the aid stations for a few hours, but then I could fight no more. By then I wasn’t thinking logical and I walked out of an aid station with a Payday candy bar (240 calories). And that’s not the worst of it… I did the exact same thing for the next two aid stations. I finished the candy binge with a hand full of M&M’s. The abundance of simple carbohydrates played havoc on my stomach. I was nauseated and felt horrible. During the last two hours I skipped my Gu’s and fought the urge to throw up.

I knew better than to eat candy, but I couldn’t resist. I consumed nearly 1500 calories during the run. Once again, valuable lessons learned about fueling during endurance events.

Runners/Friends:
I saw several runners I knew in the crowd; Karen, who is also a blogger and placed SECOND in her age bracket (Congrats!), Helen Grant, Roger Boak, Yong Collins, and few other people whom I don’t know their names.

We were warned of the ice on the wood bridges, but surprisingly, I didn’t see anyone fall today. It would appear that everyone was extra carefully. As for me, I only stumbled once. Thankfully I didn’t fall. Being cold and striking the ground would have been atrocious.

Andrea ran the 12.5 mile race. Everyone was amused by the Race Director and how he repeatedly referred to the 12.5 mile route as the “Fun Run”.

We picked up our race packets last night and all the runners were divided by gender into 5-year age brackets. Andrea and I looked over the list and counted seven other women in her age group. Within minutes of this information her race strategy changed. Andrea decided she was in pursuit of hardware.

Andrea had a solid effort and ran an impressive 2:00:13. Her route was long too, which measured nearly 13 miles on a trail! Unfortunately, they only awarded the top three in ten-year brackets. She came in sixth place, but would have won third with five-year age brackets. I felt bad for Andrea. She put it all on the line and walked away empty handed. At a minimum, I would have liked to seen the 12.5 mile runners receive a token finisher’s item.

No need to worry too much. Andrea is only getting faster, so hardware is in her future.

Well, there’s my Texas Trails 50k race review. We forgot the battery to our camera, so I only have a few phone pictures to share. I’m leaving lots of small details out, but for the true experience you need to lace up your shoes and leave a little sweat on the trails. It’s the only way to really experience endurance trail running!