Xterra Magnolia Hills Race Report

Xterra Magnolia Hills Race Report

The Background

After my DNF at Bighorn 100, I wanted to reset my running mindset and focus on a completely different goal.  I looked for a shorter trail race and found the Xterra Magnolia Hill 21k in Navasota, Texas.  Just an hour from my house and with a reasonable entry fee, it’d be a convenient and hopefully fun race.

I hadn’t devoted too much time to speedwork in the previous months, so I did several fartlek sessions between 6:45 and 7:30 pace for a mile or two.  These felt like hard efforts but manageable.

The Course

The race had advertised itself as a fast course, so I imagined smooth, rolling doubletrack.   Most of the course is actually on winding, hilly bike trails.  There is never a climb of over a few feet, but the constant up and down and turning at a running pace beat up your legs.  There’s two loops of the bike trails of five or so miles each then one two mile loop of smooth trail around the lake.  No rocks or roots to speak of, just a few wooden bridges.

The Race

As stated above,  I anticipated a very runnable course.  I had finished the Natural Bridge Caverns Half Marathon in 1:41, and that race had some moderately technical trail and big hills, so I figured I’d head out at a 7:30 pace then see how I felt.  If I could hold that, I’d be up at the front given last year’s results.

This shows how you should never set any time expectations the first time running a race.  I headed out fast the first couple of miles and the windy trail soon beat up my legs.  It was also hot and humid and I soon began to feel drained.  I slowed steadily, trying to run my own race and letting people pass me.  As I faded, I would walk a few up hills.  At one point in the second loop I took a wrong turn that cost me a couple of minutes.  By the time I started the final two mile lake loop I was almost staggering.  I crawled to the finish line in 2:15.

Reflections

This experience goes to show that going into any race overconfident is a mistake.  I’m a midpack runner and going out trying to place up front will be a mistake.  I should just take what the day gives me.   A half marathon can still be hard after fourteen ultras.

The soreness in my legs was different this time, mostly around the calves and ankles, showing how the little rolling hills at a fast pace beat them up.

I did finish 4th out of 14 for my age group, which does the ego some good despite the tough day.

I do want to run more shorter races like this, though. I still think I need to limit my ultras and sub-marathon races allow the chance to race, finish in a couple of hours, and not drain the body and mind too much.