The 2016 Muleshoe Bend 60k marked, I hope, the end of a long recovery process from injury. The last race I felt I ran truly well was the 2014 Cactus Rose 100 mile. Injury at the 2015 Bandera 100k, which was a maddeningly persistent inflammation behind the left knee, took me out of running for nine months. Though I was able to complete the Wild Hare 50k and Bandera 50k (a drop down from the 100k), these were more shuffling along and getting through the distance. I never felt strong, never got into a rhythm training. Between assorted other minor injuries and work demands, I felt like I was just faking it as far as running went. Sure I'd get in a few runs a week, but I knew I wasn't anywhere close to the runner I was two years ago, physically or mentally. When I mentioned my past ultrarunning to others, I felt like a fraud or as if I was referring to some other person who no longer existed.
Desperate to break free from this dark period, I decided to focus on training for the Arkansas Traveller 100 Miler in October, using Capt'n Karl's Mule Shoe Bend 60k as the first training race to build up to the distance. Though again my training was far from ideal, I did manage to get in a strong 70 mile week immediately prior to Muleshoe, complete with a trip with the family to Bandera for hill repeats. I worried if one good week would be enough but I decided to go for it.
The Course
Muleshoe Bend is a deceptively tough course. Without the extended climbs of races like Bandera or Rough Creek, nevertheless the rocky terrain beats up your legs.
The course consists of a nine mile loop, run four times for the 60k. The first section the loop of about three miles features some up and down ridge running, which becomes a rockier as you go. The second section is three and a half miles of very technical terrain, a lot of which is on completely exposed rock. The third section is two and a half miles of pretty smooth running.
The Race
I started driving to Spicewood at 2pm and arrived about an hour early. The pre-race atmosphere was festive with Grateful Dead playing, very welcome to this Deadhead. Incidentally, there were a bunch of motivational posters along the course; three of these were quotes from Dead songs.
Here they are:
"Mama, mama many worlds I've crosses since I first left home." - "Brokedown Palace"
"What a long, strange trip it's been." - "Truckin'"
"Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand says, 'Don't you see?'" - "Comes a Time"
The Dead go quite well with ultrarunning. These quotes definitely uplifted me!
Loop 1
The whole course is single-track, meaning anytime someone wanted to pass, someone had to step aside. I tried start in the middle of the pack, but I was slower than I thought and a lot of people wanted by. I tried to resist the urge to go out too fast, but at the same time I didn't want to be in everyone's way so I tried to keep moving moderately.
Loop 2
I had told myself beforehand to at least run the first two loops, as if worse comes to worse I'd get in an eighteen mile long run. After that, I'd just run as long as possible and if necessary hike it in. I made it to the second loop feeling well. I ran alongside a runner named Jimmy through most of loops two and three and the conversation helped a lot.
Loop 3
All through loop three, I monitored my energy levels and legs, wanting to keep running but hold back something for the final loop. By the time I passed twenty miles I had run farther than I had since January at Bandera, but I still felt okay. My legs were starting to get beat up from the rocks but my energy was good. So far I had only hiked the brief uphills.
Loop 4
Something happened in the final loop. In the first four miles or so, the pain in my legs disappeared. My energy level went up, I felt as though I was starting a jog on a Saturday morning, fresh and rested. Wanting to make use of this, I ran relatively quickly, cruising through the smoother patches of single track. I passed a few runners, which boosted my morale.
By the time I got to the rocky section in the middle of the loop, the miles started to catch up with me, but I knew now that I would finish in a decent time and resolved to run anything runnable and finish,
Here are my splits:
| Lap 1 Gun Time | 02:00:43 |
|---|---|
| Lap 2 Gun Time | 02:29:39 |
| Lap 3 Gun Time | 02:35:53 |
| Lap 4 Gun Time | 02:33:22 |
| Overall Place | 24 |
| Division Place | 5 |
| Gender Place | 20 |
Additionally, when I've run through the night, either at the Capt'n Karls series or at 100 milers, I have always felt a wave of intense sleepiness and dizziness hit me. This never came. Perhaps because I was able to continue running, as the sleepiness usually arrived previously in long sections of hiking.
Reflections
As I ran towards the finish line, the emotion of this two-year journey hit me and I started to sprint. It has been a long journey back, but with Muleshoe Bend I feel like some of the uncertainty and doubt has left me. It's amazing how much running, or inability to run, can affect one's sense of well-being.
I'm looking forward to two more training races at least, the Habernero 100k and the Rough Creek 40 miler before the true test in Arkansas in October.
Thanks so much to the race organization, volunteers, and my family for the support!
