2018 Capt'n Karl's Reveille 60k

The Background

What had started as a smooth sailing race season had hit rough waters.  During Capt’n Karl’s Colorado Bend, my back pain, which had been off and on for the past year, slowed me down significantly.  I tried to rest and heal before Habanero 100k, which was to be my long run for the Bear 100, but I then caught a cold.  Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, my back still hurting, shuffling along in the 100+ heat, I dropped from Habanero after 12 miles.  Knowing that this was mainly due to being sick and trying to view it as a smart decision, I was okay (mostly) with the DNF. 

I did not run a step the seven days between Habanero and Capt’n Karl’s Reveille 60k, attempting to heal from the cold and rest the back.  With both I was partially successful.  I was still sniffling a bit but not that weak; my back pain was reduced but still present.

The Course

Reveille offers the most scenic course of the series, the highlight being a run across the granite dome.  It’s about a mile and a half smooth trails to the first aid station, followed by four miles atop the dome.  There’s another four miles of mixed rocky and smooth running, then you hit the easy trails again back to the lake.

The Race

Loop 1 was just okay.  I was tired but happy my back wasn’t giving me sharp pains. I didn’t go out too fast, but my energy level was a bit low.

Loop 2 was mentally tough.  This was my first day of teaching classes for the fall semester at UHD, so I left from that to head directly to the race.   Fatigue, the cold, and maybe a touch of burnout from a long season left me in a pretty low place mentally and physically.  My back tightened up and I was moving at a snail’s pace.  I did still try to run what I could, but it seemed I was making not much better progress than fast hiking.

I made it to loop 3 and resolved to soldier on.  Back or no back, I was going to finish the series.  I shuffled along the smooth trails to the first aid, then started hiking the dome.  Not wanting to further mess up my back pounding the rock face, I just decided to hike.  Normally I never just take it easy because I have a cushion to finish before the cutoffs, but this time I did.  I just walked easy.  Several folks passed me but I didn’t really care.  This race had ceased to be competitive for me and my sole goal was to get the buckle.

I had told myself that I would run some of the smoother sections in the last half of the loop but when I tried the shuffle was so slow, my back so tight, I just gave up and hiked.  When I passed the final aid, I did “run” it in.  When I crossed the line, there was no one there at first so I leaned up against a tree to rest my back.  I was in pretty sorry shape:  I had scraped my toe through my shoe on a rock at the last aid; when I got home later I discovered dozens of splinters embedded in my thigh.

Reflections

Despite all of the above, I finished the Capt’n Karl’s series.  In 2013, I came up 18 miles short at Pedernales.  2015, 2016, and 2017 were bad running years for me. In 2018, back injury or no, I  accomplished something big.  I’m proud of that.

So the question is: do I run the Bear?  I’m registered.  I’ve got plane tickets.  I want to run it.  But my back… I don’t want to do permanent damage.   I hate to go to the doctor but I will go see Terr’s chiropractor. I’ll tell them the story and get x-rayed.  If they say I can run I will, otherwise I’ll pull the plug on the season.  We’ll see.

In the meantime, I’m thrilled about completing the Capt’n Karl’s series.  Thanks to Terri, Brad, Tejas Trails, and all the volunteers!

2018 Capt'n Karl's Colorado Bend 60k

The Background

Going in to Colorado Bend, the 3rd race of the Capt'n Karl's series, all was well save my back.  After injury at Night Moves Marathon in August 2017, I experienced off and on sharp pains.  A couple days before the race pain was back, not that bad but noticeable.

Terri couldn't come, so I headed out solo.  On the way to Colorado Bend, I stopped at College Station at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.  It had a lot of cool historical artifacts, like Bush's flight instructor's bomber jacket, campaign buttons, a presidential limousine...this made me want to see as many presidential libraries as I can.

The Course

Colorado Bend 60k consists of two 18.6 mile loops, with a lot of rocky sections and some smooth running.  It is definitely a tougher course than Pedernales and Muleshoe.

The Race

I started off at a decent pace even though my back was hurting.  After the first aid station at about 3 miles, there is a fast section of relatively smooth trail for 5 miles to the section aid station.  I made it through that in about an hour, pushing a bit.  I started to feel a bit tired but was still ok. 

Whenever I see a two loop course, I think, "Great, I'll only have to go out twice."  True, but the second half seemed long.  My back was getting beaten up going over all the rocks.

On the second loop, I got a little dazed / dizzy.  I'm not sure if it was the caffeine pills I was taking for the first time or fatigue.  Also, I realized I probably needed more water instead of only Tailwind.  Regardless, I kept my head and kept moving.

The second-to-last section is a 5.2 mile, mostly rocky stretch.  I started to feel good again, as I have in the past few races, like I was just going for a morning jog.  I made some time, particularly on a smooth part over halfway through the section.  I passed only one person the whole second half of the race; I barely saw anyone.

Right before I reached the last aid, my watch started to die.  I had been playing the "mile game" where I work on one mile at a time since the start of the second loop.   I didn't want the watch to die and have no data at all, so I turned off the GPS.  This really messed with my head and what was a good feeling a few minutes ago turned to agony as I counted down the minutes.  I figured I would finish this 2.9 section of rocky, up-and-down trail in under an hour at least.  I had a shot at this point of finishing under 10 hours.  

After interminable fast hiking, I popped out of the single-track to a short double-wide path that lead back to the start.  I knew I'd come up a couple minutes short and finished at 10:02, 17th out of 24 finishers (bottom 30%), 17th out of 40 starters (top 35%).  Not to offer excuses, but with the back not hurting I think I could have gone faster.

Reflections

I didn't feel the elation I normally finish after an ultra.  Maybe it was how my head was messed up by the watch issue on the last section.  Maybe it was knowing I had a 4 hours  drive back .  Maybe it was just mental fatigue at this point of the season: I've run 5 races since May.  

I did experience a peaceful feeling a couple days later, after catching up on sleep.  I am proud I finished the third race and am set up for a Capt'n Karl's buckle three weeks later.

I ordered a $99 Epson GPS watch with a 20 hour battery life.  We'll see if it works :-)

So I have my long run at Habanero 100k in two weeks, followed by Capt'n Karl's Reveille Peak a week later!  Good news is as I'm typing this on Tuesday my back feels better.  Habanero will be a real test...the heat plus I haven't run 50 miles since Cactus Rose 2014.  I am starting to get psyched for the challenge!