2020 Mystery Marathon

The Background

After running Fit'Ness Taco 50k, I took a day to heal.  Wanting to compete in the virtual leaderboard, as I was now 64 miles off the lead, I decided to run the Mystery Marathon.  Marathon is a nice distance - just run 20, walk 3, then finish it off.  My kids were coming over later so I didn't have time to do more anyway.

The Race

It had been raining so it wasn't hot.  I started at 6:20 am. It sprinkled a tiny bit at one point but otherwise no rain.

There was a very slight soreness in my legs and ankles that quickly went away.

I put in the miles to 20, walked from 20-23, then ran it in.

Reflections

So far I'm holding up and over the strain from Brazos Bend 100k. The next morning I was only slightly sore.

I thought about the Jordan documentary, The Last Dance, and how Jordan consistently put in the effort.

Come Monday, I was 38 miles of the lead on the leaderboard.

I seem to be running consistent times.  My 50ks have been under 7 hours mostly and this was about the same time as Wildflower Marathon.  It's good to know when blocking out time to run and it makes me feel good I'm consistent.

2020 Fit’Ness Taco Virtual 50k

The Background

At Brazos Bend 100k, I strained my right shin and ankle. I tried to race the following weekend and ended up just walking 3 miles for the Quarantined Quarter. Later the next week, attempts to race were thwarted by the heat then just mental fatigue. In the latter, I got up at 1 AM before work and ended up doing 9 miles before quitting. I felt unmotivated and in a funk.

The Race

Wanting to beat the heat, I got up at 4 am on Saturday. It was still and humid but the 80 degree temp was not overpowering.

I was moving pretty slowly...a few miles in it was 12-minute miles. I slogged along until 20, then took a 3 mile walk break. Then I ran to 27 miles. I walked another mile then ran in the last 3. Along the way, I had calculated I could get in under 7 hours...even tossing in a 2 minute walk break in the last miles.

Reflections

My ankle was a bit sore, in the Achilles area instead of the front. Not too bad though; I don’t think it is injured. It felt good to finish a race and get out of the funk.

2020 Brazos Bend Virtual 100k

The Background

I had been rolling along pretty well with the virtual races.  On Monday, I felt strong at the end of Mystery 50k.

Saturday was going to be good weather - one of the last cool days of the year probably - so I decided to run long.  Sunday would be Mother's Day so I didn't want to attempt the 100 miler.  It would be Brazos Bend 100k.

Brazos is the only race in the virtual series I was not sure I could finish by the cutoff - 16 hours.  That's 15 minutes a mile and change.  After running sub-7-hour 50ks, I knew if I started with that I could hike 17-minute miles and finish.  But there would no wiggle room if I hit a low point.

The Race

Weather was great as I started on the 1.9-mile loops around my neighborhood.  I made 10 or 11-minute miles of to mile 16. I slowed to 12-minute miles to 20, then took a short walk break.

I had thought about walking longer but was soon running again, all to way to 50k apart from short breaks at 25 and 27.  My 50k time was 6:23, 23 minutes faster than any I had run this season.  Great!  This put me in excellent position for overall time.

I started hiking at 17-minute miles then hit a major low from 35-40.  I sat in the chair in  backyard eating, headed out, got woozy and sleepy again, laid down on the side of the road, then headed back to the chair.  The second time I drank coffee and ate chicken nuggets and a quesadilla Terri made.  Heading out again at 40 after a total of 30 minutes sitting, I finally felt okay again.

At this point, I didn't think I could make it in time.  Having also signed up for the Possum's Revenge 69 miler - with a generous cutoff of 23 hours - I could switch over, an advantage of virtual races.  But I didn't want to lose the shot at Brazos and I definitely did not want to do 7 more miles tonight.

Then calculating the time I saw there was a shot if I hiked sub-17-minute miles.  I started moving and found I could knock these out.

Then towards the end of mile 46 I started to run and found I could.  I ran 11-minute miles to 50.  That made the difference in the outcome.  At first I calculated that 17+ miles would do it, later I realized I was off and had more of a cushion.  Had I not run those 4 miles, I would have not made it or been really fighting down to the wire.

When I started hiking a 50, I felt pain in my right shin muscle.  Maybe a cramp or I pulled something.  It was not severe enough to stop so I kept hiking 15 or 16-minute miles.

By 55, I figured out I had a decent cushion - 20-minute miles would do it - but I kept pushing, partly to not be stressed by coming close to the wire, mainly just wanting to be done. I did 17-minute miles through 59. Mile 60 was 18 minutes as I eased up, knowing it was in the bag.  Around 60, night fell.  A 17-minute mile and an 18-minute miles and it was done.

I finished in 15:44:59 - fifteen minutes to spare!

Reflections

This was a rewarding race.  After the low and the time lost, I had to fight and I made it.  It took precision and effort.   I got Brazos, the buckle race I wasn't sure I'd get.

I had a strong first 50k, which shows I'm getting fitter.  My powerhiking was good.

If I had been going for 100 miles at this pace, at the end I'd be left with 20 hours for 38 miles for Blazing 7s 36-hour cutoff.

The next morning, my shin was sore but not in serious pain.  Hopefully I can rest it and recover.

I had been watching The Last Dance, a documentary on Michael Jordan's championship years.  It motivated me to watch him execute season after season.

This one was sweet!

2020 Mystery Virtual 50k

The Background

I got it in my head that it would be cool to run a 50k after work.  This was Monday, two days after the Sweaty Yeti 50k.  After my last zoom meeting I headed out on my 1.9 mile neighborhood loop.

The Race

I felt good in the early miles.  It was hot but I enjoyed sweating, imagining for some reason I was running in the 1970s in California.

Then heat got to me.  Starting to think this was a bad idea to run after work, I took a walk break in miles 11 and 12.  I recovered and ran until a short walk break at mile 18.

I had been taking 3 mile walk breaks at mile 20 in previous races and did start one of these.  But after maybe half a mile "Touch of Grey" came on my MP3 player and I started running.  I ran all the way to marathon.

This was good because I had been debating whether I should run the Mystery 50k or the marathon - I had registered for the latter that morning along with the Fit'Ness Taco.  It felt wrong somehow to run the latter without the packet...plus I would not be able to sit next to the medal afterwards.  Since I made to marathon strong, 50k would be just a walk break then run it in.

I walked a little under three miles, then I notice I had a shot at getting in under 7 hours.  At 6:34 with 2.1 miles to go, sub 13-miles would do it.  Starting to run, I found I could do 12 to 11-minute miles to "Purple Rain."  I ran it in and made it in 6:58:26.

Reflections

This showed running a race after work is possible.  I was slow in the early miles but running miles 20.5-26.2 was pretty good.  I still had leg speed (relatively given my slow pace in my 40s) at 50k.

To be honest, a big motivation for running this day was the TROT Virtual Races Leaderboard.  I had been 2 miles behind the leader.  But the next day the former leader took it back with the Fit'Ness Taco 50k.  So I'm still 2 miles behind but otherwise I'd have been 33 miles back.

I'm trying not to let pride rule me.  I need to run my own races.  Whatever happens happens and it's just fun to compete.

The weather should be good Saturday so I need to try for one of the long runs I'm signed up for - Brazos Bend 100k or Possum's Revenge 69 mile.  The former has a 16-hour time limit so if I make it in that I'll choose it.

This is the most marathons / ultras I've completed in a year - 10.  And it's been 2 months of running!  So far my legs and ankles feel good.

2020 Sweaty Yeti Virtual 50k

The Background

After the Wildflower Marathon / 50k Double, the top of my left foot was sore.   I took it extra easy, walking less.  It got better each day enough where I felt like racing.

The Race

I felt good the first few miles, in the moment.  Then my GPS started messing up.  It was showing I was running 9-minute miles and the distance for my 1.9 loop around my neighborhood was well over 2 miles.  Pretty soon it was crediting me with 3 extra miles!

I went in the house and got a sheet of paper and started tallying loops so I could be sure of the real distance.  By this point, my head was in a bad place.  I started walking by mile 16 and pretty much walked most of it to 28.  I felt good enough to run in the last 2.5.

Clearly malfunctioning GPS

Reflections

My watch had been good for all these races...hopefully it will be good for next time as I do not want to spend more money on a watch.

I was probably due for a "bad" race...the combination of racing every week and my GPS messing up left me low.  But regardless, I put in a decent effort, running in the last bit to get in under 8 hours.

My foot felt pretty good afterwards so I'm thankful about that.

Well, first race of the "Rising Phoenix" series done!