2025 Uncommon 6hr

The Background

Originally, I was not to race again until Wildflower 50k.  But then my weekend with the kids switched due to a request.  So with the weekend free, I could race the Uncommon 6hr. It was at the Hippo Social Club, the same location of the Hippo Trail Fest Marathon, and relatively close.  

I had finished the Hippo Trail Fest Marathon in 5:42 last month.  Uncommon would be 3-mile loop, so I would need 27 miles to get a marathon.  Thus, based on the previous time, I would be cutting it close.  I thought about signing up for the 12hr, but I did not have the mental energy to run that long after a hard week.  I could, of course, have simply run 27 miles and stopped, but I also considered the standings.

At the Start

The Race

Although the course still twisted and turned a lot, there was a greater ratio of real trails to mowed fields when compared to Hippo.

I ran at about a 12-minute pace the first 3 loops.

I still ran, but slowed a bit, through mile 17 or so.  Then I hiked for a mile to finish up the 6th loop.

I did some calculations, and I would indeed be cutting to finish the next 9 miles in under 6 hours.  I set out powerhiking.  It was hot, and getting hotter.  At Hippo, I managed a 15-minute hiking pace.  At Uncommon, it was more like a 16-minute pace.

Hiking in the Heat

After finishing loop 8, I calculated that I would have to maintain a 16-minute pace to finish the final loop and make it to 27 miles.  If I didn't make it, I could not add to my marathon total. 

The course would switch to 1-mile loops with 30 minutes to go, but I was ahead of that.  A lady watching the course split asked, "Can you finish the loop in 40 minutes?"  I said, "I don't know!" and headed out on the rest of the 3-mile loop.

I could, of course, run and help my chances.  But I was beat and attempts to run were brief. I told myself to make it a couple of miles into the loop, where the course gets smoother, and then run what I needed to. With anxiety, I hiked those two miles.  I ran about half of the final mile and finished the loop in 5:58.  After crossing the finish line and getting out of the way, I fell on the ground and laid on my back a while.   

I finished in the top half of the field, 10th out of 20 runners.

Reflections

Putting it all on the line for something you are not sure you can do and then coming through always feels good.

If I do this race again, I should either work to give myself more of a cushion or sign up for the 12hr.

Thanks to God, Chris, the volunteers, Terri, James, Paloma, all my family, and friends for the support!

 

2025 Brazos Bend 50k

The Background

Brazos Bend 50k was to be the first race where I switched over to 100-mile training.  Also, I was not scheduled for another race for 5 weeks after it.  

I had been racing for 4 weeks straight every weekend. So I just ran a couple of 5-milers over the 2 weeks after the last race.

There was a recall on my Coros watch, and a new Coros Apex 2 Pro arrived in the mail.

On the Friday before the race, James and I went to see the Rockets beat the Thunder.  I did not get to bed under 11pm for a 4am wakeup.

On Friday, I had a hard day at work.  I was worried because when my mind is troubled from work, I sometimes let that affect my race performance.

There was a cold front moving in.  The actual weather would not get cold, but there were storms scheduled.

The Race

Whoever made the playlist at the start had good taste: "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows, "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam, "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan, "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen. 

The Start

It was warm and humid, but sometimes a cool breeze would help. I headed out at high-11-minute miles, telling myself I should try for 100-mile pace.

A Few Miles In

After the first aid station, around 7 miles in, depression hit me.  All the work stress kicked in, and I felt overwhelmed.  I did not want to race anymore.  I slowly hiked a couple of miles.  I wanted to drop, not seeing how I could continue feeling so bad.  I am not usually capable of crying, but tears almost came.

I reached a road crossing.  Looking left, I knew I could hike back down the road to the start and drop. Straight ahead, I could cross the road and continue down the trail. I seriously considered dropping.  But I had never dropped a race this short from just lack of will. I had made a goal of no DNFs this year.  Plus, I knew that the depression would just continue if I got in my car.

I crossed the road. Remembering that at races like the Badger 100 I had snapped out of wooziness by running a mile or 2, I started running.  I kept repeating, "Run right now to keep the depression at bay."  It worked, and the depression lifted. 

Fighting the Depression

Nice, Smooth Trail Ahead

At this point, the trail was 3-miles out  to the Sawmill  Aid Station and 3 miles back.  I ran about 5.5 miles of that. At about 14.5 miles, I started hiking again, thinking I would do that for a mile to the start and save up energy for another push on the second loop. 

After crossing back over the road, I passed by the Nature Center Aid Station. I worried I was way off course, but they said I would just pass by the side of it and it was .5 miles to the start.  But that still meant that this loop would be 16.7 miles, 1.2 miles long.  I remembered how Cal had said the course branches off for 50 miles and 50k at some point, and I never saw those signs. At the start, I asked Cal at what point the course splits. He said .5 miles in.  I had followed the pack at the start, and many of us had missed the turn.  I said, "That's okay. It's my own fault."

After taking in some calories, I ran a couple of miles. It had started raining off and on by that point, but not too hard.   At mile 19, I started hiking again. I managed 14- or 15-minute miles on the smooth trails all the way through that same road crossing.  

Heading out to Sawmill Aid Station, I felt weak from lack of calories.  I had nothing left in my pack, so I slowed a bit, but not more than a few seconds per mile. It was hot and humid.

At the aid station, I drank a lot of coke and ate some Cheezits. One the way back, I hiked at a 16-minute pace, and threw in some bursts of running.

Crossing the road the final time, I remembered that I like that sore feeling in my legs after a race, so I ran for some stretches.  I saw a runner behind me, and I made it a point not to get passed.

Pushing Across the Bridge

My new watch was very accurate, and the 32.37 miles matched one long loop and one regular loop.

I finished in 7:47, 66th out of 112 (bottom 42%).

After the finish, I got my medal engraved for free. That was a nice bonus! 

On the Bus Back to the Nature Center

Luckily, I finished when I did, because by the time I started driving home it rained harder. 

Reflections

I was so thankful that I did not drop. The depression of a DNF would have been terrible.  Hopefully, I can use this experience when the temptation to drop happens again. I am proud I kept fighting to the end of the race.

Well, the Mohican 100 Mile is ahead.  I need to do some 20-mile training runs over the next 5 weeks.  Then, there will be the Wildflower 50k. 

At this pace, I would have banked 2:32 off of 32-hour pace for the Mohican 100. But this course was all flat and smooth, so I would have banked less at Mohican.

Thanks to God, Cal, the race organization, the volunteers, friends, Terri, James, Paloma, and all of my family for the support!

2025 Hippo Trail Fest Marathon

The Background

I had raced 3 races the previous 3 weekends, none of them being A-level performances.  In particular, the fact that I didn't fight as hard as I should have at the Great Springs Trail Race - Austin made me want to go back and seek redemption at the Hippo Trail Fest Marathon.  Just like Great Springs, it was to be on the east side of Austin and put on by Tejas Trails.

I woke up around 1:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. I headed out at 4am, listening to the Rewatchables for Days of Thunder.

The Race

At the start, I saw a fellow I had raced with at Great Springs, Russell.  We chatted for most of the first loop.

At the Start

The race was a 4-loop course at the Hippo Social Club in the town of Hutto.  There were some real trails, but a lot of it was mowed paths in fields, sometimes with houses on the other side of a fences.  The paths wound around at times like a roped-off waiting line...straight a few yards, 180-degree turn, straight a few yards, 180-degree turn.

Right in the Middle of a Neighborhood

Runners Negotiate the Winding Paths

I kept an easy running pace for the first 3 loops.  Each loop was measuring around 6.3 miles per loop on GPS...no way of knowing what the actual distance was, but the illusion/reality of shorter loops was comforting.  I still felt pretty good at the end of the 3rd loop.

I ran the 1st mile of the 4th loop, then ran/hiked the 2nd mile.  That mile ended up being in the 15-minute range.  Since the trails were pretty smooth, I figured I might powerhike just as fast.  I did this, and the next mile was 14 minutes and change.  During this time, I passed around 3 people and didn't get passed.  

I knocked out the rest of the race at 15-minute miles.  When I saw the last section in front of the social club, I ran it in.

I finished 10th out of 19 starters and 22 finishers in 5:42.

Reflections

Finishing right in the middle of the pack felt good after some races where I didn't do as well as I might have.  I stayed in a competitive mindset, fighting to improve my position in the field as best I could. Running a 5-hour trail marathon is the same as a 4-hour road marathon for me...a good time for my abilities. While this was 8 minutes slower than Seabrook Lucky Trails, Seabrook's course was way easier.  Thus, I judge Hippo a much better performance.

I raced 4 straight weekends, and it was a lot of fun.  I wish money and time would let me do this every weekend, but of course that is not wise.

Now I have 2 weeks until Brazos Bend 50k.  Now is the time to really shift my mind to training for the Mohican 100 Mile.

Thanks to God, Chris McWatters, Russell, the the race organization, volunteers, Terri, all my family, and friends for the support!

 

 

2025 Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon

The Background

I had been wanting to run the Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon for years but had never gotten around to it.  Sometimes I called the season by Spring Break, and I remember 1 year I had surgery which prevented it.  I was looking forward to finally getting to run it.

Meanwhile, after starting the season strong, I had had a 2 challenging races the past 2 weekends.  It is logical that running the volume of races I was doing this year, 7 in 2 months, that I would not be at peak performance on some of them.  Especially since I threw in an extra race, Great Springs Trail Race Austin Marathon, last weekend.  

I drove to Seabrook and parked at a school designated for parking down the street from the start.  A bagpipe player played, which I thought was great.  

I was wearing my hat and shirt from Woodlands Marathon 2 weeks ago, which a lot of people commented on. I chatted with some 50-state marathoners, 1 who had run like 160 marathons, and 1 who had run 2,000!

The Race

It was a bit warm, humid, and muggy, though from time to time a breeze would help things.  I started off at high-10-minute miles. The course was 4 loops, running on smooth gravel trails by the bay.

As I was about 17.5 miles in, I felt beat, mentally and physically, right about the spot I ran out of steam at Woodlands Marathon.  I hiked a couple of miles in to finish the 3rd loop. But I put effort into it, maintaining a 15-minute pace even though I was hurting.

I remembered how I felt kind of disappointed in myself for not fighting as hard as I could have at Great Springs Trail Race Austin Marathon.  Obviously, I was not having a great race and hopes of finishing under 5 hours were out the window. But I could fight as hard as I could.  I made a goal of running .25 mile each mile, then hiking hard for the rest of it. I maintained this to the finish, finishing in 5:34.

Reflections

Well, I think it is clear that right now the volume I am racing is effecting individual performances. Or I  could just be in a mini slump. But I love racing, and I would rather have more adventures with some challenges.  Besides, I already had a couple fine performances for my abilities at Houston Marathon and Jackalope Jam 6 Hour this year.

I am glad I decided to fight.  I need to remember that sometimes the finishing time really doesn't matter as much as the effort I put in.

Thanks to God, Terri, James, Paloma, all my friends and family, the race organization, and volunteers for the support! 

2025 Great Spring Trail Race Austin Marathon

The Background

Spur of the moment, I signed up for the Great Spring Trail Race Austin Marathon. Woodlands Marathon the previous weekend was challenging, as I went out too fast, crashed and burned, and barely made it in under 5 hours. 

It took me a while to get to sleep, so I was a little tired as a got up at 3:30am and made the 2-hour drive to Southeast Metro Park - Austin. Most trail races are in the country, but this one was right off Highway 71 in Austin.

The Race

There were only 13 people running the marathon, including 8 men. Given that, there was a chance I could win one of the top 3 male awards. I chatted with a guy a bit older than me who had finished 62 marathons and was running 25 in 2025, going for 100 marathons lifetime.

Start

The course was a 6.5-mile loop with an two-way section in the middle. There were a lot of short climbs out of creek beds, with the biggest being in the middle of the two-way section.

In the first loop, a guy ran out fast and I said there was no way I was catching him. After a mile or so in 2nd place, I thought I was going out too fast and stepped off the trail to let a pack pass me. I figured I was now in 5th place male or so. I finished the first loop in 1:30.

Capt'N Karl's used to have Grateful Dead-themed signs, and I missed them when they went away. So I was happy to see a sign reading "What a long, strange trip it's been."

At Mile 12

The second loop I slowed, but still ran a lot of it, finishing in 1:52.

The 3rd loop, I went back and forth with one runner. We joked about a couple of his friends who were going to run with him but backed out. It got hot, and I used a buff given at the raced for ice. I finished the 3rd loop in 1:58.

The Climb on the Two-Way Section, Loop 3

Cacti

I made a mistake on the 4th loop. As I headed out, that same runner passed me. I was weak from the heat and tired. I figured that I was 7th place male or so and there was no way of earning an award, so I let him go. I decided to just hike to the finish, and my hiking pace was not that great. I finished the 4th loop in 2:11.

Beat on Loop 4

Finish

Looking at the results, I was 4th place male, 20 minutes behind 3rd. 3 of the male marathoners had dropped. So if I had competed on that last loop, I might have gotten an award.

Reflections

Obviously, I got in a bad mindset in this race. I should have just focused on running the best I could and competing until the end.

I didn't deserve an award given that I didn't push as hard as I could have on the last loop.

Back-to-back weekends of racing might have been a factor in the motivation. But I better get over that since I have Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon next weekend.

I have to remember not to assume what position I am in the race, as people can drop or I can pass them (or get passed) without knowing.

On a more positive not, I finished a race that I hadn't planned on running. During the race, I set a goal of no DNFs this year. Let's see if I can do it!

2025 Woodlands Marathon

The Background

The 2025 season was going well, with sub-5 hour road marathons and a 3rd place overall finish at the Jackalope Jam 6 Hour. My legs felt strong. When planning the season, I thought Woodlands Marathon might be the race where I could post my best marathon time of the season.

James and Paloma were to see me at mile 10 and the finish.

The Race

For the first few miles, I ran at sub-10 or low 10-minute miles.  It felt brisk but not like I was pushing too hard.

For quite a while, I was near the 4:30 pacer group.

I saw my kids around mile 10, near the house where they grew up.  That lifted my spirits!

I tried to save something in the tank until half marathon.  Then, I increased the pace a slight bit for a mile or so.  Then, I fell back to 10:30ish miles for another couple of miles. 

At mile 17, I began to feel weak, like I was low on energy.  It hit me all of the sudden.  Soon, I was forced to a walk.  I made it to the mile 18 aid station and fueled up. At either that or the next aid, I grabbed like 5 gels, trying to pull myself out of the spiral.

But it was like a switch had been flipped, and I was now in survival mode.  Hopes for my best marathon time of the season vanished. But I had written at the beginning of the season a goal to finish all of my solo road marathons in under 5 hours.  I made that my new goal. Reduced to run/walking, I would have to fight.

Towards the end, the 5 hour pacer was behind me.  But I knew I had started a few seconds ahead of him, so I needed to watch my watch rather than him.  Still, it was helpful to keep the pacer in sight.  

I barely made the 5-hour goal in 4:59:16.

When I crossed the finish line, I was beat and sat down in a chair at the medical station, not because I wanted medical aid, but just to sit.  A lady told me to drink water, and I did.

Getting up after a minute, I found my kids.  I must have looked out of it, and I pulled off to the side to throw up.  James said, "That was hardcore, I gotta say."

We went to celebrate at Niko Nikos.

Reflections

At the beginning of the race, I had advised a first-time marathoner not to go out too fast, then I went out too fast.  However, I was trying to improve my time, and it is always a fine line on what is too fast.

I should have had gels in my pocket.  I might have done better with more fueling earlier.

I was probably due a tougher race after having a 3 go well.

Still, I am proud I fought hard and made the sub-5-hour goal.

Thanks to God, Terri, friends, all my family, the race organization, and the volunteers for the support.  Special thanks to James and Paloma for being there to cheer! 

2025 Jackalope Jam 6hr

The Background

Originally, I was going to run the Jackalope Jam 48hr.  For work- and family-related reasons, I switched to the 6hr race. I had been running sub-5-hour road marathons, so I figured I could at least get in a marathon in the time allotted.  Another plus was, after looking at the previous years' results, I thought I might be competitive in the standings given the pace I had been running. 

The course was a mile out and a mile back on smooth trail, turning around the Cone of Death. I set a goal of getting to at least 28 miles, since 26 miles is technically not a marathon. 

The night before was Valentine's Day, and Terri and I had a wonderful evening with a charcuterie board and watching The Bachelor.   

It was raining on the way to the race, but by race start it had stopped.

Terri had to go to a baby shower later, but she came to cheer for me for the first two hours.  I set up a canopy and a chair for her.

The Race

The 6hr, 12hr, and 24hr runners started at 9am.  I set out running what felt comfortable, which ending up being 9:49 pace for the first loop.  For the first half mile or so, I was actually in the lead, but then some faster folks passed me.  

Loops 2 through 4, bringing me to 8 miles, were at 10-minute pace.  I told myself to to make it to mile 10 still feeling good.

Loops 5 through 7 were at 11-minute pace.  Right around mile 11, I started to get a bit tired.  As usual, Jackalope Jam is windy, and there was a headwind on the 2nd half of the loop from the Cone of Death back to the start.  It seemed the wind picked up around this time, but that could have just been my imagination.

Terri filled my Gatorade bottle for me a couple of times, which was a great help.

Along the way I saw a runner I know, Agatha, and we said "Way to go!" as we passed each other.

After mile 14, I fell into 12-minute pace, which I held onto for a long time.  Reaching the start at mile 16, I asked the timing fellow where I was in the standings.  I think I was in 3rd place at this point, which motivated me to keep running.  I had been debating whether to pick a point to hike, but I decided to to keep competing.

At mile 20, I stopped at my chair to pick up my headphones, Just then a strong gust of wind blew, and the canopy turned over on its side!  A lady a next to me helped me grab it, then I worked to collapse it.  This whole episode took about 7 minutes, which would be crucial as the race unfolded.  I was so discombobulated that I forgot my headphones.

Somewhere on this loop, I called Terri and asked her to look up where I was in the standings.  She said I was in 4th place, which again made me determined to run.

After mile 22, I did pick up my music.  The first song was "Dancing in the Dark," and immediately my spirits lifted.  I ran and sang along.

After mile 24, I slowed to 13-minute pace.  At this point, I knew I could make it to 28 miles, even if I hiked some.  But with runners of all different distances around, I had no idea who were the 6hr runners I was competing with.  There was one lady who was running my pace for the whole race, and I made it a goal to try to stay ahead of her.  It turns out she was running a different time, but it helped me stay focused.

I reached 26 miles around 5:13 or so.  I knew I would have time for 1 more loop, but 2 was only a distant possibility.  

By the time I made it 28 miles, it was 5:39.  I had been running 13-minute miles, so I figured there was not a good chance of me running 2 10-minute miles.  

I stopped and took a shower, and then got my medal and poster with my mileage written on it.  When I called Terri, she told me I was 3rd place overall, 2nd place male.  I finished 3rd out of 26 runners (top 12 percent).  I also won my age group.

Early in the race

Along the trail

The Cone of Death

Reflections

For the first time in 15 years of running, I finished on the podium.  That meant a lot to me.

If the canopy had not blown down, I might have had a slim shot at 2nd place.  The lady who ran 2nd finished 30 miles in 5:57. But races always have unexpected snags, and I was very happy with 3rd place.

Well, I love running the 48hr version of Jackalope Jam and going for 100 miles, but maybe next year I could come back and compete in the 6hr.  

Thanks to God, Terri, friends, all my family, Cal, Trail Racing Over Texas, and all the volunteers.