2025 Dinosaur Valley 100k

The Background

The only training I did between Wild Hare 50k one week prior and the Dinosaur Valley 100k was some stairs at work during breaks.  Wild Hare was a pretty good training run for Dinosaur Valley.  While there are no big hills there, there are some rocks and it's not flat.

Big picture, I was looking to find some redemption after DNFs at my last two long races: Mohican 100 Mile and Canal Corridor 100 Mile. Plus, I missed earning a Western States qualifier for the 2026 lottery.  The Dinosaur Valley 100k offered a change to qualify for the 2027 lottery with a generous cutoff time of 22 hours.

I had reserved group camping at the Pachy/Sauropod site.  Then, I would have to drive 15 minutes to the race hub.  Then, I would have to take a 15 minute shuttle to the start.  Such logistics make me nervous, but it all went pretty smoothly.

On the Bus

The Race

It was great weather: cool in the day and not too cold later that night.  They started the race off by playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung by Whitney Houston and "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, which is about as good as it gets.

At the Start

The course would be 6 10.5 mile loops, which meant 63 miles.  My GPS was measuring these as a bit long, and it ended up as 64.29 miles. You head out 2.75 miles or so to the Fenceline Aid with a couple of climbs.  Then you start a 5.5 mile section with a climb up to the overlook of the Paluxy River.  There is a nice relatively smooth hill that leads to some steps.  At this point, you are 4 or so miles into the loop.  There is some slower up and down singletrack and then a climb up. The trail smooths out a bit then for a while till you get back to the Fenceline Aid. Then you head back to the start the same way.

On loop 1, I ran a few 11- and 12-minute miles.  Wanting to avoid going out too fast, I purposefully slowed a bit after mile 8. I went from 127th place to 148th place as I finished Loop 1 in 2:25.

On loop 2, I ran what was runnable to 13 miles. For some reason I decided to play music early at times when I saw that the trail was wide enough for people to pass me easily.  I bombed down the hill from the top of the overlook of the river to Aerosmith's "Cryin'."   

The Overlook

Then I mostly switched to powerhiking with a few scattered runs the rest of the way.  I dropped down from 184th to 199th place, finishing Loop 2 by 5:24, a 2:59 split.

On loop 3, I felt pretty good and knocked out several 15-minute miles hiking.  I progressed from 199th to 178th place, finishing Loop 3 in 8:24, a 3-hour split.

By the Paluxy River on Loop 3

Climbing the Short, Steep Hill Towards the End of the River Section

Starting loop 4, I hit a low point.  It wasn't as bad as at Canal Corridor, where my vision got blurry, but I felt weak. Wanting to avoid a 20-mile stagger like at Canal Corridor, I sat down at the Fenceline Aid Station and ate 3 bacon and cheese quesadillas and drank coke.  That seemed to work, and I did not hit another major low for the rest of the race.  I made sure to eat a lot from that point on, burgers and  quesadillas. I knocked out some 16-minute miles and moved from 178th to 172nd place. I finished loop 4 in 11:45, a 3:21 split.

Feeling strong but moving a bit slower, I hiked loop 5, the best miles being 16-minute pace. I moved from 172nd place to 149th place, finishing loop 5 in 14:57, a 3:12 split.  I think at the end of that loop, everyone, including me, was singing along to the beginning of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

I had told myself that once I got to loop 6, I didn't need to worry about anything.  I could tell the Western States Qualifier was in the bag if I kept moving.  I debated running to get it in under 18 hours, but decided to just take care of myself, as I was very happy with 18 hours. I kept steadily hiking, then ran a bit on the last mile. I moved from 149th place to 121st place, finishing in 18:06, a 3:09 split.  I was 121st of 226 finishers (bottom 53%) and 279 starters (top 43%). The average pace by my GPS was 16:54.

When I finished, a guy checked my time and said, "Yes, you are a 100k finisher and a Western States qualifier!"

Reflections

I ran this race well. I didn't go out too fast, stayed on top of my nutrition, and gave it a good effort.  I could have a been a touch too conservative or weak in the last bit not to fight harder to get it in under 18 hours.  But that is way better than blowing up and a DNF like at Canal Corridor 100.

My take away is that for 100k and 100 mile, I need to go out slower and eat more.  This is pretty basic stuff, but easy for me to forget.  On long races especially, I need to not worry so much about time goals and take care of myself through 50k.

I was so happy to earn the Western States qualifier.  I felt like a made something out of the season.  It actually was a pretty good year, with a Bandera 100 finish, a 4:45 Houston Marathon, and a 3rd place overall at Jackalope Jam 6 Hour. I finished 19 races marathon distance or longer, my most since 2020 and my most non-virtual races in a year.

Well, my plan is to take a 3 week mini-break, then start running after UHD's commencement. Then, I will kick off the year with Texas Marathon - Kingwood  and Bandera 100k.

   

2025 Wild Hare 50k

The Background

I was feeling kind of tired from work, though I had some good news about articles being accepted.  I did a lot of stair repeats at work during breaks and a few 5-mile runs.

The Race

The Start

It was nice and cool. I felt really strong at the start, and ran all of the twisty, turny bike paths and bombed down the paved bike drop.  I finished the first 7.8-mile loop in 1:28.

I met my goal of running to at least half marathon.  Then I got tired, and I hiked another 2 miles or so, finishing the second loop in 1:50. 

The sun came out, and it got kind of hot. Luckily there was a lot of shade on the course, so this was not a major factor. I shifted my goal from a sub-7 hour finish to a sub-8hr finish. I hiked the 3rd loop hard, finishing in 2:13. 

On the third loop.

I ran a short burst at the beginning of the 4th loop. Remembering I had a 100k in a week, I eased up the hiking a slight bit, but still moved briskly.  In the last couple of miles, I passed a couple of folks, including one guy in a grey shirt who was sitting and adjusting his gear.  Later, the guy in the grey shirt came running up behind me. Telling myself this was my chance to compete, I ran a burst to get away from him, then hiked as fast as I could to keep him behind me.  After while, I couldn't see him anymore.  With about a half mile to go, a guy in a red shirt came up behind me, and I did the same thing.

I thought I was taking it easier on the 4th loop compared to the 3rd, but I finished the 4th in 2:07, 6 minutes faster.  Maybe brisk hiking with bursts of running instead of redlining it hiking is a better strategy.

I finished in 7:38, 41st out of 65 finishers and 74 starters.

Reflections

I gave this a good effort, but didn't push it as hard as some other races.  I think it was a nice balance of being a training race and not completely loafing it. I'm glad I competed against those two guys who were going to pass me.

10 years after the 2015 Wild Hare 50k, I finished 37 minutes slower, about a minute a mile. 2015 was not a strong year anyway. I was in bad shape in my life and doing a one-off race which was my only finish in 2015.  But it is nice that I was in the same general time range.  What is better is that my life is better!

My pace was 14:46.  So I would have banked a little over 3 hours for the Western States pace needed for Dinosaur Valley 100k (22 hours, 20:57 pace).  So then I could have hiked 27-minute miles and finished.  I still felt strong at the end.  I should still ease up how fast I started. 

Well, let's see if I can finish up the year with a 100k!

 

     

2025 Haunted Marathon

The Background

After a DNF at Canal Corridor 100, I wanted to race again and find some redemption. So I signed up for the Haunted Marathon in Temple, Texas the next weekend.  This company US Road Running had been putting on a lot of small, no-frills races with short loops in Temple and other places and had now expanded to marathon distance there.  Temple is slightly farther than I like to drive for such a race, but not too bad. 

I had been ultra training, so I had little time to switch to road marathon training.  After recovering, I ran 5-mile runs at 9ish-minute pace on Thursday and Friday, with the race Saturday.  My legs had been strong in the last 2 races, so I thought there was a chance I could run the whole thing.

The Race

The course was a 1.64 mile out and 1.64 mile back on a sidewalk at a park, with 8 loops total for the marathon. The race had no electrolyte drinks.

I started out with a couple of 9-minute miles, then held steady at 10-minute miles.  My right calf and shoulder were hurting, signs I later figured out meant I was cramping from lack of electrolytes. By 11 miles, I was dead.  I switched to hiking 14-minute miles, with bits of running thrown in.

I felt bad and wanted to quit. The loop went right past the parking lot with my car, so that was a temptation. But I said, "I have never DNFed a road marathon, and I am not starting now."

There were 4 runners in the marathon. One guy was running at a 4-hour pace, so he had me beat.  There was a guy in a white shirt who had been behind me when I was running, then passed me when I was hiking. I worried that I would be the only one left for an hour or so, and the workers/volunteers would be waiting for me.  That was ridiculous, as I paid my entry fee and the cutoff was six hours. Still, I knew I would be cutting it close and hiked hard.  I calculated at 15-minute pace I would make it with 20 minutes to spare. 

A good thing about the course was you could see where the other runners were a lot of the time. At some point with under 10 miles to go, I saw the guy in the white shirt walking over a mile ahead of me. This gave me extra motivation to push, as maybe I could catch him. 

At this point, it was hot.  I finished all the gels I had brought, and was drinking as many cups of water I could and eating fruit snacks the race provided.

As I approached the end of the 6th loop, the guy in the white shirt passed me headed out the other way.  I calculated he was about 12 minutes ahead of me at this point. As we reached the turn around, I had cut that distance considerably. 

At the end of the 7th loop, I could see him up ahead, and he stopped for a bit and stretched at the finish line, which allowed me to catch up further. We passed by each other on the sidewalk toward the finish line.

I got some water and a fruit snack.  A worker/volunteer thought I had finished due to a glitch in the timing, and it took a few seconds to explain to her that I still needed to go out on another loop.  

The runner with the white shirt was now further ahead but in sight.  I slowly cut the distance between us until at the final turnaround it was a few yards.  On the way back, I ran for a short burst to get ahead of him, then hiked hard to keep him behind me.  I finished in 5:40, with the other runner a minute and a half behind me. 

I finished 2nd place out of 4 finishers.

After finishing, I lied down for a minute in the shade next to the restrooms.  My left leg cramped up, and I was not sure I could stand.  Finally, I could stand up, prepared to take an ultrarunner's shower by pouring jugs of water on myself.  I poured about half a jug, but felt like I was about to faint.  I staggered to my car, and threw myself on the car seat still sweaty. I cranked up the air and tried to sip a coke.  Then, I thought I would be better off drinking water, and I honked my horn until I got the attention of a worker/volunteer, who got another guy to bring me water. Before he could bring it, I threw up out my car door on the parking lot. After drinking the water and then the coke, I was in better shape and went back to wash myself off and get changed.

Reflections

This race showed me how sometimes a race does not go well, but you can work for a good effort. I paced poorly and crashed.  But I still worked very hard to finish.  

Also, this year at Great Springs Trail Race - Austin, I trudged to a finish without competing as hard as I should have.  That too was a small race, and I would have won an award if I had worked hard to beat a guy who was in front of me.  This time, I raced against the guy in front of me and earned 2nd place overall.  I had told myself that if I was 3rd place out of 3 finishers, I would not care that much about the award, but if I worked hard to beat someone I would. 

Objectively, a 5:40 road marathon is not a great performance for me at this time.  But the effort I put in to earn the 2nd place made it a great race for me.

Obviously, I should had brought my own Gatorade.

I am heading into road marathon season, so I need to work on my pacing in training and races.

Thanks to the God, Terri, friends and family, and the workers and volunteers for the support! 

2011 USA Fit Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

I started running in January of 2010.  I had a slight background in running, as I had done cross country in 7th grade.  But I had pretty much been physically inactive for 18 years.  When I was a teacher, I was on my feet a lot.  But then I got a job in the central office.  I sat at my desk and had fast food for lunch.  My weight ballooned to 203 pounds.

Deciding to do something, I started running on the treadmill, one song run, one song walk.  Then I read Jim Fixx's Complete Book of Running and started running outside. 

I signed up for 5ks and started chipping away at my time as I dieted and lost weight.

2010 Rise and Shine 5k

2010 Dad's Day 5k

2010 Monster Dash

I won first place in my age group.

Marathon Training

I decided to run a marathon.  I loved the idea of earning a medal for the marathon. I followed Hal Higdon's marathon training plan.

I remember my first longer run was at Austin's Town Lake:

For 2011, Houston Marathon had a lottery, and I did not get in.  So I signed up for the 2011 USA Fit Marathon.

I decided to complete a series of races designed to build up to the Houston Marathon, which would still work for USA Fit.  

The first was the 2010 Space City 10 Miler.  I finished in 1:16, 7:38 place, 171th out of 830 finishers.  This was the first time I thought I might be good at running.

Then I ran the 2010 Houston Half.  I finished in 1:48 I think.  Incidentally, I used this result to bypass the Houston Marathon lottery the next year and get in.

Then I ran the HMSA 25k:

Finally, I ran the Sugarland 30k. I had run a 20-mile training run before that, then one more 20-mile training run after.

2011 USA Fit Marathon

I went out too fast, and crashed. Somewhere in the last few miles, I looked across a field at businesses and wondered if I should ask for a ride back.  Reduced to a walk in the last 3 miles or so, I trudged along as people passed me. But I completed the marathon in 4:57.

At the time, I thought the race was a disaster.  While I paced very poorly, the overall time was decent. Years later, I would celebrate a sub-5-hour marathon.  Regardless, I had finished my first marathon.  

2011 Gusher Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

After crashing at my first marathon at USA Fit, I wanted to give it another try. At the Gusher, I went out slower, and it paid off.  I ran the whole thing. I remember running past an oil derrick and running on some brick areas.

I remember running towards the end slowly with a couple of guys, one who was wearing what I think was a red bandana and maybe a cowboy hat saying, "We got us a pack going!" I felt like I had been hit with a ton of bricks, but I kept running.

At the time, I thought it was just a okay performance.  As of 2025, it is still my 3rd fastest marathon time. 

I was 3rd place in my age group.  I lost the award in my divorce, which is a great regret.

Post Race

2011 Frankenthon Marathon

Retrospective Race Report

After I had improved my performance at the Gusher Marathon, I remember waiting for what seemed like forever to race again.  I was not tuned into trail running at this point, and the Frankenthon may have been the next road marathon in Texas. Regardless, I remember thinking the Frankenstein theme was really cool.  I wanted the race-themed socks.

I remember at some point walking a bit in an area like a park or sidewalk.  But overall I ran most of it.  I was 14 minutes slower than at the Gusher.  I think there was a bit of smooth trail, but the terrain was not excuse.  I was not in as good of shape as at the Gusher.  

Still, I was 54th out 133 finishers, so not too bad.

Results

2012 Texas Trails Endurance Run 50 Mile

Retrospective Race Report

I was feeling strong after my finish at Cactus Rose 50 Mile.  I think I signed up for the Texas Trails  Endurance Run 50 Mile after that one, as this season had not been fully planned out. This was at Huntsville State Park.

I think the cutoff was 12 hours or so, and runner at the start said that was fast.

I headed out a a fast pace, trying to compete.  I remember at an aid station asking if there were folks ahead of me, and someone said that a bunch had come through. 

At some point a crashed, but I do not think I walked that much. The pace was 12:06, which shows I pretty much ran most of it.  In 2025, it was still my 2nd fastest 50 miler.

I remember my ex-wife went to a family party after dropping me off, and I had to wait a long time in the dark to be picked back up.