2024 Trailway 50k

The Background

Last year, I ran the Trailway 50k with Jamie one week before the Arkansas Traveller 100.  I had worried that running a race a week before a 100 miler might be a mistake.  Instead, I finished in 7:38 and had a great race at Arkansas.  Since it worked and the Trailway is relatively close to me, why not do it again?

I had finished the Running Man 50k two weeks earlier in 7:04.  A 7-hour 50k at the beginning of Arkansas would give me a 2-hour+ cushion off 30-hour pace.  Indeed, I ran the first 50k of Arkansas to Lake Sylvia last year in 7:15 and held on to the 2-hour cushion, finishing in 27:57.

So running the Trailway 50k this year in 7 hours would be a great final training run.

I had to pick up my kids late Friday, as James had to work.  So I only got about 5 hours of sleep.  I left at 4am and was sleepy on the drive to Lake Somerville.

The Race

Though it would get hot, the weather was nice and cool the first half of the race.

I felt good at the start, running the smooth trails in 10-minute miles.  I ran to mile 6.5 with a fellow named Emmanuel, who was attempting his first marathon.  He then turned around, and I proceeded to the mile 7.8 turnaround.

I started to get slightly tired at 14ish miles,  one mile to go to the halfway point.  Remembering this was just a training run, I switched to powerhiking.  I figured running half of it, walking half of it would prepare me for both aspects of Arkansas.

When I crossed the line at the halfway point, I went back out the wrong way, crossing the mat again.  I turned around and told the volunteer tracking the time, and he said it was fine.  Then I went out the right way. I verified at the end of the race that my time was right.

Pushing on, my powerhiking pace was 14- to 15-minute miles, so I was making time.

My watch was malfunctioning.  I think I had too much data on it, so I reset the whole thing.  The only thing was I could not tell my exact time elapsed, as even the time of day was off after the reset.  At one point, I asked a runner the time, and she said 12:30.  After some calculations, I figured I was on pace to finish close to 7 hours.   A handful of times, I ran for a couple of minutes, but each time it seemed wiser to hold off and powerhike.  I put in a hard effort, but was still holding back.

It got hot, so the last 2 aid stations I put ice in my buff.

The runners were pretty spread out.  On the last 12 miles or so, one guy passed me, then I passed him.  After that I held my position for the rest of the race, passing one person at the very end, who I think was running the marathon. But I kept knocking out 14- to 15-minute miles, finishing in 6:47.  I finished 19th out of 34.

I got a delicious Dairy Queen burger on the way back.

 

Reflections

The finishing time gave me confidence, as 6:47 would bank 2.5 hours off of 30-hour pace at Arkansas.  The Traveller has big climbs compared to the flat Trailway, though overall the Traveller is quite runnable.  So, maybe I won't do the first 50k in 6:47, but if I am in the ballpark that would be good.  

My powerhiking pace the last two races is welcome, as maybe I can keep hiking sub-18-minute miles at Arkansas.

Thanks to God, Tejas Trails, Chris McWatters, the volunteers,  my running group Jamie, Luke, Doug, Joe,  and Micah, my friends, all my extended family,  Cesar, Terri, James, and Paloma for the support! 

2024 Running Man 50k

The Background

At the Habanero 50k, I placed in the top half of the field, which is always welcome.  Three weeks later would be the Running Man 50k.  A running festival in Georgia, this would be a special treat.  

Jamie and I flew out, arriving on Friday, the first day of the festival.  We tried out the combination of a cold plunge followed by a sauna, which was invigorating. There were several speaker options, and I heard running legend Jeff Galloway talk on the run/walk method.  Several speakers shared on near-death experiences climbing mount Everest. Jesse Itzler gave a great motivational talk to close the day. Tent camping, I got some good sleep and enjoyed coffee and muffins race morning.

The Race

The race would be one-mile loops with an 8-hour time limit, circling the festival grounds on smooth trail.  There was a slight climb on the 2nd half of the loop.  The great backyard runner Harvey Lewis ran with us.

The weather was nice and cool, clouds overhead.  We had worried about the weather report of rain, but it only rained lightly and briefly.

The first 10 miles, I ran relatively fast for me, 10-minute pace or so.  

Getting a bit tired, from 10 to 15 miles, I hiked the quarter-mile climb, and ran the rest.

Halfway to 50k, I hit an energy low.  The race did not offer coke, and the energy drink available was low calorie, so I needed to adapt my nutrition.  I decided to eat a whole pack of M&Ms each hour, to at least get in 200+ calories.  Jamie pulled away from me at this point. As I neared mile 20, I started to feel better.

At this point, I was powerhiking everything, but my pace was 14- or 15-minute miles, good for me.  I had set an A goal of 7:15 for the 50k, as that was what I did at the first 50k of the 2023 Arkansas Traveller 100. As my powerhiking pace looked like would get me to that, I figured why mess with it, so I kept it up.

I misunderstood the rules of the race, as I had reviewed the previous year's results and just looked at the overall number of laps completed.  I thought you could get in as many loops as you can under 8 hours. This year they did not have the overall lap count.

This was another reason why I didn't start running more of these miles: I was saving up for a final push in the last hour.  But when I had reached mile 30, a lady at the start told me it was my final loop, and confirmed that the results would only show up to 50k.  I had hoped I could move up in the field by tacking on more miles.

Well, I thought, might as well run the last mile and see what I could do.  I did pass some people that last mile, finishing in 7:04.   

Looking back a week later, the place results were organized in alphabetical order by first name, making it difficult to get a sense of the order of finishing time.  Before they reorganized by alphabetical order, I remember I was like 39th out of 109.  Jamie beat me by like 40 minutes.

Reflections

This was a great experience, as I liked the festival atmosphere. 

Finishing in 7:04 gave me confidence for my goal race of the Arkansas Traveller...if I did that again there, I would have 2 hours banked off of 30-hour pace.  I could have got in under 7 hours had I paid better attention to the rules, but I'm grateful for the time.

Moreover, it was wonderful to go on a running trip with my good friend Jamie.

Thanks to the God, All Day Running, Jesse Itzler, the workers, the volunteers, Jamie, Luke, Cesar, all my friends, all my extended family, Terri, James, and Paloma for the support!