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!