2023 Muleshoe Bend 60k

The Background

I was having a good summer.  After being hired by UHD as an assistant professor, I was in a good state of mind.  I watched a lot of classic basketball, including every NBA year-end video from 1980 to 1999.  

Training began, as I started waking up with the sun and running nearly every morning.  These were longer runs than years past, 6 to 8 miles on a regular day.  After discovering the Cypresswood Trails near my house, I did three days of 14, 14, and 16-mile run/hikes.  I did not complete a 20-mile training run though.  After dieting, I hit my racing weight of 160.

The Race

I left about 1pm and drove to Muleshoe, arriving with plenty of time.

I ran most of the first loop, before running out of steam, paying the price for skipping the 20-mile training run.  A bit scared of crashing, I moved conservatively, throwing in short runs after that but mostly hiking.

Calculating my hiking pace of 19 to 20-minute miles, I was looking at either side of 11 hours.  I had to push it to move even that fast hiking.  The trails are challenging, but I sure have slowed down!

Then I felt a sharp pain in the arch of my right foot.  At first I thought there was something in my shoe (I was wearing very old Hokas with holes in them to save money).  It wasn't constant, just when I stepped on rock in just the right way, maybe feeling it a few times during the course of the race.

I did try to keep running at times, but with my torn Hokas, I got a lot of rocks in my shoes and had to stop to clean them out, which may have negated the time effects from running.

On the final loop, I thought I could get in under 11 hours.  But then the foot pain hit me again, and I figured it was not worth risking an injury to run a couple miles.  I finished in 11:03.  

Like last year, it was a good thing I pushed it a bit, because I finished an hour from the cutoff.

Reflections

My foot was only slightly sore on Monday, which is a positive sign.  I need to go easy for a bit. 

The first race of the season always lets me know where I am.  I did have more fitness thanks more running, but at my age, if I want to have a sub-10 hour Muleshoe I will need to do a 20-mile training run.  The Cypresswood Trails are bike trails with a bit of up and down, so next year I may do a 20 miler there.

I also need to work on my hiking.  After the Trailway Marathon, my focus will be Cactus Rose 100, which will be mostly hiking.   In my training runs, when I started hiking, I did not push it hard.  The hiking pace will be more important than the running at Cactus.

There was a sign at Muleshoe: "Someday you will not be able to do this, but that is not today."  I've slowed down...it's a reality.  But I can still finish Muleshoe, and that is a good thing.  As long as I can hike I can finish this race, so I could do it for many years to come. 

I've finished Muleshoe 60k 6 times...most finishes for any race.

Well, the season has started, so what are some goals?

• Finish a 100 miler at Cactus Rose
• 500-mile fleece at Cactus Rose
• 500-mile fleece at Bandera
• Tejas 300 with either a 100k or 100 miler at Rocky Raccoon
• Beat my marathon time last year of 4:47

We'll see if any of the above happens!

2023 Woodlands Marathon

The Background

I had a decent race at Galveston Marathon.  After going out too fast and crashing, I kept fighting and finished in 5:09. Obviously, the lesson learned from Galveston is to not go out too fast.  

This would be the last race of the season.  Originally I was going to run Seabrook Lucky Trails later in March, but I have a minor surgery coming up.

The Race

It was perfect running weather, slightly chilly at the start.

As I headed out, I felt slightly off.  My ear was stopped up and I felt a slight lack of motivation, the latter being maybe a sign it was good the season was ending.  

Putting on music early, I ran at about at about 10:30 pace to mile 6.  Holding that that to mile 10, I still felt okay.  From there to half marathon. I got a little tired but still held a decent pace, hitting the halfway point in 2:22:53. 

I still felt okay to mile 15.  Pushing away thoughts of walk breaks, I chugged along to mile 20.  Though now at 11-minute miles and tired, I could still run.  I thought, "I'm feeling good so I gotta not waste this."  

I had been passing people steadily, like Jamie and I did at USA Fit, and this motivated me.  At about mile 23 on the Waterway, I chatted with a fellow who has finishing his first marathon.

I finished in 4:47:19 having run every step of the race.  I had even run through the aid stations!

Terri cheered for me at the finish.

Reflections

My positive split was only 1 minute and 25 seconds, so that tells me I ran this well.  I cut my marathon time by an hour and a half from Brazos in December.  And running every step is a big deal to me.

As always, having the motivation and accountability of my friends Luke, Jamie, and Cesar made a big difference.

This was the tale of two seasons:  the first half was a string of DNFs, the second half my running buddies got my motivated.  A 100-mile finish at Jackalope, two really good marathons at USA Fit and Woodlands, what more could I ask for?

I hate to take time off while I'm rolling, but maybe it's better to finish on a high note.  I'm registered for Mule Shoe Bend in July, but I could do something before then.  Anyway, first step is to recover from the surgery.

2023 Galveston Marathon

I was riding high after a sub-5 hour finish at the USA Fit Marathon and a 100-mile finish at Jackalope Jam.  Next up was Galveston Marathon, and I hoped to lower my marathon time.

The Race

I made the rookie mistake of going out too fast.  Sub-10-minute miles felt fine up to half marathon.  But by mile 15, I was dead.

Here is where my friends Jamie and Luke helped me.  Had I no accountability, I might have just walked the last ten miles or so and finished 6 hours+.  But inspired by my training partners, I pushed on.  I did take some walk breaks but never more than a mile.  

One of my nip-ease covers fell off, probably because my cotton shirt was drenched.  As much as I hate it, I think I have to switch back to tech racing shirts.  Anyway, since the shirt was bloody and it was hot, I trashed the shirt and got sunburned.

I kept working hard.  In the final miles, I chatted with a runner who had finished 146 marathons, who inspired me.

If I had worked even harder, I could have kept it sub-5, but it was tough work anyway to finish in 5:09.

Reflections

Obviously, for Woodlands Marathon next week, I need to slow down in the first half and run between 10:30 - 10:50 minutes per mile, like I did at USA Fit.  I want to have a good race for my last of the season.  

If I want to lower my marathon time next season, I need to devote time to speedwork.

Still, I am proud of this one. Sometimes the best races are ones where things go wrong but you keep fighting.  

2023 Jackalope Jam - 100 Miles

The Background

After the inspiring experience of running the USA Fit Marathon with Jamie, I was psyched for the Jackalope Jam.  I did not finish a 100-mile race in 2022, and this would be a chance to try again.  

Running with Luke and Jamie had gotten me in better shape than I had been in years.  I dieted and made it to the low 160s.  Even more important, I felt mentally dialed in.  

The Race

I signed up for the 72 hour race, which began on Thursday.  Klein ISD gave us Wednesday through Sunday off, so it was perfect timing.  The best possible result would be to run 100 miles, and I hoped I would finish before Sunday.

Like last year, it was cold and windy as the race began.  It wasn't rainy, so it wasn't quite as bad as 2022.

As always, Jackalope Jam is a 1.5 mile out-and-back around the Cone of Death.  

Heading out at 10-minute miles, I clocked off the opening 15 miles. Though I still felt good, I then took a 5 or 6 mile walk break, remembering my 100-mile goal.  Then, I put in some good miles running to make it marathon by 5:44.  

By 50k, I saw I could get in under 7 hours so I ran to make it there in 6:59.  I felt good about that, since sub-7 hours had been my result for many full 50k races.

I had been running late when arriving to the race, and so took a break after 34.5 miles to set up my tent before nightfall.

Heading back out, I made it to mile 51.  Then, I got mentally weak in the cold, windy night and decided to sleep.  After showering, I shivered in my tent.  I could have woken up before sunrise, but I didn't want to face the night again.  

With the birds tweeting, it was hard to get out of the sleeping bag in the cold.  I knew if I willed myself to get moving, I'd warm up, which was true.

I ran a few miles, then began hiking 16 or 17-minute miles.  By 100k, I had calculated the time and saw that I could get to 100 miles in under 40 hours.  I had a chance of making it by 36 hours, which would would be meaningful to me since that was the old cutoff for Cactus Rose and the current cutoff for the Badger.  But anything under 40 hours would be great, since I was still fighting the urge to stop and finish up on day 3.

Luckily, day 2 was warmer and not very windy.  I actually I wished I had brought my bucket hat for the sun.

Pushing on, I hit a low at mile 75.  My energy was low so I ate some extra food (I had mostly eaten chips this race).  I sat down in a chair for like 3 minutes.  Moving again, I called my friend Cesar to pass a bit of time and as always he helped me.  

I had been drinking coke a lot, but it in the closing miles I watched my calories closely and switched back to Gatorade.  Wanting to avoid a crash, I even choked down a couple of gels, which I hate to do!

I chatted with a lot of great folks along the way.  Jackalope runners always inspire me. A lot of the runners are slower like me but they are doing amazing things - 200 plus miles.  I cheered for a fellow Emmanuel who finished his first 100k.

By nightfall on the second day, I had about half marathon to go to 100 miles.  I had feared to face the cold night again, but with low wind the weather, though cold, was not a factor.  In the last 13 miles, I threw in some running, at times to shake me up when I felt low or just to get closer to the finish.

My pace had slowed when hiking to 18 or 19 minutes a mile, and the 36 hour goal was not to be.  But I moved steadily and finished in 37:30.  

Start

The Cone of Death

Mile 80

Finish

Reflections

This race went about as well as I could hope for.  I could have done better by pushing through the night on day 1 or taking a much shorter break.  But I made it to 100 miles.  I had stopped before at 100k at Jackalope in 2019 and 2022.  I had done the virtual 100-miler for Jackalope in 2021, but that was over 60 hours and not at the race course.  

Further, as I was running this like a 100 mile race with a really long cutoff, my goal was to make it to 100 in the best possible time.  As such, not stretching it over 3 days, like I had done on some of my virtual 100-milers, was an improvement.  Sub-40 hours feels great to me. 

I did not feel despair in the race, as I had at Rocky Raccoon, Cactus Rose (both times), and the Badger.   Maybe my mental outlook is getting better.  Maybe it was the inspiration of running with Luke and Jamie.  Maybe it was just managing the race better.  Probably a combination of all 3.  But this is good, because I now know I can run 100 miles without it being absolute torture.  While it was very hard, apart from the low point at mile 75, I felt okay most of the race.

I could not be happier about this race!

 

2023 USA Fit Marathon

The Background

I was excited to run USA Fit with my friend Jamie, who was looking to complete his first marathon.  Training had been going well.  Between runs with Luke and Jamie and exploring my new neighborhood, I was getting fitter.   Looking to improve on my 5:37 marathon time from Texas Marathon Kingwood, I started dieting, dropping about 10 pounds to get in the 160s.  

Our A goal was to run under 5 hours, the B goal 6 hours, C goal finish.  Averaging 11:27 per mile would get us under 5 hours.

A storm was anticipated, so we both packed ponchos.  

The Race

Jamie and I headed out in the dark and damp.  It never rained to hard during the race, there was no hard wind, and it wasn't too cold, so weather wasn't a factor.  We both skipped the ponchos for most of the race.

Our natural pace seemed to be around 10:30 a mile, but we kept saying "dial it back a bit" to keep us closer to 11 minutes a mile.  

We focused on check points every 2 or 3 miles:

"We're going to make it to 10 miles feeing good."

"We're going to make it to 17 miles feeling ok."

"Let's make it to mile 20 and the turnaround."

As we approached half marathon, a family celebrated a man and woman nearing their finish, and the runners began reciting a prayer.  It was very powerful to witness.  

Jamie's family cheered him on at two points during the race - so inspiring!

By half marathon, we were still feeling good.  This was evident because no one who was behind us at that point passed us later in the race.  Indeed, we chased down quite a few folks.

Throughout my running career, band-aids on the chest had mostly sufficed.  The last two marathons, band-aids have fallen off and I've bled a lot.  I'm going to have to try something new next time.

By mile 20, we were both tired.  At that point, we really hadn't taken any walk breaks.  Then, we threw in a few short bits of walking, maybe a quarter mile each.  Looking at Jamie's watch (I forgot mine), our goal of under 5 hours was achievable, but it was going to be tight.  We ran when we didn't want to run, and I had a hard time keeping up with Jamie at times!  

We saw the final turn and calculated we had 6 minutes to do a third of a mile.  Running it in, we reached our goal with a time of 4:57.

Finish Line Video

Ugh, I'm bleeding!

Post-Race Lunch at OMG! Burger

Reflections

A couple months ago, I was in a running slump, with some DNFs and lowered motivation.  Running with Luke and Jamie has really inspired me again.  To see Jamie reach his goal, with his family their cheering, reminded me why I started running.

I need to fix my chest bleeding issue.  I may try NipEaze that Jamie recommended from his friend.

We managed our pace well.  It felt good to pass people rather than being passed.  I am going to run a few more marathons this season and would like to improve my time.  Speed work in training can help lower my overall pace, but I have to remember still not to go out too fast.

Results showed us at 59th and 60th place out of 117 runners.  Pretty good!

This was one of my favorite races I've run because I was so inspired by Jamie's effort.  I'm so proud of how tough he was and how hard he worked to finish.  Congratulations, my friend!

2023 Texas Marathon - Kingwood

After chatting with some running buddies, I started to get excited about the Texas Marathon - Kingwood. One of them is running both USA Fit Marathon, which I will run, and Iron Man.

This season I will be running a series of marathons.  Also, the following weekend will be Bandera 100k.

I mapped out a plan where I might hopefully reach my 100th marathon by Houston Marathon 2024, a year hence.

I had never run Texas Marathon - Kingwood because it is so close to Bandera, but this time I thought it would be a good training run.  I had run Brazos Bend Marathon a month ago and was looking to improve on that very slow time of 6:19.

The Race

The race is on paved trails through the greenbelt, kind of like the sidewalk trails in the Woodlands.  It was a 6.5-mile loop.

I went out at sub-11-minute miles.  Around 11 miles, I felt mentally weak and walked around 4 miles.  then, I tried to run for 2-mile bursts with walk breaks for a mile or less.  The last mile I was really tired.  I fought hard.

My band-aids fell off and I was bleeding a lot.

Reflections

I enjoyed this race and would do it again.

At this stage of my running career, a marathon is a big challenge and I like the distance.  I still plan to do three ultras this calendar year: Bandera 100k, Muleshoe Bend 60K, and Cactus Rose 100 Mile because they are favorite races.  But I'll be doing a lot of marathons and feel I will enjoy that.  

I can try to work on getting my time down.  This finish of 5:37 was 42 minutes faster than Brazos Bend, so that was some progress. But it was still really slow.  I still failed to train for this.  

But a New Years Day marathon felt good! 

2022 Brazos Bend Marathon

The Background

I was feeling low about running after multiple DNFs.  I got a drop-down finish of 50 miles (credited) at the Cactus Rose 100.  Work was dragging me down. With Brazos Bend Marathon coming up, I couldn't motivate myself to train properly, only running short runs.

A good thing was that James and Terri would come to see me at the race.

The Race

After catching the shuttle to the start, I started off running 10 or a 11 minute miles.  I began hiking at about mile 6, but I was able to maintain a good pace of sub-15 minute miles for many of them.  I ran some off and on after that but it was mostly fast hiking.

Along the way there were alligators!

This shows how close the gators were!

Rob drove by and the van and honked and waved to to me.

I pushed on to the finish, never going into a major low.

Reflections

I think I want to focus on more marathons.  They are a challenge, and I can finish in a day and celebrate.  I signed up for the Texas Marathon in Kingwood on January 1.  It will also be good training for Bander 100k.

Of course, I need to train  more if I want to do better than a 6 hour marathon.

I proved on smooth terrain, I can powerhike sub-15 minute miles.

It was great to have family there at the race.  I'm proud I pushed hard with them waiting there for me.