Flat Rock 50K umm 25K

I want to start off by offering prayers and condolences to the runner and his family that was struck by lightning and killed during the race.  It was difficult for me to write a running recap of this race due to this tragedy.

I have always wanted to run a race with a tight cutoff time. I did not expect this to be that race. I thought with 10 hrs for a 50K would not be that bad. My very first 50K was under 9 hrs. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. I know that about 179 runners registered for the race.  I do not know how many actually started but only 103 had finishing times.  I was planning to get pictures on the way back but that did not workout.  I do not know where to start.

The course was tough.  Let me restate this, it was the toughest most unique course I have ever been on. There are parts of the course, as a hiker, I would not even think of hiking.  I got close to 1400′ of elevation gain in the first 25K.  It is less than Piney Woods but much more difficult.  I guess the easiest way to explain this course is this way.  It is a mixture of Colorado Bend SP with the rocks, Cleburne SP with the short steep hills, Lake Mineral Wells SP with the squeezing and climbing crevices then throw in some Arkansas cliffs and Louisiana low land terrain.  The lack of wind made it a sauna the entire time.  Mind you it never got above 83 degrees but the humidity was about 67%.  The funny thing was people at the start complaining how hot it was going to get and might reach 85.  I was laughing to myself thinking I have not had one run in months that low.The elevation profile is deceiving and hides the difficulty of the course.

I tried not to run stupid from the start.  I took it easy at the beginning.  It turns out that was the wrong strategy.  I should have ran hard at the beginning and at every possible place I could have run.  I did not think the hills were going to be that technical.  I am talking hands on ground going up and down these hills.  Did I mention two ladders on the course?  Plus water crossings and mud.  It had not rained in awhile and the course was mostly dry but every “obstacle” was extreme.  The course went down into a basin of a waterfall.

I got to the turnaround 10 minutes past the cutoff.  I changed into dry clothes and did the math on making the finish cutoff.  I could drop three minutes per mile on the way back and make the cutoff.  I was feeling pretty good.  My legs were fine and I was hydrated and ate properly during the first half.  I was not low on energy but something in my mind said do not go back out.  The clouds were breaking up and the sun was out so I was not worried about rain.  Several others decided to try their luck and return and they looked much worse off than I.  The volunteer asked two more times if I was going back out and I finally said I am done.  I truly believe in divine intervention and I know that is the reason I did not try to finish the race.

The rain eventually came and it was heavy but it did not stay around for long.  I would have got caught in it more than likely on one of the more runnable sections of the course. I think I could have made the 10 hr time limit but it would have been close and not very fun in the rain and on a wet course.  This was also the time the tragedy struck.  The runner was a quarter of a mile from the finish line.

I am leaning on doing it again next year.  I am going to run my usual dumb race because I know I will not be able to keep up a fast pace for more than two miles at a time before something slows me down.  So if anybody wants to run the most amazing course you will ever run, I am willing to do it again.  On a positive note, I wish I had gotten some pictures because the course had so many picturesque places and features.  I was awestruck running the course.

BTW, my legs are still sore.

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Prairie Spirit Trail 50K

After my first 50K, I vowed to not run another 50K.  I was also told once you run your first ultra I would to run many more.  I guess I was wrong.  I finished my second ultra and have already signed up for a 100K.  The Prairie Spirit Trail run was located in Ottawa, KS, which is about an hour and a half south west of Kansas City.  Unlike my first 50K, I had no crew or fellow runners to help pace.  I ran alone with the use of a drop bag.  I did not use my drop bag as much as I thought. I had a change of clothes, some extra food and pain aids.  I did not change clothes and probably should have changed shirts. I did eat some additional food but the aid stations were well stocked.  I did use the 2Toms anti chafe pads.  These pads saved the race for me.

The race started in a snowstorm and ended in the bright sun.  The 2Toms came into play early because the snow made my clothes wet from the start.  The 2Toms eased the rubbing and I had no chafing problems the entire rest of the race.

The race was a very flat and fast out and back course. The 50K runners had a short out and back before heading on the main trail out and back.  The first manned aid station was located in Princeton and that is where I had my drop bag.  I thought I was running slow but I was way ahead of my predicted pace. I had to tell myself to slow down so I would burn out early. I have this problem in my long runs. I start off way to fast and have nothing left at the end of the race.  I slowed myself down by taking pictures and this aid station is also where I had my first application of 2Toms.

The next manned aid station was at Richmond.  This is also the 50K turn around.  I was still ahead of schedule but the race changed entirely at this aid station. The aid station to the finish would be into a 25 MPH head wind with gust up to 45 MPH.  It felt like a 10 degree temperature drop and it was a tough run.  I could not get any pictures because my hands had 2Toms on them and it was just to cold to take off my gloves.

I got to the Princeton aid station on the way back and still felt pretty good.  I was still ahead of pace so I readjusted my finishing time and sped up.  I should not have changed my plan.  I struggled the last 5 miles. I also ran out of water with 2 miles left.  I felt the slight uphill to the finished line and it hurt.  I did have a somewhat sprint finish to get my time under 6 hours and 30 minutes.  My official time was 6:29:27 which is over 2 hours faster than my first 50K and 30 minutes faster than my predicted time. 

I met a bunch of good people at this race.  I am going to be back here for the 100K and might pick up another two trail races in Kansas.  They told me that there are hills in Kansas so I will sign up for those races.

Next up is a super hilly race in Texas.

Hiking on Hold but still on the Trails

I have only done about a half dozen hikes this year. I could blame the weather but I have not been away from the trails. I have several big trail runs coming up this month. I have a half marathon and a 50K trail run in a two week period. Also in April and May I have four races on technical terrain each ten plus miles long. I then take a two week break and go into 100K training. I like hiking and if I never started hiking I would not be trail running. I have a great group to run with and I happen to live in an area where I have six great trails within fifteen minutes from home. So here are some pictures of places I am training and people I am training with.Eagle Mountain ParkCedar Ridge PreserveNTTR Group when I am up north of the metroplexDDR when I am in my neighborhoodTrinity Groves with downtown Dallas in the background.The main group of crazies.

The places and the groups make training fun and interesting. I miss my solo hikes but running with a good group of people helps me take my mind off the training. This big guy will be back hiking soon enough.

2019 This might be Crazy

In 2018, I completed a race at every possible distance from 5K to 50K. I also hiked some of the most scenic places I have ever seen. So what am going to do to top 2018? I dug deep into my imagination and found some crazy places. I am heading back down to the Texas Hill country to hike a park I have never been to yet. I am headed back to Arkansas to hike another mountain but this time from the more difficult side. I have a race in east Texas that took my legs last year. I signed up up for to prove to myself I can beat this course. I will once again will run the Huaco Cuatro Series in Waco, TX but this time I am going to try to get my times much lower. I am doing this all in the first two months of 2019. I want to get back to Oklahoma in March and also a second possible 50K in Kansas. I will get my mini travel camper in April so I can travel in style. My big hikes this year will be to hike to the highest points in Arkansas (I have already done it once), Oklahoma and Texas. My big run this year will be to buckle up with a 100K also in Kansas. I am looking forward to getting out and running and hiking all around America.

Best of 2018 Trails upon Trails

This year I hiked 50 new trails in 45 new places. I was doing the 52 Hike Challenge Explorer Series which is to hike 52 new places in 12 months. I did not get to 52 new trails but the 50 new trails were worth the travel. I found some local city parks and many state parks. I ventured into two other states besides Texas. I liked the hikes in Arkansas and Oklahoma and already have plans to return to both states. I also had some first in my trail running. I did my first 1/2 Marathon, 20K, 25K and 50K all on trails. 2018 was an awesome year to be outside.

Austin, TX

Tulsa, OK

Dallas, TX

Mount Magazine 20K

Wild Hare 50K

Mount Nebo, Arkansas

Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Oklahoma

2018 was an incredible year and my plans for 2019 are even more adventurous.

 

 

Bluff Creek Ranch

Bluff Creek Ranch is a private ranch located in Warda, TX which is about 45 minutes southeast of Austin. Even though the location would suggest the Texas hill country, the ranch had a real east Texas feel. There were not many hills but plenty of pine trees. The oil derrick would suggest a more north west Texas location but nope it is on the outskirts of the Texas hill country.  This is place where I became an ultra runner by completing my first 50K trail run. I did not expect this place to be this scenic. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the sunrise but I was too busing running. There are several ponds located throughout the ranch. There was not one big destination on the ranch but plenty of different things to see that caught my eye. The rolling hills and creeks mixed in with the pine trees and open fields made this a great hike.

It was a crazy day and I am glad I got to be able to hike a private ranch and also run a 50K. This is hike 42 in my 52 Hike Challenge Explorer Series.

I will get back on track the next blog with my continuing adventures in Arkansas.

Wild Hare 50K

I have been training most of the year for this race. I wanted to finish this year as an ultra runner. The 50K distance is the shortest race to reach ultra runner status. I signed up for the race and knew I was going to finish. I was confident after my 1/2 marathon and 20K but lost all that confidence after the 25K. The 25K race made me change my race preparation for the 50K. I still do not do long runs over 12 miles but I started doing 8-10 mile training runs. I also did 4-6 mile runs back to back with a ten minute break in between runs. Lastly, I did more flatter course runs than hills. The 50K course was a relatively flat course.

The night before the run I had my normal pizza dinner. The only thing I regularly do before a run. I did not eat pizza the night before the 25K and I will not do that again. An hour after dinner everything went wrong. I had diarrhea all night and most of the morning. The first thing a had in the morning was pepto bismol. The start of the race my stomach was still churning but I was going to finish no matter what. I felt better after a port o potty break and the second loop went well. I was actually one hour faster at the half point than my disaster of a 25K. I finished in a time of 8:48:42 but my running time was 7:48ish. I spent about an hour of the race at the aid stations. I was going to do a full change but I only changed my shirts. I should have done the full change because I finished the last loop with painful chafing. I finished and I am now an ultra runner.

The running club I run with calls all of the ultra runners “badass”. I have been shying away from the name but I ready to embrace it. I would like to do some other long races in the 20-25K range more often but not a 50K or longer.

I Might be Crazy but…

I also might be just crazy enough to survive the next four months. Starting in the month of September I will embarking on an unexplored running distance and adventure each month. In September, I am heading to east Texas to run a 25K trail race. Earlier this year I ran a half marathon and also finished two 20Ks. The course will take me all over the place in two loops. I will be running up and down hills. There will be plenty of switchbacks and turns. The distance will be my longest run to date. A week before this run I will be running one the toughest 10K’s in Texas.In October, I will be running the Ragnar Trail Relay. This will also be a fifteen mile plus run but it will be broken up into three different parts. If that is not wild enough I also volunteered to do an extra leg due to the team being a runner short. It is going to be a party atmosphere with no sleep and plenty of running. I will run a 15K on a tough central Texas course a week before. I cannot believe I am doing this.In November, I will become an ultrarunner by running a 50K. This is going to be the crown jewel of my year of running. I am really excited about this run. The course is relatively flat and will consist of four loops. I thought this would be a positive but thinking about it, it gives me three chances to DNF. I am determined to get my ultrarunner label so DNF is not an option. I will run a 15K a week before this race. The 15K will be a familiar course and not too difficult.In December, I will be doing my first marathon. I cannot do anything in a normal way so my first marathon will be a half road and half trail. I have no idea what the course will be like. I am going to try to hike the course location in between all the other crazy races I will be doing. This race will be only three weeks after the 50K so I will not do any races in between. I will restate that as I have no plans to run between the races but there are two races on my radar.

When I complete these tasks I placed before myself, I will be exhausted or bouncing of the walls. I love setting goals that will stretch my abilities but I hope I did not over extend myself.