Blog of a Middle Aged Athlete

After my last trail race, I wasn’t sure I was going to try another one.  It is not that it was a bad experience, but it wasn’t exactly good either.  But I felt that the race had beaten me, and I wanted another shot.So there I was, toeing the line at Pace Bend Park, about ready to run another 30k trail race.  My last experience had me bonking at the end, and I was determined not to let that happen again.

My plan for this race?  Take it nice and slow so I could finish strong at the end.The weather was warm and humid, about what you would expect for central Texas in May.  Although storms had been threatening the area all weekend, it had managed to stay relatively dry.  The course was a 9 mile loop (actually, 9.35 miles, but who’s counting?) that we were to run twice.  My strategy was simple.  Start slow, get through the first lap, then based on energy level and my knowledge of the course, step on the gas during the second lap.  I remembered being passed by a young lady during the last 3 miles of the previous race in April, and I was determined not to let that happen again.  A group of about 7 of us ran together for the first lap.  Who was leading our little pace group?  You guessed it, the young lady.  This was perfect, as I figured she had the pacing thing down much better that I did, so I would hang with her until I decided to pull away.

Initially, the course seemed much easier that the previous race.  The trail was mostly dirt instead of rocks, and there weren’t any “step ups” or water crossings.  Sure there were hills, but nothing too major.  I was feeling pretty good, and when we finished the first loop, I was pretty confident.  Unfortunately, that feeling would not last.

At about mile 11, things starting turning for the worse.  For whatever reason, my legs were beginning to feel heavy.  I still managed to stay with my “competition,” but whereas before it seemed effortless, now I was laboring.  I couldn’t wait for the next water stop so I could take another GU and get some fluids in me.  After the aid station at mile 12, I was really struggling to stay with her, but managed to keep her in my sights for the next 2 miles.  That is when the wheels came off.

For those of you that have never felt bonking before (aka “hitting the wall”), it is not a pleasant experience.  Although my desire was there, I couldn’t move my legs with any speed at all.  Each 10 foot hill seemed at least 100 feet high, and my pace was slowing dramatically.  At one point, thinking I had gone at least a mile since the last water stop, I looked at my Garmin and saw that I had barely gone a quarter of a mile.  I started wondering why I was doing this race in the first place.

The last few miles were terrible.  My usual strategy in races is to run negative splits, and start picking off “victims” ahead of me as I sprint to the finish.  This strategy was replaced by a new strategy, which involved me trying to stay with the person that just passed me.  I believe I was passed by 4 or 5 runners during the last 3 miles, the last one passing me during the last 200 yards.  This does not happen to me!

I was frustrated at the finish.  Although I was happy that I completed the race (there were many times I felt like quitting), I was very unhappy with my performance.  During the previous 30k in April (my first), I was 4th in the Masters category and 18th (I think( overall.  I actually went into this race thinking I could get 3rd in Masters.  My results:  30th overall out of 78 and nowhere near 3rd in Masters, not exactly a stellar performance.  My first lap was completed in 1:26, my second in 1:35, basically a minute a mile slower.

I am not sure why this trail race was such a problem for me.  Since my BQ in February, I have intentionally eased off on the training a little bit to give myself a break.  The warmer weather and humidity has definitely been affecting me, but I thought I had hydrated enough on the days leading up to the race to compensate.  I have done zero training on trails, so I’m sure the muscles used are not as well developed as my “marathon muscles.”  Whatever the reason, I was beaten by this race.

I really have no idea if I will do another trail race or not.  I do enjoy the scenery and running through the trees.  However, this race was the last major trail race in the area until the fall, and I’m not sure how the autumn races will fit into my marathon schedule.  I can’t help to feel that I need to do another one, and do it well.  I don’t like the feeling of being beaten that this race gave me.

Stay tuned!