2013 Bandera 100K Report

I was starting my ascent of the Three Sisters and I could feel a slight change in the air.  The humidity that had kept me drenched all day was starting to break and a gentle breeze was blowing.  I was hiking the Sisters, but something else was also changing.  The fire inside was returning.  I began plowing through the bouncing patches of leg slicing Sotul and my renewed focus was set on the Cross Roads aid station two miles away.

As I approached the race's ten hour mark, I'd had enough and was ready to declare an end to the previous six hours of mediocrity.  I can't explain what got the kick going, but whatever the spark, I'm glad it was lit.  I stopped briefly at the aid station, swapped my wet shirt for a dry one, and began the final 9 mile leg over Lucky Peak, Cairns Climb, and Boyles Bump en route to the finish.  I ran the best of the day during this stretch and I couldn't have been happier to end on a positive note.

The Bandera 100K once again proved to be an elusive goal.  I thought for sure I'd dialed this one in and would nail it.  I should have known better.  You can't tame an ultra no matter how many times you run it.  There are too many wild, unpredictable, and moving parts.  A runner simply has little control.  What a runner can control is between their ears and how that gray matter will respond as the external circumstances unfold.

When I walked out the door of my motel room at 5:50am, I walked right into a rainforest.  Everything was dripping wet as fog and drizzle enveloped all surroundings.  It was already 65 degrees with 100% humidity.  My thoughts were on the positive side thinking about the cloud cover this would provide as the temps rose to the forecasted 75 degrees.  I didn't think at all about the trail conditions.

Not me, but you get the idea.  (Photo by Don Hauk)

When the stampede race began, it only took a few moments before the realization set in that this race was going to leave me looking like I ran a mud run.  I could feel the clods leeching on to my shoes and then releasing into the air before the crash landing on my calves.  The front runners were depositing much of the mud from their shoes on the rocks that the rest of us would enjoy sliding on as we descended Bandera's steep hills.

Coming into Nachos aid station.  Amazing volunteers!  Knees already bloodied from the Sotul.  (Photo by Don Hauk)

I coped well for the first few hours.  My goal was to remain relaxed during the first loop and I certainly accomplished a slower pace. Unfortunately the slower pace was taxing with the extra poundage clinging to the bottom of my shoes.  After wearing my Hokas last year, I couldn't think of a better shoe for the Bandera rocks.  I can now also say they're about the worst shoe one could wear for the Bandera mud.  All the extra surface area sucked up whatever brown stuff it encountered and at times it looked like someone strapped leather footballs to my feet.

Clod City! This stretch was the worst of the worst. At least no rocks. (Photo by Marlon Onco)

This wasn't a day for expansive views of the beautiful Hill Country. (Photo by Jackie Dove)

I came into the turnaround right at the 5 hour mark.  My mental state had already been swirling down the toilet bowl for an hour or two and I sat down to regroup for lap #2.  That lasted about a minute as I couldn't think of any mental gymnastics to make the situation better, so I got up and started running.

Mile after mile, I continued in an unexceptional manner.  People were passing me regularly and I wished them well and admired the determined look on their faces and strong form as they ran.  I attempted to chase them, but couldn't get out of second gear.  I thought about all of the people pulling for me, that I was competing in a national championship race, all the training I did to prepare, and none of it mattered.  There was nothing physically wrong with me.  I had simply settled for a mediocre race as the hours went by.

Finally, things changed as I described above.  They always do if you can persevere long enough.  This rough patch just happened to be an incredibly long one.  I was flying along as my anger drove me to run up and over the hills.  I had wanted to finish before sunset and now I was in the dark navigating technical trails by headlamp.  That got me more mad and so I ran harder.  It's funny how anger can morph into joy when it produces positive results.  I felt free as the scales of my defeated attitude were peeling off.

Crossing the finish line in 11:45 came with a variety of emotions.  I had finished well and no longer had a DNF hanging over my head.  But I couldn't shake the thought of the missed opportunity.  I've had many races where I've crossed that line and know I left everything in me out on the course.  This wasn't one of those races and an honest gut check has revealed that the problem was allowing myself to run too long with a mental flat tire.  No other excuse fits since I fueled well and my body was experiencing nothing more than normal fatigue.

So I've marked January 11, 2014 on my calendar, and I know that something has to change in my approach and execution of this race.  I'm excited to figure out what that will be and try again.

Now to bring it back to a lighter side, I thought this report wouldn't be complete without an amazing picture taken of the night sky.

Wow, what a gorgeous view of the stars and Milky Way! (Photo by Me)

I did mention that I was staying at a motel, right?

And I have a history of staying in shady places in Bandera, right?

Well check out what was above my bed!  Oh yeah!  Mix that black light with some glow in the dark paint splattered on the ceiling and well....

No matter what happens during a race, I do recognize that I'm one of the luckiest people alive to have the opportunity to run trails for almost 12 hours.  It is a gift I try to never take for granted.  Enjoy this picture of one of our fine soldiers, Eduard Lychik.  I didn't meet him or even see him out on the course, but I wish I did.  He rocked the 25K and brought an immense dose of inspiration to all that witnessed his race.

Photo by Rick Kent.

Once again, I thank Joe & Joyce and all the Tejas Trails volunteers for putting on such a fine race.  My wife asks me why I go back year after year.  Bandera extracts the same feelings out of me as Leadville.  The town, the community of runners, the Texas hospitality, the tough as nails course, and Joe & Joyce.  For almost 24 straight hours, Joe waits on the other side of the finish line for each runner to cross it.  And when you do, you're met with a big handshake and a buckle.  Awesome.

If you're curious how the race played out up front, Trail Runner Mag featured this article, Muddy Times At Bandera.  Sage Canaday?  Wow, is all I can say.

Bandera Update

Bandera 100K was yesterday and I finished in 11:45.  Drizzly & humid = Mudfest.  Hoped to run faster, but did the best I could with the day handed to me.

Looking Ahead & Looking Behind

2013 is charging ahead and I'm enjoying reading about everyones ideas and plans for races or fun runs in the coming year.  While my thoughts are definitely drifting to the summer and getting back into the high country, I have a gnarly 100k next weekend that I need to face for the third year in a row.

The infamous Bandera DNF bib!

Bandera is back on tap and this year I'm determined to run a smart race finally realizing what I'm capable of doing down there.  I'm healthy and have no nagging aches or pains that have plagued me at this race the last two years.  It should be a good day.  It's also the Trail 100k National Championship, so that may provide a little extra push.

And now for a few other 2013 thoughts & daydreams...

• I'm pleased to be able to join the Runner's Roost Race Team this year.  I thought I'd toss my name in the hat and somehow they decided that I wouldn't handicap the team too much.  It will be fun to add a bit more camaraderie to the mix this year and represent an organization that has such a strong presence supporting the local trail running scene.

• When planning my 2013 races, everything was beginning to look almost identical to my 2012 lineup.  That didn't bum me out because between Bandera, Moab's Red Hot, Lake City, Golden Gate, and Leadville - those are some sweet courses!  But over the New Year's weekend, a seed was planted that quickly sprouted into a full plant.  We had some good friends visiting from our old hometown, Santa Barbara, and we began talking about various trail races in the Los Padre National Forest.  Those are some rugged and beautiful mountains.  One thing lead to another, and I was pouring over the DRTE 100 website feverishly running the logistics through my head.  The RD moved the race from April to June and the timing is excellent for a nice summer southern California vacation.  It's a beast with 29K feet of vertical.  Mt. Everest?  Ouch.  I'm loving the 6pm start though.  I'm getting very close to committing. 

• After the DRTE 100, my focus will be on recovery and enjoying fun runs in the high country whenever possible.  Next up will be the LT100 in August.  I'm a little nervous about running two 100's in a summer, but I love Leadville and I think spacing them out two months should be fine.

• The other "new to me" race I'm planning on is Salida in March.  And I might head back to Collegiate Peaks in May.  I prefer Quad Rock, but that weekend doesn't jive too well with my soccer coaching schedule.

• This July I'll either attempt a second round duel with the Pemi Loop or take a crack at the Presi Traverse.  I'd also like to hike a 14er with my girls.

• After reading Jennifer Pharr Davis' book "Becoming Odyssa" last summer, I've had a serious itch to try thru-hiking.  Not on the scale of the Appalachian Trail or CT as that is completely irrational at this stage of life.  I'm thinking more like a 4-5 day adventure.  The way Jennifer described hiking solo day after day really appealed to me.  If the stars align correctly, there's a chance I may get an opportunity to hike the CT from Littleton to Leadville over Labor Day weekend and a few days beyond.  I've been accumulating much needed backpacking gear for the last year, so I think I'm ready for such an attempt.

Looking back on 2012, it was nothing short of awesome.  My family continues to be a huge support and I love that we are each others #1 fans.  We all have different interests and hobbies, but we always rally for one another.  Whether it be soccer or softball games, piano or band concerts, spelling bees or other performances, or just hanging out and goofing off - we're always there in support.  Our days together are full and rich, and running is just a small piece of the pie.

This blog recaps just about everything that was somewhat notable in 2012.  Last January, I tossed out a few loosely defined goals.   I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do while continuing to achieve consistency over the last three years of ultra/trail running.  I know this sport can take time for your body to adapt, but when you keep plugging away over the years, it gets much easier - and fun!

2012 Numbers...

Total:  3162 miles
Time:  516hr 32min
Number of Runs:  300
Rest Days:  75

Average week:  60.8 miles
Average month:  263.5 miles
Average per day:  8.64 miles
Average per run:  10.5 miles
Biggest Month:  351 miles (December)
Biggest Week:  112.2 miles (Week of 8/13)
Smallest Month:  164.4 miles (September)
Smallest Week:  7.4 miles (Week of 8/20)
Longest Streak:  63 days

By The Years
2006:  406
2007:  1469
2008:  1267
2009:  1720
2010:  2743
2011:  3135
2012:  3162

Streaking

As my preparation for Bandera kicked off in October, I thought I'd give streaking (not the naked running kind) a shot in order to mix it up and add a new dynamic to my training.  I've always had great respect for those that run every day.  My experience has been that there are just some days where running is not appealing or even possible due to a whole host of excuses reasons.

So starting on 10/30, I committed to running every day through the end of November with the streaking parameters being a minimum of 5 miles/day outside and on trails. The weather during the entire month was near perfect and made the challenge easy.  I had many long runs that I would have preferred taking a rest day after, but overall 11/30 came quickly.

When December rolled around, my daughter encouraged me to keep it going.  She said, "wouldn't it be cool if you ran for 62 straight days since you'll be running 62 miles at Bandera?"  Yes, that would be cool, but that would mean streaking until 12/30!  The new challenge was on.

Now that I'm just a few days away from completing it, here are my thoughts on streaking:

• It's quite a silly endeavor that most people (even many runners) just don't understand the point.  I too was there prior to this experiment.
• Streaking for 62 days is peanuts.  There are people that have been running every single day for 40+ years!
• I love it!  For me, the motivation it produced was huge and lead me to one of my best training blocks ever. Every day the streak continued, the desire to keep it going swelled.
• The last three weeks of snow and very cold morning temps accompanied by blustery wind, have been where the rubber meets the road.  There were days where I had no clue how to fit in the run.  But when I did, the satisfaction experienced after a simple 5-7 mile run was amazing.  And then it was on to the next day.
• The runs that I typically would have bailed on were probably my favorites.  One dark and early morning, I ventured out into the thick fog.  When do we ever get fog in Colorado?  It was so thick that my headlamp barely lit up the trail in front of me.  I couldn't stop laughing as I was completely disoriented the entire run.  I could see no lights anywhere to help me set my bearings.  Another day I began running at 5am just as the snow started to fly.  The dry trails quickly turned white.  The flakes produced long streaks of light as they whipped past my headlamp. By the end I was tromping through two inches of snow in near white-out conditions.  Awesome!
• More than any other benefit, the discipline and mental strength gained from persevering and "finding a way" through each day can only pay off in races (and life!) going forward.  During every ultra, there's a point when some obstacle seems insurmountable.  The battle then rages and one side of my brain screams that the best option is to pack it up and try again the next time.  Streaking didn't give me that option as I had to find a way to run.  I hope that mentality is ever present during the obstacle-ridden Bandera experience.

The streak will be broken on 1/1 as I rest, hang with the family, and probably watch some football.  But I'm guessing a new streak will be started at some point in 2013.

Indian Creek - Back Again...

While the snow stays away, it's off to Indian Creek to play...

That had been my motto during the last six weeks of fantastic trail running weather.  I ventured back over the first weekend in December to take advantage of a 68 degree day!  My partner in crime was Jim P, and we thoroughly enjoyed cruising the Roxborough and IC trails until we parted ways so I could suffer for a few more miles than he was planning.

I did almost the same loop as the previous week, but counter-clockwise.  That is definitely the way to go!  After knocking out the Roxborough SP road (sans traffic), you're immediately on fun singletrack.  By the time you start to fade late in the run, you're treated to long descents down the Ringtail & Sharptail trails.

Run Stats

Make no mistake, our early AM start was COLD!  We could have done without the blowing wind and clouds filtering the sun.

JP chomping some calories on Carpenter Peak

As we descended from Carpenter Peak towards Waterton Canyon, we kept looking up to spot some low-flying plane.  The roar was unmistakable   Well, we were mistaken, because the noise was simply the wind whipping through the powerlines overhead.

Thankfully, the wind died down as we cruised the Round Up trail.

At the top of Round Up, we said farewell as Jim made his way over to Ringtail and I started down Steven's Gulch.  At the bottom, I encountered more creepy cabins.

The most remote port-a-potty in CO.

Instead of heading south up the Indian Creek #800 trail, I took a new one over to the Colorado Trail.  Good move!

This new to me trail climbed up to a ridge with very nice views to the east and west.

This is how you know you've hit the CT.  While I would have liked to take Lenny's bench up on the offer, I didn't rest all that long.

The temps were climbing fast now.  I had to pinch myself a few times for a reality check that this was a December day!

I finally connected back to the Ringtail trail and welcomed the long, slow drop.

A comforting sight when you're tired and ready to wind things down.  I skipped the Swallowtail loops this time since I was already over my planned mileage.

Last shot of the rocks before the 4 mile stretch on Sharptail.

My take-aways this time around:

• I ate regularly the entire run and felt just fine.  A good reminder that 100-150 calories every 30 minutes or so makes all the difference.
• I brought plenty of water and only ran out when I arrived back at the parking lot.
• Run this loop counter-clockwise.
• My endurance is definitely coming around.  Funny how that coincides with eating.
• Jim P is a great running partner!

More Indian Creek

Every fall, I wage an internal debate about taking some time away from running to lay low or keep plugging along with training.  And every fall I come to the conclusion that I'm wired for consistency and find great joy in watching small improvements in my running over the years.

I arrived at the same answer this year, but the cold, dark mornings are quite an obstacle to overcome when the alarm goes off.  In particular, the months of November and December are tough for me to train through.  For the last two years, I've had the Bandera 100K to keep me motivated through the end of the year and it works well because that race scares the pants off me.

After last year's DNF at Bandera, I've decided to return yet again and see if I can put together the kind of race I know I can run.  Whether that happens or not, I'm pleased that it has translated into the necessary desire to train.  At the end of October, I set a goal to run a minimum of 5 miles every day in November and top 300 by the end of the month.  I know that's nothing special, but so far so good on keeping the streak alive.

After dropping my folks off at the airport early Friday morning, I hoped to get in the first of two 50K training runs while the ladies of the house hit up Black Friday shopping.  The plan at first was to head to Buffalo Creek, but with the mild weather, I couldn't resist the urge to see if I could get the long miles on the Indian Creek trails.  Without touching the same trail twice, I racked up a 32 mile loop and left some options on the table for next time.

To avoid paying a parking fee, you can park here and run the 4 miles into Indian Creek.

This run was all about time on my feet and building endurance.  I was in no rush and wasn't sure of the exact mileage anyway, so I knew it would be about going with the flow.  

First up was running all the "tail" trails (Sharptail, Swallowtail, and Ringtail).

Sharptail Ridge is smooth running with a few ups & downs.

I was once again ready for my first bear encounter, but sadly, this was the only wildlife seen all day.

Ah, it's going to be a good day!

Came up this cabin/barn on the Swallowtail trail.  A truly sweet spot with nothing around it.  I'm ready to move in.

Starting the long climb up the Ringtail trail.  It provides a cool view of Roxborough from the south.

The Ringtail trail looks like this until you get close to the Indian Creek trailhead on Hwy 67. 

Creepy cabin on the Ringtail trail.

This was as far as I went in.

Nice views of Pikes and Devils Head.

Human encounters for the day = 3 mtn bikers.

One month ago, these trails had 3-4" of snow on them.

There was a lot of elevation gain on this run (6500') and I just wasn't feeling it on the climbs.  I'm guessing a big part of that was my eating issues.  Or I should say lack of eating.

Had to take the requisite shot of Roxborough descending the Carpenter Peak trail.

The only downside of this loop was the two miles of running the dirt road heading out of Roxborough SP.  There was consistent traffic and the dust kicked up was bad.  Instead of coming down the Carpenter Peak trail, you could take the Powerline trail as an alternative and re-connect with Sharptail Ridge, but that would add another 1-2 miles.

What were my takeaways from this run?

• Bring more water than I think I'll need.  I ran out of water with almost an hour to go.  Not fun.
• Eat!!  Duh.  I was out there for almost six hours and only ate around 600 calories.  When will I learn that eating more will make these long runs much more enjoyable?  I had another 500 in my pack, but just didn't feel like eating.
• I'm not ready to go 100K right now.  Especially at Bandera.  I've got some work to do over the next month.
• I'll be back soon!

Run Stats

HR Turkey Day 5K

This year's Turkey Day 5K featured a couple firsts in our family.  Both Megan & Zoe ran it as their first 5K.  We've been on several family training runs in the last month or so and they were ready to roll when the race finally arrived.

We also had my parents visiting for the holiday and they agreed to walk it as their first ever race!  

Trying to stay warm during the 15 minute delay at the start.

The masses.  They had a record turn-out this year.

Oh yeah, Zoe's looking strong and in charge close to the halfway point.

During training, we talked about trying to maintain a 12 minute pace for the race.  We cracked that a few times in training, but still thought that would be a good goal.  We got separated during the first mile, so I ended up running with Zoe while Tanya & Megan were somewhere right behind us.

Here's how the miles played out (11:55, 10:45, 10:15).  Zoe was working it hard!

Guess who dumped a cup of cold water on her head at the aid station? 

Hustling to a 34:23 finish!  So much for the 36 minute goal!

The tired, but happy runners.

Without much time to spare, we wrapped back around and met up with my folks to join them crossing their first ever finish line.  They're very fast walkers!

I just learned my parents signed up for a Jingle Mingle 5K race in their hometown...next weekend!  Oh boy, it looks like it's only just begun!

A bunch of turkeys ready for a well deserved dinner.

Pancake Run Recap

2012 Pancake Run Crew

Front - Andy J, Becca, Donnie, Patrick, Ryan, Leila, Jaime, Nick, Todd, Troy, Stephen

Back - Andy G, Jim

Off Camera taking his own pic - George

We couldn't have landed better weather for this year's pancake run.  It was a little cool and breezy when we started at 7am, but it wasn't long before layers were being shed as we moved closer to the forecasted 60 degree temps.

Around mile 9.5 we pulled into Daniels Park for an extended break and pre-pancake fuel of some TommyKnocker Maple Nut Brown and powdered donuts.  It must have hit the spot because we left DP in a tear saying goodbye to the easy pace of the first half.  Thankfully, that only lasted about 2-3 miles before we settled back into something more conversational!

Around mile 16, we were starting to smell pancakes, so Becca led us on home!

Once again, Tanya had a delicious spread waiting for us when we returned.  She made this brown sugar encrusted bacon treat that was an amazing complement to the pancakes.

Thanks to everyone that came out to let me drag you around my local trails.  We'll do it again next year.

HR Backcountry Half Marathon

First off, a huge thanks to the Agile Fox, Chris Boyack, for all these really sweet pictures!  He showed up and used his mad skills to catch the true essence of the race in some amazing shots.

I've been wanting to run this race for years now, but it always fell on the same Saturday that we have an annual work meeting.  The first mile of the course heads up a bike path right behind my house and it just killed me not being able to run a trail race in my backyard.  This year the meeting date was changed, so I was all in.

With an iffy forecast, I was pleased to wake up on Saturday to sunny skies!  My cousin Scott came over and we jogged down to the start about a 1/2 mile away.  We kept jogging around the park to stay warm until the start.

After some confusion figuring out which direction to start the racers in, the organizers sent us on our way to the hilly course.  Like the Wildcat Mtn Trail Challenge, this race is constantly going up and down.  That's fine if you're out for an easy run, but try cranking up the pace and this course is tough.

Lindsay taking the lead from Nicole during this stretch.

Once we hit dirt, I found myself running with the #1 (Nicole) and #2 (Lindsay) ladies.  They were flying fast and I felt like I could sustain their pace.  We'd end up running very close to each other until mile 9.  It was fun watching the two of them jockey position and you could clearly see how Nicole was strong at the uphills while Lindsay excelled on the technical downs.

Around mile 6, our mellow weather came to an abrupt end as ice pellets started to fly.  Man, they hurt!  We got pinged for about 5 minutes before the ice turned to snow.  Then the biting wind and snow stuck around until the end.

Around mile 9, the last long uphill climb began and I was able to pass Lindsay and create some space between me and the ladies.  I wasn't feeling it on the climb, but I'm pretty sure they were feeling it less.  I set my sight on a guy ahead of me, but could only match his pace, so I didn't make up any ground.

While my heart continued to pound in my chest, I reached mile 11 and the long downhill stretch back to the finish.  Time to let loose and fly.  This was when I came upon a dude sitting in the tall grasses with a Boston Marathon jacket on.  Hey, I recognize the guy behind the camera lens....Chris!  I shouted a hello, but had to keep moving in order to end the pain.

More pics from Chris...

The end comes pretty fast once you hit the bike path.   Despite not catching the guy I was chasing, I did come upon another struggling runner that I passed right before the nasty little hill leading up to the finish.  Passing him got me into the top 10!  I finished in 1:28:32 which was a PR for me by about a minute.  But then I compared notes with a few other runners and learned the course is .3 miles short.  So, no PR for me, but it was pretty dang close and still came out to a sub-7 pace for the race.  Had it been a full 13.1, I probably would have been about a minute off my PR and for that course - whoa nelly!

There were some very fast times thrown down by other guys.  Scott came across the finish line soon after me nabbing 2nd in his age group - and that's with 58 miles of marathon training on his legs that week!  The top two guys went under Dave Mackey's course record with the winner breaking it by five minutes!