Midnight at the Oasis (El Scorcho 50k)

Last night I ran the El Scorcho 50k, a unique ultramarathon event that takes place on the trails of Trinity Park in Fort Worth. Yes, you heard right - an ultramarathon set in the middle of Texas summertime. Crazy, right? Billing itself as a "ridiculously foolish endurance run" the race starts at midnight (the unique and fun feature), and if you've never run a night race before, this one is a real gem.

The course is a 5k route that loops back to the start/finish. The 25k runners run 5 loops, and the 50k runners complete 10.

Now in it's fourth year, a lot of planning and an eye for detail has obviously gone into what is a very polished and fun event. This is very much a race put on by runners for runners. With a friendly welcome, "down home" sense of humor, wonderful support, enthusiastic volunteers, party atmosphere and great swag (love the technical singlet and the fun finisher's awards) it's one to mark on your calendar for next year.

Make sure to sign up early though. It's sold out in each of its four years to date - no shortage of crazies in central Texas!!!

To be honest, I was a little nervous going into this one. My longest run since March has been 14 miles, but this race has a kinda symbolic meaning for me. When I last ran it two years ago, it marked the kickoff of my training season for my first 100 miler, and being a lover of symmetry I figured it would be good mojo if I could kick off my new training season in the same way - recapture the vibe of that wonderful running year.

So the plan was to hit the first half fairly hard, then go easy and see what I had left for the last loop. And that's pretty much how it worked out. I ran the first few loops doing consistent 8 to 8:30 miles and enjoying myself. I started out with two water bottles and a headlamp, but jettisoned one of the water bottles after the first loop, and dumped the headlamp after the second. The full moon gave some illumination, and it was kinda fun to rely on my instincts and run by feel on the darker sections of the course.

I amused myself at one point by loping along and pretending to be a werewolf - yes, it really is that strange inside my head sometimes!!!

I did run into a slight low point around loop 5 and 6. I think I'd been drinking too much water and was feeling nauseous, but a few e-caps and more of an emphasis on heed fixed me right up.

We lucked out with the weather - it seemed to be somewhat cooler than of late, and the humidity didn't seem as high (though I could be mistaken as I was still sweating like a politician on a lie detector). There was even a slight breeze from time to time, and I loved running under that wonderful moon.

There was a small aid station half way round the course where they handed out paper towels soaked in iced water - that was a great touch that I took advantage of each loop.

I had driven down with a group of friends who all ran the 25k, and by the second half I had my own cheering station and crew waiting for me at the end of each loop. Angel even held an ice pack to the back of my neck to cool me down while I refilled from my drop bag - bliss.

On the last loop I fell in with a guy called Brian who was training for his first 100 miler at Cactus Rose. As I'd run that race last year we got to talking about it, and then shifted onto other stuff and basically chatted our way through the rest of the loop. It's so much easier to keep running when you have someone to talk to (and I have developed a tendency to be lazy in these trail races), and we pushed each other and finished strong in 5:19.

Which I've just realized is a new 50k PR for me - nice bonus.

After the race we went for breakfast, ate like stray dogs and had a good laugh. I had eggs benedict with hash browns (and coffee for the drive home) and they were wonderful. A stop in West on the way home for yummy kolaches (and to give me a break from driving) put the finishing touch on the trip.

An excellent guys weekend. Think I'll sleep well tonight though.

Chilling out at the Texas Trails 50k

Trips to Huntsville are always interesting. I guess it's primetime hunting season right now as it seemed like almost everyone we saw in town was decked out in camouflage. I had to constantly suppress the urge to say "I can still see you" every time I passed one of them.

But I didn't want to get shot (and I wasn't sure if it was British season as well as deer) so I contained myself :-)

Last night it got super cold, so after supper we were glad to retire to a nice toasty warm hotel room. We awoke to a cold frosty morning, and got to the park just as dawn was breaking to find the temperatures were down to 22F. As if to make up for it, the lake was simply beautiful - mist floating across the water. Here are some more of the obligatory "misty morning" photos.

Smoke on the water - beautiful Huntsville SP

The race got going right at 7:30am. I had decided to wear just shorts and t-shirt as I knew I would warm up once we started running (and I did), but I did make a concession to the cold by wearing gloves (especially as I was carrying handheld bottles). The weather eventually warmed up into the upper 40s, and it was perfect running weather.

I didn't think there was anyone I knew at this race, but it turns out that quite a few people knew me. At the start line I chatted to Alan from Dallas who I'd met at the end of the Timber Knoll 60k over the summer. I'm glad he remembered me and it was good to visit for a while. We waxed nostalgic about "the crazy guy" from that race and then we were off.

22F at the start line

I seem to be missing the competitive edge I had last season. Maybe it's because I don't have any goals currently, or maybe my goals have shifted, but I'd decided I was going to run this one for fun and ignore the clock. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed just pottering around the park, chatting away with anyone who would listen and enjoying the surroundings. It was a beautiful day, and I finished an easy-paced run in 5:32:02 (36th overall out of 170 finishers), so not a bad effort.

Here are my highlights of the race.

I spent a large portion of the first (10k) loop chatting with Allen Darilek who I'd recognized from Cactus Rose. Our kids are right around the same age and we had a great time swapping stories.

There's about a mile to-and-from the turnaround that you run both ways. That means that you get to see folks both in front and behind you. As I headed out for loop two (the first of two 20ks) I was surprised that several people called out "hey there Welshrunner". I guess there are a few folks in East Texas who've read the blog. Whoever you were, thanks so much for the encouragement and I hope I replied or at least smiled. I seemed to spend most of the day smiling and talking, so chances are good I did :-)

It was good to see and chat with Daryl Lazauskas, who I'd run with at the Seabrook marathon back in March. I hope to see him again at Rocky and that he gets his 500 mile jersey.

Somewhere on the second loop I found myself running behind a young lady with an outstanding rear. It really was hypnotic and I guess it put me into a trance because a good few miles had passed before I snapped out of it (sorry Nancy - it's a guy thing).

The park was simply beautiful, and there was an abundance of fall foliage. As I climbed up onto the levee I noticed the dam had water flowing, and it caught the sun and glistened like diamonds. I stopped every loop to admire it.

There was snow on the trees, and as the sun came out it started melting which resulted in an amazing "summer rain" effect.

I spotted my family right at the end and I got to run the last few hundred yards and crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with Gavin (yes, we got quite a few cheers for that).

Gavin and the "big leaf"	Heading to the finish line

Tomorrow's the Decker half marathon, so another early morning. In the meantime, here are a couple of finish line photos.

At the finish line with Gavin	Really nice finisher's sweatshirt

Can I Still Call it Deckmart?

Last December I took on the "Deckmart" challenge - running 50 miles at Sunmart followed by the notoriously hilly Decker half marathon the next day. I felt great, smashed my 50 mile PR on day one, then ran and chatted away the entire Decker race with Clea (who had run the 50k at Sunmart) on day two. It turned out to be the last running of Sunmart, so our unique challenge seemed to be consigned to history.

But Sunmart was reinvented earlier this year at the Texas Trails 50k, and the challenge was back on. Huntsville State park is one of my favorite places to run, so I knew right then that I would probably end up running it. Last night I finally took the plunge and signed up for both races.

The only problem is what to call the challenge this year. Sunmart is no longer involved so the old name no longer applies. Anyone got any ideas?

The Day After

Pushup Challenge: Week 2 Day 2
Plan : 16, 13, 11, 11, at least 15
Actual : 16, 13, 11, 11, 20

Struggled a little on the pushup challenge this evening and only managed 20 on the final set. Maybe that's because I woke up this morning with a stuffy head and a scratchy throat, which oddly enough made me feel a lot better about my run on Saturday night. Just looked at the results page and I finished in 5:36:43, which was good for 41st place (out of 92 finishers). Not as bad as I thought. It was very difficult on the night to figure out how you were doing as you'd sometimes be passed by runners who were a loop or two behind you. I am also getting a bad case of "runner's nostalgia" and remembering parts of the course I really enjoyed, like the stretch along the Trinity River with the Fort Worth skyline in the background, all illuminated by a beautiful full moon. Yeah, I think I'm gonna run this sucker again next year.

I've mapped out a route for my marathon relay group at work to do our first run together this weekend - I'm going to run it tomorrow after work to look for likely spots to drop water. We have enough people for at least a couple of teams, with abilities ranging from slow walkers to 40 minute 10kers. I'll set the 10k folks out at 6:30am and the 5kers at 7:30am. That way I can go out with both groups and make sure everyone gets back ok. The route is one big loop, so I can always double back and play sweep. I guess my pre-season starts here.

Update : I just realized this is blog posting number 50. Gavin has gone to bed for crimes against parents, so I will go have some "cookies and cream" ice cream to celebrate. Yummy.

Running into the Night at El Scorcho

Ryan Valdez and Jason Costantino have created a really unique race up at Fort Worth's Trinity Park - the El Scorcho 25/50k. I just wish I could have given it the performance it deserved. As the name suggests, the event takes place in July - the hottest time of the year in Texas - and starts at midnight. As per the website, the course is a mixture of crushed limestone, asphalt, concrete sidewalk, some foot bridges and a basketball court. It is a kind of pseudo-trail run, very similar to Brushy Creek. As such, it attracted a good number of road runners. The park is very pretty with some lovely views of the downtown Fort Worth skyline. The race packet was also very nice, with a great technical singlet, a finisher's medal and a "sheriff's badge" for the 50k finishers.

Nancy, Gavin and I drove up to Fort Worth on Saturday evening for the midnight start, and set up the "shark tent" for Gavin (and Nancy) to sleep in. A lot of folks commented on the tent and came over to ask us about it (I swear I could have sold a bunch of them).

The 50k was run over ten 5k loops (yes, 10, count them - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 loops). I have to say that the organization was spot on - everything was running smoothly, which was an amazing achievement since this race is only in its second year, and has grown up really quickly (they sold out with 400 runners this year). The volunteers and spectators were very enthusiastic and vocal. They had to be because 10 loops was a very tough mental challenge to overcome ("oh, I'll only be through this aid station another 9 times"), and I had to dig deep into my mental bag of tricks. Having said that, the positive side was that you got to come back through the start/finish area 10 times, see your loved ones and get cheered on by the large number of spectators (and serenaded by a very humorous group of beer drinkers).

Just before midnight the call came out for the 50kers to line up, so I grabbed my headlamp and handheld and headed over to the start line where I had one of the more bizarre conversations in recent history. A guy turned to me out of the blue and asked "so what's your lactate threshold?" I tried to think of something to say back, but I needn't have bothered because he really just wanted to tell me that his was basically his maximum heart rate and that he was going to smoke the course. A series of "ahhs", "wows" and "ooohs" seemed to satisfy him because he then turned around to a girl the other side of him and repeated the same conversation.

Maybe that factored into my thinking, because when the gun went off I got sucked into a fast pace and ended up running the first 5k in 24 minutes. I'm not sure what the temperature or humidity was (it didn't seem that hot), but by the end of the first loop I was drenched. I scaled back on the second loop, but still passed through the 10k mark in around 49 minutes. However, I had started to notice that something was not quite right as I was getting really bad stomach cramps. I have never had these in a race before and wasn't sure why I was getting them now. Everything else seemed fine at this point so I just blocked them out, but things swiftly started to go downhill.

After the second loop, I stopped peeing. This was not a good sign. I was drinking lots of fluids - alternating between water and nuun, and taking sports beans and salt sticks, but I began to get the idea that maybe the sports beans were causing the stomach cramps (I really don't think they were) and started to scale back on them. By loop 5 I was beginning to get concerned over this. I was very aware of hyponatremia (one of the reasons I refuse to take NSAIDS) and especially concerned when I started getting a dull ache from the kidney region. I checked off the warning signs. Lightheadedness - no, nausea and vomiting - no, finger swelling - no (I kept sliding my wedding ring around to check). Still, I felt I needed some salt but the salt sticks didn't seem to be working, and there wasn't much at the aid stations apart from gu. Thankfully, around loop 6 one of the aid stations got a big container of pretzels, and the other a good supply of oranges and bananas. I went straight for the pretzels and I think that saved me (it certainly took care of the kidney pain), but the stomach cramps and lack of peeing were still a concern. I spent a good portion of loop 6 fantasizing about a porta-potty (hard as it is for me to admit that :-)), but when I found one that didn't help. Finally, around loop 7 I took the decision that this was a training run, things did not feel right, so I would use the rest of the run to practice my power walking. This was frustrating because I was not breathing hard and my legs still felt fresh. I asked myself a number of times if I was just being lazy, but I stand by the decision. I've been picking up tips from Gabe and Henry, both excellent powerwalkers, and I used this time to practice some of the things they'd told me. From time to time I would alternate with running (which sometimes provided some relief from the stomach issues), but for the most part this was good.

As I was beginning loop 8, I passed a guy who was obviously struggling. I stopped and waited for him, and asked if he was ok. He said that he too was unable to pee, had been having trouble keeping things down and his legs were just about done. He was taking regular s-caps but that didn't seem to be working. It was his first ultra, so I spent a few minutes with him, let him talk through his issues and gave him some encouraging words. He was a loop behind me, so I told him all the mental tricks I'd used to see myself through the prospect of another 4 loops.

One thing I noticed was that each loop seemed to go by quicker than the one before it. Maybe it's because by the second half I had everything mapped out - my landmarks and such like. By the time I got to loop 10, I tried to figure out what my finishing time might be only to find my Garmin had died (yes, it was that kind of night), so I resolved to run it in from the final aid station to the finish line. Surprisingly I found that the running was easy and my legs felt good. I don't have the official times yet, but I think the race clock was at 5:29 when I crossed the finish line.

I got my medal and chatted a while with one of the volunteers, and as I wandered off I heard someone call out, "is that Welshrunner?" I turned around and there was Ryan. I congratulated him on putting together a great race and we talked about some of the races we'd signed up to do over the winter. We're both signed up for the San Antonio marathon, the Bandera 100k and the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. I think we're both at the same place going into these (50 miles is our longest distance), so maybe we can run a portion of them together.

So that was my race. Why did I have these problems? Was I dehydrated? If so, how? I drank my entire supply of pedialyte when I got back to the tent and that soon cured the peeing problem. I have no after effects whatsoever, and very minimal soreness, though the stomach issues still remain. I suspect I picked up some kind of virus as I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday too. Maybe that's all it was. I also wonder if I started taking in too many fluids, as I seemed to empty my handheld between each aid station for the majority of the loops. I also have to take into account the fact that this is my off season, and I did virtually zero training for this race. That is about to change as I'm moving back into pre-season mode, but may have been a factor. Enough wondering - I'm just going to chalk it up to a bad day and forget about it.

Postscript and other Thoughts
I bumped into my "struggling friend" from loop 8 in the carpark after the race. He had finished and thanked me for helping him through a down spot.

Every time I run a trail race in road shoes, they end up wrecked. As this was my only pair of "active" road shoes, I may be looking for a new pair this week.

Will I run it again next year? Maybe. I feel as if I have unfinished business with this race.

I felt energized driving home......for the first 30 miles or so, and then I gladly let Nancy take over and promptly fell asleep.

Preparing for El Scorcho

Pushup Challenge: Week 2 Day 1
Plan : 12, 12, 9, 7, at least 10
Actual : 12, 12, 9, 7, 32

Since I will be running most of the night I figured I'd get the pushup challenge out of the way this morning. Today's schedule looked to be easier than the last one, and it probably would have been if it hadn't been for my little boy sitting on my back for the first two sets. Now that makes a good 35lb difference that my arms are feeling right now.

The "son of the bitch" sourdough starter was at work again as I used it to make waffles for breakfast. Took it out of the fridge last night and proofed it. Success - they were delicious - very light and airy.

Right now I am sitting here alternating between gatorade and water in preparation for the 50k tonight. The race starts at midnight and it's going to be hot and sweaty so I need to be well hydrated. Quite why I scheduled a 50k race in the middle of my off-season I'm not sure (other than it sounded like fun and probably will be). We plan on leaving for Fort Worth around 5pm so at least I get a chance to take a nap this afternoon. Especially since we got an early wakeup call this morning as 6 hot air balloons were taking off from the school near our house. They set the dog barking like crazy but Gavin was delighted.

I am currently reading "The Best of Mystery" - a compilation of 63 short stories from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. I am only 1/3 of the way through, but it's turning out to be a real hidden gem. Every story so far has been really good - just the right blend of suspense and twist. Standouts for me include Avram Davidson's "The Cost of Kent Castwell", Lawrence Block's "Pseudo Identity", Robert Colby's creepy "Voice in the Night" and the darkly comic "Never Shake a Family Tree" by Donald Westlake. There are several other compilations in the same series which I may have to check out.

Run to the Hills.....in Waco?

One thing running teaches you is to hate your alarm clock, so when the damn thing started chiming at 2:30am on a cold Austin morning, I staggered into the shower wondering why I signed up for the Waco 50k.

The journey up was pretty uneventful. We stopped off at McDonalds when we got into Waco so Nancy could get some breakfast, then we set out to find Cameron Park. After a few wrong turns, we found the pavilion and I picked up my race packet. As I'd forgotten my hat, I was very happy to see there was one in the race packet.

The race consisted of 3 laps of twisty, hilly trails within Cameron Park, and pretty soon race director Tim Neckar called the 50kers to the start line. There were less than 50 of us shivering in the early moning cold – perfect running weather. I was standing there in my road shoes because I'd sprained my ankle pretty badly at Ken's Loop the Sunday before and my foot was still too swollen (and colorful) to fit in my trail shoes. I spent the first mile protecting my ankle, but it was holding up really well and I soon forgot about it.

After about half a mile, we hit the first of many hills and I started walking. This was the first race I've run that contained “unrunnable” (for me) hills. They made Decker look flat and fast. What I really liked about this course is that it kept changing direction and zig-zagging. This kept the run interesting and felt a lot like a treasure hunt. On the other hand, you had to be alert in case you missed a turn or lost the trail. Several times I called back runners who had gone “off track”. The loop passed quickly enough – I tagged in behind a group of three runners and before I knew it we were at the bamboo grove – my favorite part of the course (also very close to the end of the loop). Not long after this was “Jacob's Ladder” - a series of stone steps built into a cliff face, right at the end of each loop. Some of those steps were knee high and I quickly found that the best way to get up them was on all fours. The steps were hard, but oddly satisfying.

My race plan was to run loops of 1:45, 2:00 and 2:15 with my goal being to finish under 6 hours, so I was happy to finish up loop one right at 1:45. After a quick bathroom stop (I still can't quite bring myself to pee in the woods) I started out on loop 2.

I ran for a while with a guy called Matt who had nearly done a year studying in Cardiff (capitol of Wales). We talked for a while about the City before going our own ways. I would have several conversations stemming from my accent.

About half way through this second loop, Joe caught me. He didn't recognize me at first in my cap (“I'm in disguise”) and it didn't take long for him to leave me for dead on the downhills. He just flew down those hills while I was just trying not to tumble headfirst. My wife is the same way on those downhills – she just flies – either no fear or no common sense!!! Hopefully this is something I can improve on as I'm sure I lost a lot of time on these things. Nevertheless, Joe was the last person to pass me.

I came through the bamboo grove and up the steps again to finish out loop two right at 2 hours. I stopped for another bathroom break, handed off my extra shirt and gloves to Nancy and picked up my ipod. She had set up a camping chair by the start/finish line and was having a great time cheering on all the runners.

So I headed back out for the third and final loop. From the previous two loops, I knew there were specific parts of the course where I would feel good and other parts where I wouldn't. I determined to push the good bits and grind out the rest. I was still feeling pretty good and had my sports beans to graze on. I was very grateful for the mile markers posted at each mile and started trying to figure out my projected finish time – not so easy since the course was so up and down, but I figured I still had a chance at the sub-6 hour goal.

When I hit the 7 mile aid station, I knew I needed to kick it up for the final 3 and a bit miles to get that goal. I hadn't seen another runner since the second loop and I'd started running a little too lazy – not really pushing myself. I still felt pretty good though so I decided to go for it. I hit a rhythm on the flats, started running some of the uphills and even pushed it a little more on the downhills. I sailed through the bamboo grove and popped out of the woods onto the road. I scrambled up Jacob's ladder and checked my watch at the top – it was going to be close. I knew if I didn't break 6 hours after getting so close it would bug me all year, so I pushed a fast pace. This is where my road shoes were an advantage, as I was back in my familiar environment on the road. I ran that last half a mile or so at a 7:30 pace and crossed the finish line in 5:57:54. Very happy with that time on that course.

I was also very happy to discover beer on ice for the finishers. As I sat there in the warm sunshine, drinking my beer and eating my hamburger I noticed Nancy was still wearing her hat, coat and gloves. “Ok”, I asked, “what's the weather really like?” She confirmed it was still cold. I'm so lucky to have her.

Things I learned from this race. I had plenty left in the tank at the end, so maybe I should have pushed a little more earlier. When running by myself, I have a tendancy to take my foot off the gas and coast along in la-la land. I used one handheld bottle which I refilled at each aid station – this worked really well. My nutrition plan was pretty much non-existant. I wanted to see if I could complete the race on one packet of sports beans and whatever they had at the aid stations, and that worked well too.

Overall a great tough race. I was sore for a few days afterwards, mostly my quads – I suspect from applying the brakes on the downhills. I'll be back next year to try and improve on it.

Sunmart 50k

I ran my first ultra marathon this weekend - the Sunmart 50k (31 miles), a trail run through the piney woods of East Texas (Huntsville State park). What a blast!!! The race was tough, but the whole experience made for a great weekend.

Nancy, Gavin and myself drove to Houston on Friday for packet pickup at the Sheraton hotel on Friday night. Without a doubt, this race has the best race packet I've ever seen. First up was a huge sports bag and we moved down the table filling it up. Items that dropped in included a long sleeved technical race shirt, polo shirt (choice of colors), baseball hat (choice of colors), sunglasses (choice of style), disposable camera, gloves, bandana and a teddy bear(???). With that out of the way, it was time for the pasta dinner (included in the entry price). Salad, several pastas, lasagne, potato, bread rolls, suitably carb loaded thank you very much. We all slept very well that night.

We stayed in a hotel in Huntsville and drove out to the State park early the next morning. What a beautiful place, and all decked out with Christmas lights. But already very warm (upper 70s) and extremely humid - not good (it would soon heat up into the 80s). Enjoyed ourselves for a while touring the inflatable santas and snowmen, then got some (also included in entry fee) breakfast. Several people advised me to get a good heavy breakfast, so I loaded up - kolaches, bacon, sausage patties, egg, biscuits, pancake roll, and a token banana. They weren't shy about dishing it out either.

The 50k started at 7:30, half an hour after the 50 miler. First up was a 6 mile out and back, followed by two 12.5 mile loops. The 6 miler was a single file run on a narrow trail through the forest, doubling back out to the start line checkpoint. Stopped me going out too fast, but I also lost a lot of time in traffic here. Fortunately the 20k loops had a lot more room to move and I was able to kick it up a bit. Trail running is very different to road running as you have to constantly be aware of tree roots, logs and uneven ground. I nearly turned my ankle a few times on hidden rocks. Despite that, I found it to be a lot of fun. Felt pretty strong throughout this loop and was able to blast by a lot of people on the hills until for a time I was alone on the trail. This was my favorite part of the race - it was so peaceful and felt like running through some mystic forest.

By the last loop, the rough terrain, heat and humidity started to take their toll. I didn't care about a "mystic forest" any more and started slowing down (as one wit shouted out at the beginning, "start slow and taper"). Spent a lot more time at the aid stations replenishing fluids (they were stocked with all kinds of food and drink - fruit, candy, sandwiches, pretzels) and refilling my water belt. Started to feel better and better for the last few miles and dropped the hammer at mile 30, finishing with a 7:45 last mile and a time of 5:22:18. I placed 6th in my age group and 60th overall (there were around 800 starters and 520 finishers). Pretty pleased with that for my first ultra.

Yet more bling for a finisher's premium - a finisher's medal and a choice of a jacket or afghan blanket (I chose the jacket - maybe I'll run it again next year to get the blanket). Then, with the race out of the way it was time to get back to the eating. Yet another slap up meal, this time a bbq for competitors and guests - grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, all the fixings, mac and cheese, egg rolls. Stop - I can't eat any more!!!

All in all, a great weekend. Don't feel too sore, and had a reasonable recovery run this morning. That may all change by tomorrow though!!!