Collegiate Peaks Trail Run 50 Mile Ultramarathon, Buena Vista, CO

The Collegiate Peaks Trail Run 50 mi (CPTR) is a beautiful mountain ultra held in Buena Vista, CO, and I can now proudly call myself a finisher of this challenging race!  I'm even more proud of the fact that this was my FIRST 50 mile ultramarathon, and I picked a tough one to get through...I was the final finisher, 22nd out of 22 that completed it, with around 49 I believe signing up for the distance. 


The race is held at a pretty high altitude, starting out at 8,000ft and climbs up to 9,400ft twice. Just the altitude makes it difficult, but the sneaky hard 6,350 ft of climbing and descending makes it even harder...don't believe the elevation chart, it's full of tough climbs, rarely is it flat enough to sustain a good pace (for mortals).  Being from Fort Worth, TX, I thought the altitude and elevation change would bother me, but it didn't effect me as much as I was expecting it to.  The altitude could have had something to do with my stomach and digestion, but we'll get into that in a minute.  Sticking with the course description, when I said it was a beautiful mountain ultra, it truly is one of the prettiest places I've ever ran.  The constant view of the Collegiate Peaks keeps you in high spirits the entire race, just knowing you're out there on the trails with a beautiful view is enough to keep you moving, even when you are experiencing the lows of a 50 mile trail run.  The trail is mostly Jeep roads, relatively smooth, but relentless up and down, while there is also a little bit of single track where you do need to watch your footing, and a very small amount of road at the beginning and end.  The trickiest part of the whole race is the Sand Box...a wonderful mile plus stretch of deep sand on an uphill (or downhill on the way back) that made for a pretty tough section of the race.  There are some rock faces along the route that are gorgeous, lots of cool looking bonsai trees, and some desert type plants like cactus in the lower section of the trail.  There were two water crossings, neither one very big, but my feet got wet in both because I didn't feel like going around them like some runners decided to do. The course, for me, was as nice a trail run as I've ever been on, and I can't believe this race isn't more popular than it is.  Given this courses altitude, and elevation change, I'll give it 3 out of 5 for challenge, and for beauty and trails,  I give the course a 4 out of 5.


Aid stations were a little lacking in my opinion, but I think that's because most people carry their own stuff for the most part, so really all that's needed is water and electrolytes.  But I would like to see more watermelon (my favorite race snack) and colder water.  The first loop started with temps in the 30's, but quickly got into the 70's by noon and cold water would've been really nice, instead it was more like room temp tap water.  I overheat a lot though, and like to complain about all things hot...so it was probably fine, I'm just a baby. The volunteers were AWESOME, and they don't know it but their cool and calm demeanor when I was up against the cutoffs were extremely helpful to my confidence, knowing that if I just kept moving forward I was gonna make it.  Everyone was super nice, and looked like they were enjoying taking care of all the runners.  Course aid gets a 2 out of 5, but the Volunteers get a 5 out of 5!


Swag wasn't too bad, but nothing special, just a plain medal with the race logo (same medal for 25 and 50 milers), and a long sleeve tee(soft triblend type).  Swag gets a 2 out of 5, but swag isn't what makes us want to run 50 plus miles in the mountains, so who cares.


This was my first 50, and I know I picked a tough one, but I honestly didn't know what I was in for until the second loop, when you turn around and go back counter-clockwise and get to enjoy an 8 mile climb back to the highest point of the race!  THAT SUCKED SO BAD!  I knew it would be tough, but I did some some soul searching just to finish this race! I was extremely proud to just finish, though, considering how many drops there were, and the high temps.  There were several runners that elected for the 25 mile finish, instead of going out for that second loop.  One guy on the way back out told me, "Great job man, it takes guts to go out for another loop!"  That stuck with me for the entire loop, knowing that when I finished, I could do so knowing that I dug deep, and did something I never thought I could do.  My nutrition apparently was not dialed in for this race at all like I thought it was.  My stomach couldn't take anything in for the last 4 hours without getting severe cramps.  So to say I completed this thing severely dehydrated and starving is pretty amazing...I seriously don't know how I kept putting one foot in front of the other.  It's like I switched off my brain and went into cruise control, blocking the pain out and thinking how awesome I was going to feel when I crossed that finish line.
The biggest takeaway for me after completing this run, was that no matter how bad you feel, you ALWAYS have more in the tank, and I broke into tears about two hours after the finish because the magnitude of what I had accomplished hit me like a brick.  I've never been so determined in my whole life to finish something like I was that day.  In that last 15 mile or so stretch, I had never felt more emotions in my life...from complete and utter despair and embarrassment thinking I wasn't going to finish, to a running high I'll likely never experience again in my life knowing I was less than a mile away and knew without a shadow of a doubt I was going to make it!  The mix of emotions was the hardest part of the race, battling demons and fighting back tears of joy minute after minute.  I passed 3 people in those last miles, and each one of them looked awful, and they weren't going to make the cutoff time, but all of them gave me strength to persevere with their kind words saying that I looked determined and was gonna make it if I kept pushing forward.  It was the greatest feeling in the world coming around that last corner into the parking lot, and seeing my family cheering me on!  The event had already packed up, and most runners were already gone, but the few who stuck around for this final finisher were much appreciated, and one of them even grabbed me a beer as I collapsed onto the grass, lol!  So to that guy, I say thanks, and hopefully I'll see you next year!


Gear used for this race:
The North Face BTN Long Haul Shorts
Nike Tech Shirt
Injinji Compression Socks (AMAZING!!!!!!)
Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Shoes
BOCO Trucker Hat
Nathan VaporKrar Waist Pack


Training:
16 week block, averaging around 50 miles per week overall, with a peak week of 70 miles.  I ran 6 times of 20 mi or longer, the most of any training block I've ever done, and focused a lot on time on feet and much more climbing than usual (total of around 32,000 ft for the 16 weeks with a peak vertical week of 6,001 ft)  In hindsight, the mileage I did was enough, but I needed more climbing and time on trails to seriously get ready for a race like this one.  So for next time I tackle a mountain ultra, more vert, and more trails!

2016 Eugene Marathon Race Recap...Finally Got My Sub-4hr Marathon!

My last post was about the two halves of a marathon, 20 miles and 6.2 miles, and how to run them properly.  The post was due to my embarrassingly awful showing at the 2016 Cowtown Marathon where I completely bonked and suffered through that 'second half' of the race.  This post, is all about the redemption and unbelievable feeling of accomplishment after listening to my own advice and absolutely CRUSHING the Eugene Marathon on my way to my first ever sub 4 hour time of 3:56:46!  It was a PR by almost 15 minutes!


The Eugene Marathon is my idea of the perfect marathon.  Let me paint a picture for you: Perfect weather (47 at the start, 65 at the finish), a flat course, beautiful scenery including mountains, rivers, and trees (much of the course is along a shaded path), efficient aid stations and volunteers, smooth check in process, and its in Tracktown, USA and birthplace of Nike!  If you've never ran anywhere in the Great Northwest, I suggest you sign up immediately for next years race and treat yourself to an awesome marathon experience.  The town of Eugene is great for staying close to the race and in walking distance of restaurants, shops, downtown and the Oregon Campus.  I can't wait to come back and run this race again in the future.


I went for a shakeout run that Saturday morning before packet pickup, and got to run on Pre's Trail along the Willamette River.  It was one of the most beautiful trails I've ever run on.  Some of the pictures I took looked fake, because the trail is immaculate with its groomed bark trail alongside a picturesque river with greenery like you've never seen before.  I couldn't believe I was going to get to run a marathon there the following day.  I was only supposed to run 2 or 3 miles that morning, but it was so nice I couldn't stop and ended up running 4!  I was so excited for Sunday I couldn't stand it!  As a runner, you couldn't help but be psyched about getting to run a marathon where Nike began, and get to finish on the most famous track in America!  That day I also had the best pizza of my life at La Perla, trust me, go there if you're ever in Eugene...I also ate at Mezza Luna and Sizzle Pie during my stay, both great spots for pizza, but La Perla was my favorite.  The local beer was great there too, I had a lot of Hop Valley beers during my 3 day stay, including some Light Me Up Lager after the race, which was delicious after a long run!  Another bonus for the trip was that I got to see Oregon play their spring football game at Autzen Stadium, and the price of admission was 3 cans of food!


Race day was perfect in every way, it was like the stars aligned for me to get my sub 4 before I even woke up that morning.  The shuttle was close to my hotel, and ran smoothly to the start of the race where I left my drop bag near the start.  It was a little chilly, but I knew it was gonna warm up as soon as I started running so I welcomed the early morning temps in the 40's.  This is why I ran this race to begin with...I somehow am cursed with bad/hot weather marathons/ultra-marathons, and I knew the weather was supposed to be perfect in Eugene, and it was!  I drank my pre-race Spark, and had a Roctane Gel about 15 mins before the start, and visited the port-o-john, then got in the corral and immediately seeked out the 4 hour Pacer, named Tim.  He was great and assured me that if I stayed with him I would reach my goal.  It was my first time with a Pacer, and it helped a ton to stay modest early in the race and not take off.  We were in Corral C and left the starting line at 7:04 in a moderate crowd of runners, which is also great when you are trying to start slow, because in a sea of runners you have no choice but to go slow.  It thinned out a bit by mile 3 or 4, and I had to visit another port-o-john at about mile 8, but made quick work and was back on my way.  This whole time I had been about 200 yards behind the pace group, which was perfectly comfortable for me, knowing that I was saving my energy for the final push to the finish.  The course was absolutely gorgeous when we got into the river portion, and the miles just clicked away.  I felt very good until around mile 14 or 15 when I started to feel a little tired, but that is completely normal to have a bit of fatigue start to set in, and I didn't let it bother me, because I knew I had some reserve saved up in there somewhere.  I joined the pace group from about the 12 or 13 mile marker and ran with them until around mile 20.  We had great conversation, and again, the miles ticked away with the distraction of that coupled with the awesome scenery.  Tim had told me before the start of the race that, if at mile 20, I could hold a conversation with him like at the start, then I should go ahead and turn it up a bit for the finish.  I was nervous to do this in the beginning for fear of bonking too early again, but I trusted he knew what he was talking about considering he was running his 72nd marathon! (Tim, if by some miracle you read this, I didn't get to thank you after the race, but THANK YOU!!)


Mile 20 came and went, and it happened...nothing.  Nothing happened.  As in, I didn't all of a sudden hit a wall, or get really tired, or dread the last 6.2 miles ahead...I just felt the same.  Which felt GREAT!  This was not normal for me, so I knew something special was going to happen that morning.  I didn't take off though, just very slowly left the pack to test my legs and see if I was capable of speeding up for the finish.  The miles kept clicking, each one closer to the finish without me feeling like I couldn't keep this up, so I just kept accelerating.  When I got to mile 23 I smiled and said out loud to myself, 'It's gonna happen!'.  That is when I had the best runner's high of my life because I absolutely knew I was going to keep going all the way to the finish and it was absolutely going to be under 4 hours!  Every mile after that got faster, as I passed every runner in front of me for the next 3 miles, not letting a single one go by me.  This was completely the opposite picture from 2 months ago in Fort Worth, when I was passed constantly for the last 3 miles as I walked and struggled to finish.  The redemption I was feeling was unlike anything I've ever felt, all my hard work and determination was coming to fruition, and I started to cry as I neared Hayward Field and the hundreds of people lining the street were cheering us on!  I made the slight right turn to enter the gates at Hayward, and there it was, the famous track that Prefontaine ran on, and I was about to finish the best race of my life!  I was running so hard at the end I literally was dodging runners along the entrance to the track just to get my feet on that famous surface.  Once on the track, all of my emotions came out and I was flying all the way to the finish line, knowing my wife and family were watching online, and I threw my arms up at the finish like I'd won the Olympics or something!  But to me, it was such an amazing achievement to finally do what I thought I could do, and know it was all worth it. I stood there after the finish and just watched runners finish for a few minutes and tried to let it all sink in.  I took a mental video of the track, the sky, the runners, and the entire scene, and it will forever be replayed in my head.


Here's what got me to a 3:56:
-A solid 18 week block of training, including the Cowtown Marathon (epic failure, but such a great learning experience for Eugene)
-During the last week of tapering before marathon week, we took a vacation to Florida, so I only ran 8 miles that week, which I think helped me show up to Eugene fully rested and rejuvenated.
-Bagel, almond butter, apple, coffee and 16 oz Gatorade 2 hours before start.
-Started slow
-Ran with my vest like I do in training with my drinks of choice, Roctane and Nuun (both w/ caffeine)
-1 Roctane GU gel before, and 1 gel per hour, 2 when I was drinking Nuun from hours 2-3.
-Stayed focused for 26.2 miles, and had supreme confidence that every move I made was the right one.
-Listened to my Pacer (running with a Pacer was great and wish I had done it in the past)
-Listened to my body, and only turned it up when I was absolutely positive I had enough left.
-Picked a race with great weather and a flat course with beautiful scenery.


I realize that I am going to get better over time, as this is only 2 years after my first marathon, and eventually this marathon time will hopefully be considered a slow one for me...but I will never forget the sense of accomplishment I felt on this day.  A barrier had been broken, and has given me reason to believe that I am capable of much more. Thanks, Eugene, for giving me a memory of a lifetime!

 Race Kit for Eugene Marathon:

Shoes- Nike LunarEpic Flyknit (my new favorite)

Shorts- Nike 2 in 1 5"

Shirt- Nike DryFit Knit short sleeve

Hat- Luke's Locker Trucker

Glasses- Oakley Jupiter

Hydration Vest- Salomon

Compression- CEP Calf Sleeves and CEP Achilles Cut Socks

Watch- Garmin Fenix 3

20 and 6.2...the Two Halves of a Marathon (and training for the Eugene Marathon)

My last post was about how I completely botched my marathon execution at the Cowtown...and this post is to educate you on what I did wrong (and for me to listen to my own teachings).


I've done it in just about every marathon or ultramarathon I've entered, which is to go out too fast, leaving nothing in the tank for the second half of the race.  All 6.2 miles of the second half, because lets face it, if you've ran a marathon, you know what I'm talking about.  And if you haven't, listen up, this advice will save you life someday...okay maybe not, but it will make your race a little more enjoyable I promise!  DO NOT RUN ANY FASTER PER MILE THAN YOUR GOAL PACE FOR THE FIRST 5 MILES!!!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!  So for example, my goal pace for Cowtown was 9:09/mi, so I should've stayed in the 9:15/mi range for the first 5 miles.  If that sounds stupid, trust me, it's not.  I can back that up with stats from two runs where I started out slowly and eventually sped up in the end, resulting in a negative split for 20 and 22 miles.  Comparing those runs to the marathon where I started off fast and ended slow, it proves that the 'leave some gas in the tank' theory holds water, and you should abide by it at all costs.  Those two runs before Cowtown were at an average pace of 8:58/mi, and I was getting stronger as I went, with plenty of gas in the tank to finish had the marathon been on those days.  Each day, I started those runs at over 9 mins per mile, not dipping into the 8's until about halfway through.  So I know what went wrong, I just need to listen to my own advice...which is to start slow and finish fast (or strong, because sometimes fast just doesn't happen in the second half of a marathon).


So after my disappointing Cowtown Marathon, I couldn't stand not knowing if it was just my mistake that yielded a bad time, or if I'm just not a person who is ever gonna run under 4 hours, so I looked up some upcoming marathons for redemption.  I knew I would need to recover so I would need at least 2 months between marathons, but I didn't want to wait too long for fear of it getting too hot, and there it was, the Eugene Marathon!  Flat, fast, scenic, and perfect marathon weather is what reviews say about this now 10 year old race in Tracktown, USA.  I had looked up this race before and added it to my bucket list of marathons, as I've always wanted to visit Eugene.  Every runner knows about Hayward Field, and the lore of Steve Prefontaine and Nike, so what better way to finish a marathon than right there on the track!!  I'm so excited I could explode!  So I am currently resting, actively, and letting my body recover from a total meltdown, which will take some time, but I think come May 1, I will be ready to give it another shot.  I have at least one planned run of 20 miles between now and then, and have decided to slow my training runs down a bit, in order to try and build a little more endurance.  I've got some track and hill days planned twice a week, with a few recovery runs and a long run on the weekends.  Today was my first day back in the gym in a while, so I hope to gain a little strength back as well, while working on my core, which is seriously lacking at the moment.  I feel good knowing that I'll be running in a very motivating setting like Eugene for my attempt at a sub 4 hour marathon, and if it doesn't happen for me this time, then I know I'm just not ready for it, which is completely fine by me.  It won't be, however, for the reason of bad strategy or not running a smart race.  I'm going to stick to my plan of starting slowly and gradually increasing my pace as the race goes on, hopefully feeling good after the 20 mile mark and continuing on to a strong finish.  I can't wait to try!  Race report to come in May :)

This is the breakdown of what a long run is supposed to look like, and how I know that I can get stronger and faster as the marathon goes on. This was my 20 miler a month before the Cowtown:

2016 Cowtown Marathon Race Recap

This years Cowtown Marathon was my 8th official race of marathon or ultramarathon distance, and I had decided it was time to give it a real honest effort at breaking 4 hours.  The marathons I have entered in the past were basically all run with the intention of finishing, not worrying about time, and my official PR was at the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon with a 4:11:58.  I did everything right in training for this race, so I thought, and was extremely confident that 3:59:59 was going to happen.


Training went perfectly...and by that, I mean I didn't miss a single run or workout for 6 straight weeks leading up to the race, including a 20 and 22 miler both run at a pace of 8:58/mi, which if kept up for the remainder of a 26.2 mile distance would have easily gotten me to the finish under my 4 hour goal.  In those two training runs, I executed my strategy for the race perfectly.  I drank enough, took enough gels, and paced by the book, even getting faster in the final miles...so surely on race day, the Cowtown Marathon would go my way and I would execute perfectly having practiced it twice already on two long runs.  Nope, not at all!


First off, lets admit right off the bat that 6 straight weeks is not nearly enough mileage to build up for a marathon, even though I was in pretty good shape before I started that 6 week block.  Yet, even with that said, after showing during two long runs of over 20 miles that I was completely capable of running a 4 hour marathon, I had never felt better entering a race.  Ever.  So what happened?? Over-confidence happened.  Somewhere in my brain housing group, I calculated that if I could run 22 miles at an 8:58/mi pace, then I could easily speed it up to about an 8:45/mi pace for race day...you know, with all that 'race day magic' in the air that helps runners perform at a higher level the day of their big marathon.  And that was my problem, as I blasted off the line and turned in an 8:41 first mile, I figured I could hold that pace for 25.2 more, and I've never been more wrong in my life.  I continued turning in mile after mile around an 8:40/mi pace all the way up to mile 19...and you guessed it, ran smack into the dreaded wall that we all fear as runners.  It's like this urban legend you hear runners talk about, the wall.  It takes you down with no mercy and once you hit it there's no coming back.  Your race is over the instant you slam into it, especially when you've exhausted your muscles to the point of cramping like I did on this day.  I saw Dad and Marsha around mile 12 and felt great, then Misti and Ella along with Dad and Marsha at mile 19, and I was like two different runners between those points.  I looked at Misti and embarrassingly said in a defeated voice, 'I don't feel so hot', and as soon as I said it I knew my attempt at 3:59:59 was over.  It was great seeing my girls at that point, as it was the only thing that could make me smile knowing the pain I was about to endure for the next 7 miles.


I slogged on for the remainder of the race, walking when the cramps got too bad, and running (slowly) when they subsided, and finished with my second best official marathon time of 4:12:37...but when you miss your goal by over 12 minutes, you couldn't care less if it was the second best marathon you've ever ran.  Coming down the final stretch, my friends Lori and Eric stayed to watch me finish and it was great to see their faces as I rounded the corner.  She had finished the half marathon 2 hours ago so it was nice of her to stay and see me finish, and I could see she felt awful for me knowing how hard I had worked to run that day.  As I turned to the finish line, there was my family again, along with my friends Krishna and Steven, and nothing is better than the end of a marathon when the people you know who care about you and understand the struggle of finishing a marathon are there to cheer you on.  I smiled and waved to them as I crossed the line, grateful for the suffering to end.  I limped through the finishing corral and gathered up my finisher's medal, all the food I could grab to include ice cream, and collapsed on the concrete to rest for a minute.  It got pretty hot that day, around 70 when I finished, so the ice cream was a nice touch!  After I could peel myself off the ground, I grabbed a beer, and made my way into the Will Rogers Auditorium and found my family and received some needed hugs from everyone.  We all went back outside to the beer tent and listened to music on a nice soft grassy spot while Ella ran around and played.  This was my favorite post race ever, because we got to sit around and enjoy free beer and relax on a beautiful day in Fort Worth.  So there it is, my disappointing Cowtown Marathon, with a happy ending drinking beer, listening to music and hanging out with friends and family.  Somehow it always turns out alright doesn't it?


A few more notes, Bobby finished his FIRST marathon at the Cowtown this year, so it was awesome to see him cross the line after all of his struggles with MS.  Very impressive that he was able to complete this amazing feat, and I'm super proud of him! I also got to run the 5k the day before with Misti and our precious bump, and Lori. We had a great time taking it easy, and Misti did great carrying our baby girl who is due in July!


Race Gear:


Shoes- Altra The One 2.5
Socks- CEP Running+ 2.0
Shorts- The North Face BTN Long Haul 5"
Shirt- Reckless Running Tank
Watch- Garmin Fenix 3
Fuel- GU Roctane Gels, PowerAde and water from Aid Stations

Key West Zonta 5k

Back in November, a week after the Big Cedar 50 letdown (but Marathon PR) Misti and I found ourselves in Key West for a work trip/mini vacation with her job.  It was a great trip, that included some good restaurants, sight seeing, and jet skiing around the island.  It also just happened to be a weekend where they were holding a 5k, and we had to jump at the opportunity to say we've ran a race in Key West!  It was a small race, I'd guess maybe 200 runners or so, and it ran right along the beach/sea wall with great views of the Atlantic Ocean and the sunrise. 


Needless to say, it was hot and humid, even at 8am, with the temp in the low 80's and humidity was around 70%, much different than Texas that time of year.  But it was just a 5k so we could stand the heat for a short race, no problem...so we thought.


Surprisingly, I had a great race, considering I'd ran a marathon PR just 6 days ago!  I took off with the lead pack and stayed close for about half a mile, then some of the younger guys left us all behind, one of them finishing around 16 minutes.  I kept the lead woman in my sights, and figured if I could stay with her I'd have a pretty good finishing time.  We jockeyed back and forth the entire race with both of us fading a few times but surging back with a second and third wind along the 3.1 mile course.  With about half a mile to go I thought she was gonna leave me for good, as she sped off into the distance with me fading slightly.  But as soon as I thought I ran out of gas, a sudden burst of energy hit me and I took off, catching her about 100 yards from the finish and coming in with a time of 22:04...about 2 mins faster than I thought I'd be able to run that day with my marathon legs still recovering.  I finished 2nd in age group 30-39, and was closing in on the 1st place finisher, but ran out of room to catch him, as he beat me out for the top spot by about 15 seconds.  Overall I came in with the 12th spot, this being the highest I've ever placed in a 5k!  I felt amazing!  After I finished, I grabbed some bottles of water and a banana and headed down the street to catch Misti on her way in...and came to find out that her race was completely the opposite of mine, but for a reason we didn't know about until a month later...THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT!!


It was really hard on her to even finish, as she was overheating big time at the end, and pretty much collapsed in a grassy spot to recover as I poured some cold water on her head and neck.  She was wondering why she had such a rough time and had to throw up at the end, but come to find out it was nausea she was suffering from just like the last time she was pregnant.  Couple that with the fact she hadn't even ran in a couple (or maybe several) months, I was proud of her for even finishing that race!  After she cooled off she started to feel much better, and we stayed around for the awards ceremony (which was fun because I don't usually get to do that) to receive my 2nd AG award, we headed out for breakfast, at McDonald's, her first pregnancy craving, lol!


Overall, we had a great trip to Key West, and can't wait to go back one day!


Race Gear:
Shoes- Altra Torin 2.0
Socks- Features Merino Wool
Shorts- Hurley Board Shorts (we were in Key West)
Shirt- Nike Tri Blend Cali Running Tank
Watch- Garmin Fenix 3
Hat- Columbia
Sunglasses- Oakley Holbrook

2015 Texas Road Romp Half Marathon, Waco, TX

Another late post on a race recap, but I thought I'd share a quick word on what I thought was a pretty decent little half marathon...aside from the course miscalculation that turned the race into a 12 miler instead of the full 13.1.


This race was back on November 15, 2015, in Waco, TX, home of Chip and Jo-Jo...for those of you that watch Fixer Upper on HGTV.  I ran this course earlier in the year at the Miracle Match Marathon, so I was pretty familiar with the layout, even though this time it was only half the distance.  My friend Bobby decided to run this one as well, despite not having trained at all for it since he had been dealing with the struggles of MS.  I told him how difficult the course was and to just pace himself through the hills and he'd be fine, and he did exactly that and finished his first ever half that day! Speaking of the hills, this race has them...and steep for a road race!  So my plan was to keep an even effort throughout the whole course, and let the downhills speed me up and uphills slow me down.  It worked like a charm!  I even had some energy at the end to speed up and finish strong, showing once again that half marathons seem to be right in my wheelhouse, having just enough endurance and plenty of speed to keep me in the running for top 10 in my age group at most of the races I sign up for.  This day I proved to be top 4 in age group, and 9th male overall.  No award for me at this race but I felt great and was proud of how well I ran the race, with the top 3 finishers in my age group finishing in the top 5 overall.  In the final mile, I passed a top 2 finisher in the 25-29 AG, which made me feel good about how I closed out the race.  It's always fun to reel someone in at the finish, instead of the other way around when you're struggling at the end and people pass you.


The course is beautiful, taking you through Cameron Park in downtown Waco, in and out of some steep hills and beautiful tree lined views and a path along the river.  You cross a few bridges as well, with the finish line being on a beautiful pedestrian bridge across the Brazos toward the convention center.  As far as downtown parks go, this is one of the best for running that I've come across, and I would recommend running any race put on in Waco, as most of them are centered around this area.  I mentioned earlier that the race was a little short, that's because around mile 7 there was an aid station in the middle of an intersection that was sending runners the wrong direction, cutting off a half mile out and back portion of the course.  The volunteers at the aid station seemed a little confused as myself and 2 other runners approached flying downhill yelling, 'Which way??'.  They just raised their arms and pointed right, so we went right...and after the finish all the runners asked the same question, 'Did your GPS say you only went 12 miles?' and the answer was yes.  If it hadn't been for that little mistake, I could have logged a half marathon PR that day as I finished in 1:36 and was speeding up drastically at the end.  I probably would've finished around 1:43, but it didn't bother me much, as I was just at the race in particular to have some fun, enjoy the scenery, and cheer on Bobby as he finished his first half.


It was a great day of running, and I'm sure I'll be back in Waco soon to run another!


Race Gear:


Shoes- Altra Torin 2.0
Socks- Features Merino Wool no show
Compression- CEP Calf Sleeves
Shorts- Nike 2 in 1 5"
Shirt- Cowtown Half Tech Finishers Shirt
Watch- Garmin Fenix 3

The Not So Big Cedar 50 Mile (aka new Marathon PR, or the Texas Flood Marathon)

Very late post, but back on October 31 I was supposed to run the Big Cedar 50 Mile in Dallas, but due to some pretty bad flooding the day before and of the race, it was cancelled.  Needless to say, this was extremely heart breaking news, as it was my first ever 50 mile race and I was looking forward to that day for over 8 months.  It still bothers me today that we didn't get a chance to run...part of an ultramarathon is that bad weather or not, you run the race.  That's what makes an ultra so difficult, not just the distance, but overcoming weather conditions is what you always hear about when you read race reports from Leadville, Hard Rock, and Western States...that's part of it, yet we had some flooding (it was severe, chest high deep crossings they said) and the race was called off. 
Anyways....
That morning at 2:30 when Misti and I showed up in the pouring rain to be told by a man in a VW Van that the race was cancelled, so, in shock, we drove back home feeling very unfulfilled that all of the miles put in to prepare for this day was all for nothing.  When we got back to the house, I was wide awake and decided I was gonna go for a run anyways, and created my own 'Texas Flood Marathon'.  The rain had subsided for the most part down to a drizzle, the temps were in the 60's with around 100% humidity, but I didn't care.  I figured that if I had trained for a 50 miler, I could shoot for a marathon (unofficial) PR that morning, and celebrate at least a tiny win with my friends and family so that the effort wasn't a complete waste.  So around 5am, I took off, leaving the garage as my one and only aid station, and my wife as the lone crew member.  She was amazing by the way, and stayed with me all morning when she could have (and should have) gone back to sleep.  I stopped in every 6 or so miles and she would help me refill my bottle, or give me gels, and help me change out socks and shoes.  Around mile 17 I had a rough patch and as I sat in the garage changing my shoes (I was soaked from the rain and humidity and my feet felt like they weighed 5 lbs each).  It may have been the humidity that was bringing me down, but I think it was just that the disappointment of the day had set in, and I was honestly just sad.  I was about to call it quits when Misti told me that some friends, Bobby and Krishna were gonna be there when I finished, and I figured that was enough to make me get up and finish the 9.2 more miles, so off I went, and slowly but surely started to feel a little better.  My pace slowed a bit around mile 24 and 25, taking the possibility of breaking 4 hours off the table, but my previous PR was 4:11:58 at the Marine Corps Marathon in 2014, so I knew I could still beat that.  I didn't just beat it, I crushed it by over 6 minutes with a 4:05:51. 
As I was about to finish, Bobby and Krishna arrived, and my Mom, Misti, and Ella were there to greet me as well, and that was enough to make all the effort worth it.  My Dad and Marsha showed up a little later, too.  They all supported me through what was a rough day, and helped raise my spirits with some post race beers, and Misti surprised me with the most awesome race gift, a black thermoball North Face jacket!  To me, this is what running is about, overcoming some adversity, achieving a personal best, and having your loved ones support you along the way no matter what. Extra bonus that day was that we took Ella trick or treating and she had a blast!


Race Gear for the 'Texas Flood Marathon':


Shoes- Altra Torin 2.0, and Altra The One 2.5
Socks- Dry Max Trail
Compression:  CEP Calf
Shorts:  The North Face Better than Naked Long Haul 5"
Fuel:  GU Roctane Gel, Roctane Drink Mix, Gatorade, Si Caps