BANDERA 100K 2013 RACE REPORT

And the 2013 USA 100K TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sunrise in Bandera, Texas

Bandera, Texas  January 12, 2013

Fort Apache at The Flying L Ranch

Getting to San Antonio was extremely easy this year.  Last year seemed to be the year of nightmare flights with cancellations, delays, running through airports and lost baggage but for some strange reason, all went well.  Must be good karma somewhere :)  Arriving in Texas was a nice relief from the last few weeks of full on winter in Vermont.  Sun, warms temps and no snow was found upon arrival in San Antonio.   After about an hour drive to the thriving town of Bandera, population 957 according to the sign and the "Cowboy Capital of the World", we checked into the Flying L Ranch.

Killer Armadillos???

It was time to put on the shorts and get in an easy end of the day run (no wind briefs required:) ) before checking out some local Mexican food for dinner.   The food was excellent!

Friday morning it was time to check out the course.  We had heard of torrential rains on Wednesday with nearly 4 inches of rain but the trails looked like they were in great shape and less dust than last year.  We were on a hunt to find an armadillo and went by a posted sign which read “Killer Armadillos” which had already been chomped on by some big critter.

Hiding behind a killer sotol plant.

In search of the armadillo

After a couple of miles up on the trail we decided to head back, still no armadillos in sight.  But there were plenty of spiked thorny sotol plants.  We passed by Meghan Arbogast and chatted a bit and then headed back to the Flying L for some lunch.   Later in the afternoon we returned for the scheduled race briefing and packet pickup.  No surprises and as usual some great swag to bring home.  Afterwards we were back to downtown Bandera for some carbo loading at Johnny’s Pasta, a local favorite!  Don't expect speedy service but the food is great, especially the cheesecake.

With a 7:30 AM start, there was no need to get up at 4:00 AM which was great.  After a quick breakfast we were on the road to the start.  Driving to the start line, there was a steady mist from the fog.  It was 61 degrees and dark with 100% humidity.  Haven’t seen 61 degrees since??  There was a long line of cars heading into the Texas Hill Country but the parking situation seemed fine, just slow moving, but glad we gave ourselves some extra time as I heard it became an issue for later travelers.  We got our drop bags to the appropriate areas and then hung out in the tent to stay warm and dry before the start.  Finally daylight was approaching and we all assembled over by the start line.  The mist seemed to have stopped but still the humidity was 100%.  A good day for Body Glide!

The Trail

7:30 AM and off we went.  A fast pace right from the start but I backed off a bit.  I thought I would try something new and go out a little slower and just try to be more consistent.  I was also trying out some different nutritional ideas.  Last year I had a few cases of the pukes which took it’s toll on me.  I re-evaluated what I had done last year in the eating and drinking departments and made some changes for Bandera.  One would be to pass on the peanut butter and jelly and stick with calories from fruit like bananas.  The other was using a drink much higher in calories with additional electrolytes which I seem to lose a lot of especially since I have a hard time swallowing electrolyte pills.  I saw the lead pack head off and gladly let them go.  I hung with Liza Howard for a while as we ran and chatted a bit.  By the time we got to the first uphill, Liza decided to back down and I was on my own in a big gap running by myself for the most part.  The first part of the course was great with some loose rock, rolling terrain and fun single track.  But the humidity was so bad that I was soaked right from the start and it never let up throughout the race.  Luckily there was a good cloud cover or it would have been really uncomfortable.  The hill section was fun but eventually we got to some lower trails which contained this awful mud.  It wasn't deep like we find quite often in New England, it was only surface mud but it was like glue and stuck to your shoes and wouldn't fall off.  The more you ran, the more it accumulated.  When I looked down, it looked like I had on a mud snowshoe as it was wider than your shoe.  And it felt like you were running with 10 lb ankle weights.  At one point I tried to roll my foot over to get it off only to have it grab my foot and twist it.  There was no way that mud shoe was coming off.  The only hope you had was that eventually it would build up enough that the weight would pull it off your shoe.  I hooked up with Andy for a while from Canada and we ran through this section complaining about how bad it was.  It was really wearing on the legs.  By  mile 20 or so I was starting to get twinges that resembled cramping in my calves.  Way too early in the race I thought!  After all, I've been heat training since March in Bikram Yoga and this can't be happening in 60 degrees.  I ran conservatively trying not to set off a bout of run defying cramps.

More Trail

By the half way point which was lap one of the two lap course, I was right on schedule where I wanted to be.  I was hoping to be a bit slower than last year on lap 1 thinking even if I run lap 2 one hour slower, I would still be ahead of last year where I cramped severely on lap two where was lying on my back in pain on the trail unable to move forward for a while.  On the turnaround I remember seeing Steven Moore and he commented how it shouldn't be this hard for the first half.  I totally agreed.  Never had I felt this tired from running 31 miles.  That mud/ankle weight running really took a toll on the energy level.  I was having a hard time imagining how I might run the next 31 miles but after refueling at the aid station and heading out, I felt better.  I knew I was now 50% done and what's another 31 miles?  If needed I could walk or craw as I wasn't quitting, not an option.  The rolling hills of the second half seemed much like the first, just slower going.

And the mud sections seemed much better as the mud didn't stick and accumulate like it did the first lap.  It was more packed down and dryer but by now, the energy level had been sucked out from the first lap so I was moving forward but not at any stellar pace.  I continued to get cramp twinges but nothing that locked me up which was good.  I couldn't swallow electrolyte pills any more but at each aid station would pour the contents into my water bottle with my own drink mix, GU Brew Roctane, which contained a fair amount of electrolytes and calories.  At one point early on I did run out of my drink mix and had to resort to plain water which set me back a bit on the electrolyte level and did take a bit to catch up.  I know when I'm getting low as in the first stage my ears plug up and then stage two the vision gets blurry, stage three my voice changes.  Luckily I only got to stage one and after a while got that under control or so I thought.  Then at about mile 49 I took a swig of fluid and it went down the wrong way which immediately set off a case of the pukes.  For some strange reason, mile 49-50 is when  I've been getting this.  I did my thing and continued on.  I felt ok and gradually resumed drinking which was a big improvement over other races where I couldn't even take on water.  But I was being a bit conservative and did't drink nearly enough.  At one point I even tried to swallow an electrolyte pill to help balance out the body only to spit it out as it would have set off more pukes.  So I had to back off my running at times to control any signs of cramping and then pick it up when I could.  As I came into the Crossroads aid station for the final visit I had my headlamp there but decided I was doing ok and didn't need it.  If I continued at my current pace, I would make it in just before sunset.  But the lack of drinking enough fluid eventually caught up to me a few miles later where cramps kicked in so bad that I had to stop a number of times to get it under control.  At that point I was thinking maybe I was better suited to be a golfer and maybe running wasn't my thing.  With the cramping I was loosing valuable time and darkness was fast approaching. I knew if I got to the final descent I would be fine as it was more open but it took forever to get there.    So by the time I was there it was pretty much dark.  I could feel the worn trail underfoot which is how I followed the trail.  The new reflective strips they have now are great to see the trail...if you have a headlamp.  With no headlamp, no reflective capabilities.  Finally I was at the start of the last downhill section and could see a headlamp following me.  This would be a challenge to stay ahead.  I booked it downhill best I could, feeling the trail as I went.  Finally I hit the last jeep road which I knew was not far from the start and was pretty much flat and non-technical so I took off to stay ahead of that following light.  Finally I could see the lights from the finish and cruised in darkness over the line.  DONE!  About a minute later, that trailing headlamp came in and it was Liza.

Kristin cruising the trails

It was great to be finished!!!  Then I had to find the rental car in a dark parking lot in the back fields to find warm and dry clothing.  Not an easy task but eventually found the car and put on the down coat, hat and mittens.  With a warm set of clothing I was off to the finish tent to enjoy some cold beverages with friends and wait for Kristin to arrive.  And it wasn't that much longer when Kristin finished with a new PR for Bandera!  Most of the runners had much slower times than in the past but Kristin cranked out her fastest time yet for Bandera.


In the end, I was slower than the previous year but in the USATF standings I was 10th overall for the men which I was happy with, first in age.  But even better I won the master division for the Tejas race and brought home the prized burrow trophy!  Full results can be found here:  Results

The Burrow Trophy

Steve and David trading stories 

Liza relaxing at the finish tent

The next day was recovery and after a short walk about in San Antonio, it was time to hydrate along the River Walk.

Kristin enjoying a Margarita on the River Walk:)

Sotol Damage

Of course there was bodily injury due to the sharp sotol plants.





All in all, a great time in Texas again.  If you are ever looking for a break from the winter, consider Texas for a fun winter run. Here's a link to the Tejas running series.  Thanks to Joe and Joyce and all the volunteers for putting on a fabulous event!

My New Bandera Cactus

And I successfully managed to smuggle home two more cactus plants of a new variety to add to my collection.  It must have been interesting when the TSA checked my bag :)

This one's for Serena :)

The Gear:  I received a new pair of Pearl Izumi Trail II's just days before the race.  No break in period required and they were awesome!  Plenty of support to run 62 miles and enough cush to handle the Texas rock.  Combined with a pair of Drymax trail socks, the feet were totally happy! And to add to the accessories, a Headsweats Race Cap to keep the sweat out of my eyes which was much needed :)

The Buckle

Success is not the key to happiness. 
Happiness is the key to success. 
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. 

The Second Annual Burlington VT Santa 5K

AND OTHER TRAINING TALES

Hanging out with the SBHS XC Rebel Girls!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The second annual Santa 5K in Burlington, VT is in the books with a record number of Santa runners.  This is now I believe the second largest running event in the state of VT, only behind the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon.  Amazing!  The rainy forecast luckily didn't happen and warm but windy temps made for a great run.  Nearly 2000 Santa runners lined Church Street for the start.

Nearly 2000 Santas on Church Street

Even with the record number of runners the start went off smoothly.  It was a little slow going until we spread out a bit and then it was onto Main Street.  Down hill we went picking up momentum when suddenly a crazed Elf came darting out into the runners.  It was Buddy The Elf.

He was yelling" Santa, I know you" and sounded just like Will Ferrell.  It was hard not to laugh even as he cut off the runners.  Shortly thereafter a few other bad elves joined in for the run.  We came around the bottom of Main Street and as we turned onto Battery Street at full speed I was trying to pass some runner with a dog on a leash.  Not good, the dog cut me off and I had to jump on the curb to prevent a disaster.  Then it was the long haul up Battery.  The wind was at our back but still seemed to be swirling around.  I was better prepared with my Santa suit this year and had pinned up the pants so they wouldn't fall off but I forgot to tighten up the top.  As we hit So. Willard, the wind was howling in our faces and the top was like a parachute catching the wind.  I kept trying to tuck it in but it wasn't working.  Luckily it wasn't far to go until we ran down Howard to So. Union with the wind at our back again.

Overall just a fun race, times were slow but running in a Santa suit on a windy day makes it a challenge to run fast.  And it was a great day to see friends to kickoff the Holidays!

Full results can be found here:  5K Results

And click here for the BFP Video


THE WEEK IN TRAINING

My week leading up to the Santa 5K had been sort of crazy. I'm trying to look at it as a glass half full instead of half empty. I was in some kind of funk all week, maybe something to do with the moon??  The week started with the Monday noon time run at Redrocks in Burlington.  Awesome day and ran multiple perimeter loops.  Tuesday it was bikram yoga with a run before and after and I didn't bonk in class which is always a good thing!  I was in town for the Thursday night run group a bit early for some extra miles.  I started off in shorts which was fine until I arrived on the south end of Burlington and as soon as I headed north, the winds kicked in along with the pelting snow.  Legs were fine but the eyes were sore.  I changed up to some warmer clothes and then ran more with the group which was fun especially running along Church Street with snow and the Christmas lights.

Church Street

But then while going to the after run festivities at the VT Pub and Brewery, I got hit by a car while crossing Main Street.  It was sort of freaky.  I had the green light to walk and didn't even think of it as I went across.  Next thing I knew I was being spun around and had my elbow smashed.  I stood in the middle of the road trying to figure out what just happened.   Some Jeep was stopped in front of me, apparently a bit shocked as well as he attempted a left turn and never saw  me.  What the heck!!  I went up to the driver. He was complaining about not being able to see with the snow on his windshield and some bed on his roof??  I think he was more freaked out than me.  I told him I was fine and to have a good night.  I was ok, just bruised.   More shocked than anything. The way I look at it, it's all about fate.  When people are concerned about some of my adventures whether it be jumping out of planes or running through lightning storms or solo adventures who knows where, I usually refer to the fate thing.  When your number comes up at the deli, it's your time, until then enjoy life to it's fullest!  So I guess it's good I did't get squished. One second faster on that street crossing and I could have been a hood ornament, but I wasn't.  I guess my number hasn't been called yet :)
Friday night I had a great run in the fresh snow in the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge.  On the way back along Greenbush Road I saw an unfamiliar hound crossing the street.  I hesitated at first but saw this canine heading into some trees on the other side of the road.  Usually the only dog on this section is a German Shepard chained up but this dog had a square head.  I could see his legs under the trees and quietly advanced along Greenbush Road hoping he didn't see me.  As soon as I was even with him, I could see him preparing for he kill.  Do I retreat or do the mad sprint was going through my mind.  I kept moving forward.  I saw him come around from the trees and work me into his plan.  He came out of the trees from behind me, a big Rottweiler  and I could hear his nails digging into the road on hot pursuit.  Speed work!!  Let's go!!

I put it into high gear and so did he.  I could hear his nails digging into the pavement and increasing in speed as I was.  I was eyeing for protection and saw some driveway markers I might be able to pull out of the frozen ground, that was option one.  Then I ran by a neighbor and was thinking I could use him as a block but screamed to him, "Do you know this dog"?  Apparently he did and he started to yell for the dog.  I could still hear those nails digging in and not letting up as I sprinted at max speed.  He yelled again and finally the dog slowed.  I yelled thank you as I kept moving forward.  So I guess it was all good as I didn't get bit. Never a dull moment on my runs :)

Saturday I began my seasonal Elf duties at Dakin and am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with Elf time and training for the next few weeks.  But I'll get'r done somehow as usual.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. 

To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” 

TRANSITION TO WINTER TRAINING

SOME FUN FALL RUNS 
AND TIME TO FOCUS ON 2013

Fall has been great for training this year and in Northern VT we were lucky enough to miss Super-Storm Sandy and the Nor'easter.  Trails have been mostly dry but temps are finally starting to dip and the day light hours are getting shorter each day.  It's still been a mix of shorts and tights but more often now it's the tights and a headlamp so winter is fast approaching.  And talk of screw shoes is becoming a reality again.  The joys of winter running!

I had an awesome time helping to coach the So. Burlington girls cross country team this fall.  Definitely one of the highlights of my year working with the girls and Coach Jess!!  But it also gave me time to back off on my own race schedule which was a much needed break and just time to run for fun.  Once that was over in early November, I suddenly realized it was time to get my butt in gear and start training especially with some races set for mid January 2013!

I've been slowing ramping up the miles again but trying to keep it fun.  I hit the mountains once a week for some good long hill runs.  Here are some of the adventures I've had recently:

Mansfield Loop, Fall edition:  Always a challenge on this 26 mile loop and fall is an exceptional time to run this.  Leaves are down, temps are cooler and the views can be spectacular.

The Chin on Mt. Mansfield

The Loop starts and finishes at the end of Stevensville Rd. in Underhill peaking out at the highest point in VT, the Chin on Mount Mansfield.  On the way to the Chin there are many sites to see.

Waterfall heading toward the Trout Club

Stowe Premier Property

Some of the loop includes a short section of dead end dirt roads with prime real estate in the Stowe Area.  For only $1.6 million, you can own this fine home.

The Sound of Music at Trapps

Or if you prefer more civilized living, Trapps offers wonderful accommodations with spectacular views.  Just beware of the trail police as you run through the trails at Trapps.











Part of the ascent up to the Chin is along the Toll Road and you may be thirsty and out of water but DON'T drink the water from this pipe!

Bad Water Source

As it's source is from this muck hole just above containing who knows what dead organisms.  Not convinced?  Ask Aliza :)

Sandy approaching as seen from the Summit

The Chin on this day was quite eerie looking with Sandy approaching from the south.











The descent along the Long Trail is always interesting with many Chutes and Ladders and rock faces.







All in all, it was a spectacular day.  I took the time to relax and have fun with the run.  I made it out just at sunset but was even prepared this time as I had a headlamp in my pack.  But I did run out of water like usual, but only a couple of miles before the end.




Camels Hump, another great training run:  The Hump offers many different options for routes and distances depending on time and weather.  The summer certainly is the most popular but winter runs may be the quickest on packed out snow with spikes as the snow fills in the gaps between the rocks.  For fall, you face the challenges of mud, ice and snow all rolled into one day.

The Summit on Camel's Hump

This particular day on the Burrows Trail started out with mud, then scattered snow followed by the intermittent ice flows in the thicker woods and then back to snow with ice near the summit.  Not quite enough ice and snow for the spikes ( I left them in the car any way), although they would have been nice at times.  But certainly enough ice to make it a more challenging day to say the least.

Ice Flow heading up to the Hump

More Ice

I always think if I take the Forest City Trail down it will be better.  Never is, just more ice on the descent.






Overall it was a great day on the Hump.  I was amazed I stayed upright the entire day.  I have a hard time doing that in even good conditions.




Appalachian Trail:  While visiting in CT over Thanksgiving I discovered some amazing trails that were all new to me and it included part of the Appalachian Trail.

I found this section while searching on my smart phone which I usually refer to as my dumb phone, or maybe it's because I haven't figured out all the features and I'm not the smart one :)  The trail started in Kent, CT and I did an out and back into Cornwall Bridge or somewhere near there.  Not really sure where I was.

The start of the trail

The trail starts out climbing over a fence before running through some open fields, then the fun starts with some great hills.

The Ledges steep descent

One of the more fun sections was an area called St. John's Ledges.  Here's the description:

Although it may look daunting, 90 stone steps installed by Appalachian Mountain Club volunteers and a professional trail crew make the descent manageable but hands may be needed for balance and leverage every so often.  After this knee-jarring descent you might reconsider the difficulty when witnessing rock climbers ascending the adjacent sheer rock face from the bottom up.

This was actually a really fun section except for the bottomless leaf hole I fell in causing me to descend a bit faster than expected and while picking up speed hitting rocks I had to do a self arrest much like in the snow.  I didn't see any visible blood flowing not that I really looked for it but just kept moving or it would have hurt a lot more.





Part of the journey included some really nice single track along the Housatonic River.

Caleb's Peak

Other peaks offered pleasant views of the valley below.



All in all a great day and another adventure.  Not so unusual, I had to ration food and water.  Not knowing where I was or where I was going and not having a pack to carry enough supplies was just typical for me and always a learning lesson.  I sort of forgot to pack any kind of hydration equipment or backpack on this journey to CT.  So I ran for 4 1/2 hours on 22 oz. of water and 3 GU gels.  I did carry $2 with me but never saw a store so it was useless.  The last hour I was running on fumes and the vision was deteriorating from lack of calories and fluids.  I did roughly calculate when I might finish up and wanted to make it out before sunset as I did have a headlamp... but left it in the car since I had no way to carry it.  Luckily I got out of the woods by 4 PM as it was getting dark in the thick of the woods towards the end.



The training continues.  Along with the running I keep going to bikram yoga once a week whenever I have a free moment.  Still a major challenge to successfully make it through without bonking.  And the core work has been increasing.  Not at a gym but cutting and hauling firewood.  The lottery Gods in the next couple of weeks will be deciding the rest of the season for 2013.  Will it be the Gram Slam, Hardrock or maybe Tour de Giants??  Time will tell!

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the 

whole idea is not 

to beat the other runners.

Eventually you learn that the competition is

against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit."

RUN YOUR CAN OFF

RUN YOUR CAN OFF   2012

This is totally an event and not a race but also a test of endurance for many who try to run for up to 6 hours on a 1.25 mile course through the woods.  More importantly it's a fundraiser for the Winooski Food Shelf at a time of year when donations are desperately needed.  You can donate food for each lap you run or if you want to run for 6 hours, bring a whole turkey!  And anything in between including cash donations.  There's no entry fee and the entire event is run by volunteers with the help of donations from local and not so local businesses.  One aid station is fully stocked with various food and drink, again supplied by local businesses.  The only variable is the weather and this year it couldn't have been any nicer.  Temps in the low 40's, dry and some later day sun!

The event this year on it's 3rd anniversary was directed by Jen Sorrell who took over the reigns from Greg Veltkamp who happened to move to Alaska.  Jen had the enthusiastic help of Scott Barras to make this year's event the most successful ever.

The Start Line

At the start there were nearly 170 runners/walkers/trail strollers lined up on a chilly morning in the upper 30's with a brisk breeze.  At 9:00 am we were off and running.  Immediately you climb the biggest hill of the course but within 20 seconds you're at the peak and onto mostly flat single track.  The rest of the course is on mostly gently rolling trails with enough room on most to push a stroller equipped with fatter wheels.  Good enough for Todd and his coach Henry to negotiate.

I started off running with Joe and Mike and quickly warmed up, enough to get rid of a wind shell after lap  one.  The nice part of doing laps is being able to hit the aid stations frequently if needed.  And each time you ran through they counted your laps.

Soon Pablo joined up and we ran quite a few laps together.  With most of the leaves down much of the trail was covered so you couldn't see all the roots but Scott went out prior to the start to rake away any bad areas.  Still, I managed to find a few obstacles and crashed hard twice doing my tuck and roll to keep on pace.

Pablo and Jack

The sun was shining and it was just a great day to run with friends in the woods.

The Legend Joe Carrara

Paul up and running

At one point I came around a corner and found Paul down on the ground after just crashing on a root.  After a little chat we were able to get him back up and running again.  He's tough!

Clem

The famous ultra runner Clem also took some hard diggers but kept going as always.

Felicity and Dad on the big hill

Kyle's dog taking him for a run

After about 4 hours and 20 or so laps, I started to feel like a hamster on a treadmill in a cage.  Once an hour I would stop at the aid station and refuel.  Sometimes I would run backwards or sideways to make it interesting and ran on and off with different friends and dogs throughout the day.  But I was also starting to feel a bit dehydrated and was getting some cramping twinges in my calves.  I made the mistake of going to bikram yoga the afternoon before, not even thinking.  Typically it takes me a good 24 hours to get back on track with hydration after a sweat-fest in bikram and I never do it the day before a race.  I managed to swallow a few electrolyte pills without gagging too much but the last one almost set off the pukes.  So for the last hour I took it easy and just kept doing easy laps.  At the end I finished with 32 laps or about 40 miles (Garmin miles whatever they are).  There were a number of other runners that completed the full 6 hours which was impressive including Pablo who also got in 32 laps.

RD Jen with Felicity

 
In the end a lot of food was donated to help make Thanksgiving a little nicer for many families so thanks to all the runners who participated.  And thanks to Jen, Scott, Kristin and all the volunteers and sponsors who made this a great event.  Looking forward to next year!  For more information click here:  RYCO

LIFE IS GOOD

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make you happy.  After freezing my butt off for the last 3 winters I decided to invest in some HEAT!  94 degrees last night, had to open the windows and get rid of the down comforter.  12 hours later, the stove was still warm.  Have to work on the temps a bit but totally enjoying it :)  This could be great for heat training.  I could even host a bikram yoga session here!

New Stove!

Looking forward to winter :)

And don't forget "Run Your Can Off" on Saturday November 10th to benefit the Winooski Food Shelf:  http://runyourcanoff.blogspot.com/

At one point in your life you either have the things you want or the reasons why you don't