2014 Grasslands 50 Mile - Race Report

Where does one start when talking about the Grasslands 50 mile trail race? Perhaps with the course terrain, with its miles of soul-sucking ankle deep sand punctuated with stretches of rocks and gnarly roots. Or maybe one could talk about the runners who come out to run on converted horse trails and across lonely cow pastures instead of pristine roads lined with enthusiastic spectators. One could talk about the logistics of running this race - trails that intersect, run over each other, then suddenly separate, causing a runner who isn't paying attention or who makes one wrong turn to suffer through additional miles and a great deal of frustration. I experienced all of these things on my day in Decatur. But I'll start at the very beginning. (A very good place to start....)   

I entered Grasslands 50 intending it to be a supported training run for my upcoming trip to Miwok. It seems a lot of my attention has been focused on THAT race for obvious reasons - it's one of the truly iconic American trail races. But when it comes to local events like this I still place certain expectations on myself to go out and do well, even if my intention is not to go "all out". I had been relaxed and confident the week leading up to this race, I had slept very well, my nutrition was dialed in, I had been taking in additional electrolytes all week to prepare for the humid conditions, and my recovery runs for the week had all been fast and easy. The previous weekend involved my trip to the Ozarks for the very hilly Skunk Run. All in all, I don't think I could have come into a race feeling more rested, relaxed and prepared than I did for this one. Yet I still didn't think of myself as coming to Grasslands to "race". 

The day started off with my typical early arrival to the race start. Prerace check-in was at 5:15 am and I wanted to make sure I had time to get my "aid station" set up in the drop bag area. We lucked out in that the rain that had been forecast for race day held off so I was able to set my things out in the open and have them ready for my repeated passes though the Tarda aid station. I was able to get situated, listen to the prerace briefing, take a few deep breaths, greet a few of my friends and fellow runners at the start line, and the countdown began for the 6 am start - 5,4,3,2,1, RUN!

Aid station ready!

The first 5 miles of this run is an out-and-back course correcting stretch of trail that winds through the woods and is marked by reflective tape on the trees along the way. It's not difficult from a running standpoint and for the most part the terrain is solid and what one would expect to see on a typical running trail in Texas. A lead group shot out from the start and were off into the early morning darkness. Since I had no idea where I was going I hung with a group of guys who were holding about the same pace I had planned on for this stretch. They were a cool bunch - we helped each other monitor footing on the trail by calling out "rock!" or  "root!" or  "ruts!" as we moved along. One of the things that makes trail racing so great is the camaraderie among the runners. We were all chatting, introducing ourselves, and letting out the occasional "ROOT!" as we went along.

When my group reached the turnaround we found out that something had happened that would become a recurring theme for this day - the lead group had blown right by the turnaround and had kept going down the wrong trail. We wondered why they had not passed us heading back to the start. As we headed back I made a mental note to PAY ATTENTION OUT THERE. I thought the turnaround was pretty clearly labeled but if someone zoned out they could easily miss the turn and end up in no man's land. 

I didn't stop at the Tarda station after the 5 mile opening stretch and just kept trucking out onto the blue loop. This loop (about 13.5 miles) went by rather smoothly and seemingly quickly as I hooked up with my friend and pacer from Rocky Raccoon, Chris Barnwell, and a school teacher and track coach from Lubbock (whose name I can't recall but will add in as soon as I figure it out). We ran and talked, talked and ran, and we enjoyed the fellowship that one experiences often in these kinds of events. There were some moments when we would come across a fork in the road and we had to use some caution which direction we took for fear of going the wrong way but we were able to figure it out and continue on without much delay. When we reached the Grapevine Runners and Walkers aid station (Red Ant Pond) at around mile 11 we were informed (much to our surprise) that we were the lead group! We had a good laugh about that, grabbed a snack and headed back out. 

My running mates for Blue Loop.

Soon after leaving Red Ant Pond we heard footsteps from behind us as some of the faster runners eventually got themselves back on the right track and caught us. We thought it was fun being the lead group while it lasted but we decided that we were going to run our race and stay the course. We were probably passed by 5 or 6 folks with very determined scowls whom I would guess were not enjoying their day nearly as much as we were. The three of us dodged cows, talked about brewing beer, sidestepped rocks, ruts, and roots, and before I knew it we were back at Tadra.

As I said before the course at Grasslands consists of a series of loops that cross back and forth around and in some cases across each other. It's a "modified cloverleaf" pattern with the Tadra aid station (and the start/finish line) at the center. The map here gives more detail. There are signs and markers that are painted with the colors of each loop and some of the trees are streaked with paint as well. As the race goes on the runner becomes more accustomed to the marking system but like I said before it's important to pay attention. I found out again at this aid station stop that some of the runners who had passed us had made more mistakes in trail navigation and were having a hard time finding their way around the course. 

A rockier stretch of the trail on blue loop...

Run down the center between the ruts for better footing.....

While elevation is not an issue on this course there are a few ups and downs to navigate.

On the next loop, white, I started to feel a little extra energy in my legs and picked up my pace. The conversation had slowed with my friends and I think we all settled into our own paces and without really noticing I had separated myself a little bit. I ran most of this loop alone. This loop was also when I began to encounter the most notorious challenge on this course - the sand. Where do I begin with the sand? This sand was not the soft, grainy type one would find at the beach. It was thick, would mold itself to your foot, and was chewed up and rough from what seemed like the crossing of countless horses and cows. Whenever I encountered a stretch of this stuff I would have to stop and either walk or shuffle very slowly. I'm sure I cursed the sand several times throughout the course of the day. 

The infamous Grasslands sand.

Despite the aggravations of the sand I finished the white loop and was feeling pretty good. I had now finished more than half of the race and was "on my way back" (so to speak). As I entered Tadra again I got lost in a crowd of runners and spectators who were there for the half and full marathons that were taking place that day as well. I was a little frustrated on this stop because I could not find any aid station volunteers to refill water bottles or direct me back on to the correct course. I kept yelling out "50 miler - some help here please?" but it took some time to actually find someone to get me fixed up and pointed in the right direction. I grabbed some food to eat on the course and set out again as quickly as I could onto the yellow loop. I wasn't moving particularly fast at this point but I just wanted to keep moving. I was about 50k into the race, had a good time going (4:49), and I only had 2 short loops left (around 10 miles each). 

What I did not know was that I was the lead runner. I found this out when I hit the Outback Gate aid station on the yellow loop (mile 36), manned by some familiar faces from a local running club. When I stopped in I was feeling a little worn out and I actually plopped down in a chair for a minute to sip some coke and collect my thoughts. They asked if I I was running alone ("yes") and if I knew I was in the lead ('huh?"). I thought they were kidding and was certain a group of runners had probably came through a while ago. Their response was no, they hadn't. I was the first runner to come through. I finished my snack, took a deep breath, and shuffled off.

What I did not realize was that I was being chased down by a very focused and determined runner named Sabrina Little. Sabrina is the US women's record holder in the 24-hour run and is as smooth and easy a runner as there is. She had also succumbed to a few wrong turns but stayed with it. I don't know how many extra miles she had run up to that point but she was undeterred. Sabrina caught me at mile 40 and we made it to Tadra for the last time together. There was a young man named John running with her whom I would encounter again on the final loop (Red). The three of us sorted our way through the crowds and headed out for the last loop. 

They got a bit of a jump on me out of Tadra but I was still focused on running my race. There were still 10 miles left and I did not want to push myself too hard just yet. I kept the pace steady. I waded through more sand and stayed positive but a few miles into the red loop I ran into a problem. I was held up by a line of horseback riders on the trail. In the prerace briefing the RD was very clear that should you run up on horseback riders, give them plenty of room so you don't spook the horses. Despite my aggravation I couldn't do anything but wait for them to move along this stretch of hilly single track. As soon as we reached a wider portion of the trail they stepped off to let me pass. They were very friendly folks but waiting for their caravan to pass cost me about 10 minutes - not exactly what I needed right now. I thought Sabrina and John would be out of my reach but I was still going to keep at it. 

Approaching the caravan of horses....

The riders were very nice - it was difficult to be frustrated with them despite the delay.

A couple miles down the road I was able to catch and pass John. We chatted for a few minutes but he had pushed himself to try to keep up with her and was possibly a little worn out. He was a cool guy, a fellow Aggie, and said he'd try to give me a race at the end. He had a great attitude. I assumed he would recover and that I would see him again on that final stretch but for right now I had work to do - I didn't know if I could catch Sabrina, but I was damn sure going to try. I threw it into gear and ran the next 3 miles as hard as I could. At mile 47 I saw her on the horizon and really gave it everything I had. I don't know if she knew how close I came to catching up but her pace never wavered. I got to within maybe a couple hundred yards before there just wasn't anything left for me to draw upon. After a few twists and turns, some ups and downs, and more stretches of sand, she had widened her lead and I was running out of time. 

As close as I could get to Sabrina down the stretch...

I thought of making one last push but I turned a corner to find myself entering the parking lot at Tadra again - the end of the race! As I came in I was elated to see my wife Michelle and my daughters there for me. I crossed the finish line and was mobbed by my family. I finished in 8 hours 11 minutes and was the male overall winner. I was given a beautiful belt buckle, a very nice glass award, and I went to look for Sabrina to congratulate her on her amazing day. She had gone off to decompress, which I completely understood as I heard that she was frustrated by her day on this course. I never got the chance to talk to her but I hold her running skill and determination in the highest regard. She is one tough and resilient runner! John came in a few minutes behind me, and we congratulated each other on surviving a tough day.

Male overall winner! How 'bout that?

As with any race, there are always things that one could say they liked and didn't like about the course/volunteers/organization/RD/aid stations/food/parking/you-name-it. I realize that a number of folks were frustrated by the layout and marking of the course, but for my part, I didn't have a lot of trouble with it. The course terrain was the biggest challenge for me - specifically the sand. And what wasn't sandy seemed to be chewed up and rutted by numerous horse and cattle crossings. Those are just things to prepare for when gearing up for Grasslands 50. A huge note of thanks to Paul the RD for his hard work in putting this on and to all the volunteers (NTTR, Grapevine RAW, and everyone else) who make this event special. I highly recommend this event for anyone in the area looking to spend a day out on the trails in a beautiful place surrounded by great people. 

One of the iconic windmills

Finishers buckle and male winner award