Back to Grasslands - 2017 Grasslands Trail Marathon Race Report & Training Update

My trail racing season officially began this past weekend on the dusty horse trails near Decatur, Texas, at a race that I have become all-too familiar with: The annual Grasslands Trail Runs. I have run the 50 mile race out there a couple of times in the past and had a general level of familiarity about what I was in for when I signed up, but this would be my first crack at the marathon distance. The funny thing about this event is that, given that it takes place in mid-March in north Texas, the weather can be very unpredictable. Whether I have been running or volunteering, every trip up to Grasslands has presented something different - cold, rain, mud, dry sand...this year's version of the race would present a heaping helping of dry, loose sand and some warmer than usual temperatures. With Texas being Texas, you just get used to the variations and learn to roll with it.

My last few weeks of training had been pretty solid so I had some high hopes for this race - I set a "great day" goal of 3:45, a "decent day" goal of 4 hours, and a "whatever" goal of....whatever. I was not really concerned so much about placing because one can never control who shows up (if team Hoka rolls in here and decides to run the marathon, what are ya gonna do??). So I thought I'd just go with how I felt and see what happens.

There were a couple of last-minute reroutes to the course that necessitated an early morning briefing from Chris Barnwell, the Grasslands race director. Once all the formalities were handled and a prerace picture had been snapped, the countdown quickly drew down and, at 7am sharp, the race began.

WHITE LOOP - 12.80 MILES

I started out of the gate very comfortably with the lead pack. In the predawn hours the temperatures were a little warm but generally pleasant. As we all settled in I enjoyed some chatter with the guys out on the trail. I chose not to run with a headlight, opting instead to make my way by means of the ambient light from the moon and the headlamps of the other runners. (It would just become an unnecessary nuisance once the sun came up within the hour anyway.) I bounced around in the top-5 for the first few miles, not feeling too particularly concerned about who was where and was more concerned about just staying comfortable. Aside from a few minor wrong turns and short course corrections, I stayed in that lead pack for the entire loop. It was fun to be out running fast and I considered for a moment how blessed I am to be able to do this crazy thing that I love so much. As the sun came up over the horizon and the day began to awaken, I tried to take it all in and offer what gratitude I could muster to Him who gave us this day to enjoy.

For the most part, the footing on the trail was pretty solid early on. There were a few soft spots where the sand was loose and grainy, but it wasn't anything that was too difficult to navigate. I found the running to be very pleasant and enjoyed the company of the other guys. Eventually, we spread out a little bit and I began to run on my own. I plugged in for some music and zoned out for a while, keeping up the pace and finishing the White Loop comfortably in around 1:39.

Feeling good at the turn!

BLUE LOOP - 13.50 MILES

I was in and out of the start/finish area quickly, as I only stopped to refill by bottle with Tailwind before I was off for the second loop. By my count, I was in around 4th or 5th place at the turn and still felt pretty good. I hoped that if my luck held up I could make up a little ground on the leaders. It was not long after I left the start/finish area that I ran into some traffic on the trail, as the half marathon - which began an hour and a half after the marathon - had just started. As I tried to patiently navigate and weave through the new contingent of runners who had entered the fray I lost sight of the guys ahead of me, and had to be content with trying to maintain my pace among several lines of single-file runners on the narrower sections of the trail.

In addition to the slew of new runners out on Blue Loop, I was beginning to notice that the temperatures had begun to rise considerably as the sun broke above the treetops. Despite my intentions to keep a positive attitude and push through it, I noticed my heart rate began to climb while my mile splits began to slip. Around 18 miles in, I made the decision to ease back on my pace, lest I risk burning out short of the finish line! The next 3-4 miles were slower going (comparatively) but I was able to maintain at least a comfortable jog for the most part.

Coming in to the last aid station. Not feeling so great - I even forgot to smile for the camera!
(Thanks to Mark O for this one as well.)

As I entered the last aid station at mile 23, I was really trying to keep it together - my bottle was empty and my spirits were a little down. I was moving decently but not as well as I had hoped when I began the loop. Fortunately I had a secret weapon waiting for me at the last aid station - my daughter, who had come out to help for the day, was there! Oh happy day!! I was so glad to see her and hear her call out to me. I wish I had felt a little better, but she's seen me in low points in races before so she knew what to expect. They quickly patched me up at the aid station, and after a hug and a kiss from my daughter, I was off again.

And, I'm off! (Thanks to Shama for the pic!)

Best Aid Station EVERRRRR! (Thanks to Mark O for the pic!)

The last few miles were a mix of pushing hard, easing back, hiking a little, pushing, easing up, repeat, repeat...The temperature was approaching 80 at this point and I was just about ready to call it a day. There's a stretch of the course that runs alongside a dam before climbing a hill back up to the main road that marks the entrance to the park, signaling to the runners that the end is near. I felt a little more spring in my step knowing the finish line was not that far off, and once I climbed the last hill I pushed the pace until at last I reached the parking area. I had forgotten about the short re-route around the finish line that added another 3/4-mile to the course but I was able to dispatch with that rather quickly and finish in a solid 3:28.

I'd say overall the day went well for me - the course was in great shape, the camaraderie out there was fantastic, and the race organizers did an amazing job of juggling a last-minute rush of entrants coupled with some searing March temperatures. Chris Barnwell and NTTR have a great track record for solid events and this one was no different - right down to the catered barbeque post-run meal for the runners! The one thing I think I can count on, though, is that if and when I do come back to run this race in the future, the scene will probably look very different!

POST SCRIPT - 13 WEEKS TO WESTERN STATES

It's been a few days since Grasslands and I am pleased to report that I feel very good - no soreness or fatigue to speak of. I took Sunday & Monday off just to be sure everything was good to go. I was back at it with an hour hike on the treadmill at 15% incline and a couple miles of easy running early this morning. I'll have a couple recovery runs over the next few days that will add some easy miles to this week before I get to some more steady climbing and distance work again over the weekend. With a little over 3 months to go before this thing kicks off, I have to say that I am encouraged by where I am right now - but I realize there is much work still to be done.

And so, the work continues. See you in Squaw - or maybe, since I'm a Texan, I should say...

See y'all in Squaw!!

Beginning To See The Starting Line...

It's beginning to dawn on me as the days and weeks pass by with seemingly increasing rapidity that one day very soon I am going to wake up in the dark, predawn hours of the morning in a hotel room in northern California, don my trusty running gear, stumble to the starting line of a crazy mountain race surrounded by a sea of illuminated foreheads, hear a muted countdown, and then at the sound of the gun, begin this epic quest that has dominated my psyche for the past 3 years. In the times when I would daydream about the Grand Slam when I was out on a training runs I had always assumed that I would somehow feel "different" when the time came to run it - that through extensive training, mental preparation, and experience, I would have a deep and varied bag of tricks that would enable me to tough it out and reach beyond the boundaries of my physical capabilities with gusto and panache.

Mr. Incredible!

Well, with under 16 weeks of training time to go until Western States (actually 14 weeks, if you consider a 2-week taper), I am becoming more conscious of the fact that from a preparation standpoint I am NOT going to be a significantly different person from the one I am today. Sure, I'll have a few more weeks worth of training runs under my belt, but really, what am I going to be able to do in these next several weeks that will make much of a difference in my ability to finish? Probably not much. I do have a decent level of experience from which to draw and with a little luck I will have had a solid training cycle behind me when I get to Squaw Valley. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and any problems that might arise from the list of "things I can't control" will stay relatively short. But either way I will have to adapt and overcome.

Because regardless of how much training I put in, or how many dietary changes I make, or how much time I spend in the gym, there are going to be a number of tough moments when I won't want to continue. (Probably several in each race!) There will be wardrobe malfunctions, problems at aid stations, periods of low energy, dehydration, heat, cold, and who even knows what else. The real question will be not so much am I properly trained, but am I completely resolved to continue? Because if I can't answer in the strong "affirmative" to that second question, all other questions are rendered moot.

I'll head to Squaw Valley in June with 20-something years of training and racing behind me. It's that depth of experience that will either get me through this, or it won't. I am keeping in mind that what I do between now and then will be the icing on the cake. The final passes of sharpening the blade on the whetstone, if you will. If I don't have "it" by now, I'm not going to get "it" by the time this thing kicks off in June. That's both a comforting thought and a somewhat disconcerting one!

Ultimately, I am who I am - and that's OK. For now though, the final stages of my preparation begins.