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.

17 Weeks To Go

From an update I posted to Facebook last week......

Training Update: 17 Weeks to Western States.

This was supposed to be a "race week" for me, capped off with the Cowtown 50k on Sunday. The plan was to run it as a training race to dial in some nutrition stuff and kick some of the winter rust off. But unfortunately life happens, and due to a scheduling conflict I won't be able to run it. Bummer.

I'm trying not to think too much beyond Western States, but the other races need a little attention as well. Fortunately Ryan has me covered on race logistics for Vermont 100 (HUGE thanks!!), but I haven't really started looking into planning for Leadville or Wasatch yet. I am still a little thin on crew and pacing for Leadville. Meaning, I don't have any. I have a "maybe" pacer for L'ville, but that's it for now. We'll see how that comes together. My brothers Chris, Reece, and Josh will be at Wasatch, so I am resting easy about that one for the moment.

All in all training is going very well. My focus with my coach, Ryan Knapp, is on running economy and strength - hill repeats, long runs with "surges", fartleks, and the like. Average weekly mileage is right around 50 mpw, and I feel very comfortable with that. The ramp up will begin in earnest here in another month or so. That's when the fun really starts.

Meredith, my nutrition coach, has provided some early dietary objectives centered around improving my fat adaptability and my nutrition between workouts for recovery. It's good stuff and has me back to focusing on the fundamentals.

The next race for me will be the Grasslands Trail Marathon in March, followed by Pandora's 52 miler in April. My States buddy Dan should be back in a few weeks and Josh is healing nicely, so it'll be good to start fleshing out our plans for Squaw in the coming weeks....

Pax et bonum!

And just like that, January is in the rear view mirror! We currently sit around 19 weeks out from Western States and from a training standpoint things are moving along well. My training load is still relatively light, with my weekly mileage checking in at around 50 miles per week. Most of my workouts are incorporating some sort of hill training - either multiple repeats on short, steep hills outside or longer "hiking" sessions on the treadmill at 12% incline or more. Add a couple days of strength training, a weekend long run of around 15-20 miles, a day of rest here and there, and voila! You have my off-season training regimen. 

While things have been a little easier on the training side, I've been given to reflect on other important dimensions of my upcoming summer adventure. Namely, what is God trying to teach me through this? Could it be humility? Trust? Dependence upon His grace and providence? The value of suffering? While I don't generally make an outward show of my return to the Church after many years away (that subject is probably an entire post unto itself), I cannot but help but view this opportunity through the prism of my recent "reversion" experiences and appreciate that things are happening at this time in particular. It's pretty cool to see the proverbial stars line up when considering events through such a lens.

Having said that, I am also reflecting on how utterly self-obsessive this undertaking is going to be. Between the costs of the four events themselves, "training" races, travel arrangements, coaching, gear, and shoes, it goes without saying that this is an expensive proposition. Beyond that, the time required to train and recover is extensive and will require a great deal of patience and support from my friends and family. I'm blessed to have a fantastic "support system" but it still gives me pause from time to time as I consider what I am asking of others. So on a spiritual level, what lessons could I learn from this unfortunate reality?

[Insert Profound Spiritual Insight Here]

Well, I haven't come up with an adequate answer to that yet. All I can say is that I am certain that there ARE insights and lessons that will manifest themselves along the way. At some point I would like to chronicle some of the parallels that I have come to recognize between my running life and my fledgling spiritual life. (Don't expect profundity. That's not my thing.) I do believe that through running, God has prepared me to return to life in the Spirit and to accept the burdens and challenges that come with it. (This might be one reason why the bible is so replete with running metaphors. I mean, if the shoe fits....)

So now I roll into February. Saint Sebastian, patron of runners, pray for me!

The Mental Game

"...DETERMINATION ALONE IS NOT GOING TO GET YOU TO THE FINISH.

EVERYONE WHO STEPS TO THE GATE WILL BE DETERMINED AS HELL.

DETERMINATION IS A PRE-REQUISITE.

SUCCESS TAKES A LOT MORE THAN DETERMINATION."

 ----- LAZARUS LAKE

The iconic Lazarus Lake spoke these words when considering the guts and gumption of the few brave souls chosen to attempt his annual Barkley Marathons at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, widely regarded as the most difficult test of endurance running going today. So few have finished this event that some consider it nigh impossible. But some do finish Barkley. In considering the task before me, his words struck a chord as I considered the intestinal fortitude that I'll have to find to finish the Slam.

I would be lying if I didn't admit right off the bat that there are not only tiny seeds of doubt coursing through my subconscious when it comes to completing these 4 races, but fully grown fields and forests of the stuff. It's really not so much the distances involved. As Karl Meltzer famously said, "100 miles is not that far." My philosophy is pretty simple - one step at a time, one aid station at a time. Don't look too far ahead, stay in the moment, and keep moving forward. It's easy to say that now but I am all too familiar with the tendency to lose focus and start thinking about the "big picture" in the heat of the moment.

As I look at the races themselves, there is one that far and away causes my stomach to tighten in knots more than the others : Leadville. Much like its famed Hope Pass, that race stands as the towering roadblock in my quest to finish the big four. The complications Leadville presents to the aspiring sea-level-living finisher include the altitude, the relatively short time limit (30 hours), the altitude, Hope Pass itself, and - did I mention the altitude? Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of being able to take a 2-week hiatus from life to gallivant through the mountains acclimating myself to the low oxygen one tends to find at 9,000' elevation, so I am already at a stark disadvantage. I am unsure of the science (and turned off to the cost) of altitude tents. So planning for that race will occupy a disproportionate share of my attention. And just to add to my anxieties, Leadville happens sport the highest drop rate of the 4 races:

From an excellent blog post by Will Cooper: http://www.willrunlonger.com/2016/07/grand-slam-drop-rates.html

Don't think the irony of my being concerned about Leadville here in January is lost on me - even now, I am looking far ahead and not staying in the moment! It's so easy to fall into that trap and I haven't even toed a starting line yet. Right now the focus must be on some solid early-season base mileage, cleaning up my nutrition, working on some race-day fueling strategies in tune-up races, and - this is important - RELAXING. I need to trust that the plan will come together and take it one day at a time.

Memes are fun.

Getting back to Lazarus Lake's quote - so if it's not just resolve that separates the finishers from the wannabes, what, then, will it take to get this done? Surely many who fell short of their goal were determined. They were prepared. Trained. They had planned. And yet....things just didn't come together.

So, what am I going to do?

Be determined. Prepare. Train. Plan. And, most importantly....RELAX. If, by God's providence, I should make it to - and then, through - this experience, it'll be something I will look back on for the rest of my life. I'd do well to make sure I savor the adventure every step of the way.

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Off and running......

The beautiful, rugged hills of Bandera

Last weekend was the annual running of the Bandera 100k in the lovely Texas Hill Country near San Antonio. While I was not technically a participant, I had a great time keeping my FOMO in check by volunteering, crewing, and pacing out on the rough-and-tumble course that seems to breed more rocks every time I get out onto those trails. It enabled me to revisit the ghosts of my disappointment at the 2016 Cactus Rose 100 (where I was forced to drop after 50 miles) and hopefully exorcise those demons along the way.

In looking ahead at the spring calendar, I am considering a few different events that could serve as tune-ups for the summer's big events. The most likely candidates for training "races" would be local events like the Cowtown 50k and the Grasslands Trail Marathon - and while neither of these would remotely resemble the terrain I'll face in the summer (Cowtown is entirely on roads for all intents and purposes), they would give me a chance to work on a new nutrition plan and get some decent training miles in. I had planned on looking into Jemez 50 in New Mexico as a training run in May, but it sounds like that race may be a little high on the difficulty scale given its proximity to Western States. We'll see.

Training has begun in earnest, with time trials, hill repeats, and strength work taking center stage. My mileage is still relatively low - in the 40 mile/week range - but that will certainly increase in the coming weeks and months. While it feels good to get back to work on the roads and in the gym with a definite end-goal in mind, what is most exciting to me right now is my partnership with Meredith Terranova of Eating & Healthy Living LLC. We are developing a new nutrition plan focused more on metabolic efficiency (reducing my need for carbohydrate calories during training and racing) and looking at a number of the variables around race day nutrition that could be affecting my performance. It has been an illuminating beginning, as I feel we are getting to the root of many of the problems I have had in long races over the past couple years.

Between working with Ryan Knapp at M2GE and Meredith at E&HL, I feel very confident that I'm working with a great team who will give me the tools I need to get to the finish line at Wasatch. I feel like we're off to a good start!

FOMO is not my friend!

Prior to receiving the news that Western States was in my future (and, by extension, Vermont, Leadville and Wasatch) I had pretty much banked on a winter/spring racing schedule that would include Bandera 100k, Rocky Raccoon 100, and possibly some other late spring road race. I had maintained a training schedule through November that would have me ready to race in January and hopefully allow for a 100 mile PR attempt at Rocky in February.

From a training standpoint, December got off to a good start, beginning with a modest recovery week that included some extra strength work in the gym and some sessions on the spin bike to promote some active recovery. My plans for the next few months hadn't changed yet so I felt that I was in a great position to start ramping my mileage back up in preparation for the races that lay ahead.

That was all pre-Squaw. Now that I am living in a post-lottery drawing world, things have been decidedly different. The last few weeks of December have been mediocre at best. I have had a few decent runs, but nothing over 10 miles. Not all of this has been by design - a busy travel schedule and a case of the winter crud has forced me to make some accommodations in my training. When I have hit such a slump in the past, a quick and easy solution has been to put a race on the calendar. I'd simply pick a race a month or two out and get back on the training wagon. Done!

The problem is that the old rules don't apply now. I have to embrace this slow time as a sort of "off-season" (a task that is supremely difficult for me to do) and realize that there is a bigger picture here. I can't fall into the trap of thinking "well, so-and-so runs a ton of races, so I should too!" Taking time off is difficult for any athlete committed to their sport but this period of rest and recovery is a necessary part of the process.

So while I'm in R&R mode, I will catch up on my sleep, spend some time on a few other non-running hobbies, and even volunteer my time at a few of those cool winter/spring trail races. I'll spend a little more time working on core strength, fine-tuning my diet, and getting ready for the time when training intensifies and the miles ramp up again. It'll be here before I know it. In the meantime, I'll try to fight the FOMO (fear of missing out) and stay as far away from Ultrasignup as I can.....