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1/7/2017

7:30 AM

31.8 mi

6:18:00

11:54 mi

Health

146 bpm
169 bpm
27.4

Weather

20 F

Ratings

10 / 10
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Bandera 50k

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Notes

Offical: 50k (31.07 mi) in 6:18:00

GPS+manual: 51.16k (31.79 mi)

Negative split? ~3:30/2:48

Note: Garmin died before 30 miles. Based on manual mapping and comparing against other runners' data, I added the missing piece manually to the log.

Start: 16F (windchill 10F) 82% humidity

Halfway: 30F (windchill 22F) 43% humidity

End: 40F (windchill 35F) 25% humidity

Pre-race:

Already had 2 weeks of cedar allergy. Stuffy nose and didn't sleep well for many nights (fortunately my nose always clears during a workout). Got up at 4:30am race day morning and arrived at packet pickup at around 6:45. I originally did not intend to wear so many layers but I felt so very cold and the wind hurt my face. I was amazed at some runners dressed in shorts.

Head: Beanie, sunglasses, and bandana around my face. The bandana worked well when standing around, but wouldn't stay in place as soon as I started running, and hung around my neck like a dog collar.

Top: 2 layers of gloves. Compression arm sleeves. Long compression top, then long sleeve tech shirt, then a thin jacket. Carried the orange mud pack with one 7oz bottle in front pocket and only one less than half filled large bottle in the back as reserve (never needed it during the race). I knew I would be shedding many of the layers later and would need the pack to carry them.

Bottom: Injinji socks. Calf sleeves. Long compression tights. Shorts (needed the pockets, probably didn't help with warmth)

First half:

This course was rugged! I felt very unprepared for the hills and rocks. I did not have enough strength to climb the uphills, and not enough technical skill to speed up on the downhills. Other runners were rock-hopping while I sometimes had to gingerly pick my landing spots and even stop and step down carefully. I was most concerned about the rolling rocks. As I went up to Sky Island I saw a runner (way ahead of me) fell and slid down the rocks like an UPS package on a roller belt. My sense was all confused (I had never run outside when temperature is below freezing): face felt really cold, arms and legs felt ok, body felt warm. I couldn't tell if I was cold or hot, I just felt uncomfortable (I probably overheated in retrospect). Everything I did (run or climb) felt labored and hard. I had an initial completely arbitrary goal of coming in under 12 min/mi pace, or 50k in under 6:12. That goal seemed done-for only after a couple miles into the race. Due to the trail being single track and having many runners in front and behind me in the initial miles, I did not get a chance to stop and enjoy the scenery. At the top of Sky Island, I stepped aside and tried to take a photo, but the phone was somehow turned off or dead. No time to fiddle around electronics, and I moved on. I didn't run well in the first half. Felt warm, hard, slow, sluggish, uneven, it just kinda sucked. Had to keep my eyes fixated to the ground during most of the race. So much for Plan B (slow fun run taking pictures along the way). I had been watching my lap pace and avg pace frequently. The goal after the first 2 big hills was just try not to fall outside 7 hours. At the half way point aid station, I decided to stop and not rush through. I figured I need to spend time to get my gears right once instead of needing to deal with them again. I took off my tops with only the beanie, 1 pair of gloves, and the compression top remaining. The shed layers went to the hydration pack. I was too focused on the trail that I had not taken enough calories, so I drank some caffinated tailwind and kept refilling it from this station onward. I ate a nice hot cup of ramen and it tasted like heaven! I think I had spent more than 10 minutes at the aid station, but it was time well spent.

Second half:

When I left the aid station I was 3.5 hours in, at an average pace of ~13:2x, which put me at risk of a <7 hour finish, but physically I felt a whole lot better than before! I was slightly cold but energized, and the effort seemed to not feel so hard (granted there were no more huge hill climbs, but there were still many minefields full of rocks). The terrain wasn't flat, but at least a heck lot more runnable, with fewer needs to stop and walk, and the smoother pacing helped carry the momentum. After a few miles seeing my lap times staying under 12 min/mi, I was feeling aggressive enough to race the rest of the way. I watched my avg pace closely, and clawed my way back down into 12:xx range. I passed runners in the flatter areas, especially along the "racetrack" section, although I had no idea if they were doing 100k, 50k, or 25k. I felt my pace was sustainable even past 26 miles. I had neglected my nutrition. I wasn't taking anything other than tailwind, I was too focused on the running, luckily that didn't hurt me badly. By mile 27 Garmin was beeping (low battery). I caught up to and slipped under 12 min/mi by mile 28 I think, and that felt good! Then Garmin died right before mile 30. The Mio Link HRM had died a few hours ago, and the Garmin was probably trying to keep talking to it and burning battery on BT. I figured I have only 1 mile left, and I should be able do it under 12, hoping that the Garmin was right and the course length was accurate, and barring no surprises. Then came along a rocky section leading up to a big freakin' %^&#@ hill. I was pissed. After that the remaining distance felt long, very long. Legs were not feeling well trying to push the pace after climbing the hill. I felt both my calves "twitching" after I pushed off with my toes, on the verge of cramping. Oh &^%$. I tried to keep my toes pointing up and land rolling from my heel to toes. That seemed to keep the cramping at bay. At the end I was running on rage and anxiety, wondering if I had made a wrong turn because the finish was no where in sight. My legs were not happy when I got to the last aid station and the volunteer told me there's another half a mile to go because I pushed hard too early. I finished exactly at 6:18. It was a tough run. It seemed insane to me that the 100k runners could run this even at night, that's just amazing.

Post-race:

Loitered around the finish line for food and to loosen up my legs. As soon as I stopped my nose started running. My left ITB started to cramp up when I sat down in my car. Spent a few hours driving home via a scenic route, it was fun. By night time I was in completely misery due to my renewed cedar allergy. The cedars had done more damage to me than the rocks.

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