Another World

Last night, I ran the final race in a three part series of 60k's that occurred in central Texas in August. These races worked out perfectly, distance wise, to provide a great way to log training miles while getting ready for the Hundred in the 'Hood next month. And, while the month of August has been a brutal month for heat in Texas, the timing couldn't have been any better.

I have a bad habit of relying too much on my heart rate monitor while training and running races. I made the decision earlier this past week to run without the chest strap. But, I still planned on using the watch. But, after I looked at the course layout and the fact there was an aid station smack dab in the middle of the 10k loop, I decided I would run without a watch, too. I figured as long as I drained my bottles each loop and took a gel at the start/finish and the middle aid station, everything should be fine regarding my nutrition plan. I have to admit, running without a watch, although I have done it before in a race, was a little odd for me.

We began the race at 7pm and I hung out with the lead pack and figured I'd make an assessment on how I felt running with these guys. I knew there were several fast runners and didn't want to get sucked into a race, per se. I'm still training for a hundred and needed to ensure I didn't trash my body and be unable to have a good week of training this upcoming week, since it is my last big week before I slowly begin the taper. After a few miles into the run, someone commented on how we were going at a fairly good clip, but it didn't seem that bad. Of course, I didn't have my "trusty" heart rate monitor to look at, which was probably a good thing. The course is very technical in parts, but, overall, very runnable. We ran the entire loop, except for the longest climb. We finished the first loop in 57 minutes and I felt great. Olga seemed a little concerned about seeing me so soon, but I assured her I felt fine.

The second loop split was within seconds of the first loop, even though I had to run back to the start line after having run a quarter of a mile of the loop to get my headlamp. Surprisingly, I took the overall lead around mile ten. During the third loop, I took a very nasty fall on a technical downhill with nothing but a plethora of loose granite rocks to break my fall. My whole left side looked like it had been through a cheese grater. Ouch! I finished out the third loop still in the lead. However, the guy who would eventually win was in and out of the aid station while I was still there hydrating. And, I definitely didn't mind. It's a mental drain to be leading a race not knowing how far back everyone is. I had no plans to be leading at any point in the race and didn't enjoy my time while I was in the lead. I had finished up 30k in 2:56'ish. Even though I was diligent in taking in the calories, I didn't hydrate as much as I should have. I spent a minute, or two, at the start/finish chugging a LOT of ice water. Pure heaven. And, as Olga puts it, I definitely would have taken the iced water over $10,000 without a second thought. It's that good when it's warm.

I went out on my fourth loop knowing I would have to go slower. My stomach was sloshing quite a bit, but I knew I had to get the hydration levels back in check. My fourth loop was uneventful and my slowest, but I didn't care. I kept telling myself it was my recovery loop so I could finish strong in the final 20k. I picked the pace back up in the fifth loop and was smiling ear to ear. It was very liberating not knowing what my heart rate was doing during the run or even knowing the time. It was an entirely different world of running. I was running for the pure joy of running and it was a very satisfying experience. I finished up the fifth loop strong and was told the second place runner was only four minutes in front of me. I would find out later that wasn't the case, but it was intentionally used as a carrot to get me to run faster. Well, it worked. I never found the second place runner and I, honestly, didn't believe I was in third place, since I knew I had been passed by several people during my fourth loop. I finished strong and my legs felt fresh. The parts of my body that hurt were my right hand, left leg, and left arm from the fall. Plus, I had some pretty bad thigh chafing from the heat. My feet are a little sore from the granite rock pile and although they did hurt a little in the later half of the run, I seem to have a masochistic mental perspective with my feet. In a way, it hurts so good when my feet get beat up from the trail.

I am fairly certain when I run the hundred next month in Oregon, I'm leaving the heart rate monitor in Texas. I run more freely and enjoy the trail immensely without it strapped around my chest.