Texas Trail Run 50K - RunUltra Marathon


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Huntsville, Texas
United States
Soelar Sports
65F / 18C
Sunny
Total Time = 5h 48m 37s
Overall Rank = 34/169
Age Group = M40-44
Age Group Rank = 7/
Pre-race routine:

Up early, showered, and had a cliff bar on the way to the race. Got to the parl about 45-minutes before the start. Checked in, got my number and timing tag put on, then milled around until the start.
Event warmup:

Nothing
Run
  • 5h 48m 37s
  • 31.07 miles
  • 11m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

This run really kicked my butt. It's been a day now, and my quads are still quite stiff and sore. I'm just easing back into running after Silverman Full, but I thought I was in better shape. My plan was to do 10-minute miles for as much of this race as possible.....but that was forgetting what trail runs are like. My HR was pegged from the beginning. Typically, my HR for along run (at a 9.5 pace) will be in the 140-145 range. For this race, it was in the 150-155 range pretty much all day. I ran the first half with about a 10-1/2 pace, but things got pretty tough arond half way through the second half. I ended up shifting over to a run walk cycle and just hung in til the end.
What would you do differently?:

A few more long runs and a few more weeks between this and Silverman would have helped.
Post race
Warm down:

Picked up finisher stuff, got my bag, and headed for the car. Give-aways are a tech shirt, a finisher medal, and a choice between a long sleeve tech shirt or a hoodie.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not enough long runs to "run" the entire distance.

Event comments:

Good, low key trail race. This race is not a big production, and for parts of the race you'll be alone in the woods. However, the trails are very well marked, and there are lotd of aid stations I think longest distance between stations was close to 4-miles, but most were two to three miles apart. Roots are a real issue on this course. I didn't fall, but I did see a couple people take some nasty spills. All in all, this is a good race for someone looking for an intro into ultras or trail runs.




Last updated: 2010-11-13 12:00 AM
Running
05:48:37 | 31.07 miles | 11m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 7/
Overall: 34/169
Performance: Average
Course: The 50k is a 6-mile loop, then a 12.5 mile loop done twice. It's mostly on single track and jeep trails all around Sam Houston State Park. Trails are in good shape, terrain is wooded, with small rolling hills. The only real hazard is all the roots, which seem to jump up and get you if you're not constantly watching your footing.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 3