the belt 30k
back when i lived off of barton skyway and mopac, i was but 30 yards away from an entrance to the 8-mile barton creek greenbelt, and i did a lot of running on that trail. i had always hoped for a race to be held on the trail someday, and in 2004 steve sisson started the rogue trail series, which included a 25k on the greenbelt. i loved it, and eagerly anticipated my next chance to run this home-court race, from which i only live 6 miles from today.
this year's edition of the belt was extended to the 30k distance, much to my delight. the morning's weather turned out to be in the 70s with sun--not too bad for june in austin, especially when coupled with the pleasantly early 630am start time. the single-file start line opens up with a nondescript call from the race director, steve: "line's open, gang... somebody start on in."
i filed in second, behind eventual winner paul terranova. he sped on ahead, and i was immediately passed by a pack of about 6 runners. "jeez! forget them," i thought, recognizing folks from previous races, and knowing the deceiving terrain of the course (flat'n'fast 10k, followed by 20k of highly technical hills). "you'll see them later."
i held back quite well on the first 10k, resisting the temptation to make up time that would surely be lost in the hills. due to heavy rains the day prior, the trail found itself a slight muddy, with avoidable water hazards. a half-mile climb up the famed "hill of life" and a 30-yard creek crossing in ankle-high water later, we found ourselves entering the hills.
i wound up spending the better part of the next 10k running with eventual women's winner sarah, my friend john, and dwayne, all of whom had the same running style, curiously enough: all three of them were gifted with speed-on-the-flats; i seemed to be more fleet on the technical climbs and decents. with each of them, i would rope them in up the rocks, then they would distance themselves on the plateaus. it was great to have them along, which led to a very comfortable upshift in effort. the only impedence to my progress was my inability to jugde trees rushing up at me--i must have slammed my shoulders into the strong-standing cedars and oaks a half-dozen times.
for a majority of the final 10k+, i was alone. this stretch of the course had the most camoflagued trail with infrequent flag markers. this, coupled with fatiguing legs, drained confidence and momentum. one was required to slow down every 10-20 yards to search for anything resembling a trail and/or flag in the densely vegetated woods. the frequently switchbacking trail caused one to doubt their own bearings. to add to the confusion, you could hear echoes of other people's voices on the trail: aid station workers, volunteers, etc. how far away and in what direction they were was anyone's guess.
despite those conditions, you were still racing. you needed to be pushing yourself, even if no one was around. you never know who you might catch--or even worse, who might catch you. to boot, someone might be on your tail without you knowing, given that the event was chip-timed, and the start line was open from 630-7am.
after navigating the majority of the technical trail, i found myself heading back towards 360, and began to pick up steam on the flat trail. i had paced myself well, and was able to aggressively open up for the final 3 miles. with about 3/4 mile to go, i caught a glimpse of a runner's back about 25 yards in front of me. "holy shit!" i thought after almost a full hour of seeing nobody, and increased the intensity further. a short while, i see the race director joe and his assistant walking the course. in my fatigue, did my eyes deceive me?
joe eggs me on; i give a thumbs up and toss the question under my breath: "joe, there's one up, isn't there?"
"oh yes! right around the corner! go get him!"
i was already in fifth gear at that point; joe's confirmation sent me into sixth. i pushed into a rabid 10k race pace. i witness the gap close with a quarter mile to go, and upon crossing under 360, my calves had had enough. they tighten up like knots, shutting me down into a near walking pace. i stretch them out for five seconds, and resume chase. they lock again. i enter the final ascending switchback to the finish, and now my hamstrings begin to lock, along with my calves. at that point, i conceded: i've lost too much time this late in the game, and it would be foolish to injure myself by pushing further. i jogged it in the final 100 yards. in retrospect, i made the right decision. but boy, for 2-3 minutes, it was one hell of a ride. in speaking this fellow after the race (floyd, who won the master's division), he said he heard me coming and it scared the jesus out of him, for he too was running alone for over half the race. he got the better of us, but i'm glad i helped him get his money's worth this morning.
i'm terribly happy with this run: not just with my time, but with the fact that the race itself has held strong for three years now. with a great pizza party that evening for awards and merriment, my gratitude and congratulations to steve, joe and the rogue trail staff on a job well done.
2:39:54. 8:36/mi. 6th overall--5th open male.
Post a Comment