Running with Bowling Balls

I don't bowl much.  A few weeks ago I bowled for the first time in a while with my team from work on a team outing.  Let it be known: I'm a bad bowler.  I barely broke 100 with a few lucky strikes the first game, then the second and third games I choked.  So why am I writing about bowling on a running blog?

I bowled with a 12 pound ball.  I don't normally have a good mental concept of what 12 pounds weighs.  It's sort of heavy, when concentrated into a bowling ball.  Then I realized, since the peak of my running a few years ago, I have packed on the equivalent of more than 2 of these bowling balls!  Since my college weight (and I was never known to be particularly thin), I have added more than 3 of them!

I know my pants are a little tighter than they were 3-4 years ago, when I was putting in a good number of miles each week.  But when put in terms of bowling balls, it really hits home.  I can't imagine trying to run while carrying 2 or 3 bowling balls.  Even if I put them in a backpack, it would be extremely tough.  But that is what I have done to myself.

I haven't run consistently in some time.  My main excuse is getting Zippy to school at 7 every morning for gymnastics.  We left the house at 6:40 every day, I dropped him off and went straight to work.  Getting up early enough to run before that just wasn't happening.

School's out now, and Zippy is done with early gymnastics (next year he'll have gymnastics after school), so my excuses have diminished.  Out of the last 21 days, I have run 16 (and biked 9 miles one day).  I'm not going far, usually just 2 and half miles or so, nor am I going fast, a 10 or 11 minute pace.  But it's a start.  I do have an excuse for not going fast: I am carrying two 12 pound bowling balls!

Now if I can build up some mileage, while finding some resolve not to eat and drink with abandon, as I have been doing, maybe I can drop some pounds and pick up the pace.  It sure would be nice to get rid of my bowling balls.

Cross Country Action

Elliot had another cross country meet today. He was quite disappointed in his performance but I could tell he gave it his all. He told me that he had never run so hard in his life, and that as he sprinted to the finish he could hardly feel his legs. My hope is that his hard work and tremendous race-day efforts will eventually pay off with some ribbons or medals. Whether or not it does, I hope he will be permanently infected with the sheer joy of the run. 

Elliot is fourth from the right.
Next meet I'll bring an actual camera instead of just my iphone.
And I'll try to get a picture where he's not behind a branch.

And here's a video of his finish:

Stuff I like: North Face Better Than Naked clothing

A few weeks ago, I decided to use some gift cards and store credit at Luke's Locker.  I was all set on shoes, so I decided to splurge and try some of the North Face "Better Than Naked" line.  I love minimalist, lightweight gear, so I was drawn by the idea of these clothes.  I bought a singlet ($45) and some shorts ($55).  These are pretty expensive in my opinion, but hey, they're free with gift cards!  (Thanks for the gift cards!)

First the shirt.  It's super thin, almost like women's lingerie.  But it's cool and comfy.  I like wearing it, even though you can see my chest hair through it.  It's an ideal running shirt for me.  Thankfully I live in a warm climate, and I get hot when I run, so I can wear a singlet almost year-round.  This is a terrific running shirt, but I have others I like just as well which cost much less.
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/activity-suggested-picks-athlete-picks/mens-better-than-naked-cool-singlet.html

The shorts are just about my favorite shorts ever.  They dry quickly (which I noticed even while running in the rain) and are super light.  They have a gel-sized pocket on each hip, and a zipper pocket on the back that's big enough for a key and license and credit card.  I like these about as much as my Hind running shorts which I bought 5 years ago and have not been able to find a replacement for.
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/mens-pants-shorts/men-39-s-better-than-naked-short.html?from=subCat

These are great running clothes for warm-weather running and racing, and for year-round running if you live in Texas and love to run in next-to-nothing even when it's cold.  However, if I buy these again, it will certainly have to be on a major sale.  Finally, do they live up to the name, "Better Than Naked"?  Well, Kelly agrees, I do look better with these clothes on than I do naked.  For running comfort, they're almost better than naked, but not quite.  For the sake of my neighbors, though, I'll stick with the next best thing.

Goofy fake running pose.

Thirty-day streak

As of Saturday, I have a run 30 consecutive days.  You may recall that last summer/fall, I ran 100 days in a row.  I don't think it's necessarily the best practice to run every day, but for me, that's what it has been taking to get me out the door--I don't want to break my string of consecutive running days.  So here's the good, the bad, and the ugly of my current streak:

The Good
I'm running.  I don't actually have a race on my calendar right now (yet), and no training plan, which usually means I don't run consistently.  So, for me, the good news is that I'm actually getting some miles in.

The Bad
However, other than just logging miles, I'm not doing much focused training.  For the past 30 days, I've done no speedwork, and the longest run was 10.8 miles.  My average run has been only 4.25 or so.  Race or not, I need to start throwing in some more intentional miles.  The other bad part is that all of these miles have been on pavement.  Ugh!  For convenience, I have been running in my neighborhood, and just have not made the time to get to the trails to run.  I'd really like that to change.

The Ugly
I'm still fat and slow.  My average pace has improved a little.  During the 14 running days of May, my average pace was 10:32.  It has improved some for June, now averaging 10:12.  Losing about 30 pounds would help my pace come down some more.  If I stopped drinking Dr Pepper, I might actually drop a few pounds.

Running from the Crazy

It's no secret that, among other benefits, running can be quite therapeutic.  I recently read an account of Brian Castner's experiences as a bomb technician in Iraq.  In his forthcoming book, The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows, Castner tells the story of his frequently harrowing experiences in Iraq, either destroying and disabling IEDs and car bombs, or, in too many cases, analyzing the aftermath.  Besides living the imagery of the bloody bombings' aftermath, he also suffers from blast-induced traumatic brain injury, which affects his memory, personality, and relationships.

Castner today.

Back on U.S. soil, he had to find a way to cope, to keep "the Crazy" at bay.  "The Crazy is winning.  So I run.  I run every day, twice a day sometimes . . .  I run as fast as I can, as long as I can, my feet hitting the pavement in a furious rhythm. . . . I run, and run, and run, and in the Is try to pound out of my head what once Was."  Running can be an escape, a coping mechanism, a release.  For Castner, it was one way to keep away from the Crazy.

His regular running buddy and fellow bomb technician, Ricky, had some pretty good running advice.  Life is a race, but not like a marathon, with a set distance.  "It's not the distance that's set, it's the time . . . and you don't get to see how much time is left. . . . Forget the starter's pistol.  There is a finisher's pistol, and it could go off at any time.  You are concentrating so hard on how far you run that you have ignored how well you run.  Or enjoyed the steps you are taking today.  Learn from me.  I enjoyed each of my steps.  Are you enjoying yours?"  Good stuff.  And you have to love a book whose last line is, "The next day, I put on my shoes and go for a run."

Here's hoping you don't have bombs going off around you, but whether you do or not, enjoy life, run well, and be ready for that finisher's pistol.



Thanks to NetGalley.com and the publisher, Random House/Doubleday for the complimentary digital review copy!
Read more about Castner at his blog, Fever Dreams.

Nice Place to Run: Eisenhower Park

Today was not an ideal vacation day for me, but it's a ritual many parents have to tolerate: standing in line for hours to ride a roller coaster.  After our ride on Fiesta Texas's Rattler, I asked E if he thought that 3 minute ride was worth waiting in line for 2 hours and 10 minutes.  Without hesitation, he said it was.  Despite the long lines, I think all the kids had fun.

After dinner, I left Kelly and the kids at the hotel watching the Disney Channel (the highlight of any vacation for this cable-free family) and drove over to Eisenhower Park.  A couple miles north of 1604 on NW Military Highway, this San Antonio city park offers a concentrated but satisfying trail running experience.

The south half of the Hillview Trail.  Not too technical, but a steady climb.

I took the Hillview Trail, which loops around the park.  Rocky, wide, and nicely groomed, the south half of the loop is a gradual climb to the observation tower at the top of the park.  The north half is more technical in parts and has more tree cover.  I should have started there; it was pretty dark when I descended, and my night vision was pushed to the limit, so I had to take it slow.  The Hillview Trail loop is about 2 1/2 miles.

There are some other side trails and connecting trails, as well as a paved trail that goes up the middle of the park to the tower.  The paved trail is less than a mile, and definitely wheelchair friendly.  Just be careful on the way down!

Had I arrived a bit earlier, I would have had this view from the top.

You might not want to come here for a long run.  The park only has about 5 miles of trails, and if you're like me, the loops might get monotonous.  But it's a great place for hill repeats and practice on some rocky, technical terrain.  If I lived in San Antonio, this would definitely become a favorite spot to run.

Here's a trail map.
Here's park information.

Motivation to walk a little faster. . . .

It's pretty much indisputable that running and exercise in general has positive physical and mental benefits throughout life.  But this headline caught my eye today:

Slow walking 'predicts dementia'

If you have ever, like me, resorted to slow walking at the end (or, uh, if I'm honest, in the middle. . . .) of an ultramarathon, and, especially, in the hours and days following an ultra, maybe you can relate.  I'm not sure I ever feel more muddle-headed than when I've been on my feet on a trail for 6-8 hours or more.  Not that that is necessarily a sign of early dementia, but you can't be too careful, right?

On the other hand, how about this headline:

Brisk walks fight prostate cancer

That's pretty encouraging.  One of the researchers says, "Walking at an easy pace did not seem to have any benefit" in delaying the progression of prostrate cancer.  I would assume that running can achieve the same benefits as brisk walking.

Bottom line, lean forward, walk or run faster, and keep dementia and prostate cancer at bay.


The articles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17028712
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13518537

100 Days of Running

After a running lull this summer, I decided that in order to get myself back in the running habit I would try running every day.  Even though I have been, at times, very consistent with a running plan, I find it very easy to stray.  One rest day turns into several, recovery days after a race turn into weeks. . . .  So as I looked forward to some fall races, I started my daily running.

Today marked my 100th consecutive day of running.  Starting at the end of August, I ran every day, a total of 595.74 miles, including a trail 50K and a new road marathon PR.  I think that PR is, at least in part, due to my daily running.

I did learn one thing: it's kind of nice not to run sometimes.  There were plenty of days when I just didn't want to get up in the morning, or, if I hadn't run in the morning, just wanted to go to bed without running.  I have decided that it's OK to have those rest days, and to schedule non-running days.  I guess there's some message here about my personality, that I somehow feel like I can only do things in the extreme or not at all.  Hopefully, moving forward, I can find some balance, following a training schedule consistently without having to compulsively run every day.

In the meantime, I'm sleeping in tomorrow.

White Rock IV

Today I ran my fourth consecutive White Rock Marathon, and it was by far my best and most enjoyable.  All week I had been checking the weather forecast for the race: low- to mid-40s and wet.  The forecasts were spot-on.  The temps hovered around 42-44, I think, and the rain came down continuously.  Thankfully, the rain wasn't very heavy; it ranged from a misty drizzle to light showers.  The result was a wet course, lots of splashing through puddles (VFFs are perfect in these conditions), and thoroughly drenched runners.  (Oh, and by the way, the rain kept some of the bands, who usually play along the course, away.  I didn't miss them at all!)

Slick and splashy was the order of the day.

One of the things I hate about these big urban marathons are the crowds, so I decided to avoid the pre-start mess as much as possible.  I intentionally went late, so I had absolutely no traffic.  I parked right at 8, and heard the National Anthem and fireworks from afar.  I got to the first bank of port-a-potties, and to my surprise there was a bit of a line, but I only had to wait a couple of minutes.  (Note to other runners: when you're doing your business in there, lock the door!  When it's not locked, some oaf like me will open it, embarrassing both of us!)

I jogged over to the starting corrals, and fell in with the crowd, walking slowly with the herd a few hundred yards to the starting line.  I ended up crossing the starting line at 8:23.  Pleased with myself for a smooth arrival and start, I began running by all the slower runners.  Since I was late I started several corrals back from the one I was assigned based on my projected finish time.  So the first mile or two I spent a lot of time weaving in and out of the slower runners.  Eventually the crowd thinned out, especially after the half marathoners split off from the full marathon course.

This was a unique element of today's race for me.  Usually, especially late in a race, I'm the one getting passed.  But today, from the start, all the way to the last mile, I passed virtually everyone I encountered on the course.  Unless I'm mistaken, the only runners to pass me were relay racers on fresh legs.  I kept thinking that it couldn't last, that I wouldn't be able to keep up my anticipated pace, but as I passed each mile marker, and remembered those places where, in prior races, my pace slowed for good, I kept pushing, determined to keep a steady pace.  Somehow, I did.  In fact, I ran reverse splits.  My slowest mile was the first, crowded one.  My fastest mile was mile 24, near the end!

At the race expo Saturday morning, I picked up a pacing arm band, which tells you what your time should be at a particular mile marker in order to have a particular finish time.  I almost picked up a 3:45 band, not trusting my training, but decided that I would give 3:35 a shot and try to PR.  I'm sure glad I did!

The volunteers had a tough, cold day, but were cheerful and helpful without fail!

I was more inwardly-focused during this race than I usually am; I didn't really talk to anyone, except to say hello to NTTR member Eunsup Kim, who I see at every race I run in.  But, as usual, I saw a couple of other runners who nearly stopped me in my tracks and made me thankful for two good legs and the ability to run.  One was a double amputee.  He ran on some of those prosthetic running blades.  I didn't stop and chat but was inspired by what must have been a huge effort on a difficult day.  A few miles later, I passed a wheelchair racer.  Just up the street was his cheering section with signs reading, "My husband is the stud on wheels" and "My dad is my hero--first wheelchair marathon" and that sort of thing. 

Besides running my best marathon time to date, the fact that I ran consistent splits and felt great throughout made this the most satisfying race I've run.  I guess I could always train harder, but I really wouldn't change a thing about my training, race day preparation, and pacing plan.  The only thing I would change would have been to lose those 20 pounds I have been meaning to lose.  How much faster could I have run without the extra weight to carry around!  I still love the trails, but come December 2012, you just might find me pounding the pavement of Dallas once again.

Bottom line: 3:33:51
462 out of 4530 overall
401 out of 2810 all men
83 out of 537 men 40-44
and best of all: Over the final 6mi I passed 285 runners and 0 passed me!

Yasso 800s and my WR prediction

The White Rock Marathon is only 11 days away.  This will be my 4th consecutive White Rock.  This morning I ran my last Yasso 800s leading up to White Rock.  Yasso 800s are an interval training workout that also serves as a predictor of marathon finish times.  (See my entry on Yasso 800s from this time last year here.)

This morning I averaged a 3:35 800.  The best thing about it is that if I leave out the first interval (I wasn't quite warmed up yet), intervals 2-10 ranged from 3:31 to 3:36.  I am encouraged by this consistency and by the strength of the latter intervals.  My normal pattern on intervals or tempo runs is to taper off with slower times at the end, and to be inconsistent in pace throughout. 

So based on the Yasso 800s philosophy, this should predict a 3:35 finish at White Rock.  This is actually pretty encouraging; my marathon PR is 3:35, set at White Rock 2009.  There are lots of factors, and Yasso 800 times are no guarantee, but I have been putting in more miles more consistently in the months leading up to WR  than I did last year.  (I'm at 87 consecutive days of running, and counting.)  Maybe, just maybe, I have another 3:35 marathon in me.  

Runner? or jogger?

The other day when I was running in River Legacy Park, a popular mountain biking trail, a mountain biker approaching me on the trail called back to his buddy, "Jogger!"  I appreciate the consideration; I certainly don't mind mountain bikers being aware of me an not running me down.

However, his calling me a jogger irked me a little. . . . I wanted to holler back at him, Hey, I'm a runner!  I may not be moving very fast, but I am a runner!  I read Runner's World and Trail Runner magazines!  I'm a member of North Texas Trail Runners.  I sometimes shop at Fort Worth Running Company.

So what is the difference between running and jogging?  Here's what I found:

Merriam-Webster has two relevant definitions of jog: "a : to run or ride at a slow trot;  b : to go at a slow, leisurely, or monotonous pace."

And it defines run thus: "to go faster than a walk; specifically : to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step."

I do go faster than a walk, and normally both feet leave the ground in each step, but there's no denying that my pace is often slow, leisurely, or monotonous.  So by definition, I jog and I run.  Jogging is running slowly.  Running is like jogging, only faster.  I guess I need to get over it and admit that I'm a jogger.  And sometimes a runner.

Holey VFFs and a custom pair

A year ago, I got a new pair of red and black VFFs (see here) after I wore a hole in the sole of my blue ones.  I finally started feeling a hole coming on my red ones, and this week it finally wore through.  I figured I must run more heavily on one side or the other, and pulled out my old ones to compare.  To my surprise, the hole is in the other foot.  The good news is, now I have a cool red and black and blue pair with no holes.  I figure since most of my runs these days are in the pre-dawn darkness, no one will be around to laugh at me for wearing mismatched shoes.

Kelly said I could make the full transition to barefoot running by wearing these until the sole is completely gone.  Hmm. . . . it's a thought. . . .

I know you're jealous of my one-of-kind, custom VFFs!

Running Man with a Plan

I have finally put together my training plan for Rockledge Rumble and White Rock.  Since WR is 3 weeks after RLR, I decided to treat RLR as my last long run before the marathon.  I used the training calculator on runnersworld.com, and am not completely happy with the result, but I think I can work with it.  The time goals are pretty ambitious, as I used my 2009 WR time (3:35) as the starting point.  It's been a while since I've run that fast.  I have also substituted a 3 mile easy run for the 2 rest days each week, in the interest of keeping up my streak (17 days so far).

With the ambitious time goals, I am sure I won't meet them, like today.  I set out to run a tempo run at a sub-8 pace, as prescribed here.  I knew I couldn't run that fast, so decided to shoot for mid-8's.  After a mile of that I was about out of gas, so I just finished 5 miles at an easier pace.  We'll see how intervals go next week.  I figure if I can get most of these miles in, at progressively faster times each week, I will do OK at these races.

Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss

I'm not really one to be a hero worshiper, but in a lot of ways I would love to be like Dean Karnazes.  There aren't many people in the world who both love to run as much as he does, and can run as far as he can.  My longest races are a slow training run for him.  In his new book, Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean tells some funny stories of his running life, as well as reporting some of his race experiences (most of which are pretty funny, too!).  Just about anyone, runner or not, will be in danger of catching a bug for running after reading this.

Dean's not without his critics in the world of ultrarunning.  When his name comes up when I'm running with people, opinions will range from awesome to idiot.  Sure, some of his runs might be viewed as publicity stunts, but he's got enough wins and fast finishes in major races to be certifiably great.  He has completed Badwater several times, including a win, and has 11 silver buckles from Western States.  What more does the guy need to do?

When he's not running organized races, he runs forever just for fun.  That's what I like about his feats.  Sometimes he runs organized races, sometimes he runs on his own for a sponsor or charity, but many of his ultras are run alone, for the sake of the run.  This is a guy who sleeps little, needs little time for recovery, and is never as happy as when he's out for a long run.

I know I'll never be the runner Dean is (In spite of his repeated statements that he's just a regular guy, there's no question that the genetic lottery has worked in his favor.), but I want to be more infected by his joy of running.  He has made a life of it, and has included his wife, father, and children as much as possible.  If you don't know much about Dean, or if you have followed his career for years, you'll enjoy these stories.  And you'll have a hard time not going out for a run once you're done reading!

Shorter night at Inks Lake

As I posted the other day, I headed back to Inks Lake State yesterday for the Capt'n Karl's run.  As always, Joe Prusaitis and Tejas Trails put on a great race.  This one has really grown since I ran 2 years ago.  That race had 51 starters; last night there were 106 registered for the 60K and 144 registered for the 30K.  It made for a traffic jam at the park entry, and some parking issues, but the race organizers, park officials, and runners all handled it well.  

And, they're off!

I started out fully intending to go the distance for the 60K, knowing I would be slower than my last effort here, but ready to tough it out.  I did OK for 2 loops, but 1/2 way through the third 10K loop, I took a walking break that ended up being way too long, and I never really got going again.  After walking for while, I decided I was too hot, too lazy, too tired, too out of shape, too bored, and too under-committed to go 60K.  So I got to the start-finish and told Joe I was satisfied with 30K tonight.

The highlight was getting to meet Trey.  Last Sunday, when I ran with Don, he told me to look for his friend Trey.  "You can't miss him--he's the one with one arm."  Sure enough, just after the start, I saw him and introduced myself as Don's friend.  We ended up running together most of my race.  He's about as nice a guy as you'll ever meet, which isn't surprising, since the same could describe Don.  Once I started walking on loop 3, he took off.  I think he had held back for me a couple times, but he had a lot more in the tank than I did.

I tried to keep up with Trey but ultimately I couldn't do it.

Born with one arm, Trey is well accustomed to doing things with one hand (how about this: He played football at Sam Houston State and holds the school record for career blocked kicks!), but here's one he may not have encountered before.  At one point, his hand somehow had a collision with a cactus.  I helped him out, but I know next time I get a hand full of cactus, I'll be grateful for that second hand!

Even though things didn't play out as I had hoped, it wasn't a bad run.  The trails at Inks Lake are fun and challenging.  The moon, just a couple days past full, was beautiful.  It was hot (according to my car thermometer, 101 when I arrived at the park at 6, a cool 87 when I left shortly after midnight), but it could have been much hotter, and there was a bit of a breeze from time to time.  I don't know that I'll sign up for this race again, but I would love to come back and run these trails or hike them with my boys--only I think I'll wait until it's 40-50 degrees cooler. . . .

Nice Place to Run: Big Cedar Wilderness Area

I joined NTTR for another club run Saturday morning.  This is the biggest club run I've been too; over 30 people were there.  Some familiar faces, new faces, and, I later learned some I never saw!  It's a big trail system, so unless you happened by the aid table at the same time, it was easy to miss someone.

I know I have written this here before, but I may have found my new favorite trails!  Big Cedar Wilderness is on the property of Mountain Creek Community Church, which is on the highest elevation in Dallas.  The trails wind around for miles behind the church.  They're rarely flat, boast some pretty nice climbs, and you're treated to views of the surrounding area, including views of nearby Joe Pool Lake.

A hot spot for mountain bikers, some of the trails include jumps and obstacles designed for our two-wheel trail brethren.  But their presence didn't detract from our running.  On the contrary, they give us someone to blame trail litter on.  (Who dropped that empty Gu packet?  Must have been a mountain biker!)

So for hill training, pretty views, and shaded trails in the Texas heat, Big Cedar fits the bill.  I'll be back.

I pulled this picture from another web site.  I'll have to take my camera next time.

Taking recovery too far

Every runner knows you have to give your body a bit of time to recover after a race, a long run, or a particularly hard workout.  But my tendency sometimes is to use recovery time to indulge my laziness.

Case in point.  Last weekend I ran a 5K on Saturday.  I ran there and back, making my mileage total 26.3, surely enough to justify a recovery day, maybe 2.  So. . . .

Sunday morning: slept in.  Legitimate recovery.
Sunday night: went out for pizza, no running.
Monday morning: July 4!  Slept in, of course.  Maybe I'll run tonight . . .
Monday night: Nope.  Went to see the fireworks.
Tuesday morning: Nope.  Stayed up too late watching the fireworks.
Tuesday night: Nope.  Kelly was out, so I was alone with the kids.
Wednesday morning: Nope.  Too lazy.
Wednesday night: Nope.  Went out for Mexican food with Kelly's parents.  Too stuffed.
Thursday morning: I woke up one minute before the alarm went off, so I guess this morning's run was meant to be.

Laziness?  Lack of commitment?  Or my body's telling me it needs more time to recover?  I prefer the latter explanation, but I think the former has more explanatory power.

Nice Place to Run: Sansom Park

This morning I met up with a couple dozen new friends and familiar faces at an NTTR club run at Sansom Park.  Fred and Char Thompson organized the run, fresh off their epic Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon adventure (this is one run I'd love to do one day; read about the Thompson's experience at endurancebuzz.com).  We met up at the parking lot in progress and hit the trail at 8.

For some reason, I have never made it over here before.  It's about as far from home as Cedar Ridge or Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, if not a little closer, and every bit as enjoyable.  It's more technical than Oak Cliff, maybe not quite as technical as Cedar Ridge.  The advantage it has over Cedar Ridge is that it drains much better.  We've had some pretty good rain the last couple of days, but the trails were in great shape.  It was just muddy enough to keep the mountain bikers home, but not so muddy that runners ended up with mud bricks over their shoes.

Trail running at its best: single track through leafy woods, hardly a flat spot in sight!

As is often the case with trails like this, created and maintained by mountain bikers, there are lots of loops and interconnecting trails.  The big loop the Thompsons marked out was about 8 miles, but you can easily find longer or shorter routes.  The first loop I ran with a couple of different people, then set out on the second alone.  I was going so slowly, and stopping to take pictures, that I thought surely someone would catch me, but they never did.  I would have liked someone to pace with; the second loop ended up being as much nature hike as trail run.

This is a beautiful spot, located near the dam where Lake Worth spills into the Trinity River.  The cactus blossoms have come and gone, but the yucca and lots of wildflowers were blooming.  I saw some squirrels, of course, saw several cardinals, caught a glimpse of a pair of deer bounding away through the underbrush, and scared away some lizards, who scurried away in the leaves.  There are views of Lake Worth and Carswell Joint Reserve Base, and of the waterfall just below the dam.  Most of the time, there was so little noise I could convince myself I was miles from civilization, until the silence was shattered by a jet taking off from Carswell!

Waterfall and a fishing spot just below the dam.

Another view of the waterfall.

It got a little hot and humid by the time I was done, but this was a great run at a great spot.  I'll have to come run there again soon!

Bluffs above the trail.

It's hard to see them in this picture, but this hillside had lots of little flower.

 And here are more flowers:

Back to Cross Timbers

Last year, I ran the 50 miler at Cross Timbers, 2 weeks after running the 50 miler at Rocky Raccoon.  I took a looooong time to finish, almost 15 hours.  So this time, I decided to head back for the marathon.  I was glad I did, for many reasons!  It was a great day, and, as usual, a great race.

The Cross Timbers Trail run, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this weekend, claims to be the oldest trail run in Texas.  It's run on what they call the "Toughest Little Trail in Texas."  They won't hear any disputes from me!  The course is an out and back, run twice for the 50 miler, and once, plus a loop at the beginning, for the marathon.  They also have a 5 mile and 1/2 marathon, which feature the toughest first section of the trail.  They say the marathon course has 5510' elevation gain and loss, but my Garmin said about 7400'; I'm going with Garmin.  Either way, there's a lot of up and down on the course.

The 50 mile runners took off in the dark at 6:30.  By the time the marathon started, at 7, there was plenty of light.

I arrived early enough to get my number, have a drink, and cheer for the 50 milers as they started their long day.  I also ran into a few running bloggers whom I keep up with via their blogs: Mark Smith (The Naked Runner), Dave Elliot (And the Adventure Continues), and I saw, but didn't get a chance to say hello to, Dave Hanenburg, who maintains an informative blog covering trail running all over the region (EnduranceBuzz.com).  The more of these races I run, the more a sense of community I feel with this great group of people: trial runners!

Soon the sun came up and it was time to begin the marathon.  The race director reminded trail running newbies not to expect to run their usual marathon pace, to expect to add about 30% to their usual marathon time.  I chuckled to myself; I thought, more like 50% if I'm lucky, possibly more!  After the marathon correction loop, we started up the trail.  I started at a pretty conservative pace, forcing myself not to pass what I perceived to be slower runners.  (I have learned that most of those slower runners are faster than me anyway!)  After a couple of miles I fell in with Mac, from Mississippi, and Jared, from Lewisville.  Mac, a seasoned road and trail runner who has run all over the country, told us about his favorite races and tried to recruit us to come run at some races in Mississippi.  Jared has been running a few years, but this was his first trail marathon.  He set a great pace, so I just stuck with him, Mac right behind.

At this point, I practically have to go on all fours.  Coming down this portion is harder than going up.

Mac was slow coming out of a couple of the aid stations, but always caught right back up.  He left the turnaround aid station before Jared and me; I kept thinking we would catch back up to him, but this experienced runner who was at least a decade or two older than me left us young bucks in his dust.  Jared and I ran together for a few more miles, but he was having some stomach issues, so I ran on ahead.  I didn't hang around long at the finish to see him cross the finish line; I'll be scouring the race results to see whether he ended up finishing.

I love this course!  Almost 100% rooty, dirt single track, winding through the woods.

For a few miles after I left Jared, I was able to pick up the pace a bit, but once I hit the rough part, the last few miles of the race, I went pretty slow.  The trails overall were in much better condition this year than last, with no spots that forced you to run through mud.  It was quite a bit warmer than last year.  I was getting pretty hot at the sun crept across the sky.  I imagine the 50 mile runners had a hot afternoon.  I remember those last miles as miserable, dark, and lonely, as I struggled toward the finish line last year.  They weren't all that much easier this time.  I was hot and ready to be done, but I was buoyed by the fact that I only had to do it once!  The end was near!  Those are still some pretty long miles.  I was beginning to smell those burgers, in my mind at least.

The Cross Timbers trail doesn't have long climbs, but there are lots of short, steep ones.

I finally crossed the finish line, 5 hours and 55 minutes after I started (58% longer than my road marathon PR, thank you!).  The burgers were hot and delicious, the drinks were cold, and my body was grateful that I didn't have to turn around and do it again!  Last year I remember coming into that tent to replenish my drinks and gels, smelling the burgers, seeing the marathon and 1/2 marathon runners happy and relaxed, and forcing myself to go out and run some more.  That was tough.

Don't forget to pause and take in the views of Lake Texoma!

Speaking of tough, at every race, I see and meet more tough runners.  There was the nice lady with the trekking poles whose age I won't speculate, but who has to be older than my mother (70).  She was attacking those trails with vigor I hope I have when I'm that age!  I got to visit with Fred Thompson, an NTTR fixture who has run trails all over the place.  He's in his early 60s and going strong.  I asked him his secret, but he laughed and said, "I don't have a secret, I just love to run!  If you love to run, you'll keep going!"  I don't know what distance he ran yesterday, but he probably did it faster than me.  And of course, I always admire those tough guys who keep a steady pace, out there in front, running 50 miles at a pace I can keep for 10 miles on a good day.  One of the great things about trail running is that everyone's welcome: those speedsters at the front, the slow ones at the back, and everyone in between.

Buddy Teaster, one of those steady runners, was well into the second out-and-back of the 50 when I met him on the trail.

In sum, Cross Timbers 2011 was a reminder of why I love trail running.  Any trail runner (or hiker, which I was for a good portion of the day!) will love this trail.  The race itself is executed flawlessly.  The volunteers (so many!  so dedicated!  so helpful!) kept me fueled up and always had a kind word, ready to serve.  I must say I was happy to have run the marathon rather than the 50 mile, although I may have broken my course-slowest record had I attempted it.  (I also got to see Zippy's 4th grade Longhorns win [Yippee!] and take Elliot to see the Baylor Bears lose to Tech [Boo!])  Next time around, maybe, just maybe I'll sign up for the 50 mile race.

Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession, by Richard Askwith

If you thought fell running referred to the common experience of many trail runners, you would only be partly right.  In British English, a fell is "a barren or stony hill."  In the UK, fell running is a long and storied tradition.  In Feet in the Clouds, journalist Richard Askwith gives his first-hand accounts of his experiences in the sport and reports of his runs, facing down some of fell running's great challenges.

Most of the fell races have a simple course and simpler origins.  It's no coincidence that many of them start from a village pub.  You can almost hear the challenge after a couple of drinks: "I bet you a round of drinks that I can run to the top of that fell and back in an hour," as he points out the window to the nearby mountain.  So many of the races, though they are short in terms of mileage, are run basically straight up the mountain and straight back down.

Of course, over the years, many of the races have become more refined, and draw more than just the patrons of the local pub.  Askwith starts running with friends on weekends, and frequents these races, taking us on a tour of fells around the U.K. and the races held on them, and walking us through a hall-of-fame of British fell runners.  The stories he tells are entertaining, but they do contribute to drawing out the book longer than I felt like it ought to be.

Anyone who has been a trail runner or has been around trail runners will get a kick out of his descriptions of the races and the racers.  A couple of examples: "Fell-runners, I was learning, see sports injuries in a different way to other athletes. . . . Pig-headed refusal to face the medical facts is a central tenet of fell-running dogma. . . . Most of them see demonstrable indifference to health-threatening agonies as a necessary badge of honour, without which you cannot really claim to be a paid-up member of the sport."  I haven't suffered real "health-threatening agonies" but have certainly seen people press on through pain to finish a race.  This piece of advice sums up a key area of wisdom for ultrarunning: "I have learnt that successful ultra-distance fell-running can have as much to do with what you eat and drink as anything else."

Along the way on the Bob Graham Round.

A key thread through the book follows Askwith's pursuit of the ultimate fell running challenge: finishing the Bob Graham round.  This is not a race run on a specific date, but a course on which runners summit (and descend) 42 Lake District peaks, covering a distance of about 72 miles, in 24 hours.  Based on his descriptions, this is much harder than it sounds.  I'll save you the suspense: he does finish, but it takes him several tries.

As I said, Feet in the Clouds seemed overlong.  But I did enjoy his profiles of the fell running legends.  As I read I thought about how much fun it would be to write a book about the races and runners I have met in my short, quite limited trail running career (career?  That sounds funny.  You know what I mean.)  In the North Texas Trail Runners, and people I have met from Tejas Trails, and others I have read or heard about, there are plenty of great stories that could easily fill a book.  Maybe someone like Askwith, with his writing talent and a passion for trail running, will take on such a project.  In the meantime, it's fun to read about American trail runners' counterparts across the Atlantic.