Xterra Black Mountain: Race Report

I know the grandparents are expecting posts about our trip to Hawai'i, and its coming, but I figured I'd do a quick race report while the details are still somewhat sharp and my perceptions haven't yet become too distorted i.e., it really didn't hurt that much, not sure why I didn't push harder....you know how it goes. No photos. This was a solo affair. Originally I wanted my little family there at the finish line but we're all still dealing with the time difference and its not in the right direction for early morning wakings for the little people.

I got the weather I was hoping for. Cloudy skies, cold breezes. I knew there was a good chance of this as we approach the month of May, known in San Diego as "May Grey." It was funny but I was hardly nervous at all as I looked around at all the runners around me lining up for the start, teeth chattering and jumping up and down to stay warm. Maybe it was the relief I felt that I wasn't going to bake like a potato on those exposed trails for hours that was washing away any pre-race jitters. Or maybe it was the lack of expectation that running on a hilly trail brings - no mile splits to make me feel slow and out of shape. Trail running kinda frees you up from all that road racing baggage. No matter whether you're a 7 or 11 minute miler, it happens to all runners I think. Slave to the watch.

Having pre-ran some of the course and pre-ridden the whole thing, I knew that we were all heading into a slice of rocky, twisty, downhill single track w/n the first few minutes. I'm not a great runner but I'm a little better at trail running and I'm not too shabby at descending. I think my years of mountain biking and adventure racing down mountains in BC trying to keep up with my 6 ft tall racing partners (all of them, even Jenn), gives me a little edge here over the nervous downhiller types. But as we all charged to the trail (yep, everyone was in a big hurry), I realized that trying to get some space to enjoy that single track just wasn't going to happen. About half way down though I did see an opening so I scooted out with a quick "on your left" and let it rip. A bit too much. Sub-7 min pace down the rocky trail was not in my race plan. But it was s-w-e-e-t.

Greg pre-rode the course with me so he knew the terrain and he also knows my running capabilities (or lack thereof). So he reminded me in pre-race strategy discussions ;-) that I only had so many matches to burn out there. I liked the analogy and kept it in my head. Once I was back on level ground and my pace slowed I remember thinking "....strike! that match is burnt!" I wasn't so sure how many more I had to burn but was hoping for at least a half a package.

Through to about mile 3.5 or so the race continued on some sweet trail, some level, some up, and alot of gentle down. I felt great and everyone seemed to be running so fast. I haven't raced much with a GPS but was glad I did today. When I felt like I was running too slow I'd look down and see that I was actually running in 8 min pace vicinity. Which for me, is pretty darn fast these days. I've been training my tempo runs in that pace range but I knew it was too fast for me for a race this long. But I felt really good and I knew tougher terrain awaited. So I went with it but I could smell the sulphur of my burning matches. I felt like I was holding back but it wasn't even close to slow enough.

As I passed the 3 mile marker I looked down and saw 24:14 on my GPS. Cripes! I haven't broken 25 mins for 3 miles in a long, long, long time. Even in my younger days I think 23:58 might have been my PB, on a road. It was somewhat elevation assisted but whatevah, it was way too fast for me. At that point I threw those matches into the nearest creek and wondered what it would take to hang on. So much for listening to my husband, a seasoned runner.

When I started to feel annoyed that the first aide station was a little further away than I had expected, I knew I was truly matchless. But I slogged my way to mile 5 where two ginormous hills awaited. These hills weren't super long but they were steep. Steep enough that I had walked the top portion of the second one the day we mt biked the course. Walking seemed like a good plan today too. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be feeling the effects of pounding down the backsides of those babies as well.

A steady climb up to a road crossing and the mile 6 aide station and I was at 1 hour. Seems my swift feet had left me. The terrain after mile 6 was about two miles of probably the "wildest" part of the course (meaning I couldn't see houses anymore). The vistas were sweeping and the double track trail was up and down with an overall elevation loss. My plan here was to run a good and reasonable pace b/c I knew the last 2 miles to the finish would be extremely tough with rolling terrain and a good uphill to the finish for the last half mile. I stuck to that plan for about 10 minutes before I wasn't sure if I was even feeling my legs anymore and my ears started to pop (this is a weird thing that happened to me last time I ran at Black Mountain and got really tired). I had made a deal with myself that when I started to feel rough I would take short 40 second walk breaks every 10 minutes. I've found that this can have a rejuvenating effect on me and even enable me to lift my pace. So I started my walk breaks. First every 10, then quickly every 5 minutes. Then I wasn't sure if I was doing walk breaks in my run, or run breaks in my walk.

Needless to say, I fell pretty much apart, spectacularly. I kept moving forward and I finished the race but it wasn't pretty. As I was climbing the last few hills and running whenever I could, just for morale's sake really b/c I don't know if it was any faster really than walking, I was trying to figure out how I could use my upper body to assist my tired and cramping lower body. Crawling? Envisioning a magical rope that I could grab onto and pull? At least this entertained and distracted me for a few minutes. I thought momentarily about cougars and how if one decided to jump in front of me that moment my fatigue was so great, I'd just lie down and say "buddy, I hope you like salt."

But there is always a little more in the tank than you think. Rounding the last uphill corner the race photographer encouraged me to "put on the gas for a picture!" And you know, I did. And then there was the finishing 50. Can't walk there. So I didn't. But sprinting to catch the girl in front of me? Not quite enough gas for that and she looked really young so not in my age group anyway :-P

Finished in 1:46 which strangely enough is just about what I estimated on my race entry form. The ankle and hip flexor held up and I seem to have found the energy to write this blog. Its nice to be back doing a little something competitive and challenging. Only 3 months ago I was probably in some of the worst shape of my life, running only 3 miles at a time and slow ones at that so I can't complain about today. It was a good day out :-)