HUNTING HOGS ON AN EMPTY BARREL

HUNTSVILLE, TX - So after my last outing in PA at the Mile Run Trail Challenge Half Marathon, I headed down to Miami for Spring Break to visit my Grandfather. The sun was hot, the beaches gorgeous, and the training non-existent. I didn't plan it this way, but my legs were quite depleted from the race effort and drive down. I patched a training week together but ended up taking a quick sabbatical from training to fully enjoy my family.

And then, upon returning to work, I had to visit Houston for business. It so happened that the 2012 Hog's Hunt Trail 50K/25K were going on before I had to drive to Austin. Initially, I thought of signing up for the 50K, as I was the defending champion and course record holder (3:34), but the forecast stated 80-degrees. Hmm, with a complete lack of long run recently and a mini-break from running, I thought maybe the 25K would be a better option. And so, I entered the race.

Race morning was hot - 76 degrees and humid when I woke up. Thankfully the trails were in good shape, quite dry, but that meant super-sandy. Competition-wise, I had no idea who would show up, but within the first couple of minutes, I knew it was going to be interesting, as a buddy declared his friend was going to win the race, but I saw an even more dangerous threat... a Texas A&M Aggie... he was a bit larger, looking more like a mid-distance guy, but he was fit. And he took the lead from me after about 5 minutes of running and pressed the pace.

I wasn't super comfortable. The lack of training was evident. After a couple of miles, I decided to attack. I didn't want to battle anyone, but at the first aid station (after feeling I had been going WAYYY too hard), Aggie took the lead while I sucked down a GU and I gave chase. He was very fluid, very strong, running hard on the uphills, but I kept thinking: 1) the heat has to get to him more than me; 2) the pace has to get to him; 3) the hills have to get to him; 4) the sand has to get to him... it was pretty funny, but he was attempting to bury me. At 40-minutes I made the pass and thought, that's it. But within 10-minutes, he charged back and after almost blowing out an ankle heading into a trailhead, I let Aggie take the lead.

So I shadowed him on the singletrack until he had a big ankle twisting moment... it looked bad and I passed by, asking if he was alright. At the next aid station by an hour he was probably 20-30 sec back and I set off to try and win this thing. However, my body had other plans. I was a wreck. I could barely run, my fitness was catching up to me. My right glute basically shut down and my left foot was not landing correctly. But I was in the lead and I was battling. I just needed to make it to the final aid station, which was 2.8 miles from the finish.

Finally, the aid station appeared and I saw 1:20 and change on my watch. The fastest time I had seen on this course was 1:39, and I started the mental games: I have to be able to run 2.8 miles in under 18-19 minutes. I have to, regardless of the terrain. And I set off at a break-neck pace. The worst thing in a race is to work so hard and miss a CR by seconds... I didn't want that to happen, but I completely bonked with a mile to go. It was brutal. I could barely run, but I got a good rhythm going and was surprised to see 1:37 on the clock when I finished, a new CR.

Sure enough, Ryan finished in 1:41 and he turned out to be a 3:54 performer over 1500m and recently graduated. What a battle. It was a great day, but I was toast and thankful it was over and even more thankful I didn't attempt the 50KM... and now, off to London and another forced break from training (this time very welcomed) as I have some long days ahead of me with Tottenham Hotspur.

Embracing the Challenge

NEW COLUMBIA, PA - With the failed attempt to train for the Umstead 50M, Gabriel turned his attention to the 2012 Trophy Series race, the Mile Run Challenge Trail Half Marathon in Pennsylvania.

The course had been around for a couple of seasons, with proven times by proven competitors, and with the Trophy Series designation, the race was sure to provide some stiff competition. And so, Gabriel and his family packed into his Infinti and drove the three hours to New Columbia to awaken to a night full of rain and 45-degree chills.

Race morning was hectic. A solid 20-minute wait in a steady drizzle while awaiting the pick-up of the race bib proved to not produce a warm-up. And so, with a few minutes to spare and having to decide between a warm-up jog and a porta-potty stop, Gabriel opted the restroom.

Soon enough the gun sounded, and twenty or so chaps were out at sub-5:30 pace onto the road. Immediately a group of four runners formed, and Gabriel was not among them. He was stuck somewhere in tenth, struggling with navigation of the rocky underfoot in such tepid conditions. However, a lone leader struck out and Gabriel started to panic that if he did not close the gap shortly, that he would not be able to make up the gap over such treacherous terrain. And so, he forged his way to the front and by 15-minutes or so caught the leader on the steady climb.

However, Gabriel soon found himself in debt and was surprised that he would be able to maintain his effort over the 13.4 mile distance. Each change in terrain proved a blessing, as he was able to work different muscle groups. At the 3.5 mile aid station in 22:00, Gabriel felt he was running well. At the 6.5 mile AS, he was at 45-minutes but wasted 2-minute re-tying a shoe-lace. And off he went.. absolutely dominating single-track and the flats. The only real damage came to a treacherous descent after 9M, in which his quads were pushed to their limits. However, he amazingly recovered and attacked, attacked, attacked.

The final 2 miles or so of the course were the most disappointing. The runners were forced to surmout a boulder field. No running was possible, only dangerous, slipperly stepping from stone ledge to stone ledge, which felt like an eternity navigating the boulder-field. Finally, Gabriel found some runnable ground and entered a water-logged tunnel, and exited towards the finish in a new course record, 1:40:54, about three minutes ahead of the locals.

Another challenge, another test, another performance. A great day all-around, with great sensations throughout the race. This will be taken.