Capt'n Karl's 30k Race Report

cross-posted on flotrail

Saturday night we drove out to Pedernales Falls to do the first of the Capt'n Karls series from Tejas Trails.  The races begin at 7 pm for the 60K, 7:15 for the 30K, and 7:30 pm for the 10K.  Katie ran the 10K and took fifth overall and three place female.  I signed up for the 30K, electing not to do the 60K, as we had a long ride on the schedule for Sunday.

I did very little prep work for this race.  I'd only run a handful of times since Comrades, and I didn't even look at the course description.  Luckily, about 5 minutes prior to the start I asked how many loops the race was.  One.  Oops...better go grab my headlamp and stock up on nutrition.

The temperature was in the upper 90s when we started, but luckily, there was a little bit of shade on the course.  I was expecting a pretty technical race, as much of the footing on trails around Austin is pretty gnarly.  Surprisingly, the vast majority of the course was very, very runnable.  The goal was to take it easy and just log the miles, which wasn't hard to do with the heat.  The first part of the race descended a down to a rocky creek bed and then turned into a long, gradual climb along the fence that marked the park boundary.  I really didn't feel that great for the first hour of the race.  My legs felt shaky, I felt low on energy, and pretty lethargic.  I walked the steepest of the inclines and jogged the easier ones.  Eventually the course wound back through the woods and followed some flats and downs.

Somewhere around the one hour mark, I started feeling really good and picked up the pace.  Uphill or downhill, it didn't matter.  After the first aid station, I looked to my left and saw an amazing sunset.  The sun was enormous and was a nice hue of orange.  I soaked in the fleeting moments of sunlight as I started bombing down a service road with some steep descents.  As I flew down, I tried to push thoughts out of my head of running back up.  After we turned off the wide service road, the course continued to slowly wind down on mostly smooth single track.

Eventually we started climbing again.  I walked the steep descents, turning on my headlamp as darkness was finally taking over.  Around the 2.5 hour mark, my energy was completely gone.  I slowed my pace considerably and concentrated on not falling.  Although the trail was still very runnable, the darkness provided the opportunity to easily trip over the few rocks out there.  Just as I was mentally getting exhausted and ready for the race to be over, I heard the commotion from the finish line.

Overall, the race was well-organized (as all of Joe's races are) and very runnable.  The biggest obstacle was the heat.  I got the feeling that I'm still not 100% recovered from Comrades.  The downs and flats felt fairly easy to run, but when I tried to run uphill, my legs felt heavy.

I highly suggest hitting up one of the other races if you have the opportunity.

Mule Shoe Bend 7/21
Colorado Bend 8/11
Reveille Ranch 9/1

Scott Jurek

I had the pleasure of running with Scott Jurek last night and then listening to him speak at Book People here in Austin.  I've been a huge fan of Scott for many years, so it was a pleasure to finally meet him.  If you don't know who Scott Jurek is, do a quick google search and you will likely be blown away by the things he has accomplished.  He's down-to-earth and a very personable guy, who is very accommodating with his fans.  He did a short reading and then answered questions for the large group of people.

Although, a fan of Scott, I was a little cautious going in, thinking that he might be a little preachy about plant-based diets.  While he did highlight what he believes are the advantages of a plant-based diet, it didn't come across as preachy or elitist.  Scott mentioned that he respects those who choose all different types of diets, and even mentioned some advantages to a paleo diet.  I left even more impressed with the man than I already was.  Most professional runners and triathletes are down-to-earth and likeable, but Scott Jurek is at the top of that list.  A complete class-act.  I only wish I had more time to pick his brain.

BCS Marathon + Half Training

Train with City Coach in Austin for the BCS Marathon or Half Marathon.
Whether it’s your first or fiftieth marathon, we’ll get to the finish line or set your new PR.
What you get:

• 18 week training program
• 3 in-person group workouts a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat)
• Access to coach for advice and feedback
• Racing tactics and strategy
• Potential field trips to run on the course on select game weekends
• Social Events
• Access to other team workouts and cross training

Cost is only $100.  Similar programs in Austin cost up to $300+.

One-on-one coaching is also available.  Please inquire about pricing.

For more information, please contact Scott, call 512.666.4741, or visit our Facebook page.

Back to Training

After two weeks of vacation and a week recovering from Comrades, I hit the lake last night for an OWS.  It was as if I'd forgotten how to swim.  My stroke was off, and my sighting was terrible.  I had expected tired shoulders, so at least that wasn't a surprise.  I toughed out 1500m, although I'm sure it was much more than that with all the zig-zagging I ended up doing.  Hopefully, I have my bearings, and I will swim a little more normal tomorrow night.