Last weekend I ran the second annual Bobcat Trail Marathon at Burr Oak State Park just north of Athens, Ohio. Athens is home to Ohio University and a big thanks goes to the OU students that came out to help at the aid stations. Without your help it would be a much tougher day. Thanks!
Race website:
http://www.oneworldtrailrunning.org/bobcat-trail-marathon/index.html
So, the race pretty much goes around Burr Oak Lake. Here is the course:
I'm sure that looks a little small but trust me, it is long.
The race kicked off at 7 a.m. sharp. It was a clear morning but cold. I think it was around 28-30 F. It proved to be a sunny day so that helped a ton. As the race progressed the temp rose to about 48F. Perfect running weather.
I wanted to start out a try to stay near the front. I kept the front runners in sight for the first 4 miles or so. In fact, I think I was in 7th through the second mile and then moved up to 4th after three runners accidentally took a wrong turn. That happens. It's part of what makes trail running great. You actually have to pay attention to where you are going. The focus required for trail running I find more intense than road running. Not only do you have to really focus in front of you to keep from tripping and falling down (more on that later) but you have to pay attention to the course.
So, I was feeling good and stayed in 4th to 6th place for much of the next 10 miles or so. I was feeling good and going with it. There was a little voice in the back of my head saying that "Maybe you should ease off just a bit and save a big push for miles 20-23 or so". But I felt strong so I kept up that pace and was in 5th through mile 16.
This race has GREAT aid stations and the volunteers are some of the best I have ever run across. They asked what I needed as I approached. I would shout it out and by the time I got there 8 seconds later, there it was.
For a race this length I didn't need too much nutrition. I stuck to First Endurance EFS liquid shot. I really like the flavor and the electrolyte and energy boost I get. Check it out: http://www.firstendurance.com/efs-liquid-shot.html
I also used Hammer Endurolyte tablets. I swear by these electrolyte tabs and wouldn't run a race past a 10K without them. I take 1-2 every hour on the hour during an event and have yet to cramp, knock on my desk that looks like wood.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/endurolytes.elt.html?navcat=fuels-energy-drinks
So, off past mile 18 I go, thinking I only have 8 to go and feeling optimistic. My legs felt good and everything was right. I got to a decent descent that cut along a hillside. There was the uphill to my left and a ravine to my right. About half way down I caught my right foot on a root and went flying. I clearly remember thinking "This is really going to hurt because I am going through the air horizontally and heading for that ravine". Sure enough, I did. However, one of the forests' greatest assets intervened. That's right a little oak sapling was there to catch me and stop me before I went any further. I thought, "Oh wow, this little tree stopped me from experiencing a really horrible last 8 miles". I stood up, took stock of things noting only a few cuts on my right knee and a sore right side hip and arm. I was good to go though. I kissed that little sapling (I'm not kidding), thank it, and went on my way. Golden Rule and all.
At about mile 21 there was an uphill that caught me off guard and I walked up, as I did many of the hills from this point on. In a trail race it benefits me more later in a race to walk up hills and then pick up the pace as it flattens out at the top and then go faster on flat and downhill section. I love going downhill fast. There is an art to it and if you practice lots you can get really fast. At times it is a controlled crash. And sometimes you crash based on my last paragraph.
Mile 21-finish. I kept strong but was wavering a bit. I noticed that I got passed by probably 8 or so people since mile 18. I try not to think about that too much and try to tell myself to run within myself and only worry about me. I do find myself wondering how old the people that passed me are. If they look in my age group 40-44, then I give it a little extra.
I noticed that these miles seemed to go along rather quickly and I thought I am doing well on this section. As I approached what I remembered from last year to be the final hill, about 1 mile from the finish, I gave it the gas. My watch told me I had a good chance of breaking the 4 hour mark. Which would be awesome considering that I ran a 4:24 in 2009 and came in 4th.
Well, in that last little road section that led to the lodge, I gunned it. I was keeping about a 6:30 pace for the last 1/2 mile. It paid off and I finished in a time of 3:59:54! I broke 4 hours for this course and felt really proud.
As I was at the post race food and goodie table one of the race coordinators asked the guy I was talking to what the distance on his Garmin GPS watch said. He said 24.5 mile. What? How could this be? Well, come to find out after the fact, the course had been tampered with my someone or someones and the distance was shorter than 26.2. Oh well. I ran a sub 4 hour and I ran the same course that everyone else ran.
I came in 15th out of 175 people that started. I finished 5th in my age group, which tells you that there were lot's of fast old guys in this race.
To sum up, Great race, Beautiful day, Superb aid stations. Way to go Vince and Brandon.
I will certainly be back next year and many years to come.
Next up on the race calendar is my last one for the year. The Bigfoot 50K trail race at Salt Fork State Park.
Thanks to the Ohio State Parks Department for letting the boys host this race at our beautiful parks. Gotta love the State Park system.
By the way, that photo up there is NOT me but that was what was running through my mind as I was in mid-air. Yahoo!
Sorry it's been so long since my last blog. I have no excuse. Please keep coming back as I have lots to blog about.
RUN HAPPY!
