Marathon Me

Cross Timbers is one of my favorite races of the year, if not my favorite. It is a little jewel that Scott and I somehow stumbled upon back in 2004. The first three years we ran it we both ran the half marathon. I wound up winning the half-marathon those first three years. (mainly because all the fast trail runners run the full marathon or the 50 miler). I wisely stopped running it in 2007 and thus can retire undefeated at that race. I had held the course record there the whole time, but I felt going into this year that something would have to give and someone would come along and take it back.

Two years ago I moved up to the full marathon distance and got my ass handed to me. This is a fairly tough course for central Texas, with lots of rocks and hills, but it is oh so much fun. What makes this race harder for me is that it is typically a week after the Austin Marathon, which is my primary goal race. The last three years I’ve PRed in Austin and been beat up when it came time to run Cross Timbers. Matt Crownover held the course record and had won the marathon the last three years and I was looking forward to running with him again. Last year I got stranded in New York due to weather and had to miss the marathon, which was a huge bummer.

This year was going to be my breakout year. I was coming off a solid PR at Austin and came to Cross Timbers with the sole goal of taking on Matt and his course record down. Joining me for this trek was Shelley, Christopher, Scott, Vance and Marilyn.

Vance would debut with his first trail run on the five mile event. The five mile course is actually on probably the hardest five miles of the course, but also some of the most fun.

Vance started out quickly and never let off. He dominated the competition and not only won both Master/Grand Masters, but he got third overall. When asked if he wanted the Master’s trophy or the Grandmaster’s he wisely took the Masters trophy. I was very proud of my father-in-law, who has taken to long distance running like a duck to water. His first marathon will be coming up this weekend in Albany Georgia. The way you know we are related, is that even though he hasn’t run his first marathon, he has already signed up for the three after that one. Way to coach Al!

Scott would be running the half marathon as his recovery week in what would be 3 marathons and one half marathon in a 4 week period. Just to try and keep up with Scott I threw in the Moe’s Half Marathon so we could stay even.

Shelley and Marilyn would be responsible for morale and letting us know we are all crazy and Christopher would be handling all of the rock throwing into the lake.

As I waited for the race to start I noticed that Matt Crownover wasn’t there. I was really disappointed. I going for the win today, but without Matt there it seemed almost anticlimactic. However I saw a guy wearing the number one and he looked pretty fast. He friends asked him if he planned on winning and he said he was going to try. I looked at my brother-in-law and in my best Buzz Lightyear voice said “Not today Zurg, Not today”.

My goal for all marathons is the fly-and-die, and this would be no exception. Although for races like this one I think it is even more important to go fast in the beginning before you hit the single track trail or you can get stuck behind slower runners for a long time.

When the gun went off I dashed into the lead and vowed to never give it up. By the time we hit the single track I was a good 200 yards in front and back on my favorite trail. I’ve had some much fun and so much success on this trail it feels like home, even though it is a good five hours away.

The first few miles are fairly easy, some rolling hills and lots of rocks, and a whole lot of switchbacks and some nice dry creek beds. I only jolt my ankles 3 or 4 times before the first aid station. Normally they have Heed at Cross Timbers which frequently battles Ultima for the worst tasting energy drink. Luckily, the first aid station had some M&Ms, prepoured cups of coke and, oh thank you, some actual Gatorade. I filled my water bottle back up and darted off. I could see the second place runner as we went through some switch backs and he seemed to be 1-2 minutes behind. I tried to push the pace a little as the course got harder. I’m trying to run most of the way up the big hills and minimize the amount of time walking, but my legs are on fire.

This is a course where, like Austin, the P90X is paying off. My legs are burning but I’m more used to it now and I keep powering up the hills. I get to the next aid station and am looking for more coke. They didn’t have any ready and so I dumbly wait for it to be poured, I waste a good minute waiting on this, because it was the slowest Coke pouring volunteer I’ve ever seen. And after a certain point I figured I had waited so long I might as well get the coke. I don’t want to complain about any volunteers, because you all make the races possible, but I was mad at myself for stopping so long.

We are now out in the open running alongside the lake and the wind, which up until this point had been pretty intense, just got angry. My body felt like it was at a 45 degree angle and you had to run to the right just to keep going straight. After a mile or so we dash back into the trees and get some shelter from the wind. I glance over my shoulder (which you should never do) and see the second place guy is still all over me. I push harder. I’m starting to have some doubts about this, he looks really strong. I decide I will make sure he doesn’t pass me before the turnaround and then after that it’s anyone’s ball game.

After running over a sand pit and slipping/sliding everywhere I get to the out and back turn around point. This is about 10 miles or so into the course. I top off my water bottle again, but unfortunately this time it is Heed, and that sucks. At least it was some strawberry flavor which is 20% less assy tasting. As I head back to the sand put I pass the second place guy. Holy Crap, he is less than a minute behind me. How did this happen?

I once again turn into a cross between Buzz Lightyear (telling myself once again “Not today Zurg! Not Today!”) and Rocky after being pummeled by Apollo Creed (I ain’t going down no more!). I decide there will be no more walking up any hills. Quads and Hamstrings be damned! It will only hurt until I’m done (and well, probably the next few days).

There is a nice flat section to run on and I drop down to under 7:00/M pace to try and get a little distance on the guy behind me. I get to the aid station with the slow coke pourer and ask if they have any coke, she again starts to get ready to pour it (I look back and can see second place closing in on me). I thank her and say never mind, he is way too close now. I grab a handful of M&M and bolt out of there.

I pass Larry Macon on the way back towards the trees. Larry is a machine, he just finished running 105 marathons last year. 105! I don’t even know how you schedule that. Its more than two a weekend every weekend of the year plus Boston. Simply boggles my mind.

As we head back into the trees there is less visibility of who is in front/behind you so using Larry as motivation I switch gears and start flying down the trail. My goal is to get far enough ahead of second place so that when we pop back out of the trees he can’t see me and gets demoralized.

My legs are on fire and I power up the hills and then have delusions of running like Joe Prusaitis downhill. I get my second wind and am crushing the course. I am running faster than I ever have out here. My knees are starting to hurt but my cardio system doesn’t even feel taxed. I push it even harder.

I am starting to get confused as to why I haven’t seen any half-marathoners yet, normally I would have passed the lead half-marathons on the out and back. My mind can only come up with two solutions, one is that everyone will be beating my old record today, or two they’ve changed the course. It seems like an omen the half-course record is going down.

The first time I ran the marathon here two years ago I ran a 4:36. I knew I was going to crush that and that the course record of 4:01- 4:02 was also going to be in play. I get back to the starting line and ready for the last 5 mile section. I have no idea how far behind the second place guy is, but I know that every step I take now brings me closer to the finish and gives him one step less to catch me.

I pass Vance on the way to the backside of the trail and he looks happy. He must have had a good run. I turn the corner and start down the hill and smile for the camera man. He asks if I am the first marathon and I say I sure hope so.

As we turn the corner towards the lake the wind gets mad again and nearly blows me off the trail. Luckily I’ve been bulking up and able to stay on the trail and shoot down the precipice. Hahah.

I finally find all the half marathoners. There course is totally different than the old one and now they are running the back half. I actually preferred it better the old way, as by this time you were able to mostly run by yourself in previous years, and now you are barreling into half-marathoners. But it is cool to see everyone out having a good time. I see some of the 50 mile leaders and they look way too fresh for doing a 50 miler as hilly as this one. I know the final turnaround is less than a mile away. Mentally I tell myself there is no way the guy can catch me, mathematically he has run out of distance. But since it is 22-23 miles into a run I don’t trust my math and push harder.

I hit the turnaround and don’t grab anything. I am still running scared that he may be close behind and don’t think I need any more coke or gels or M&M for the last 2.5 miles. Four minutes after the turnaround I pass second place and he looks a little disheartened as we both come to the same realization that baring a broken ankle, this race is mine. I figure I have an 8 minute lead at this point using my simple caveman math, and the course record is also going to fall.

I decide to push it even harder since I have a nagging feeling that my half-marathon record is already broken and I’d like to make this one harder to beat. I give Buzz Lightyear a break on the final monster climb and walk up the last 30-40 feet and take in the view of the water, then make a final turn and a final hill, say hi to the photographer again and head to the finish.

I cross the finish first, in 3:35:36, which beats my time by over an hour from the last time I ran. This also beat the course record by 24-25 minutes. Which helped me get over the disappointment of not running with Matt. I think it would have been a different race if he was there, because he is a strong competitor. I hope next year we can both toe the line together. I head into the food tent to grab some food and change into dry clothes as the weather is very cold and windy.

Michael Adams, the man chasing me, comes in about 20 minutes later for second place, but also under the old course record. He ran a hard race and had me running scared the whole way. If he wasn’t there I would have run much slower I think.

Luckily I don’t get sick after this race and we all head back to the cabin to shower up. It was a great day for all of us. Christopher single handily raised the level of the lake with all the rocks that were thrown in, Vance won masters, and Scott had a solid time. We will be back next year hopefully.

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Tags: Marathons, Race Reports //