Capt'n Karl's Trail Run (Pedernales Falls) What Worked, What didn't, and What I Learned

Yesterday I attended the Capt'n Karl trail run at Pedernales Falls State Park, in Johnson City, Texas. What a fantastic event and overall fun time! Attending the event was in doubt up until the last minute. The week leading up to it was fraught with one unexpected bill after another that tapped into my fund for the race. At the last minute some funds came in that I was not counting on and the race was a go! However, even the day of I had a myriad of things to do and I wasn't able to get there until 30 minutes before the race.

With that being said, I was in a rush to get there so some items were forgotten....but I digress, let me go back to the day before.

Prior to the race several people gave me tips on increasing my carb intake so I have energy in reserve for the run and so on. Everyone was kind enough to give me their ideas of food that works for them and so on. A few people mentioned quesadillas and it so happens there is a place near where I live that makes some pretty decent ones so I figured, why not. My problem with eating is that I simply don't eat a whole lot compared to other people so I honestly only ate 2 1/2  slices and shared the rest...well that was enough. Something wasn't cooked right or the cheese was bad so I spent the night with an on/off fever and the feeling that someone was repeatedly stabbing my stomach with a jousting lance. So the night before the run I got very little sleep. The following morning I was still in agony and decided I would try to run to work out the pain in my stomach....didn't work. By the afternoon I am retching (rather violently I might add) and still feeling horrible; I couldn't even stand up without my stomach betraying me. At about 5pm I figured I would still go to the race and if worse came to worse I would just crawl into the woods and die quietly.

When I arrived and got registered I started taking stock of what I had. Two water bottles, some gel packs, some Mojo bars, Ibuprofen, and my Iphone. Originally I was supposed to meet up with a runner for some water and a flashlight, but the signal out there was so terrible I could not find them (but if you're reading this, thanks again for the offer and I will show up early next time to meet up :)

My backpack was too bulky and since I have lost a lot of weight my clothes were too baggy.

Starting the race was fine, but the backpack swayed too much from side to side and the adjusting straps kept on coming undone, casing awkward movements for me. Within a couple of miles I reached back for my water to realize that somewhere, with all the up and down movement I'd lost the bottle (and this was early on in the race) Not good, I thought, but keep moving forward....

As the race progressed I decided I was starting to lag and that I should take one of the Gel packs I had brought with me. Now, having never really take them before I decided to take it slow and take half at first and then half an hour later. At the aid stations there were a variety of drinks fro water, Gatorade, and some sports powder mix meant to help with electrolyte replacement. Several people recommended I take a little Gatorade and the powder mix....so I did......

And several more miles in, I suddenly felt like someone grabbed my intestinal lining and started playing jump rope, or you remember that scene in Braveheart where they are pulling Mel Gibson's intestines out...yeah it was like that. I had to stop and go off trail to get my bearings again. No sooner then when I was off by myself I vomited so hard it knocked me to my knees. We are talking projectile- my God what is happening to me- kind of sickness. Well now that I had just ruined Mother Nature and had filth all over my  face I shook it off, cleaned up as best as I could and got my bearings again.

Nightfall was disorientating for much of the race for me. I was given a flashlight by a very nice individual who saw that I was running blind...yeah in my rush I forgot flashlight. At one point I was alone from others (I think it was after aid station 3) and I took a wrong turn and stayed on that wrong trail for sometime till it hit me that I hadn't seen a flag indicator (to let me know I was on right path) for some time. When I discovered my error, I immediately swung around to go back..this would prove disastrous for me.

I've had problems with my left knee from past injuries and sometimes (no indication or warning when this will happen) if I stop and pivot to fast the knee will just give out on me and twist. Well it did! The next step my knee refused to bend and I nearly feel flat on my face. A few more steps in and I had to sit for a moment to work out my knee as best as I could. I was so angry that of all things to take out my knee, it wasn't the trail, or the rocks, or the hills, it was just a random accident! So after letting out a string of expletives (couldn't help it) I got back up and made my way back out to the right trail.

The terrain was not my friend at times. Flat was good, inclines weren't bad, but when I hit the sand or had to step down my knee was locking up again. I was fortunate to meet other runners who walked or ran with me and chatted with me, which helped take my mind off the pain and the overall tired feeling I had. People shared water, advice, and just great stories about their lives with me, and that's what really made this whole experience worth it, getting to meet other people and having a new experience.

So here is what I learned:

1. No backpack on next race- it was cumbersome and since it was cheap that straps didn't work.

2. Invest in a camelback- 1-2 liter one

3. NO GEL PACKS EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Bring a back up Knee brace to leave a start/Finish just in case

5. NO POWDER MIX DRINKS WHILE RUNNING EVERY AGAIN!!!! (Water Gatorade, and the electrolyte pills will work fine)

6.  Pacing is crucial- I'm not in competition with anyone but myself so I need to learn when to run it, gun it, and slow it down

7. Nutrition- I need to work on better ways to carb up before a race, I do not do well with heavy foods and never have so it should have been a given that it was going to give me problems.

8. Need more training on uneven terrain- I need to start making 2 days a week when possible on uneven terrain to mimic the trail courses.

9. HYDRATE MORE BEFORE RACE

10. Stay smiling (like I did) even when it hurts the most, because in the end I need to be grateful to God that I have the ability to run, the health to push my body to lengths its not used to, and the means to participate in races like this.

I have to thank many people for helping me through this. The runners at the race were unbelievably friendly and accommodating. Whether it was a swig of water, a small flashlight, or just conversation, everyone was fantastic. Most importantly my family and friends who supported my with words of encouragement throughout...everything I do is to impress you guys and the people I love (you know who you are) are what keeps me motivated and wanting to achieve more!

I am looking forward to the next race and plan to keep doing this as long as my legs will move one foot in front of the other ;)

You gotta run before you can crawl

Honestly I know no other way to do things, then just to dive in head first and see what happens. So I now will journey into the foray of Ultra Marathon running. Why Ultra's? Well because Marathons just don't seem as exciting to me. I've never done a marathon before, period! My greatest claim to fame in the world of running was the 5k Run For Your Lives event in November of 2012.

Having these people chase you is a great motivator to run!

Run For Your Lives (or the Zombie Run), was a blast. It was a classic mud run with some obstacles, and people dressed in zombie attire and make-up effects running after you. Now me, being the post-apocalyptic-dear God I pray for a zombie plague- guy that I am, I loved every minute of it.  But I think I've jumped ahead again (even though I am talking about a past even moment)...

Lets take it back a bit further.....

Back in my heyday I wasn't a super-athlete, nor was I a slacker. Athletics wise I was about average in most things. One sport that I excelled in when I did it was boxing. No boxing, as I came to learn and appreciate, is not about brawling. There is a beautiful science to it: the way you breathe, the fluid motions of your feet, the way your arm extends and connects with your opponent, the way you block a shot or even learning to take a punch to the face or gut. I was good at it, not because I was some kind of Rocky Balboa, but because I knew how to take a punch and I knew how to throw one back with blinding speed.

The first time I was in a boxing match I was eager and excited. A lot of people had nervous anxieties about getting in the ring...but I was looking forward to it. Part of it may have been that I had a lot of angst and built up aggression at the time and I need to unload fury on some poor soul for a few rounds.  My opponent was taller than me and had a longer arm reach, so I had to factor in these things and do my best to get in close and limit the range of his arm. When the bell ring I charged in and came out swinging. I weaved my body around and worked my way in close. One body shot, he grunted,  a quick one-two combo to his ribs and stomach and he lurched a bit, and then I saw that perfect opening  right to his face. His right shoulder had dropped and because of some good training I saw that split second opportunity. I fired a hook shot with as much force and momentum as I could. His head snapped to one side and I shot out my left with a straight jab to the mouth and nose area. His head arched back and he stepped back to gain some composure.

I came back at him only to see that he had streams of tears running down his face. Now understand, if you hit someone hard enough, usually above the bridge of the nose some people's bodies will naturally start tearing up because of the trauma to the facial area. So I don't think this guy was especially hurt by me, I just hit the right spot at the right time.

At heart I'd like to think I'm a pretty good guy. So when I saw him crying, all my training went out the window and I wanted to make sure he was okay...biggest mistake of my life. I dropped my guard and through my mouth piece asked if he was hurt and he unloaded on me. I had no time to block and my head became the proverbial speed bag. I staggered back and tried to get my feet planted right, but I ended up stumbling over my own  feet and fell to the canvas. Coach advised me to stay down because it was just so embarrassing.

So my first fight did not go as planned, but then again most never do. As time went on I got better and kept up with it for a time till college life got to chaotic to balance both.

Press fast forward a few years later and I am in my thirties and teaching. The realm of teaching is challenging in that you make very little money vs the amount of time you put into it. It's not for everyone and if you're not truly dedicated to helping others at your own personal sacrifice then you shouldn't do it. I enjoy my students (most of them) and some of them even like me. One afternoon two of my girls were playing with their Iphone and taking pictures and they asked me to take a picture while making a ridiculous looking face. For them I did...and then they showed me the picture.

I wanted to throw up (literally). The person I was staring at in the photo could not have been me, there was no way I had let myself go that much. I mean sure I had gained a few pounds, and maybe I went up a couple of waist sizes, maybe I was eating bad, and ok, sure I had not seen the inside of a gym in while...but surely those things could not have affected me that much!

They had!

I was mortified that I had become so unhealthy and portly- okay, I will just say it, I was fat. I immediately chided the entire class and asked why none of them told me I looked like crap! To their credit they were sweet and said I looked fine...but then again lies are like candies...sweet. After school I ran to a local grocery store that had a blood pressure and body weight index.

I sat on the bench and inserted my arm in the machine and braced myself for the squeezing pressure that would occur. Every time I heard the sound of air pump into the sleeve of that machine I always cringed. While these tests are not as accurate as a physical at a doctor's office (which I avoid like the plague) I don't think the results were far off. Blood pressure sucked and my weight was a whopping 186....now bear in mind that I'm 5'7 so there is no way I should be weighing that much.

Enter the feeling of wanting to throw up again.

I went home, feeling morbidly depressed (and obese too) and I saw a commercial for an upcoming 5k Zombie Run. I decided to grab my credit card and pay the $85 entrance fee and commit myself to that race. It was certainly a motivator, losing money, and I'm sure other people have a better way of going about things, but I have to have something to prove or lose in order to really excel at something. Being committed to it on a monetary level helped and I started doing some basic runs and trails to get used to some kind of cardio activity again.

I was awful at first, after a mile I was winded and in pain, which was sad because I used to breeze through five miles with relative ease. I stuck with it several times a week and after a few weeks things got a bit easier.

Fat kid can run

The day of the race was exciting and it was good to see so many people there running as well, most of them in as bad or worse shape then me. The corralled the racers into a corridor filled with smoke and sounded that alarm and we were off! I ran as best as I could in the mud and through the obstacles of zombies and terrain. Did I make the best time? No. But I didn't come in last and most importantly I finished....and then I decided I needed to do more.

So naturally, the normal course of evolution goes from a 5k run to a 60k run, right? Ultra's seem to have this aura of mystique and prestige about them (at least in my mind). I've always been one to see how far I can push things, and I love proving something to people, so what better way than this.

My first ultramarathon is coming up on June 22 at Pernales Falls State Park in Johnson city Texas. It is  a 37 mile run through some great wilderness terrain. I have been training as best as I know how and I've been learning more about this sport everyday. Am I going to come in first place....hell no, but am I going to finish this race?  Well for that we will wait and see.


PS. Here is a great before and after picture...still have some things to work on, but from where I was to where I am in the span of five months is encouraging:)

35+ pounds gone

about to hit the trail

What my first ultra will look like