Tim Sullivan’s Cactus Rose 50 mile Race Report – I ran harder in this Ultra
While I have been running a bunch this last year, this is only my second ultra, and this one was MUCH harder than my first ultra which was the Austin Rattler 66K. This is the description from the website –
“This Is An "Unsupported" Real Deal Trail Race! Please Read The Race Doc Before Registering
No whiners, wimps, or wusses.
This is a rugged trail running race that was designed to test runners.
The course can go by quickly because of it's picturesque views; technical climbs and descents; and fun terrain.
But be careful looking at the scenery too long, you might end up face first in a cactus.
Please understand this race does not have our usual full spread aid stations and volunteers...on purpose.
We have medical staff, but you are required to be able to handle your own needs out on the course.
People asked for a tough race, so Tejas Trails made it happen. Enjoy
I signed up for this race to help me learn how to run Ultras. I also wanted to try to push myself harder during the race to see what would happen. Overall, I am happy with the performance, and don’t think I would change much, but then again I only have two data points regarding ultras. The race was hard.
Please comment and provide any suggestions you might have.
Summary: 50 mile trail race – on and off trail – about 6,500 ft of elevation gain – super rocky
Total time 12:23
Lap 1 – 5:19:53
Lap 2 – 7:03:08
Finished 8th overall, 7th in Men, 2nd in Masters, 1st in my division (52 years old)
TRAINING
I am currently on a 450+ day running streak. Most runs are easy, but I also have some “fast” runs as well. I generally followed the 50-mile Ultra plan, but did not have as many weeks to build as that plan includes. Here are a couple charts. The peaks are before Rattler, my BQ race, and this race.
Yes, I could have run some more, but my goal is to build safely and avoid injury. While some more base miles would probably have helped me not fade after 35 miles, I was happy with my fitness for this run.
RACE
My goals for the race were to try to be in contention. I didn’t know if this was possible, but I wanted to at least give it a chance. My overall plan was to take the uphills slow, push a little harder than I thought on the runnable sections, and then just take it easy on the other sections.
I was also going to drink to thirst (which I always have done) and make sure I eat something at least every hour.
RACE DAY
The trail race is normally held in Bandera, which is outside of San Antonio. This year, the race got moved about 60 miles further West a week before due to all the flooding we had. The terrain didn’t change and was probably a little bit harder.
The race start was moved to 7AM so that people who couldn’t change their reservations would have time to drive in the morning to the new race site. I drove in late Friday night and went to sleep. I woke up at about 5AM and had a smoothie, coffee, and some yogurt. I had time to walk around and also go to the bathroom
This race had people running anywhere from 25 miles to 100 miles. All the racers running 50+ miles started together at 7. It was still dark at 7, so I had a lamp for the first 40 minutes or so of the run. I ran with a Nathan vest that had a 2L bladder filled with Gatorade. I changed to Coke for the second half of the run.
I started off near the back and moved quickly through a bunch of the runners. I wasn’t running fast, but I also didn’t want to get left behind. I just ran to my own pace. The race was a lot of single track that was very rocky. Not just pebbles, but big rocks that made almost every step a new challenge.
The race was 2 loops of 25 miles. Each of the 25 mile loops were split into basically 3 mini loops. There was an aid station about every 7 miles that had Ice and Water. You could also leave a drop bag. I left a drop bag at an aid station that you pass twice during each 25 mile loop. That was enough for me since, I carried food and 2L with me for the other time.
The weather started out in the 50s and stayed overcast till probably around 12 or 1pm. It did get to near 90 later in the day, which I think was a big contributor to me slowing down. When I started out, I was thinking to myself that this was going to be a long way to go on this terrain. I do not practice on super rocky terrain, and I don’t want to practice on terrain like this.
I didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard during the first 25 miles. I did check my Stryd power occasionally to make sure I wasn’t going crazy. There were very few parts of the trail that allowed fast running.
As the run went on, I was feeling good coming into the halfway point at 25 miles. The halfway point was where the spectators were located so it was fun to get back there. I stopped for a few minutes and got some food, ate a PB&J and filled my bladder with coke. Note to self, make sure and use flat coke next time as about a minute after running, I had to stop and let out the pressure of the bladder caused by all the carbonation. I think I was seventh at this point and I knew that a bunch of the people were either directly in front of me or I was close.
After a couple minutes, I was off again and I ran by RPE. I was slower than the first loop even though I felt faster in my head. At somewhere around 27 miles, I decided to push a little bit and try to get some distance on some people. I felt great from about 27-34 miles, and even had thoughts of doing another lap to get 75 miles in for the race. This feeling, however, didn’t last long. At the 34 mile mark, I think I was the first out of the group that started at 7 (I think the 1 and 2 in the results started at 5AM). At any rate, I felt that I had a great chance to keep going at the pace I was running. I did not anticipate the exhaustion that set in. I was thinking to myself, only 16 to go. No problem! Hah, I was wrong. At around 35 or so, I didn’t want to see another rock or another hill, up or down. Did I aready say how many rocks there were.
Somewhere before the next aid station, the others in the top 7 caught me, and I was fine with that as I had tried to maintain but it wasn’t to be. I mustered enough energy to keep up with the others until about the 40-mile mark. At that point it was also hot out. Probably around 90 degrees and I was content to try to just to keep going. I guess that means, I gave up the desire to work so hard. I did soak my shirt in some cool water a couple times in the afternoon to help cool me down. That helped but still didn’t make me want to run with my earlier enthusiasm.
Those last 10 miles were tough and slow. I did run the last couple miles quickly as I didn’t want anyone to pass me. One of the runners that I ran a bunch of the race with told me that I would finish first in the Masters division if no one passed me. It turns out, the guy who got 3rd place overall, took the Masters win instead of accepting the 3rd place overall trophy. The race director said he had never seen that choice made before. Oh well, I was running with him most of the race, so I should have just beaten him 😊
I was tired after this race but very happy with my effort. I had wanted to see what it was like to race a 50 miler to try to have a chance to do well and I did get that experience. Could I have run slower during the first lap and finished with the same time? Not sure. I can tell you that I WAS SUPER HAPPY I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR 100 MILES OF THAT COURSE!!!!
Here are some data charts
Here are some pictures of the run
I welcome any and all comments! Thanks a bunch for reading!
Comments
Beautiful and SMART run builds.... I get not wanting to train on them rocks but , specificity, specificity, specificity ! I keep learning it over and over again and one of these days I just might get it.
Request STRYD data and thoughts.
Look forward to racing Rattler/Leadville together this year!
Well executed race, Tim! Congratulations and much respect for covering 50 miles on that terrain and finishing 8th overall.
Power data @tim cronk. I used power to just make sure I didn't go crazy anywhere.
Thanks @tim cronk and @Derrek Sanks! A hard 50 miler is definitely an eye opener as far as how hard it is. Makes me scared to see what a 100 will be like. Should be fun next year @tim.burns
I shake my head and smile wanly as I read this...I am so glad I am not infected with whatever it is that gets you guys to do stuff like this!
Awesome race. Watts were all over the place. Was the 80-8 watts hiking?
Be thankful @Al Truscott :) I certainly would not have thought I would be doing these type runs a few years ago, but there is something about them that keeps me going back.
@Robert Sabo thanks! Yes, the watts do go all over the place when the trails are rocky, hilly, and technical as there are lots of slowdowns, walking, .... The 80-85 watts would be a normal walk. It could be going downhill as well. If I do a fast walk the watts are more close to a slow run. My power certainly did drop as the miles accumulated.
I have found Stryd super helpful on roads and trails that are smooth, but not as helpful on the tougher trails. Stryd is still good to make sure that you aren't trying to go too crazy uphills, or running too hard on a runnable section of the course.
Pure. Craziness. ;-)
Well done, Tim!
@Tim Sullivan congrats on another great race! Really well executed!
Interesting Stryd data. I used my first Stryd a bunch in 2017 and didn't find it was useful in real-time for trail running as the watts would fluctuate all over the place. I heard Stryd improved their algorithm for trails, might be worth trying again. My reluctance is that I'm on my second Stryd because the first one flew off my foot on a run and I couldn't find it. I just use my second Stryd for indoor runs since it's a super accurate footpod.
Playing a broken record, specificity is the king of ultrarunning, especially for hilly and/or technical races. At Speadgoat 50k, Karl Meltzer's insanely challenging race, there were sections I could barely walk through that other athletes ran. It's a skill. Luckily, it doesn't sound like Rattler is too technical. The back-breaker of Leadville is Hope Pass, which has something like 3,000ft of vertical each way and the backside is fairly technical.
Looking forward to racing with you at Rattler and Leadville in 2019!
@Tim Sullivan great job! As always, you seem to have a fairly endless well of "can do" that works so well for you. Adding 90's on top of the distance (which is a beast all by itself) had to make that back half especially tough.
Given that the course was so rocky, how did your feet hold up? I assume they felt pretty beat up, but was it worse or better than you expected? Are there any specific adjustments you will make after completing this race? And specificity does matter, but if I remember correctly, didn't you decide fairly late in the game to do this race? Not that that means you can't have that type of training, but less a planned out part of the process.
Congrats again, you are a beast, and it's pretty fun to see it unleashed.
Great race @Tim Sullivan
did you put coke in your blader when you mean replacing Gatorade by Coke ? if yes, was it still bubbly at the end ? I ask this because the main reason I enjoy coke in ultra is for the bubbles.. yeah champagne dude here.
Looking fwd to try to follow you at Rattler =)
Thanks @Scott Alexander, @Scott Giljum, @Francis Picard and @Gabe Peterson
@Scott Giljum besides losing toenails my feet actually felt good. I was very happy with the support and cushion of the Hoka Speedgoat 2. Probably could have used some more toe protection. I think my feet would have felt terrible in other shoes.
For my next race in a few weeks I am starting much slower and am going to run it like I think I would run a 100. I was glad I ran the 50 hard to give myself an idea of what it was like to actually race a long race. Like you that last 10 was tough. I might also try poles for this one as it has even more elevation per mile.
@Gabe Peterson I did notice sections that I had trouble running down that a few others did seem to run more easily. Luckily I have a good training trail that has rocks and a variety of elevation that I can keep practicing on. I don't use Stryd too much on trail but if it's not going to be a musldfest or water crossings I'll use it. Next year should be fun running with everyone
@Francis Picard the coke had bubbles that made my bladder almost explode :). It should be flat coke unless you just bring a couple liter bottles or smaller. I think it did keep some of the carbonation even till the end. I like coke for the last half of a run. I actually really liked the bottle of cold brew I drank at the halfway point. Im.sure I will be following you at Rattler!
@Tim Sullivan I've got nothing amazing to add, but just to say, job well done. Unlike @Al Truscott somehow I drink the cool aid. For me it was something I needed to get involved in as an alternative to "hanging it up"
My first attempt at 100K to come next June, but love to hear the stories and take all the lessons to heart.
Congrats again!!