Training Week of January 2

Joe Pursaitis, Co-RD, Dave James, Dave Mackey, Jason Bryant

Week of January 2

Total mileage: 77
Races: Bandera 100K 3rd 8:57.19

Sun - Afternoon - Swim 1m @34.44

Mon - Afternoon 9m - Track tempo 3.5m - 20.00 @5.43 avg.(5.44, 5.42, 5.42, 2.51) Total - 9

Tue - Off (Chiropractor)

Wed - Afternoon 6m @7.25 Total - 6

Thu - Off

Fri - Afternoon 3m walk/hike

Sat - Morning 62m - Bandera 100K - 8:57.19 Total - 62

Bandera 100K was host for the USA 100Km Trail Championship. I had this race on my race schedule since the fall, then 5 weeks ago it was made the championship. Since then the competitive field really expanded, Geoff Roes, Dave Mackey, Dave James, Chikara Omine, Dan Olmstead, Mark Godale, Steven Moore. The course was a two 50k loop course with short steep climbs and descents. The first 1/3 of the loop had three climb and was technical and rocky. The middle 1/3 was flatter and more runnable. The last 1/3 had 5 climb and was the most technical and rocky. My goal was give myself a shot at winning. So I had decided to take some risk and go out a little harder, which I did. I ran the first loop in 4:05 and I was 22 minutes behind the leader! Everyone when out fast. I didn't try to stay with anyone, which obviously I did not. I was just trying to hang it out there a little more for myself.

I ran most of the first loop in 6th, moving up to 4th in the last 10 miles of the first loop. At 50k Geoff Roes dropped so I was now in 3rd. My legs were not feeling good at 50k, but I thought maybe I got a shot if I can hold a reasonable pace. That thinking was short lived. I closed on David James to the next aid station and then I became a survivor. I had gotten about a 1 minute lead on Dan Olmstead near the end of the first loop. He stayed close to that throughout the rest of the race. He was often coming into the aid stations as I was leaving. I noticed that I was actually doing better on the more runnable sections, which is not typical for me. So I decided to try and gain an advantage on these sections so I could walk more of the climbs and descents. Obviously my quads were shot. The 2-3 foot drops off rocks and the super steep down grades in the last 10 miles were really rough on me. I actually spent most of the second loop tell myself that I would walk in, once Dan caught me. So the stubborn side of me tried to keep him from catching me. The mental games we play with ourselves in races? The second loop was 4:52, ouch. Most everyone slowed about 50 minutes on the second loop. Dave Mackey destroyed the course record by about 1 hour in 8:16.48 with the win. Dave James was second in 8:33.36. I was third in 8:57.19, and Dan Olmstead right behind me in 8:57.42. We were all under the last years course record, 9:16.

I have no regrets on taking the risk, I doubt it cost me a place. Plus I think I learned more about myself. More toughness, there is a limit to this right? Also if I could have run on flat, runnable ground, I could have run another loop and probable at ~8:00 to 8:30. I'm still pondering what that means; poor race fueling, pacing, training inadequacies? When I was in a group early in the first loop, someone commented on the fact we were racing for a top five. I said, "I'm not." I was racing to win. I don't care who is there, I'm not ready to surrender on the starting line. Maybe it's the stubborn, bull-headedness in me or my delusional view of my world. But I'm not going to start giving out congratulatory handshake at the starting line. I'll choose delusion at this point in my life and maybe I can steal a few more races.

Hope to see some of you at race soon. We can all be delusional.