Mike Sever’s time (and Summit) for the ½ marathon: 3:18:36
Kari Sever’s time for the marathon: 4:03:01
Pre race:
Mike and I planned work for southern Oklahoma for Friday afternoon so we could make it to Decatur, Texas in the late afternoon. With threats of rain all week we were holding our breath about the trail race. We picked up our race packets in Decatur and then headed up the winding road to the TADRA campground (race start) to set up our tent for the night. The roads were dusty, the ponds were nearly dry, and obviously there had been no rain for a long time. Upon reaching TADRA campground, to our surprise, there were a lot of people in the middle of nowhere who had already set up their camps for either the run or equestrian trail riding. We set up our tent just before dark and cooked our tortellini on the cook stove.
Race Day and Trail:
We awoke to the bustling of the 50-milers preparing to depart. It was cool, around 62, and overcast; a good morning for a trail run. There were a lot of people that gathered for the ½ marathon and marathon instructions, about 225 total. They split the two groups to go off on different trails and the race was on. The trail, mainly a flat equestrian trail, was dry and very sandy in some areas; like beach sand. Hard to run through, and there were few opportunities to run on the side of the trail due to thorn thickets. The trail was a series of loops that weaved in and out of grassy pastures and dense woodlands, and even through a pine forest. It was a beautiful trail. Most of the area was rangeland and there were many gates to open and close. I ran almost the entire race with a new friend named Danny from New Braunfels, TX, who said this was his 6th marathon in 6 months and his first trail marathon. For the first 14 miles we saw very few other runners and it was a challenge to look for the flags and markers that showed us the trail. In some areas the “trail” was a wide open grassy pasture, with no trail….only flags in the far off distance. At different places late in the race, we passed people we had passed in the first couple of miles of the race…… and we had never been passed ourselves, so we knew they must’ve been lost on the trail and taken a short cut! For most of the day there was a nice cool breeze, but after about 16 miles, the sun came out and really warmed things up. Anytime the wind was behind us, I would start to heat up and want to slow down. We saw several 50-milers who were starting to have a hard time because of the heat. We stopped to drink and chat with the friendly Texas people at every aid station. Danny and I ran through the finish line in 4:03:40, passing several in the last 100 yards. We were the 7th and 8th finishers and I was 39 seconds slower than the 1st woman to cross the finish line. I did not know she was out there.
Mike power-walked the ½ marathon with our husky, Summit, in 3:18:36, which included stops at all ponds and aid stations to get a drink and treat. This was a dog-friendly race, so there were several dogs on the trail. Only one dog ran the marathon and I saw him with a medal around his neck lying on the cool concrete after he came in. Summit was the 2nd dog to finish the ½ marathon and did not get a medal, but was still wiped out the rest of the day. Mike and Summit are my heros.
Post race:
After the race we ate sandwiches and visited with our new running friends and watched other marathoners come in. We saw the 1st 50-miler cross the finish line in 7:20 and he was 20 years old! Mike and I needed showers (there weren’t showers at TADRA) so we packed up and drove to Arbuckle Lake to camp for the night to enjoy the post run high that follows a long trail run.