El Scorcho 25K: Run Towards the Light!

This past weekend brought what is easily becoming one of my most favorite running events of the year: El Scorcho.  This was the 6th running of El Scorcho and the first one without any moon thus it was named El Scorcho Sin Lun6, with the 25K bearing the nickname La Scorchita.  El Scorcho offers two race distances 25K and 50K and is run at midnight each July at Trinity Park in Fort Worth.  The race is broken down into 5K loops--5 for the 25K and 10 for the 50K so while it sounds a little bit risky, help is never far.

Last year was my first experience with El Scorcho and I felt like I learned alot during that first running.  The 2011 edition of El Schorcho saw some of the hottest temperatures on record as it was the hottest summer in 31 years.  I remember it being about 95 degrees at the start last year, it was one heck of a summer.  The race weather gods really did us a favor this year and gave us starting temps in the upper 70s.  It felt like a real respite, despite the humidity.

Mr K with Joaquin the Powah Monkey

Mr K and I took it pretty easy on Saturday morning, sleeping in and hanging around the house before heading to our hotel in Ft Worth.  Once there we napped for an hour or so before it was time to meet Mama C, Marci, Jason, and Cherry for a delicious meal of pizza at a small local restaurant.  We hung out at the hotel after dinner, but headed to the park around 9:00 so that we could get a good spot near the start/finish line.  We were easy to spot with Joaquin the Powah Monkey and tons of glow sticks to mark our spot. Soon enough frunners started streaming into the park and we had a sizable group assembled.

El Scorcho Scene

The 50K runners lined up for their 12:01 am start and we gave them a huge send-off before heading over for our 25K start at 12:11.  I was feeling very optimistic about the race and knew that securing a PR would be fairly easy. I am better trained for the distance this year, I have been running better in the heat, and it was almost 20 degrees cooler than last year.  Last year I lost alot of time between loops because it was so hot and I was worried about staying hydrated and I felt like I could make up alot of time right there.  The plan was to run find my "run all day" pace and keep steady and consistent time on each 5K loop.  Mr K and I elected to run together and I was grateful for this since he was wearing a headlamp and I decided to go without.   

The FIGJAM Girls were well represented

Lap 1
30:10 min
Avg Pace 9:40/mile
Mile 1 9:45, Mile 2 9:28, Mile 3 9:31
As with any race, the first mile or so is a little hectic as everyone is trying to find their place within the pack.  The beginning of this race has the extra element of figuring out the course and catching all of the changes in surfaces.  The race surface varies greatly--dusty dirt type path, grass, pavement, and even a basketball court.  I soon settled into that comfortable pace and enjoyed seeing all of the glow necklaces, bracelets, and flashing lights that adorned the runners around me.  My favorite aide station is approximately halfway through the first loop and is visible from a ways out thanks to the huge floodlights.  This stop is manned by volunteers from the Cowtown Marathon and they rock my world with their wet paper towels.  It was one of the highlights of my race experience last year and would be again this year too.  I can't thank these smiling, friendly faces enough.  The spectators start to line up about a quarter mile before the start/finish line and it is always a rush to run by them and hear the cheers.  Thanks to Dallas Running Club and RAW (Grapevine Runners and Walkers) for being out there to give us a boost. 

With Marci and Jessi

Lap 2
30:31 min
Avg Pace 9:47/mile
Mile 4 9:37, Mile 5 10:18, Mile 6 9:36
We spent no time at our home base as we finished the last loop, I grabbed a cup of  water from the volunteers and we headed off again.  It was always super fun to pass through our frunner area as there were lots of people to yell and cheer for you.  My favorite was the "MK" chant as I finished one of my loops.  Frunners are the best, they gave up their sleep to cheer for us!  Continuing through loop 2 I still felt really strong at my "all day" pace.  There were times when I felt like I could go faster, but felt it would be wise to hold back a bit for the end of the race.  I was getting into the rhythm of the race--I find it essential mentally to break each loop into segments from water stop to water stop.  I also tried to take water or electrolytes anytime they were offered to me.  While it was was technically "cooler" this is still summer and it was still "hot".  Mr K and I were still running together at this point and took a slight stop at the home base to take a gel and get a good drink. 

Sheer running joy? Or lost my mind?

Lap 3
30:21 min
Avg Pace 9:44/mile
Mile 7 10:03,  Mile 8 9:52,  Mile 9 9:27
After gel-ing and drinking we were on our way again.  I was still feeling pretty good and felt super familiar with the loops now with all of the changes in terrain.  I had the routine down--wet paper towel stuffed in sports bra halfway in, up a small hill and another water stop, through the dark park, and over the start/finish line.  The big red numbers on the clock became visible from almost a mile out and I was thrilled to see that I was still maintaining approximately 30 minutes/5K loop.  I was even more happy later to see that I pulled a negative split on this one.  However, fatigue was starting to set in, after all it is somewhere around 1:40 am!

Post Race Shenanigans

Lap 4
32:12 min
Avg Pace 10:19/mile
Mile 10 10:37, Mile 11 10:13, Mile 12 10:10
Another pass through our home base area and grab a handful of ice and cram it in the sports bra--it is a time tested secret used by all good Southern runner girls.  By this time I am starting to feel the fatigue in my legs....it is like my bones are tired, like I have been on my feet a really long time.  The great thing about a loop course is the opportunity to see some friendly faces out on the course--certainly adds to the shared energy (or the shared "what the heck are we thinking?").  Mr K is running stronger than me at this point and pulls away after the second water stop.  This is the darkest part of the park and while I wasn't scared, it was a little unnerving in that section.  Fortunately, I knew from the first three loops that there were no curbs or obstacles to trip over. I knew that not wearing a headlamp was my choice so the only person to blame was me. This is where I began thinking "run towards the light, Carol Ann" and it made me laugh.  Lots of things make you laugh when you are running at 2:00 am....

Pre Race with Marci & Corina

Lap 5
34:16 min
Avg Pace 10:59/mile
Mile 13 11:55, Mile 14 10:39, Mile 15 10:23 Last .6 9:30 (by Garmin)
My mind was starting to falter on me now and I had to push hard to keep Mr K within my sights on this one.  I ran past Alicia and DK early in the loop and heard a voice from the darkness say "don't let him beat you!"  It made me smile to myself, I always have my cheerleaders....poor Mr K. My Chicago Marathon training plan called for 20 miles and I was planning on running one more loop after I finished the race.  This thought became a little bit overwhelming during this last loop as I kept thinking about passing all the volunteers and aide stations one more time.  It was hard not to get down mentally.  It was about that time that my watch chimed mile 14 and I realized just how close I was. I had lost sight of Mr K as this point, but  I wasn't as unnerved by the dark sections this time as I felt comfortable with the course.  He was running so strong and I was so proud of him, he ended up coming in two minutes ahead of me.  It makes me smile to see the final kick in any race--the body always has a little more left than we think it does.  Crossing the finish line felt awesome--thanks again to all of my friends who were there and made me feel like a rockstar!

A Very Happy Team K

Time: 2:37:32
Distance: 15.6
Average Pace: 10:05
And approximately a 23 minute PR!  I was tired, but felt great about how I ran the race--such an improvement over last year.  However, I had a decision to make...my work here was not done.  I grabbed a drink and threw on my compression sleeves just as Mama C came in from her fourth lap.  She gave me a minute to decide--going with her or not?  I never get to run with her and could not pass up the opportunity.  We made our way through her final loop in grand style!  When it was all said and done I had 18.7 miles on my feet.  I am so thankful that she was there because I would not have gone out for that extra loop on my own.  Sometimes it takes a village....a village of frunners.

My extra loop buddy

We had several friends who were running the 50K and now it was our time to cheer and provide support for them.  The race party scene starts to thin a little in these wee hours of the morning and those who are still plugging along need the cheers more than ever.  So we hung out, we snacked, enjoyed a beer, made fun of the race dj, took pictures, and danced (okay, so maybe I was the only one who danced).  It was nearly 7:00 am when we walked out of that park--the sun was already up and shining!  Mr K and I were just in time for the complimentary breakfast at the hotel (Texas shaped waffles!!) and fell into our bed for a few hours sleep before making the trip back home.  You know it was a good race when you find two of those wet paper towels stuffed in your sports bra.

Yes, El Scorcho is completely unreasonable.  It will rob you of your energy and mess with your sleep patterns for the whole next week.  Your schedule and life is a little bit whacked, but it is worth it.  I can't wait for next year.

(A huge note of thanks to Mama C and Byron for the fabulous pictures that bring this story to life!)