Xterra 15K Table Rock Race Recap & Adventure Survival Guide {Podcast}
By admin
As you know, this past weekend Dan and I ran the 15K Table Rock Trail Race in Pickens, South Carolina.
Pickens, located just outside of Greenville, is perfectly nestled between the beautiful Lake Keowee and gorgeous mountains rising up from North Carolina.
Table Rock State Park is our favorite SC park for it’s intense trails and magnificent views. So when we learned about the Table Rock 15K, we promptly agreed that we had to do it.
Pre Race Necessities
As soon as we arrived, we unloaded our gear at our rental cabin and headed over to Victoria Valley Vineyards to relax a bit after the drive and see my friend Brittany. We enjoyed an unusual lovely breeze while sipping on a few glasses of the vineyard’s signature wine, Lola.
We also snacked on a delicious cheese plate and talked about our goals for the weekend!
After a few hours it was time to head back to the cabin where I cooked up a gluten-free pizza, relaxed on the couch and headed off to bed early!
All 3 of my favorite pre-race necessities were checked off and I felt insanely comfortable falling asleep, my normal race jitters non-existent.
- Wine (helps calm my nerves)… CHECK!
- Delicious dinner with carbs, protein & fat… CHECK!
- Early bed time… CHECK CHECK!
Trail Race Day Prep
The race time for the 15K was 7:30am (the 5K was 7:35), so at 5:04 am, Dan and I woke up and immediately started the coffee pot.
→ A strong cup (or two) of coffee is a MUST before an early morning race. But it has to be consumed at least 90 minutes prior to race time so that the coffee can “work its magic” before the start of the race, not during.
We enjoyed eggs and veggies before driving the 10 minutes to the race. Temps were in the mid 60s, there was a slight overcast and we were pumped!
This is the ONLY race allowed to take place at Table Rock State Park, so I wasn’t sure how many runners to expect so we arrived about 40 minutes early. It turned out to be smaller than I had anticipated so packet pick-up was a breeze.
Once we grabbed our bibs and went to the bathroom, we had about 30 minutes left to kill which Dan and I spent by doing a few stretches and walking around.
I suppose a warm-up run should be a race day prep, but neither of us do warm-up runs. Ha!
The Thing About Small Races…
Once I realized that the race was on the small side, I was filled with nervous energy. On the one hand, it meant that there wouldn’t be a lot of bottle nosing on the trails, it also meant that things were laid back but it also causes a fear of last.
When you don’t have a lot of people, specifically women, running… there is a fear that I’ll be last. Is that weird?
While road races are very even in terms of men versus women, I feel trail races are still predominantly men. Ladies, come race with me!!
Okay… back to the race!
15K Table Rock Trail Race: The Hardest 15K In South Carolina
At 7:20am, runners were called to the start where the race was explained. Which trail markers we needed to look out for and the wildlife we needed to be careful of.
Apparently, there have been 79 black bear sightings THIS SUMMER so we were encouraged to be on the lookout and should we see a bear, make some noise.
Then we were off!
This race carries the title, “Hardest 15K Race In SC” and I believe it. Pinnacle Mountain is the highest point in the state and the mountain we would be scaling before coming down.
It’s not easy, but luckily there are parts of the trail that is rolling to allow for random bursts of speed.
From the get go, I realized a huge mistake. Not bringing water. My hydration pack’s bladder broke last weekend and though I had contemplated buying a new one for this race, Dan’s opinion was that we would be fine for a 15K without water.
Because I’m cheap, I took his advice. After 30 minutes, I was so mad at myself for listening to him and literally all I could do was dream of water for the rest of the race.
The hikes are intense but having hiked these trails 2 previous times, I was prepared. Something that I loved as there were men around me complaining the entire time of the difficulty. I couldn’t complain because I knew perfectly well what I had signed up for.
After a mile or so, we turned off the Pinnacle Trail and onto the Ridge Line Trail. This thing has some steep climbs! I can remember doing it with Dan at Christmas just praying we were almost done. Luckily, this time is wasn’t that bad. I mean don’t get me wrong… my legs were burning and though I wanted to stop to rest, I kept pushing forward and up.
I won’t lie, I heard a few girls behind me and I refused to let them catch up with me… they served at the motivation I needed!
Finally, after about 1.5 hours, I hit Pinnacle Summit (old picture below) and turned to make my way down.
The trip down was amazing. I live for downhill running! Plus, Dan and I had run this same trail at Christmas, so I knew it was possible. I also knew I could make up some time because of my comfort at downhill foot work, so I went to work.
Well, after I stopped to snap this picture…
I passed 3 people on my way down!
I didn’t stop once and just pushed onward until the trail was over. But even then, it wasn’t really over. I still had that ½ mile trip back on the road to the start line.
I did my best to dig deep into my reserves and push hard. I felt like I was flying, but I am quite positive I wasn’t! Funny how that happens.
With the finish in site, I heard Dan call my name so I turned it up one final time to try and sprint to the finish (I’m positive it wasn’t a sprint).
A Surprise Finish
My goal had been to finish in under 3 hours, I ended up finishing around 2.5 hours and was very proud of my performance. I still have a lot of work to do in terms of my climbing abilities but each race/hike I feel I am getting stronger.
As for Dan? He killed it, he finished around 30 minutes faster and was also proud. He’s great on the climbs, but sees decline running as his downfall.
Anywho…
Once I was ready to go he mentioned he wanted to stay around to see if he won a place in his age group. I had noticed some people with medals around their necks, so I walked up and asked the timers…
“Do you have the age group winners? I want to know for my husband, Dan Boyle.”
What they said left me speechless…
“Dan got 4th… are you Kindal? You got 1st!”
Dan and I tease each other all the time so it was fun to show him my metal even though he killed me.
I’m not sure how many women were actually in my age group, but regardless I am very proud! Proud of us both.
And proud this was my last race until October! My body needs some time to focus on other forms of training.
Overall Race Thoughts
Overall, this was a great race. It was tough and it helped me deal with some head demons I’ve been having over the past few months in terms of races.
The race directors did a great job of preparing us for the race and everything was well organized.
The only suggestion… another water station.
The only water station was about 1.5 miles into the race. We passed by it at the beginning and then at the very end. Which, at both points, it’s like “what’s the point?”
Of course I took advantage of it both times, but having one more elsewhere on the trail would have been great. Hard? Yes… but I compare everything to the Quest For The Crest where they had plenty of water stations throughout the race. So, it’s possible.
Also… my watch clocked the distance much further than a 15K (9.3 miles). I’m talking like 11-12 miles… though we just saw them as bonus miles! That’s the downfall with all trail races, nothing is ever exact.
But other than that is was fantastic!
Snapshots
The remainder of the weekend was spent getting some work done like side and relaxing. We may have even filmed a couple of short workouts simply because it was too beautiful not too!
Survival Guide Podcast For Newbies
And finally…
Last week I had the privilege of talking with Misty Wong. I originally met Misty back in May at the 50K. She wasn’t able to run due to an injury but was out showing her support.
Misty is a phenomenal trail runner and backpacker. Right after meeting her, I asked if she would be up for a podcast to share some of her insights for me, Dan and anyone else into being out in nature.
Misty has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, the John Muir and even spent her honeymoon at Patagonia. She knows a thing or two and I thought it was be the perfect way to end today’s trail talk.
So without further ado..
I told Dan yesterday, from now on I am always packing water!