Category: kc running co.

Veterans Day 2024

November 13th, 2024

I am a veteran. I served in the United States army from 1994 to 1998. I was honorably discharged from Ft. Hood, Texas, at the rank of e-4. My MOS was 54B. Chemical operations specialist. My service was sort of unique. My MOS was actually 3 specialties all jammed together. After I left, they broke that specialty into 5 new jobs. Even training was a little different. Instead of eight weeks of basic training and then a separate school for my MOS, it was a new program called OSUT or one station unit training. Twenty-two weeks of combined basic training and military oriented specialty training. In my case, chemical school. It just occurs to me now that maybe I shouldn’t be talking about all this. Is it top secret? After 30 years? I’ll try to keep it boring. Just like my time in the service, lol.

Anyways, from chem school basic training, straight to the republic of Korea. Not Seoul, either. This was real “MASH” type Korea, up in the mountains. There were some cool things I saw and did there, some things I missed out on. I regret not trying kimchi while I was there. Young people are idiots. The point is that technically, I’m a veteran of a foreign war. Not long ago, I went ahead and got a lifetime membership to the vfw. I have no home post. Someday, I’ll probably get more involved. I don’t know. I mainly use it when I’m traveling alone. VFW is an okay place to get food and a couple of beers, if you can stand the company.

Veterans Day is personal to me, but i also get it’s kind of a bologna holiday. If you don’t work at a bank or a government office, you don’t get the day off. Mainly, it’s a day to avoid going out to eat. I haven’t ever taken advantage of the free meal. I’ve wanted to, do sure. The day sneaks up on me, and i forget to take the day off work. Somehow, the free meal thing just doesn’t seem to work out. I do like to act super entitled all day (or more) saying things like ” You’re WELCOME for my service!” And “That’s not what I served for!” Is all in fun. Just jokes.

Know what isn’t a joke? The Veterans Day 5k at English Landing Park in Parkville, Missouri. Put on by our friends at the kc running company. Somehow, after weeks of training, I came in the first male – masters division. Masters are runners over 40 years old. I was eighth overall. Not too shabby!

I’m still doing no Shave November. I’ve pretty much given up on the movies, though. It was a neat idea, but who has time to sit and watch a movie every day? I got through some, though. Syd and I watched “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” I watched “A Night at the Opera. ” I was looking for “The Dirty Dozen.” That’s about when I gave it up. I thought about spreading it out into t.v. shows (My Name is Earl) and even cartoons (Yosemite Sam), but in the end, it’s better to call it quits. There’s always next year, after all.

There are some big events coming up! Thanksgiving! Ollie’s Ultra 24-hour race! Christmas themed runs! It’s going to be a great season.
Rock Island trail 1/2 marathon

August 3rd, 2023

What a race! I had signed up as pacer for the 2:10 group. Not awfully fast, but not terribly slow. The pace sticks had the pace time, not the finish time. I suppose that’s helpful for runners that want to keep a steady pace. I am the WORST at keeping a steady pace!

10:00 per mile 😄

I started out “just right” but that hardly lasted. Some people will push their pace, trying to bank time for walk breaks at aid stations. I just sort of ran and tried to stay in range. It didn’t seem like anyone was relying on me to be totally accurate.

10:00 per mile

The race had an option to start thirty minutes early, which is nice! Early start is good for people that may not be very fast and are afraid of missing a cut-off or people that are sensitive to the weather and are afraid of heat injury, which is a real threat. A (probably) unexpected effect was I got to see friends a little more often than the usual once, maybe twice during an out and back. If I had been just running instead of pacing, I for sure would have started early.

There were so many friends running and volunteering! Sydney was pacing the 2:30 group, and Josh was pacing the 2:15 group. We were all off by some minutes. Cody had started early. After he finished, he stood at the last turn with a horn cheering in the runners!

There were only a couple of runners collapsing at the finish area. It was so hot and humid! After a while in the shade, everyone recovered.

The rock island trail course is rail to trail, crushed gravel, mostly shaded, out and back. Just a mile at the beginning / end is out in the sun. That little stretch sure did seem longer at the end of the race! There’s a cool bridge over the trail where the course photographer set up. The pictures are great!

Already sweaty

The volunteers at the aid stations were top notch! The runners were asked before the event to use the provided cups and not fill personal bottles or anything, but there was plenty of water to accommodate everybody. I got ice at one of the aid stations. There was no fireball this time. It’s a good thing, I’m not sure I could have finished!

Phil let me stick my head in his truck to get a little a.c. but I had to get away real quick, or I would have climbed right in there and dq’d less than a mile from the end!

Overall, I felt it was a difficult race done well. I don’t have any criticism for the race directors or kc running company. I haven’t heard anything negative from anybody else, either. Just that it was hot. And humid. We can’t control the weather, yet.

Finish line! Just a few minutes off.

Sweet medal!
After

July 26th, 2023

I’m sitting at a sidewalk table in front of a coffee shop/business center. I’m waiting for Sydney so we can have our usual midweek lunch date. I absent mindedly scroll through some photos from last weekend

The Snake

The Snake: A 10(ish) mile run around Clinton Lake that I was using as another practice for the Hawk 100. This race utilizes the connector trails between the blue trail and the white trail. I found it very fast and runnable for the first half. At the halfway point, you take a toy snake as evidence you actually made it. Last year, the only snakes they had left were teeny-tiny ones. This year, I got a pretty decent sized one. Either I showed up a lot faster, or they got more large sized snakes. Either way, pretty cool!

Diva dash

The Diva dash 5k & 10k is a ladies only event. I volunteered just to stay involved. At first, I was a little miffed about my assignment. I was waaay over in the corner! How would anyone see my pretty tutu? Hand-made, by the way. Once I saw where I actually was, I realized I had a very important position. Where once the route had turned, this time it went on quite a bit further. I had to guide several runners onto the new way. Only one was verbally upset. There were so many fantastic people running that event, and I felt very honored to be a little part of it.

The rest of the weekend was spent crafting and shopping, cooking and eating, relaxing and socializing. The way a weekend ought to be. Maybe, once the slam is over, I’ll be able to sleep past 5 a.m. on a weekend. Meanwhile, I’ll just try to enjoy the moments, and nap when I can.

Phil and I at Diva Dash

The 2 mile mark. Where I’m standing used to be the turn. Can you see the new turn, way back there?

Garden fresh string beans with butter and garlic 😋

Some of the snake crew: Chelsea, Sydney, and Nick

Beautiful overlook park at Clinton Lake

Ben was 1st place overall at the snake 🐍
Shirts Off Summer 2023!!!

June 20th, 2023

For the love of all that is good in your life, please, please wear sunscreen!

A couple of options. Anything is better than nothing.

Now that the PSA is taken care of… Tops off! Let the sun shine in! If anyone has a problem with your body, that is their problem.

Soak it in

I say “shirts off summer,” but really, I’ve only had my shirt on here and there all year. The weather has been that mild.

I popped the old shirt off pretty quickly during the Clinton historic half marathon. The heat & humidity really came on during that race! I wasn’t the only one stripping down.

The Clinton 1/2 marathon is a fantastic race. The town of Clinton is a little ways out there. So, once again, Syd and I were up and out the door by 6 a.m. on a Saturday. I guess it’s time I just admit that I prefer waking up early.

The half marathon takes runners through some of the older parts of town, by all the schools (I think) a bit on the Katy trail, on some 2 lane blacktop highway, and it begins and ends in the square.

Half marathon course goes all over town

After the race, Sydney and I walked around the square a bit and recounted the past races we ran there before we were together. It was kind of a fun, impromptu date.

The next day was the Father’s Day superhero 5k at the T-Mobile campus. As interesting as the Clinton half was, that is how boring the T-Mobile campus is.

Imagine: a beige and brick rectangle. Now, cut and paste that and arrange them in a circle. I suppose it’s good for productivity. It’s pretty good for races. Getting the distance right and controlling traffic is easy. We had a little problem figuring out which entrance to use. The directions on the event page confused me a bit.

I kept my shirt on for Father’s Day 5k. There were thunderstorms all night, and it was drizzling throughout the race. My intention was to run easy with Syd, and then the two of us were going to pace her father. That was the plan. Pretty soon after the start, we were tailed by a crying baby in a stroller. I had to get away, so away I went.

I was a little heartbroken when I saw it was an out and back course, but at least I got to high-five everyone.

I finished just as Andy, Sydney’s dad, made it to the turnaround. I walked the second half of the race with him and Sydney joined us when we got back around near the finish. We paced him to a new p.r.!

My training is ramping up. With the 2nd big race just weeks away, I’m upping mileage and trying to acclimate to the heat. I’ve been adding gear and shoes to my setup. I’ve been practicing my fueling with rice crispy treats, and oreos. Got to get the tummy in shape!

Fuel
Easy Weeks in June

June 19th, 2023

The second race in the super slam of Kansas ultrarunning, the Honey Badger 100, is right around the corner. The main feature, as far as I can tell, is the extreme heat. The race is mostly on country roads in east/central Kansas in the middle of summer. There will be (I imagine) no place to hide from the glaring sun. I am afraid. 😅

Whatever. Some things can’t be helped. “Control the controllable.” That’s all there is. I’m doing what I can to acclimate. To get conditioned to the heat. Por ejemplo: the Hospital Hill 1/2 marathon. I did just “okay.” Any half I finish under 2 hours I consider a real good run. I did “tire out” a bit. I got some real encouragement from the pacing crew. I took some walk breaks. Remarkably, I kept my shirt on. 😐

The next day, there was a group run around downtown K.C. MO in support of local running community hero Scott “the bearded runner” Green. I encourage you to check out the link.

https://gofund.me/69391860

The next week was a rare break from racing. I took advantage of the opportunity to work some overtime. That evening, I caught up with Sydney at her best friend’s new boyfriend’s place. His name is Matt, and he’s awesome! A real success and, just, the nicest guy.

Sunday, Syd and I ran 7 miles with kc running company’s newest group, the Sunday shoreline group. A lot of our friends were there, but they were focused on a big trip to Minnesota. So many of our friends ran Grandma’s marathon or half marathon. They all did so great! I am so jealous, but I can’t do everything!

So next steps: acclimate, condition, and train.
Running with the Cows 1/2 marathon recap and review

May 17th, 2023

Until a couple of weeks ago, I had no intention of entering Running with the Cows 1/2 marathon. I had no races in May, and I was happy about that. This summer is going to be crazy busy, with the slam and all the races around that. My plan was to take it pretty easy. Well, we all know what Mike Tyson said about plans.

See, what had happened was… Sydney was invited to pace the Rock Island 1/2 marathon. I believe they phrased it like this: “Hey, Sydney! We would LOVE it if you would pace for the Rock Island Trail half! And Rex, too… I guess.”

So I’m pacing a half marathon at the end of July. Also, along with a few races I was planning to do already, I can complete a series! Swag & bling, baby!

I didn’t want to do this particular half (running with the cows) because of last year. I, along with everyone else, was destroyed by the heat and humidity. Also, I was promised an “amazing” finish line buffet. Instead, I got a warm BBQ sandwich. Better than a banana and a slice of cold pizza? Sure. Far from amazing, though.

I don’t feel brave or controversial saying 2022 rwtc sucked.

My expectations for this year were cautiously hopeful. Everything pointed to lessons learned, improvements made. The k.a. buffet was back. The aid stations were equipped with “dunk buckets,” and it was a new course. Solid changes.

Syd and I woke up at our new “usual” time. 5:30 a.m.🙁 I had a surprise, though. I saw Bucyrus, KS was NOT an hour or more away! We had time to stop for a muffin at the Quiktrip!

The parking situation was very easy. The parking volunteers actually split the cars and s.u.v.’s into different areas. Brilliant!

It was already in the 70’s at 7 a.m. I knew I was gonna pop my shirt off. Luckily, the race had a Gaylord full of sunscreen spray bottles! Along with the appropriate amount of Johnnie’s and hand washing stations! The start line area was A+ for sure!

The half started right on time, 7:33. I went out way too hard, but with a pace group. The 1:40 pace group, but still…

I was hanging with the fasties, trying to settle in, when this other racer starts bobbing around behind me. First, he’s behind my left ear. Then my right ear. I can’t take it, so I break out of the group and push ahead a few steps. 2 things here: I pretty quickly realized that “the guy” was my hair (I need a haircut), and #2: one of the pacers hollered out “take it easy, it’s not a 50k!” 🤣

There was really only one way to respond. Shirts off! The warm sun and the breeze from my too fast pace felt really good. The first aid station, I was able to step aside and let the good guys go past. I fell back in pretty close to the group. I was still going kind of fast, but I felt good. I had told Sydney I was going for around a 2 hour finish. That seemed reasonable for the week after a 50 miler.

Too hot for tops!

I walked through the aid stations. I high five my friends at the “out & backs” and maintained a good attitude in spite of the heat and humidity.

I made a mistake and dunked my shirt in a “dunk bucket.” It was nice for a second, having ice cold water on me. I just didn’t consider what I was supposed to do with my shirt. I wore the shirt for a bit, but after a while it wasn’t really cold anymore. It was just…wet.

At about the 10 mile marker, I started running with the 1:50 pacer. I fell off and came back a few times, struggling to find some sort of rhythm or cadence.

There’s a big silo right outside the road to the finish. They hang a Running with the Cows banner on it, and you can see it from a ways off. I felt like, when I pass the silo I should start booking it into the finish. But the finish line is still, like, 2/10 of a mile…uphill (an incline, after 12.9 miles, is, in fact, an uphill). I saw Sydney cheering me in, so I gutted it, sprinting into a finish of 1:50:29!

Finish line silo

Photo “sprint”

Afterward, I just wanted to find a shady spot, lie down, and die. I was cooked!

Running is F-U-N!

Sweat angels!

I got myself together and went inside to eat. This event is famous for the finish line buffet, but I had not been able to experience it until now. It was an impressive spread! Hot dogs, “walking” tacos, sandwiches, 3 or 4 different types of pasta salad, barbecue, a whole table of desserts, the works! I grabbed a couple of things and went to find a shady spot to eat.

The food!

A lot of our friends were there, but Sydney and I had an event that afternoon, so we took off pretty quickly after I ate. Just enough time to grab a few pics.

Jenny from midwest endurance race company, Sydney, and me

Adam & me at the finish. We ran the same race?

Aaron & me, relaxing in the shade.😎

This race was a lot of fun! It was managed really well! I will do this race again, as I’m sure it will only improve.
Top City recap

April 30th, 2023

What a morning! What a race! Oh my God, there is so much to blog about! TLDR: there was a half marathon in Topeka, Kansas. I p.r.’d. A lot of friends were there.

Top City is a 5k/half marathon in Topeka, Kansas. Topeka is about an hour away from Kansas City. Just far away enough to be inconvenient.

Sydney didn’t run this race but volunteered to drive and cheer me on. She’s an angel!

The drive took a bit longer than an hour (we don’t pay tolls!) Parking was a breeze, nose in on the street about a block away from the start line. We grabbed my packet, pinned on my number, and caught up with all our friends.

We saw Jason “the year I got the runs” Silvers, Amanda and Will, and Kris, Adam, Myckael, Andrew, Deliece, and Katie. I also met Sydneys cousins, Warren and Barbara, and their son Nick. Nick was running his second half marathon!

The temperature was perfect for running, which is a little cool for just standing there. I jogged around a bit just to warm up a bit. Some other people warming up got a bit competitive. I knew it would be a good race!

I was torn between lining up with Amanda, who was “taking it easy” after her recent foot/heel injury thing, and Adam, who runs exactly like me but faster. I started with Adam. Fast. Too fast. Way too fast!!! It was awesome! I ran the first 2 miles as fast as I ever have before. I felt so great! I knew it wouldn’t last, but it didn’t hurt or anything.

The route went about 2 miles around downtown Topeka, under the capital building, and into the streets and parks of Topeka. The first few batches of volunteers were young people in dress clothes, like missionaries of some sort. I didn’t ask, because, you know…racing…but it was very cool to see them; the fellas in ties and slacks and the women in long dresses.

Around mile 3? Probably? I noticed one of the “direction arrows” was pointing back towards the start. A very rude reminder that this is an out and back course. All those fun, fast downhills will surely bite me on the way back. Oh, well. I decided to worry about that later.

I had finally settled down into a human pace right around the “Rip On” skate park at Shunga Park. I was fine, I was settled. There were spectators handing out treats. I thought it might be beer, but it was pretzels, gummy bears, and apple sauce. No thanks!

The route took us into a neighborhood with nice, pretty houses. I got to pet a dog! When I ran past in my k.c. running shirt the course monitors and spectators would say “go chiefs!” That was fun. I was complimenting a neighborhood guy on how pretty the area was when I saw Myckael running up to the aid station. I shouted “go Myckael!” And then ran away as fast as I could. I guess beating Myckael was a goal I didn’t know I had until just then. Lol.

Leaving the neighborhood I ran into a bunch of runners coming into the neighborhood. I thought, “these can’t be the 5k runners?” As I stuck out my hand for high fives. It was the back end of ghe half marathon! OMG I went out way, way too fast if I’m 5 miles ahead of the pack!

As predicted, the return was a big more difficult than the way out. There were some things I didn’t notice the first time, though. Like the murals illustrating brown vs. the board of education. Topeka is neat!

The last mile brought us straight up towards and under the state capital building. I turned the last corner and saw the finish line. It was a ways away, up a pretty big hill. The farmers market was busy on the left side of the road. I thought about just ducking in there for a while instead of chugging up a hill.

I looked at my watch and saw I was so close to a p.r.! I had to go for it! I was either going to get it or come close, so I gave it everything I had. Sydney was cheering and shouting, “You’re going to p.r., baby! Get that p.r.!”

I did it! My finish time was 1:37:57. A very respectable time! The age groups were split up in ten year increments. I came in 5th in my group. Adam came in 4th. Everyone did awesome! I’m just going to say here, in my own blog, I came in 22nd overall, 20th male, and I was 5th in my age group? We old men are fast a.f.

There was free beer from Iron Rail brewery and BBQ sandwiches from dickie’s for the racers. I had an Irish red. It was delicious!
Recap: Rock the Parkway

April 20th, 2023

Happy 4/20, everyone! Happy birthday to (among others), my Mom! And Luthor Vandross. And that’s why 4/20 is special to me.

April has been so busy! I am so, so lazy! There are a few races to recap. Rock the Parkway, Mile 0 (zero) 50k, and the Whiskey run 5k.

Rock the Parkway has gotten more attention than usual this year. Mainly because of an incident caught on video of a goose crashing the race! Hilarious! I was too far ahead when that happened. One of the perils of running too fast. I did p.r., though, which is nice.

He went out way too fast. I knew he’d dnf.

A lot of my friends volunteered as pacers for the first time. I am a little jealous. I love pacing!

So many of my friends were volunteers at this event! Phil was giving out hugs, Hallie was handing out water, Amanda was being chewed out by a disgruntled motorist. Apparently, he’s a doctor. I wonder…

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02jQYk5dJAKf6DcPsrZnU4NCWhqbGpDxNRtYSnjrD4XByvmSE6GwtULuMmk7VdpFnpl&id=100076226054459&mibextid=wIhsxK

Finishing the race, I was stormed by fans! My friends, Matt and Emily, and ALL their kids ran the 5k. I wish I could have expressed how great that is, but I had just finished running a half marathon. Oh,well. I’m sure they know.

The post race party was awesome! There was a 360⁰ photo booth, a d.j., food and beer and chocky milk, a photo booth with props (we had a group photo done, it was hilarious!), and plenty of giveaways.

I’m already looking forward to this race next year! Rock the Parkway is definitely one of my favorites!