Everybody is different, with individual abilities and differing skill levels. Some people are pretzel-like yogis, and some can’t touch their toes. It’s all 🙂 👌 👍. A part of my fitness and something that has really been key for a couple of years now is adding at least some strength training to the routine. Nothing too crazy. Mostly body weight. Mostly core and leg things.
My favorite resource for workouts is, hands down, YouTube. I did a particular challenge that I won’t name here (it took 75 days and wasn’t easy) that required two 45-minute workouts a day. So I go to YouTube, search “45 minute ‘insert type’ workout” and BOOM! List of follow along workouts. It is too easy!
Some of my favorite YouTube workout channels are Juice & Tonya; Yoga with Adriene; Critical Bench; and 5 minutes fitness. There are so many more, but these are the ones I go to the most.
My standard, nearly everyday workout/warmup/confidence builder/ just do something routine is the 3 minute mountain leg routine by S.W.A.P. coach David Roche and I do it like this:
12 alternating back lunges
25 step ups with each leg
That’s it.
That simple little leg buster has helped me through some tough “I don’t wanna” days!
So there’s a little peek at my running support “program.”
I’ll try to publish some recaps for ultrapalooza 100 and Heartland 100…soon. Watch the Heartland 100 video on YouTube now! Sydtherunner is the page!
TLDR: I thought of most of this while Sydney and I ran around Clinton Lake for the trailhawks 11th birthday party. I thought that with “The Hawk” coming up, this might be kind of funny.
HBD! Another great trailhawks event!
I am not much of a trail runner. I like trail running just fine. I mean, I’m not ANTI trail or anything. I totally see the appeal. I just think that in their hurry to promote the sport, the more avid, enthusiastic trail runners might gloss over some of the less appealing aspects of this particular activity. For instance:
The bugs. This is number one on my list of things I dislike about trails.
H.B.I.C. and I showing off our braille. It reads “trail running sucks”
I get eaten alive by all manner of pests. Bug spray? Repellent? All that does is get in my eyes and all over my water bottles. Or what if the bug spray IS working? Oh my God! Can you imagine how much worse the biting would be?
And how about your friendly neighborhood spider? That is an industrious bug! It can rebuild a web in the 5 minutes between runners, ensuring everyone gets a faceful.
Lastly, and least…ly? The weird, random, unavoidable clouds of gnats hovering on the trail. Usually right around a bend or just after a downhill section.
The terrain:
Some trail runners are amazing! They fly over the rockiest, rootiest, most rutted ground like it’s the track at your local high school. They run full speed over unstable, unfriendly ground at a constant pace (faster than I’ve ever ran) for entire ultramarathons. I, on the other hand, go 5k and start picking my way gingerly down the downhill sections and dramatically powerhike the uphills.
The Views:
“Oh! The views when you run trails are so breathtaking!”
“Oh! It’s so pretty! You don’t get these views on the roads!”
Probably. I wouldn’t know. The views I get are
A. The ground 3-10 feet in front of me or
B. The runners that are going past me as I step aside to let them by.
Sometimes you CAN get a nice view.
Oh! It’s so beautiful! So pretty!Oh! You can’t get a view like this running on roads!
And if you don’t take in the ground view by hitting it face first, it’s even better 😂
Now we are on trails. Go ahead and add broken teeth, sprained wrists and fingers, stubbed toes, and snake bites to the list!
Other people:
So you still want to run trails? Great! Get to the trailhead early! If it’s a good day for trail running, it’s also a good day for mountain biking, nature photography, family hiking, weed smoking, day drinking, teen necking, and off-leash dog walking. Most of the people I encounter on the trail will be friendly and nice. The problem isn’t with “the people.” The problem is “people.” I’m trying to get my shuffle on, and some lady is piling leaves over her dogs mess. Or I’m trudging a tough uphill, and a gang of bikers comes bombing down that same hill. Or I finally hit a nice pace on a rare run-able stretch, and there’s a family with a toddler, trying to practice walking.
I know I’m coming off as grumpy and anti-social. And it’s pretty selfish, thinking other people enjoying the same thing I enjoy is a problem. But they’re not doing it right! *stomps foot*
Soon, I will be trying to cope with all of this (and more) during a 100-mile trail ultramarathon. I’m only a tiny bit nervous! The Lawrence Trail Hawks put on awesome events with fantastic support. Sydney has a great team of crew and pacers lined up. Hopefully, there’s a break in the weather, so the only things I need to worry about are the distance and the terrain. And the bugs.
The kansas city backyard ultra, a last man standing event with fixed time races, was a great event! I am so happy I had a chance to run with the amazing athletes in the last man standing event.
As of this writing, the official results are not posted. I feel like I ran about 22 miles. (Update: 31 miles) Not super impressive, I know. There are a ton of excuses. I really don’t want to get into it too much.
7 p.m., the Night of August 11, 2023, when the last man standing event started, the temperature was very much in the eighties with humidity right up there with it. The air was thick, with the promise of rain. The course was a little more than a mile around Mill Creek Park, a neat, grassy park east of the plaza in K.C. MO. If you’ve seen a chiefs game on t.v., think of the fountain with the horses.
I had rented a table and canopy from Midwest Endurance to keep my stuff and use it as a kind of base. Sydney was there for the start and a few laps before going home to get ready to run the 3 hour event in the morning.
The check-in tent and aid station were all set up on the south end of the park. Sam and Jennie gave a quick rundown of the course and the rules. I was surprised by a few things:
They extended the loop to include a section of sidewalk and an out and back over some grass.
There was no aid allowed during a loop, even though we run by the start area 4 times and there’s a water fountain on the course.
This race was starting to sound really tough!
We started right at 7. I went out way too fast, running in the 8 minute range. I expected that and figured I would settle down after a lap or 2.
As a counterpoint, Randy and most of the other runners were going at a nice, easy 12 minute average with plenty of walking.
I was having a pretty miserable time. I have a bad whinging problem, so I will try to keep this part brief. I was soaked through with sweat from the beginning. There was no relief. I was sweating through my shoes. Sydney asked how she could help, and I told her, “I dont want to be wet anymore.”
Our friend Emily brought her girls out to cheer for a while, and that gave me a real boost! I ran up and gave them all a big sweaty hug! Then I ran another loop.
I will never get it straight. It was either 4 LOOPS = 1 lap, or 4 LAPS = 1 loop. Whichever way you say it, it was a lot of times around. The east side of the track was more elevated, with no breeze. The north end had a (kind of) steep downhill to the grassy out and back. The west side ran along Broadway and had a nice breeze. The corral/start/finish/lap had a timing mat and digital clock showing the time.
The loop right after Sydney left for the night, that was where it all fell apart. The insole of my left shoe got squished up. I had to stop and straighten it out. Two steps later, it was squished under my foot again, but now I was behind schedule and still had 2 laps to go! I finished with 5 minutes to get myself together. I managed to change shoes. Jennie helped get my bottles filled and gave me a little pep talk. The next loop went a lot better.
That’s one of the cool things about this format. You can have a terrible loop. The next hour is a whole new thing. I put the bad loop out of my mind and tried to focus on just running.
All the other runners were very cool and supportive. There was a lot of grouping up and pacing together. I only heard supportive comments from everyone.
At the start of the 2:00 a.m. loop, I was gassed. I didn’t have any more. I told Jennie I was going to line up, but I would probably be timed out. I finished the second lap at 2:37 and dropped out. Everybody told me it was the smart move. I’m okay with it.
So that’s the end of my story. About 18 hours later Randy Taylor did a final loop to secure a much deserved, hard earned victory. Outlasted every one of the last runner standing competitors AND fixed time runners. He is a stud!
Sydney did 12 miles in 3 hours, like a boss!
David Boots was there overnight running the timing mat. I was able to hang out with him a bit after I dropped. He’s going to pace me again at the Hawk 100.
Midwest Endurance Race Company put on another fantastic event! I look forward to Ultrapalooza in September and Miola Madness in November.
This event was tough and humbling. I learned a lot from the experience. Hopefully, it will help me become a better runner and, just maybe, a better blogger. 😉
This weekend is the first ever Kansas City backyard ultra put on by the friendly people of Midwest Endurance Race Company.
The backyard ultra is a last man standing event, with some fixed time races thrown in. (I mean, why not? You have the permits).
I have some sentimental connections to the venue. Mill Creek Park on the Country Club Plaza is where I started regularly running. I can’t really claim home…field? Court? Track? Let’s go with “course.” I can’t really claim home course advantage, though. Several competitors hail from Kansas City proper, with the majority being from just nearby.
I’m going to attempt a quick rundown of the last man standing competitors. All the information is what I could guess from ultrasignup. Ultrasignup lists runners from top race percentage down, so that’s how I’ll do it.
Starting with:
Samuel Fischer: M20 from Humboldt, IA. Only 2 results on ultrasignup, a 1st place 100 miler and a 2nd place 50 miler.
Timothy Carey M42 from Leawood, KS won 1st place at the Mile 0 20 miler.
Abigail Milian F33 from KCMO has been killing it at races all summer!
Jenna Terrill, F37, OPKS, has several finishes of “The Hawk” 50 mile distance. Moving up to the hundred this year. I’ll see you there!
Tyler McDaniel, M39 from KCMO has plenty of experience with last man standing events and fixed time events.
Randy Taylor, M41 from KCMO. I know this guy. Besides being the run coach for midwest endurance race company, and my girlfriend, I’ve discovered (after ultrasignup investigating) that all this guy does is win ultramarathons!
Drew Ibarra, M38 from Olathe, KS… same thing. A lot of top finishes in a lot of races.
Cameron Wallace, M29 from St. Paul, MN has placed well in tough races.
Jonathan Haase, M39 from Oak Grove MO has respectable finishes at prairie spirit and Kansas rail to trail. He’s very fast!
Brian Marquette, M56, from Seattle, Washington. I see a runner from out of town, I immediately think “ringer.” Nothing on Brian’s ultrasignup, though, except some respectable finishes.
Farhad Zarif, M 53, KCMO: This guy is interesting. He’s done the grand slam of Kansas ultrarunning. He was at my first 100 back in 2001.
Derek Pflugradt, M37 from Gower, Missouri. Derek is a yeti trail runner like me!
Lathem Scott, M48 KCMO, is signed up for the hawk marathon. He’s also done the snake and psycho wyco during one of the hottese,t summers!
Cole Gardiner M30 from Ashland, Kansas, is already signed up for another backyard ultra!
Shannon Brisco, F52 from Archie, MO has a lot of experience from doing 4 fore 30 infinity backyard ultra.
John Munson M66 of Overland Park Kansas has run Brew 2 Brew several times.
Shane Sunderman M48 from Lincoln, NE, has done some 100s and is registered for the ultrapalooza 100.
Josh Johns, M32 from KCMO, has no races on ultrasignup. Mystique!
Steven Sousek M57 from Lincoln Nebraska either has no races or 2 races in a different profile.
Chris Jones, M53 from Bixby, Oklahoma, has quite the resume. I wonder if it’s actually his profile?
And, finally, Kent Hileman M44 from Overland Park, Kansas. No ultrasignup profile, but still an accomplished athlete.
Seems like a really cool lineup 😎
I look forward to meeting all these terrific people and maybe running a few laps. In this format, I believe it’s anyone’s race!
Greetings, friends! Syd here, the HBIC herself. Thought I’d pop in and do a guest post. Rex has been doing so amazing at these hundos, and it’s getting more attention. People who may not know a lot about ultramarathons are asking more questions about this adventure, which is AWESOME. This sport, and its vibe, are incredible, and more people should know about it!
That being said, I’m sure some non runner friends (or non ultrarunner friends) have seen me post about pacers and crew and say “ok cool, but what is this and that exactly? And what do you do about x and y?” So I figured I’d do a little HBIC crew chief FAQ blog.
What’s the main function of the crew?
I break it down to 3 things: 1) Food 2) Hydration 3) Health/Safety. Everything we do for our runner comes down to those 3 categories. All three of these things are crucial to him getting through 100 miles, and one thing going awry can break a race.
Food: Ultramarathoners burn an insane amount of calories and may lose their appetite, so we try to feed our runner as much real food as they’ll take. Yep, they can have gels, but they’re also encouraged to have sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, candy, whatever their stomach asks for. We also make them carry snacks for while they’re running.
Hydration: Each time we see our runner, we refill his hydration bottles for while he’s running, and try to get him to drink while with us. Balancing water and salt intake is important as runners sweat a ton, so we have him do salt tablets or pickles also.
Health/Safety: We carry a full medical and first aid kit, along with sunscreen, bug spray, wipes, changes of clothes, socks, shoes, headlamps, hats, batteries, everything. Any illness or mishap can happen, and we don’t want it to halt our runner. Kirby even had a charger for Rex’s phone while he ran.
I’ve seen his times; Does he REALLY run for more than 24 hours? He doesn’t sleep?
Racers all have a choice; most races have a 30 hour or greater time limit. If a runner can budget their time and pace and stop to nap, they’re free to do so, and some do. Others prefer to go straight through. At Prairie Spirit, Rex went straight through; at Honey Badger, he took about a 5 minute nap in the front seat of my car at mile 60 something, I think it was.
Does the CREW really stay up all night?
We grab naps, some of us. But I do stay up. The adrenaline, excitement and inspiration of watching him do this is legit! (And off the record, I LOVE sleep so that tells ya just how big that adrenaline is!)
What’s the best crew self care?
I’d say food, drink, and sleep! I try to provide lots of goodies in goodie bags and the car for the crew and pacers, but I’m finding lately that they’re going all out on their own also! Gay Ann had her car stocked with food at Honey Badger.
What are fun surprises for runners?
Whatever makes them smile! This can vary by their personality and the circumstance; with Rex at Honey Badger, Kirby zooming out in her cool car, blasting music and handing him water was a hit. Us positioning Ultrasaurus Rex with liquor bottles at every stop got a laugh every time, from all the runners! Anything that makes them forget that exertion and pain for a few.
What has been something odd you’ve had to replace during a run?
All of Rex’s food 😂
If you know Rex, you know he likes all foods and loves to eat. Long distance running, however, can mess with your digestion because the blood flow goes away from your stomach and toward the leg muscles that are doing all the work.
During Prairie Spirit 100, a race known for its buffet aid stations (and y’all I’m talking quesadillas, bacon, fried Uncrustables, M&Ms, like where’s my chair), Rex’s pacer Ryan came into the aid station at mile 60ish saying “he’s sick of the aid station food and only wants your food.” (Turned out Rex was having stomach issues, I felt AWFUL for him)
As a crew chief, I’m all, ok. It’s 8:30 pm I’m the middle of nowhere, Kansas and all I have are turkey cheese sandwiches, Pringles and Reese’s. To Sonic I go! horn sound
I got one of everything at Sonic and gave him a buffet at the next aid station. He took the tots and the popcorn chicken, so he got some calories at least🙂 It was then that I decided next race, I’d pack more different foods in the car no matter what!
I want to pace, but Rex is so fast! I’ve seen his race times.
Yes, Rex has amazing race times. He is also an ultrarunner.
In ultramarathon, participants rarely run the entire distance, in fact run/walk intervals and power hiking in the latter part of ultras is the norm! That means, as much of a powerhouse as Rex is, you’re not going to see his 5K pace at mile 50 of one of these events (which is the EARLIEST MILE that he can use a pacer!)
The #1 thing that Rex needs in a pacer is YOU. For real. The most important thing is for him to have someone there with him, to keep him moving. It is very lonely out there on the course, on dark trails where the runner knows they have so far to go. Having a pacer friend there to talk to, to keep them moving and to keep their mind off things, is so valuable.
Rex has had pacers that had him run fast to beat the rain, do 30/30 run walk intervals, power walk the whole leg, walk a whole leg, jog a leg, all of it. He’d love to run with YOU! Sign up to pace him!
Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count 5k is a flat, fast, exciting, and emotional race in Gardner, Kansas. The race benefits the Spencer C. Duncan make it count foundation. You can learn all about it at: https://makeitcounttoday.org/
Lately, I have been trying to get selective about my racing. I’m trying to take it easy on my body AND my wallet. The Spencer C Duncan 5k is free to veterans. I (obviously) don’t mind a little bit of a drive for a free race. I managed to talk Sydney into signing up, too!
Before the race, we discussed our strategy. Sydney told me she didn’t mind if I wanted to “fly,” meaning run off without her. I do like to get competitive and race and start off way too fast. It’s fun for me. This time, though, I wanted to run with Syd. I wanted to encourage and relax and just have fun.
Running with Sydney, I was still able to goof around with some running friends. Some of them ran some fun events that I had to miss.
Gay Ann had run the first night of “The Night Train,” a 2 night combo event that sounds special made for me. The Night Train Night 1 was a fixed-time event, and night 2 is a set distance event. Great swag, including a special gift for doing both nights, really tempted me. I was strong enough to resist, but not so strong as to not be jealous. Gay Ann is doing both nights, of course, and still killed it at the Spencer Duncan 5k. She is, truly, savage!
Our good friend (and notorious Argo bandit), Andrew had run “the Night Wolf,” a brand new trail race put on by, or for, the wyco wolf pack. The weather here has been very wet. The trails, according to Andrew, were extremely difficult. There is hardly any swag for this one. I’m not so upset about missing it.
Hearing about these races was bittersweet. I’m sorry to miss out on any race. I’m very happy friends of mine were able to participate. I have to remember: I can’t do everything!
One great feature of the Spencer C Duncan 5k is the “boulevard of heroes.” Volunteers hold up portraits of service members killed in action along the entire course. I think this is a really cool memorial and a very neat feature. It makes Sydney emotional.
The last portrait on the course, about a tenth of a mile before the finish, is Spencer Duncan, the race namesake. I told Sydney, “When we get to that picture we’re going to pull the trigger!” She was sooo tired! She was worn out after a tough Friday workout. She had been pushing it the entire race, but she dug in and really RAN that last bit of the race! Sydney won her age group!
1st in her group!
The race is great, but the party at the start/finish is really where it’s at. There’s a Chinook helicopter to tour, a lot of vendors with swag, and my favorite feature this year, Stroud’s cinnamon rolls! I had 3!
There was a d.j. playing hits from the 70’s and 80’s. We were getting down!
Spencer C Duncan make it count 5k was a wonderful experience! I’m glad we got up early and ran it!
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 DashThe 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 NickBeautiful overlook park at Clinton Lake Ben was 1st place overall at the snake 🐍
I know I’m missing a few posts. I had a few races. I had some personal and “professional” life things I should have been sharing. I’ll tell you: I was sweating THIS race! You see, I’m pretty spoiled. I’ve hardly had to earn anything in my life. Hard work? Struggle? That’s for suckas.
Well, you just can’t charm a country road. The sun doesn’t care how nice or funny you are. Someone posted a meme: The hill doesn’t care about your feelings!
Lol
We start out in a beautiful lakeside park shelter. It’s a race, so of course we have to be there at 5 a.m. to check in. This race is unique in the fact that it’s 99.69% crew/self supported. There are some ice and water refill stops, but mainly, it’s you, the road, and your crew. So the organizers demand your crew carry 30 lbs of ice, 12 gallons of water. I don’t know the international conversion of that. It’s a lot of ice and water.
They had a “runner’s church” set up, and one of the race officials held a little service. I’m not a person of faith, but I REALLY dogged my training for this one. If I ever needed god on my side, it was now! Haha!
The first part of the race goes through Cheney state park for a couple of miles. It’s a beautiful run around a lake at dawn. Then I hook up with the world’s greatest crew and head out onto the roads of King’s county. The long, long roads.
The plan (lol) was to meet the crew every 4 miles. That was the advice Sydney (HBIC) was given by some veterans of this race. That is a great plan, and I still believe the better distance. We had to change it to 3 miles. My water bottles just couldn’t quite get me to 4. During the hotter parts of the day, they barely got me to 3! (I kept making the crew check for leaks. There are no leaks.)
Things go really well for about 25 miles. I’m keeping a steady pace. Fuelling really well. Everybody is having fun! The only guy on the crew, Jeff, “Heffay,” had to leave. Real work is the worst! He was a champion and tremendous help!
There was one little incident. I kept passing other runners’ crew vehicles and wondering, where’s the WGC? After what must have been (felt like) 15 miles (like, not even a mile), I start to panic. I text Syd asking where they are. She says they’re right there. I don’t see them! If I had been swimming, this moment would be where I drowned. When, like an angel from heaven, our girl Kirby roared up in her charger! Vroom!
She handed me cold water and drove alongside, blasting classic rock and encouragement through her window. I saw the crew ahead, so I tossed her my vest and shirt and told her to go ahead. I picked it up and chugged into them, shirtless, at a sub 8:00 pace!
Then there it was. Just that road. For miles and miles. And miles. And miles. I wrote it that way on purpose. And miles. The description said 32 miles. My garmin said 33 miles. Still going. One road. Straight ahead. For miles. And miles. I asked, “When we get to turn?” This course was supposed to be rectangular. Our girl Erin “p-quad (p4)” let me in on the detail of “it’s at the t intersection. When the road ends, don’t keep going. That’s not the road.” Sage advice, indeed. Erin was hilarious! She was scheduled to pace with me but showed up early to help the crew. She brought a megaphone, some wisdom, some experience (she’s familiar with the area in general, and this race in particular) and just a badass attitude that fits the WGC perfectly.
I stopped using electrolytes after my upset stomach at Prairie Spirit. I was fueling with just water and salt tabs and gel and chews… and fruit snacks and granola bars…and sandwiches and chips and melon. I was starting to get a little concerned because I had not peed yet. I had a pickle and cut the salt tabs for a stop, and that got the flow going.
Food was starting to sound gross. My appetite was gone. That happens, I just need to force food down, but nothing substantial was working. I think it was mainly because of mild dehydration, but I’m no doctor. I just know that when I would eat a corner sandwich, I would gag. We got a bit down when they threw out the bread. And some beef jerky Kirby picked up at the gas station was alright 👍, but granola bars, gels, and chews weren’t happening. This would continue for a while.
I finally got to the turn! It felt amazing! The crew was playing our theme: “I’m sexy and I know it,” and I couldn’t help but dance!
Also, there was another runner that finally caught up with and passed me at that point. Grr! J/k, it’s not that kind of race for me. I’m just trying to 1. Finish 2. Survive.
One thing we were all looking forward to was “the oasis,” a love’s truck stop around mile 45. I was really looking for it, because I’ve had to poo since mile 35!
I don’t like to bring these types of things up, but if you’re out there for 24+ hours, cramming garbage in your face and churning your guts, things will happen. Things that will not be ignored. If you’re lucky, you can handle this business in a little, stinky, hot plastic box. If you’re really lucky, a park shelter with a tiny window. If you’re REALLY, REALLY lucky, an air-conditioned semi-private room with hand washing facilities. But, usually, it’s just…the ground. Sorry. Running is gross. Also, I was unlucky twice on this run, but never in my shorts! (Not to brag.)
After Love’s, it was on to the church! The church was where the 50 milers (53 milers) ended their race, and the hundred milers can start using pacers. There’s a 16-hour cutoff to get to the church, but I was way ahead of pace all day. The church was very cool! It’s a tiny little speck of a town, and all the crews were there, along with some spectators and a dog!
Gay Ann was my first pacer, after crewing all day. After arriving in town late the night before. She’s amazing! And an infuriatingly fast walker! She inspired me to jog some mainly by eliminating the difference between walking and jogging. It was awesome! She kept me moving until David took over around midnight?
Just gotta get this rock outta my shoe
David “Bootsy” had signed up as soon as he could to pace me through the very tough overnight hours. I was very excited to run with him. I’m very impressed with David! He ran a full marathon distance at argo. He’s a triathlete and a power lifter. He’s an engineering student and professional. And a great pacer. We walked for quite a bit of the night. The temperature barely dropped, the humidity went up. It was country dark out there. David never complained, and never called me out when I whined and whinged. We managed some shorter intervals sometimes, but mainly, it was: leave the crew, wait for Rex to pee, hike a mile, look for the crew.
In the meantime, the World’s Greatest Crew was lighting up the night! We had Jamie, Sherri, Gay Ann, and, of course, Sydney, all working to make sure all I had to do was move forward through the night. They fought off exhaustion, bugs, and other crews threats on our mascot to keep David and I upright, fuelled, hydrated, and moving. We could spot them from what seemed like forever away, with the lights and the jumping around. It was beautiful!
I was zombie walking. David asked about hallucinations (I think) and I could describe it really well. Because it was happening at that moment. I had to sit. I was a fall risk. Sweet Sydney let me sit in the vehicle with the air on. I managed a three minute cat nap before anxiety got me moving again. I kind of ruined her seat with sweat, but she told me it was endearing. She takes such great care of me! And everyone else! She really is the H.B.I.C. and the brain and heart of this outfit.
About this time, we’re starting to leapfrog other groups. One guy seemed like he was fueling his entire run with beer! Normally, I’m all for that, but I didn’t think my stomach could take it. I did get some calories in the form of a hammer brand recovery drink. That drink, plus the sunrise, really turned me back on!
Bootsy had to get home in time for church, so after driving 2 hours and running all night, he left to drive another couple of hours. Stud!
Gay Ann took over pacing again, and we really capitalized on the morning momentum. She still hiked very, very fast, but now she stopped to take more pictures and I was feeling a bit better.
Erin “P4” came back and took over pacing duties right around the 85th mile (? Mileage gets sketchy around here. My garmin died in the overnight hours. It’s a fine watch, I’m just not fast enough, I guess.)
Erin is an experienced pacer, regularly pacing a half marathon in Wichita. And she’s local. She knows the area really well. And she’s a hasher, so she’s used to seeing grown-ups act like fussy little babies.
I was over this race! I’ve had it with the road, the hills, the corn…I was done.with.it! But Erin pointed at a field and said, “Check out my llama, I left it here while we do this,” and totally changed the mood.
There was, in fact, a Llama. There was so much animal life on this route! Horses (we say a baby horse!) Cows, armadillo, raccoon, skunk, so many snakes! The crew found a baby frog! A lot of the animals were roadkill, sure, but I’m counting them.
After the third meet-up with the crew telling me we’re in the home stretch they decide to give some real numbers: we’re 2 and a half miles from the finish. It’s right there! I asked what time it was and it was a bit after 10 a.m.
In my mind, I was like, “Awesome! We can beat the noon cut off!” The World’s Greatest Crew didn’t remind me the actual cut off time was 6 p.m., because they’re the “world’s greatest” crew, not the “tell you the truth no matter what” crew, and I love them for it! We churn down this road, over this highway, up this road, me complaining the whole time: “oh, gee. Another hill? Let me guess, up? Whaa whaa whaa” all the way to the park. Inside the park, the little jaunt out turned into the world’s longest park road. But it was downhill the entire way, so we kept jogging it. We got to the end and there was everyone cheering and clanging cowbell! I ran down and bopped the finish cone, gave our mascot a big kiss, and went over to get the prettiest buckle/medal I’ve ever gotten. Of course I fell apart. I get very emotional. Sydney was right there for me. She put me in a chair to get myself together.
As I sat there, reflecting on my adventure. The struggles, the challenges, the whole endeavor seeming huge, I got to watch as a stroke survivor that fueled his race with beer finished just some minutes behind me. So perspective is a thing. Lol!
In the end, this was a great race and an awesome time. I couldn’t have done it without the crew and the pacers.
I’m leaving a LOT out of this recap. Some things are just for me. I hope everyone enjoys reading these because I’m really enjoying writing them!
Sydney and I ran the Lawrence Trail Hawks night trail run, The Nighthawk. Syd ran the 10 mile, and I ran the 50-kilometer. We had some friends running the 20-mile race. Everyone there was super nice and very cool.
The race itself was neither nice, nor cool. I feel it’s pointless to comment on the weather unless it’s violent storms or tornadoes or something. However, the lack of violent, torrential rainstorms preceding this race made for a hot, sultry night.
I guess the good side of that is the trails were in really good shape. The trails around Clinton Lake are mostly rooty dirt with some rocky spots. As we ran on through the night, they transformed in my mind to the cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy.”
The course is a 10 mile-ish route from Overlook Park to Land’s End on the white trail and back to Overlook Park on the blue trail. So the 50k was 3 loops. There was a 10 hour cutoff. I expected to finish in about 8 hours. My actual time was closer to 9 hours, but I’m very happy I finished at all.
There were a lot of dnf’s and runners dropping down to less distance, which is smart. The only reason I didn’t is I have a touch of “imposter syndrome.”
The plan was to run with our friend Adam. That plan didn’t last very long. A wardrobe malfunction with my gaiters forced me to stop. I never would have kept that pace, anyway. He is just too fast! I saw my pacer from Prairie Spirit, Ben. He was on the struggle bus with a bad stomach. Unfortunately, he had to drop out, but he’s very talented. I’m sure he’ll be back.
A couple of our friends did really well in the 20 mile. Nick took 3rd place, and “coach” Ben won! Quite the achievement!
The second loop was the worst! I had stomach problems. I had lighting issues. I couldn’t run for very long before I had to walk up a rocky hill, or down a rocky slope, or through a rooty path. It was very frustrating. When got to Land’s End, they were out of watermelon! The volunteers at this event were great, and they were cutting up more watermelon at the time, but I couldn’t wait. I just grabbed a gross gel, some chews, and a stinger waffle and went on my way.
When I got back to the start, I put on a new waist light I bought just for this event.
Nighthawk has an (earned) reputation for being extremely buggy. I had been advised to use anything but a headlamp. I had knuckle lights, which worked okay, a small clip on light which faded really quick, the fanny pack waist light, and a headlamp as a last resort.
Since cactus roulette I don’t trust carrying just one light. I kept my knuckle lights in my pocket. I was now hands free! I ran out for my 3rd and final loop.
I felt much better on my last loop. The new lighting helped a lot, and I ran much more. I was feeling good (considering), and I was really excited to finish.
I got to Land’s End and thanked them for sticking around for me. I was sure I was the last runner on the course. They told me so many people had dropped! I ate some watermelon and bacon, grabbed more snackies, and burst back out for the last leg.
I thought about calling Sydney at every landmark: I just left lands end…I just crossed the creek…I’m over the dam…I’m across the road…at the bridges now…just running on those weird rocks…past the picnic table…I decided it would be better to just finish.
One of the coolest finishes I’ve ever had! The lights of the finish line were shut off, on account of the bugs. Someone saw me coming, and they turned them on as I approached! I felt like a rock star! The photographer had some camera issues, so I got to do it again!
The finisher swag for the 50k was a handmade wooden medal, an event and distance specific oval sticker, a carabiner mug, and an awesome running jacket.
The Nighthawk 50k was an awesome experience. It was very tough, but also very rewarding.
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!
W.W.R.H.D. 