Ten Junk Miles is a “runner’s podcast.” The idea being not everyone has friends to run with. This show is for listening while you run. Neat!
There are at least three types of shows from Ten Junk Miles. TheGang Show is a group conversation about different topics. Long Run is a longer one on one conversation between Scott Kummer and a guest. Usually, an author or some sort of running/athletic professional. And then there’s the topic of this post, Meet the Nation. A brief interview with a listener. The idea is that when fans of the show meet on the trail, they’ve already got some idea about each other.
I was recently interviewed for Meet The Nation. I think it went really well. Scott Kummer is a fantastic interviewer and host. He made me feel very comfortable even though I was very nervous.
I have messed up nearly every public speaking opportunity I’ve ever had. The first two or even three, I think, can be excused. After that, i should know the key to speaking well is preparation. The more I prepare, the less of an idiot i appear to be. I guess it’s like running? If I want to run a fast race, I should train, huh?
So I prepared. I know what questions Scott asks. They’re about the same for every Meet the Nation. I really thought about my answers and (most importantly) wrote them down.
I thought it might be fun to share these notes here. Kind of a companion to the episode. This is absolutely NOT word- for-word. I add some things i wish i had said, do some things i should not have said. I don’t try to remember any of Scotty’s comments. You can listen to Ten Junk Miles on every podcast platform. I use Spotify. I recommend listening to the podcast and leaving a review.
So after a short intro, Scott plays the recording of him calling. I answered, but i wanted to wear my headphones for comfort. I flubbed the first minute, which was actually a nice ice breaker for me.
How did you start running? What’s the 2 minute, short answer? I tell people I started running after chasing down a purse snatcher from buzzard beach. He got away and I was so angry I started running 5 miles a day. Then I started hashing (because of a girl) abs that lead to racing, which leads to marathons, and on into ultra marathons.
How did you hear about Ten Junk Miles? A friend of mine and hasher named Aaron Nathan did a Meet the Nation episode. He “name-dropped” me to be interviewed. So i started listening.
Do you have a favorite episode? Gang show 235, Andrew Robot-Dinosaur. I like all the gang shows, but especially now that I’m a patreon. I like to listen for my name.
Scott did not ask if I had a favorite race distance, but i was ready if he had. My answer would have been the 5k and the 24-hour.
Something about you nobody would guess? I’m junior high i was involved in church youth group. Our thing was a clown ministry. We would perform a musical and go on your every summer. I was a clown for Jesus. Scotty thought that was great. He wanted pictures and a video. I think all that stuff is lost to the ages. Unfortunately?
Anybody that hasn’t been interviewed that should? The race directors for the trailhawks race, Cactus roulette. Todd Chandler and Barrett Kroll (i sure hope I’m spelling those names correctly). Justin Smith from Outlaw Racing and Run Trails, Eat Bacon YouTube channel.
If you were stranded on a desert island, you could have 1 book, 1 album, and 1 movie. What do you bring? Now, this is the question of the interview. It’s the one everybody knows and thinks about. I thought about this question forever! There’s just so many of everything, how do you choose? For the book, I chose The Three Musketeers by Dumas. But I could have just as easily chosen The Sun Also Rises, or The Stand, or Watchmen. I haven’t heard anyone choose a graphic novel yet. Or one of the Clive Cussler novels, or a Jack Reacher novel. Or anything by Cormack McCarthy. But you get to choose one. That’s the game. I think i did okay. The movie i chose was The Naked Gun. I changed my mind at the end. For a long time, I thought it would be Pulp Fiction. It’s cool. It’s fun. But how many times could I watch it before I’m just…gawhd! Over it. Something I’ve noticed about these answers is that people tend to “keep it clean.” I haven’t heard any racy, sexy movies yet. I mean, I’m alone. It’s an island. What’s up? 9 1/2 weeks? Risky Business? Breathless? Maybe even a little more…erotica? I get it, though. Nobody wants to be a hairy palmed pervert. For the album, I went with Back in Black by AC/DC. This should not have been a controversial answer. This album, in particular, is a staple of classic rock. THE example of radio music of the 1980s in the midwest. Did i want to try and show off? Of course! I thought about Fugazi. Or The Damned. Or 2 Live Crew. Or Tupac. Maybe Elvis, or Kenny Rodgers. Kenny Loggins. Prince. I mean, Purple Rain is probably a perfect album. But for an island, alone. 1 album. Album. Because it’s Scott’s show, and he’s a vinyl guy.
That was about the whole interview. Some of it is a blur. Luckily, it was recorded and should be available. I was nervous. I kept talking over Scott and rambling on annoyingly. That is my personality, though. I guess the true self shines through. I hope everybody listens and loves it!
The final race in the Kansas grand slam of ultrarunning super slam is the same as the first race in the Kansas grand slam of ultrarunning. Starting at celebration hall in Ottawa, Kansas. Running on the prairie spirit trail all the way to iola and back.
Maybe it’s poetic? Ending where it began, but a different season. The whole thing began way back in January, when I ran cactus roulette 24-hour, trying to get prepared for The Hawk. Every run, every race, every workout all leading up to this.
As of this writing, I have no intention of trying to “win,” or “breaking a record.” I’m really just looking forward to getting some fun miles with our friends.
The weather report so far looks awful! Rain, cold. Maybe wind? I love it! Let’s get miserable! Maybe we should set up a swear jar or “whine fines?” We’ve been pretty lucky with the weather this entire time. I guess we are due for some comeuppance.
We have a great group of pacers and crew signed up. There are more pacers than available pacing spots, so competition is getting a bit heated. I hope it’s all in fun, but I’m not worrying about that part. The whole thing is H.B.I.C. business.
Speaking of, Sydney has done a great job (as usual), getting everything set up for success. For example: accommodation 5 minutes from the start line. Yes, please! How about that? No 4:30 wake up. It feels kind of weird. Plus, all the fun costumes and Halloween stuff she’s doing. This will be a race to remember!
So, I’m very excited. And nervous, still. What I’m really doing is putting off thinking about what comes after. 🤔
100 miles is a long way. I mean, it’s far. It’s far enough to use as an excuse. Like: I would go, but it’s 100 miles away.
Ultrapalooza is a running event put on by our friends, Midwest Endurance Race Company. The same group that brought us the Kansas City Last Man Standing event, Miola Madness series of fixed time events, and the Mile 0 run. They do a great job with their events, and Ultrapalooza is no different.
There are 5 distances available to race at ultrapalooza: 50k, 50 mile, 100k, 100 mile, and 1/2 marathon. I was doing the 100 mile as part of my attempt at the grand slam of Kansas ultrarunning super slam. I had friends running in just about every other distance.
A couple of notable ones:
Kerrie ran her 100th half marathon. Apparently, her finish was amazing! I wasn’t there. I was on the trail, trying to run 100 miles.
Adam had intended to run his first 100 kilometer race there at ultrapalooza. He has been doing amazing things lately (the hawk trail marathon and pike’s peak marathon,) but life takes a toll. He dropped down to the 50k and did amazing! I hope his foot pain is temporary. He told me about it as he passed me on the trail, twice, while I was trying to run 100 miles.
Our friend and regular pacer David “Bootsy” Boots ran his first 100k. He did amazing, even though he told me he was seriously undertrained. We saw each other a couple of times on the trail while I tried to run 100 miles.
Sydney’s coach Randy ran the 50-mile race. I mean, he RAN 50 miles. At the start line, he gave me solid advice: “don’t follow me” lol! And I didn’t. I had a plan(ish). I saw him on his way BACK from the turnaround. He was flying! I was trying to run 100 miles.
I did, by the way. I ran 100 miles at ultrapalooza. It took 28 hours. It was really hard. I did it with the help and support of a couple of amazing pacers and my girlfriend, crew chief, and H.B.I.C., Sydney.
The entire weekend was a fun, trippy, unbelievable experience. Syd and I drove down Friday afternoon for packet pickup. The entire main street through Osawatame was ripped up for some sort of project.
Crew chief Sydney as the “I” in mile zero.
Saturday morning, we made it to the start just in time. It’s funny to me how much I have to hurry at the start of these things. The shortest distance takes over an hour. We should be allowed a bit of a grace period at the front end. Maybe there would be, I hate being late, so I’ll probably never test it.
The forecast called for thunderstorms. Luckily I was moving too slow and missed the heavy rain, hail, and lightning. Gay Ann got some awesome video of a lightning show in the distance overnight.
Besides lightning, there was a lot of animal activity through the night. I saw a couple of opossum, some armadillo (possum on the half shell), deer, frogs, and an owl. The noise and being sprayed by something really freaked out my pacer Jeff and me! All the action settled down after he started blasting 80’s hits from his mobile. We agree that music without headphones is gauche, but since we were the only people left out there, it would probably be okay in this instance.
Yes, I was the last runner to finish. I’m okay with it. I wasn’t going slow, according to the stats. In fact, this is my second or third fastest 100 miler. And “last” was still 2nd place. I got a really nice framed print. It’s on the mantle.
Ultrapalooza was on the same weekend as some other popular races. So I didn’t have a lot of crew or pacers. I don’t mind. I understand there are only so many weekends. I hardly ever volunteered before this challenge. I will after, for sure!
So between the heat, humidity, lightning, limited support, and active wildlife… I think it went pretty well.
I’ve been trying to put the race reports together for the Hawk 100 and now Ultrapalooza 100. Thank you for being patient.
In the meantime, I suppose I can go through some of my process for these last races.
The shorter periods between events was pointed out to me, frequently and with varying degrees of concern (from curiosity to alarm) since I started discussing the super slam with other people. My response to “that’s not a lot of time between races” has consistently been “I think that’s part of the challenge.” I realize now they weren’t pointing this out to frighten me. They just want to know the plan. So here it is…
🤷♂️
I’m giving myself a week to recover, a week to do some tiny little builds, and a week to taper. Then it’s heartland 100.
After Heartland, I take a week to recover and a week of rest before Kansas rail-to-trail extravaganza. Basically, 8 hour workdays instead of 12, no runs longer than 1 hour, eat a lot.
First-off, let me say, I know I’m behind on my posting. I still have a recap of the Hawk 100 to publish. I apologize. I have started over on that, and it has been almost as tough to recap as it was to run. In the meantime, I would like to change direction and talk about the upcoming races.
Unlike the first races in the super slam of Kansas ultrarunning, with long breaks and plenty of recovery time, the last three races in the slam are rapid fire!
ULTRAPALOOZA: 2 weeks after the Hawk 100 comes Ultrapalooza, a flat and fast rail to trail from the mile 0 trailhead in Osawatame, Kansas. This will be the second year for the showcase race event put on by Midwest Endurance Race Company. Last year Sydney and I ran the 100k and had an awesome time. This year looks to be even better!
Heartland spirit of the prairie 100: 3 weeks after ultrapalooza, we go back to Cassoday, Kansas for Heartland. A surprisingly tough race on rocky gravel roads through the picturesque Flint Hills. “Hills,” it’s right there in the name. Sydney and I ran the 50/50 in the spring, so I have a good idea of what to expect. Hills, rocks, and cows… Also, because of the earlier race, I get a bonus buckle (if I finish 😉).
Heartland
Kansas rail to trail extravaganza 100: 2 weeks after Heartland, the series wraps up where it began way back in March. A 100 mile out and back on the crushed gravel prairie spirit trail. From Ottawa to Iola and back. This race being the final in the slam, and on a familiar trail, close to Halloween time, should be a fun and amazing experience. Sydney and I have big plans and ideas for making it really cool!
Just an idea.
So, three 100-mile races in about 6 weeks, and then it’s all over. Huh. Well, I shouldn’t take it for granted that I will even finish all the races. Anything can happen out there. Severe weather… animal attacks… Food poisoning…Anything, really.
So, the recap of the Hawk will be published soon, hopefully before the other races.
I’m very excited! I’m very nervous! I’m very ready to be on the trails!
The Hawk is race #3 in the slam. My halfway point. The closest race to Kansas City.
I’ve been worrying about this race since I decided to try the slam. I’m not very experienced in technical trail running. It is definitely a weak spot for me! I have a LOT of excuses. From “the trails are too far away” to “I don’t look good with a beard.” But on Saturday, the excuses don’t matter.
In case I haven’t explained, for the super slam of Kansas ultrarunning, I must complete every race. A DNF ends the slam. Then this becomes a blog about…I don’t know…microwave cooking, I guess? Needlefelt? Bird…baiting?
But let’s not think about failure! Sure, I could have trained on trails more. I could have done more strength training. I might have upped my supplement game.
All of those are great “could haves.”
What I did, though, was pretty good. I started way back in January with cactus roulette.
Cactus roulette: confidence builder (photo courtesy of mile 90 photography)
I did very well! I ran the nighthawk 50k.
Nighthawk: Practice running at night. (Photo courtesy of mile 90 photography)
I feel like I did good there, too. I ran the snake 10 miler and was super at running the runnable sections. And Sydney and I had a really nice time running some loops during the trailhawks birthday party.
My fitness is up, thanks to some recent long runs. I’ve taken a break from working overtime to rest. We have a good nutrition and hydration plan.
And, of course, I have the world’s greatest crew and real top-notch pacers signed up to carry/drag me kicking, screaming, whining, and crying to the finish.
So here I am, somewhere between psyched-up and psyched-out. It’s pleasantly uncomfortable, like a sauna, or a necktie with a cool pattern.
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!
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.
W.W.R.H.D. 