For our Sunday long run, Sydney and I visited Argo Road. A stretch of road in Grain Valley/Blue Springs, Missouri from 7 highway to South Dillingham Road, another anonymous through street on the east side of the area. Argo Road runs through the William Landahl Park Reserve and has some cool locations, such as the county sheriff’s shooting range, an outdoor archery range (supposedly one of the best,) and a mountain bike park with trails varying in difficulty. We were there, however, for the hills. Argo Road is (about) 5 miles of steep, rolling hills.
Along with a detour down Owen’s School Road, Argo is the home of “K.C.’S TOUGHEST ROAD RACE!” Which is a bit hyperbolic, but wild claims are fun and harmless. Twice a year, a certain type of runner gathers to run 13.1(ish) miles, unofficially. The only prizes are for first place male and female. Official time is at the start finish on a stopwatch or wristwatch. The entry fee was recently bumped to $xx, cash. No refunds. Finishers get a shirt. Maybe some food, if there’s any left. Maybe a soda or beer. The weather is supposed to be bad. The whole thing is supposed to be bad. I feel like the Argo 13.1 is a great example of “type 2” fun.
Sydney and I have, in the past, done some practice runs on Argo. The road isn’t too far from the house, and it’s fun to reminisce about the good times on race day. Plus, you know, bombing downhill. There are no sidewalks, just open ditches. The hills are steep and blind. The neighbors are…more friendly than hostile. People just don’t expect runners out there. The whole ordeal is exciting!
This particular visit, though, wasn’t to practice for Argo 13.1 summer edition. It wasn’t ajog down (and up and down and up and up and up and down) memory lane. We are getting ready for the Heartland spirit of the prairie 50k and 50 miler. We both know what we are in for, and knowledge is power. But you can’t know hills if you don’t run hills. Argo is the closest thing I can think of to big rolling terrain of the flint hills. There aren’t big, chunky rocks. I have no idea how to practice that. At least we will be in good shape for running the hills.
I was a bit disappointed in the addition of 2 brand new, clean, and well stocked portable toilets at Argo Rd. Vanity wants me to believe i am the reason for them. Last time we were there, i had to mosey up and say hello to some bushes. There are trail cameras everywhere! And a guy was doing trail maintenance. Heh. Realistically, it’s probably because it’s spring, and they want people to come enjoy the amenities and be comfortable. Antithema to the Argo Road race.
They’ve also done a lot of trimming and clearing along the sides of the road. The feeling of danger is reduced considerably! From having nowhere to go off a car comes barreling over the hill at you, to now you’ll get a little dirty. Maybe scraped up. Maybe tetanus or hepatitis… it’s just not the same thrill. Well, shucks. Nothing lasts forever, I suppose. The only constant is change. You can’t fight progress. I’ll just enjoy the new level of comfort and hope they don’t decide to flatten the danged hills. Pics to follow.
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!
I hate the cold! I hate snow! I hate ice! I hate putting on 20 lbs of clothes just to walk a dog! It’s the worst!
Winter is also excuses season. From the weather to illness to the reduced daylight hours, if you don’t want to do something, there’s a reason not to. I guess I like that part.
I use shoveling the driveway as a replacement for strength training. I consider running over the debris field left behind by the road clearing snow plow technical trail training. And trudging through deep snow does make me feel badass. Also, sometimes I can get a nice snow explosion bursting through a snowbank on a curb, or running under low branches. Just “KABOOM!” Out of there, snow goes everywhere!
I make a snow angel and take a picture of it. I post the pictures on social media and challenge my friends to make snow angels. It’s fun. Plus, I like to show off. I guess I don’t hate the cold after all.
A person must be careful running in these extreme temperatures. Cover as much skin as you can. Layers! Loose, and multiple layers. Pay attention to your body. If your fingers or toes are hurting, stop and get inside. The only prizes for pushing through in this weather are hypothermia and frostbite. Be smart, but d.b.a.p., if you’re careful, you can do it. There’s no shame in NOT going out in the cold, only glory if you face it.
I may be getting a little influence from the “fearless motivation” playlist. I know it’s over the top. I take inspiration from wherever I can find it.
Nothing lasts forever. Spring is coming. Stay safe!
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.
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.
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.
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 siloPhoto “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 meAdam & 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.
Not to be dramatic. If I don’t capitalize, it looks like “door die” half marathon. That’s a totally different race.
DO or DIE!!! Half marathon is a fun little race put on by the Boonville, Missouri family ymca. The race is on the Katy trail from the Boonville trailhead, out 6 and a half miles (approximately) and back.
Sydney had this race on her bucket list because she wanted to race on the Katy trail. I wanted to do this race on account of the awesome logo.
I’m a sucker for a skull and crossbones
Boonville is a little less than 2 hours away on I-70 in the middle of the day, going the speed limit. Sydney and I were up, “ready-to-go,” and on the road by 5 a.m. and I drive like I run…fast, y’all. I drive pretty fast.
90 mph. Eastbound and down!
We arrived and they were still setting up. It was pretty chilly, and we had an hour to kill. Luckily, they opened up the visitor center. What a cool place! They had a model train running through a scale model of the town. They had artifacts and examples of old timey clothes. There was a model of the Lewis and Clark expedition boat. There were plenty of souvenirs. I didn’t bring any money, so I didn’t buy anything. Most of it was geared toward cyclists, anyway.
There was a briefing before the race that I pointedly ignored. I’ve been told they mentioned the outbound was uphill. Ridiculous. Saying “uphill” about the Katy trail is like saying “spicy” about McDonald’s.
Syd and I decided to take it really easy. To not be competitive and just enjoy the scenery. She was going to try to run relaxed and not look at her watch at all.
This section of the Katy trail is cool. There were a lot of cows, some horses. A loud doggy. A big tunnel that didn’t echo very well, and a couple of bridges.
See you ladies at lunchNot much of an echo.Very pretty
We even had a truck honk at us while we crossed over I-70.
I-70
The aid stations were great! The first one was a bit further out than we expected, but there was a port-o-john there. The second had fun size snickers. The third had gummy bears. They all had full sized cups and super friendly volunteers!
Sydney and I finished together in 2 hours, 24 minutes for “not last.” We didn’t care. It was gorgeous and fun. The winners got hand made plaques that were awesome, but we didn’t get a picture.
We ate burgers at the second best diner in Boonville, the Northwoods diner. It was fine.
We made it back to k.c. in plenty of time to see Ted Luce and the moneymakers with our friends.
W.W.R.H.D. 