Tag: trail running
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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.
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The Hawk 100 is on Saturday!
Awesome 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.
Let’s GO!
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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 😂
Speaking of hitting it face first…
The injuries:
Like running isn’t tough enough! The types of common injuries from just plain running range from head to toe, literally! https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a35994829/running-injuries/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_rnw_md_pmx_us_urlx_17889989192&gclid=CjwKCAjwxaanBhBQEiwA84TVXCfUm0-OMQOnDm_6tK4-2RzyUUKc0flfTRtglKjIwhi_6NhsECffVxoCQCwQAvD_BwE
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.
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I’m sitting at a sidewalk table in front of a coffee shop/business center. I’m waiting for Sydney so we can have our usual midweek lunch date. I absent mindedly scroll through some photos from last weekend
The Snake The Snake: A 10(ish) mile run around Clinton Lake that I was using as another practice for the Hawk 100. This race utilizes the connector trails between the blue trail and the white trail. I found it very fast and runnable for the first half. At the halfway point, you take a toy snake as evidence you actually made it. Last year, the only snakes they had left were teeny-tiny ones. This year, I got a pretty decent sized one. Either I showed up a lot faster, or they got more large sized snakes. Either way, pretty cool!
Diva dash The Diva dash 5k & 10k is a ladies only event. I volunteered just to stay involved. At first, I was a little miffed about my assignment. I was waaay over in the corner! How would anyone see my pretty tutu? Hand-made, by the way. Once I saw where I actually was, I realized I had a very important position. Where once the route had turned, this time it went on quite a bit further. I had to guide several runners onto the new way. Only one was verbally upset. There were so many fantastic people running that event, and I felt very honored to be a little part of it.
The rest of the weekend was spent crafting and shopping, cooking and eating, relaxing and socializing. The way a weekend ought to be. Maybe, once the slam is over, I’ll be able to sleep past 5 a.m. on a weekend. Meanwhile, I’ll just try to enjoy the moments, and nap when I can.
Phil and I at Diva Dash 
The 2 mile mark. Where I’m standing used to be the turn. Can you see the new turn, way back there? 
Garden fresh string beans with butter and garlic 😋 
Some of the snake crew: Chelsea, Sydney, and Nick 
Beautiful overlook park at Clinton Lake 
Ben was 1st place overall at the snake 🐍 -
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.
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I want this blog to be a record of my attempt at the Super Slam of Kansas ultrarunning. The Heartland 100 is right in the middle of that. When Sydney signed up for the Heartland 50 mile/50k spring race, it was a no-brainer. Of course, I’m going running with my sweety through the beautiful Flint Hills!
Pictures really don’t do it justice. It’s breathtaking. The Heartland 50 mile/50k is an out and back on the first half of the Heartland 100 course. Rolling hills on gravel country roads, surrounded by grazing cattle and horses. Picturesque views of the prairie nearly the entire way.
Sydney was just getting over an ankle sprain from a couple of weeks before. The plan was for her to start and see how her legs hold up. I was pretty confident she could make it. We were making good time until the first manned aid station, Battle Creek, at about 8 miles. Mile 90 photography got some great pictures of us. Everything was laughs and good times. Then, the hills started.
Syd and I are both Argo road marathoners. We’re not punks when it comes to hills. These hills kicked our asses. By the time we got to the unmanned water stop, Sydney was hurting bad. I asked a 50k runner if they had any advil, and he hooked her up with a pretty good painkiller and some salt tablets.
By the time we got to Lapland, Sydney was making a decision. I used the port-o-john, pet a dog, and while I was getting my bottles refilled, I noticed a bunch of pills sitting on the table. The same pills our new friend gave us. He had just left, and I knew he wasn’t going real fast, so I dropped my vest, grabbed his meds, and took off after him. I saw him walking, so I tried shouting, “Wait!” It came out as a weakly “wheat…”😆 but he eventually stopped so I could give him his stuff. He didn’t even realize!
When I returned, Sydney made the decision to call it right there. Her back was spasming, and she couldn’t go on. It was a tough call, but I feel like the correct call. She wanted me to continue on without her.
How tough is it to run away from a pretty girl, a friendly dog, and bacon? This is where the race got tough. I had a bit of an idea what the course is like from our friend Clint Bond’s YouTube channel, Clint is a Tall Runner. I didn’t realize the hills… They continue rolling. Up. The pastoral views turn into rocky hillsides. I was alone.
Although just a tiny fraction of the course, in the moment this was a hellscape. I was kind of booking it. This isn’t a weather blog, and I try to keep the weather out of my recaps, but it’s a character here. The turnaround was nine miles away. The cutoff was about 3 hours. The temperature was in the nineties. I don’t mean “oh, 90. Maybe 92.” I mean all the nineties. The wind was blowing at 30mph with gusts up to 50mph. Probably. I mean, I couldn’t measure it. It was hot and really windy.
I got to the 3rd unmanned water station. My bottles didn’t have a big enough opening for ice. The water was hot from sitting in the sun. There was ice in a cooler and a cooler of Gatorade that was really cold, so I made do. The bottle situation will definitely be corrected before any other race.
Other racers are passing by me going the other way, which I took as a good sign. It meant the turnaround was getting close. I had to stop and shake a rock out of my shoe, which made me angry for 3 reasons. 1) I’m wearing gaiters. I’m not supposed to get rocks in my shoes. 2) There’s a rock in my shoe. It’s very annoying! 3) Occasionally, I’d step “just so,” and the rock would push up on a toenail. As I sat on the ground and pulled my leg up to reach my shoe, I ripped the longest, loudest, fart of my life. Talk about relief! I felt like a new person! The rock is out of my shoe, my stomach isn’t upset, I’m going to beat the cut off. It’s a beautiful day!
When I got to the Teterville aid station, the first thing I saw was a very good puppy. I pet the dog, refilled my bottles, and got out of there. I mean, I only just made it. I had to make up some time. I passed a runner before I got back to the unmanned water stop. There was a volunteer restocking it, so I got some real cold water and a headband full of ice. As I ran on, I saw the runner I passed riding with him. Dang it! Last again! 😆 🤣 😂 I didn’t care. I’m just trying to finish.
I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, though. The conditions were taking a toll on the runners. I passed a guy just sitting in the shade. He said he was fine. If I had full water bottles, I may have just sat there, too. But I didn’t. I passed a couple of people who seemed in good shape but were walking. I passed a guy who could barely stand. I ran for a bit with a runner who had stayed at the same hotel as Sydney and I. He seemed like he was doing okay. He told me he had laid down in a creek to cool off!
We got to Lapland, and I didn’t want to go. I knew how far I had to go. My bottles were letting me down, being too small and not able to carry ice. I didn’t have a hat and felt my face getting really burnt. I was wearing a vest, so I couldn’t really take my shirt off. My feet hurt really bad. Especially my toes, but also my heel. I kept stalling. Eventually, they just threw me out. Good volunteers. Great job! Because once I was going I didn’t stop. I’d jog a bit, do the ultra shuffle (thanks, Leigh!) Anything to move forward, a bit to save a minute here, a few seconds there.
At the next unmanned water station, the ice in the cooler had melted quite a bit. I was able to fill a bottle with ice-cold melted ice! It was a real game changer! Also, a couple of volunteers were driving by to replenish, and I got a top-off from them. The volunteers at this event were great! Just amazing!
Somehow, I made it to Battle Creek Aid. I love Battle Creek! I was a volunteer at this aid station in the fall. The other volunteer then, a trail runner named Scott, was also running it now. It’s a big deal to see a familiar face. I was really afraid of becoming a heat casualty. I sat in the shade and drank water, ginger ale, and Gatorade for a while. Scott offered me a beer, and a beer sounded good, but not a beer 9 miles from the end. A “I did it and it’s all over” beer, that’s the beer that sounds good. That beer sounds awesome!
I dragged myself away. Well, the volunteers made it easy. They started talking about ultras and all the races in the region. Bore me to tears. Yawn!
Up I get and out I go to try and finish. I had been doing dnf math for about 30 miles by now: I need to go this far in this amount of time which is a pace of this many minutes per mile but I’m only going this pace so I can’t possibly make it might as well quit.
The race was getting to me. I knew I was getting close. I got to the last unmanned water stop. The ice was completely melted. The water and the Gatorade were pretty warm. I filled my bottles anyway. I still had 5 miles to go. I pushed on. Shuffle, jog, run, walk. 3 miles to go, I start to see trains. There are tracks I need to cross on the way to the finish! I’m really close!
The Battle Creek volunteers pass me on the way back to the finish. I got my bottles topped off by the u-haul that picked up all the aid stations. I was getting frustrated by not getting to the blacktop yet. I marched on, determined to make it. When I finally got to the pavement, I still had about a mile to go. There was a train rolling on the tracks, so I had a bit. There was some shade to enjoy while I waited, also.
As soon as the train went by, I picked my way over the tracks and started jogging in to the finish. Sydney was there, along with everyone else, cheering for me! I ran it in like a champion!
Overall, I feel like the Heartland 50 mile race was a success. I had some struggles. I learned a lot. I am looking forward to doing the 100-mile race here in the fall.
Finished -
In east-central Kansas, Paola, specifically, there’s a small lake. Midwest endurance race company has had and intends to have races around this lake.
On 11 March 2023, I ran the 3rd installment of Miola Madness. Miola Madness-spring into daylight savings! This is the first in a series of 4 events. 32 runners in 4 different available time increments. 3/6/9/12 hours. I ran the 12 hour. Nobody ran the 9 hour. Sydney ran the 6 hour and held the record for about an hour.
This event has been fun. The weather is always garbage. There aren’t a lot of people. The trail condition is challenging in places. It’s a long loop. I love it!
I’ve done pretty well in this event, I think. I’m currently the record holder for the men’s 12 hour group. My dream is to someday hit 60 miles. It’s right there! Maybe if I could stay out of the port-o-johns?
This time, I was using this event as a tune-up. It’s just a few weeks from the first hundred of the slam. I am nervous! This event really helped with my nerves.
I ran 54 miles in 11 hours and change. I was working pretty hard, and the whole situation was less than ideal. I worked the night before, so very little sleep. My fueling was sketchy. I really did not eat enough. I should constantly ask myself, “Are you eating?”
My foot hurt, but I’m fairly certain that the pain is all in my mind. It’s been hurting since cactus roulette, but not all the time.
It was drizzling the entire 12 hours. That was fine. There were big, unavoidable puddles all over the trail. I am trained for that. My shoes and socks didn’t hold the water, so it wasn’t bad. Just splash through the puddles! It was chilly when I stopped but warm when I ran.
Walking was okay, but frustrating. Ive been practicing my race walk technique. I have had paces up to 14 minutes per mile. This day, though, I was really slow.
The last Miola Madness event had a very exciting finish. Last minute heroics, etc. Very dramatic! This time, it was kind of “meh.” Let me wrap it up so we can all get out of here. My legs were trashed! They were cramping all the way home. A hot, salty bath and cold beer took care of that, though.
So, overall, a success. I ran over 50 miles in less than 12 hours. I got some real good advice about pacing, and ideas about tapering. I got even more experience running in less than ideal weather conditions. A very good day!
W.W.R.H.D. 