Tag: ultrarunning

Heartland 50 mile

May 15th, 2025

Or:

I get by with a little help from my friends

I have recapped and covered and gone over the Heartland races again and again. Not to sound dramatic. I have been over these races before, though. The route hasn’t changed. The course hasn’t changed much. The hills are hillier. The rocks are rockier. So the technical, descriptive part of this recap ought to be brief.

The weather was perfect on May 3rd. A brisk, calm, and clear 48⁰ in Cassoday, Kansas. Sydney and I were well-rested and ready after a great night’s sleep in El Dorado. There was a little tension as we realized we left our drop bags in the hotel. PANIC! It was fine, though. Our friends Jennie and Dusty were there, and Dusty drove back to our hotel, grabbed our stuff, and drove back to have it all waiting for us at Lapland aid station. A real hero! HOORAY!!!

Sydney ran the 50k with a friend, Gay Ann. I wasn’t worried about her finishing at all. I hoped she would have a lot of fun, and she did.

I ran the 50

I found our friend Ben right away, at packet pick-up. We saw Ben doing a long run the week before and he told us his strategy for the race. He intended to run intervals of 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking. He even programmed his watch to alert with the tempo change. I thought that sounded like a good interval, so I copied it exactly. Still, I had every intention of hanging out with Ben the entire race. He’s a very strong runner. I hoped to pace off of him to a new personal record.

After about a mile of jogging along and chit-chatting we caught up to Jennie. We filled her in on the race plan and she loved the idea. We decided immediately to team up and run together. It was the best idea I’ve ever been a part of!

The team-up was especially helpful because I didn’t have any crew out there. I didn’t need one. The aid stations are few and far, but well managed. The food was top-notch. Hydration options were water and Gatorade. I opted to use just store-brand bottled water to start and reused the bottles all day. It worked okay. The bottles were crushed by the end. If I do that again I’ll use more bottles.

The three of us kept each other on track. Pushed, encouraged, and backed off the pace like professionals. Or enthusiastic amateurs. I brought up the idea of teaming up again for Badwater Salton Sea. Everyone was up for it at the time.

The real star of the race was the location. I finally got to see the Flint Hills in ideal weather. It is beautiful out there! Stunning! People compare it to a screen saver. Photos don’t do it justice. The majesty of it defies description. Even later in the race, when we were trying to keep it together, the magnificence of where we had been lingered.

There were laughs the entire time, which is another plus for running in a group. For example, we only had five miles to go for about eight miles. Lol! And every hill was the last hill. That’s never true!

The route is a bit over 50 miles, so “technically” we did 50 miles in under 10 hours. My actual finish time for the race is 10:08:25. I think that’s really good. We all crossed the finish line together, which is very special. And we had finish line beers, which is just the best!

Overall, I was very happy with the event. The intervals are the way to go. I can’t thank Ben, Jen, and Dusty enough for everything they did out there. I will run with them anytime!
Ten Junk Miles

March 10th, 2025

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. The Gang 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!
Developing Toughness

November 7th, 2024

Today is day 7 of No Shave November. My face…itches. except it’s not really an itch, but rather a desire. A desire to scrape the stubble off. There is discomfort, to be sure. Sometimes, I try to distract myself. Other times, I lean in. The feeling comes and goes. Former smokers probably understand. Ultrarunners get it. The fact that nothing lasts forever. That discomfort passes. You adapt.

Sometimes, when i bathe, I get in the shower before I turn the water on. That initial blast of cold water isn’t even that cold. It’s the fortitude it takes to turn that water on knowing full well what’s coming. Uncomfortably cold water is going to hit me full on, and there’s nowhere to hide. The thing is, once the water warms up it’s almost too hot. I’ve gotten used to the cold water. Sometimes the cold water feels really good. I guess I’m just a weirdo. I also park on the end where nobody can park next to me, so… grain of salt.

It’s difficult to find the mustache movies i want to watch on streaming. I guess they’re just too valuable. Yesterday, I watched the misfits with Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Honestly, I only watched about 40 minutes of it. I had to work, and I’m glad I did. Seeing a tired old has been trying to “make it” with the model of classic beauty was a struggle to be sure.

I thought surely Flash Gordon would be streaming somewhere. But no. I guess I’ll miss a day (at least!) of mustache films. Boo!

I guess I’ll take this disappointment and use it to push through a tough training day. Like all disappointments and discouragement. Like coach Bennett says: this is about running. This is not about running.
Heartland 100

October 21st, 2023

Spirit of the prairie

This was a fun one. Getting to the start line was rough! There are warnings all over the literature for this race about flat tires. The roads are sharp rocks and gravel, watch out! Sydney and I were very nervous about it. We drove down the weekend prior for a dry run. Let her have some practice finding the aid stations. That paid off tremendously! She wound up being a little bit of a pathfinder for the other race crews. 😁

My name came up to work mandatory Saturday overtime, and there is really no room for compromise there. Luckily, I had already scheduled the weekend off! So I guess I’m a little more prepared than I like to believe.

We went down to packet pickup Friday afternoon. Sydney got some more detailed driving directions. There was a malfunction at the tollbooth in El Dorado, where we stayed that weekend. Our room was amazing, by the way. Days Inn was great! We slept like logs.

Early race morning things got hairy. We didn’t get a toll ticket in El Dorado. There was a lineup at the tollbooth in Cassoday. I took off my vest and jumped out to see what the problem was. It ended up being nothing, but now we were running behind, and I had to check in. Check-in is at race hq/finish line. The start line is about a half mile down the road from there. We just make it. I tell Sydney I’ve lost a bottle. It could only be at race hq, that’s the only time I wore the vest outside the car. She said she’d look for it. I went to get my pre-race photo. People kept jumping in front of me. Elden,the race director, kept yelling out the time until start. The Runner’s Church preacher was there, trying to pray right into God’s ear, just as loud as he can get. It was very frustrating!

Also, I was pretty nervous. 3 weeks is not a lot of turnaround time. I feel like I did the best I could. I felt okay, but I’ve done enough of these now to worry about mile 63 right at the start.

My plan, as always, was to go easy. Take it easy, take the whole time, and get to the halfway mark before dark.

Heartland, I thought, should be ideal for taking it easy. It’s got rolling hills and very pretty views throughout the race. And gravel. Big, chunky, tire-shredding gravel.

The gravel roads I sort of remember from doing the 50 miler in the spring. I might have blogged about it. They tore my feet up then, and they tore my feet up this time. There might be a practical solution to the foot problem. The only thing I can think of is “get tougher feet.”

Sydney found my lost bottle at the Cassoday tollbooth! That was a very lucky break. We hooked back up at the second manned aid station. I got to pet a dog and eat some snackies. It was a bit unsettling because they moved the aid station since the spring race. I came over a hill expecting a celebration and only found a sad little sign with an arrow pointing uphill.

This was also when the wind started blowing right at the front of me. It was at my back for the first and last 16 miles. So for about 100k, it was rock & roll and heavy winds in my face.

The aid stations were all pretty good. Standard ultra foods, tents to get out of the wind, friendly-ish volunteers. I had 3 burgers during my run. That doesn’t sound like a lot right here, but at the time, I felt like the hamburgler or Jughead.

I got to Matfield Green Aid Station, the last manned aid station before the turnaround, in really good shape. The trailhawks ran this aid station, and it was my good friend Eric volunteering! They had good ramen (spaghetti soup) and potatoes, but no forks. 😳

Crossing a flyover above I-35 on my way to Lone Tree Aid station and turning around, I got a semi truck to honk. Still fun as a grown up! There’s an unmanned aid station with water and Vaseline and very little direction. I lubed under my arms, where I had a hot spot going and jogged down the road. The course was well marked, I’m just very bad at looking. I knew I was going the correct way, though, because I saw more runners on this little 3 mile stretch than I had seen so far all day. Right then, at that moment, it occurred to me that I had not brought a headlamp. I made it before dark, but just before. So I was hoofing it out of there, trying to get as close to the aid station as possible before “dark” dark.

When I got back to Matfield Green, Jamie and her kid had shown up to help the crew, and Kirby was there, ready to pace me. The new faces re-energized me!

Kirby was a great pacer! We talked about her running goals (a marathon in Febuary! Killer!) And childhood road games. I am so glad she told me about “my cows!”

After Kirby, Coach Randy took over. He carried me all the way back to Cassoday. Figuratively. We were doing consistent and fast intervals and also used the terrain to help maintain a real nice pace. Not too fast! Not too slow. We did pick it up whenever we saw another runner (soul-taking? Lol!)

The funny story: Randy and I are passing “the Runner’s church” preacher and he tells us “don’t miss this turn coming up.”

So we cross an unmarked cattle guard, and Randy says, “I think we missed that turn.” After some quick math and a review of the strava heat map we decide yes. We did miss that turn we were specifically told about. And we also got passed by 3 racers! Grr! Not that I’m competitive. 😉

As we make our way to battle creek, the first/last manned aid station, we change up the intervals. 1:30 run 1:30 walk. Just a 30 second change, you might say? Plank for 30 seconds.

Battle Creek is special to me because my friend Scott “KSdirtrunner” is the one manning it the entire weekend! I just met him last year when I volunteered at this event and he has been an inspiration to me ever since.

The longest 8 miles in the world are between Battle Creek and the Cassoday Community Center parking lot. Randy and I are doing our thing…1:30 run, maybe 11 or 12 minute pace, 1:30 walk. Power hike! I have been practicing, and it did pay off. We passed some guys who were really suffering through the chilly morning.

We were approaching the end of the gravel when Rick from mile 90 pulled up and started taking pics. Randy and I agree, you do NOT walk in a race photo.

NOT walking!

Also, we could see Syd and Kirby stalking us from the paved roads, so I felt some pressure to go ahead and finish this thang!

We’re jogging the last 8/10 of a mile to the finish. I had told Randy the finish line strategy of start jogging at the stop sign, slowly build speed until I sprint into the finish. He asks me what the elapsed time is, and I tell him, “26:57 and change.”

He says, “Don’t you want to beat 27 hours?”

I ran. I sprinted in and finished at 26:59:18!

Afterward, it was coffee, a massage from Happy Hawk, and a table nap before a bath, a proper nap, and the long ride home.
Ultrapalooza recap

October 21st, 2023

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.
Heartland 100 spirit of the prairie in pics!

October 18th, 2023

Heartland 100 spirit of the prairie in pics!
Coming soon…

October 5th, 2023

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.

So, race reports are coming soon!
The Back Half

September 21st, 2023

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.
The Hawk 100 In pics

September 16th, 2023

The Hawk 100 In pics
Anticipation

September 7th, 2023

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!