TLDR: I thought of most of this while Sydney and I ran around Clinton Lake for the trailhawks 11th birthday party. I thought that with “The Hawk” coming up, this might be kind of funny.
HBD! Another great trailhawks event!
I am not much of a trail runner. I like trail running just fine. I mean, I’m not ANTI trail or anything. I totally see the appeal. I just think that in their hurry to promote the sport, the more avid, enthusiastic trail runners might gloss over some of the less appealing aspects of this particular activity. For instance:
The bugs. This is number one on my list of things I dislike about trails.
H.B.I.C. and I showing off our braille. It reads “trail running sucks”
I get eaten alive by all manner of pests. Bug spray? Repellent? All that does is get in my eyes and all over my water bottles. Or what if the bug spray IS working? Oh my God! Can you imagine how much worse the biting would be?
And how about your friendly neighborhood spider? That is an industrious bug! It can rebuild a web in the 5 minutes between runners, ensuring everyone gets a faceful.
Lastly, and least…ly? The weird, random, unavoidable clouds of gnats hovering on the trail. Usually right around a bend or just after a downhill section.
The terrain:
Some trail runners are amazing! They fly over the rockiest, rootiest, most rutted ground like it’s the track at your local high school. They run full speed over unstable, unfriendly ground at a constant pace (faster than I’ve ever ran) for entire ultramarathons. I, on the other hand, go 5k and start picking my way gingerly down the downhill sections and dramatically powerhike the uphills.
The Views:
“Oh! The views when you run trails are so breathtaking!”
“Oh! It’s so pretty! You don’t get these views on the roads!”
Probably. I wouldn’t know. The views I get are
A. The ground 3-10 feet in front of me or
B. The runners that are going past me as I step aside to let them by.
Sometimes you CAN get a nice view.
Oh! It’s so beautiful! So pretty!Oh! You can’t get a view like this running on roads!
And if you don’t take in the ground view by hitting it face first, it’s even better 😂
Now we are on trails. Go ahead and add broken teeth, sprained wrists and fingers, stubbed toes, and snake bites to the list!
Other people:
So you still want to run trails? Great! Get to the trailhead early! If it’s a good day for trail running, it’s also a good day for mountain biking, nature photography, family hiking, weed smoking, day drinking, teen necking, and off-leash dog walking. Most of the people I encounter on the trail will be friendly and nice. The problem isn’t with “the people.” The problem is “people.” I’m trying to get my shuffle on, and some lady is piling leaves over her dogs mess. Or I’m trudging a tough uphill, and a gang of bikers comes bombing down that same hill. Or I finally hit a nice pace on a rare run-able stretch, and there’s a family with a toddler, trying to practice walking.
I know I’m coming off as grumpy and anti-social. And it’s pretty selfish, thinking other people enjoying the same thing I enjoy is a problem. But they’re not doing it right! *stomps foot*
Soon, I will be trying to cope with all of this (and more) during a 100-mile trail ultramarathon. I’m only a tiny bit nervous! The Lawrence Trail Hawks put on awesome events with fantastic support. Sydney has a great team of crew and pacers lined up. Hopefully, there’s a break in the weather, so the only things I need to worry about are the distance and the terrain. And the bugs.
The kansas city backyard ultra, a last man standing event with fixed time races, was a great event! I am so happy I had a chance to run with the amazing athletes in the last man standing event.
As of this writing, the official results are not posted. I feel like I ran about 22 miles. (Update: 31 miles) Not super impressive, I know. There are a ton of excuses. I really don’t want to get into it too much.
7 p.m., the Night of August 11, 2023, when the last man standing event started, the temperature was very much in the eighties with humidity right up there with it. The air was thick, with the promise of rain. The course was a little more than a mile around Mill Creek Park, a neat, grassy park east of the plaza in K.C. MO. If you’ve seen a chiefs game on t.v., think of the fountain with the horses.
I had rented a table and canopy from Midwest Endurance to keep my stuff and use it as a kind of base. Sydney was there for the start and a few laps before going home to get ready to run the 3 hour event in the morning.
The check-in tent and aid station were all set up on the south end of the park. Sam and Jennie gave a quick rundown of the course and the rules. I was surprised by a few things:
They extended the loop to include a section of sidewalk and an out and back over some grass.
There was no aid allowed during a loop, even though we run by the start area 4 times and there’s a water fountain on the course.
This race was starting to sound really tough!
We started right at 7. I went out way too fast, running in the 8 minute range. I expected that and figured I would settle down after a lap or 2.
As a counterpoint, Randy and most of the other runners were going at a nice, easy 12 minute average with plenty of walking.
I was having a pretty miserable time. I have a bad whinging problem, so I will try to keep this part brief. I was soaked through with sweat from the beginning. There was no relief. I was sweating through my shoes. Sydney asked how she could help, and I told her, “I dont want to be wet anymore.”
Our friend Emily brought her girls out to cheer for a while, and that gave me a real boost! I ran up and gave them all a big sweaty hug! Then I ran another loop.
I will never get it straight. It was either 4 LOOPS = 1 lap, or 4 LAPS = 1 loop. Whichever way you say it, it was a lot of times around. The east side of the track was more elevated, with no breeze. The north end had a (kind of) steep downhill to the grassy out and back. The west side ran along Broadway and had a nice breeze. The corral/start/finish/lap had a timing mat and digital clock showing the time.
The loop right after Sydney left for the night, that was where it all fell apart. The insole of my left shoe got squished up. I had to stop and straighten it out. Two steps later, it was squished under my foot again, but now I was behind schedule and still had 2 laps to go! I finished with 5 minutes to get myself together. I managed to change shoes. Jennie helped get my bottles filled and gave me a little pep talk. The next loop went a lot better.
That’s one of the cool things about this format. You can have a terrible loop. The next hour is a whole new thing. I put the bad loop out of my mind and tried to focus on just running.
All the other runners were very cool and supportive. There was a lot of grouping up and pacing together. I only heard supportive comments from everyone.
At the start of the 2:00 a.m. loop, I was gassed. I didn’t have any more. I told Jennie I was going to line up, but I would probably be timed out. I finished the second lap at 2:37 and dropped out. Everybody told me it was the smart move. I’m okay with it.
So that’s the end of my story. About 18 hours later Randy Taylor did a final loop to secure a much deserved, hard earned victory. Outlasted every one of the last runner standing competitors AND fixed time runners. He is a stud!
Sydney did 12 miles in 3 hours, like a boss!
David Boots was there overnight running the timing mat. I was able to hang out with him a bit after I dropped. He’s going to pace me again at the Hawk 100.
Midwest Endurance Race Company put on another fantastic event! I look forward to Ultrapalooza in September and Miola Madness in November.
This event was tough and humbling. I learned a lot from the experience. Hopefully, it will help me become a better runner and, just maybe, a better blogger. 😉
This weekend is the first ever Kansas City backyard ultra put on by the friendly people of Midwest Endurance Race Company.
The backyard ultra is a last man standing event, with some fixed time races thrown in. (I mean, why not? You have the permits).
I have some sentimental connections to the venue. Mill Creek Park on the Country Club Plaza is where I started regularly running. I can’t really claim home…field? Court? Track? Let’s go with “course.” I can’t really claim home course advantage, though. Several competitors hail from Kansas City proper, with the majority being from just nearby.
I’m going to attempt a quick rundown of the last man standing competitors. All the information is what I could guess from ultrasignup. Ultrasignup lists runners from top race percentage down, so that’s how I’ll do it.
Starting with:
Samuel Fischer: M20 from Humboldt, IA. Only 2 results on ultrasignup, a 1st place 100 miler and a 2nd place 50 miler.
Timothy Carey M42 from Leawood, KS won 1st place at the Mile 0 20 miler.
Abigail Milian F33 from KCMO has been killing it at races all summer!
Jenna Terrill, F37, OPKS, has several finishes of “The Hawk” 50 mile distance. Moving up to the hundred this year. I’ll see you there!
Tyler McDaniel, M39 from KCMO has plenty of experience with last man standing events and fixed time events.
Randy Taylor, M41 from KCMO. I know this guy. Besides being the run coach for midwest endurance race company, and my girlfriend, I’ve discovered (after ultrasignup investigating) that all this guy does is win ultramarathons!
Drew Ibarra, M38 from Olathe, KS… same thing. A lot of top finishes in a lot of races.
Cameron Wallace, M29 from St. Paul, MN has placed well in tough races.
Jonathan Haase, M39 from Oak Grove MO has respectable finishes at prairie spirit and Kansas rail to trail. He’s very fast!
Brian Marquette, M56, from Seattle, Washington. I see a runner from out of town, I immediately think “ringer.” Nothing on Brian’s ultrasignup, though, except some respectable finishes.
Farhad Zarif, M 53, KCMO: This guy is interesting. He’s done the grand slam of Kansas ultrarunning. He was at my first 100 back in 2001.
Derek Pflugradt, M37 from Gower, Missouri. Derek is a yeti trail runner like me!
Lathem Scott, M48 KCMO, is signed up for the hawk marathon. He’s also done the snake and psycho wyco during one of the hottese,t summers!
Cole Gardiner M30 from Ashland, Kansas, is already signed up for another backyard ultra!
Shannon Brisco, F52 from Archie, MO has a lot of experience from doing 4 fore 30 infinity backyard ultra.
John Munson M66 of Overland Park Kansas has run Brew 2 Brew several times.
Shane Sunderman M48 from Lincoln, NE, has done some 100s and is registered for the ultrapalooza 100.
Josh Johns, M32 from KCMO, has no races on ultrasignup. Mystique!
Steven Sousek M57 from Lincoln Nebraska either has no races or 2 races in a different profile.
Chris Jones, M53 from Bixby, Oklahoma, has quite the resume. I wonder if it’s actually his profile?
And, finally, Kent Hileman M44 from Overland Park, Kansas. No ultrasignup profile, but still an accomplished athlete.
Seems like a really cool lineup 😎
I look forward to meeting all these terrific people and maybe running a few laps. In this format, I believe it’s anyone’s race!
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.
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.
We watched flashes and streaks of lightning as we drove to the mile 0 trailhead in Osawatame, Kansas. Sydney was on a mission. A personal record for the 50-kilometer distance. She had been working hard towards this goal for months. It was on her mind before the Galveston marathon, even. I was determined to help her in any way possible.
I wasn’t worried about a delay. The radar showed the storm moving out well before the start. Our friend Ben got caught right in the worst of it on his drive. He was doing his first 50k, and he did really well!
We saw almost all our friends there, either at the start or after the turnaround. Randy, Sydney’s coach, stopped to check on her. They had a quick chat about hydration and nutrition, then he went on about his business of running a sub 4 hour 50k. 😳
The mile 0 course is a simple out & back on the Flint Hills rail to trail…trail. There are 3 race distances plus a “fun run” available. For the 50k, there are 3 aid stations that runners pass by twice. The first aid station was moved after last year on account of some troubles with the local residents. Our friend Melissa was running aid station #1. She always does a great job!
The weather wasn’t awful for our run. The wind was mostly in our face on the way out, which was tough. The sun did peek out for a while, but not really long enough to make it hot. Just enough to for Sydney to take off her jacket. She started with it tied around her waist, but it was hitting her in a weird spot. So we put it in my vest. There were some struggles along the way. My music stopped about 10 miles in. I may have reacted a bit harshly to that. I can get angry-ish. Sydney was having water bottle trouble. The bottle carrying her electrolyte mix was clogged or something. It was too difficult to drink out of. So we ended up sharing water on the return trip.
Sydney and I were going fast. Not ridiculous, elite, bq pace. Just a really steady, consistent pace. We didn’t take many walk breaks, we didn’t linger at the aid stations. Except to give Phil a hug. Because he’s Phil, and it’s bad luck if you don’t.
On the way back, we were really moving! The wind was at our backs! We got a chance to see who was behind us. Clint was recording for his YouTube channel. He said, “There’s Rex and Marshall!” Because he was almost to the Marshall aid station.
We saw Laura and Chelsea and Manna all moving really well. I knew Josh was ahead of us, but hadn’t seen him in a while. All ourspeedy friends, Adam, Ben, Randy, were finished by the time we got to the turn.
Before we knew it, we were back at Melissa’s aid station, with just a 5k to go. I put 3 fireball shots in my pocket and caught up to Syd. She had walked ahead to have a moment. Sometimes, these things get emotional. I was very tired! I had to do the countdown trick: less than a 5k. Just 2 miles…a mile and a half…etc. Sydney and I took turns getting each other to run.
Finally, we got close to the finish line. We started really running! I said “let’s go FAST!” And “Let’s go REALLY fast!” As we “sprinted” across the finish.
Sydney and I both finished in a new best time of 5 hours, 50 minutes. Sydney won first overall for the women.
While I was waiting for a massage and chit-chatting with another runner, the temperature dropped about 10⁰ in a minute. I brought the car around so we could sit in it and stay warm, but you know how it goes. We’re in the car, and the race is over. Let’s get out of here!
We made it home before any real weather hit us. Apparently, some runners were caught in a real downpour!
We cleaned up and met with the hash house harriers at a bar for on-after. Sydney beat me at darts and I ate the best g.d. chicken tenders I’ve ever had in my life!
TLDR: I finished. My time was 24:23:04. Pacers and crew were key to my success.
Today is Monday, 27 March 2023. My feet are a bit tender, and my calves are kinda tight. Running 100 miles will have an effect on a body. Mainly, hunger. I am SOOO hungry! And sleepy. Not in pain, though. Like, I’m in less pain than normal.
The weeks leading up to this race I was having some serious heel pain. I was really starting to get worried. My right foot would hurt so bad I could hardly put weight on it. I wondered, “will I even make it to the start?”
Of course, I didn’t say anything about this to anybody. Especially not Sydney, my girlfriend and crew chief.
Sydney is the H.B.I.C. of this outfit. She recruited some great pacers and crew. She kept them up to date through a group chat, and shuttled them to and from aid stations. Sydney did all the pre-race shopping. She designed and ordered shirts. She put together gift bags for the support team. She updated a Facebook group page and shared Instagram stories. She also managed my aid station stops and kept a log of all my food and drinks. She recorded every time I ran into an aid station. She took a bunch of great pictures. After staying up all night doing that, she drove us home while I slept.
A week out I continued to just work my scheduled shift. I did no running or working out. I stopped drinking beer. I tried cutting out caffeine. I drank SO much water. I ate about the same as I always do.
Friday afternoon, I got together with Chief Syd, and we prepared for the morning. I surprised her with the news that if I wanted drop bags for the race I would need to either take them to packet pickup that night or get to the start by 5 in the morning. So we packed up and labeled my drop bags and drove down to Ottawa. We brought Brooksie the dog with us, because why wouldn’t we? I asked the volunteers if they had any tips: “if you get confused, think, ‘what would a train do?’” The volunteers at this event were great!
We got to the start at 5:40, filled my water bottles, completely missed the briefing, got pre-race photos taken, and socialized with a few of our running friends. Isn’t it weird how sometimes you can be simultaneously late, early, and right on time.
The route begins with a run one mile north, then south to Iola. Then run back. BTW just picture quotes around the word run throughout this post. Like: “run.”
My strategy was simple. Try and keep an even, consistent pace until Colony. At Colony, about mile 41, I can have a pacer. Then it’s their problem.
I immediately disregarded my plan. I had sub 24 hours on my mind. I had my liked songs playlist going. The weather was beautiful! Chilly if you stayed still, just right for running. I was going fast. Too fast. Every time I thought “okay, let’s slow it down,” another rockin’ tune would come on. I was feeling okay, anyways. My aid station stops were running like clockwork. I was on pace to make it to the turnaround by dark.
At Colony I picked up my first pacer, Ryan Ortiz. Ryan would pace me to Iola and back to Colony.
Ryan is an interesting guy. He and his family just made their charity, Ollie’s toy box, a 501(c) charity. He started a 5k and timed ultra in his hometown of Chanute, KS.
We arrived in Iola and I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, if you know what I mean. This feeling would plague me the rest of the race. I believe now that it was caused by simple dehydration. I was emptying my bottles. I was really pounding fluids. The humidity was something, though. I switched to plain water from Heed, and that helped.
After a rushed stop in Iola, Ryan and I booked it back to Colony. We saw the “run trails, eat bacon” YouTube guy. I got some advice and encouragement from a seasoned trail runner named Ben. He told me, “run slower. Walk faster.” Great advice, I just don’t listen.
Back at Colony, I used the restroom again. I was done with aid station food at this point. I met up with my next pacer, Clint. Clint has a YouTube channel, “Clint is a tall runner,” where he documents most of his running. He only recorded a bit of our leg, though. He says it’s because it was too dark. I was feeling great and looking forward to this leg, because Clint has a bit of a slower pace. Except, not this time! Lol! We were going pretty fast. I liked the pace, though, and I liked talking to Clint. He’s an interesting guy. We got to Welda in no time.
Sydney had gone to Sonic and bought a bunch of food, trying to get me to fuel. I rejected the burger (that’s how delirious I was), but said I’d eat the chicken and tots. Ben was my pacer for this leg. I know Ben peripherally from team rwb, and kc ocr, and just different events around town. We immediately fell into a good vibe. It’s a good thing, too, because not only is Welda to Garnett a long leg but the weather was turning bad. Bad. Ben was cracking me up with the Forrest Gump quotes. The rain was coming sideways, though. We were jogging, trying to get through it, when we saw the lights on the trail. I said, “Let’s go to the lights!” And we booked it. We went a little quick, but it did feel good! We ran into the Garnett train station aid station, and I used the restroom.
The Garnett aid station, especially on the inbound, is heaven on the trail. The best hot food, pre-packaged snacks, a friendly trail dog named Miles, and nice volunteers (but not so friendly that you don’t want to leave).
My pacer for this leg was a retired marine now farmer named Karin. She was brilliant! Like, literally! Sydney gave the overnight pacers these light-up toys to keep me in a good mood. They mostly worked. We did a pretty consistent minute run/minute walk interval throughout the leg. We only broke routine so I could eat and she could text Happy birthday to her husband, RC.
Arcenio, or RC, is Karin’s husband. Also a marine, he crewed with Sydney while Karin and I ran from Garnett to Richmond. Sydney says he was very funny and also that he made sure she ate something. And it was his birthday!
We got to Richmond, and I was feeling it. My pacers for the next two legs both met us at Richmond. Leigh was scheduled for the last leg, but met us to lift some spirits. I didn’t recognize her at first because she was wearing a “slimer” costume!
Laura, my pacer for this leg, had ran the 50k earlier that day. We hike/walked the whole leg. A first time hundred mile runner that I chatted with early on named Bryce caught up to us, passed us, then ran back for his pacer. His mother was pacing him on this leg. She sent him on ahead and finished the leg walking with us.
The final leg, and my watch was dead. And I was dead. I was tired in my soul. My legs felt okay. My stomach was a mess. My poor pacer! Leigh is always a superstar cheerleader. Every race, every event. She was exactly the pacer I needed for this leg. My hopes of a sub 24-hour finish were pretty much crushed when I saw the “93 miles” sign on the aid station. Leigh was not going to let me drag, though. The entire leg was me “let’s walk” vs. her “just a little shuffle.” Me: “this is Bull#@!*” vs. her “Look at the frost! So pretty!”
Finally, about a million years later, we get to the finish. We run it in at 24:23:12. Very respectable! I run straight to Sydney’s loving arms, and we hold each other until someone tells us to “cut it down or get a hotel room!”
Mile 90 is taking the finish portraits, and I’m trying to keep it together, but there’s just too much built up emotion. I lose it. I ugly cried for probably 30 minutes or more.
Our friend Emily showed up with an Irish coffee and some really nice beers. I drank some of that and chatted with the overall winner. Wes finished in 18 hours and said he couldn’t sleep. I didn’t have that problem.
Huge “Thanks” to all the volunteers, crew, pacers, and especially Sydney for getting me through this first 100 miles.
If I didn’t mention anyone, I apologize. There’s a lot, you know? And if it feels like a long recap, remember it’s over 24 hours of living.
W.W.R.H.D. 