Trail Journal

Kathrine Miller – My Double Dirty Dozen

My Double Dirty Dozen

I first heard about Chisholm?s plan for a 24 hour race at Bluff Creek while working at the Redman booth at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

Wow, that?s a lot of endurance events in the same sentence! Once I heard about it, I knew I had to be a part of it. Before I knew it I was heading up the aid station for the event.
As the planning meetings progressed, I was getting more and more excited. This was going to be a great event! I didn?t want to just volunteer at it, I wanted to run it! Mind you I had never run more than a 50K before. Sure, the event offered a 6 and 12 hour event. But the way my mind works, I knew I had to go for the max. I didn?t drive to Wichita Falls to go half the distance in the Hotter?n Hell Hundred. Nor did I bother to try a half ironman before going for the REDMAN full. I was going for 24!

I won?t bother boring you with the details of my training. Long, long training runs. Most of these training runs were alone, but some with Shay, Melissa, Peggy and Beth. Tanya met me for some 4:00am runs to get used to the trails with shadows. Chisholm and Joel were awesome with their encouragement.

I?m not going to call it a race because I think competition causes unnecessary stress. What I do are events. I set goals and try to accomplish them. Whether there are other participants there, so be it. I hope they reach their goals, too. My main goal was to cover 51 miles. Yes, that is weak, but I wanted to go more than 50 miles. It?s kind of like someone calling a 27 mile run an Ultra because it is more than a marathon. 50 miles is a benchmark in the Ultra-community and I wanted to pass that. My secret goal was 72 miles. That would be an average of 3 miles per hour. Slow, huh? And guess what? I didn?t make it. Oh well, I?m thrilled with my 68.32.

The weather was perfect for a long run, something you can?t count on for late October in Oklahoma. My event started at 9:00. There were 6 events going on that day. The 24, 12 and 6, and you had your choice of a one mile paved loop or a 2 mile trail loop, both met back at the start/finish area and shared an aid station. In the 24 hour trail event there were just 6 of us: 2 female and 4 male. A few of the other entrants had switched to the paved event due to wet conditions on the trail. (The trail was perfect)!

The 12 hour event started at 6:00am. My friend and training partner, Melissa was running in that one and I got to see her go by before my start. Looking good, but one fall already. I had posted on Facebook that I was taking a poll: How many times would I fall during my run? I had figured 6 – once for every two hours. Funny, but both Melissa and I only fell once that day, and both on our third lap …

My husband Scott is not a runner, never will be, just doesn?t understand it. There is no way I was going to ask him to be there for the race. Plenty of others had families there for support, but Scott wanted to paint the house. Go for it, buddy. Had he been at the run I would have been worried, “Is he bored? What is he doing?” It would have messed with my head. But, I told him I wanted him there for the start, to meet me for dinner around 7:00pm and be there at the finish. I have an awesome, supportive husband!

No problem the first 3 hours, well, other than missing a turn on the second lap! This is my HOME TRAIL! I know it inside out, every tree and root. Well, the course didn?t follow the usual route
and I zoned out. At least I didn?t? get too far off course. Bret, who designed the course, had a good laugh about that.

At noon, the 6 hour group got started. For the next 6 hours, all 3 events would be on the trail. My friends Jane and Tanya were there and I got to chat with them a bit.
Did I mention my friends Rob, Sarah, Ben and Chap were doing a relay? Team Bacon. Yeah, that makes sense for a relay team that is half vegan! Rob passed me about every third lapduring the first 6 hours. Never once laughed at my slow speed, and always had a word of encouragement. This encouragement continued from all of Team Bacon until 9:00 the next morning. That relay was very inspirational! Thank you!

The mutual aid station was well staffed and organized. Thank you to all those volunteers. What was wonderful was this was where I could see the runners doing the paved events. So many fo my friends were out there and I loved seeing them. Throughout the day, other friends and member of the triathlon and running community came out to watch and cheer us on. Team Bacon member took to calling me Kit Kat and whenever I approached the timing mat/aid station I?d hear, “Go Kit Kat.” No one had ever called me that before, or since.

Peggy, Dave, Bret, Keith and Beth were awesome! With every lap they asked how I was or if I needed anything. Beth had already made a trip out to get Melissa some Doritos. “No thanks, I?m good.” Then, shortly before 6:00 it hit me. It hit me hard. I needed a glass of milk. Huh? Yes, milk! I called Shay as I knew she would be working the aid station at 6:00. Um, OK, are you sure you want milk?” Yep. Oh that tasted so good. More than one person commented on that later. So I?m a little different.

The 12 and 6 hour events ended at 6:00pm. A gunshot signaled the finish. When I heard it I jumped and then almost started crying. I was so happy for all of those people who had met their goal. What an accomplishment.

Then I almost started crying again when I realized I still had 15hours to go! This is when things started to get interesting. There had been some 25 people on this two mile loop, now there were just 6, 7 counting the relay.

A couple hours went by where I didn?t see anyone except while at the aid station. I didn?t see another runner on the trail! As evening turned to night and we donned our lights, shadows began to play tricks. There was still a good crowd of people with chairs and tents lined up along the mutual aid station area. It was dark and I was tired, and I had a hard time recognizing people as they cheer me on, but it was inspiring nonetheless. There even came a point where I thought I saw a fire on the trails. As I got closer I could see a couple people dressed as skeletons holding a torch. I wouldn?t have recognized Martha and Biff and they not told me who they were. Awesome, though it was a very windy night and I feared they really might start a fire!

The low was in the upper 50?s and I still didn?t need a jacket. The wind in the trees was peaceful and I was thankful that I was running on the trails. I worried about the gang on the pavement loop getting blasted by the wind.

Around 1:00am I started getting dizzy. I was tired, the shadows were messing with me, so I decided to go lay down in my car. Let me tell you that the backseat of a Ford Focus was not built for sleeping! My hips hurt, but I thought the rest would do me good. It was 2 hours before I got up again. Did a few more laps, then just couldn?t go on. I had to take another nap! This time when I
got to my car, I couldn?t think of any good reason why I shouldn?t just go home.

I have to backtrack. I said I think competition is unnecessary stress. But, there was just one other women in this event. If I beat her, I would WIN. I?ve never won an event before. I had absolutely no idea where Lorrie was, or how many loops she had done. I had passed her on that trails in the late afternoon, but hadn?t seen her since. All I could ascertain was that I was one lap up on her before I took a two hour break. Fine, I need to rest. Let her win. I?ll take second. Better yet, I?ll still be First Masters Female.

I had lost track of my lap count, but didn?t think taking two naps would get me to my goal of 72 miles. I was too tired to drive home, so I slept.

Climbing out of my car the second time was killer. My legs and feet felt fine, oh, it was my hips. But once I started moving again, all was good. Back at the aid station I learned that only one other person and the relay was still on the trails. The other participants had dropped out.

Beth had accompanied Melissa on her final laps during her 12 hour event, which by the way, she WON! Beth had also offered me company. OK, now it was around 7:00am and I needed it. Beth and I power-walked throughout sunrise. How awesome to hear the birds waking up out on my favorite trail. Joel, Maurice and Chisholm had told me what a „pick-me-up” sunrise would be, and they were right! Only 2 more hours! I could do anything for 2 hours!

OK, now my feet hurt. I didn?t trust my legs. Who put all these logs where the tree roots used to be? I used to joke that I knew every tree and root at Bluff Creek. Beth commented that I now I knew every leaf and blade of grass!

It was getting close to 9:00, I was ready to see Scott. More people were starting to gather at the aid station area to see the finish. I grabbed a flag with my bib# on it to plant on the side of the trail if the gun sounded and I hadn?t completed the lap. Partial credit, yeah! Beth continued with me for another lap and I walked as fast as I could. Running was no longer an option. Towards the finish we ran into Melissa. She was getting around pretty good, walking her dogs. She shouted, “Will you do another?” I replied, “No way!”
Beth helped me finished another lap, and there was Scott waiting for me! There was only a few minutes left, so I grabbed Scott?s had to join me until the finishing gun sounded. Truly, he had a hard time keeping up with my power walking pace. Just passed the bridge, I heard the countdown. When the gun fired, my eyes filled with tears and I planted my flag. I wish I had the words to express my feelings. Awe, amazement, pure fatigue… similar to what I felt crossing the REDMAN finish line, but more so.

When the awards were announced and I was the overall female winner on the trails I was thrilled. Chisholm handed me my certificate and said that he was crying. I know he was so happy for me. Having a friend win your event must be a great feeling.

Thank you Chisholm for putting together this great event, and for the encouragement throughout.

See you on the trails!

Katharine Miller

2009 Oklahoma Female Ultra-Trailrunning Champion

Henry Bickerstaff completes the Western States 100

BTMR Report – Charlie Neunschwander

The Barr Trail Mountain Race ran its 11th running on the 18th of July 2010. Some names in the field I recognized, like Matt Carpenter and Ricky Gates. I saw that Anton Krupicka was on the roster but I guess did not make it to the start line as I never saw him any time during the event. From my understanding, Carpenter has pretty much dominated the event in all of its years but this race would have him de-throned and a new course record would be set. You can read more about the exciting race and view the race results

at http://www.runpikespeak.com/. But on we go with my perspective of the race.

I arrived in Manitou Springs with about 45 minutes to kill before the start. I didn’t want to warm up too early, but I did power walk the 3/4 mile up to the start line because I wasn’t sure how the altitude would affect me and I didn’t want to do my

normal warm-up routine for fear of premature fatigue at this higher altitude. Waiting around at the start was, relaxing. I noticed I was actually a bit chilly with the morning low temps being in the upper 50s with virtually zero humidity. It almost felt like an Oklahoma morning in November, and I just ate it up.

They gave us a two and one minute warning and finally we were off. I decided to take it very gingerly at the start and funnel into the trail with the other 400 or so runners which felt more like cattle being herded into a single file line. With all this comes my only complaint about the race: the sheer number of participants. I think it wouldn’t have been so bad if there hadn’t been a mass start but so it goes.

The first half of the “out” portion of the course was slow going. The first 3 miles of the course are the steepest, with switchbacks and tough terrain. Most of this was power-walked not only because running would have zapped all my energy but also because I was within a forearm’s length of other runners on all sides of me. I literally think it saved me though because knowing myself, I would have attempted to run this portion and completely exhausted myself.
After about the 3 mile mark on the course, the trail flattened out and opened up some as well, making more room to pass other runners and break into a rhythmic jog.

grinding up one of the turns on the

Trail Journal Entry by Peggy 01/20/07

First official OTRA run of ‘07 at NuDraper trails. Some sleet during the run – definately not the 8″ heavy snow that our over eager forcasters predicted. Temp was nice – 33 degrees and little to no wind.
I trail tested “get a grip” (the poor woman’s YakTrax’s from Ace Hardware). I liked them – gave me the secure feeling I needed to run without falling.
Came face-to-face with a good sized doe – can’t do that on a treadmill! Hope to see more runners on the trail with us next month!

Mc Naughton Trail Run Start!

Steve Tanio Race Report for McNaughton Trail Run

I was so glad to finish this race, even though I only ran the short 50 mile race. McNaughton Park Trail Runs, consisting of 150, 100, and 50 mile races, are held at McNaughton Park near Pekin, Il. 150 Mile runners were to begin running at 6pm on Friday evening while the 50 and 100-mile runners were to begin Saturday morning at 6am.

A few 100-mile runners began Friday night in order to give themselves some extra time to finish the race that officially ended at 6pm on Sunday night. Each 10 Mile loop sported 1,600′ of elevation change per loop with hills of varying distance and difficulty (mostly short and steep). Each loop also had two 20-yard creek crossings. One crossing was knee deep the other was shin deep. For me, the 5 ten-mile loops adds up to 8,000′ of elevation change in all the hills you can handle plus 10 cold creek crossings.

This year’s race was held on the weekend of April 13, 14 ,15. I arrived about 5:30 P.M. on the 13th, and had enough time to register and watch the 150 mile race start at 6:00P.M. The weather was a little cool with highs in the low 40’s. Anyways after watching the 40 odd souls of the 150 milers start, I left to find a hotel. Got to bed about 10:30 P.M. and woke to the alarm at 4:30 A.M. After getting all my gear organized I arrived at the park for the 6:00 A.M. start. It had snowed lightly sometime after midnight, but then warmed up and turned to rain, which left the course very muddy. Shortly before the start, some of the 150 mile racers came thru, to include eventual 2nd place finisher Davd Goggins, and 3rd place finisher Ryan Dexter, going into their 6th lap.

The trail race consists of a very hilly, and this year very muddy, 10 mile loop. Depending on which race you ran, was the amount of laps you did. The start of the 6:00 A.M. race consisted of the 100 mile and 50 mile racers, which consisted of 183 racers. The start quickly slowed down due to the first of numerous 50-90′ hills, which were made that much harder by the rain and mud. Everybody walked down the first hill, because there was no other safe means down, and the majority of the trail was single track. After beginning my usual fast pace(which always bites me in the butt later on), I was able to pass a lot of runners and begin running relatively by myself. This only allowed me to miss one loop of extremley nasty, muddy, quagmire caused by 200+ runners running the same muddy trail. The hills both up and down were fairly short, but very steep, with one hill requiring a rope to help navigate part way up. After finishing the first loop in about a snails pace 1:52, even though no one passed me, I began slowing down and was really surprised I wasn’t passed during the second loop, which took almost 3 hours to complete.

Later I discovered a large majority of DNF’s after the first loop, because of the slow, muddy conditions. Anyways while running the 3rd and 5th loop, I was lapped by non other than the 2007 Ultra runner of the year, Karl Meltzer, who was amazing to watch as he passed me effortlessly going up some of the steep hills. He ended up setting a course record for the 100 in 17:40:13, with second place in the 100 being placed by Akos Konya in 19:55:27.(Akos was last year’s 2nd place finisher at Badwater, behind Scott Jurek) As the race progressed the knee and shin deep water crossing were a welcome relief for very tired feet, and a chance to wash off a lot of mud which accumulated on your shoes. One runner who DNF’d, weighed his shoes after one loop and they weighed 8 pounds, because of all the mud.

This ended up being the longest 50 mile race, time wise I had raced, and I was able to finish as the 26th person in the 50 mile at 12:05:30. Officially, of the 40 starters in the 150 mile race, only 10 finished, with the winner being Paul Stofko in 35:22:25. In the 100 mile race 61 started and only 27 finished, with Meltzer setting the course record. And in the 50 mile race, 122 started with 77 finishing.

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Steve Tanio Race Report for Ice Age 50 Mile Trail Run

Ice Age Trail 50 mile

Before I decided to attempt this run, I researched and found out this was a very popular ultra trail run near LaGrange, Wisconsin (but don’t try to find LaGrange on a map!!) May 12, 2007, was the 26th year of this race. Last fall I’d run the harder (or so I was told at the time) of ultra’s run in the Kettle Moraine Forest, called the Glacial Trail 50 mile trail run. However, this Ice Age Trail run was just as tough.

The Kettle Moraine landscape was formed 13,000 years ago as a result of a receding glacier, leaving behind glacial boulders, steep ridges, knobby hills, and kettle depressions. The trail run takes place on the 18,000 acre Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine Forest, and has a variety of running surfaces, from pine and hardwood forests, wetlands and dry prairies, with plenty of rock covered hills interspersed. The evening before, I had picked up my race packet, which included a t-shirt, my #258 race number, a Montrail water bottle, and a chip-timing device.

My wife, my 3 month old, and I ate at an Italian restaurant, and I got back to the motel room and was asleep by 9:30 p.m. I awoke to the sound of my cell phone alarm at 0415 and began preparing. From the motel in Elkhorn, WI to the race was a short 15-minute drive. This race started at 0600 hours, with 293 runners, clear skies, temperature of 45 degrees, with a high forecast of only mid to high 60’s. (Perfect conditions!!)

With so many runners, there was an electric feeling in the air. This probably accounted for my initial brain short circuit and thinking this could be run like a 5K. With the start, I took off (way too fast…AGAIN), only to realize rather quickly this would be a long day and not a short 5K. I immediately began slowing down and actually enjoyed the first 10.5 miles of running in a pine carpeted, and pine tree covered wide trail, named the Nordic Ski Trail. The surface quickly changed to the actual Ice Age trail, which is a single-track trail, with plenty of up and down elevation changes, with small rocks and exposed tree roots to trip you up. The rest of the course was single track, with an occasional road crossing. Plenty of aid stations were along the course, with the furthest apart being only 4 miles, and stocked with the usual pretzels, bananas, orange slices, chocolate chip cookies, water, flat Coke, and Succeed.

The entire course was quite tree covered and had numerous intersecting other trails, but it remained well marked, and would be very hard to take a wrong turn on. After the Nordic Trail the run went on the Ice Age trail to an out and back which totaled 23+ miles, and then led to a second out and back and the eventual finish line, and finisher’s belt buckle.

I ended up finishing in 9:42:31, for an 11:40 pace, which placed me 79 out of 238 total finishers. All in all this was a gratifying race, and one my muscles will not quickly forget.

Beth & Peggy at the top!

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Peggy at finish

Pikes Peak Ascent 2007

August 18th, 2007 I learned how flatlanders breathe at 14,000 feet – not very well! The weather was perfect, the views from the course were spectacular. Beth McCombs and I both finished well before the cut-off time and enjoyed the race.

Finally at the Finish Line. Where is the oxygen tank?

Beth at finish

Beth is still smiling as she crosses the line.

Bret Sholar Race Report from 2007 Leadville 100

LEADVILLE TRAIL 100 RACE REPORT

Just like any ultra, the Leadville Trail 100 for me proved to be full of highs and lows, pains and ecstasies and euphoria and disappointment. It is definitely an event that you would be hard pressed to keep me away from in the future.

I arrived in Leadville eight (8) days before the race hoping to get acclimated to the altitude and to volunteer for the Leadville 100 Bike Race. Volunteering for the bike race was an incredible experience and one that I plan to duplicate in the near future, if I don’t get a wild hair and ride it. I met some incredible people, had tons of fun and even gained a little insight into the LT100. A special thanks to Miles Krier, a Leadville local, Liz Walker form Georgia (both who finished the LT100 this year) and many other new friends for making me feel like I was part of a special group.

I stayed at the Leadville Hostel and had a blast. Wild Bill and Kathy treat their guests like old friends and made pre-race week comfortable and relaxing. I would highly recommend to anyone heading to Leadville for any reason to stay with them. Having never stayed at a hostel, I was a little apprehensive. But as soon as I arrived Wild Bill made me feel at ease by saying “We are all adults here and expected to act like it. Respect everyone else, if you see a sign read it and if it applies to you do it.” It made sense and everyone surprisingly complied, even a funny chap from Ohio named Mike Brown.

I spent the week acclimating and making more friends. For those of you who know me know that is an amazing thing because I generally do not like people and am fiercely independent. On Monday, about seven (7) of us, including some crazy Canadians, climbed to the top of Colorado’s highest peak, Mt. Elbert. It was beautiful. On Wednesday I traveled to Colorado Springs to pick up my good friend and former Oklahoman, Steve Tanio, at the airport. Steve came in from Iowa to run. I would not have made it through the week or post-race without Steve.

As race day approached we met a great guy from Mexico City, Luis Guerrero, who gave us some great tips for the race. Luis has run Leadville five (5) times now with five (5) finishes. His best time is just over 20 hours where he actually passed Matt Carpenter and finished sixth.

Race morning was typical. We woke up a little apprehensive, got dressed, ate our pre-race breakfast and headed down to the starting area. The place was packed full of excited, nervous people. The only one who did not look nervous was Anton Krupicka, the eventual winner in 16:14:35. The second place guy finished over 3 hours and 15 minutes later. Still an incredible time.

The gun went off at 4:00 a.m. and about 600 of us headed west in the dark toward a day or more full of ups and downs and ups and downs and ups and downs. You get the point. The first leg of the race was to May Queen Campground 13.5 miles away. The group was still tightly bunched and it was very hard to keep one’s excitement in check. Every now and then I got in with a group that was too fast and had to remind myself to just back off and take it easy. I had a long way to go. At one point I got behind a guy that took a wrong turn and got about 100 yards off course. I came to May Queen about 2.5 hours after I started and actually ran in with the well-decorated Kirk Apt. The aid station was well-stocked with great trail fare and wonderful volunteers. The same thing can be said for every single aid station along the route.

We left May Queen and headed up the Colorado Trail toward the infamous Power Line. I came up on Steve Tanio as we headed toward Power Line. He had his music on and looked strong. I ran for a while with a guy named Gerald Oliver from Edwards, Colorado. After this race, Gerry will be a Leadman. Great job Gerry. (A Leadman is someone who finishes the Leadville Trail Marathon, Silver Rush 50-mile Bike Race, the 100-Mile Bike Race, the 10K and the 100-Mile Trail Run over the course of the summer. Only a handful make it.) Another great Leadman that I stayed with at the Hostel was Elwyn Owen. The run down Power Line was exhilarating and made me realize I need to work on my downhill skills. I got down Power Line and headed toward the Fish Hatchery. On the way there I was passed by Jim Baker, long-time ultra runner and Oklahoma City resident. I arrived at Fish Hatchery (23.5 miles) feeling pretty good and knowing I had a long way to go. Unfortunately, this is also as far as I would make it back some time early the next morning.

As I was leaving Fish Hatchery I saw Steve Tanio coming in. It is great to see familiar faces on the course. What a boost. The course between Fish Hatchery and Half Moon (7 miles) is all on paved and dirt roads and seems to go on forever. I made this section of the run by running seven (7) minutes and walking about one (1). In this section of the run I came upon some really cute girls and decided that this running stuff was not too bad after all. I arrived at Half Moon with some energy knowing the best/toughest was yet to come.

You head out of Half Moon and run about 1.25 miles on a dirt road to the Colorado Trail. You then have a little less than eight (8) miles over the mountain to Twin Lakes. On the way down to Twin Lakes is where my day started heading a little south. Every step down the trail was like someone punching me in the gut. Not sick, just pounding, if that makes sense. Another bright spot on the day occurred as I approached the Twin Lakes Aid Station. I was greeted by my parents, sister and four nephews. Unfortunately I would not see them again that day.

As a side note, I ran the race without a planned crew or pacer and have no regrets in that regard. However, a pacer is good for company, as I would learn later in the day, and a crew is really a blessing when you are feeling a little down. Out of all those running there were very few of us that had neither. At Twin Lakes I saw one runner sitting in a chair. He had a crew member on each foot, changing and cleaning his feet, another one rubbing his shoulders, another one filling his bottles and another one bringing him food. I do not even get that treatment at home and do not have that many friends; much less any that would want to touch my feet.

I left Twin Lakes (39.5 miles) and headed toward Hope Pass and then the turnaround at Winfield (50 miles). Right out of Twin Lakes we had to cross a marshy area and Lake Creek. Due to the recent rains, the marsh was nothing but a series of ankle-plus deep water slogs that smelled like the pit stop for elk and other wildlife and was a grayish-black color. After about a mile of this we came to a series of creek crossings. Lake Creek was nice and cold, actually refreshing, and we had to use a rope to get across one point that was over knee deep. Right after the creek I met Anton coming the other way with his pacer. They looked as if they were hardly working. For a split second I wondered if anyone would believe me if I were to turn around and follow Anton back. Yeah right!

After you cross the creek you head toward Hope Pass. Who the hell named this Hope Pass? For me it was more like Bonk and Try Not to Fall Off the Mountain Pass. By the time I got to the top of the Pass I was pretty cooked. Even though it was beautiful up there all I could do was sit down and try to figure out where all my energy had gone. I had a severe calorie deficit. However, a great doc/EMT/paramedic named Bill helped bring me back to life and turned my race around. After about 30 plus minutes sitting and drinking and eating chicken broth I had to make a decision; go on or be another Hope Pass causality. I opted for the former. I climbed another several hundred feet up to the top of Hope Pass, where I took a few photos and then headed down the other side. On the way down I saw several of the leaders and people I recognized friends like Luis, Miles, Liz, Robert King, Mike Suminski and Chisholm Deupree. Chisholm completed his 10th LT100 and is now the proud owner of a huge 1000-Mile buckle. Congratulations Chisholm. Chisholm’s dad Harry also started the race this day. Harry has had a tough health bout lately and it was good to see him out again. After I got through some rain and hail to the bottom of Hope Pass there is this road that leads to Winfield. It is undoubtedly the longest 2.5 miles I have ever run. According to my watch I made the Winfield turnaround cutoff by 30 seconds. I had to sprint through, if you call it a sprint, the aid station and check out quickly. Since I had no drop bag here, I moved right on through.

After I headed through the aid station they asked me if I had a Pacer. I replied “No.” but my response was immediately followed by a voice saying “Now he does!” Scott Hidalgo, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who had been waiting for his runner who unfortunately had knee problems and dropped out, came along for the ride. He got me up and over Hope Pass. We passed numerous other runners on the way up. It was dark by the time we reached the top and more soup. The Twin Lakes’ side of Hope Pass was very slick and muddy, but we cruised. In fact, I ran that leg of the race the first time in about five hours and made it back over in about three hours and forty-five minutes. As we headed toward Twin Lakes we again slopped through the water and Lake Creek had risen another six (6) inches. A few of us were really humping to make the Twin Lakes cutoff. According to my watch I had about one minute to spare.

Scott grabbed my drop bag, I sorted through it and we headed toward Half Moon. The climb up at first was slow, but we started to pass all of the runners that we were with earlier. After we crested the mountain and headed down we picked up speed in the mud. We came across Mike Brown who was cheerfully plugging along. It was Mike’s first 100. After heading down a little ways I noticed that Scott was starting to fade a little. He had done his job and got me that far. I sincerely appreciate his help. Unfortunately, I have not seen Scott since and am hoping to find him soon and again offer my appreciation. As I got off the Colorado Trail and onto a dirt road that went pretty much uphill at around 10,000 feet to Half Moon I had only a few minutes to make the cutoff I ended up traveling the last three (3) miles of that leg on the Colorado Trail and dirt road at breakneck speed. I was still carrying my Camelback Octane 14 which, when full of HEED and with all my gear, weighed 10-plus pounds. It probably weighed close to eight pounds at this point. I barely made the Half Moon cutoff. I was pretty wiped and soaking wet. Little did I know it, but the aid stations were fudging a little on some runners who barely missed the cutoff and letting them on. That is cool, but I wished I had have known that because I might not have pushed quite so hard.

I grabbed a few things to eat and drink. I loved the watermelon. I looked for and found my drop bag. However, it was wet from an earlier rain. Thus, I had no dry clothes to put on as I headed out to the Fish Hatchery. It was not too bad at first, but when I reached the Tree line out in the open I began to get cold and my body started talking to me. I slowed down and was passed by a few runners. However, I made the Fish Hatchery cutoff with 11 minutes to spare. I was extremely cold and planned to use that time to warm up before I headed back out and up Power Line. I had every intention to go out, and even tried a few times. The physicians there tried all they could to help me. Dr. Hill was great. However, I could not get warm and time ran out on me. My race was done at 76.5 miles. My first ever DNF.

Needless to say, I was devastated and was very emotional. One of the Aid Station workers said she needed to cut off my bracelet. It was hard and she asked me how I was doing. All I could say was a few words made famous by the illustrious Governor of California. “I’ll be back!”

I gathered my stuff and hitched a ride back to the Hostel from this incredibly cute resident physician from Denver named Amy. Thanks Amy. I got back, ate some great potato soup provided by the Hostel, called my wife and my Dad, took a shower and went to bed. One (1) restless hour later I woke up.

Steve had gotten there earlier in the evening and we headed down to the Finish Line. It was hard watching athletes cross that line, but I wanted to be supportive. It was equally hard watching the awards ceremony. I will be at both next year.

I want to give a special thanks to all those that made my week as great as it was. This race has incredible volunteers and they make it the great event that it is. They put on one fine event in Leadville and I recommend it to any ultrarunner.

I came to Leadville to run 100 miles, but was stopped short at 76.5. I know I left everything out there, but guarantee that I am not through yet. So those of you contemplating this race just go for it. And when you are on the starting line I will be there beside you determined to in the immortal words of Larry the Cable Guy “GIT ER DUN!”

Bret Sholar

Great is the road I climb, but the garland offered by an easier effort is not worthy the gathering.

Melissa Stone Race Report from Lean Horse 50K

My LeanHorse 50K Race
August 25, 2007
Hot Springs, South Dakota

You’re probably asking yourself why I went all the way to Hot Springs, SD to do a little ultramarathon. Maybe someday over a few cold ones I’ll explain why.

Suffice it to say, it was well worth the trip.

After a 13 hour drive along every cornfield in the state of Nebraska, I arrived early Thursday evening in the sleepy little town of Hot Springs, nestled south of the Black Hills. Coming into the town is a little bit like entering a canyon with layers and layers of red shale and pine trees.
Hot Springs is home to a series of thermal springs which empty into Fall River which runs through the town alongside the Freedom Trail.

Packet pickup was held at the local civic center which also served as the race start/finish.
I met the race director, Jerry Dunn, a tall lanky man of 51 who promptly handed me a Fuel Belt along with my race packet. Hmm, great swag so far!
I chatted a bit with him about the course and the weather and then headed back to my motel. By this time it was cool enough to require a light jacket- I was smiling, thinking this would be perfect race weather.

I woke Friday morning to thunder and light rain- WTF- I knew there was a 20% chance of rain for the day but this was not in my schedule!
I was hoping to get a little sightseeing in before the race but wasn’t looking forward to doing it in the rain.
My prayers were answered and the rain let up enough for me to venture up to Mt. Rushmore. Words cannot explain seeing this thing for the first time, even in the rain! As you wind up the road there is a scenic turnout and as you turn around you look up to see the profile of George Washington. For anyone whose been there, you know what I mean when you enter the Avenue of Flags and see the entire monument for the first time. Breathtaking. I walked the Presidential Trail towards the artists cottage and eventually made my way back to the entrance. It had started pouring again so I found my car and headed back down the mountain. I decided to see Crazy Horse Mountain since it was on the way. The monument is clearly a work in progress. The rain had stopped by now and the clouds lifted enough to see it. Currently the head and a portion of his arm are finished. According to the video shown at the visitors center, it will be ten times the size of Mt. Rushmore.

Ok- enough tourist stuff.

The prerace meeting was Friday afternoon at the civic center auditorium. At last count there were approximately 185 people registered for all 3 events. The majority being the 100 mile. This was definitely geared towards these individuals. During the meeting, we were informed that Akos Konya, who placed second at Badwater this year and last, was running the 100 mile. The aid stations were adjusted to open thirty minutes to an hour earlier because of this wiry, Hungarian phenom. He would eventually win the 100 in around 15:30.
The prerace dinner was held at the Flatiron- the towns swankiest restaurant- we were ushered outside to a terrace with a series of tables and a buffet of food, including salmon, burgers, veggies and rice. It was here I met an interesting couple from Denver who were also doing the 50K. We chatted for a while and then said goodbye. I would see them again after the turnaround tomorrow morning.

I went to bed feeling unusually calm or maybe it was the Phenergan I had taken for the slight nausea and butterflies I was experiencing earlier!

My alarm went off at 4AM, and I finally crawled out of bed at 4:25. I looked out the window to make sure it wasn’t raining- it was cool- low 50’s with light winds and by the time I headed out the door at 5:30, I could see the fog. I walked to the race start as it was less than a block from my motel. It was also a nice chance to gather my thoughts and warm up my legs.
We all met at the civic center and checked in. Several months ago, when planning this trip, I found out a woman in my spin class had done this race last year and was planning on it again this time. Michelle and I had earlier decided to run together as much as we could until my turnaround- she was doing the 50 mile today. She had done the 50K last year on a different course. We were excited to see how different it would be. Hearing rumours of a relatively flat course on crushed limestone/gravel roads through the Black Hills, with a slight incline and “an easy” 100 milers according to Dean Karnazes, made me think it was in the bag. I trained on steep sandy, root and rock infested mountain bike trails all summer long. But that was last years course!

The gun went off promptly at 6AM and so were we. It was a brisk walk for a half mile as we meandered in the fog through town, down the Freedom trail that runs alongside Fall River. We eventually run north of town through parking lots and a not-so-pretty neighborhood strewn with abandoned appliances and cars, towards the Coldbrook Lake campground through a meadow leading to the first aid station. This meadow was filled with some of the most beautiful flowers and foliage, including the most fragrant sage which I could smell the moment I arrived .
The course took us out to Argyle Road, a wide, 2-lane gravel/ crushed limestone road. At this point I’m thinking this was not what I was imagining. I knew that the 50 and 100 mile course was primarily on the Mickelson trail- a narrow crushed limestone path that winds almost to Crazy Horse Mountain. We were on a 2-lane back country road that was never level anywhere you ran on it. Oh, and the hills- they didn’t mention the hills- all 12 miles of winding, quad-gripping, hi- wrenching hills. Think: climbing Mt. Scott for 24 miles then a short downhill through town.
I ran the first 8 or so miles with Michelle and a few other people we met along the way, including a young guy , originally from Canada, who was registered for the 50K but decided to do the 50 mile. I checked my watch and decided to push on- if I didn’t pick it up, I’d never make the turnaround in 4 hours. My goal initially was just to finish before the 8 hour cutoff- period. Anything under that would be cake!
I turned on the I-Pod and set about to making up some time. I vowed to say Hi to everyone I passed and kept the tunes low enough to make chatting possible.
I met Jim, from Texas. He was doing the 100 and, like me, wanted to keep pace. I continued on after a brief chat.
The hills were a series of quarter miles ups and downs with a few hundred yards of flat road- for 12 miles – did I mention?

The aid stations consisted of the usual fare and I was happy to see Diet Pepsi at each one- not defizzed, but straight- up fizzy! I stuck to pretzels, clifshots, bloks and Cytomax fluid the entire time. I did not vary except to drink a cup of Diet Pepsi at each aid station.
Each station had a trailer which served as porta-pottie facilities- other than that every 4 miles, there was nuthin’ else- just mother nature.
I almost missed the turnaround. Crew people drove up and down the course and towards the 15 mile mark I asked where the turnaround was- she pointed towards a monstrous hill and said just over it. I groaned and pushed on. Just before the hill I saw two women on the left side of the road- I said Hi and went on. They said when I passed them that this was the turnaround and, sure enough, I looked down and saw the orange arrow- before the hill- yippee! I was ecstatic- I turned and trotted back down- my time was 3:32.
I passed several going the way I had come, wondering if they were going to turn or continue on the 50 mile course. I passed the guy from Canada and we “high-fived” and I went on. I would see him at the finish line much later in the evening.
As I said before, there were no portas except at the aid stations. By now, my bladder was talking to me so I checked both directions- making sure I wouldn’t moon anyone inadvertently, and found the nearest tree to water.
Except for the occasional crew vehicle, there was no one else for 2-3 miles. At the 12 mile aid station I checked my watch, it was just after 10. I realized I had almost 4 hours to finish 12 miles. It was at this point I started thinking I might be able to finish under 7:30.
Prior to the 12 mile station, I noticed one other runner approximately a half mile behind me- it was hard to estimate due to the hills. I would lose site of him for a bit, then he caught up at the aid station. We chatted for a minute- He had flown in last evening from Hawaii where he was stationed, with his wife- he was doing the 50K, his wife the 100. We ran together for a few minutes and then we were back and forth the rest of the way- I’d pass him- he’d pass me. We met up again at the 8 mile AS- thank goodness they had ice- the 12 mile one had none going out or coming back. My watch read 11:10. The idea that I could finish in under 7 hours started to sink in. I picked up the pace. By the last aid station, on a flat road, I was on a mission. I was greeted by 3 large furry dogs and a very cute guy running the AS! What a day so far.
I was grateful to have my “pacer” within view as I was a little lost going back into town. Going out early in the morning, we were chatting and I paid little attention to detail- my brain was remembering some of the sights but others eluded me. Eventually I found the familiar orange chalk marks in the road. We made our way back the way we had come,” Hawaii” a quarter mile behind. We ran back along the river on the Freedom trail and I noticed picnickers enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Then I looked north and noticed a series of tents set up along the road above the trail. It was either a crafts fair or a farmers market- I was wishing for a fresh peach or slice of juicy watermelon at this point! Continuing along the trail, I noticed a family posing for a photo on the rocks in the river. It was so clear you could see the bottom. I made my way down the trail towards the finish. When I came to the road leading to the finish I noticed cones blocking one part of the trail and another cone in the middle of the other trail that led behind the civic center. It ook this trail which wound behind a Dairy Queen and then I stopped, unsure if I had gone the right way. I went back to the cone and saw my “pacer” come to the other side of the road and shrug- he took the other route. A volunteer came out of nowhere and and shouted I was going the right way. I looked at my watch- 6:55. I hauled ass back on the same trail and came up behind the civic center where the trail ended to see a large banner proclaiming “LeanHorse 100 Finish”. I sprinted across the line and looked down at my watch- 6:58. YES- I did it!
My faithful pacer crossed a minute later and we “high-fived” and congratulated each other.

I walked around for a minute, asking if anyone had a camera- it would have been nice to have a finish photo, but I was happy just the same. I also inquired if we could claim our finishers prizes- She said sure and directed me to the person in charge. She also mentioned, by the way, you are the first female in your age group- I smiled in disbelief. I knew the 50K race had 6 or 7 women in my age group and I saw several pass me at the turnaround 15 miles earlier- they must have been in another group!
I grabbed some water and followed the RD’s wife, Elaine, into the gym to collect my prizes! She handed me a white box that contained the silver keychain with the LeanHorse logo and a chip of Black Hills gold. I also received a horseshoe covered in leather with 1st place 2007 emblazoned on it! I couldn’t have asked for anything more except maybe my friends to share this moment with. It seems I had made friends and looked up to see the couple I met the night before- Karen had won 3rd overall female and we hugged and congratulated each other.

I was worn out. I headed back to my motel, showered and took a 4 hour nap. I woke, sore and starving. I found something yummy to eat and went back to the finish line. Michelle’s daughter, Jennifer, was volunteering and had not heard word on her mother. Since she had missed the cutoff, We decided to head up the trail to find her. At 6:30 we found her near the 95 mile mark- she looked weary but strong. just 5 miles to go, we said. And she jogged past us. We drove back to the finish and waited for her to come in. She made it in around 8PM, finishing her first 50 mile. We congratulated each other and took a few pictures.
We hung around and saw “Canada” and another young guy from Texas- Brad, finish the 50 mile.
It was just a few minutes later and we got word that the first 100 miler was approaching. And sure enough, Akos Konya sprinted across the finish in just under15:30.
It was a long day, full of great memories and experiences. After saying goodbye to everyone I went back to my motel and went to bed.
I woke the next morning and after packing things in the car headed over to the motel office where, for 30 minutes, a few of us watched at least a half dozen 100 milers run to the finish.
I thought, while I was sleeping peacefully last night, these folks were running through the night, meeting every challenge that hit them. I had met mine and I was happy.

Before I left for South Dakota, I tried to rationalize driving 850 miles, alone, to run a race.
I now know it was worth every mile of travel.
I met many people in those few days, some I may never see again, some I might. Trail runners are a friendly group of people. They look for challenging races all over the country. Who knows where else we’ll meet.
I’ll definitely go back to Hot Springs again, but I think I’ll fly!

Bret SHolar Race Report from Heartland 100

HEARTLAND 100 RACE REPORT

I signed up for the Heartland 100 in Kansas thinking it would be a tough physical challenge, but the mental challenge seemed even more daunting. After “getting close” at the Leadville Trail 100 a couple of months ago, I wanted to clear my palate of the bad taste of my first and only DNF and taste the sweetness of 100-mile redemption. This race proved to be just that.

As soon as I signed up for this race I enlisted the help of my good friends Dave Wood and Desiree Margagliano. Nobody takes care of me at a race like Mr. Dave Wood. I could not ask for a better and more devoted crew and friend. Dave is about as selfless as they come. He has had viral bronchitis for two weeks, was constantly horking up mucus plugs and still opted to come along. Desiree was my pacer. She listened to my crap for over 32 miles and was constantly reminding me to keep fueling up. Running with Desiree is like running with Dr. Ruth, Dr. Phil and the Energizer Bunny on Red Bull and wacky weed. Dave and Desiree were simply incredible and I appreciate them taking the time to help me fixed my bruised ego.

We drove up to Cassoday in two trucks because Dave had to be back in Tulsa early Sunday afternoon to work. Desiree rode with me and slept part of the way, even after a stop at Starbucks in OKC. As Dave and I learned over the course of the next two days, Desiree can sleep anywhere. You put the girl in a vehicle and it is like giving your baby a spoonful of Benadryl. We arrived at the pre-race meeting after the pre-race meeting was over but in time for probably the best pre-race meal I have ever had. It was home-cooked by a sweet little Kansas lady and consisted of chicken, roast beef, a garden salad, pasta salad, potatoes, green beans and three kinds of cobbler. Wow! After we picked up my packet and ate we headed back to El Dorado to rest up for the big day. Desiree and I each had our own queen-sized bed and Dave, who just happens to be king-sized, opted for the rollaway. He said he was doing so because we had to run the next day. What a guy. I was thankful for his gesture until I had to listen to him snore all night. A couple of times I could have sworn a train was passing right through our room. Of course, Desiree slept through it all.

I awoke the next morning feeling like that train did pass through our room, but excited and ready to run. Dave and I headed out at 4:45 for a 6:00 start while Desiree stayed in bed and caught some more shuteye. We arrived in Cassoday and it was quiet except for a few volunteers working and a few runners milling around.

At 6:00 a.m. the RD, Randy Albrecht said a few words and the race was off. Unfortunately I missed those words of wisdom because I was about 10 seconds late getting to the staring line. It was dark as we headed out for about 1/3 mile on the only paved road we would see all day. This race was run entirely on gravel roads, so as a trail runner I was a little apprehensive. However, even though there were a few smoother sections, the vast majority was like running on many of the fire roads I have run on in Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. More like a trail than a road. I would venture to call it a hybrid surface. I have never stepped on so many loose rocks in on twenty-four hour period in my life. I usually do not run with music, but my 15-year-old daughter Elizabeth put several hundreds songs on my MP-3 Player and I was set. It really was nice having and kept my mind occupied.

I ran the majority of the way to the first aid station at Battle Creek (8.2 miles) feeling pretty good. I did not need to stop at the unmanned aid station about four miles into the run. I ran the majority of it, plus some, with a kid (23) named Cody from Kansas City. After about six miles of running on relatively flat roads, we got our first taste of the Flint Hills. The sun was starting to peek up and I saw the most incredible expanse of prairie I think I have ever seen. It was so cool that I started wishing my wife was there to enjoy it with me. Speaking of my wife, she laminated photos of herself and my three daughters and put them on a clip. I attached that clip to my race belt and looked at it and talked to my girls all day long. It got me through those tough spells we all go through in an Ultra. I will never do another ultra without my girls on my side. When the wind would blow, which was just about all day, I could hear and feel the photos on my side slapping together in the wind.

Arriving at the Battle Creek Aid Station we were greeted by an excited group of early-rising volunteers. They were led by a guy named Willy, one of the race sponsors, who just happened to stay at the Leadville Hostel this year with me. We passed quickly though the aid station and were headed toward Lapland. The hills became more intense and the field started to spread out even more. I stopped at the Lapland Unmanned Aid Station, got a shot of H20 and was on my way. I continued to make decent time, but slowed down a little from the start.

I rolled into the Lapland manned aid station at about 9:30. I found Dave waiting for me asking what I needed like a salsa boy at El Chico. No Desiree. Dave thought she still might be sleeping. I was not worried, I could not use a pacer until later in the day anyway and I was glad she was resting. I have done just about all my past races without a crew and pacer. It is such an uplifting feeling knowing someone is waiting on you. It really gives you something to look forward to each leg of the run. I drank an Ensure, some H20 and was on my way. The next stop was the 25 mile mark and the place where we would lose the 1/2ers.

The miles between Lapland and Teterville were some of the physically least challenging of the course; however, I fairly well maintained an even pace. I was passed by a few folks, primarily 50-milers smelling the turnaround. About 2/3 way there the 50-mile leader passed me going in the other direction. This is the nice thing about an out-and-back race. You get to see other human beings and encourage each other. Along the way I took a quick shot of water at the unmanned aid station and before long was at Teterville (the 25-mile mark). It was somewhere near 11:30. Dave was waiting on me with all my goodies and words of encouragement and I was on my way. I would not see Dave again for about 11.5 miles at Ridge Line. Little did I know it, but these next 11 miles would be the hardest of my entire run.

Shortly after I left Teterville it began to rain hard. The rain did not last very long, but it was long enough to turn the roads between Teterville and Texaco Hill into a mucky soup for a while. During one long road section, pretty much all uphill of course, my shoes picked up some really heavy clay. As I ran this clay decided to pick up grass and weeds and before long I was running with tumbleweeds and the Kansas prairie on my shoes. I was passed on this section by more people than I have ever been passed by in an ultra. It is very humbling. The day would get better. As we ran toward Texaco Hill and a ways beyond most of us would run the downhills and flats and walk the uphills. As I normally do in a long run, I would pick a spot on the uphill slope and run to that and a little more. However, there was on girl I noticed that did not stop running, uphill or downhill. She was not real fast, but she was steady. I was impressed. Even though I was running faster when I would run we maintained pretty much the same pace for a while. Her name is Brandi Resa from Colorado. I arrived at Texaco Hill thinking I would never get there. I had a drop bag there with nutrition and an extra shirt for later in the day. The volunteers could see I was hurting a little and seemed to know what to do. Texaco Hill, Battle Ridge and Lone Tree were the three aid stations where I had no crew so I really relied on the volunteers there. They came through with flying colors.

A few miles past Texaco Hill I saw a runner walking uphill toward me. It was race leader and eventual winner Paul Dewitt from Colorado. Paul ended up setting the course record in 14:26:43. WOW! Seeing Paul energized me and I picked up the pace the rest of the way to Matfield Green. On the way I saw a few more 100-milers heading back home. When I arrived at Matfield Green I was greeted by Dave and Desiree, changed shirts, fueled up and a well-rested Desiree and I headed out. I finally had a pacer. I had been looking forward to the company.

The run to Lone Tree and back with Desiree was fairly uneventful. The course as a whole is beautiful, but the first couple of miles just past Matfield Green were my least favorite. You parallel I-35 and actually feel like you are near civilization again. The road to Lone Tree and back just rolled along. Running with Desiree is never boring and some times not too quiet, but I was so glad to have her. At Lone Tree she made sure I fueled up and we were on our way. On the way back to Matfield we both ran out of fluid, but we made it none the less. Before I went to the truck, I stopped by the aid station for some excellent soup. This time I changed out of my Solomons and into my Brooks. My pinkie toe was hurting and I needed a little more room in my toe box. I bought the Solomons Saturday before the race and they only had about seven miles of running in them. Not a good idea for a 100-mile race; new shoes. However, they did great.

I made my way back towards Ridgeline on my own. I would pick up Desiree later that night. My return trip to Ridgeline was great. I actually ran back faster and felt better after this leg than on the way out. I had my flashlight, but decided not to use it yet. It is so serene running through the dark Kansas prairie with no artificial light. As I cruised in to Ridgeline I caught Dave and Desiree off guard. They were in the truck. Desiree was asleep again. I fueled up and was on my way to Texaco Hill and then Teterville. I would not see them again until Teterville, the 75-mile mark.

I continued to not use my flashlight for a little bit and had to dodge some of the biggest steaming cow pies I have ever seen. At about mile 65 I decided to get out the light. After a little ways I was switching hands with my light and my left big toe made direct contact with a rock. The rock didn’t move. My toe did. I was sure it was broke, but decided to not look at it and keep running. It turns out it was severely bruised and has a hematoma under the nail. The nail will come off soon. Despite the toe issue, I had a good run to Texaco Hill. Texaco Hill is the remotest place on the course and the coolest.

At Texaco Hill I made some inquiries about the day’s football games and found out that Oklahoma had beaten Missouri and that Oklahoma State had beaten the dog stuffing out of Nebraska in Lincoln. I just happen to have my orange Patagonia in my drop bag and decided to put it on for the return trip. It was a good leg of the run. The section that was so muddy earlier had dried out considerably and I was actually able to keep my pace up. I reach Teterville at about 11:15 p.m. From here on out, even though I had a pacer, I could only run a little ways and then walk.

My pacer got a lot uglier and gained about 100 pounds, but I was so glad to be running with Dave. Dave is originally from Kansas and really loves it out here. The 8.2 miles to Lapland was tough, but Dave did great to help me make it through. On this leg Dave and I decided that we would run the 50-mile race together next year. It will be Dave’s first 50-mile race. Dave and I kept up a decent pace, when I did not slow us down. I just wish we could have seen more of the landscape. At some point in this section, I surpassed my mileage at Leadville. However, my goal lay 22 miles ahead in Cassoday. As we neared Lapland, Dave went on ahead a little to get things ready for me. He is a great friend and crew.

I got refueled in Lapland and picked up Desiree for the 17 miles to 100. It was a beautiful night, but began to get a little cool. Desiree ran back about ¼-mile to get me another long sleeve shirt. What a girl. I was really slowing down, but Desiree kept me entertained and on track. We only saw a couple of people between Lapland and Battle Creek. We did see one guy at the unmanned Lapland aid station, but when he saw us he took off like a shot. We caught him later.

At Battle Creek (mile 91.8) we were joyously greeted by Willy and his crew. They had some great soup and it felt good to stop and refuel a minute. They also had some great cookies. I learned during this race that Desiree treats aid stations as endless buffet tables. She will eat anything they had on the table. She even got into an unopened canister of Cheesy Puffs while we were there. We had to finally leave before Desiree ate all the food and they had to close down the aid station. More than ½ the field was still behind us.

As we left Battle Creek it began to rain. Fortunately this only lasted a few minutes, but we were treated to an incredible lightening show the rest of the morning. I have never seen gold lightening until tonight. It was awesome. Like the ARM OF GOD!! We came out of the hills and had about six miles of relatively flatness in front of us. We were pleasantly surprised when we reached the last unmanned aid station and found it to be manned. They were fully stocked and even playing a movie. I took this opportunity to walk across the road and give back to nature. It is just the environmentalist in me. I again had to pull Desiree away from the buffet table and we were off on our final leg of the run. This last long stretch before you make a couple of turns in to Cassoday is the longest stretch of road I have ever been on, or it was that night. We came across a vehicle coming toward us. It was Dave. He was just checking to make sure we were still alive. He talked to us for a minute as we walked until I made him leave because the fumes from the truck were choking us. Dave later noted that on the way back to Cassoday he saw the two brightest moons he had ever seen. I think he had been up too long and was on some wicked antibiotics.

Desiree and I finally saw the lights of Cassoday and as we approached town I ran on ahead. The last 1/3-mile is on paved road and man was it hard. Approaching the finish line I had anticipated a great fanfare with crowds of people cheering me on. Well, what I found was a lady ringing a cow bell and saying stop at the chair. No light, no finish line, no clock. I just got in Dave’s truck and left. I finished in 24:48:02.

I had a Recoverite on the way back to the hotel in El Dorado. Dave took a shower and went to Tulsa. I soaked in ice bath and tried unsuccessfully to sleep for a couple of hours. It really did not work. It did not take long for Desiree to crash in a lazy-boy though. We starting moving around about 11:30 and were at the awards ceremony at 1:00 p.m. I got my drop bags and a really cool belt buckle with a bison on it. I am starting to get a nice collection of these since the Mother Road 100. Maybe I should start wearing pants.

After the awards ceremony Desiree and I headed 200 miles home. I drove and Desiree slept. During the entire weekend I had felt a vibration in my truck. About 1.5 miles from home I had a blowout and had to change a flat tire in the rain. Now my truck and I both had flat tires, only mine was purple and green.

In conclusion, I had signed up for this race as a redemption for falling short at Leadville, but as the day wore on I realized that every race must stand on its own and every day is a new day. I could only make up for Leadville by conquering Leadville. The Heartland 100 proved to be a challenging and exhilarating race and certainly stood on its own merits. A day in the Kansas prairie made this Oklahoma boy realize that you can learn a lot about yourself in a day and 100 miles is a long damn way! I can’t wait until my next one!

Bret Sholar

Great is the road I climb, but the garland offered by an easier effort is not worthy the gathering.

Joel McCarty – Green People 08 – First 50 Miler

1 tube of hydropel
2 Hot dogs, 2 PB & Honey Sandwiches
4 gallons of water, 1/2 case Clip2, 2 cans ensure, 3 tasty libations
3 pairs of shoes and socks
9 hours 41 minutes of running
50 miles
lots of love and support from family and friends

For those still reading after the “condensed” version. This Saturday was the annual Oklahoma Trail Runners Association – Green People trail event for climate awareness. This event hosted by the OTRA and directed by Katharine (soon to have a different last name) Cranwell is a special one for me. It’s hard to believe just one year ago that this event was my first trail event and also my first time to run 16 miles. Fast forward a year, 1 marathon and 2 50k’s later and I’m going for 40 or more miles.

I slept unusully well the night before an event even though I was down right scared of the next morning afraid I would repeat my performance at the Andy Payne marathon. I woke a bit earlier than planned at 3:30 and made it to lake Hefner in time to make an easy 2 miles before meeting my friend Reese.

Reese and I planned an easy 18-20 miles on the road before I left for the Green People event which started at 8:30. Did I mention it was still quite dark at 4:30 in the morning ? I had brought a headlamp but since I need to turn my cap around backwards to wear it and that is where my sunglasses were currently perched I decided to wrap the headband a few times around my water bottle. This actually worked quite well and might possibly decide the delima I have been having lately concerning nighttime lighting. IE – I like a lower light like a flashlight provides but hate running with one.

Back to the running – Reese and I took off towards Stars and Stripes park about 3 miles away and the site of one of the two icechests I had put out the night before. From there we decided to head toward Nichols Hills Plaza about 4 miles away to meet some friends from the Oklahoma City Running Club who were planning to start a 6:00 AM.

I was feeling good and probably running way to fast for a 40 mile day. Reese being a good friend and having already run a 50 miler mentioned that in a polite way a few times. When we reached the bottom of the hill that crests at the Nichols Hills police department we could just make out our Landrunner friends beginning to start their run. Unconsiously I started to speed up, then conciously started to really speed up in an effort to catch them. Once we did I realized I may pay for my indescreitions with pace by later in the day. A few minutes later after we had all said our good mornings I was still breathing a little too heavy this early in the day. For once I decided to do the smart thing and walk even though it meant being seperated from the pack. This was a much easier decision since Reese stuck beside me like a good friend so I wasn’t truly alone. We ran on the marathon course a bit more and then returned to our waterstop in the middle of Nichols Hills. After refueling we pointed ourselves back towards Hefner and retraced our steps. At about mile 17 (for me) Reese and I split up as he wanted to get in a bit more distance before finishing his morning.

I ran back to the truck and began changing shoes and socks before heading to Bluff Creek for the trail portion of the day. About this time Reese speeded in and we joked about what it would be like trying to put on fresh Injinjis during a 100 mile run. Reese graciously offered to begin crewing right then and there but I told him I could still change my own socks after 19 miles but I’m sure I’d take him up on it someday after 70 or so miles. It’s always good running with Reese. He’s the kind of friend that lets “lets what’s said in Vegas stay in Vegas” so we’ve had all sorts of taboo conversations (stereotypes, religion, politics, etc.)over many a mile. I remember thinking when he left how much I’d give to have him around for those final few miles which I knew would be tough.

After a quick change of shoes, a bottle of ensure, and reloading on clip2 I drove to Bluff Creek for the beginning of the Green People Trail Run.

I arrived at Bluff Creek to see a strong turnout for this years event. Checking in I bumped into my friend Larry who had come out to do a lap with me and check out the festivities. It was great to have him there and made the next two laps go smoothly while we caught up on old times. I also saw Chisolm D. there who had run from Norman to the start of the event! That’s almost 40 miles just to get to the starting line. Chisolm is training for Badwater this year and looked to be in fine form.

After the first two laps with Larry I had made the marathon distance and stopped for an ensure and peanut butter and honey sandwich. I called home to let Leslie know the day was going great and to see how they were doing at White Water. All was well and Leslie encouraged me to “Do what you need to do” – this meant a lot and fueled me as much as the calories did.

Fast forward to the last mile of lap 4 which I was trying to run in hard to make it to the poker game. As I passed Beth and Peggy at the last ½ mile Beth mentioned I was crazy for running so far (and at least for that ½ mile hard). I let her know I was probably dropped on my head as a child. Her only comment was “repeatedly”. Green People is a poker run with 2 cards for each loop completed. I had gotten in 4 loops before the poker game and won an additional extra card for the dozen cookies I had brought. So I probably had a bit of an unfair advantage. I ended up winning a gift certificate to Backwoods and joked that it would probably all go to new socks as I’d probably wear out a few pairs before the day is through.

After the poker hand I took an extended break to indulge in some of the food and drink offered. I never thought you could run after several liters of fluid and a couple of hot dogs but it’s amazing how quickly your body can put fuel to use after 35 miles.

At this point I began rethinking my plans. Originally I planned on forty miles with fifty as a stretch goal that I never SERIOUSLY considered. At this point in the day I started considering it. I had never run this long without cramping, bonking, having a seriously upset stomach or more likely all of the above. I remember thinking – when everything clicks take advantage of it. I made a call to my loved ones and it seemed like Leslie and Carson were having a great time at white water so I decided to go for it.

This next section of the day was the best – between miles 35 and 42 I was out on the trails by myself just enjoying life. I did lots of thinking through these miles and came away with an even greater appreciation for my family and life’s blessings. I couldn’t believe how things were still flowing. It’s probably good that the trails were pretty desolate at as somewhere around mile 40 I found myself singing a Big Boys song “Fun,Fun ,Fun” at the top of my longs and wondered how long I’d been singing. My only small concern at this point was that maybe I had taken a bit too much salt as I had been doubling up on S Caps. In fact I didn’t take any more salt for the last two hours of the day and felt fine.

As I came through the trailhead at mile 42 it looked like the Greenpeople party was finally packing up. Keith (the pres. of the OTRA) said he would be out here for several more hours and to take all the time I wanted. At the time I was feeling a bit quilty like I was keeping Keith out here regardless of what he said and after 6 loops I was looped out on Bluff Creek.

I decided to drive a mile back to the North lake Hefner parking lot where it all began to finish the last eight miles on the road. I was still expecting to bonk hard at somepoint and easy access to water and a public place seemed like good ideas. I laced on my fathers day presnt, a pair of Pearl Izumi racing flats I’d yet to run in (how bad could it be for 8 miles right) and took off.

In the words of Red Spicer “I was passing trees and rocks like they were standing still”. My feet hurt just a bit and I remmeber thinking maybe these shoes were a little too light. Then I remmebered I had been running for over 9 hours and maybe it wasn’t entirely the shoes fault. It was about this time that I also discovered that one application of Hydropel to the inner thighs is good for about 43 miles.

By the time I got to Stars and Stipes park I was still about two miles short of 50 miles factoring in my return trip. I remember it seeming to take hours to do two miles on the side loops at this part of the course. I noticed a burning pain in my chest with every stride forward and concluded that the nip guards I had just put on would adhere much better without 45 miles of sweat and salt accumulation.

Finally I started my return voyage. All I had to do was make it to my truck and 50 miles was mine. I was running more than walking at this point and when I got to the Bahama Breeze parking lot I knew I had 1 mile to go. No way I was not going to finish strong. I ran all of the last mile at a 9:15 pace which trust me feels like 6 minute miles when you’ve had a forty nine mile warmup.

As I crested a small rise to the parking lot there was Keith cheering me in. I have never been more happy to see a familiar face in my life. I mean it REALLY meant a lot to me. Keith had stealthily followed me to Lake Hefner and waited close to two hours for me to finish my final eight miles. If this wasn’t enough he had an ice chest with cold drinks waiting.

We stood and shot the breeze for a few minutes as it dawned on me I was done and had really run 50 miles. The sense of acomplishment was very fulfilling. Then it was time for home where a much needed shower and then ice bath awaited…

Sunmart 50 k / 50 m Start

Sunmart 2008

Sunmart 2008 was a well run event. All the rumors of great race swag came true. Beth, Melissa & Peggy headed down to Huntsville, TX for Melissa’s first 50 miler; Beth & Peggy’s first 50 k. We had plenty of pre-race jitters, but we all finished with respectable times and smiles on our faces! This race is definitely a repeater! More pics can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/margaretcwood/Sunmart50K50MTrailRun#

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Burrrrrrr!

Polar Bear Plunge 2009

Several OTRA members joined in at the 2nd Annual Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Hefner. The water was brisk but very refreshing. See all the pics at : http://picasaweb.google.com/margaretcwood/PolarBearPlunge1012009#

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New Maps!

Jan 2009 OTRA Group Run

The January 2009 OTRA Training Run was held at Lake Draper on the NuDraper Trails. The ice storms of 2008 wreaked havoc on the trails. Thanks to many, many hours of arduous volunteer labor by our friends at OEF the NuDraper Trails are better than ever. A good run was had by all.

January Board Meeting

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Can we have all our meetings in Desirees hot tub?

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Cooking up a great breakfast

Following the group run, we headed over to Desirees home for food and fun.

Dan Man Trail

Oteka D Ranch, Ranch house

Dan Man Run 2009

Dan Man Run February 7th, 2009 and 75 degrees at the beautiful Oteka D Ranch in Madill, OK. Beautiful trails, incredible chow, and a wonderful time was had by all!

More Dan Man Trail

Runners had their choice of 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, 50k, or 50 miles on looping trails through the property.

Starting Line for the 5K, 10K, and 25K

Sooner State Games Trail Runs 2009

The OTRA teamed up with the Sooner State Games Organization to put on a 5K, 10K, and 25K trail race at the NuDraper trails at Lake Stanley Draper February 21st, 2009.
133 runners enthusiastically participated. Race Director, Katharine Miller and her large support crew braved the cold temps to put on a quality event. See many more pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/margaretcwood/SoonerStateGames2009#

Running along the 10K 25K course

Lauren brings home the gold!