KUS News
Volume 1, Issue 1 April 2000
Briefing from the
Crew
Stacy Sheridan
KUS President
Now that Phil and I have
finished our race directing for the first half of the year, it's time for me to
start on one of the goals I made when I took over the Presidency in January.
That goal is this newsletter. I've decided that the hardest part, possibly like
your training, is just getting started. I've had some great contributions and
am looking forward to more of them from all our members. I would like to have all
our members contribute to this forum, race schedules, race reviews, your
favorite race, training tips, recipes, favorite shoes, gear, jokes, (clean ones
of course,) are just a few of the ideas off the top of my head. Any topic is
welcome and appreciated.
ChampionChip
I believe we are one of
the first small running clubs in the country to have purchased a ChampionChip
system, thanks to Eric Steele's tenacity. The process of ordering the system
turned into one of those seemingly endless run-around negotiations that only
companies with a monopoly can produce. You see, the RRCA doesn't sanction or
endorse a chip scoring system, however they "recognize" the
ChampionChip system as an acceptable scoring system, and currently there is
only one dealer in the US. So just like Microsoft we have a monopoly. I believe
the way Eric finally sealed the deal was by calling the parent company in the
Netherlands! Perseverance pays off in more areas than just running. We are
using a borrowed system for the 12/24 on April 29th and have placed our own
order; all systems are on backorder at the moment. The 29th will be our beta
test of the system and with a small field of runners, we will be able work out
the bugs, and consider how best to use it. The number of volunteers needed to
produce these events will be reduced and therefore we can put those resources
to other uses.
The Heartland 100 Spirit of the Prairie
Randy Albrecht and Jim
Davis are spearheading the first 100 mile ultra in Kansas. After putting on a
50 mile race with relatively easy logistics, my admiration for these two is
boundless. We will very shortly be coming to the time when they will be asking for
help from the membership, if you are willing to give of your time, please
consider volunteering at the Heartland in October.
In closing......
I have not decided if
this newsletter will be a scheduled one or if I will put them together when I
have enough news from the club. For now, it will depend on you, the membership,
the more news I get the more often they will come out.
Wishing you all great
training, running, racing and health.
In your service,
Stacy
Greetings from the
Past President:
Who would have
ever thought five years ago the relationships built upon blood, sweat, mud,
love and tears, that have defined the Kansas Ultrarunners' Society would exist
as they do today. The family built within
our little society has continually taught me what community is all about. Thank
you for the opportunity to source and serve you all for the past five years.
What a fabulous job our new President, Stacy "Ultra-Mom" Sheridan,
has done and undoubtedly will continue to do. Her attention to organization and
detail has far surpassed my initial launching of KUS festivities. This very
newsletter is a shining example of the excellent administration that is now
governing the KUS. Lets all make this newsletter a smashing success by sending
Stacy plenty of current ultrarunning lore to fill the pages of upcoming issues.
Winds of change are blowing hard and development is bound to ensue! What do we
have now, but a KUS 100 miler. With the staging of this race in October and a
recent successful Rockin K' (Round II) on April 1st, we now have nearly a full
slate of ultraraces to offer the endurance community. However, we are in
serious need of your help to pull-off Kansas First 100 miler in KUSTYLE! Aid
station staffing is of the utmost importance and I will be marshalling our
human resources over the next couple of months to insure a successful event.
Please contact me immediately to inform me of your support in helping staff
this event. If you want to race it, fine, just commit to obtaining one
volunteer for at least 24 hours. If you have been looking for an opportunity to
give back to the organization that has given to you, this is your chance. So,
let's GET IT ON! Call or email me and make a commitment today!
In closing, thanks to all of the Founding Fathers of this organization and all
of the volunteers, runners and families who make up our society. What a
rewarding experience it has all been so far and I truly believe, "It's
only just begun!" So, whatever your next big ultra, be it Badwater,
Leadville, something less, in between, or even more extreme, whether you're an
RD, crew member, volunteer or participant, it's all good, because we're all
family. We are the KUS! Have a great summer, see ya' sometime soon.
Eric Steele
KUS Founder & Advisor
BOUNCE BACK FASTER FROM RACES AND INJURIES
By Randy Albrecht
Several years ago while
researching information on arthritis I came across several articles on the
healing power of proteases enzymes. While most of the research on enzymes and
the treatment of injuries involved contact sports, I decided to give it a try.
My gauge for how fast I
recovered from a hard race has always been when I could walk down the steps at
work without using the handrail, and when I could start running again
without discomfort. After an all out marathon or ultra on Saturday, it was
usually Thursday before I could pass the first test and often the following
Saturday before I returned to running. Since I have started utilizing enzymes
after hard races I can usually pass the stairs test on Monday and usually
return to running in three days after the race.
WHAT ARE PROTEASE
ENZYMES?
Protease enzymes
consist of bromaline (from Pineapple), papain (from papaya), parcreatin,
trypsin, and chymotrypsin (from animal sources) and microbial proteases.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
When these enzymes are
taken orally, they are absorbed in the intestine and carried through the blood
throughout the body to fight inflammation and speed your recovery. These
enzymes are felt to:
Break up and remove fibrin
(the blood clotting material that prolongs inflammation) and improve its
removal through the blood
Decrease swelling in the
inflamed area.
Strengthen damaged blood
vessels.
Improve the supply of
nutrients and oxygen to the injured tissues.
Break up scar tissue
formation.
GUIDELINES FOR
PROPER USE
Start supplementation as
soon as possible after an event or injury. Taking proteases before an event is
even better. Starting enzymes two or three days after an injury reduces or
eliminates its effectiveness.
Take five to ten tablets
four times daily. It is very important that they be taken on an empty stomach.
It is recommended to take them at least one-half hour before a meal or
one-and-a half-hours after a meal. If the tablets are large take five,
otherwise, take ten.
Higher initial doses seem
to work best, with reduced doses as the healing occurs.
Enteric coated tablets are
preferred.
Multiple proteases are
preferred.
Continue the
supplementation until healed or for one week, then stop.
ARE THEY SAFE?
These enzymes are
considered extremely safe and have no known side effects.
WHAT IS THE COST?
I have found it
difficult to find supplements that only contain the enzymes, which are
beneficial in the healing process. Most of the products I have used also
contain additional digestive enzymes. The two brands I have used most
frequently are made by Twin Labs and NOW. While I have not tried these
products, I have also recently seen articles that mentioned Wobenzym N and
MegaZyme by Enzymatic Therapy as excellent products to fight inflammation. As a
general rule I spend between $10 and $20 on enzymes after an injury or a hard
race.
While I believe the use
of enzymes has helped in my recovery from injury’s and hard races, this has
been an experiment that has included only two runners. Other factors are also
at least partially responsible for my shortened recovery period. These include
increased use of antioxidant vitamins, more training miles and more long runs.
I use enzymes as an alternative to NSAID’s. While few people understand why we
subject our bodies to the punishment of an Ultra, the use of enzymes has at
least allowed me to not look like a cripple for the week after a hard race.
Most of my information
on this subject has come from the following two books which provide a much more
detailed and technical explanation of how enzymes speed up the healing process.
Pain Free by Luke Bucci
and
Enzymes & Enzyme
Therapy by Anthony Cichoke.
RELENTLESS FORWARD PROGRESS
WHERE KUS MEMBERS PLAN
TO RUN AND RACE
Jim & Nancy Davis
6/300 Squaw Peak 50 Mile Trail Run, Provo UT
7/15/00 Elkhorn Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run, Montana City
MT
Scott Demaree
11/24/00 Ultracentric 48 Hour, Dallas TX
Eric Steele
7/27/00 BADWATER!! 135 Miles, Badwater CA
Phil Sheridan
8/19/00 Leadville 100, Leadville CO
9/9/00 Wasatch 100, Kaysville, UT
Dave Noltensmeyer
5/27/00 Berryman 50 Mile, Berryman, MO
8/19/00 Leadville 100, Leadville CO
Bill Smith
4/29/00 Zane Gray Highline Trail 50 Mile, Payson AZ
7/29/00 Mount Rushmore 50 Mile
9/30/00 Flatrock 50 K, Independence KS
10/14/00 The Heartland 100 Mile, Cassoday KS (my first)
11/10/00 Grand Canyon Rim to Rim double , fun run
Duane Frichtl
4/29/00 River to River Relay, 80 Miles with 8 runners,
Southern Illinois
7/?/00 Duathalon 5K run, 20K bike, 5K run, Danville IL
Some short stuff leading up to:
9/30/00 Flatrock 50K, Independence KS
Owen-Putnam *
Huff *
Chicago Marathon *
Marc Friesen
7/2-3/00 Kettle Moraine 100 Mile, Eagle WI
8/20/00 Pikes Peak Marathon, Colorado Springs CO
9/16/00 Horsethief Canyon Trail Run, Kanopolis State
Lake, KS
10/7/00 Edmond Fitzgerald 100K, Duluth MN *
Don Mrozek
High altitude mountaineering second half of May and
first half of June-Denali, Alasaka
8/20/00 Pikes Peak Marathon, Colorado Springs CO
9/30/00 Flatrock 50K, Independence KS
* Tentative plans
NSAID Alternatives
By Scott Demaree
The next time you want
to take ibuprofen or aspirin for sore muscles, there are some things you should
consider. These non-steroidal nati-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) get a relatively
clean bill of health as long as certain precautions are heeded. And they do a
good job of curtailing pain and inflammation, mainly caused by prostaglandin
(PG) production, which may follow long or intense runs. But there are some
scientific results suggesting that a little inflammation may be a good thing.
When we take NSAIDSs, the enzyme that makes the PGs us turned off, keeping
potentially good PGs as well as bad ones from being formed. This may delay the
recovery process, perhaps preventing us from training or racing normally.
A better approach might
be a pre-race nutritional plan that would accomplish two things: reduce muscle
damage to start with, and reduce inflammation. Research is beginning to
acknowledge the role of free radicals (FR) and related compounds in the damage
that muscles sustain when we push to our aerobic limits. Free radicals occur
naturally at rest, but appear in great quantities during exercise. Increased
intake of antioxidants and other nutrients that help produce protective
antioxidant enzymes can help suppress FR damage. Particularly recommended are
vitamins C, E and a -lipoic acid, which combine with glutathione to form a
self-regenerating system to resist FR. These can be taken on a long-term basis,
or for at least two weeks before a race.
The second part of the
plan involves changing the fats we eat. There are many health benefits from
increasing our intake of w -3 fatty acids, especially the long chain fats EPA
and DHA. Additionally, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has recently been shown
to have similar anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-obesity effects. If we
would consume more of either of these fats while cutting back on vegetable oils
and shortening, the worst aspects of inflammation could be avoided. That is
because the arachidonic acid (AA) our cells use to make PGs would be
controlled. It is better to use this approach longer term, since the cell fats
are slow to change.
The following chart
summarizes these strategies. Note that most of this is based on animal studies
and has not yet been shown to actually curb damage and inflammation in humans.
Finally, pay attention to the dose of the actual nutrient you want when you
purchase supplements. Sometimes 500 mg listed on the label includes inactive
fillers.
|
Nutrient |
Why It Works |
Food Sources |
How to Take |
Precautions |
|
Vitamin C |
Water soluble antioxidant |
Citrus fruits and other fruits and vegetables |
250 mg capsules every 4-6 hours |
Avoid if you have a family history of gout or kidney stones; very high doses can cause diarrhea. |
|
Vitamin E |
Fat soluble antioxidant |
Wheat germ and other natural oils |
400-600 IU capsule daily |
No toxicity in dose specified |
|
a -Lipoic Acid |
Part of regeneration process |
Meat and spinach |
500 mg capsule daily |
Unknown toxicity |
|
Cysteine |
Needed for glutathione (part of regeneration process |
Meat, dairy, eggs (yolk has a lot of AA) |
100 mg capsules every 4-6 hours with vitamin C |
If diabetic, consult doctor |
|
Selenium |
Needed for antioxidant enzymes |
Seafood, meat, grains, garlic, onions, broccoli |
100-200 mcg capsule daily |
Doses > 500 mcg are potentially toxic |
|
CLA - form of the essential oil linoleic acid |
Seems to have antioxidant properties. May reduce AA |
Meat and dairy (range-fed cattle have more) |
1500 mg capsule daily |
Almost no toxicity in animals |
|
w -fatty Acids (EPA and DHA) |
May reduce cell AA similar to CLA |
Oily fish, especially cold water fish (sardines, salmon, etc.) |
1500 mg daily (3 oz of mackerel) |
Can thin the blood in large doses; if diabetic, consult doctor |
Alferd Packer Ultra
Report
By Dann Fisher
In the state of
Colorado
In the year of
seventy-four
They crossed the San
Juan Mountains
Growing hungry to the
core.
Their guide was
Alferd Packer
And they trusted him
too long:
For his character was
weak
And his appetite was
strong.
They called him a
murderer, a cannibal, a thief;
It just doesn't pay
to eat anything but Government-inspected beef.
Along the Gunnison
River
An Indian camp they
spied.
An Indian chief
approached them,
To stop them he did
try.
He warned them of the
danger
In the snow that lay
around,
But the danger was in
Packer,
For his hunger knew
now bound.
They called him a
murderer, a cannibal, a thief;
It just doesn't pay
to eat anything but Government-inspected beef.
Two cold months went
slowly by;
Packer came back
alone.
"My comrades
they all froze to death,
I'm starving,"
he did moan.
The Indian chief knew
how he lied,
He spat upon the
ground,
For Packer's belly
hung out all over his belt:
He'd gained some
thirty pounds.
They called him a
murderer, a cannibal, a thief;
It just doesn't pay
to eat anything but Government-inspected beef.
Well for nine long
years he ran away
But finally he was
tried.
He claimed he didn't
kill them,
He only ate their
hide.
That County had six
dem-o-crats
Until that man
arrived.
Well only one lives
on today:
He ate the other
five.
They called him a
murderer, a cannibal, a thief;
It just doesn't pay
to eat anything but Government-inspected beef.
Eighteen years he
stayed in jail,
It was a dreadful
fate,
For he suffered
indigestion
Every time he ate.
Still, it's hard to
blame this hungry guy
Who went searchin' for
the mines,
For when he ate his
friends
He'd never heard of
Duncan Hines.
-- By Phil Ochs
More than 150 runners
braved the bright, brisk Denver morn of March 11 in search of a fix for their
trail running habit. The "Ballad of Alferd Packer" (to the music of
Gilligan’s Island) gave an indication of what the trail challenge had in store
of
us. Race director, Scott
Weber, joked with me before the race that he should just tape a cell phone to a
tree near the finish line so that we could call him at the IHOP to report our
times upon finishing. Unfortunately, this was not far from reality. Although
the course was extremely well marked, aid was sparse but the entry fee was
steep, almost as steep as the first hill to begin the race.
The first 1.5 miles of the 13.1-mile loop saw a series
of three very steep grassy, cactus- and yucca-covered hills. After the hills
came an easy mile that resembled a routine cross country course through any
city park. I told Fred Hampel that I was still waiting for the challenge.
It soon arrived in the form of a marsh thicket. As we
tromped through the marsh with branches snapping against us from all
directions, I could hear the screams of the first brave souls to enter the
water. The first crossing of the Platte River was dead ahead.
Dropping down a steep, muddy, three-foot bank, I was
quickly immersed to my thighs in bitter cold water. The stream’s bottom was
rocky and slippery. It seemed to take an eternity to reach the other side. My
first few steps as I scrambled up the far bank that led back into the dense
marsh thicket were a struggle. The pain was excruciating as my feet moved from
numb to cold.
We stumbled along through the brush, making another
cold, but shallow water crossing before beginning a series of five very steep sandy
hills over the next mile. Each timed we crested a hill, we would drop back down
the side of the bluff to the lake below. The sand was loose making the footing,
both up and down, treacherous.
The second hill in the series was nearly straight
down. Much to Fred’s delight, I took this hill with reckless abandon, thrashing
through the dense brush at the bottom. Fortunately, I did not crash, nor would
I fall anywhere on this course – probably my only real achievement for the day.
After surviving the hills, the trail became gently
rolling for the next couple of miles through the middle of the park. This
section was open, and the wind was directly in our faces. It was not blowing
hard during the first loop, but it would pick up intensity as the day wore on.
The openness made the distance seem to stretch on forever, but it did provide a
spectacular view of the mountains as they spanned the horizon in front of us.
We finally hit an aid station at about 7 miles. Two
jugs of water, one with no lid that had allowed it take on some of the
surrounding environment, was all that greeted us. Fred moaned upon realizing
there were no cups, so we shared a drink from my water bottle. Leslee Hampel,
who was running just a couple of minutes behind us, indicated that the runners
near her were using cupped hands in an attempt to ingest the precious liquid.
The aid station was apparently devised for those who had been training at
fraternity parties, but neither Fred nor I had any desire to lay on the ground
under the spigot, so we headed down the embankment toward the next crossing of
the Platte River.
The frigid water was about knee deep this time. As I
struggled up the bank and onto a dirt road, my feet felt shattered from the
cold. We quickly turned off the road, slopped through several yards of ankle
deep mud, and prepared to cross the darn Platte River again. At this point, the
river was broken into two forks separated by a rocky, ankle-busting median.
Upon reaching the other side, I stumbled up a steep
hill. The next stretch of trail was a bit overgrown with desert-like brush
jabbing at legs and arms. I fully expected a poncho-wearing, stogie-chomping
Clint Eastwood to come riding along at any moment. We soon crossed another
ankle deep stream and headed into a wide-open marsh. The mud was frozen over
during the first loop. We would not be so fortunate later. At the end of the
marsh was an abandoned cabin. I was hoping Alferd Packer wasn’t waiting for me
inside. By the third time I passed it, I didn’t care. We made a pass around a small pond with the course marked
along the bank’s sand. I found the footing better in the edge of the water.
Gee, I would hate to get my shoes wet! Besides, it helped to wash off some of
the mud that had accompanied me from the marsh.
I began feeling a sharp pain on the outside of the big
toe of my left foot. I assumed that running in the wet shoes and socks had
produced a blood-blister that had decided to burst. I didn’t want to remove my
wet gear to find out, so I chose to ignore it. It was an annoyance the rest of
the day.
After another low water crossing, we ran through a
densely covered marshy area that contained several large shoe-sucking mud
holes. The loop finished with a couple of easy miles on a gravel road that
seemed to go on forever. I finished the first loop in 2:15. Fred came in
shortly after that in 2:17:04, trailed not far behind by Leslee in 2:21:42.
Fred, the non-runner, was beaming, clearly enjoying the whole experience. Leslee
seemed to enjoy it too, proclaiming that she had fallen three times.
Fortunately, she was no worse for wear.
After a short bathroom break, I snacked on a few
cookies, refilled my water bottle, changed into cooler clothing, and headed
back up the hill for the second loop. The run quickly became lonely as most of
the runners called one loop enough. I passed two marathoners in the next 5
miles. I wasn’t sure if it was fatigue taking hold, but the water crossings
seemed higher. The course was definitely muddier as the marshes thawed.
I had not been comfortable all day. My low back had
been bothering me, the residue of a two-week long battle with my chronic
bladder disease, Interstitial Cystitis. I also worried that the lack of water
on the course, coupled with the altitude and my bad bladder, would spell doom
for me later. But for now, I ran on. After the roller-coaster hills of mile
five, I joined forces with Eric Szabo until the aid station. Eric had moved to
Colorado from Michigan so his wife could pursue her career as a professional
mountain biker.
By the time I finished the second loop, my low back
was a mess. Shannon had departed for the hotel and some more sleep after we
finished the first loop, but Leslee and Fred met me at the finish area. Leslee
helped me stretch my back and hamstrings. I was tight, but still had normal
range of motion, confirming that the pain I was feeling was radiating from my
bladder.
The day was warming, so I further lightened my
clothing, downed a can of Ensure Plus and a few cookies, took a dose of MSM to
help with the IC pain, filled my water bottle and struggled up the hills. The
hills didn’t help my back any. I was happy to see them come and go.
By now the runners on the course were few. I would not
see another runner for 10 miles. As I crashed down the slick embankment into
the Platte River, I was alarmed to find the frigid water reaching past my
waist. Hello! Fred and Leslee met me on the other bank. Fred informed me that
the dam had been opened so the water levels were rising. As I slogged through
the marsh, I came to a water crossing that I remember being no more than ankle
deep mud during the first two loops. I took the first step into the murky
water, sinking in mud up to my knee. With the next step, I sunk even deeper
with the freezing water cresting at chest level. I struggled to pull my feet
loose and swam for the bank.
Safely ashore, it was time to tackle the
roller-coaster hills. The traffic of the first two laps had loosened the sand,
making the footing tricky. I had to crawl on all four up the first two hills,
running cautiously down the other side. The sand on the third hill was very
churned up. As I reached the halfway point of the nearly vertical slope, the
sand gave way, resulting in my riding a wave of sand on my stomach back to the
bottom of the hill. I dusted myself off and crawled cautiously back up what was
left of the hill. As I ran down the other side, Fred and Leslee were waiting
for me, finding humor in my landslide story.
Fred ran and walked the last hill and the next couple
of gentle miles with me. His company helped immensely as I was getting a bit
stir-crazy. By the time we reached the aid station, Fred had had enough and I
was beginning to wonder if I had too. The aid station had added several
two-liter bottles of Pepsi, but still no cups. Later I was wishing I had taken
one of the bottles with me. I quickly filled my bottle with what I thought was
murky water only to find in the middle of the water crossing that I was
consuming pineapple juice, the kiss of death for someone with IC. Leslee ran
back to the aid station to refill the bottle with water. Fred returned it to me
just before the swamp. I was on my own at this point, and I had a water bottle
that still smelled like the disdained juice. I cursed the race director.
I barely had time to accept my smelly dilemma before I
nearly did the splits in the ankle deep mud. This finished off my back. The
rest of the run would be a struggle. As I walked off the mishap and washed the
mud from my hands in the river, it occurred to me that I had not peed since
early in the second loop. My worst fears were being realized. I was heading for
dehydration. I was wishing that I had chosen to wear my water pack instead of
just carrying a water bottle. It was too late now.
As my pace slowed to a crawl, Chad Ricklefs swept past
me on his way to victory in the 52.4-mile event. He was the only runner I would
see on the course during the third loop. I alternated running and walking every
couple of minutes deciding that 39.3 miles would be enough for today. I made it
back to the finish line in 8:03, just over 3 hours for the third loop. Although
I still had nearly four hours to make cutoff, I feared that dehydration was
imminent and that the fourth loop could turn into a death march. I didn’t want
to jeopardize my performance in the upcoming 24-hour run. I would later take
solace in discovering that only 11 people had covered the 39.3 mile distance
faster than I and that Theresa Daus-Weber, a member of the US ultrarunning
team, had concluded her day at 39.3 miles not long before I had. Once again, I
am considered a DNF, but at least this time I will receive a certificate that
says "I Got My Ass Kicked at Alferd Packer".
As an epilogue, I recovered quickly and never did
experience any soreness, most likely the unwitting result of the MSM I ingested
after the second loop. And what I thought was a blister turned out to be a
cactus needle that had been driven through the sole of the shoe. Next up, the
Rockin’ K on April 1.
Editors Note: This
article is from John Wall of Chalmette LA, who ran the Rockin K marathon on
April 1. John is doing the 50 States marathons and Kansas was his 42nd. Thought
you all might enjoy John's view of the course and race. Thanks John.
KANSAS
By John Wall
Okay, a little story
about my 42nd state, Kansas. An ultra-trail
marathon in Kanopolis State Park -an entertaining little jaunt through the
woods, over hill and dale, and, a few too many stream crossings.
The Kansas Ultrarunners Society put on this, the 2nd Annual Rockin K Trail
Marathon. All except for about .8 mile of the run is off road. Well, 3.7 miles
is on a dirt road, but I'll get to that later...
With a 6 am start, and a 40 min drive to the staging area, I was glad I made it
to the pre-race pasta dinner and picked up my packet the night before. This
gave me a chance to see what the area looked like in the daylight. For all you
Southerners out there, the race start temp was 38F!! Not bad, except that
twelve mins into the run, you come across the first (of many) stream crossings.
After the first 1/3 of a mile on asphalt, we dash onto the trail (mainly single
track, horse trails) and carefully pick out the driest route. There were those
who just plowed straight ahead, oblivious to the muck, I, however, stayed just
off the path on the spongy grass, trying to keep my shoes as dry as possible.
Oh, did I mention it rained all night and most of the second half of Friday?
And, it had rained quite a bit all week prior to the run.
The bad news: it had
rained more than anticipated; the good news: it was hilly, the rain would run
off easily; the bad news: we would have to cross these 'streams' - which
carried the run off; the other bad news: it was hilly.
"Follow the orange
tape out and the yellow tape back in" - these were the pre race
instructions given by the RD. "Oh, and there's this one place where both
ribbons are tied together - this is very important. The lake backed up some due
to the rain and the stream is a bit high. Enter and exit exactly where the two
ribbons are tied - it's only waist deep there, otherwise, you'll go in up to
your chest." (did I mention that the temp was 38F? - and, suddenly, this
became a biathlon.)
Okay, I'm proudly
keeping pretty dry and then the first crossing pops up (12:00 into the run).
The guy in front of me hits it full stride and goes in to his knees. So much
for dry shoes. Two big steps in knee-deep very cold water and I'm on my way.
(The Spillway would have been proud to have this crossing) The entire course
was pretty much like this. A bit of a variety of terrain, though. In addition
to the muddy horse trails and slick entry and exit points alongside the stream
banks, we ran on sand (yes, real, soft sand, like at the beach), rocks aplenty
(these babies were all over the place). In addition to watching your footing
because you were off-road, you had to avoid the rocks in many places. Varying
from fist size to bowling ball size (16 lb bowling balls!!). A great ankle
breaker. And, surprisingly enough, we had red sandstone (much like that found
in New Mexico or AZ) to run (up and down).
There was only one
manned water station. They had a variety of snacks to eat, and, of course, the
water/gatorade drink. Asking how far into the run I was, I was told "more
than halfway, but we're not sure exactly". I was finally coming upon the
out and back stretch of dirt road I had anxiously anticipating. FINALLY, some
solid level ground where I wouldn't have to concentrate on foot placement and
could just relax and run. Remember the rain???? Well, the nice dirt road is not
so nice anymore and not dirt, but mud. We sloshed out and back (out to the
Mushroom Rock - and kissed it) and back to the water station. Along the way, I
almost lost my shoes three times from the suction of the mud.
Back on my horse trail
enjoying myself again. I'm now all alone, can't see anyone in front of me (the
two runners who were in front stopped in the tent at the water station) after 5
mins of running, I can't see anyone behind me, either. The trail winds and
twists and goes up and down that you can't see someone who might just be 1
minute away. I finally come to the "crossing". We had already made
two crossings with the water above the bottoms of my running shorts - just
about to where it gets really cold - had to tip toe across.... I'm now prepared
for this one and follow instructions as ordered. No problem, not any higher
than the others. What a relief.
Until....
I've been out there now
for over 4 hrs and have no clue as to how many miles I've run, how many more
miles to run, or, how much longer (timeless) I'll be out there. I pass another
runner and he has no clue either. Not more than a minute
later, I make a turn in the trail and follow a nice sandy decent (plenty of
footprints in the sand) down to a RIVER!!! This thing is a good fifty feet
across (most of the "deep" crossings were about 15 ft across. Well,
we had been warned about the bad one, so I go in, and in, and in, and down, and
down, and one more step and I'm ready to do the breastroke. I'm inches from my
neck (my breath is literally being taken away) when I start going back up - and
out, finally. (I'd have to say this was as cold as the cold dip in Elmwood -
which is 55 F.) I scramble out, shivering, and can't find any yellow ribbons.
About this time the guy I just passed yells from the other side, "WRONG
TRAIL". He's still up on the bank running alongside the water where, now,
I can clearly see the tape. I'm not about to cross that again....I bushwhack
till I spot yellow on my side, run the opposite direction to get to the
crossing where he is soon to come, wait for him to catch me then take off
again. I may have 'cut the course', but I took the more difficult path. No one
can say I gained any time, so, I left him and proceeded.
After passing one more
runner. I finally popped out onto the road and with about a half mile to go
finished in 4:58:??. An hour slower than my Maui run two weeks ago. However, I
had an eleventh place finish, out of over 50 starters, so, I didn't feel too
bad. Actually, other than my toes being absolutely freezing, I felt rather
good. Oh, the high for
the day was 45 F.
If there are any hashers out there, try this one.