This is my report of the Heartland 100 - its
long and detailed - read if interested - ignore if not - Jan Ryerse -St. Louis
Heartland 100
October 8-9 2005
From Jan Ryerse
The Heartland 100 is held in the Flint Hills of SE Kansas, mainly in Chase County,
which is said to be home to 3800 people and 66,000 cows. The course is
primarily gravel roads with long fairly gentle hills. Some of the vistas on the
course are awesome. At times you can see for miles in all directions and at
other times you drop down into valleys with shallow streams and lines of
cottonwood and swamp willow. Much of the course is in open range however and
you might have to detour around cows - although this year there was a paucity
of the bovine kind.
Randy Albrecht and friends from the Kansas Ultrarunners Society sponsor the
event. Randy told me it evolved out of what was initially a cross-county bike
route. The out-and-back race starts and ends in Cassoday, a very small village
adjacent to the Highway 35. There are no motels (or much else) in Cassoday so
if you are not camping in your vehicle at the start (which is allowed) you must
drive 34 miles north to Emporia or 24 miles south to El Dorado for
accommodations.
Jeff Neumann and I drove over together. It is about a 6-7 hour drive from St.
Louis. We stopped at Cassoday and picked up our packets and then drove on down
to El Dorado to check in at the Heritage Inn. The heritage Inn is plain but
inexpensive and suited our needs just fine. We drove back to the hall in
Cassoday for the pre-race briefing and dinner. There were several faces I
recognized - among them Louise Mason was there for her 6th Heartland (she has
finished every one), Kevin Guest, David Hughes and SLUG Paul Schoenlaub. During
dinner Jeff, Paul, Kevin and I were sitting with Mark Henderson (Mr. Heartland)
from Houston who has won this event several times. It was interesting listening
to his stories and strategies on training and racing.
Jeff and I headed back to the motel, organized our things for the start and got
a restful nights sleep. We arrived at the start about 5:15, checked in and
after much milling around we were called to the line and somebody said GO. The
sky was bright with stars and the temperature was about 40 degrees. The race
starts with a short quarter mile stretch on asphalt then turns east on
gravel/dirt roads. There is an unmanned aid station about 4 miles out and
shortly after that you drop down into a very pretty valley. Then its up and
down the hills into the first manned aid station (Battle Creek) at about 8
miles. The sun was up and I shed some clothes, reloaded and headed out. The
hills continue through the next (unmanned) aid station at 12.6 miles and on
into the next manned aid station at 16.8 miles (Lapland). The aid stations and
volunteers working them in this race are terrific. It seems like they are
mostly ultrarunners themselves who know what to do and say when you come in.!
Also all aid stations have tent shelters set up and each manned aid station had
a port-a-potty. The tents were a short but welcome respite from the wind during
the day and the cold air during the return trip at night. As we headed north
and then west we lost the east wind, which had been blowing in our faces
earlier on.
From Lapland there is another unmanned station (fluids and limited foods) at
21.1 miles and then the next stations are Teterville (24.5), Texaco Hill (31.2
? so named because of the oil rigs pumping away) and Ridgeline at mile 36.5.
This entire stretch seems to be up quite high with typical prairie grass
landscape stretching away over the hills in all directions. When I ran this
race two years ago this is where I saw a lot of cattle, 100s and 100s in big
herds alongside the gravel service road. This time there were very few cows to
be seen, a few small herds were further off in the distant hills. At the
Ridgeline aid station they have the famous prairie pellets, a hot (temperature
not spicy) bean mix with or without little bits of meat. I decided to wait and
get some on the return trip. My favorite part of this racecourse is the next
section from Ridgeline at 36.5 miles to Matfield Green at 42.5. You go down a
long hill as you leave Ridgeline and then hang a left onto a narrower service
road. I saw a coyote heading off across a ploughed field at the turn and
several huge bulls reclining in a pasture. There are some very lovely treed
valleys along this stretch, some high open prairie areas and many gently
winding hills. Its a beautiful section of the course. As you approach Matfield
Green you can see Highway 35 off to your left and then you cross over it and
into the aid station. About a quarter mile past the aid station you cross back
over 35 again and go parallel to it for a half mile or so before heading away
and up a series of hills to The Tower. The Tower has been in view for hours.
You actually run away from it for a while going into Ridgeline and Matfield
Green but now youre heading directly towards it but its still a ways off in the
distance. The first time I ran Heartland 2 years ago I thought that the 50 mile
turn-around might be at or near the tower but oh no it isnt. There is an
unmanned aid station there but then you have to go another couple of miles to
the turn-around at Lone Pine. I got there in about at 4:30, a 10 and a half
hour 50 split which was somewhat slower than I had hoped for but I did
(intentionally) go out slower than usual in this 100. I had run 2 100 milers
and a marathon during the past 7 weeks and was now starting to pay the price
(Im no Monica or Hans or Rob !!!). In addition I wore the wrong shoes. I was
wearing my New Balance 833?s which didnt have sufficient cushioning to protect
my (already sore) feet and achilles from the gravel. There IS a lot of gravel
on this course and you should be prepared with well-cushioned shoes.
On the return trip I got into Matfield Green (57.5 miles) at about 6:30 and
stopped for awhile to fuel up, re-vaseline, change into a warmer shirt and get
my mini-Ipod hooked up. I also put on my headlamp as it would be getting dark
before I got to Ridgeline at 63.4 miles. About halfway along this stretch I
heard a shuffling in the prairie grass and looked over to see a skunk wandering
off. Fine; you go your way and Ill go mine. As soon as the sun dropped below
the horizon (probably around 7:15 or so) it started to cool off rather quickly
and I was starting to get cold. I dont do cold very well and I knew I wouldnt
get to my next drop bag with all my warm night gear until Texaco Hill at 68.7
miles (I should have left it at Ridgeline). So I was hoping I could borrow a
warm shirt at Ridgeline to get me through to the next aid station. At
Ridgeline, Gary Henry was my salvation. He gave me his hooded sweatshirt, which
got me through to Texaco Hill aid station. Thanks Gary !!! I also had 2 cups of
the Prairie Pellets with meat, which warmed me up substantially. Another runner
at the aid station suggested the recipe should be put up on the KUS website -
but no - the guy at the aid station said no way as its his secret recipe. He
did divulge that he tweaks it every year and that this years version had 16
different types of beans in it. Whatever it had in it was very good and warmed
my soul as well as my stomach. Shortly out of Ridgeline I found a single black
glove on the road, which did double duty going back and forth keeping both
hands warm. Here we head east again and the wind was back in my face again in
this direction so I needed the sweatshirt and the glove.
Finally I got into the Texaco Hill aid station at 68.7 miles. My friend Jeff
had gone out ahead of me from the start and was well over an hour ahead of me
at the turn-around but here he was waiting for me. He was having some problems
with his stomach and his right thigh. He said hed probably be mainly walking
from here. I knew Id be taking some time at this aid station to change clothes,
eat and wrap some elastikon tape around the heel portion of my sock liners to
try and get a little more heel cushioning so I told him to go on and Id catch
up to him by or at the next aid station. The next aid station was Teeterville
at 75.4 miles. It was about midnight when I got there and Jeff was waiting.
Another runner, Scott Snyder from Littleton CO, and I had been running on and
off together earlier in the day and he was there too so the three of us decided
to go in the last 25 miles together. Above all I wanted to do what I could to
help Jeff get his first finish on a trail100 and be able to head back to SL
with one of those terrific Heartland buckles (one of the nicest looking buckles
of any 100 in my opinion). I figured the best way would be to stick with him,
provide my company (for whatever that might be worth) and any other assistance
I might offer along the way. My lower back was getting quite sore which causes
me to list somewhat and my feet were very sore, especially my heels and
achilles and the thought of walking was appealing. So Jeff, Scott and I headed
off away from the warmth of the aid station tent into the blackness of the
night. It was great having Scott along. Jeff and I have spent so many hours in
training together that our stories are getting old and Scott was full of new
and interesting ones, did you know that guy did a 100 miler on the jogging deck
of a cruise ship this past spring!! ? Now theres a new one.
We hoofed it on past the unmanned 78.8 mile aid station and into Lapland at
83.1 miles. They had pancakes and bacon and soup and meat and lots of other
good stuff and a warm tent to sit in. At this point there are about 17 miles to
go. For Jeff and me that equates to about 4 loops of Queeny Park in St. Louis
where we do a lot of our training together. It was an effort but we got our
butts in gear and headed back out into the night. Next came the 87.3 mile
unmanned aid station. 3 loops of Queeny to go. It seemed to take a long time to
get into the 91.7 mile Battle Creek aid station, partly because the light off
in the distance we initially thought was the station was actually another
runners light, it kept moving away from us !!! The light belonged to Kevin
Guest and we eventually caught up to him at the aid station. I had a cup of hot
ramon noodle soup and then another one. I laid down on the grass outside the
tent and looked up at the stars while I was stretched my back out. Only 8
miles (two loops of Queeny) to go but it seemed so far. During this next
stretch to the 95.3 mile unmanned aid station the sun rose. Jeffs thigh would
spasm and he would wince and pull the bandanna tied tourniquet-fashion around
it tighter, Scott would step on a particularly sharp chunk of gravel and he
would wince and hop a few steps. Periodically I would wince too while trying to
get my shoulders straightened out up over my hips. But we three decrepit
warriors kept on marching and now there was only one loop of Queeny left, only
about 4 miles to go. Walk on boys for the end is near. About this time you can
see the candle-stick like Cassoday water tower off in the distance but it
doesnt seem to get any closer. We walk on and on and on. Finally we make the
right turn and then the left turn heading back to the asphalt road and the
finish. Weve been together so long therell be no mini-surges to the line, we
just walk across together, three abreast to the sound of the jingling cowbells.
No more Queenys Jeff, weve finished it and were done - twenty-six hours and
thirty-seven minutes on the Kansas prairies. We relax a bit, lick our wounds
and get a little sleep in the back of my van. Then off to the awards ceremony
and on the road again back to St. Louis.
There are always lots of great stories in 100s. Louise got her 6th straight
Heartland finish. Doug Ryan from the Dallas area who was running his first
ultra finished under 24 hours. I was running with Doug for awhile early in the
day and to be honest when I saw strong his pace and heard this was his first
ultra I didnt think he would finish at all let alone go sub-24, so
congratulations to Doug on a super effort. My good friend Jeff had the courage
to stick with it and finish. Doing that on a day when things are not going
particularly well surely is as satisfying as finishing in first place. Once
again Mr. Heartland, Mark Henderson, won the race. SLUG Paul Schoenlaub also
had a great race with his sub-20 hour finish. Congrats to Paul.
To be sure, Heartland is a different kind of ultra from ones in the forest, but
the prairies have their own special grace and beauty. RD Randy Albrecht and all
of his aid station volunteers and other assistants are also very special and
are to be thanked and congratulated for organizing such a great event.as we all
enjoyed their beautiful part of the state.
*********************************************************************************************************
Randy,
I just wanted to express my appreciation to you and all your great volunteers. It
was a great event and one which I could highly recommend to any one looking for
a well organized run. The crews at all the aid stations were exceptional. I
personally would like to thank the young ladies at the 87 mile station for the
pancakes. I was not able to eat beginning around mile 52 due to a stomach
problem, so when the ladies offered up pancakes at the 87 mile station, it
really helped give me the much needed energy to finish. I was in hopes of
running in the 15"s or 16"s but the stomach put a stop to that idea.
Maybe next year! I would also like to apologize for not being able to stay for
the awards, but we had to catch a plane in Wichita and were afraid we would
miss our flight. Again, thanks to you and all your great volunteers!!!
Congratulation to Mark Henderson for a great run!! See ya on the trails /
roads.
David Jones Tn.
***********************************************************************************************************
To
all KUS members, family, friends, and random other persons hanging out and
helping make Heartland (my first 100!) great:
THANKS! I got the biggest kick out of seeing the other aid stations and
the rest of the Heartland course, and knowing the people at each stop was
definitely a bonus. I didn't even miss sitting in the road ditch at
Battlecreek drinking beer, listening to college football, and eating hamburgers
and fries from the Cassoday cafe. However, previous years of listening to
Bob Dylan must have been in my subconscious because a phrase from one of his
songs kept running through my head (... and the one with the mustache says geez
I can't find my knees...?)
My favorite food out on the course? Curly fries, bean soup and pancakes
with peanut butter. The funniest thing overheard? "Wow - I
can't believe that there is a house out here in the middle of no where!"
(and Kaylee's fish story - she is still giggling about it). My favorite
thing to complain about? The gigantic comm. tower that we had to run
towards for about 800 miles.
So, a few days rest, a bunch of Advil, several ice packs and one deep tissue
massage later...I would do this again!
Theresa
************************************************************************************************************
Randy,
Thanks again for everyone's hard work in putting on the Heartland 100. I really
enjoy your race, there is no other like it. Please tell Nancy thanks for
the cheeseburgers, those are always a big help.
PS: I ran quite a ways with Phillip Hall, who was attempting his first
ultra run. We made it as far as 63.5 miles where we parted ways and I
assume he may have dropped there. I would like to contact him and see how he is
doing and congratulate him on his effort. Is it possible for you to give me his
e-mail address, or if you would rather, forward mine to him?
Thanks,
Kevin McCormick
Dallas, Texas
************************************************************************************************************
The
2004 race…….
In
my opinion, there are two major elements that make a race a great venue: The
people and the setting. Of course, under each of these, there are
subcategories, but those are the main ingredients that make a race worth
investing the training and vacation time, entry and travel money, and the
effort required to participate in a particular race, whether for the first time
or as a repeat offender.
The HL has some of the greatest people, whether volunteering, running, or
serving up vittles at the town cafe, to be found in all of ultrarunning. The HL
people make the best food--whether the pre-race meal, Dave's famous
"prairie pellet" beenie weenies, the variety of soups, Sloppy Joes,
or even wee hour bacon and pancakes--HL fare rocks! Runners are cared for from
the front-runners to the cut-off chasers as if they were VIPs; that's because,
to the HL people, the runners genuinely are. HL people make for great race
organization; I've run HL since it's inception and the race organization has
been fantastic.
The HL setting is unique, and well worth the effort. The vistas of
never-ending, rolling tallgrass prairies, rising and setting heavenly bodies,
sights and sounds of wildlife, and constant views of an infinite sky emote
feelings of "America the Beautiful." The course is certainly
runnable, start-to-finish; but, 100 miles is always a challenge whether the
runner is setting a CR or narrowly escaping cut-offs. The rolling hills,
ever-present wind, flintrock running surface, and seemingly never-ending
expanses all combine to challenge newbie and veteran alike; and, although the
weather has cooperated the past 5 years, there is the potential for the weather
to become a formidable adversary to volunteer and runner alike as virtually the
entire course is totally exposed to the elements.
So, it's because of the people and the setting of the Heartland that I plan to
run this race every year--at least until one of us passes on to that big ultra
in the sky. Hopefully, that will be many, many years and many Heartlands away.
Mark K. Henderson
************************************************************************************************************
Thanks
for putting on great race this past weekend. We got home late Sunday night and
I'm already itching to get out for a run. Well, maybe tomorrow after I've eaten
and rested a little more...
The aid stations were great. Your unmanned stations worked really well, which
isn't always the case. I would especially like to thank Dan at the Texaco Hill
aid station on the way back. I had foolishly put both my lights in the same
drop bag and he lent me his headlamp to get me from Texaco to Teterville so I
didn't have to stumble through the pitch black for miles. Please let him know
how appreciative I am the next time you see him.
The award is in a place of honor on the front hall table - do you know the two
types of stone you used to make it? I like to know annoying little details like
that, if you happen to know!
Thanks for going to all the effort to make it a fun race. If I've got the
weekend free next year, I'm planning to come out and give it my best just to hear
those cowbells clanging at the finish again.
I hope all the post race clean-up and details come together smoothly.
Tia Bodington
***************************************************************************************************************
First,
thanks for a great race. It was my first ultra and I really enjoyed
everything about it. It was well organized, great volunteers, great
course, nice pre-race dinner, etc. Here's a link to my race report that
has pictures of the course, aid stations, pre-race meal, etc.
http://www.geocities.com/marshall/blog/heartland2004_1.htm
Thanks! I'm planning to make next year's Heartland my first 100.
Marshall King
****************************************************************************************************************
Randy--
from one flatlander to another-- you and your fine staff certainly put on a
first class race. The aid was very good, especially the bean and mini
wiener station. I'm not sure what motivated me more to keep moving,
the fact that good food was just up ahead, the fact that I hadn't finished any
hundreds this year, or the coyotes whining in the tall grass. As I passed
the remains of a jack rabbit along the road I thought that could be me in a few
hours. Fortunately I'm unaware of anyone becoming a coyote's late night
snack. I kept praying, Lord, please give me the grace to make it to the
next aid station and the courage to leave it. The prairie was astounding
in the sunrise and late afternoon as were the sunrises and sunset. What a
privilege it must have been to be raised there. The cows kindly moved out
of the way after trying to stare us down, but out of spite, I suppose, left
running obstacles on the road.
If someone's holding back from running this race, they're missing a well run
event and a chance to become in their imagination an early pioneer transversing
the Great Plains to the Rockies.
David A. Hughes, BCE, P.E.
"... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our
eyes on Jesus ..." (Heb. 12:1,2, NAS)
*****************************************************************************************************************
I
just wanted to thank you for a great race. The support was wonderful (I even
tried some new foods while on the road) and everyone was friendly. The
finisher's award is the most attractive, unique and thoughtful of any I've
received - I understand you hand-crafted it (from local materials?). Very
impressive! Thanks for all the effort you and your volunteers put forward - it
was a truly special weekend.
Ross BrennanWashington, D.C.
******************************************************************************************************************
Thanks
for another terrific Heartland 100. I think this race must be one of the racing
world's best-kept secrets. Beautiful terrain, challenging course, the best
volunteers I've ever seen at any race, and unlike the western mountain ultras
-- all the air you can breathe. Often you don't even have to pant for it -- it
just comes rushing your way in big chunks!
I heard a few people complaining about lack of a full moon this year. Beautiful
and practical as that was last year, I really enjoyed the stars. You don't get
to see them that big and bright anywhere else, except perhaps in the middle of
the ocean at night. I saw two big shooting stars as well, which was a treat.
I DNFed Leadville in 2003, but two Heartlands have given me the confidence to
go back in 05. So thank you very much, and I hope you'll count on me as a
volunteer for the 05 Heartland.
I'm sorry I didn't make the awards ceremony. Karen and I were going to head
back to the hotel in Emporia, clean up, rest and then return to Cassoday for
the ceremony. But when we got to Emporia, Karen suddenly just wanted to
go home. After the way she and the chiefs supported me all day and all night, I
didn't have the heart to argue.
I really wanted to go back for the ceremony, mostly to see again all the great
athletes who I only got to
exchange a brief word with on the course (many as they whistled by me!). Of
course, I also wanted that buckle. Any chance you could mail? If it's a bother,
just put it up til next year and I'll collect it then.
Also I wanted Heartland 100 ball caps for my crew. Is there any way to get them
by mail? Just tell me how much, and I will send the check, including postage
and packaging.
Thanks again for an experience that most will never know, nor even comprehend.
It was sure good to see you both, and Eric, and meet other members of
KUS. I'll look for you at some of the other KUS events in 05.
Gary Henry
**************************************************************************************************************
Sorry
I missed the race this weekend. I phoned Jim to let him my flight was cancelled
but I would be there first thing in the morning to begin the race. At 1:30 AM I
arrived in Kansas City but my baggage did not make it. Huguette and I hope to
run it with you next year. What a disappointment. Randy I have on my desk the
awards you gave out last year. It is great.
Our best,
Dan and Huguette
***********************************************************************************************************
Thank
you for a wonderful event this last weekend,..the aid stations were great, the
people friendly and sociable, especially at mile 68, loved their dog too. Only
suggestion, maybe an unmanned in between Mayfield and turnaround, since it was
hot, water would have been nice half way. Other than that it was well marked
and well supplied. Unfortunately I had a 4:30 flight out of Tulsa that
afternoon so I could not stick around for the awards. If their was anything
given out, please send it to me and I will gladly pay you back for postage. Or
just tell me the cost and I will send the money. It was a 5 hour drive from
Tulsa, so a 1 pm award was late. I have relatives in Tulsa , so that is why I
flew there and not Wichita. Thank you again....I had a great experience.
Steven Funke
*********************************************************************************************************
Had
a great run in the Plains on Saturday/Sunday.
I had a much tougher time of it in Kansas than I did for Leadville this year...
I guess one should be prepared for the distance no matter how "easy"
it is supposed to be!
I will do my part in spreading the word about your quality run!
Thank You,
Neal Taylor
**************************************************************************************************************
Next Page 1 2 3 4 5