KUS News
The sole mission of our society is to
organize, sponsor, staff and support ultrarunning events/competition in Kansas
and the surrounding region. Our vision is to create an atmosphere that fosters
not only the enlightenment of the novice ultrarunner, but nurtures the needs of
the veteran ultrarunner as well.
Volume
4, Issue 1
June 2003
Sunmart
50-Mile Trail Run, 2002
By
Ben Holmes Page
1
KUS
Annual Meeting Notes
By
Stacy Sheridan Page
2
Relentless
Forward Progress
Where
our members are running and racing Page
3
Product
Reviews
Barkley
is a Bitch!
By
Joe Prusatis Page 4
Rain,
Rain Go Away
By
Marc Friesen Page 7
Sunmart 50-mile Trail Run, Saturday, Dec 14th,
2002
Alex
Kovalev, Dan Hatcher, and Ben Holmes (the author), had a hair-brained idea to
run the 2002 Sunmart 50-Miler in Huntsville, Texas. Huntsville is located 60-miles northwest of Houston.
Alex,
the only rookie among us, has only been running for the past 10 months. In that time, he has completed 2
half-marathons and 2 marathons. He
thought he would ply his talents at a “real” trail ultra, this time. Dan is a veteran of many marathons and a
smattering of ultras. For me, this was
my 3rd 50-mile trail run of the year. I’ve also run a 50-Km ultra and a road marathon this year.
The
Sunmart 50-Miler is a 4-loop course on hilly trails in Huntsville State Park,
with each loop measuring 12.5 miles. The park has a mixture of southern white
pine and deciduous trees with a lake in the middle, which is filled with
brownish water and alligators. The running surface is very rooty, (but not
rocky), and can be very muddy after a good rain, which it did just 2 days
before the race. The temperature was 38F at the start, and warmed up to about
60F by the third loop. It started dropping again on our 4th loop.
It
was definitely very muddy in places on the course. It had rained heavily the
Thursday before the (Saturday) race. The mud made for some more fun running,
and some sock-changing for Hatcher. My new (mesh-stretchy-breathable) gaiters
worked well...no blisters or shoe/sock changes needed, 'cause they kept the
sand, rocks & pine needles out of my shoes.
All
of us wore street-running shoes instead of trail-running shoes. About our decision(s) not to run in trail
shoes:
I
wear my trail runners on rocky or sandy trails, usually. On rocky trails, I
need protection from forefoot-bruising, and on sandy trails, I need lots of
traction. Sunmart is a soft surface
with lots of exposed roots. The mud is of different consistency down there than
it is here. It doesn't stick to your
shoes, and it isn't as slick as Missouri's or Kansas' (hund-scheiss-type) mud. I didn't think more traction was necessary,
and I didn't need the forefoot protection provided by my Montrail Vitesse trail
shoes, so I ran in my oldest pair of "Brooks Beast" street-running
shoes (with great success).
Alex ran well in an old 650-mile pair of street-running
NB's. He was concerned that his newer
shoes weren't broken-in enough. He promptly retired the New Balance's after the
race with a ceremonial kiss (of the shoes, not me), followed by a toss into the
nearest trash receptacle.
I don't think Hatcher owns a pair of trail running shoes.
Our
performances:
For
me, it went about the same as my last two 50-milers did this year; I started
feeling lousy between miles 25 to 35, and I felt REALLY WELL between miles 40
to 50. Alex said he felt the same way, his performance mimicked mine. Alex and I had our fastest loops on the 1st
and 4th. Dan was running very well
until loop 4, it seems.
I
didn't run with Alex, but was running with or near Hatcher for part of loops 1,
2, & 3. At one point there was a
horse (loose on the course) that ran with Hatcher and me. He would strafe us by running in the
opposite direction, then turn around and fly by in the same direction that we
were running. He seemed to be having
fun running with us, like some big doggie that’d gotten loose.
It
was fun seeing the other runners on the two out-and-back sections of the run
(on each loop). Sunmart also has a
50-Km race going on (at the same time) that had about 700 competitors. So for 3 of our 4 loops, the course was
quite the social occasion.
The
event was even better than in '99, which is the last time I had run it. The sponsor, (Sunmart Petroleum
Wholesalers), had terrific give-aways, food and support, and even a finisher's
medal this year. For the give-aways, we
got a sports bag, hat, sunglasses, water bottle & bottle carrier belt,
toiletries kit & bag, Swiss Army knife, polo shirt, rain poncho...I think
I've forgotten a thing or two. The
finishers got a finisher's medal, and their choice of either a finisher's tyvek
jacket, or a finisher's Afghan blanket.
They fed us 3 meals: the night before the race, the morning of the race,
and directly after the race.
Other
race facts/observations: I tripped a record number of six times on loop 3, but
only fell once. We had no 'gator
sightings, as they were most likely dormant and not interested in
ultra-spectating. The near-superhuman
Greek/Australian ultrarunner, Yiannis Kouros ran the 50-Miler and won, even
though he was having a "bad day".
Pam Reed, outright winner of the Death Valley Badwater 135-mile run
(this year), won the women’s masters division for the 50-Miler. Paul Schoenlaub of St. Joseph, Missouri,
placed 13th (overall) in the 50-miler, and was 3rd in his
age group.
For
the 2002 Sunmart 50-miler, there were 216 finishers. Here were our group’s finishers' results:
Place Name Age Age Group Time
92
Ben Holmes 45 13 M 45-49 9:36:19
107 Alexander
Kovalev 31 11 M 30-34 9:49:18
145 Dan
Hatcher 42 20 M 40-44 10:16:57
KUS Annual Meeting Notes – Dec. 1, 2002
Club
Finances – Most
of our races made money in 2002 and we made a profit of approximately $2,200,
bringing the account balance to $4,979, $300 in the trailer fund. RRCA dues
increased substantially. RRCA dues were payable the first of January and we
looked into other organizations, but decided in the end to stay with the RRCA
for this year.
Heartland
– Heartland
100 is scheduled for the 2nd week in October for 2003. Randy felt
the medical check pre-race and during event should be dropped, the attending
members agreed and the entry form will be changed to reflect changes.
Communications between aid stations were also discussed and it was decided to
possibly try 2-way radios in addition to the cell phones we now use. The option
of using tents for the aid stations instead of the pop-ups was also discussed.
Nine
people used the motel shower at $5.00 per person. Everyone agreed the meal was
good and will continue to use the Cassoday Café. We need at least 2 people at
each aid station and can use more volunteers. Discussed having each aid station
with “specialty” foods listed so runners would know more of what was available
to them, and the possibility of assigning a budget to each aid station to buy
their own food.
Club
banner –
There was some discussion of buying a club banner to hang at our race
headquarters, start/finish for each race. We felt it would be good visibility
for the club and each race.
Equipment
– The
pop-ups need repaired. We discussed some alternatives but decided to use them
through Flat Rock this year. The pros to using them are that they are
relatively inexpensive and easy to set up. The cons are they don’t stand up in
the Kansas wind very well, the sides don’t stay on, and they bend/break fairly
easily. Randy will order repair materials
Trailer/Storage
options for equipment – Jim Davis called S&S, Heartland, Newman to price trailers. 12-foot
length isn’t large enough to haul all our equipment but will hold most of it.
Single axle, 12 foot used trailer was priced at $2200. The cost of rental storage was $600+ a year
and it was decided that was too high. KUS now owns a 6x12 foot single axle trailer. A used one came up
for sale from a repossession at our credit union and we put a bid in on it of
$1550.00. Those of you at Rockin K probably saw it as we used it to take all
the gear to the lake. It will hold most of our gear and will eventually be
stored at Marc’s parents. As a side note to this purchase the board members
decided that KUS would pay for the hitch needed to haul the trailer.
KUS
24 Hour race – Due to lack luster turn out, it was decided to try a different type of
spring event. Marc Friesen will direct the Ad Astra Ultra and Relay, which will
have 4 events, 50K, 50Mile, 100K and 100K relays with a 14-hour time limit on
the bike path in Wichita.
Advertising in Ultrarunning
Magazine – We decided to run ads twice a year in UltraRunning
magazine, one in the July/August issue and one in the December issue.
Membership – As
of December 1, 2002 we had 63 paid members, 6 being new last year. We felt we
needed to make sure each race director gets membership forms in the race
packets.
Group road trip/runs – There
was some discussion on a members group going to a race or destination. Several
possible destinations were discussed including, Roosevelt National Park in
North Dakota, Grand Canyon or a 100 mile trail race. We all agreed it would be
a fun thing to do, but no one had the time to organize it, it will be discussed
again later.
KUS Member of the Year
Award- We managed to surprise Marc Friesen with the member
of the year award. Marc has been on the KUS board since the clubs formation and
has volunteered or ran at nearly every KUS event held. Marc’s “experiment of one” has been tested
and improved over the years, as his racing shows, and he has also become one of
KUS’s most valuable assets. Congratulations Marc, and thanks for all you do for
the club!
7-19/20-03 - Vermont 100 Mile -
Woodstock VT
10-19-03 - Wichita Marathon –
Wichita KS
10-19-03 - Wichita Marathon
– Wichita KS
9-13-03 - Olander Park 100
Mile Championship – Sylvania OH
11-03 - Richmond VA marathon
6-7-03 - Govenor's Cup
Marathon - Helena, Mt.
7-19-03 Okaboji
University Marathon
Pikes Peak in August
Great floridian Ironman distance race in
Florida in October
Bill Smith Jr.
6/7/03 - Hospital Hill
Half Marathon – Kansas City
7/19/03 - Okoboji
University Marathon
8/17/03 - Pike's Peak
Marathon - CO
8/30/03 - Arkansas
Traveler Training Run – Perryville AR
9/1/03 - Arkansas
Traveler Training Run – Perryville AR
10/4/03 - Arkansas
Traveler 100 Mile – Perryville AR
11/8/03 - Grand Canyon
Rim-to-Rim Double – AZ
6-28-30-03 - Leadville Training Camp(not really a race, but a lot of
running at altitude) Leadville CO
9-27-03 - Flat Rock 50K – Independence KS
10-11-03 - Heartland 100 – Cassoday KS
11- ? -03 - Ultracentric 24 Hour – Addison TX
12-13-03 - Sunmart 50 mile
Huntsville TX
9-27-03 - Flat Rock 50K – Independence KS
10-11-03 - Heartland 100 – Cassoday KS
7-19/20-03 - Vermont 100 Mile -
Woodstock VT
Put me down for the
Baghdad Ultra-Series!!! I'm in
Baghdad for awhile.
Hopefully, I'll be back
in time for next years
Rockin K.
Product Reviews
I
tried the Brooks mesh vest on an 8-mile run in the arbortorum. It was a bit
cool when I started (34 degrees), but within a mile or so warmed up. The vest
is very lightweight and breathes easy. I was glad I did not have a full jacket
on. The pockets on the side and the back made it very easy to carry gels and
other items. I found I did not sweat as much as in a regular jacket. This
jacket is ideal for fall, early winter, and spring use. It has a high-density
micro fiber structure that offers resistance to water penetration and has good
windproof properties. Its breathability will keep anyone dry and comfortable.
There
is a new water belt holder out that is called the T-2. It has a bottle holder,
2 flask holders (flasks can be brought at Ultimate Direction), storage pouches
for keys, and cell phones, and a small holder for other items (chapstick, etc).
My only problem with it is that it has a buckle closure and my personal
preference is for velco closures. It costs $28.95 and can be ordered at web
site: hy-trition.com. With the price of water holders, this is a good deal. It
is one of the few that has a place for a cell phone.
New
book review: No Finish Line by
Marla Runyan. I felt this was one of the best running books I had read. Not
only did it tell of her struggles as a runner, but also as a person and of one
with limited eyesight. This book will give us motivation to run on those days
we do not feel like it. The price is: $26.95.
Barkley is a Bitch!
March 29, 2003
The snow is deeper now, covering the ground
completely, hiding the last remnants of the trail, and the trail blazes. The
sissy trail is now one mean bitch. You cannot assume for a moment that anything
will be as you expect it. The weather and your condition changes quickly. The
foliage bites, the weather stings, the light fades. My eyes hurt from the
stinging debris and strain to see more. We watch our own footprints blow away.
We stop many times to make certain, but finally we find our way back to the
first capstone. We move through it on to the second, and then the third. Relief
starts to build until I realize that we can't find our way past the third
capstone. A cliff hangs on one side, so we go around the other, but cannot find
the trail. We climb all over the capstone and then circle away from the cliff
with no luck. We study our map but don't know exactly where we are. I check the
compass and feel that we must continue west. We venture away from the capstone
heading steeply downhill. We drop a few hundred feet but we never dropped that
far while here earlier, so we turn around for fear of losing the landmark that
marks something we know for certain. We don't wish to lose it, so we go back to
the capstone and the trail that stops there. Then I find it, another blaze on a
tree hidden from the snow in the rocks. We climb back on and follow it
carefully. Excitement builds into frozen caution. We move carefully, rigidly,
like walking sticks in the silence of the screaming storm. Mentally, I check my
toes and fingers for numbness or worse. We keep on and blindly walk right back
to the same damn place we where an hour earlier. My heart sinks to a new low.
We stand and stare at the sign: stuck in an endless loop on Chimney Top
Mountain between Big Hell and Mart Field. It's time to try something new.
I don't know the course as well as I would like, my
orienteering skills with map & compass are weak at best, my altimeter is a
nice gadget that I use on few occasions, and I don't have the right gear for
snow and sub-freezing temps. Besides all that I'm having a grand time. I do
wish that all my clothes weren't wet. My hands are so cold; I can't seem to
hold my compass. My map is in a ziplock but the wet snow coats the outside
whenever I try to read it. I've made way too many mistakes at an event that
allows very few. I think I'm ready to quit now.
Barkley is a hundred mile endurance running event in
Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee. The idea is to repeat a single twenty-mile
loop five times. The first two loops are clockwise, the next two ccw. The final
loop is another story and of little consequence to most of us, as very few
people get that far. Eleven books are placed at specific locations on the
course. To ensure you cover the entire course, you must pull a page from each
of the books. The night before the race, you are allowed to copy the map, which
has the entire route, including the location of all the books. You're also
given a set of instructions describing the route. Laz lets you know what time
the start is by blowing a bugle. That means the start is in one hour. The main
difference between this and most other running events is that this one is not
marked, it allows no pacers, and there are no aid stations. Besides all these
other minor difficulties, the course sports an unbelievable amount of climb and
descent, and the weather always seems to get nasty in some very unpredictable
ways.
The rain starts before
sunrise, pinging a tune on my car as I lay awake and listen to its soothing
melody. A bugle interrupts my serene repose, chasing my wild imaginations,
sending them back into the mountains to wait for me there. We start in one
hour. I dress for rain and cold: two sets of gloves with waterproof covers,
waterproof pants, rain jacket, Smartwool socks, and another spare set. I have
food enough for a very long day: three burgers, a turkey sandwich, gingersnaps,
trail mix, and gummy bears. My compass is around my neck and I've a map inside
my pocket. Good to go, I wait. I know just enough to be a little scared. I have
seen the entire route once, but I don't know it well. Two years ago, I leached
onto a veteran and followed blindly for one single complete loop. I'm concerned
because I know how confusing this course is and how quickly I can get lost. Can
I leach again? Do I want to? The intent of this event is that you do it
completely on your own, yet most virgins suckle up to a vet at least for their
first go. Hell, I did. I would like to think I could find my own way this time.
I have map, compass, and altimeter, foul weather clothing, plenty of food,
water, an unwavering drive, and a good sense of direction ... or so I think! I
might be able to hang with Mike Dobies, but I'd feel much better if I could just stay ahead of him and use him as a safety
net, in case it all goes to hell. So, I think I'll run my own race this time
and see what happens. It is the way it should be.
While the rain continues to fall, Laz sends us out
soon after sunrise. Quiet as a funeral procession, thirty-three of us walk out
of camp. We shift into packs as we make our way up Bird Mountain's many
switchbacks. Near the last switch, we drift left onto the North Boundary Trail,
a mere trace. No typical trail, it twists back and forth, intent on using the
steepest descents, the thickest briars, the largest falldowns, refusing even to
be held within the park. Roughly following the contour of the west boundary, I
see occasional yellow boundary markers nailed to large trees. Descending Bird
Mountain, I miss my first of many turns, following a few others off trail.
Standing there, scanning about, we see the next pack above us moving left. I
scramble up and over back to the trail. I remind myself to pay attention and
focus on the terrain. It's not wise to put much faith on those in front of me.
I hurl my body downward, falling, sliding, & tripping. Over, under, and
through falldowns, tangled vines, saw briers, and a thick carpet of mulch deep
enough to hide holes and mud slicks. Our pack of twelve hangs very loosely
together, shifting order and splitting constantly, each of us making our best
guess on route finding when no trail exists. A very specific falldown is
recognized, pointing to the northwest boundary marker, and I'm surprised by the
accuracy of this inane call. A stone cairn wraps around a four-foot tall steel
post. Book#1 (Trail of Secrets) sits inside. All of us gather round it to
collect our first page. Less than three miles in and it has taken awhile to get
here.
Some take time to eat;
others get water from the creek, but the pack never stops moving. We cross
Phillips Creek and start the next climb. This section has more falldowns and
tangled vines than the last one. There is no easy way, or obvious choice. We
struggle over rough terrain as each sees fit. We pass a Jury Ridge sign that
I'm told is on the wrong ridge. It seems to make sense here! We descend a bit
before rising again, using the hill's contour to stay as high as possible. The
trail comes and goes, but our pack
remains together. In single file for minutes, then scrambled and queued up
again. I don't realize we're on Bald Knob until chaos scatters us completely.
Littered with downed trees and large branches, a few new dirt roads crisscross
everything. I was warned about this, but I'm not making the connection
immediately when our pack splits apart at the seams. I know better, but
absently follow a couple of vets anyway. I stay on their tail as they and I
completely circle Bald Knob. More educated by the end of this roundabout, as are
the others, we drop down lower this time and bushwhack until the four of us are
back on the trail again. We find Son of a Bitch Ditch and ford it with the help
of some half fallen trees. We're reunited with all the others at the strip
mines. They've gathered right next to the brackish water, trying to decide
which way to go. As we arrive, they scatter in multiple directions looking for
the best way up to the Garden Spot. My instinct is to go strait up the face on
our right but once again I follow blindly. You'd think I'd learn by now.
Drifting along the nasty off colored creek, I spot someone up high and right.
This spurs me across the putrid pool and up the other side. I head for the spot
and a few others do the same. Climbing slowly up the steep slope, I intersect
the trail I seek, and then switchback the remainder of the way to the jeep road
on top. On road, I turn right and run a hundred yards. Another dirt road takes
a sharp left, leading up to the Garden Spot, where we find everybody else
surrounding Book#2 (A Walk on the Wild Side). Looks like I took the long way
up. So far, I'm not too pleased with my decision-making. It has taken me about
four hours to cover eight miles.
The next section leads over Stallion Mountain. It's
required that we first go down to Coffin Springs and then reverse to climb back
up the same way. I don't need the water, so I turn upon arrival and head back
up. My partners stop for water but catch me back up before I get back to the
turn. We turn at the split and start down the road when we realize the ridge is
on our right, so we back up thirty yards, go off road, and ride the ridgeline
going up. It levels out on top and we continue 'til we find the triple and quad
fork trees, with Book#3 (Shadowland) On across the ridge heading down, we
intersect a dirt road and go left on it, then right, and then a switchback,
until we decide to get off. Dirt roads crisscross the entire area and I'm
thinking it is best we just avoid all of them and go strait. I have fallen in
step with the pack and I'm beginning to think it's time for me to split ways.
I'm following more than I should and not going the way I think is best. We give
up on the road and find cliffs immediately. We find a way down between them,
and then again down another level through briars to the old Coal Road. Minutes
later, we cross the Barley Mouth Branch on the old Coal Road and quickly to
Cougar Rock. Between a rock and a hard place, we find Book#4 (Moment of Truth)
on the backside of Cougar Rock.
I move quickly to the ledge and
start downLeonard's Butt Slide. I can see that Robert has gone over as well,
and I follow his track, speeding down
the steep chute. When the slide stops, we don't, losing the others as we sprint
through the trees and rocks. A large boulder on the right is our landmark just
above the New River and Barley Mouth junction. We turn left, following the
river. We pass the old rusted marker of a bygone book no longer used. Robert
mentions it and keeps moving. On trail now, we climb a small hump and pass
above a hundred foot sheer drop down to the river. Robert peels his jacket just
before we cross the river on the old railroad bed. On the other side of the
river, we pass a rock wall with a frying pan on top. Robert does not know this
book location and stops, so I go past him and turn up hill to a tree wrapped in
duck tape a hundred yards up the hill. Book#5 sits in a nook of the tree. We're
in Little Hell.
We sit and eat on a very
steep slope. Some of the others find us, but we start up again before the
entire troop joins us. Little Hell sorts us all now according to our climbing
ability. Robert disappears ahead, while I begin to fade. Two others pass me,
then three more. I check behind, but no others are in sight. Little Hell has
just undone what twelve of us had held together for so long. The entire group
has just been scattered. Robert, DeWayne, and three others continue to move
further and further ahead, while I lose distance on them. Mike Bur is the only
one within sight. Mike and I eventually hook up and finish the climb together,
following a zigzag path through the maze known as Saw Briar Point. Just below
the cusp of the dirt road is Book#6. 'It's Not a Pretty Sight'.We're now on our
own. There's not another soul in sight. We follow the road leading down for awhile
and then a quick switchback on itself to the
right. This leads to the guard tower. A group of four is just starting up Rat
Jaw. We wave and then walk over to the guard tower surrounded by a ten-foot
tall barbwire fence. Mike crawls under the fence to get Book#7 'The Green
Stick' from the cinderblock wall of the building.
I put on clean socks before walking back over and starting up Rat Jaw. Its one steep and mean power line cut that boasts the nastiest patch of saw briars on the mountain. They usually wrap around your body and legs, clinging, scraping, and cutting. We're lucky today. Somebody's cut them down. We start very slow and get slower. Every time my hands near the ground, they come back bleeding. Everything under foot cuts. The briars have been trimmed down, but the stumps & pieces are still deadly as hell. I try hard to stay upright on this very steep slope, plucking a branch and peeling the limbs for a walking stick. We reach level after level with steep climb in between. Frozen Head State Park has a prison on either side, and we have a very good view of the maximum-security unit strait down below us right now. Some fog starts to roll in, but the climb continues and we find the large rock wall in the fog. We go to the right and pass a slot, and then I call Mike back. We have to go up the slot to stay out of the trees and remain on the power line cut. We continue endlessly up it seems, and very slow. On the final pitch, we see some hikers on top at the road just under the weather tower. My Camelbak has just run dry, so once on top, I refill it while I eat a hamburger. Back down the road we had just come up, we pass by the top of Rat Jaw. It's filled with fog. We find the trail that leads left and back to Indian Knob almost a super highway of trails. Many trails lead off in different direction from here, a switching station of sorts for hikers. We make good time on the Chimney Top Trail until we find the red MF rock. Steep walls are on the right, so we back up fifty yards and start up a much gentler slope. The climb's not too bad. We rise up until we find the ridge, scrambling through thick brush and rock until we find the flat top and Book#8. It seems too easy.
Continuing over the hump into the saddle we find a way
around the mass of briars and over the next hump before dropping down. But, I
badly overshoot the Chimney Top Trail, crossing right over it, and keep going
down. We drop five hundred feet before Mike realizes our mistake. Altitude
alone tells the sad tale and now we need to climb back up. We're five hundred
feet down and can see the Indian Head rock off through the trees southwest of
us, so we move up and right. We see & hear some folks moving down hill
quickly from the landmark. Now that we know where we are, we easily find our
way up to the Indian Head. A trail leads over to the keyhole slot through the
rock at Indian Knob and Book#9 'A Second Sunrise'.
We're standing on the edge of
Zip Line, ready to drop down when Mike Dobies, Craig Wilson, and John DeWalt show
up. The lot of these guys has more fun run finishes than the rest of the troop
here today. It looks like we have a
free ride back in with the Barkley tour guides. Mike & I look at each other
once and nod, like saying 'Oh what the hell'. We step over the edge and blow
down Zip Line in rapid fashion. We could have waited. We should have waited. On
the way down, I tell Mike that the next section is more confusing to me than
most of the others. I don't feel very comfortable about it, but both of us keep
going. We drop down quickly, veering left. The loud sound of water is in front
of us and we head for it. Mike leads us down the final pitch to the waterfall,
and we cross just above it. A trail on the other side leads downstream. Hugging
the west shore, we keep on 'til the trail crosses the stream, leading a bit
away from the stream. We go a hundred yards then turn into the trees, finding a
hollow that fits the map. Mike thinks the hill on the left of the hollow has to
be it. But it doesn't look right to me. Mike starts up it anyway. I can't
convince him because I don't know for certain, but it just doesn't feel right.
He comes back off the hill and we decide to go back and start over again at the
stream crossing. We don't cross the creek this time but follow the far shore.
Minutes later, we're at the base of Big Hell at the inlet of Beech Fork hollow.
A hundred yards up trail is Book#10 (The Overmountain Men)
We take a short break to eat and then on up we go. I
am certain the Barkley tour group is now in front of us and our security is now
gone. Workmanlike, we plug away and make good time, 'til we can see the
capstones on top and the tour group also. It's a short ride from here but still
slow work. By the time we make the last hundred feet, they're gone. We sit down
and pull the pages from Book#11 (The End of the Road), the last book, only
three miles from done.
This should be the end of the
tale, but this is where Barkley steps in and kicks us in the ass. It's an easy
ride down a sissy trail to camp from here. Worn out from the climb, socks wet,
clothes damp, I go round the right side
of the capstone, on autopilot now, I take out my last bag of food and eat the
sugar loaded gummy bears. Neither of us checks map, compass, or altimeter.
Laziness born of exhaustion and fat confidence. We're almost done and know it.
I've been here before and it's a brainless easy ride in. Not much different
than driving home drunk, not knowing how you get there, but your body seems to
know the way. As the sky slips into darkness and it starts sleeting, we hurry
to escape the storm: thinking of warm showers, warm clothes, warm food, and
cold beer. Should be a respectable time for a couple of rookies. But, somewhere
in here we begin our wrong way trek. We go through a few more capstones, as it
gets much darker. I stop to get my lights out and pull the waterproof shells
over my already wet gloves. The wind is howling, slinging frozen rain into my
face. The night sky is filled with debris that stings, forcing my head down and
my eyes barely slit open. There are no landmarks to discern, the terrain
blurred to twenty feet. For a while we follow the blazes marked on the trees,
and then they too are covered in snow. Eventually we reach a landmark that
makes my heart sink right down to my toes. We are at Mart Fields. My wonderful
ignorant bliss evaporates instantly. A cloud fills my head and I begin to
scream inaudibly. We have gone the wrong way, and it is a long way the wrong
way. I can hardly believe it. I tell Mike and that's when we finally take out
the map. We simply turn around and start back.
The snow is deeper now, covering everything. We're
forced to go real slow, searching the trees and ground for sign. Everything
aches. A sensory overload: cold, wet, sore, numb. A mentally numbing sensation
overwhelms me. I can't be here. I'll wake up soon. I try to look up but it
hurts my eyes, so I glance up now and then. Back along the trail, we walk. To
the capstones and past, but eventually we lose the trail in the rocks. We
circle round and find it again. And then we're staring at the same damned sign
again back at Mart Fields. We're stuck in an endless loop, a dead zone, going
round and round. Mike breaks the silence, 'We ain't going back that way again'.
How can I argue? We've gone in circles so far. Stuck on Chimney Top between Big
Hell and Mart Field. It's time to try something new.
We keep going the same direction on up to the next intersection. We stop and study our map. It's not clear exactly where we are. Two trails lead off, both in wrong directions. West: a wide super trail. East: much
less, a trace. I start down
the super trail, climbing a very large falldown. Five minutes into it, we
realize it's still heading west. The wrong way? There is no west trail. What is
this? We go back to the intersection and try the other. Minutes later, it
disappears. This trail leads to the prison and only the prison. We go back and
try the wide super trail gain, leading west. This should be the right trail
leading back to Spicewood, but we really have no verification. Everything feels
right and yet it feels wrong. We keep going for awhile, riding the nice wide
track until finally a landmark, the red MF stone. We are exactly where we need
to be, but still a long ways from home. At the intersection of Spicewood Trail,
we stop again to discuss options. Mike wants to take it, seeing it is the
shortest way home, but I recall that the South Old Mac trail was the easy way
down and want to go on up to it. Not being overly confident about anything
right now, I follow Mike's lead and head down Spicewood Trail with ignorance
& hope, following purple blazes. We're lower down now and more protected,
so you can see the blazes again. It tilts decidedly downward, looks right and
feels right, but that's how we got into this trouble to begin with. Halfway
down, we finally lose the snow and then my light goes out. I have a spare LED
headlamp but neither of us have our best lights. We had both saved those for
the second loop in the dark. These were just emergency lights with no plans to
be of excessive use. Out of the snow, I finally start to warm up. We're finally
out of the wind and snow. We can hear each other again and talk of things
outside of this madness. It is after all just a walk in the woods. We pass the
Spicewood campsite and know for certain that we are on track and almost done.
Tension falls off my bones and goes searching for somebody else who is still
out there wandering in the snow. I'm free of it finally and relax. We find the
intersection of South Old Mac trail and then the road. We walk back into camp
fifteen hours after we started. They blow taps twice on the horn, tapping Mike
& I out of the race, and then twice again for two others who have just come
in from another direction. For the first time, it does not sound so sad.
Fatigue dulls the
pain,
But awakes enticing
thoughts of death. – Doug Hammarskjold
Rain, Rain Go Away
It was
not rain on race day that presented challenges for the inaugural Ad Astra
Ultras & Relay, but rather the rain the week before. Much of North Central Kansas received
several inches of rain leading up to the day of the race. Therein lies problem; a lot of this rain is
collected by Arkansas River. This is
the very river that the Ad Astra course loops around. The course was certified in March at a little over 4 miles. It was to run on both sides of the river and
stretch from the 13th Street Bridge to the Seneca Street Bridge, a
very scenic loop. However, when we
inspected the course on Friday evening we saw something, which gave us great
concern. The river level had risen to
the edge of the sidewalk on the west side.
We thought maybe, the river had crested; after all it hadn’t rained
anywhere upstream for about a day. We
decided to be on the safe side and mark a course that only used the high side
of the original course.
Race
day morning rolls around. I make my way
to the potential problem area. It looks
like we will be making use of the alternate course. The sidewalk is ankle deep for 50 feet in this one section
alone. We go into high gear and get the
alternate course starting lines marked.
This, unfortunately, wound up to be a high stress time also, as we later
discovered that these were the incorrect starting points for all three
races. We recalculated the race
distances and then wheel measured what would be the final course. This was done as the race was
proceeding. Every participant I talked
with was very understanding about the problems that we had incurred. Finally, with all course corrections made
and feeling confident, I turned my attention to the race itself.
In
the 50Km Eric Steele took control of the men’s race and didn’t relinquish
control during the event. He won
easily, gapping the field by nearly an hour by race end. In the women’s race, it was a matter of
just “plugging away”. Jan Shirk edged
out the steady walking pace of Cynthia Ehret of Colorado.
Dianne
Holper displayed her strong will and determination by finishing her first
50-mile. She was one of the few
competitors that had a smile on face the entire day, whether it was the 10th
or 40th mile. She was bound
and determined to finish. She was our only
50-mile entrant. Richard Ehret also
finished 50-miles in just under 13 hours, but was originally a 100Km entrant.
The
100Km was a competitive group. Joe
Gaebler and Janet Runyan stuck together for nearly 45 miles until Joe pulled
away and grabbed the men’s title. Janet
soon followed and took the women’s crown.
Dann Fisher came through the finish line snagging third overall. (He later revealed that this was a PR by a
couple of hours!) Chris Jarvis of
Nebraska was also one who kept plugging away and finished in about 12 and
one-half hours. Jim and Nancy Davis
again displayed their amazing ability to stick together and run the entire race
with one-another. They finished
side-by-side in just over 13 hours.
The
100Km relay turned about to be a bit different than what I had thought. It was a team building effort for all
individuals, but what I was surprised by was the competitiveness each team
had. It was a good spirited competition
among the teams that made for a great day.
“The Veterans” of Boulder, CO came out on top in the men’s division with
a time of just over eight hours, barely edging out “Just Six Guys” by only 47
seconds. The co-ed division was even
closer. “Team Wichita” won by just over
one-half minute. 62 miles of hard
running, and it still comes down to seconds!
Despite the course-related
difficulties, we at KUS still consider this event a success and we will be back
next year. We hope that all of this
year’s entrants will be back to join us.
Dann Fisher adds:
Any
time I direct a race; I generally toss and turn the night before the
event. I stress about what I can and
worry about what I cannot control. When
I arrived on a beautiful race morning, I found Marc Friesen, the race director
of inaugural Ad Astra Ultras and Relays, fretting about the hand that nature
had dealt. The rain-swollen waters of
the Arkansas River had risen over night, rendering half the course
unusable. Marc and his crew responded
quickly and soon a modified course was in place. To his credit, Marc was out among us during the early laps,
measuring for accuracy. Like all KUS events, this was a great race. KUS is known for taking excellent care of
their runners. We had a great aid
station, friendly lap counters and a tasty lunch. Crew was welcome, but not necessary. Despite requiring multiple loops, the out-and-back course had
enough scenery to keep one amused and allowed for good camaraderie among the
runners. The relay runners kept the
course active and provided the ultra runners with lots of encouragement.
For anyone who can tolerate running on
pavement, the Ad Astra race provides a great opportunity to run a PR for 50K,
50M or 100K. If you need proof, I
lowered my 100K best by more than two-and-half hours!
Questions? Info to share?
Got a story or race report? Need to get
a hold of the editor? Renew your membership? How about a great quote? My
address is:
Stacy Sheridan
302 S Grand Ave
Ellsworth KS 67439
785-472-5454
ALL submissions to the
newsletter are greatly appreciated!! Send them in!