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Comments: We started at the top of a hill and ran down, then up a hill, then down a hill, then up a hill, then down, then up, then down, then up. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I started out running up the hills, but that last only about 2 miles. I figured out that on the steep hills, I could walk just as fast as I could run and I could maybe save some energy for running faster down hill. I was still careful running down, however, especially on the steep long down hills. A few times, running down really did feel like a controlled fall. The water station at the 6 mile point was called a "water block." I'm wondering what this means, and as I come up to what I think it must be, there is a cement block with a large thermos of water on it -- about 18 inches from the ground. No cups. I stand there for a few seconds trying to figure out how I am going to get the water from the large thermos to my mouth. I can't lie on the ground. (I won't), and I don't have a cup or a bottle, so I just cup my hands and get as much of the water as I can into my mouth without spilling too much on the ground. As I'm coming down the second to the last hill, I see the American Flag at the aid station (tents) waving in the breeze. I have never been so thankful to see the American Flag before. I even ran all the way up the last hill to get there faster. What would you do differently?: I'm not sure running up the steep hills makes much sense at this point in my running fitness, so I'm not sure I would do anything differently. Oh, pack a collapse-able cup in my kit.  Post race
Warm down: Water. Stretched. Accepted my 1st place tile. Ham and bean soup. Two fig cookies. A miniature payday. Sat and stretched and cheered in a few more runners. Drove to McPherson and got a 16 oz Breve with a shot of sugar free caramel. Bliss. Drove the rest of the way home. What limited your ability to perform faster: Duh. Run more. Find hills to practice on. Event comments: I loved this race. It was very small, but everyone called me by my first name from the moment I registered. The runners were friendly. The food was great. The course was fun and challenging. I loved the "ultra" atmosphere with the 50k runners there. I will be back next year to tackle the 25k. Profile Album Last updated: 2011-10-15 12:00 AM
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United States
Freedom Board, Inc.
40F / 4C
Overcast
Overall Rank = /
Age Group = 46-55
Age Group Rank = 1/2
Woke up at 5:30. Ate raspberries, Greek Yogurt, and Kashi. Drank a little water. Drove the 125 miles up to just south of Concordia where the race began.
I felt like a total noob to trail running. I asked where the porta pottys were, and I swear he said, "Down the hill on the left." I couldn't find them because I'm looking for regular outhouses. I had to ask again. The RD pointed across the street from where we were standing, to a gully with two small tents. I must have looked incredulous because he said, "We have geriatric commodes in the tents. They are unisex." Okay. I'm from Oregon, I can handle this. I go to the tent, step through, zip it up, and there is a bucket (!!!) sitting under the geriatric commode seat and a roll of toilet paper on the grass.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to get this done with some dignity, and the wind is whipping the tent around and I see the stake at my feet slowly rising out of the ground with each gust. I'm just hoping to finish before the whole thing goes flying out of the ground. I think of my fellow racers, and as I unzip the tent and step out, I reach down and push the stake back down firmly in the ground.
(Two hours later when I finished the race, indeed, the other tent had blown out of the ground, and the commode and bucket were just sitting in the gully for all to see.)
Sat in my car with the heater on. At about 15 minutes before the race was to start, I got out of the car and tried to find shelter from the wind. It was freezing up on that hill, even with 40 degrees. Winds were out of the south at 15-20 mph, and it was overcast, so we were all shivering. I had on two pairs of gloves and two ear warmers. Freezing.