Bass Pro Dogwood Canyon 50K

Last weekend marked the first ever Dogwood Canyon 50K sponsored by Bass Pro and North Face. To my surprise, my parents decided to make the trip over, and of course Mendy and kids came along to make it a full family event. They anticipated being able to enjoy some of the amenities at Dogwood Canyon while I was running, but unfortunately the area was closed to everyone except runners due to storm damage repair. Some advance notice of that would have been nice, because it made for a long day for them trying to keep three boys occupied.

As far as the race goes, being my first 50K, and obviously the first time on this course, I didn't know really what to expect. Bass Pro didn't have a course map available until just a week or so before the event, and even then it was very uninformative - other than showing a lot of hills...

The course was basically a 15+ mile loop, and then we turned around and did the same course in reverse. In the first 3 miles there were several creek crossings in water that got up to knee deep at times. I learned that Gore-Tex lined shoes don't really give you advantage in water this deep. After the water, the hills set in and the runners finally started to thin out.

Somewhere close to mile 13 we hit a little stretch of paved trail which was a welcome change in scenery as it meandered through some of the great features, fishing holes, streams, and waterfalls, and caved found at Dogwood Canyon. It was on this short stretch that I encountered Kyle Skaggs and Tony Krupicka already well past the turn and into the reverse portion of the course. I was inspired at how easy, simple, and pure they made it look...oh to be young and carefree again.

At the 1/2 way point, and the finish of the 25K course, the field really thinned out and made for some long stretches of running without seeing anyone else, which for me is ok as I'm used to solo training and kind of enjoy the solitude. I hit a serious emotional low when I realized that the 50K course didn't take us to the actual finish of the 25K, but rather through a separate little isolated loop. I had been looking forward to checking in with the family for a moment at the turn while re-fueling and having a snack, and it wasn't until I hit the mid point aid station that I realized I wouldn't get to see them 'til the end of the race...I could have used their boost of encouragement, but luckily I was still feeling good physically.

Running the course in reverse got a little confusing at times as there where a lot of turns and the signs pointed in both directions (once for the 25/50K course going out, the opposite for the 50K going back). Luckily, I figured it out each time, but I did encounter a few others who didn't. Around mile 19 I started having some stomach troubles after slugging down some sports drink at the previous aid station. I knew it was a mistake when I drank it, as most of that stuff doesn't settle well with me, but it just looked so good at the time. After a 15-20 minutes of nausea, with the help of an S-Cap to settle things down, things were back to normal and I was feeling good again. At around mile 25-26, although I was happy to have hit the marathon point, my ankles were really starting to hurt and slowing me down. I had recently gotten new road shoes, and Mizuno had changed the design slightly on the model I prefer. The change made them rub on the bottom of my ankle bone to the point of bruising and sensitivity to all my other shoes. ( I have since taken scissors to those shoes and customized them to where this isn't a problem) Flat and uphills weren't a problem, but it was killing me on the downhills - not to mention my quads were screaming pretty loud as well on some of the steeper portions. At a few points, I had to resort to going down backwards in order to keep moving. This was defeating in that a equipment induced problem was giving me so much grief at this point in the race.

Finally I hit those final few relatively flat miles and was able to kick it back into high gear in between water crossings. I was ready to be done and was running fast just so I could stop sooner. I was able to pass another runner who had previously passed me back when I was feeling sorry for myself and limping along over my ankles - that little victory felt good. Eventually, I was back on the Dogwood grounds and could hear people at the finish area. My boys spotted me about the same point I spotted them, probably a 1/4 mile from the finish line, we were equally excited to see one another and their cheers helped bring me in.

We hung around for little while and had a post-race lunch of hot dogs and bison burgers. As good as the burgers looked to me though, I couldn't stomach anything except some hot cider at the time. I wanted to eat, but it just wasn't happening - this is pretty typical for me after a substantial run. I walked around and stretched out a bit before loading up for the 5 hour drive home.

Overall, I had a great time. The course offered a variety of tough terrain, and I learned some important lessons for next time.

26.2 - Almost

Oringinaly posted on the Merschaum Canteen 9/14/08

Mendy and I went to St. Louis this weekend to run in the Lewis & Clark Marathon. Hurricane Ike decided to roll through town as well. The downpour put a serious kink in my pre-race plans and almost caused us to not even start - little things like the parking lot being under two feet of water and runners having to push their flooded cars out in the dark before the race even began. Eventually we found some high ground to park on and decided to brave the elements.

Despite running through ankle deep water, pounding rain, and gusts of wind that hard enough to knock over some of the course porta-johns, I was pacing pretty good. I really didn't know how fast or far I had gone at any point because the course markers had mostly been destroyed or blown away, and I didn't wear my Garmin watch for fear of ruining it, so I was mildly disoriented for most of the event, but feeling good running-wise.

As it turns out, the last half of the course was under water and the race directors had to move the finish line up to the 10 mile marker and started shuttling everyone back to the start and parking area from there. 80% of the runners were only signed up to do the 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) so getting to 10 miles wasn't all that bad given the conditions. I, however, was running good, wanted to get my miles in, and was disappointed that the race had been shut down. So instead of boarding the buses with the rest of the masses, I turned around and did the 10 miles again in reverse. So, only 20 miles today instead of the full marathon, but a good war story none-the-less.

Next month - 50K Trail Run in the Ozarks put on by Bass Pro Shops and North Face...here's hoping for better weather.

video clip of the weather conditions at race start

Happy Trails

taken from origianl posting 6/9/08 on the Meerschaum Canteen

Last weekend I ran in a trail run event put on by a group called the Kansas City Trail Nerds. Aside from solo runs, I hadn't done an organized trail event for several years. It was the most fun I've had in long time and can't wait for the next one.

A couple pictures from the event: cruising along and muddy legs at the end of 15 miles

The Man in the Arena

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt