I'm not sure how many Do Wacka Do races I have done. I know I missed the one where the course was moved due to flooding, but I think I have made all of the others. This race is usually held on the first Saturday in September, usually on Labor Day weekend. Yes. it's in western Oklahoma, and yes, it can be hot. This year were were lucky to have much cooler temps, with low 60s to start the race and highs only in the mid 80s. I opted for the 25K, although I was on the fence--thinking of giving the 50K a go. I slept in my comfy back seat of my truck, and woke up in plenty of time to get dressed, lube, slather, and get to the start line. But I spent too much time socializing, and like frequently do, forgot to pin my number on, and ended up starting 10 minutes late. My friend Misty also was slow getting around, and we started off together.
A mile into this 16 mile loop, and we're treated to a splendid view to the west of a red rock cliff. It begs for us to come explore, and were it not for the race at hand and the possibility of rattlesnakes galore, I would make an adventure of it.
The course is dirt roads all the way. All intersections are well marked, and I think it should be impossible for anyone to get lost, although sometimes it happens.
Second manned aid station just ahead. Way UP ahead. Two aid stations on the loop are atop monstrous climbs. That's like something I might do.
Some years, there is no water on the course. This year, enough rainfall had filled the two ponds on the course. And there were a few muddy sections which had sticky clay-like mud caked up on our shoes. Finding the perfect mud-scraping rock was a challenge because many times what LOOKED like a rock was really a mud clog in disguise! We soaked our feet and washed our shoes in the run off from the second pond.
In places it seems like the road climbs right up into the sky.
Each incline that looks like it's straight up basically was. Of course, I love it.
Misty stops to breathe near the top of a 150' climb.
Some years I've seen tarantulas, some years there's been snakes. This year, only the pinacate beetle showed up on the trail. These guys secrete a foul odor, and if squirted on you, it's worse than being sprayed by a skunk.
Grab a burrito and then scream down the hill!! We kept a good pace but slowed down a little in the final 4 miles.
We finished just under 5 hours, but remember we started 10 minutes late? Yeah, I forgot about that. So it was a 5:05ish. They had an enclosed trailer with benches and a huge water-cooler fan blowing which really cooled you down. I didn't stay here long though because the smell of grilled hamburgers and my thirst for a cold beer was just too strong.
The wonderful trophies--no I didn't get one. I was DFL again for the third straight year.
But I AM gonna get a DFL sticker for my truck.
We did receive a well stocked goodie bag--which included the shirt pictured above, several ink pens and coupons, and a BEER COOZIE!! The medal was great too. RD Joel Everett and his band of volunteers do a great job with this race. They also organized a gravel grinder bike ride this year in conjunction with the race. And there are miles and miles of grave roads out here to explore. Next year maybe I'll bring the bike.
Last Saturday I did the Do Wacka Do trail run again. My buddy Joel Everett puts this race on way out in western Oklahoma at the Sandy Sanders WMA some 12 miles south of Erick Oklahoma (the last town on I-40 before you hit the Texas state line.)
Where did Joel come up with this weird name for a race? It's named after the Roger Miller song of the same name. Roger Miller grew up in Erick and one of the town's feature attraction is the Roger Miller museum.
Here's the song.
Aren't you glad the song is only 1:49?
I had planned on taking my camper to the race, but ended up working late Friday. so I slept in my own bed and left out at 3:30 early Saturday and made it to the race 30 minutes before go time.
Packet pickup was brisk, and I gulped coffee, slathered on stuff to my feet and chafing areas (Happy Feet and Sac-So-Soft), and filled my water bottles. Shorty had picked up my packet the night before, which saved me a few needed minutes.
Julie Dunbar from TATUR Racing timed the race--solo--and did a spectacular job. Toward the second half of the 14 hour day, she ran out to greet the finishers as they neared the finish line, often running the last 1/4 mile with them.
Polly and I posed for our annual group shot. Polly was running the 50 mile, and kept the pace and won the the race. I was signed up for the 50K, and had given myself full permission to stop after 25K if it got too hot.
So, at 7:00 we were sent off at the sound of a shotgun blast. The sun had just came up, and the 25K, 50K, and 50 Mile runners cruised down some nicely maintained gravel roads.
Twin sisters Mishelle and Alecia were hanging together for 25K. Mishelle must have had OSU football on her earbuds and was celebrating a TD.
There are great views the whole way at Sandy Sanders WMA. This looks like a sunset, but was a sunrise--about one mile into the race.
Shorty and I were at the back of the pack. She was out for 25K at an easy pace, and we just decided to hang together.
I had seen a couple of these black beetles along the way. At first I thought they were dead, but after seeing 3-4 of them, I stopped to take a picture. I googled them today and found they are called Clown Beetles, Head Standing Beetles, and Desert Stink Beetles. I read that it stands on it's head probably for two reasons. These guys are the skunks of the insect world. They spray nasty chemicals from their rear. By assuming this posture, they are warning predators that they are about to spray. I had got pretty close to get this picture--I guess I'm lucky.
This course has some flattish areas, but is more noted fore steep descents into the canyons, and very steep climbs back out. This hill was a toughie--but was nothing compared to climbs later in the race.
It's easy to take a good picture at Do Wacka Do. The wet summer had kept the area much greener than in years past. Yes, that hill was where we were going.
I have been here when there was no water to be seen, but this year, there were three different ponds. As it heated up (close to 100°) I thought about wading it to cool off--but the mossy scum near the shore (that probably was home to water moccasins) kept me from doing it.
After a 200 foot climb, we reached our second aid station. Most of the aid station workers were not runners, but friends of Joel and his family--but they were GREAT. Most of them have been at this race every year, and they seem to know what us hungry trail runners want and need.
Pond number two (or was it three?) They all looked alike.
Some people make jelly out of prickly pear cacti. All I knew is that if you had to trip and fall--just don't fall here. I am always on the lookout for critters. I wanted to see a snake--particularly a rattlesnake. but just like last time here, we saw a couple of tarantulas. I was taking pictures of this enormous creature, trying to get a closeup shot.
I had my phone hovering at ground level Mr. Eight-Legs took it upon himself to help out and made a run right at my phone--actually tried to climb right over it!! I probably screamed like a girl, and I know I did a wild-monkey back-up dance. Now if Shorty had videoed this, we'd have a winner!
This was the aid station at mile 8. I told Shorty to drink up, and we filled our bottles to the brim with ice and water. The aid stops were further apart later in the loop, and it was getting hotter by the minute. I took some pretzels and cookies with me--after feasting on cold watermelon.
We were in cruise mode now--just trying to not be stationary. The scenery was still awesome, but it was getting to the point where we didn't care.
25K would be Shorties longest run in a few years, and even at 10 miles in, we were running a little here and there.
The steep climbs were zapping us though. Usually, in the low spots, there was no wind and climbing 200 feet ascents in full-on sunshine was melting Shorty down.
It was somewhere along this stretch that Shorty noticed what looked like a battle of a beetle and a tarantula.
Upon Googling this strange orange winged insect, I learned it was a Pepsis Wasp.So now, I realize I am lucky to not be squirted by a stink bug, bit by a tarantula, or stung by the most painful stinging wasp on the planet.
At this point downhills were not even fun. I was careful going down not wanting to aggravate my questionable knee. I know--I'm such a wuss.
Besides the aid stations, there were volunteers riding the course in reverse on ATVs and they had drinks and first aid for whoever needed it.
A few shout-outs:
John Nobles lined up and ran the 50 miler--and finished 2nd. He was a distant 2nd after two loops, and made up a lot of ground on the final loop. Dude looked strong every time I saw him.
Jeremy Wiley signed up for 50K, but caught a ride near the final stretch of his last lap. He was dizzy, and had taken a fall. I thought he was pretty dehydrated after talking to him after the race, After a couple Gatorades and a beer or two, he seemed fine. He reported seeing a few snakes on his last lap! Check out this video of a cranky rattler that Jeremy Wiley made. He saw 4 of these guys and must have been pretty close to a den.
Jason and Sue Ann Bement kicked out a good paced 25K and finished before 100° set in. Here, Jason is cruising with Mike River who toughed it out for 50K.
Travis Jennings, sporting his Pumpkin Holler shirt, just kept going and going--and finished his 1st 50 miler. Travis is training for 100 miles at Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd this October.
Shorty and I held it together--at times scrounging for any kind of shade--which meant cozying up to scratchy cedar trees hoping there were no rattlers with the same idea. We finished what my Garmin said was 16.25 miles in just over 6 hours. We collected out finishers medals, and spent the rest of the day re-hydrating and cheering for our friends as they finished.
I grabbed a couple of pictures from Polly Choate--of the medal, the age group awards, and her first place trophy.
And I got a nifty medal hanger in a drawing!! Happy trailz!!
Yesterday I ran the Do Wacka Do 25Ksouth of Erick Oklahoma, which is way west of OKC on I-40, and about a four hour drive from Tulsa. While starting my race report on trailzombie.com and thinking about all that went on during the race, and I just can't stop salivating over those chocolate chip cookies one of RD Joel Everett kinfolks made. They were so good, and there were more at thew finish line--but I forgot to raid the stash. :-( I'm leaving now to go to Old School to get my cookie fix. Be back in a while. And now I'm back! Ken Saveth aka K2, Susan Westmoreland aka Melon, and Mishelle Hancock left out from Tulsa at 9:30 to make the 160 mile trip to the Sandy Sanders WMA to run the 25K in this multi-distance event. My friend Joel Everett with the help of friends and family in Erick have put this trail race on for four years now, and it is an awesome event. We rolled into race central at 2:00 am, and tried to catch a little bit of sleep in my truck. It was not very restful, but better than no sleep at all. I was out the driver's side door at 5:55 and drank some life into me via a thermos of coffee from home. K2 appears to be proposing to Mishelle. However, he is trying to stretch out his spandex before standing up. I strolled around and visited with friends and took pictures. Most were into the sun, or into bright lights and none turned out. But here's a couple of bad ones tweaked up. Here I am protecting Polly from a crazed man with a flame thrower. This picture is bad only because of what looks like the sun in the background sending rays of light in front of Bill's face. Actually, it was just a clamp light that had been on since the dark hours. This is the Stillwater contingent. Those with the purple bids were going 50K. The smart ones wore red bibs.
Melon has her game face on. It's a day when she has 16 miles on her training schedule, and this 25K is long--16 miles to be exact. A good fit. Joel gives out the course directions. It's not that difficult, but each year a few people get off course. After a shotgun start (yes, with a real shotgun) we were off. I am in my usual place--right in the back. Taking pictures. It was around 70° at the start and the humidity was high for such a desert climate. This is a hilly course, and in fact many people moaned and groaned about how brutal the hills were. But that's what makes it a challenge. Melon said her Garmin recorded 2,432 of elevation gain in 16+ miles. This course has it all--scenic vistas, tall grass, cacti, red dirt, canyons, expansive buttes, lizards, rattlesnakes, giant tarantulas, bright blue skies, and a warm sun. Ok, this hill was a definitely a walker. John Longan demonstrates the best plan of attack--power-walk it. I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles.... And Amy runs for miles and miles and miles.... You can tell the trail runners from the trail racers. We're the ones who stop for group pictures. Danna, Mishelle, and K2 seem in good spirits at this juncture. It's the first aid station--an oasis in the desert. This was at mile 3-ish, and I needed nothing. I bet most folkes just blew by, but those doing 50K and 50 mile would hit this stop later in the day. From left to right--John, K2, Mishelle, me, and Amy. The roads had been grated recently, and the running surface was pristine. There were no craggy rocks, no big chunks of loose gravel to run on, and most of the way was nice and soft. Here we are at the top of a steep descent into a canyon. This would be a tough one if we were running the course the other way. Kim and Dana get in the picture frame again. They helped me out several times during the race taking pix with my camera so my ugly mug could be in the shot. Down we go. I love these trailz. If they were closer, I'd run here a LOT! We'd no more reach the bottom of the descent before we had to climb right back up the other side. Good training. I was looking forward to seeing a rattlesnake, but being near the back of the pack, I reasoned that all the runners ahead would scare them away. :-/ I did come across these giant red ants though. Putting my camera on a digital macro setting, I got up close and comfy with them. The ant photography gave Kim and Danna time to catch up with me. We played leapfrog for most of the day. Turning a sharp hairpin turn just after the top of our last climb, we headed back down the other side of the butte. A half mile later, we were climbing again. This was the steepest ascent of the day. The payoff--an aid station with a view. This is where the scrumptious chocolate ship oatmeal cookies were (with chunks of white chocolate and M&Ms.) They were heaven. The girls refilled and ate cookies too--I was not the only one! I left out in pursuit of Mishelle and K2. I ran up most of this gradual incline, and near the top, I saw K2 jump straight up in the air and lunge to the right side of the trail pointing in terror at something on the ground! ALLRIGHTY!! Here was that rattlesnake I was wanting to see! But no--it was just a spider. A HUGE ONE!! How big you ask? I tossed a dollar bill down for reference. This spider jumped right on top of that dollar bill and carried it away into some weeds so fast it made my head swim!! Glad it was not a twenty!! The pace was slowing somewhat as the temperatures were climbing. I thought I had a little bit of run left in me, so I kept running with a short walk break here and there. I would let it loose on the downhills, and I allowed myself 50 steps of walking when I needed a break. Of course, part of the reason I carry a camera is so I don't look like a slacker. When i'm taking pictures, I'm also catching a breather. I reached the aid station at mile 12, and knew I had a mere 4 more miles to go. There was only two climbs from here, and neither were bad at all--so I ran for 200 steps and walked for 50 on the flats and uphills, and ran all the descents. I managed to pass 5 people (one of them was in the 50K.) I almost made it into the mid-packer category. I knew I had less than a mile to go when I saw this sign. I was off the big loop, and just a gentle hill and then the finish. Ok, now before you go get popcorn and a soda to watch this movie, I'll tell you how it ends. I come slogging across the finish line to wild cheering from the hundreds of fans Brian and John Nobles. I had a Leinenkugel and some barbecue, and then started inquiring about Melon. I battled the heat in my last few miles. I also knew she was a good 6 miles behind me and she is no fan of the heat. After cooling down and seeing K2 and Mishelle come in, Mishelle and I drove my truck out on the trail to check on her. We found here at the last aid station sitting under a tent and yapping it up with he aid station workers. She had gotten a little hot, but wad regrouped and was ready to kick this race in the gonads. I put my truck in 4WD and sent Mishelle back to the finish line so I could run in with Melon. We walked most of the way,m but at a good clip. This was a good move as running would have melted us down. She made it to the finish in a good frame of mind and best of all, she snatched a victory from the jaws of the DNF monster. Tough cookie, that Melon. I kind of get the idea she's proud of this medal. Behind the shack of a house near the finish line, there was a concrete porch and w blue tarp stretched around it. Inside there was a garden hose and a sprinkler hung from a wire on the ceiling making a Do Wacka Do shower. It was ccccold, but one of the best showers ever!! a bit of a breeze blew the tarp back several times, and opportunistic onlooker could have caught a glimpse of zombie buns, but I heard no screams of horror so I guess I went unseen. Joel's friends family and volunteers are great. I know there are a few who are not runners, but have been around this now for four years and understand why we do it. :-) Two years ago when I ran the 50K, I said this was perfect 25K, but a really hot and tough ultra. I'll stand by that. I almost always will do a the longer distance over a 25K given the choice, but 25K is enough for me at Do Wacka Do if it's HOT.
