Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 2013

The third running of the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd has came and gone, and this year was amazing. We had a few less entrants in all four distances which was a little disappointing, but the enthusiasm was over the top.

Eagle Bluff hosted us again, and as long as Comb's Bridge is still in service, we'll have it here. This is possibly the most scenic stretch of the Illinois River. Brian and I camped Thursday night, and were up at the crack of dawn to get things ready. The porta-potty dude came at 9:30 instead or 8:ish, so we started work on the loop with a big time deficit.


Driving the loop, and waiting for the outhouses to be prepped gave me time to snap a few pics. This is at mile 4 just past the huge bluffs.


Standing at Savannah Corner, the full moon is retreating over the horizon, prepping for full illumination the next night. Runners could easily get by without a headlamp, it was so bright.


Mile 14ish, between Savannah and the Nature Center. The roads were in the best condition they have been in for the three years we have been here. Still, a steady diet of gravel to the feet made for some good hot spots and blisters for a few runners.


This is taken from the 3 miles of paved road between Hard Up Ahead and Bathtub Rocks. Hold up camera/iPhone, push button, take awesome picture. It's just that easy at Pumpkin Holler.

As usual, the 50K, 100K, and 100 Milers all started together at 8:00 am sharp.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

The countdown started from 10 seconds, and I heaved the pumpkin skyward at the count of two seconds.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

The great orange vegetable split into two pieces, and was promptly trampled. The two boys in front are none other than ultra-stars Brandon and Cameron Plate, doing their first 100K. They have several 50Ks to their credit, a 50 miler, and 100 miles over three days at the Silverton 1000. Their plan was to run the first 50K conservatively, and then their dad Mark would run the 2nd 50K with them. It was his 1st 50K, and their plan worked well. They all finished middle-of-the-pack. I am not sure I could have ran the pace they did, even doing a 50K.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

In the blue to the right--Kathy Hoover. This was her 3rd Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd, and also her 3rd 100 miler in as many weeks. Yes, you read right--THREE! She ran the Arkansas Traveller on October 5th, Heartland 100 on October 12, and then was trying for 100 miles here. Would she make it???

picture by Danielle Huddleston

Two hours later, the 25K was sent off.

Both the 100 mile and 25K took off to the road that bisects the Nichol Nature Preserve. It is possible to see a lot of wildlife such as raccoon, squirrel, skunks, deer, elk, and even bobcats. Deer were plenty, and almost friendly. But the big treat was at the aid station at mile 4.

Mitch ran the Waffle Stop, where the 100 milers turned around. The 25K got waffles here, and on the way back.

Meanwhile, on the big loop where the 50K and 100Kers went, and the 100 Milers came later--the Mad Dog station had a lot of pet tricks waiting.

Kevin Lemaster had gingerbread dog biscuits served from over-sized dog dishes, candy and nuts from gumball machines, shelves with commercial cookie containers, an iced tea dispenser, and first class service. Next year, I expect fountain drinks.

Joel Everett and the Muskogee Running Club manned the Out-N-Back station, where runners fed their faces at mile 7 and mile 10.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

Tony Clark, along with Steve and Dennis from Kansas ran Savannah Corner--possibly the most scenic aid station on the course.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

This was a crew station, so fan support was thick especially in the first loop. The early stations had a little down time between the first and second loops, and Savannah was geared up and ready come nightfall. (This video was posted on Facebook, and I could not get the embed code, so you have to click to get to Tony's Facebook wall, and then click on the video. It's worth the extra clicks to see it.)
 

Next was the East of Eden station, manned by Randy Ellis and Susan Westmoreland, and joined later by Lynna Gilstrap and Laurie Biby.

picture by Kristina Myint

I ran into a herd of GOATz here. From left to right--Bill, Ron, Bobbie, Kristina, and Josh. This is the location of the Great Gourd Challenge, a short out and back where you could choose to run an extra mile(ish) and climb over 300 feet in the process. Doing so earned you a nice pin to wear on your shirt for the rest of the race.

picture by Kristina Myint

I was pleased that so many brave peeps took on the challenge. It's funny that people will moan and groan about hills, but dangle another hill in front of them, and they will run it. Trail runners are like that.

Earl Blewett and Chuck Streit worked the Hard Up Ahead station, which was a crew stop as well. I did not get pictures from here. :-(

Next was BathTub Rocks.This is the 18th wonder of the world. It's a great place to soak your tired feet. The magical waters will take away all the aches and pains, and have actually healed blisters and black toenails. Russell manned this stop with help from David Newman.

picture by Russell Bennett

Last Gasp was managed by Mishelle Hancock with help from Susan Howell, who was signed up to run but had to withdraw due to an injury. But, she drove from Kentucky just to help!! Awesome! They were relieved by Travis and Shorty Jennings. Travis ran the 25K, and Shorty did her 1st 50K. I'm not sure, but Shorty probably snuck in a well deserved nap.

A big shout out to Zach Adams, who DNF'd here last year but came back this year skinnier and meaner. Zach ran smart and steady, and kept picking off runners to finish 2nd overall.

He had a crew of babes--imported from Kansas who fed him, massaged his feet, lied to him about how good he looked, and took turns pacing him in for his fantastic finish. Joell, Melissa, and Candi are all experienced ultrarunners, and I hope they come back to run with us next year.

Stormy ran the show back at the finish line. He was on the loud speaker all day and all night announcing runners names as they came through and finished, including runner trivia, lies, jokes, and encouragement. Maybe I was just tired and delirious, but I thought he was funny.
This is another where you need to click, then click again. It seems I cannot embed Facebook videos.


I spent most of the day and most of the night driving the course checking on aid stations and runners. I did manage to get a 64 minute nap, and it added no life to me, but the coffee helped. Come daybreak, I drove the course taking inventory as to where the runners were, closing down aid stations that were through, and picking up drop bags. I finally got back to see the final 6-8 100 milers come on though.


Michelle McGrew got her buckle, after coming up short at the Prairie Spirit blizzard last year. She was 3rd female too. I was so proud, as we have ran together some, and she picks my brain for ultra advice from time to time.

picture by Danielle Huddleston

Kathy came in 57 seconds under 27 hours, good enough for 4th place female. But this was also her 3rd 100 mile finish in the past 3 weeks. Since October 5 through October 20--a mere 16 days--she has raced over 300 miles.


Tired yes--but she looked like she was out for an easy little 10 miler every time I saw her. Racing the past three weeks, she got stronger each time out.

Dana had done the race thing for the past FOUR weeks. She worked an aid station at FlatRock 4 weeks ago, crewed me at Arkansas Traveller the next week, worked an aid station at the Heartland 100 last week, and the Pumpkin start/finish aid station this past weekend. I could not do what I do without her. She is amazing. We'll be taking next weekend off.


Another runner who came up short last year here,  DNF'd at Mark Twain last year, and was pulled from the blizzard at Prairie Spirit got the monkey off her back by acing this race. Danielle had her whole race dialed in-- never going too fast but never to slow, eating and drinking, and dancing all the way around the course. There was never a doubt she'd finish. I was so thrilled to see her get her buckle.


Mr Kurt Egli, after coming up short at Arkansas Traveller a couple of times, battled HARD to cross the finish line. Kurt's back started wigging out after about 50 miles, but he would not stop. Under quite a bit of discomfort and with the help of some great pacers, he made it though. It was inspirational to see him work so hard.

Finally, my friend Ken Saveth turned it up a notch in the last half of his last loop to finish 18 minutes under the cutoff. Ken was in the hole with 17 miles to go, but the sun came up and he dug deep and pushed through to get his second 100 mile finish.

He is collapsed here, but not before SMASHING the PUMPKIN, an honor bestowed upon the last finisher.

Click on the picture below for many more pictures from the race, taken by Danielle Huddleston.


Click here for the full results.

Many many thanks to all the volunteers who spent hours and hours serving our running friends. Susan Westmoreland did so much behind the scenes work. Dana slaved for days buying and assembling the aid station kits. Lori Enlow did quite a bit of leg work for us, and then loaned us three generators and helped out all night long along with her family--and all that after winning the 25K. Brian, Stormy, and Shannon McFarland held down the fort at the start/finish. I was almost never there, yet the whole thing went off like clockwork--even when the clock ran out of juice. Brynna made gourmet breakfasts for the late finishers, and Mitch whipped up some biscuits and gravy. There were a lot of other helpers--I am sure I've missed a lot of them. Jody McFarland, John Nobles, Rhonda Presley, Trish Carpenter--thank you all.

And finally, a very popular comic strip from a state to the north has adopted our race as the butt of their humor. But as portrayed above, the pumpkin has earned the respect of the GOATz. I expect an invasion from Nebraska next year though. The sound of thundering hooves will be heard throughout the hills of Pumpkin Holler.

Hanging out at Heartland

It's been a busy month. Two weeks ago, I ran FlatRock 50K, last weekend I made it 58 miles at Arkansas Traveller, next weekend, it's set up, RD duties, and tear down of the 3rd annual Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd. This weekend was not a weekend off as Dana and I ran an aid station at the Heartland 100. And being the predictable blogger I am, I have a report to spin. We worked the Lapland aid station which was at mile 16, and again at mile 84 for the 100 milers, and mile 16 and 34 for the 50 milers. My view of the race was all from this intersection of H and 576 Roads. I saw no runners in action anywhere during the race other than a 1/4 mile to the south, and a half mile to the east--other than the fact that you could see LEDs to the north and east for ~5 miles during the night. My picture collection in the post below is what I took before runners started coming through, and after we had things all packed up and ready to go. For my purposes of patting backs, I have borrowed a few pics from Melissa Bruce, and Russell Bennett.

But first the drama before the trip. We were packing our camper Friday morning when I noticed one of the tires was flat. And, I also figured out that although the camping trailer has a spare, it does not have a jack. So, I buzzed by QT and bought a can of tire sealant for 5 bucks and change which hardly inflated it. So another QT trip and 8 bucks and change for the BIG can brought the tire to 50%--maybe. Packed and ready to roll, we towed it to Discount Tire and got in line for a flat repair. Discount Tire is right next door to a new Panda Express, and we hadn't ate lunch...so a plate of lemon pepper chicken, orange chicken, curry chicken, fried rice, and a token 3 stalks of green beans later, our flat was fixed and our invoice was $00.00. Thank you, Discount Tire.

We made the 228 mile trip to Cassoday and were narrowly in time for a quick grab or roast beef, potato casserole, corn, and rolls prepared by some local church ladies. Great home cooking for sure. RD Tony Clark had a few errands to tend to, and we agreed to meet at the start/finish so he could lead us out to where our aid station was gonna be so we could set up camp. Dana and I sat in the truck and waited for 30 minutes or so, read email and Facebook while we had a signal. When Tony got back, I got behind his SUV to follow, and discovered that I had NO BRAKES! I could mash on the brake pedal, and heard a hissing sound, and had maybe 2% of the normal braking power by mashing down super hard. Looking under the hood and truck like a complete novice, I saw no brake fluid leaking from the brake lines or master cylinder. What to do? What to do? Things like this often happen at the most difficult times. We HAD to get to our aid station location, and being away from home, after hours on a Friday night, there was no chance of getting anything done until maybe Saturday. So, with great caution, we followed Tony 15 miles down hilly gravel roads to our aid station. We went slow, and used the gears to slow down, and only braked when we were rolling to a stop. We set up camp, unhitched, leveled, and settled in for the night. While this was not a conventional camping spot, it was still cool. The stars were amazing. It was quiet, other than a gentle breeze, and the remnants of an electrical storm lit up the eastern night sky.

Tony and crew were back promptly at 7:00 am to set up a heavy duty carport-like tent made with steel piping, bolts and nuts, and a heavy tarp cover and back wall. Aid supplies dropped off, tables in place--we were set. The race started at 6:00 am, and we expected to see the speedy runners by 8:30. A caravan of cars were right behind Tony when he drove up. This was a crew access aid station, and we had company for most of the morning. A few of the crew members waiting for the runners pitched in and helped Dana (which was greatly appreciated), and I manned the clip board and checked off runners. One near disaster--a moderate wind/breeze kicked up around 9:00 am, and the heavy duty carport/tent became a large box kite. Russell and I were hanging on and it nearly lifted us off the ground. Had we not held on, it would have lifted off and flown to Oklahoma. We walked it back around 40 feet to a fence and telephone pole and lashed it down. We also untied the back wall, taking away the "lift" force. The tent did no good for the morning runners, but I had a plan for the night.

We saw the last runner around 10:30, and then I had the task of trying to get my brakes fixed. I had to drive around 10 miles to even get a cell phone signal, and used a slow moving Google to find a Ford dealership. I also called the dealer I bought the truck from. I thought it was still was under the original factory warranty, plus I had bought an extended warranty--something I rarely do. My dealership recommended a Ford place in nearby El Dorado, which had a disconnected phone number. Google listed another place which was also non-existent. I Googled another place in Augusta which had a service department that was open until 1:00. All of these towns were on the way to Wichita on narrow 2-lane highways. I was doing ok being careful, and gearing down to stop. So far so good. The ford place that closed at 1:00 should have mentioned that they close the garage doors before 12:30, and will not even acknowledge that they have potential customers knocking on the window 30 minutes before their posted closing time. Next was Wichita dealers, and I picked the biggest one judging by their multiple web listings, and it was also the closest. They were nice, and recognized my dilemma, but were booked solid, and said it was doubtful that they could even look at it. They recommended another place much further west through Wichita, which meant driving through town on a sometimes expressway, sometimes service road route. My slow cautious stopping annoyed some zippy obnoxious Wichita drivers, and one zoomed around me and cut right in front of me as I approached a red light. I do not know how I managed to get it stopped without bumping her. It was stupid to try to drive without brakes, I know. But paying a tow truck to tow it from place to place did not sound good either. I finally made it to Hambelton Ford with Siri trying to send me down the wrong way on a one way service road, but I got there. A service tech by the name of Scott was awesome. He tried to get it in the quick lane because they do brake work there. (I doubted they would do anything other than easy brake pad jobs.) He then told me he was gonna make an exception and pencil me in to the list for the main service dept. I sat down in the lounge area and enjoyed a couple of free hot dogs, a bag of chips, and a $2:00 Coke, and watched Texas whip OU. Scott got back with me pretty quick, and told me that with my VIN, he could verify that my extended warranty was good and in place, and it was the power boosted that had went out. This part was not in stock anywhere in Wichita, and would have to be shipped from Kansas City and would not be here until Tuesday, or Monday if he could pull some strings. He also jumped through hoops to get me a rental car, and assured me that it would be covered. So far, I am very happy with their service.

I stopped at Lowe's on the way back and bought a 3 lb hammer, and 8 12" nails. Driving these nails through a hole in the bottom of the steel tubing, and a couple of others in the ground about 4 feet out anchored the frame and gave me a way to secure the top. As hard as the ground was, I doubted they would be able to even get these nails out, but it turns out, someone had a big nail bar and pried them out with ease. Even with a bit of wind during the night, the tent never moved. I bragged that I had built a tornado shelter.

I predicted that we would start seeing runners around 7:30, but I was about an hour off. A 100 miler made it back--84 miles--around 8:30 pm. The 50 mile runners started their race at 6:00 pm, and we had runners coming in from both directions for a while. It was never super busy, but was steady for most of the night. It got colder, and a lot of runners came in out shelter and sat for a while, covering up with blankets. We did not have a heater, but got by alright. Getting comfy in a chair with a blankie is often the death of a 100 milers race. There were quite a few runners who did not "beware of the chair," and ended up dropping.

The last runner came by around 6:30, and Tony and crew showed up right on their heels to tear down the aid station. Dana and I picked up some of our outside stuff, and climbed into the camper and slept until about 11:00. Four hours sleep, and a shower made me feel like a new man!! Tony arranged for one of his crew to come back and pull our trailer back to a safe location in Cassoday, and we'll leave it there until I come back to get my truck. I guess this is as good of a scenario as I could hope for. A hotshot out and back to Wichita is in my near future.

Now, the race results. TATUR Racing timed this event, and the results are already posted here.

100 milers Richard Stigall duked it out with Kenn Moon, winning by a mere 6 minutes 17:55 to 18:01. Amy Ewing took the ladies 100 mile crown with 18:19,and Candi Paulin taking 2nd with 21:55.

Adam Beecher ran a 7:59:59 to win the 50 mile race just a blink under 8 hours!! Chris Perry taking 2nd with a 8:48. Lauren Lie was third overall and first female running a 10:25, while Krystle Dalke was 2nd with 12:25.

Kathy Hoover ran her 2nd 100 miler in as many weeks, finishing in 27:38 after roughing out the Arkansas Traveller last week.

She is running Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd next week, and if she finishes, she will be the only runner in Oklahoma to run three 100 milers in three weeks.


Arnold Begay got back on the winning track with a good finish here. Like me, he bailed at Traveller last week, but stepped up and took care of business this week.

Russell did the crew-dude thing this year, following and helping Kathy, and posting updates on hers and Arnold's progress.

My Kansas friends all did well.
Candi, as I mentioned earlier, ran her first 100 like she has been doing them for years. She ran smart, and seeing her at mile 16 and 84, she looked like she was out for a leisurely Saturday morning 20 miler.


Justin Chockley was at Prairie Spirit last mach during the blizzard. Since then, it seemed he never lost his focus and hunger for a finish. He seemed to have his head in the game at all times. Of course, I saw him at mile 16 and 84, but he was upbeat and did great for his first finish.


Adam Monaghan stayed the course and finished his 19th 100 miler. That's more than most runners can even dream about doing, and who knows--he may end up doing 40 more.


Here's another first time 100 miler--Jason Dinkel. Jason was hurting when he came through our aid station at mile 84. Dana did some blister work on his feet, and Vaselined them up. I know that each step had to be painful, and that short 16.5 miles left seemed like 50. But he never stopped and has his first 100 mile buckle to show for it. Hi is with Melissa Bruce, who should get some MVP votes for all she did. She posted Facebook updates and pictures (of which I borrowed a few) throughout the day and night, paced Jason Dinkel from Matfield Green to the out and back, and then back. She then picked up Adam Monaghan at Lapland and ran the final 16.5 with him and got in nearly 32 miles. She is ripe for a 100 mile race. She has all that it takes to finish one.


Finally, it was good to see my friend Larry Kelley get a 100 mile finish. Larry was hurting, but was determined to get to the finish line. He had a great support crew, but I new he was bearing down when he only took a couple of drinks of beer at out station.

Seeing all my friends, I wished I was running. But it is enjoyable to be on the other side of the aid station table. Tony Clark puts on a very well organised race, and it's a great one to add to your list.

scenes from the prairie of the heartland

Admissions from AT100

Here is one of those race reports that's not all that much fun to write. I went to Lake Sylvia in Arkansas to give the Arkansas Traveller another try. I ran this in 2006 for my 2nd 100 mile finish, and then has a DNF in 2007 due to missing a time cutoff. It was the same year that the Chicago Marathon shut down mid-race because of 82° temps. It was low 90s in Arkansas that year with super high humidities. I felt fine, but was just going too slow. Then in 2008, I found myself in the best shape of my life, and took an hour off my 2006 time, and went on to have a great year of running with a few nice PRs. Then in 2010, I foolishly started the race with a sprained ankle and dropped at mile 17.

This year, I was slightly under-trained but well tapered. My last long run aggravated my right knee, but it had seemed to get better despite running the FlatRock 50K carefully and easily. I felt strong enough and confident enough to give it a go. My sweetheart Dana was doing her crew-babe duties, and I felt like a new buckle was in my near future.

This was the 23rd running of this race--a 100 that in my opinion is one of the very best in the nation. They have great aid stations, a super course that seems easy until it beats you half to death.

We picked up our packets Friday afternoon. I took a picture of the finish line sign and posted a picture of it on Facebook saying I hoped to see it next on Sunday morning. I almost made a remark about having to use a flash to photograph the sign when I finished. Right!

Dana and I made it to the starting line almost late, and I scurried to the check-in to get my number and trotted back up the hill to the mob of antsy runners at the starting line. Made it with 10 seconds to spare!! I filed in with Kathy and Russell and hoped to run quite a few miles with them, since I did not have pacers lined up. We took off at a trot, running the first mile or so on a two-lane paved road to the turn off to Browns Creek. I had a cheap clip-on light on my water bottle, as I didn't want to carry my headlamp. It was daylight in an hour anyway. Browns Creek aid station always has BACON and pancakes. I scarfed one down and took one for the road.

From there, we began a long ascent where we climbed 1000 feet in about 3 miles. I had a plan. I would count my steps, and run/shuffle at east 100 steps and then walk no more than 50 steps. If the grade was not too brutal, I'd run 200-300 steps. This was completely doable, and I passed a few people along the way. I hit the Flatside Pinnacle aid station and ate a couple of mini-Twix bars and headed onto the Ouachita Trail. I was pretty tentative at first being careful with my knee, and the memory of traversing this with a bum ankle a few years back played on my mind too. I was passed by a few peeps--no biggie, but when Kathy and Russell caught up, we had hit the long downhill and I settled in and ran, leading a group of 6-7 runners. I love this section and ran like the wind. But by the time I hit Browns again, I was overheated. Food did not sound good. I topped off my water bottle and walked on, knowing I had some climbing ahead of me. For the next 4 miles of the trail, I was passed by everyone. I trotted into Lake Sylvia in last place. But other than being out of water and a bit dehydrated, I felt good. Dana took great care of me. I ate and drank, and loaded up my Camelbak and trotted on to climb another 500-600 feet in the next mile.

I was not moving great, but was gradually feeling better. At Pumpkin Patch, I caught a runner, and we chatted for a bit and I left him behind when he stopped to pee. I was running well, and eating a bite or two at each aid stop. I hit the Electronic Tower and munched on some chops and drank some coke. They had ice, and from there on, I added a bit of ice at each aid stop. I was running better than anytime during my 50K the week before, and passed about 16 people between Pumpkin Patch and Lake Winona. There,  I saw Dana again, and I got word that Kathy and Roman were gonna slow it down and let me catch up. I was excited, and tried to push the pace to catch them--but I was paying from running a bit fast the previous 10 miles. My pace was adequate for the race but not enough to catch Kathy and Russell, even thought they were only a mile or so ahead.
The picture to the right is from Pig Trail, and is pretty rugged in places, especially since you have been running nicely groomed gravel roads for much of the way. It also has another long grinding climb. It was during this stretch that it rained. The trail/road was a stream, but I had no problem hopping over the puddles keeping my feet fairly dry. I was slowing down though. It seemed like I'd never get to the next aid station, Club Flamingo. I had plenty of water and food in my pack, but reaching an aid station is a great moral booster.

Arkansas has beautiful foliage and color in the leaves that are unmatched. We have beautiful fall color in Oklahoma, but nothing like this. Running for miles focusing on the road or trail, and having a flaming leaf like this is almost startling.

Every 5 miles, there was a mileage marker. When I saw one, I'd start doing math in my head, figuring out my pace and such. I was saving my Garmin for the return trip, and in a way, it was kind of a relief not knowing my exact pace at a glance. When I saw mile 45, I did my math calculations, and figured my pace to being over 18 minute miles!!! I had been doing 15:45ish to 16 average pace ever since finding my game after Lake Sylvia--and I knew I had slowed down somewhat climbing those 2 mile long hills, but now it seemed like I was sure to miss the cut-off at Powerline! I thought I remembered Dana telling me the cutoff was at 7:30, and by my tally, I probably could not be there until 7:45. I fell  into a real pity party here, thinking I had no business even being here, and was ready to be pulled at mile 48.2.

Then went over the math some more, and realized that if 7:30 was the cutoff, it would be based in 16:45 minute miles. Maybe that was right, but maybe it wasn't! So, I got mad (sort of) and ran with a bit more purpose. I arrived at Powerline, and got weighed, and was told I was down 9 pounds. WTH?? I seriously doubted the scales, but they did not make a big deal out of it. My friend Arnold said they told him he was down 20. Both of us know how to hydrate and eat. Hmmm.

And eat I did. I downed a sandwich, a 16 oz chocolate milk, an 5 hour energy, a candy bar, and probably some other stuff. I ditched my pack since it had got cold and I did not think I'd be drinking quite as much. Cindy, who with Roman, was crewing Kathy and Russell, and offered to run a bit with me. She accompanied me for about a mile toward Copperhead Road which was greatly appreciated. I came alive after that, and started passing people, loving every minute of the run for a while. So many highs and lows. I hit the porta-potty real quick like at Copperhead and tried to eat a grilled cheese sandwich but could not swallow it. Gatorade was powering me, and of course that's not enough in and of itself, but nothing else sounded good. I was still cruising along thinking I might catch up with Kathy and Russell, and I eventually saw them on their way back. I had really hoped I was maybe 1/4 mile from the turnaround, but Russell told me it was another 1.4 miles. Crap!! So, I put my head down and ran. It had started raining HARD but I kept my pace. But on a downhill, in the rain, I kicked a good sized rock in the road and jarred my knee, nearly tripping my. I over-strided 2 or 3 steps, and planted hr right foot hard and twisted the sane knee after jarring it. From there, every step had a jab of pain. Running was ugly, but it was uphill for a while anyway. It was along here where the road turned to squishy mud--my favorite. I think I walked super slow for about a half mile and took right around 20 minutes doing it. All of the time I had bought back by running well was lost. So, as I walked into the Turnaround aid station, I told them I had no choice but to drop. I was right up against the cutoff again, and still had 42 miles to go. I guess it could all be summed up with this Facebook post:
"A good way to get from point A to point Z when you feel half dead is the Zombie Shuffle. A faster but less desirable way is the Sag Wagon."

Dana and I drove the long way back to our motel in Morrilton, showered, and slept. When I woke, I started checking Facebook, and calling to see where Kathy and Russell were. There were gonna make it! And they finished in 29:12.

Kathy is also running Heartland next week, where Dana and I will be working an aid station, She is also running Pumpkin Holler the next week, going for three in three weeks. No one in Oklahoma has ever done that. Only our friend Arnold has even tried.

Another friend, Shelley Egli finished the Traveller on her second try, and did it in grand fashion. She finished in 22:37, FIRST FEMALE, and well over an hour ahead of the 2nd place woman. Congrats!! Another atta-girl goes to Chrissy Ferguson, the hard working RD of the Arkansas Traveller.

So, a couple of days later--I'm walking around ok. Legs are sore, knee is twingie. I'm pondering if I want to still try running 100s. I love 50Ks, and even 50 milers. But there is one matter of being signed up for a 100 in March--the Prairie Spirit. I have to do that. Then I'll decide.

My story rock climbing at Chandler Part--the uncut version

Just west of downtown  on a hill overlooking the lazy Arkansas River lies Chandler Park. This park has many assets including a picnic shelters and restrooms, a public pool, several ball-fields, a disc golf course, a recreation center, and some of the most impressive bluffs and boulders in NE Oklahoma. These giant chunks of limestone are a playground for area rock climbers and rappellers.

There are trails meandering through the labyrinth from one end of the park proper to the other, and newcomers would do well to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find their way out. Being a trail runner, I run through the winding hallways at Chandler, and have led the TATUR group (Tulsa Area Trail Ultra Runners) on a couple of field trips, and recently helped put on a trail race through the maze.

But rock climbing (or bouldering) is the main draw to the these rugged trails. Climbing has always fascinated me. In the 1989 movie Star Trek V, where Captain James T. Kirk free solos the rock face for what he called the most important reason for scaling a mountain: because it is there. I like that. Then in the 1993 Stallone movie Cliffhanger,  Gabe Walker drops a fellow climber in the opening scene, and that cooled my jets somewhat--at least for 1000 foot cliffs. These 20-30' walls at Chandler are just my speed. This area offers dozens of short but sweet pocketed limestone ascents. Most routes, regardless of difficulty, are no longer than 40 feet, and the descent or approach is usually a third or fourth class scramble. Nearly every climb offers a tree or boulder to tie top-rope anchors, and some route have bolted anchors. Be wary if three leafed plants unless you like a good batch of poison ivy, and watch out for the 4 inch long orange centipedes, which sport a very painful sting.

It does not take a lot of gear to get into bouldering. I have scrambled up a semi-vertical face with my running shoes, my signature cargo shorts and a tech race shirt. Some more daring boulder scalers use a crash mat to cushion a fall. Bouldering is done closer to the ground and generally does not require ropes.
Rock Climbing includes bouldering, and can go to nose-bleed heights. You can spend bank on climbing gear. A climbing harness consisting of a waist-belt and leg loops, rock climbing shoes (the coolest looking yet most uncomfortable shoes ever), a climbing helmet, carabiners (and lost of them), ropes, and a belay device (used for securing the rope in order to secure a climber's progress, catching a fall, lower a climber, or reel in the rope to provide tension.)  A chalk bag, which makes climbers look even cooler,  is also necessity if you have sweaty hands.
The most important thing to have with you when trying bouldering or rock climbing, is a good spotter. Someone on the ground can steer you to good gripping slots for your hands, and good footholds. Hanging on like Spiderman may keep you from seeing a good series of grips which can get you to the top, but a friend on the ground can be your second set of eyes. The buddy system is always a good idea.
Last time I tried my hand (and feet) at bouldering, I visited with Jen Fraley, a transplanted Coloradoan, who was 30 feet up one of the more vertical climbs an Chandler Park. She was climbing with a friend, and was crawling back and forth the face of the wall with ease.

She asked me to un-snag her rope as I was heading back to my car after a trail run/boulder scramble outing. She reached the top, and then changed ropes and rappelled down the side in three hops. "wanna give it a try?" she asked.
"No--I am not quite ready for that--not yet anyway," I sheepishly answered. I told her she looked like a monkey climbing all over the face up there, and that even a short climb just zapped me out. She grabbed a Mountain Dew and gulped half the can in one swig, and changed out of her rock shoes. I was thinking they looked a lot like the minimalist shoes I was wearing, when she said "Nice shoes--hike in those too?"
"Yeah--these are actually running shoes, but they work pretty well for what climbing I do." She told me that this is the best climbing she has found since she moved here.
I told her she looked like a monkey climbing all over the face up there, and that even a short climb just zapped me out. "You know people think climbing requires really strong arms and fingers, but actually the real power in climbing comes from your legs," she said. "If you keep the weight on your feet instead of gripping and holding yourself with your arms, you won't tire as quickly."  That sounded like good advice to me.

Jen went on, "This should be a state park--here and especially the cliffs further down the road." (Avery Drive.) I agree. We talked for a few minutes about climbing, trail running, and how people who live in Tulsa and Sand Springs have no idea how amazing the views and rock formations are in Chandler Park.
There are several trail heads that take you right to the bluff trails. There is plenty of parking on top just north of the main road, and another trail entrance is on the lower level. Pack a picnic lunch, and take a hike at Chandler Park. And if you're daring, do some bouldering!

The heavily edited publication can be viewed here