Tatur's Osage Hills State Park Relatively Flat Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

July 17 you can be part of a unique race that has the distinction of having the longest name in trail racing history.

TATUR's Osage Hills State Park Relatively Flat Trail Marathon/Half Marathon/10K/5k.

The name is so long that you'll have to order Large or Extra Large shirts to get the whole name on it. 

The course may look confusing looking at this map, but it's really not to bad. Last year there was a little snafu on the blue and red trailz when a sign fell over, and as a result the course was a little short. Those who know me know that I NEVER have a SHORT course. So this year, I will make sure you all get your full mileage plus a little extra to make up for last year. (Kidding of course, but by correcting the boo boo from last year, the full circuit should be exactly 13.1 miles. You marathoners get to do it twice.

We had a good crowd last year, and I expect even more this year--but folks have been holding back on signing up. Come on guys--let's toss those hats in the ring.

You don't go much more than a half mile 'til you see Sand Creek Falls. This is the most photographed water fall in 5 counties. This is also a great place to soak your see after the race. On old indian legend says the water has magic healing powers, and can even turn a black toenail pink.

The sign say bluffs--and it ain't bluffing. You cross over the tops of bluffs twice in the first couple of miles. Get a picture, but don't stand too close to the edge.

Ok--the course is advertised as "relatively flat", and a runner asked me WHY WAS THERE A LOOKOUT TOWER? To which I answered What part of relatively do you not understand? "Relatively" is a blanket that covers up all the bumps in the roads, and those little 200 foot climbs. I'm considering putting an aid station either in or right near the tower, if I get the man power (or girl power) to have it staffed.

There's also a little crowd support here. Squirrels, Armadillos, Deer, Possum, Raccoon, and an occasional Slithersaurus will keep it interesting. I will try to collect all the ticks and chiggers from the trailz, but you might consider some buggie spray just in case.

This old bridge is 90 years old, and a work of art. They don't build 'em like that anymore.

So somebody sent me this course elevation. I like it. See--other than a couple little bumps in the road, it's a pancake.

Looks a lot like this elevation profile don't you think?

Osage Hills State Park is around 60 miles north and west of Tulsa--between Bartlesville and Pawhuska on HWY 60. 

There'll be tri-blend shirt for all runners and volunteers, medals for all finishers, trophies for the top 3 men and women in each race, and age group awards. 

PLUS: this may end up being a small race which means you Oklahoma Dirt Trail Series peeps have a good chance of racking up some BONUS POINTS!!

CLICK HERE to sign up. Don't you even think of missing it!!

A tribute to our Sassycat

The fall of 1998 when Dana and I got married, we got our first fur baby--Sassy. She was maybe 5-6 weeks old when wee got her. My had niece rescued her from a busy intersection in Tulsa and needed to find a home for her. 

We picked her up on our way home from Eureka Springs, where we spent our honeymoon. Sassy immediately took up with me, and was constantly under my feet, sleeping on my pillow, and riding on my shoulders. I was her security, and she lover riding around on her perch.

This is not a staged picture. I read whilst on the throne, and we actually have pictures of that too--however I chose to not post them. You are welcome.

She grew into a beautiful lady cat, and was queen of the house. Nothing but the best cat food for her, and her diet eventually evolved to fresh rotisserie chicken. Wal-Mart and Sam's made a killing on all the chickens sold to satisfy Sassy's addiction.

Eventually she got to big to ride on top of my head.

"WHERE'S MY CHICKEN?!?!?" She would actually screech out at us morning and night--and we nearly always obliged her. She and I had her language. She had a variety of different meows, and I'd mimic her and the conversation went on and on. There's no telling WHAT I was actually telling her, but she enjoyed the exchange. Dana always called her my other wife--and said that if she were a woman, she'd be wearing leather and cracking whips.

When she was not getting lap time, she was content to lay on my clothes--clean or dirty. She thought that no outfit was complete without being accessorized with cat hair.

She also had such expressive ears. When her ears were back, she was definitely irritated. 

She slowed down a lot in the past year. I first noticed she was not able to jump up on the bathroom counter to get her morning drink from the sink. She had a few efforts that came short, and I began lifting her up so she could drink her fresh water. (She HAD to SEE water come out of the faucet. No stale water for her!) Still--she was playful even though she was 17 years old. 

On Thursday, I noticed she was laying around and not following me around as much as normal. I lifted her up for her morning drink, and she drank to her fill, and then jumped down. I had a half day of work, and felt the need to come home to check on her. Once home, she was parked in one place, and did not want to move. I got her water again, but this time in a bowl on the floor. She again drank quite a bit. Dana said she had her morning chicken, and as it turned out, that was her last meal.

I knew her time was coming to an end. I found some stuff to watch on TV and gave her a couple hours of lap time. The faintly purrred, but her breathing was very light.

This picture was taken last December--and was one of her favorite places. Dana and I were gonna go out to eat, but we both decided we didn't feel much like eating. She laid in our laps for most of the evening, and finally around midnight we put her in her bed in the sunroom. She sprawled out and looked comfortable. Dana lay down beside her for an hour and then I took over and lay by her side and occasionally petted her. I noticed her eyes had glassed over, and she seemed to have lost her sight. She would meow every now and then--it sounded like a cry of fear. I'd pet her and tell her it was ok--I was there. I had waves of tears--it hurt so--losing another beloved pet. At 1:30, I went on to bed, and got up to check on her at 7:15. She had passed during the night. It was clear she had left us a few hours earlier.

I had work scheduled Friday, but we made time to fix a nice box up for her with her favorite cat bed and a artsy cat coffee cup which was HER water dish. We buried her in the back yard next to where we buried Scooter a couple of years ago. Sadness. But somehow, the sadness is not overwhelming. We had 17 1/2 awesome years with her. She never wanted for anything, other than a brief wait for her chicken. She lived a great life, and was a blessing to be in our lives. We miss her, and will never forget.

Wichita Wildlife Refuge

A group of six did some exploring at the Wichita Wildlife Refuge last Sunday. I tossed the idea out on Facebook, and a dozen or more chimed in wanting to go--but life's goings-on got in the way for some, and the Plate family and I met the Trosper household at the visitor center there.


We decided to do the Bison Loop--a trail that Clint Green and I had ran a few months ago. I knew this route, and knew it was picturesque. The loop would get us close to 7 miles, and we could always get in more miles later if we wanted.

Left to right--Brandon, Cameron, Mark, Lisa, Eric, and me. This pic was taken after our run, but it seemed more appropriate to put the picture at the start of this post.

We were treated to narrow single track for most of the way. At times we had grass sweeping our legs. I was concerned about ticks, and in fact did pick up one. But at 58 degrees, the ticks and chiggers were a bit more dormant.

There were wild flowers galore. I ran well, but also stopped for pictures several times. Lisa is a camera bug too. Our pace was very casual, and I ended up with over 50 pictures.

Any rock outcroppings were fair game for Cameron and Brandon. They jumped around like billy goats for most of the run.

Lisa and Eric are from the OKC area, and have done a few of our races. When I sent out the invites for the field trip, I tried to include a lot of friends we have made in our trail series events. They really loved the area, and are already planning another trip.

Trail Goat and Thing Two scramble down to the water.

One river/creek/stream cuts across the prairie, through canyons and is jaw-droppingly beautiful. 

Get the right camera angle, and you can see that this is Oklahoma's mini Grand Canyon.

I'm not sure if water flows all year round. I was here last year over the Labor Day weekend. It was over 100 degrees, and water was flowing--creating several water falls.

I lost count of the dams along the way. On the eastern side of the loop, we passed 5-6 dams--each making  small lakes of seemingly deep black water.

My original plan was to park at the Kite Trailhead, and cross this dam to the Bison Loop. I missed the turn, and went on to the Dog Run Hollow Trailhead--which was a good thing because there was enough water rushing over the top of the dam to prevent a safe crossing.

More rock scrambling. With my grippy shoes, I made it right up the face of these boulders--actually much quicker than the Plate boys. I stayed on the parts of the boulders that had no green growth as it seemed like a responsible thing to do.

More flower pics. Most of the trail was dirt or crushed rock and very runnable, but parts were boulder fields which I walked through. I ran a few technical segments, but prospects jacking up an ankle kept me at a cautious pace.

Couldn't pass up the scary tree pic.

A flock of geese were patrolling this dam. I crept up carefully and quietly to get a good picture. A few took a leisurely escape and paddled a few feet out in the water. (Like I would try to follow. LOL!)

This was a spillway from the dam. It looked like a stairway. I tested the water, and it was much colder than I expected.

We were nearing the end of the loop. Lisa had marked our turn with a small cairn. It seemed like we were heading away from our cars the last half mile--and I guess we were, but that's just how the trail runs.

Yes--we did see bison on the Bison Trail. Lots. I'd say there was 50 in the herd. Lots of babies too. We kept our distance--unlike the Yellowstone tourists who took a baby bison to the ranger station because they thought it was cold.

We decided to call it a day after the loop. I had 6.8 miles on my Strava, but most everyone else had 6.3 to 6.5. I guess I got a little extra on the dam? Eric and Lisa headed home to check on their baby chickens and ducks, Mark and the boys and I had Meers Burgers on our minds.

I have a group of OKC friends who run here a lot. They usually run Mt Scott first--early to get up and down before a lot of car traffic makes is hazardous. It's about 1000 feet of climb in 2.7 miles--steep and relentless the whole way. We did see a couple of walkers going up, and a couple of bikers as well. Next time, I will run it for sure.

 It's hard to get a picture that conveys how high up you are. The selfie did not help much either.

This is about a 90 degree panorama. t was cold up here. I'd say upper 40s, with a stiff wind--and it started raining. Otherwise I would have continued my search for a camera angle that illustrated how high up we were. Another time.

There was not a long line spilling out of the front door like there are at times, but still we had to wait 30 minutes for a table, and then another 30 minutes to get our food. But Meers Burgers were worth the wait. These are grass fed longhorn cattle, and are very lean. They cook them all medium well, which is well done in my books. The flavor is great, and I'll always eat one when I come to the Wichitas--but if they were just a bit juicer, I'd give them a 10. We also had peach cobbler and home made ice cream. One bowl would have fed us all. And it was amazing. I gained 5 pounds on this trip.

TATUR, and I like to do these trail trips around once a month. Next time, I will create an Event on Facebook instead of the huge group message which was a bit irritating to some when the chatter commenced. If you'd like an invite, send me a a FB or text message.

Cavanal Killer

Just on a whim last Saturday I ran the Cavanal Killer 8K. I was cutting it real close getting there on time, and followed my GPS to the address listed on Facebook. No runners at the Poteau Chamber of Commerce?!?!? So I made a phone call top a friend who told me which elementary school it started from, and made it to the starting line 5 minutes after the race started. 

They were packing things up, but they found me a number and sent me on the way. I stopped to take a picture just after crossing the start line. This was the hill--the World's Tallest Hill, or so they say. It supposedly is 1999 feet from the bottom to the top, but my Strava disagreed. Still, a lot of climbing was in store.

I ran a decent pace of and on. I did intervals run 200 walk 100 until I started catching people. Then I ran by feel--walking briskly on the steep stuff and a steady shuffle on the less steep stuff.

About 1.5 miles into the race I caught up with Lisa, Alicia, and Carrie. We hung out for about a mile, and I must have kept shuffling while they stopped to pee or something. I ran alone for the remainder of the race.

Pictures of the uphills were not impressive. A camera just cannot capture how steep this road really is. Looking back down at where you've been seemed a little more realistic.

Just over 4 miles, I saw a gravel road turning to the right. AHA! Maybe a trail I thought. I followed fully accepting I'd get some bonus miles, but less than 100 yards in the road became overgrown with weeds (and probably ticks and chiggers) so after a pee break, I turned back. I took this picture just as I neared the paved road. Someone will see this and think I was in a trail race. :-)

I finished in 1:32:06--basically in the middle of the pack. Had I got there on time I might have been in the top 100. It was cold on top, so I took a couple of quick pictures, grabbed a hot dog, and ran back down the hill. There were buses transporting runners down, but I looked forward to letting gravity pay me back for all the hard work I'd done. Some people warned me I would trash my quads running down the steep inclines, but I took it easy on the steeper sections, and let it loose on the more gradual descents. Needles to say, I ran a negative split!!

Next time, I want to do some exploring on top. I have heard there are trailz somewhere in the area, and I want to find them!

Prairie Spirit

 It's been a week since I finished my 12th 100 miler out of 22 tries. I ran This one--the Prairie Spirit 100 in 2013 (it's inaugural year) in a blinding freak snowstorm that many call the blizzard of the century. It started snow in  about 15 miles in, and by the halfway point there was 3 inches of snow on the ground. I focused on pushing the pace to put as much time in the bank as possible. As darkness fell, the snow really started piling up and the north winds whipped up and pelted our faces with sleet and snow. There were 3-4 foot drifts and a consistent blanket of 8 inches of snow. My pacer and I kept a good pace, and were holding on to the hope of making the finish in 30 hours. The race was halted at 5:00 am on Sunday morning for the safety of the runners, crews, and aid station workers. I was relieved in a way, but still a little mad because I was having a super good race for the first 60 miles before the snow got so deep. That DNF at mile 85 has stuck in my craw for the past four years.

After that, I have had a knee injury, surgery, a complete recovery, and setback that basically stopped my running altogether. Then in  June of last year, I decided to do the RunnersWorld-Tulsa Urban Adventure--a 4-lap 100 miler on roads and sidewalks around midtown Tulsa. It was freakishly hot (97 degrees for the high) and very humid, and my buddy Mitch and I both refused to quit and after 40 hours, we crossed the finish line. I really walked 85% of it, but the encouraging thing was my knee was no worse after being on my feet for nearly two days straight. I started running a little more here and there, and began to feel like I was a runner again.

I decided I wanted to do another 100, and Prairie Spirit and I had unfinished business. On November 1st, I weighed and tipped the scales at 202. I dusted off my Lowe It iPhone app, and started counting calories. Every morning I had  Thrive shake with almond milk, every lunch was a grilled chicken sandwich no cheese no mayo, and I ate a sensible dinner. In 5 months I lost 30 pounds, and running has gotten easier. My training has been less in miles, but more in elevation. I mostly don't run unless there are hills to climb.  I ran the Ouachita Switchbacks 25K which had crazy long climbs, and got a couple other 29 milers in. March 12, I ran the LandRun 50K, which also had a few hills. I wanted to see how well I was moving after 25 miles, and wanted to run with my pacer Travis Jennings. Five of my fastest six miles were my last five miles. Although I did feel quite depleted after the run, I felt good about my overall energy levels.

 I rode u[ to Ottawa Kansas with my friends Bryan Carpenter and Jana Graham. They were running the 100 together and had hopes of breaking 24 hours. I let them go. Running with them would have put time in my bank, but I think they would have been about a minuter per mile faster than I could maintain.

Another buddy Brandon was looking for his first 100 mile finish. He and his brother Cameron have ran well over 100 miles in multi-day events in Silverton Colorado, but 100 all in one run was still his wish list. Brandon ended up breaking 23 hours, and I feel this is just the beginning of a stellar 100 mile career for him.

 My pacer Travis and 100 mile legend Arnold hang out at the prerace briefing. Arnold notched another finish. He probably has as many finishes as anyone in Oklahoma.

 Jeremy was looking to get the DNF monkey off his back. Jeremy and I ran the first couple of miles together, and then I looked behind me and he was not there. I just kept on trucking, feeling kind of bad for not hanging out with him. 

 It was really cold at the start, but running kept my core warm and things were just perfect. I was not really catching up with anyone, nor was I being passed. I settled in to running 500 steps and walking 200. Yes--that's a lot of counting. but it kept me focused on a rapid foot turnover.

25 miles in, at Garnett--this was far and above the best aid station. I was happy with my pace, and loaded up with food on the way out. 

 A warm flour tortilla and a big wad of salty crispy bacon. Heaven

Travis and his lovely wifey Shorty was crewing me. They had a little bit of everything. These pineapples were a must at the next few stops. They seemed like rocket fuel. From Welda to the turnaround, I was on a high. I was passing quite a few people on the run, and then they'd catch up a little on the walk. Then the run I'd leave them behind. These run sections were actually kind of fast for being 40-45 miles into the race. I had quite a few 14 minute miles and even a couple of 11s in this stretch.

Travis and crew were waiting for me at Iola. From here, it was 48 miles to the finish. Travis had been taking notes on who was just ahead, and what my pace should be. I came in slightly ahead of a 15 minute/mile pace.

Shorty had me a Sonic hamburger waiting for me. Lots of mustard and pickles.

 Wash it down with a cold Gatorade. Anything is better than Heed. I spent longer here than I should have, but I also checked my feet and reapplied my Happy Feet Goo.                   

   

And then we were off. Travis and I covered the next 10 miles at a decent pace, but it was slowing down. We met Jeremy, who was not going to make the cutoff at the turn around. Kinda bummed for him. 

It got dark, and cold. My pace slowed to a 16 minute/mile and then slowed some more. that should have been no problem, except that I seemed to be spending too much time at the crew stops. It seemed like we'd NEVER get to Garnett, and I had slowed to a walk. a sleepy walk. When we got there, I went into the train depot building to get whatever hot food they had. They were encouraging, and told me I had plenty of time. I sat down and ate a warm cup of potato soup. I must have been there a long time because that mile split was almost 43 minutes.

We headed out, and I was freezing. I put on my wind shell, and zipped it up over my mouth. Once I started shuffling, I got too hot, and took it off. Then a bit of wind came up so I put it back on. We got passed by a lot of people through here. Sometime around 5:00 am, Travis spoke up and said we might be getting into trouble with the cut offs. He said we had 4 miles to get to Richmond, and 45 minutes to get there. We had to be there by 6:00. And then we had 2 hours to get to Princeton and that was another 8 miles away. I couldn't believe it--but I was not processing my thought very well anyway. I was falling asleep on my feet.

Then it hit me--I was about to run 80 miles and come home with nothing but a DNF. I woke up. I suggested we do intervals--run 500 steps walk 200. So we did that, and I don't know if it was the fear of not making it, or what--but the run segments were pretty darned fast. Travis looked on his Garmin and said we were clicking out 10 minute miles during the run segments, and 14 minute miles overall. This was working!! We kept doing 500/200 all the way into Richmond. When we got there, Travis said he looked at it wrong and actually had until 7:00 to get there.--but we still had to go 8 miles in 2 1/2 hours. I felt we had a little breathing room, but we still needed to hurry.

 The sun came up before we hit Princeton, and that always brings new life. I needed to have a porta-pot break, and we  at least had the cutoff threat in check. Shorty was waiting for us, and fed us well and sent us on down the trail. 

 I was needing some warm soup, but neither Princeton or Richmond had any. A small complaint, but I was at the back of the pack.

I suggested to Travis that we switch to running 200 walking 100. That seemed to work well. We started passing a few people. Maybe 4-5 on the last few miles. I'd see someone down the trail, and I'd pound the 200 running steps, and power-walk the walking 100. We seemed like we had fresh legs. It was actually amazing.

I wanted to run in hard from a half mile out. Turns out the steepest incline on the trail was the last half mile. SO, I waited until I was less than a quarter mile out, and I hotdogged it in from there. A lot of our friends had came back out to cheer us in. I high-fived everyone as I passed, and sprinted in the last 200 yards

 Trevor and Eric were at the finish to congratulate us, and my buddy Paul Schoenlaub who WON thew race was there as well.

 I finished in 28:22. Not my best time by any means, but on a modified training regime, and on a knee that was gimpy at times, I am thrilled with my results. Finding the ability to run fast in spurts late in a race is a good weapon. Looking back at my mile splits--the biggest thing I could do is shorten my aid station time. The stops were 8-10 miles apart for most of the race, but I know I could cut those times in half. That alone could shave off 50 minutes. 

This is a good race for a first timer, and for someone wanting a flat fast course for a PR. For me, it was about redemption.

I am in awe of Travis and Shorty. They gave their whole weekend--Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to help a friend. They are so giving., and I doubt I would have finished without their help. Travis memorized probable paces and splits in several scenarios. He was a wealth of knowledge, and told me inspirational stories throughout the night. He never sang though, but he did play quite a few songs from his play list.

And what is next for me? Well, another 100 for sure.