This race report gets longer every year. It really needs to be 3-part report. The night before is packet pickup and a pasta feed-fest. Then the race itself, and lastly, the festivities after the race. FlatRock is run along the Elk City Reservoir near Independence KS on rugged hiking trailz. This was my first ultra--way back in 2003. I had ran a couple of 5-mile trail races, and the 25K at Lake McMurtry. A friend of Dana's at work had told her that she ran this race and that it was so insanely hard, was called the Bloody Trail, and the slogan was "If you look up, you're going down." Something about the danger suckered me in. Tell me I can't do it, and Ima gonna. Really--how hard could it be?
This year, TATUR did the timing. A trail race as gnarly as this, and it's chip-timed.
Back in 2003, the race beat me to a pulp. I finished in 7:53, at 43 years of age and 155 lbs. I have never broke 8 hours since. This was really the first time hanging around ultra runners.
We ate dinner with them the night before, and what a spread of food it was. Warren Bushy each year makes a huge vat of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, rolls, and pink lemonade to wash it down.
Each year, even though there is a very good restaurant in Independence, we have ate the pasta and meatballs. It's awesome--good carb loading grub.
Even now, as I write this report, I WISH I had a dozen of these meatballs to make a sandwich.
The dinner is a great time to catch up with friends, and taunt the newbies with horrific tales of the trail. Here, Dana does her usual blink at the camera, and to the right are Amelia and Jeff, fellow TATUR friends doing their first 25K here. They went on to run well with Amelia finishing 3rd female and Jeff finishing 5th male. They're just fast.
Here are a couple of VIPs. Eric Steele has been the RD of this race for 17 years. He has it down to a science, and every year, the race goes flawlessly. His girlfriend Polly was his right hand
man woman, helping with the packets and who knows what else all day the next day.
After our bellies were full, Dana and I headed to the Microtel in Independence where we have stayed each year.
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Race day morning. We met back at the shelter where the dinner the night before was, and Eric went over some trail details, which I did not listen to. I was sure I would not make a wrong turn--not that there are many places to get lost. I really do know these trailz well enough to run them at night--I HAVE run it at night once when they had a 100K a few years back. How cool would it be to have another 100K?!?!? (Hint hint!!) At 7:15, we meandered down the road to the starting line. I think this race is supposed to be dead-on accurate at 50 kilometers. Eric has his clipboard in hand and begins a roll call.
It was a large field this year, as the race almost reached the limit of 125 total runners. There were a few DNSs, but still there were over 60 50Kers. In recent years, I have gotten slower. I am just not driven to beat people, and I realize my PRs are in the past. I DO want to run to the best of my ability, but particularly since I have started blogging, I stop to look at the sights along the way, and will try different settings on my camera and will jockey around for better camera angles. My camera could easily cost me 30-60 minutes in a race like this. My strategy this time was to leave the canon with Dana and just run. All of the above pics are mine, but from here on in this report, most of them are borrowed.
The race started promptly at 7:30. I had 10 hours to make it in by the time limit, and felt confident in an 8:30 finish.
The course elevation. Scary, huh? True, there are some climbs. Some of them are briefly steep, but none are very long, and there are no climbs over 100 feet. The course does go up, down, up, down. And there are plenty of rocks. But not all of the course is rocky. There are actually a few miles with nice soft dirt to run in--not that a stray rock won't jump up and trip you.
Some of the vistas along the way are breath-taking. It's hard to take a bad picture here. This pic, and the one below were taken by my friend Russell Bennett, who was here running his first FlatRock 25K.
Here's one of the steep drops down into a creek bed. Rocky all the way down, and all the way back up.
Dana worked at the Oak Ridge aid station at mile 9.5. She has worked this stop the past couple of years with Earl Blewett, a good trail running buddy. Earl brought a couple of helpers with him, his Chesapeake Retrievers. I breezed quickly in and out of every aid stations, but stayed maybe 2 minutes coming and going through Oak Ridge since Dana was here, and she had ham sammies and iced Gatorade for me. I had forgot to take a 5-hour Energy at the start, but gulped one here.
Dana took pics of friends as they came through. Dennis and Teresa ran together finishing just under 7 hours. Dennis was one of the first three FlatRock runners to be knighted into the Hall of Pain. Teresa was the first lady to be knighted a couple of years ago.
Tony Clark also helped out at Oar Ridge. Tony ran Badwater last year, and finished in 34:17!!! Talk about an ultra-celebrity!!!
Dennis Crosby ran great. I was ahead of him until just after the turnaround, but he moved ahead and stayed steady all the way to the finish,. I was sure I would catch him, but he finished over an hour ahead of me.
There is no shortage of stunning rock formations along the way.
SeeKCrun.com took race photos, and all the ones with the FlatRock label are theirs, and they allow free downloads--very cool.
Hitting Oak Ridge again, I was 10 miles from the finish. Dana is behind the Jeep making a quick sandwich for me. Lotsa mustard--really hit the spot. While I was here, the last place runner passed me. I walked out of the aid stop eating, and quickened my pace after the last bite. But still, my pace waning. It began to heat up a little, and I went shirtless for a while. The last aid stop is always a party. Loud music, and guys who have been helping out at the race since they were rug rats make it fun. They asked what they could get me and I said BEER!! They obliged, pouring me a cup and I downed it and felt new life. Seriously! The last four miles are the hardest on the course. Sure, you have ran the rocky up and down trailz on the way out, but now you have 27 miles on your legs. I purposed to attack the trailz, and ran 90% of the way in. I actually arrive at the finish around 30 minutes ahead of where the aid station guys said I would.
The finish at FlatRock is like no other trail race. There are sirens going off, a train whistle, clapping and cheering, and this year, the huge finish line banner. It was a welcome sight.
Russell was waiting, having run his 25K, and taking pictures all the rest of the day. He uploaded well over 100 pics to Facebook, and I borrowed a few.
Dana took this one as I rounded the corner and headed to the finish line. Just look at all the dust I was kicking up!! I was so excited, I took a victory lap around the picnic shelter, and even took of my shirt and waved it wildly like Brandi Chastain did after the Americans won the World Cup in 1999. Although there IS a picture floating around with me shirtless, I'll spare you the agony of having to look at it.
I finished in 9:12. When I realized that a sub 9:00 was out of reach, I slowed to a jog, but did run the last mile non-stop. I was about 1/4 mile away from catching a couple of guys ahead. No blisters, no boo boos from the three falls I took. I drank a lot of soda--Coke just sounded so good. I tried to eat but nothing really sounded good. Dana drove me to a nearby location where a campground had a shower, and being clean made me feel like a new man.
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Then, it was time for the knighting ceremony. This is always a hoot, but I was actually very nervous about it. What would my new name be? Would I stutter? Would Eric accidentally slice off my ear with his sword?
The ceremony begins with the attending knights making me recite the oath to be loyal to the King and the Knights of FlatRock. I had to vow to uphold the traditions thereof, to tell fellow runners how easy the course is, that it is indeed flat and not at all rocky, and to eat as much spider web as possible, but to always leave some for my fellow runners. I had to promise to always brown-nose the King, which I do anyway.
I was then crowned, and surnamed Sir Cargo, since I always run with cargo shorts. Different. But I LIKE IT!! Sir Cargo. It sounds so very noble. I was relieved that Eric did not snip an ear.
As Eric says to himself--It's good to be King. But I say, it's also good to be a knight. All knights of FlatRock get a permanent cloth race bib, and have a lifetime entry to do the race. The usual fee is $70.00, so this bib is a mere $700 value--that, and 310 of the hardest miles you'll ever run.
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A few more things.
My friends Jason and Lisa came up from Tulsa to run their first FlatRock. Lisa ran the 25K and finished 2nd female. WOW, she has gotten so fast. Jason competed in a tough field, and finished 11th overall. Impressed the heck out of me!!
Another pic of the RD/King. This is the race shirt for this year. It's a super nice tech shirt, and I'll wear it a few times and then put it in with my most prized shirts for safe keeping.
I didn't get to visit much with Janeen. She looked strong when she passed me early on and when I saw her after her turn-around. Dana told me she waited to see me come in, but when I hit the chair, my brain went out. Sorry I missed visiting with you, Janeen.
Here's the band of young gun volunteers who absolutely rock with race set-up, and aid stops. We hung out at the camp fire after the race for a while, and they provided much comic relief and fire building skills.
Brian in his private timing booth. He had results printed and posted all day long, packed up all the stuff, stayed to film my knighting, then drove back to Tulsa, droipped off his trailer, and then drove to OKC to see Kathy finish her first Ironman. Talk about sleep deprivation!!!
Besides working Oak Ridge, Dana got roped into helping briefly with the timing at the start of the 50K. She is an awesome aid station babe.
And finally, a closeup of the coveted FlatRock permanent cloth bib. I told a friend of mine (Candice) that I would be awarded a permanent cloth bib a couple of years ago., Her comment was that that could be a good thing, because you never know when a cloth bib might come in handy out on the trail!!! Believe me, I'll come in with a sock missing before I use my bib!!!
But I'll tell you where it is. It's down a long winding dirt road, and then a turn on a road into the sun. A long climb leads to a turn where the road is smooth with the sun peeking between the trees.
"You there! Yes, you!! It is ok to come this way. There is still light enough before nightfall. Bring your camera and come!"
"You've come this far--won't you come around the corner, over the gate and beyond?"
"For here is the house where I once lived. Stories were warm, and food was plenty. But years have slid by, and timbers fallen."
"Times were spent upon this porch telling stories and singing songs of old. Listen, and you can still hear the lingering chorus in the breeze of the early autumn winds."
"Look not upon the shambles, the decaying wood, but admire the stone that stands strong."
"Come, there is another sight to see beyond the next wood."
"It's but a walk, but you may run."
"Over a hill and around a bend--not much further."
"For years my barn was full, but in this field now, it is home for an old owl and not much more. But you should go--the sun is setting and there are miles to go back to your world. But come again to this old road with no name. More stories are only a little further beyong the next grove of trees. I'll be here."
But I'll tell you where it is. It's down a long winding dirt road, and then a turn on a road into the sun. A long climb leads to a turn where the road is smooth with the sun peeking between the trees.
"You there! Yes, you!! It is ok to come this way. There is still light enough before nightfall. Bring your camera and come!"
"You've come this far--won't you come around the corner, over the gate and beyond?"
"For here is the house where I once lived. Stories were warm, and food was plenty. But years have slid by, and timbers fallen."
"Times were spent upon this porch telling stories and singing songs of old. Listen, and you can still hear the lingering chorus in the breeze of the early autumn winds."
"Look not upon the shambles, the decaying wood, but admire the stone that stands strong."
"Come, there is another sight to see beyond the next wood."
"It's but a walk, but you may run."
"Over a hill and around a bend--not much further."
"For years my barn was full, but in this field now, it is home for an old owl and not much more. But you should go--the sun is setting and there are miles to go back to your world. But come again to this old road with no name. More stories are only a little further beyong the next grove of trees. I'll be here."
