Russell's report

Read a great Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd race report from my buddy Russell Bennett, the Iron Horse.

Russell wrote his report, and it was published by our friends at Endurance Buzz!!

Congrats Russ, and thank you David Hanenburg for publishing Russell's report.

We have a celebrity among us!!

Another Pumpkin Holler Race Report

Check out this 50K race report from Brian Desmarais, a blogger friend who ran the 50K at Pumpkin Holler.

Brian ran a 5:38, a very respectable time.

Brian has a great blog called BikeRunBeer and upon reading just a page or two, you'll agree that he is a great writer and photographer.

In his report, I am certain I sensed thoughts of a 100K attempt woven in the last lines of his telling. :-)

Witch and Moan

Sunday evening was the second annual Witch and Moan. This is a 5K fun run, a one mile zombie chase on trailz, and new to this year, a guided Terrifying Turkey Trailz Tour.

Costumes, makeup, and realism were the norm. I was hardly noticed.

This zombie girl seemed like she wanted to eat brains, but was puzzled with the likes of me. Zombies don't eat zombie brains, or maybe she just thought I had no brains. (Love her eyes!)

Zombies are rarely neat eaters. Check out the crackhead with the coke bottle melted to his face. He had his meth lab blow up in his face.

A kindred spirit.

Zombies in pink tutus. Bill stole my idea!!

Here is a green haired witchy looking zombie chick, with a victim behind her who had his lungs ripped out. And a zombie who escaped from the psyche ward. (She looked pretty normal.)

Rotted zombie bites nurse, licks fresh blood, , while short zombie waits for leftovers. Yum.

WOW!! Some non-zombie types. a turquoise and purple monster (Barney?) and a Nascar babe.

I'm guessing a wench? I'm not sure about the girl on the left?

Jack.

In dire need of a nose job and dental work.

Very ghoulish.

Swamp monsters? Wookies? Duck hunters? All of the above?

Cute kitties.

Here's a scary thought. A 57 year old first baseman? Might be why the Drillers sucked this year?

Brynna was told to NOT run with the knife.

Pebbles meets the day of the dead. Notice the half make-up job. Half dead?

Don't know who this is, but it was a great mask.

Zombie cowboys(girls). Wilbur is very patient.

I headed down the hill to stash surprises in the caves. Met these two witches about halfway down the hill.

And Doctor Slash. He was 0 for 2 so far in emergency surgeries.

A cute little zombie girl. And the doctor's wife.

Fear of spiders was faced and conquered (sort of) in the crevice cave.

Bill feels his way through the homeless man cave.

Entering the den of snakes. Several of our group leaders were snake bitten.

Did everyone see the remains of this spelunker? The bones remain there as they have for years.


It was a fun night, and a very successful one as well. This is the Halloween party you do not want to miss next year!

Race report from a great ultrarunner and friend

PUMPKIN HOLLER HUNNERD
by Sherry Meador

I set up my tent at Eagle Bluff resort, already starting to feel the nip of what would be a chilly night. This years event was booked as a family event and the tent next to mine fit that category. Kids were running and playing and I soon learned the adults both planned to run, although they would have to take turns. I was trying hard to concentrate on what I was doing, but kept getting distracted by the family tent group. Lucky for me this race takes little or no planning. Drop bags are very optional, since you seem to hit the start finish at all the right times. I put out 2 drop bags but used them mostly to drop stuff off.

I signed up for the race at packet pick up. I was at Heartland the week before assisting another runner in her push for a finish, the race felt awful to me and near mile 70 when we timed out I could have cheered. The blisters were healing and my stomach had settled so, last minute sign up. I knew I would probably never see the finish, but I was going for it. The pizza at packet pickup was probably good, but I never managed to eat my piece. I did not stay for the race briefing, because it was going to put the trip up the mountain well past dark and cold.

At the tent I did my last minute hair braiding. It takes awhile and several braids to get my hair up and ready for the race. I also went ahead and put on my morning running clothes. I set my alarm and crawled into my sleeping bag. I texted my daughter Elizabeth how cold it was and tried to go to sleep. I kept waking up, but it was not the family tent that was so noisy. Late arrivals, excited and most doing one of the shorter races seemed to come in at all hours. It is the one main bad thing to me when camping out or motel rooms, if there are shorter races those guys seems to be more noisy and up much longer. They also wake up wired and howling, while us hundred guys are trying to remember which drop bag has our extra socks, after all we may need them for gloves later! Twice I woke up thinking I had overslept only to realize it was still dark outside.

The weather for the start was perfect, nippy, but we were just perfect when moving. There was three miles of pavement every loop, but the rest was gravel, a little rough in spots. The rocks seemed to get sharper and harder as the laps progressed, but my feet were tender to start with. The scenery of rolling roads and fall leaves was amazing. I love this course it is not technical, but you never get bored. There were no cheering crowds on the course, but the horses and cows seemed to be urging us on.
Taturs know how to do aid stations. They had hot food. They were friendly. The one time I sat down to get a rock out of my shoe, I had help from one guy and one guy trying to push me out. Just what I needed. The Mad Dog aid station had the best doggie treats for us. Mad Dog also had finger toothbrushes , paste and water. Yep, A for the aid stations.
I threw up very little and none of the gut wrenching heaving up a rib type. Heartland the week before had been a puke till dead and “just let me die”, race. I managed to stay hydrated even though the water sucked. I had sweet tea with lemon at camp and filled up my 50oz bladder with tea and ice twice at camp. Got ice at several aid stations too and just waited for it to melt. With a 50k to go I dropped the pack at camp and drank almost nothing from then till finish, but I ate several times which is odd for me, but food was staying down, so why not!

Clouds where there when the sun came up and besides humidity, the last 50k for me was done in darkness and then nice clouded shade. Ensup ran by and I took off with him with only 10 miles to go. I had plans of trying to hold on to him till finish, but rocks invaded my shoe. The gator was doing its job, but the laces where somehow gapping a spot in front of the gator. I had to keep stopping the little stuff was just jumping in and right into the blister area at my metatarsals. I gave up and slowed down, I am competitive, but knew of not one soul, that should be within thirty minutes of me except the girl behind me. People kept talking about others behind us, but I had been off pace earlier and knew there could be no one else. My feet hurt, but the weather was so perfect for a finish, I jogged in the last few miles and picked up my new Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd buckle to go with the 1 extra mile up the mountain pin, that I am also proud of.

I sat with Kathy who had finished about thirty minutes earlier and Roman who had had to call it a day short of the finish and we watched the last runner come through and smash the race ending Pumpkin. I told them of the almost gunshot hit on me, too close. I had let two aid stations know, but now was finding out several other runners seem to have also had near misses. Hunters and runners are never a good mix, but where I almost got hit I could see no hunting / No trespassing signs on both sides of road. Since last week at Heartland we had lightening strikes from the heavens nearly missing us, the shots were short adrenalin rushes, quickly forgotten. The race did take the shots seriously and inform police, once again TATUR’s are awesome. I had fun, not an easy 100, but very do able. This is a good first hundred, well marked, good aid and back at your car or campsite 3 times once at like 7 miles, then 3 50ks, although the last is the finish!!! Well since Kathy asked I looked it up and tried to remember and I officially count 12 100 mile finishes now, my first being OLD DOMINION MEMORIAL in 2005. I know the number of DNF’s is at least double that number. It was my second try at Pumpkin Holler, nailed it this time.

I should be more discouraged by my DNF,s , but I am just not. I cant even understand the people who get so upset over not finishing. When you look at the fact that you are toeing that line for a 100 mile race, you know it is a long ways. I think just standing on that line is something, and a chance at a real experience. The people you run with and the aid station workers are so special. No matter what goes wrong, I tried and I got to be with some of the greatest people on the planet. The race director, the aid stations and the other runners all helped me to my Pumpkin Buckle and I wish to thank them all!

Tulsa Run report, pics, commentary. (I was nice)

The Tulsa Run has been the class run of Tulsa for 34 years, and the 35th running could not have had better weather--for the runners anyway. A crisp 32° to start, sunny skies, and no wind. The plan was to run the race in costume, and not worry about time. What could be better?

And costumes were the norm. There were witches, zombies, Elmo's, ballerinas, etc.

And this?? LMAFO, which I thought was merely an acronym, but apparently is a popular barbershop quartet. Click on the YouTube, if you want. Stormy and Ed practiced many of these dance steps while running the course. Mitch and Christy are guilty of nothing despite their present association.
  
Ok, assuming you have not lost your breakfast, read on.

KISS made an appearance at the Tulsa Run. Gene Simmons is portrayed by Kathy, Roman plays Paul Stanley, Deon fills Ace Frehley's shoes, and Sloan is Peter Criss.

The start of the Tulsa Run is magical. You run down Boulder and you see a sea of bobbing heads, and everyone is so happy. However, there was a bit of a somber moment when it was brought to our remembrance that we lost the voice of Tulsa running--Jack Wing. It was a nice touch to see posters of his smiling face a couple of places on the course.

I put my iPhone to self portrait mode and snagged a shot of the runners behind me.

(Picture swiped from Tom Wozencraft)
Minnie Mouse x 4. Carmey and friends always have amazing get-ups for the Tulsa Run.

(Picture courtesy of Russell Bennett)
I had mentened to friends that I was running as part of a Sonny and Cher team. It was assumed that I would be Cher, but Caroline fit the part much better than I would have.

There were major changes to the race this year. Fewer water stops (not that I cared) fewer volunteers at these water stops, and a different course. Gone was the trip up and down Cherry Street. Gone was the nice hill up Denver. The race finished on Boston, running right toward the BOK building. I think the course should run faster, but I do not know if that's the case. Someone could probably tell me--is this what the course was in the early years?

Another change that was nice, was finisher's medals.

There are rumblings about other things--packet pickup probs, registration being shut down early, being short on shirts, misinformation as to the total number of runners.
Other than this mention, I'll refrain from commenting on any of that. When a new entity takes over race management, there is bound to be a few uh-ohs. In my first couple of races as RD, we had a few snags. I bet next year, the Tulsa Run will run like clockwork.

Don't miss Tulsa's Premier Trail Race!

This has been a busy fall season for racing, but this next Sunday there is a trail race right here in Tulsa that you should not miss. Turkey and TATURs is a 10K, 25K, and 50K right here on Turkey Mountain. This will be the 7th running ot T&T, and this is the trail race that started the trail running BOOM in Tulsa.

Beginning and ending at the Westside YMCA, the race uses most of the trails in Tulsa's urban wilderness, with the 25 and 50K making six passes north and south on the east mountain, and the winding pink trail on the west side. The 10K stays on the pink trail for their race. Since moving the race from mid-September to early November, hot temperatures are not a problem.

You'll run alongside the shore of beautiful Lake Logan early in the race.

There are a few technical sections of the trail, but there are many miles of very runable single track as well.

Feel free to bring your iPod. If you're in the 50K, you'll be glad to have it on your second lap.

The leaves are turning, and the color should be at it's peak this weekend.

Like wooden bridges? We got em.

TATUR is famous for awesome aid stations. They are well stocked, and you can graze til your heart's content. I recommend the Oreos with peanut butter and M&Ms.

You'll see Pepsi Lake early in your race, and the 50Kers will pass by again near the end of their race. At the finish line, BBQ and other yummy food awaits. Stay around and cheer your friends as they finish, tell stories of your best fall, worst blister, or wildlife sighting.

This year, we are doing nice tech-hats instead of shirts. You'll like em. Click here to sign up!!

Tulsa Run

Despite my dislike of the course changes--mostly an out-and-back on Riverside Drive, despite the long lines at the expo, despite new people running the race and old friends being moved out, I still love the Tulsa Run. In 2002, I had ran one 5K prior to running my first Tulsa Run. I ran it in 25 minutes or somewhere around there, and stayed around to watch some of the 15Kers come in. I was amazed and certain that I could NEVER run 9.3 miles, It was just not physically possible for me. I saw the winner come through, and they were gazelles, elite athletes. I saw one dude come through, and put his hands on his knees and hurl all over the finish chute. That was proof that running a distance that long was unwise.

Then, the mortal runners started coming through in waves. People just like me, running easily, laughing, enjoying the run like it was nothing hard at all. WOW!! Could that even be possible?? That is how it all started for me. A half marathon was on the slate the following March, then a 25K trail race in April 2003. I ran my first marathon in OKC, then my 1st 50K in September (FlatRock!)

I think I will always be a runner. I think I'll always run the Tulsa Run.