The Middle of Nowhere

The Lean Horse trip was a short one, at least compared to the 25 day odyssey of May, 2009.  And somehow we missed Wyoming on that journey…..headed south from Colorado, and by the time we got back north we were too far west.  So I thought we would right that wrong on this trip with a visit to the Cheyenne / Laramie area.  Plus it’s sort of on the way home to KC.  Well, not really, but it’s not far out of the way.

I’ve always liked the American West…..the wide open spaces, the raw beauty of nature, etc., from the Southwestern deserts to the mountains in Montana.   Plus, you can almost imagine the land as it was hundreds of years ago.

Wyoming is apparently the least populated state in the US, and trails only Alaska in terms of sparseness of population.  So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the drive from Hot Springs to Cheyenne….lots and lots of miles without many cars.  I jokingly posted on Facebook that I’d found the geographic middle of nowhere–Lusk, Wyoming.  Strangely, there was road construction leading up to it.

We stayed at a very nice bed & breakfast, the Windy City Inn.  Talk about the middle of nowhere…..halfway between Cheyenne and Laramie on Happy Jack Road (Wyoming 210).  The place sits on 70 acres about a mile off the road, overlooking Curt Gowdy State Park.  Cell phone service, but no internet.  Our unit was the “Spa House South,” which is an open floor plan, western-themed free standing building.

The only drawback:  the weather.  After near flawless weather on the May journey, showers and thunderstorms moved through Monday afternoon on the drive and on Tuesday.  Not a steady rain, just storms moving through, followed by sunshine.  As a result, we did not make it to the state park.  We did drive into Laramie (home of the Wyoming University Cowboys) and spend some time relaxing in the sun and reading.  And having a couple of brews from the Grand Teton Brewing Company.

Relaxing on a pleasant Wyoming morning.

View from the deck of the "Spa House."

Storm clouds on the horizon.

Maddles lounging on Wyoming vacation.

Lola dozing in the warm sun.

Destination Hot Springs, SD

The second leg of the journey, and the primary destination of this trip, was Hot Springs, SD, site of the Lean Horse Hundred.  A pretty easy drive on Friday with the most noteworthy feature being billboards.  Lots and lots of billboards on I-90.  For a while it was neck and neck between the Corn Palace and Wall Drugs, but ultimately Wall won out.  The Goldens were pretty much in mid-trip form–they just hopped in the car and rode quietly.

For me, the weekend revolved around the race.  From the Friday afternoon arrival for registration, pre-race briefing, and general nervousness to the finish Sunday morning, the race was pretty much my sole focus.  (See separate race report).  Not so much so for Kathy, of course.  She stayed with the dogs, took them for walks on Saturday and again Sunday morning while I snoozed, recovering.

A couple of noteworthy things about the stay.  First is that Hot Springs is not terribly, well, noteworthy.  It seems like an OK place, but not a destination (unless you’re running Lean Horse, of course).   Most of the Black Hills tourism (Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood) is farther north, although Wind Cave and Custer State Park are nearby.  Hotels were pretty bland, as were the apparent restaurant choices.  We stayed at the Flatiron Inn, a renovated 100+ year old building with an operating restaurant / coffee shop on the lower level and four suites above.  Our space was furnished with antiques but was otherwise modern.

The Flatiron Suites and Coffee Shop

Inside the suite.

The restaurant was closed on Sunday and Monday, so we were virtually alone in the building.  We had a key to the front door and locked it behind us when we came in or went out.  Strange.

Post-race recovery can be complicated by the Goldens.

We did make a trip to Custer State Park on Sunday afternoon.  Temps were still warm, and the prissy Goldens couldn’t go too far.  But we did get out with them.

A trip to the Park on Sunday afternoon.

Finally, Hot Springs, like much of South Dakota, is apparently full of bikers, all of whom ride Harleys and none of whom wear helmets.  I wanted to have a drink at the bar (below), but my available Sunday night timing was conflicting with “Design Star” on HGTV.  Of course, the fact that I like HGTV probably precludes me from fitting in at a biker bar.

I like the simplicity of the establishment's name.

Next stop on this brief journey–Wyoming.

Hot times in Hot Springs, SD

Lean Horse Hundred–race report

The Lean Horse Hundred was held in Hot Springs, SD on August 22-23, 2009.  In addition,  50 mile and 50K versions were also available to those wanting a shorter alternative.

Sixty eight miles of the 100 is run on the Mickelson Trail, a former railroad bed.  As such, the running surface is consistent and nearly flawless–crushed rock, level and lacking steep grades.  Oh, there are some long uphills and downhills, but nothing that isn’t runnable.  The 16 miles starting and ending the out-and-back course runs through town and on the hilly, graveled Argyle Road.

We arrived on Friday for registration.  Everything in the race centers around the Mueller Center–registration, start, finish and post race awards.  I’d been watching the weather for the past 10 days.  At first, the race day temperatures were forecast at 80 degrees day / 50 degrees overnight.  Not bad.  Of course, as the days progressed, the forecast crept upwards until by race day the forecast was for 92 degrees.  In fact, the temperatures actually hit 96 degrees on Saturday.

Lean Horse was my third hundred following Javelina (November, 2008) and Rocky (February, 2009).  Both were finishes, but both had “self inflicted wounds” that caused some significant issues, including the Perpetum incident (Javelina) and running into a parking gate (Rocky).  I was really hopeful I could get through Lean Horse without any similar glitches.  Additionally, I’ve been healthy for the past year, after coming off a stress fracture in the spring and summer of 2008.  So in 2009 I’ve done some actual speedwork (mile intervals) and some marathon pace workouts.  How much this helps in a hundred, of course, I have no idea.  My previous times were 26:23 and 25:45.  I wanted a sub-24, but hadn’t been close to date.

As the race started, everyone knew it was going to be warm.  I’d decided to simply put it out of my mind.  I don’t like running in the heat, but there’s not much one can do about it.  Further, if I could get past the daytime heat in reasonable shape the overnight lows in the 50s would feel much better.  We headed off out of town in cool temperatures, over the rolling hills of Argyle Road and towards the Mickelson Trail.

The cool temperatures didn’t last, of course.  By 10 AM it was already warm on the Trail.  Generally, the course grinds higher up to about 42 miles, then drops to the turnaround.  The trip back is, of course, the mirror image.  My plan was to get the early, warm miles completed in decent time and rely on the cooler temps and favorable course profile on the return trip.

The Lean Horse course is not a real trail runners course.  There are no gnarly roots, rocks or stream crossings.  Almost no way to get lost and almost no cover from the relentless sun.  (Note to self–put more sunblock on the…..uhh….less protected parts of my head).  The Mickelson Trail has mile markers, and the race director marks the mileage over the entire course in five mile increments, none of which are available on “real” trail races.   Lean Horse is, however, well suited to my running style and abilities.  Having a completely runnable course enables me to ration effort based on relative running / walking times rather than judgmentally based on the terrain.  I roughly calculated that a 15 minute walking pace and a nine minute running pace, when split 50-50 would result in 12 minute miles.  Surprisingly, I landed on this pace almost precisely though the first 50, hitting the turnaround in 10 hours.  To hit the 24 hour target, I had 14 hours, or 16+ minutes per mile for the second half.  Piece of cake, right?

Halfway through, I was feeling pretty good, in spite of running out of water between the 20 and 25 mile aid stations.  One of my best recent purchases was a heavy bandanna (from ZombieRunners.com, of course) with a space for ice and a chamois sewn in.  I refilled it with ice at each aid station, and the ice and cold water around my neck and back helped keep my temperature down.

Nutrition has been difficult for me in long races.  Instead of getting better at Lean Horse, I think it got worse.  I started out at the five mile aid station with a cheese sandwich, rice krispy treat and trail mix.  My idea was to eat as much “real food” as possible throughout the day, supplemented by an occasional gel pack.  Hydration was a combination of water and Powerade, supplied by the race.  But by the midpoint, that familiar “nothing looks good” feeling was there.  It wasn’t a matter of the selection.  Just nothing looked good.  By later in the race, nothing looked like it would even stay down.  Ginger candy, my “ace in the hole” didn’t even help.

After a remarkably consistent first half, the second half of the race had more ups and downs than a seesaw, largely driven by my calorie intake.  As my stomach became more queasy, miles 55 to 70 had me feeling disgusted and relegated to walking the last 45 miles.  But I mixed in some running and at times felt OK.  However, at mile 70 I slumped on the bench at the aid station, feeling very bad.  I did manage to choke down some chicken noodle soup and forced myself to keep moving.  I soon felt better and clicked off a series of 12 minute miles.  Another rough patch ensued, until I found the miracle of tomato soup at a couple of successive aid stations.  This seemed to coat my stomach for the next five mile stretch and I again felt better.  During this time, Mother Nature was putting on quite a light show, with sheet and bolt lightening just in the direction we were heading.  I began to think a downpour was in the works.  Of course, I had no rain clothes with me.  But in spite of the lightning, we stayed dry.  I finished the return trip on the Mickelson Trail (mile 84) feeling pretty good.

The last low point was at the 89 mile aid station.  Supplies were limited and I had some tomato soup right out of the can.  Yes, cold, condensed tomato soup.  It did not have the magic elixir traits of the heated version, and I slogged off wondering just what the hell I was doing in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. By this time we were back on the Argyle Road section, with rolling hills in nearly complete darkness, save for my flashlight.  It was pushing 3 AM and I almost fell asleep on my feet.  Finally, I took a No-Doz in spite of my protesting stomach.

About this time the 95 mile marker appeared at least 30 minutes earlier than I expected.  It was like someone injected me with caffeine (or something stronger).  I felt miraculously better and broke into a run.  My watch read 21:02 at the 95 mile mark, and I finished in 21:53, with a brief stop at the final aid station.  Ten minute miles may not seem like much, but for the last five of a hundred, it constitutes flying for me.

I have no illusions that a sub-22 at Lean Horse has any comparison to a tough mountain ultra.  But it was 100 miles, and it was run on a day with temperatures in the 90’s.  So all things considered, I’ll take it.  And I ain’t apologizing to nobody.

A hard-earned fashion accessory.

Lean Horse bills itself as a family event, and the RD Jerry Dunn is a great guy.  Jerry is very focused giving everybody, particularly the first timers, the opportunity to get to the finish.  My best guess was a finish somewhere around 6 AM to 8 AM (24-26 hours) and planned to call my wife to come and get me.  Instead, I arrived at the Mueller Center shortly before 4 AM.  Jerry immediately offered to drive me the mile to my accommodations so Kathy would not have to get dressed and come get me.  How many races does the RD offer to give a runner a ride home?  The favorable impact of this act on marital harmony is hard to overestimate.  Overall, I highly recommend this event.

Travels, redux

This blog started to commemorate a long road trip with my wife, Kathy, and our golden retrievers Lola and Maddie.  Rather than the 25 day trip in May, 2009 forever keeping us from traveling together again (as perhaps it should have), we’re back at it.  This time it’s much shorter…about a week of full togetherness.

The occasion this time is a trip to Hot Springs, South Dakota for the Lean Horse Hundred running event.  After the race (which ends Sunday morning), we’ll stay another night in South Dakota before heading to Cheyenne, WY for a couple of days.  We missed Wyoming on the last trip, so we’ll hit it on this one.  Back to KC on Wednesday.

While I’m not concerned about traveling with all my gals, I’m not sure this is the ideal trip.  My family has come with me for marathons several times in the past, and the May trip ended with a 50k on the final day.  With shower and a 30 minute nap I’m pretty well recovered from the shorter races.  But the Lean Horse Hundred is, well, 100 miles.  My previous two hundreds have left me pretty beat and sore.  Plus the 24 hours-plus of running requires more than a short nap for recovery.  Finally, Kathy is left by herself with the Goldens for the full day on Saturday….of course, it’s not like she’s never done that before.  So this may be the last trip of its type.

The first leg was today’s drive to Sioux Falls, SD.  The Gals got pretty much back into their old habits.  Maddie jumped up, situated herself in the “hammock” portion of the back seat cover and went to sleep.  Lola, true to form, was nervous as the proverbial cat, sitting up for the first half of the drive, never really resting, always awake and panting.  Fortunately, she settled down about three hours in and rode pretty well.  The noteworthy fact on the drive was that virtually all of I-29 was under construction through Iowa.  Sen. Grassley really brought home the pork on this one.

Madeline, resting on the drive. Lola (background), restless.

We’re in the Staybridge Suites…..relegated to the “dog rooms” way in the back.  I-29 sounds like it’s about 10 feet away.

Maddles lounging in the hotel

Tomorrow is the six hour drive to Hot Springs.  Need to arrive by 3 PM for race registration….then a 4 PM race briefing and some food, followed by a good night’s sleep.  I hope.

Sitting around doing nuthin’

Taper.  That’s what comes after the last long run.  Kind of a ritual of race preparation.  Sit around, rest and eat.   Sounds like fun, yes?

The idea behind the “taper” or tapering down in activity, is to let your body recover after a long training period.  Let any minor ailments heal.  Let the benefits of the last few weeks of hard training work through the system.  Additionally, it gives the runner an opportunity to store energy for race day by “carbo loading.” But that’s a whole ritual in itself.

The taper is a gradual decline in activity.  The third week out is maybe 75% of a normal week, the second week out 40-50%.  The last week preceding the race typically calls for very limited activity.

While most runners agree with the concept, many don’t particularly like it.  After all, runners can be a compulsive lot, and taking time off is usually reserved for forced injury layoffs.  Many report feeling hyper and energetic, others feeling of sluggishness.

Personally, I don’t like the taper phase.  Runners run, they don’t sit around.  By the last week (which starts now), I will indeed be feeling fat and sluggish.  I will relish the opportunity to wolf down mounds of pasta, however.

The schedule this week calls for modest (very modest) runs on Monday and Wednesday.  I’ll probably walk four or five miles on the rest days, just to keep from going crazy.  After all, who likes sitting around doing nuthin’?

The last long run

No, the title doesn’t refer to never running long again. It refers to the last long training run before a given distance event. For me, there’s a sense of relief at getting through it and beginning to “coast” before the event itself.

The feeling probably goes back to 1998 when I suffered a stress fracture in the last mile of my last long run before that April’s Boston Marathon. Of course, I ran Boston anyway….stress fractures are notoriously hard to recognize. But it wiped out much of the summer’s training in 1998.  For optimum performance, you always try to maximize training without going over the edge to injury.  That year I sorta missed the mark.

I generally aim for a last long run three weeks before the event.  Any closer and there’s not enough recovery time, any more and I’m afraid the fitness will start to dissipate.  For a marathon, my last long run is 27 miles.  For a 50 miler, I’ve generally used something in the 32-34 range.  Hundreds are a mystery…..the two I’ve done the long run has been 46-50 miles.

For the Lean Horse Hundred, I used a 40-mile late night run on July 31, getting some combination of distance and night running.  Not sure it’s long enough, but that was it.  We’ll see in a couple of weeks.