Endurance

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

This past Saturday, July 11th, 2009, with a temperature of 91 degrees and 86% humidity, I completed my first Ultra Marathon at Wyandotte County Lake in Kansas City, Kansas. For those that have not heard of Ultra Marathons, they are races that go beyond the standard marathon length of 26.2 miles. The Ultra I competed in was called the Psycho Psummer 50km Trail Run. 50km is equal to 31 miles, which is not much farther than a traditional marathon, but the kicker with the Psycho race is the hills and heat. The course was two loops of 15.5 miles. For those that think Kansas is flat as a pancake, you are greatly mistaken when you visit Wyandotte County Lake. Of the 31 miles, only 21% are considered flat, while the remaining miles are up and down. Over 12,000 vertical feet are climbed on the course. A large portion of the trails are also used for horses, which when muddy, create hoof-sized swimming pools for your feet to cool off in. Over all, the course contains crazy hills, deep mud, horse excrement, and a lot of pain.When you add in the heat and humidity, you have a recipe for great fun.

Preparing my body for the run. Steph said I need to explain that runners use this to prevent chaffing on your "chest". She had no idea that could happen and figured most people don't.

Now, on with the race report. I didn’t want to drive to the race for fear that I would not be able to drive my stick shift back home after the race, and I didn’t want Steph to have to wake up early to take me. I was able to get my good buddy, and race supporter extraordinaire Paul to take me to the race. We arrived at the lake around 7:30 am; the race didn’t start till 8 am, so we had a few minutes to soak up the atmosphere (which included men in kilts). Paul brought his bike along, so that he could ride around and meet me at various points on the trail. I was only expecting Paul to stay for the start of the race and then leave, but he informed me that morning that he would stay the entire time. I was floored by his generosity of time and encouragement. (I do need to mention here that Paul is no rookie to endurance sports. At the current time he is training for his second Ironman Triathlon.)

Just before the race, I met up with the man that encouraged me to even consider Ultra running, Gregg Buehler. Gregg is an Ultra-Nut, completing multiple 100 mile races. Gregg and I chatted for a minute, and then off to the starting line I went.

Gregg Buehler (he finished 4th overall)

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was going crazy. The night before, I awoke to a thunderstorm at 3 am, dreading the thought of a muddy course. I had been worried all morning and expecting the worse.

The race director Ben Holmes of the Kansas City Trail Nerds gave a few simple instructions and off we went. The first few miles went by really fast. I was caught up in a large line of people, so the pace was set for me with little room to pass. This was fine by me, because I tend to get excited in a race and speed out quicker than I should. It was nice to be confined to a certain pace. Speaking of pace, many of you runners are going to read my finish time and think “man, my mother can run 31 miles in that amount of time!”, but you must remember that is was HOT and there were HILLS. Anyway, I stayed in the conga line for awhile and listened to the conversations around me (no one would talk to me) and enjoyed the scenery.

When we got to the first section of major hills, I was nervous because of the potential mud. Much to my surprise, the mud was non-existent. The hills and trail were the driest I had ever seen in the 16 weeks I was training out there. AWESOME!! I was incredibly excited about this new development, since this meant that the mud would not be much of a nuisance on the trail and I would spend less time worrying about dodging horse-created divots filled with water and more time just staying upright. The first 15 miles actually went by really fast… Paul was around every corner, so I could always expect to see his welcoming face giving encouragement and offering words of wisdom. I did paint my face with mud (dorky!), but I was trying to win a pair of free shoes (I ended up losing). Most of the first loop, I continued to attempt to talk to people, still not many wanted to talk, bums….

I did meet a man from Topeka that was experiencing his first Ultra race. It was also his first time running at Wyandotte Lake. He was hurting by the time I caught him at mile 7, so I gave him one of my energy gels and wished him luck (I did hear an ambulance later in the day and I thought of him, come to think of it, I never did see him again).

I finished my first of the two loops in 3:05:24. I was thrilled to have this as my time for the first loop and I was actually excited to continue the race. I spent a few minutes at the large aid station eating food and chatting with the volunteers. I do need to say that the volunteers and the race were incredible; the volunteers were always smiling and were full of encouragement for the runners.

Still on the first loop and feeling good.

Starting the second loop was a lot different than starting the first. To begin with, over half of the runners on the first loop were running the 25km race, so they were done. With that in mind, the course was looking very lonely. A mile into the loop, a lawyer from St. Louis caught up to me and we spent the next 5 miles chatting and enjoying having someone to run with. One of the aid stations was being run by the KC Multisport Club. They had music and lots of enthusiastic faces. Paul, who was still on his bike following me, knew most of the guys and they gave him and me a hard time. I left the station feeling ok, but I started being a little leery about the way my body was reacting. I was starting to feel a little tight in the legs, so the guys at the station had me eat potatoes dipped in salt, which was gross, but supposedly effective in boosting your body's sodium levels, thus reducing cramping and fatigue. As I plodded on, my body started to do things it had never done before. For example, when I was on mile 22 my arms started to feel cold, which was a little odd, because as I said, it was 91 degrees with 86% humidity. As the race progressed, my entire body started to go through periods of chills. Not to be to graphic, but I went #1 and it looked like an orange peel ,only darker. I was a little nervous about this, so when I got to the second-to-last aid station in the loop, I told the guys what was going on and they instantly seemed concerned. They made me drink an entire bottle of sports drink and eat multiple potatoes dipped in salt. At the time when I was feeling the worst, Steph showed up at the aid station. I was sooooo glad to see her. She gave me an instant boost of morale, but at the same time I was still a little nervous about my hydration situation. I had 7 miles to go and I knew that I could finish. I had to do a 3-mile loop from there before I could see Steph and Paul again. It was the loneliest 3 miles of running I have ever experienced.

The pain is starting to sink in at this point.

While I was running the three miles I started to think about what it really means to have endurance…

The sun was beating down. I was on the verge of being dehydrated and I was tired. My thoughts ranged from the physical to the spiritual. I thought of how easy it is to want to quit sometimes in life. Whether it is in your Christian walk, your marriage, or the day-to-day grind. Much like my race, things don’t always happen the way you plan or dream; yet with a strong relationship in Jesus you have the motivation to keep going, to endure anything that comes your way. You realize that our time on earth is short and that the time God has given you is for His purposes, not our own. Does my running help God’s kingdom grow? Maybe not directly, but it sure gives me the opportunity to tell others that it is only with God’s help I’m able to battle through the physical and mental challenges of the race and also life. In spite of large mud holes, fallen tree limbs, and the heat, I had to keep going in order to finish the race marked out for me. Now back to the race.

Only a few miles to go!!

As mentioned before, I was suffering from dehydration at 24 miles into the race. By the time I got back to the aid station where Steph and Paul were waiting, I was feeling better; good thing too, because Steph later told me that the aid workers said they were nervous about my condition because I wasn't sweating at all like the other runners. I ate more potatoes and drank more water and a sports drink and was on my way. Only 4 miles to go from there, and I was excited to finish. I could tell that I had at least two toenails that were going to turn black and my feet just hurt to stand on. My goal at this point was to pass at least one person and to not get passed. I ran two miles and met Steph and Paul. They told me that I was about two minutes from the guy ahead of me and ten minutes ahead of the guy behind me. At that point I was highly motivated to catch the guy ahead of me, so I wasted no time talking to them and took off down the trail. Just as I entered the trail, I heard someone run up behind me, and I realized it was Paul coming to run the last few miles with me. Since he startled me, my foot caught a root and I flew straight ahead onto the trail. I rolled and ended up on my back some ten feet from where I started. I was finally lying down and was comfortable on the ground, which seriously made me think about staying in that position. Paul quickly told me to get up and keep moving. I was excited to have Paul with me. He was a real motivation during the final two miles; he also kept me going fast enough to catch the guy ahead of me. I approached the finish line feeling much better than I had four miles earlier…

So after completing 31 miles, drinking 10 or more bottles of sports drink, consuming 12 energy gel packets, and burning over 4,000 calories - I was done. I crossed the finish line wanting nothing more than to give Steph a big hug (sorry Paul, no hug for you) and get out of my shoes. I finished the race in 6:52:53; I placed 21 out of 86 runners, and I was tired but very happy to have completed my first Ultra Marathon.

I'm not sure why I was making such a weird face here.

After the race, I relaxed and ate two hamburgers, two sloppy joes, two servings of pasta, and four slices of pizza. I think I earned it.

I have to take this time to thank the two people that have helped me to most...

First off, thank you Paul for being there the entire race riding your bike and offering encouragement. You are a one of a kind friend. You went above and beyond.

Second, thanks Steph for all your support and putting up with my endless training; you truly are my best friend. I thank God that I have a spouse like you.