Thanks to the Runners.

Yesterday's Road to OZ marked the end of another year of races produced by Great Plains Running Company. This was the second year for Karen and I as RD's and for GPRC's seven events. Road to OZ capped off a year that saw over 1,000 participants cross our finish lines, a 55% increase over our inaugural season in '07. Although a ton of work, 2008 was a blessing to us both, as time and time again we were inspired and amazed by the accomplishments of local runners and the generosity of our volunteers. We have been truly humbled by the enthusiastic response we have received from all those involved, and I can honestly say it is an honor for us to be part of these events and to have the opportunity to meet so many great people. We look forward to even greater things in 2009. Here is a quick recap of the past year.

Things really got going in May with our first two events of the year. It was obvious with our first event of the Rock Creek Trail Series that it was going to be a busy year at Lake Perry with many new faces turning out for the 5K/10K. We had five married couples and four father and son combos. Many of these folks had never run on trails before and were instantly hooked. Some loved it so much they went right on by the final turn and just kept on running. When all was said and done however, experience reigned supreme as 54 year old Dan Kuhlman edged out 53 year old Keith Dowell by a second to win the 10K. We also had a number of runners who had never even run a Marathon before, go ahead and sign up for October's 50K. You gotta love it!

One week later it was time for Springburn and the Saucony/Red Robin Kid's Run.
After a very slow start to registration, things exploded and Springburn turn turned out to be our biggest event of the year with nearly 160 running the 12K/5K and over 250 kids showing up on Friday night, whew! While both races saw a number of talented runners, perhaps the biggest news of all was 14 year old Jacob Morgan (now a Washburn Rural Freshman) winning the tough 5K in 18:46. Once again Springburn proved that if you give people a challenge that will stretch them and then make it fun, runners will show up. It is the same reason 360 or so runners showed up in mid January on a 8 degree morning to run the Topeka to Auburn half Marathon and that is why I believe Springburn has been so well received. It's tough, but "doable" (if that's a word). Once again Red Robin was a great host and Saucony a great sponsor, and the addition of Topeka Young Life as beneficiary brought in a number of new runners. In recognition of the construction taking place on the old Menninger property, we will make every effort to maintain a healthy relationship with St Francis and hope to avoid any re-routing in 2009. We also look forward to partner with the YMCA's Strong Kids program to make our kid's runs better then ever, while raising support for the Y's program that tackles Childhood obesity.

Muddy weekends in June and September greeted the next two events in the Rock Creek Trail Series. June is time for Ticks and September brings out the Spiders, what fun we have. Next year the third event will be moved to a little later in the day as we introduce Rock Creek Trail Midnight Madness with tentative distances of 5, 10 and 20 miles.

Mid September is time for those final long runs in preparation for fall marathons and such. In an effort to support runners in that process and to say "thanks" for another year of business GPRC presented the second annual FREE for All, and it really is...FREE! We shuttled a full bus of runners out to Dover then looked for the most difficult way for them to get back and set up a few (6) water stops along the way. Once they returned to the store either by foot or by big green van, Quiznos catered a feast for the tired bunch that were ready for anything October Races might throw their way.

October 25th marked the series finale for Rock Creek with a 5K, Half Marathon and a 5oK. After a LOT of rain early in the week we were finally able to get our leaf blowers out there to get the 18 miles of trail ready for the three distances. Kudos to Lyle Reidy and the Folks at the Kansas Trails Council for building a Trail system that handles water as good as any I've seen. By race day the trails were just about perfect and the weather was beautiful. In total, just shy of 150 runners showed up on Saturday. The 5K was full of several new faces and a slew of younger runners. Maybe that's where all the Monster went? The Half Marathon and 50K were both awesome. Both races had elite runners set new course records and several seasoned runners jostling for position and PR's up front. Trail Nerd Caleb Chatfield set a new course record of 4:14:45 in the 50K and local news anchor and Nerdo Mud Babe Sophia Spencer won the women's race. But the other thing both races had were all the cool, personal stories of runners succeeding at something they had worked towards all year. Something they could never have imagined doing a year ago. Something very few others will ever understand. To see people like Greg and Rachele Pruett, Roy Wohl, Christa Murphy, GPRC's own, Jenn McAnarney and countless others finish their first 50K is a great feeling and makes all the hard work worth while.

Last but not least is Road to OZ. A race that I still think has the most potential of them all, but admittedly may scare some people away. Our goal is simple,embrace the Wizard of OZ as part of our heritage (hey, you gotta work with what you got). So we invite runners to dress like Dorothy (or any other OZ character) run through the Kansas countryside and if you're fast enough you just might win a piece of the yellow brick road. After the adults are done, the kids get to run in the Munchkin run. What could be better. Well this year we had a lot more runners and few more Dorothys along with some Flying Monkey's, Scarecrows, Lions, Tin Men and witches, both Good and Wicked. We also had some really fast runners who led the way. Todd Allen broke his own course record in a time of 24:13 and Tristan Collins became the "Fastest Dorothy" in a time of 25:22. All in all this was a fun way to end the year and next year when we push this race back a week so high school cross country runners can participate I think this race will get even bigger, and certainly crazier.

Now all that's left is to wash the water coolers and re stock the first aid kits and we'll be done with 2008 and although it's been a long year and I'm thankful for the break, I'll admit however I spent much of my morning making notes on how to improve what we offer runners in 2009.

I am thankful for this opportunity to give back to the sport I love, and to support those who are dedicated to it. I have learned a great deal this year about myself as well as others, and thank those who have shared their journey with me throughout this past year. I look forward to all that God has in store for 2009, but for now I am happy for a few more Saturday mornings at home and more time with our kids, the unsung heroes of the GPRC races.

Time to Refocus

Can it really be the night before Halloween? I haven't "blogged" (that always seems like such a strange word) for almost two months. I think my failure to finish Leaderless for the third year in a row hit me harder then I realized or would admit. Since my last post I have been busy with race directing responsibilities at GPRC. In eight weeks we have put on two Rock Creek Trail events, the 21 Mile Free for All and we'll conclude our year this Saturday with the Road To OZ. Somewhere in the middle of all this the Arkansas Traveller 100 came and went. With very little running between Leadville and Arkansas I was able to push hard the final few miles to get in under 25:00, my PR for a trail 100.

Personally this is one one of those periods of life that feels like the middle of a cold rainy night, 70 miles into a 100 mile race, you're struggling up a huge climb and every step you take sends shock waves through your entire body. Your headlamp just went out and the bladder in your Camelback burst. Yes, sport imitates life, or is it visa verse?

Now with the Mother Road 100 just 9 days away, maybe it's time to start getting focused. I've done almost no real running since Arkansas and it shows, both in my attitude and my midsection. I have paid my money for the 2009 running of the Western States 100, and after this past year's cancellations due to wild fires, this year's running will have extra significance for all who run it. I have no intention of anything other then a sub 24 hour finish which means I need to train hard and train smart over the next six months. With Western States already on the calendar and another attempt at Leadville imminent, another attempt at the Grand Slam seems to be in the cards. So with that, the Mother Road becomes not an end to 2008, but rather the beginning to 2009. This will be a time to reflect on the lessons of this past year as well as a time to plan the next, and if I can do it in under 24 hours all the better.

Wasatch Front 100

Congratulations to Stan Ferguson and the other four Slammers who made it through Wasatch and onto the finale in Arkansas with their Grand Slam hopes still alive.

This was a tough week. I had hoped all year to be in Utah on this day, but with Grand Slam hopes dashed in the mountains of Colorado I decided to save some money and stay at home. I still plan on running Arkansas as it's close enough that we can drive there in less then a day and get a hotel for under $70. I also look forward to cheering on those few who complete their Slam. It will have been a long journey for them. From the fires and cancellation of Western States to the extreme heat and humidity of Vermont, then onto the winter like conditions in Leadville and the rugged terrain of Wasatch, before finally finishing on the rocky trails of Arkansas. There will be no shame in finishing this year's Grand Slam, asterisk or not.

As for next year we will have to wait and see, however with the automatic entry into Western States along with my inability to stay away from Leadville, it is very likely we will try this thing again in 2009. I mean, could it possibly be any worse?

Lingering Pain

Before the start of every Leadville Trail 100, Race President Ken Chlouber promise runners if they dig deep and finish the race the pain will only last for 30 hours, but if they choose to drop before they reach the end, the pain will last for 365 days. Never has this been more true then the two weeks following this years race.

In 2004, my first year at Leadville, I was happy to have reached the 70mile mark before missing the 70 mile cut-off at Halfmoon Campground. In 2005 I finished Leadville in 29:17. The race came just two months after my Dad passed away and the emotions were still very raw. To this day I view this race as a gift from my Dad who's memory I carried with me throughout the event. In 2006 I came to Leadville in the best shape of my life. In May I had left my job of 12 years at Payless Shoe Source and had plenty of extra time to train that summer. However as the race drew near, Great Plains Running Co was born and a date was set for a September opening. Despite the physical preparation, emotionally I began to loose focus as well as desire. I spent the entire week prior to the race at the kitchen table writing orders and finalizing our bank loan. By the time Saturday came I was exhausted and needless to say failed to finish the race. The lesson...This race is only part physical, you must be totally focused on the task at hand and wholly confident in your ability to finish. One of Leadville's many mottos is "There are no shortcuts" In 2007 I failed to do the proper training, talking more about logging miles then actually running them. It's no surprise 2007 was my worst year at Leadville, barely making the cut-off at Winfield and turning around on the backside of Hope Pass. While it is never fun not to finish, in each of these years I was able to move on fairly quickly, but 2008 has not been as easily forgotten.

As I think back on what went wrong in all honesty I can't blame the weather. Yes I was wet and cold and that I'm sure had some bearing on where I was at emotionally, but the thing I am most upset with myself about is my decision to have a pacer, but then not spending the adequate time preparing her for what she would experience (a cranky, tired, whinny runner) and how best to help me through it, based on what I know works for me when I get to that point. Not properly preparing the person you are going to rely on to "get you through" not only does you no good, but is unfair to them as well. I honestly feel one would be better off going at alone, then relying on someone else to help you through, when they have little clue what to do with you. So, that said, my apologies to MK who did everything she could think of to keep me moving despite the frustration I'm sure she felt and which I could have helped avoid.

So, if for no one other then myself these are the things I should have told MK prior to the start of the race.

1. Challenge me with questions and small goals that can build confidence. "Hey Willie, do you think you can run for 30 seconds" (Along Half Moon Rd we lost a lot of time because I got lazy, this is a flat section that needs to be run even if it's partially run you can bank a lot of time vs. walking the entire thing.)
2. Build on these little "victories" Move from run :30/walk 2:00 to run :45/walk 2:00 to run 1:00/walk 2:00 and so on. (On the Half Moon Rd at Leadville a run/walk strategy works well from telephone pole to telephone pole)
   
3. Don't ask me if I'm eating and drinking (I'll lie) Just give me a GU and politely tell me to eat it.
4. Don't let me become a victim of the race or my own pain. Tell me you don't want to hear me whine. I must stay on the offense to get through.
   
5. Set me up for successful aid station stops. Set a realistic departure time before we're all the way there, give me adequate warnings and then get me out on time.
6. If nothing else works tell me I'm probably too old to be doing this anyway then get out of my way.