Marathon #55: Kansas Rails to Trails Extravaganza, Ottawa Kansas, Oct 2020

 

"Extravaganza"

I can't believe I ran a marathon in 2020. Finding marathons to run has been quite the challenge this year, but a Facebook page was created to help with this endeavor. Yes, it is called, "Finding Marathons That Won't Be Cancelled", and has over three thousand members so far! This is where I found out about this race. I confirmed that this was the same race my friend Jerod Honrath had once ran and posted about. He had nothing but positive things to say about it, so I added it to my short list of possibilities. It had a good probability of happening since it was a trail race and quite remote. As the short list got even shorter this ended up being the marathon we went with.

I have run trail runs before, but never a trail marathon. Yes, I have run marathons that are on trails, but it's not the same thing! Let me explain. Trail runs are different in so many ways! First of all, they have an assortment of whacky distances. This one in particular has a 100 miler, 100K, 50 miler, 50K, and a marathon and half marathon. Secondly, when you arrive, people are already running and may possibly have been running for hours, and when you leave, same story. Your kiddie run is only a small part of the running adventure taking place. There are no mile markers, no timing clocks, no "water stops" where you run by and grab a cup without stopping, and very few places to see potential spectators. You are required to carry a bottle, which you either fill as you come across crates of water along the trail, or at one of their few "manned stations", that also provide tables of snacks like chips and candy.

Unlike most trail runs this one is on a very non technical, flat, easy course lined up as one long out and back on what used to be a railroad, so getting lost or tripped up was not a worry. The mentality of trail running vs road running is the biggest difference of all. I'm generalizing I'm sure, but most of them are out there for the experience and not so much concerned about how long it takes them. Road runners, in general, are pretty much obsessed with each mile marker split and their overall time. (And possibly placing in their age groups). We are "in a hurry", so to speak. Oh, and on the trail as people pass each other they customarily say, "Good job" to one another. I guess that's better than hearing, "You're almost there"...

Dallas peeps!

I'm not sure during non Covid times if the start would be any more lively than this, since there were only 39 marathoners total, but hey it did feel good to be running in a race! Our group just drove to the start, hopped out of the car, and ran across the starting line in single file. That was it! It was pretty lively during the first half, with a lot of encounters along the path. It was everything from walkers to speedy runners, so it was hard to tell who was doing what distance. The trail itself was very pretty, and the turn around provided the most quintessential Kansas back drop ever!

Remote yes, but beautiful

Not too long after the turn around it got a lot quieter, but I was still enjoying the scenery and the playlist I had put together. I found myself struggling physically though, and continually slowing down, which honestly, was expected. It hasn't been my year. Has it been anybody's year though? What the hell! Mentally, I was so grateful to be running, so I just had to battle the physical stuff. The only one of our group that I was near to at this point was Mike--we were playing tag as he would stop to get rocks out of his shoes and I would stop to dig out stuff from my pockets with my frozen hands. At our last water in a crate stop I told him I didn't think we were going to make 4:30, which inspired him to pick it up and I never passed him again.

It did get hideous near the end. As we entered Ottawa we popped off the trail to run parallel to a busy highway, and then onto a crooked asphalt path with wide cracks patched up with blobs of black tar. My wobbly legs were not happy! We were no longer protected from the cold by the trees either, so it was quite brisk, but luckily we turned off to the finish before too long.

Not snow, just gravel

I had imagined crossing the finish line to be an emotional experience, since it had been so long, but I must say I was not feeling it. I'm still trying to put my finger on it. Maybe it's all the race elements that were missing due to Covid--no packet pickup or expo, no group start, (remembering the standard singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the amped up pre race announcements and music), no spectators at the finish, and no festivities at the finish. Just a table with bananas on it. At least I had my Dallas peeps, including Toby, who took care of us all morning! 

Thank God we had each other!

My time was 4:30:26...not that it matters, right? It's ALL about the experience...hmm...something tells me I'm not a trail runner at heart...