Who said Kansas is Flat?

I made an impromptu decision to run the Heartland 100 as I struggled to make 
it one more time around the Schuylkill River Loop to complete my 24-hour run 
for Katrina.   The disappointment in my performance on that day was so 
overwhelming that thoughts of doing it again the following weekend were hard 
not to satisfy.  The one time I could have actually helped other people with 
my running and I couldn’t muster the energy to go beyond 105 miles in the 
time allotted.  So, with no research of the race and no specific training I 
decided to make my way out to Kansas to redeem myself.  

My Aunt, who was visiting from South Carolina, took my mother and I out to 
dinner the night before my Friday flight to Wichita.  What was supposed to be 
an occasion to catch up on old times turned into a very emotional evening for 
me.  I barely said a word as my Aunt talked to me as if she knew exactly what 
had been happening in my life over the last couple of years.   She beamed 
with pride as she spoke of my running accomplishments but more importantly 
her ability to see deep inside me and know that someone had hurt me stunned 
me.  The words that came out of her mouth were those of wisdom.  I listened 
intently as she directed me toward the path that would allow me to let go of 
the past.   When she finished talking it was as if I had been given a second 
chance at living again.   It was hard for me to hold back the tears when we 
parted ways because I have never had anyone understand me the way she did 
that night.  The emotions of this day would stay with me the entire weekend 
and ultimately played an integral role in my successful run. 

I arrived in Wichita on Friday morning without a single problem.  The flights 
were all on time, I had no trouble retrieving my baggage, and I found my 
hotel very easily.  I stayed at the Club House Inn located just outside the 
city.  I thought it was convenient because I was within 40 miles of Cassoday 
where the event is held and directly across the street from I-35 the major 
access road into town.   I checked into my hotel around noon and then made my 
way to a Mall I had passed on my way from the airport to the hotel.  I hoped 
to find a GNC inside that stocked my favorite energy fluid “Rocket Shot”.   
The two GNC’s closest to my home in Delaware were out of it so I thought I’d 
have to do without.   I was ecstatic to not only find a GNC in the Mall but 
also found that they indeed did have the product I was looking for.  It 
seemed like all the stars were lining up for me.  Before heading back to my 
hotel I stopped at Target to load up on Sobe Adrenaline Energy drink and 
Ensure for my drop bags.  Now that all my shopping was done I went back to 
the hotel to quickly put my drop bags together.  Since this was an out and 
back course all my drops could be used two times with the exception of the 
one at the 50-mile mark.  Along with the energy fluids and Ensure I packed 
warm clothes, moleskin, aspirin, Succeed caps, arnica, and spare batteries in 
each bag.  As I was packing I tried to decide which bag to put my light in.  
I could gamble and put it in the mile 75 bag or I could go conservatively and 
put it in the mile 63 bag.  I went with mile 63 knowing the only consequence 
would be having to lug it around an extra hour or so.  When my bags were 
packed I started the trip to Cassoday for the pre-race briefing.  Along the 
way I noticed the scenery was very consistent and being a big city guy I 
thought it was a bit boring.   There were mainly open tall grass fields on 
either side of the road with the occasional farm tucked away in the 
background.   As I exited the highway and entered Cassoday I had no idea 
where I was going.  The website provides little information about the exact 
location of the run and the instructions sent to me in the mail just 
indicated the briefing would be held in the town community center.   I 
figured that there would be a sign or two along the way pointing me in the 
direction I needed to go but that proved to be untrue.  I finally stopped at 
the one convenience store in the small town and asked for directions.  
Apparently I had driven by the Community Center several times already without 
noticing it.   Once there I checked in with the race director and received my 
number and my tee shirt and then made my way back to the car to take a nap 
before the briefing.  

The briefing itself was very quick but informative.  The R.D. Randy Albrecht 
took some time to explain how the course was marked and described specific 
points where getting lost was a distinct possibility.  He took the time to 
answer a few questions and then we broke for dinner.  The pre-race meal was 
catered by a local café and had to be the best food I’ve ever been served 
before a race.  I had Salisbury steak, scalloped potatoes, green beans, corn, 
potato salad, macaroni salad, and a muffin.  Probably more food than I would 
normally eat in two days.  I headed back to my hotel around 6 p.m. to get 
what I hoped would be a good night’s sleep.   

When I arrived at the hotel I couldn’t help but turn the TV on and low and 
behold the first thing that came on was the Yankees game.   Since I’m a 
baseball fan there was an excellent chance a good night’s sleep would be out 
of the question now.  As I watched what I hoped would be the Yanks getting 
their butts whooped I prepared my clothes for the next day.  I planned to 
wear shorts, a tank top, long sleeved shirt, and gloves.  In my pack I 
carried moleskin, aspirin, arnica, and a bottle of “Rocket Shot”.  I also 
stashed a knit hat and a spare light in a compartment in my pack.   I placed 
my race number on my shorts knowing it would be most visible there because I 
would be changing from long sleeve to short sleeve shirts periodically 
throughout the day.   I filled my water bottles and put them in the 
refrigerator that was in my room and then sat down to watch the game.   When 
the stinkin’ Yankees came back to tie the game at 5-5 I became frustrated and 
called it a night around 9:30 or so.  I set my clock for 4 a.m. and went fast 
to sleep.  

I woke on my own around 3:30 a.m. feeling very rested and ready to go.  I did 
not feel the normal pre-race jitters and there was no second-guessing why I 
was doing this to myself again.   Since I woke early I took my time to shower 
and get dressed.  I made sure I had everything I needed and then headed 
across the street to grab something to eat from a 24-hour mini-mart.  Eating 
something with a lot of sugar in it is critical for me before long races so I 
always opt for what I would normally consider unhealthy food.   Maybe 
unhealthy but also one of my favorites I immediately headed towards the 
frosted Pop Tarts.  I grabbed to double packs of blueberry frosted Pop Tarts 
and something to drink and then headed down the highway towards Cassoday and 
the start of the race.  

I arrived at the race start at 5:15 a.m. with plenty of time to spare.  I 
used the extra time to put on sun block, and Vaseline in the critical areas.  
I adjusted my waist pack to fit snuggly around my body and did some final 
mental preparation for what I figured would be another grueling day.   Before 
heading to the start line I stopped to check in with the race director so he 
was aware I was there and ready to go.   All the runners were lined up and 
prepared to go by 5:55 a.m.  Since there was also a 50-mile event being held 
in conjunction with the 100 there seemed to be an overflow crowd.  It was 
impossible to distinguish between the runners participating in the different 
events, which for me I thought might cause a problem at the start.  I have a 
tendency to go off very fast and try to keep up with those in front.  It 
could be a big mistake for me to try to stay with the 50-mile frontrunners.    
It was a decision I would make on the fly because now it was too late to 
think about it.  There was a countdown from five and we were sent off into 
the early morning darkness.   

Immediately I experienced problems that caused me to lose pace of those in 
front.  My sunglasses fell off of my head and I had to stop to get them and 
as I did I fumbled with my water bottles trying to maintain a grasp on them.  
I also had difficulty hitting the start button on my stopwatch because the 
gloves I was wearing were too bulky and would not allow me to make contact 
with the button.  Finally I got things under control but by that time two 
guys had pulled away and had a significant lead on me.   There are those that 
go by the motto start slow and then as the race progresses taper off.  
Personally I do not subscribe to this motto.  I like to start fast and do my 
best to maintain it throughout.  More times than not I’ve been burned by this 
method of running but the times that it has worked have been very satisfying.   
There is no quit in me so the only ramification would be a death march to the 
finish.   I didn’t push too hard to catch up as I slowly saw myself gaining 
on the second place guy.   The runner in the lead was out of sight at this 
time but I knew he couldn’t be too far in front.   It wasn’t long before I 
could see his shadow up front and a few minutes later I passed by as he 
refueled at the first unmanned aid station.  Me, well I always carry two 
water bottles along the way and since it was cool I didn’t need to replenish 
just yet.  

Now that I was up in the front and leading I felt pretty good.  I knew the 
lead wouldn’t last for long but I liked the feeling of being there for now.  
Up to this point the course was as I expected very flat and very easy.   The 
hard packed, wide gravel road made for easy footing but could also promote 
blistering later on.   It remained dark for about 45 minutes to an hour 
before I finally felt comfortable packing my flashlight away.   In the 
distance the sunrise was beautiful as it beamed magnificent colors in my 
path.  There were open fields to the right and left of me with little to see 
other than what lay ahead.  There were barbed wire fences on either side of 
the gravel road a scene that I would become accustomed to as the day 
progressed.   I maintained my lead through the first manned aid station at 
8.3 miles.  I still did not need water so I just called my number off as I 
made my way through.  

I guess I’ve always believed that Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the 
Cowardly Lion were always for real and that Kansas is as flat as a pancake.  
Well, after I ran from mile 8.3 to the turnaround at mile 50 I still believed 
in the Wizard of Oz but realized that indeed Kansas is not flat.  In the 
distance I was stunned to see what looked like miniature mountains.   This 
was the most scenic and beautiful part of the course.  The mountains indeed 
reminded me of a miniature Wasatch Mountain Range.   Now don’t get me wrong 
there was no significant elevation gain but these little hills were certainly 
going to be a bit more of a challenge than I expected.   I ran up and down 
hoping that eventually the course would return to how it was the first 8 
miles but the hills continued to come.  Occasionally the path would change 
from what was once hard packed gravel to looser bigger stones making it feel 
like I was running in sand.  The bigger stones seemed to stab at the bottoms 
of my feet causing me to worry about blistering.  The uneven surface was 
twisting my ankles aggravating the tendonitis I’ve had in my left foot since 
March of this year.   I continued up and down the undulating hills all the 
time maintaining my lead and at times even thinking I was pulling away a bit.    

I didn’t want to get too carried away because my training has not been up to 
par for many months because of the foot injury I’ve been battling. Going into 
the race I was very concerned that I could potentially injure my foot to the 
point where I may never be able to run again.   I have put a lot of effort 
into identifying the injury and getting proper treatment but to no avail.   
I’ve spent upwards of a thousand dollars on doctors, orthotics, and 
medications.  Recently I started a treatment of amino acids including 
glycine, lysine, and glucosamine.  I apply heat and only ice after running 
and I also stopped taking aspirin.  I’ve also stopped all stretching and 
won’t resume until the pain is gone completely.  I relieved the pain for the 
race by cutting a hole in the gel pad used in the left shoe that makes 
contact with the affected area.   I stabilized my mileage around 75-80 miles 
a week down from my normal 90-100 and I cut out all exercises that cause pain 
to my foot.   I’ve seen dramatic improvement using this treatment plan and 
hoped there wouldn’t be any setbacks by doing this race.  

The pain in my foot seemed to intensify more on the uphills than the descents 
so I decided to take it a little easier going up.  I kept running but took 
shorter strides and looked for the softest areas to land.    I was confident 
I could overcome any kind of physical pain and motivated myself by thinking 
about how I hobbled through the last 40 miles of Wasatch on a severely 
injured quad.  

The weather was beautiful with temperatures in the 50’s in the morning hours 
and not a cloud in the sky.  The wind was present blowing about 15 miles an 
hour in a direction that always seemed to be in my face but was mild compared 
to the 40 mph in past races.   There were certainly other challenges that 
stood in the way of a successful race. Having nothing in the distance but the 
open prairie was the main challenge I faced all day with nothing to block the 
view of the long trail in front of me. It started to drive me crazy shortly 
after the race began so to counteract this I refused to look any more than 10 
feet ahead of me.   It was definitely a contest that my mind would have to 
win in order for me to finish well.  

As I approached the mile 17-aid station it seemed as if they had just set-up 
and were startled that I arrived so soon.  One of my bottles was bone dry but 
since the volunteers did not seem to have a system set up yet where they 
could quickly refill them I moved on before it was even half filled.   As the 
volunteer was filling my bottle I made some suggestions that would allow her 
to not be overwhelmed as the other runners came piling through.  I thought 
having a few cups of water pre-poured and maybe putting some water in a 
pitcher to fill the bottles quickly would be a better and more efficient 
method.  I, being the first to come through saw that they would just be 
overwhelmed if they continued to just open the valve to the cooler and slowly 
fill each bottle.  I was okay with the amount of water I had and wasn’t the 
least bit frustrated that the aid station didn’t seem to be ready.  Heck how 
could I have any frustration if it wasn’t for these people I wouldn’t even 
have the opportunity to be running in this race.  I also knew that once they 
settled into a groove they would do a fabulous job.  

The goal I was now looking forward to reaching was mile 25 or the point where 
the 50-mile runners would be turning around.  At this point I would know 
whether the second place guy was running the 100 or the 50 and whether I 
could relax or maintain my pace.  The course leveled off a bit over the next 
8 miles and even seemed to have a downward slope to it.   As I made my way 
down a hill from the mile 17 aid station I entered what would be the only 
area lined with trees that I would see the entire day.    It was a very short 
stretch of maybe a ¼ mile where trees were on either side of me.  I honestly 
appreciated the beauty of the woods and hoped it would stay around for 
awhile.   As I exited the wooded area the most spectacular sight of the day 
appeared before me.  A young deer darted out of the woods and stood in the 
path about 50 yards from me.  We stared into each other’s eyes as I 
approached and she didn’t move an inch even as I got closer.  I was amazed 
that the young deer allowed me to get as close to her as I did before running 
off into the woods.  I had such an amazing feeling inside because I truly 
believed the deer trusted me and knew I would not hurt her.    I peeked into 
the woods to see how far she had run off as I went by but did not catch 
another glimpse.  It is one of those moments that will remain with me for a 
lifetime. 

I made my way towards an unmanned aid station at mile 21 or so still feeling 
very confident.  Aid up to this point was sufficient with unmanned stations 
and full aid stations alternating every 3 to 4 miles.   There was water, 
Conquest, potato chips, and crackers at the unmanned stations.  The full aid 
stations supplied the normal aid station fare of peanut butter jelly, turkey 
and cheese, and ham and cheese sandwiches along with hard candy, potato 
chips, soup, boiled potatoes, and cookies amongst other things.  There were 
two aid stations in particular that carried specialty items that I looked 
forward to each time I passed through.  The mile 42/58-aid station had sloppy 
joe and the mile 36/63-aid station had hot beans.   

Since I wasn’t able to fill my bottles at the mile 17 aid station I had to 
stop quickly at the mile 21 aid station to do so.  Believe it or not there 
was a method to my madness.  I never like to waste time at aid stations no 
matter if I'm running well or in the middle of the pack.  In a 100-mile race 
anything can happen so I believe time has to be used wisely and unless 
injured or sick excessive time in an aid station does not seem like an 
efficient way to use time.   Anyhow I moved quickly through the aid station 
and was now on my way to satisfying my first goal of maintaining my lead 
through 25 miles.  

The next 4 miles were more of the same that I had just encountered from miles 
17 to 21.  The course led me down a flat, downward path with miles of open 
prairie before me.  I had to be very careful because every now and again I 
would come upon a grate that crossed the path used to keep the cows contained 
in certain areas.  We were urged by Randy during the pre-race briefing to 
take our time and even consider walking across these grates in order to 
prevent being injured.  I took his advice every time I encountered one of 
these and took the time to walk.  The grates were less than three feet in 
width but too far to jump over safely.  If I would have missed my foot could 
easily have slipped through one of the grates .It just wasn’t worth the risk.   

Even though I rarely looked over my shoulder I could sense that I was still 
being closely followed by the second place runner.   Since I had run the 
entire way up to this point I was kind of surprised the guy behind me was 
still there.   I knew Mark Henderson lurked in the back somewhere and was 
just biding his time but didn’t know who the guy was behind me at the time.   
I stayed focused on my own run and tried to stay within my own capability.  
My main goal was not necessarily to run fast but to run consistently and up 
to this point I had accomplished both.    As the mile 24.8 aid station came 
near I anxiously wondered which direction the second place runner would go.  
Would he turn at mile 25 and head back or would he continue on with me?   
Again I didn’t stop at the aid station but not because I didn’t need a refill 
but rather because I wanted to know what my next course of action was going 
to be and the runner behind me would dictate that.  

When I reached the turnaround point I kept looking straight ahead for about a 
½ mile before peeking over my shoulder to see if anyone was behind.  Sure 
enough there he was sticking right on course to do the 100 miler.  No big 
deal I thought since I knew it was only a matter of time before some people 
caught up to me anyway.  I figured it would be later rather than earlier and 
to be honest I thought it would be Mark Henderson.  

The course once again became hilly and would remain that way for most of the 
next 25 miles.  Even though we ran out in the open and on roads it still 
seemed as though we were out of civilization.  There were very few homes 
along the way and only one or two vehicles traveled up and down the roads.   
Running alone is not something uncommon for me but it’s not something I 
prefer to do either.  One of the reasons I like to participate in running 
events is to socialize and enjoy someone else’s company.   It became very 
obvious to me at the halfway point that I was going to be alone for most of 
this race and I had better be prepared.   Those thoughts brought me down a 
level and actually caused me to suffer over the next few miles to the mile 
31-aid station.  It’s not uncommon for me to hit a low point this early in a 
race but it’s also a good indication that I haven’t prepared properly.    I 
became very sluggish and tired and the pain in my foot became more intense.   
I knew the negative thoughts I was having made my problems seem worse than 
they actually were.  I needed to find some positive motivation or a way to 
get me excited about running and finishing with a decent time.   This is 
where my conversation with my Aunt the Thursday before the race came into 
play.  She gave me reason to believe again and reason to look forward to the 
future.   She told me she was proud of me for not only my running but also 
how I live my life and how I treat other people.  I could feel her presence 
as I ran.  Her words came to me as if they were coming directly from her lips 
and it sent a chill up my spine that invigorated me and allowed me to 
overcome the negative thoughts I was having.   I had run several miles 
reaching the 50K point before my spirits were uplifted and I returned to 
form.   

I stopped at the 50K point to fill my bottles and then ran up a short hill 
before having to stop again to empty some rocks out of my shoe.  The second 
place guy had gained a considerable amount of time on me as I struggled from 
miles 25 to 31.  He pulled into the aid station almost as I was coming out.  
His catching up to me was imminent now and I was prepared to watch him go by.    
The next full aid station was about 5 miles off and I was sure he would 
overtake me before then.   I stood at the top of the hill for a split second 
just to take a look at what lay ahead.  Amazingly I was energized by seeing 
the hills rather than feeling depleted.  I honestly do love hilly courses and 
am confident in my ability to do well on them.  I picked up the pace and 
started to pull away a little more from him but only briefly as I could sense 
he also picked it up a bit.  As the 5-mile stretch continued on the course 
flattened but the scenery was still the same.  I was concerned that the 
scenery could have the same effect on me that the C & O Towpath used for the 
JFK 50 sometimes has on me.  It’s just like running in place.  Everything is 
the same with nothing to keep my interest and allowing my mind to generate 
negative thoughts.   I am a creative guy and normally I have a knack to turn 
nothing into something but for some reason on this day I just couldn’t find 
it.  It was just having the ability to see so far ahead that was causing the 
problems.  Normally I break the race down into segments because I can’t see 
so far ahead of me.  Focusing on the distance was a big distraction.  Anyhow 
I pulled into the mile 36-aid station with a lead still intact but would be 
joined shortly by my next closest competitor. 

Having been alone the entire day and not wanting to run alone anymore I 
waited for him to refuel so we could continue together.  As we left the aid 
station we turned right down a big hill and ran for about ¼ mile. In the 
distance directly behind us I heard a loud shrill and turned to see what it 
was.  Turns out it was a volunteer screaming for us to return because we went 
the wrong way out of the aid station.   The aid station captain sent a car 
down with an offer to pick us up and drive us back to where we made the wrong 
turn.  I have run 17 one hundred-mile races and am very aware of the rules 
whether written or unwritten.  I immediately declined the offer and ran the 
entire way back up to where I made the wrong turn.    I’ve been lost before 
and know it’s my responsibility to backtrack every step I made to get back on 
the course exactly where I got off.  The guy I was running with however 
decided to accept the offer and took the ride up the hill.  I was a little 
perturbed that he made that decision.   The rules are at the discretion of 
the organizers and not for me to debate.  Personally I would not have felt 
right if I didn’t follow my heart on this one.   I got up the hill not long 
after the car did so both of us took off together.  I made no mention of what 
had just happened knowing that he would have to live with his decision and if 
he was okay with it than it must be okay.    

The course led us down a steep hill that allowed me to recover from having to 
haul my butt back up the other side a ¼ mile.  I was glad to finally have 
some company but that was short lived as I realized the guy was wearing an 
Ipod and had no interest in talking to me.  We did chit chat enough for me to 
find out his name, where he lived, and that his wife was waiting for him at 
the next aid station 6 miles away.  He was running strong and again I wasn’t 
but I fed off of his energy and tried my best to keep up.   I was sure this 
guy couldn’t be as strong as he looked and knew he had to be struggling just 
like me.  I’m pretty good at disguising pain myself so who knows maybe he 
thought I was feeling good too.  These were my thoughts as I continued to run 
up and down what seemed to be the relentless hills.   This was one of the 
longest stretches between aid stations.  Six miles on a hot, muggy day could 
be very significant but with the temperatures hovering in the 60’s and a cool 
breeze I had no problem.  As I ran this section though I thought to myself 
that those in the back of the pack power walking this section could have some 
real problems.  

At this point in the race I was willing to follow the other guy’s lead.   Not 
taking charge and running my own race has been my downfall in the past and 
here I was allowing it again.  When he stopped at mile 40 to walk up a short 
steep hill I was content to follow suit.  That was not my game plan going in.  
I wanted to run as many miles as I could without walking and 40 was not my 
target.   Knowing now that my plan had been altered I had to start 
readjusting my goals.  Placing top 5, top 10, top 20, or whatever is a good 
goal to have but finishing is always priority number 1 in my book.   I think 
a lot of people DNF (did not finish) because they realize their primary goal 
is unachievable and therefore feel it’s not worth running in the race 
anymore.  Readjusting the goals as you go is critical to success.   The 
initial goal may be unachievable but if you keep making new goals you will 
eventually satisfy one of them even if it’s finishing dead last.   

My new goal was now going to be to relax and try to have some fun.  If I run 
fast so be it but if not that’s okay too.  Bottom line was that on the return 
trip there was no way I was going to be able to run up and down these hills 
like I did going out anyway so why not conserve now.    We were maybe a ½ 
mile from the mile 42-aid station when we heard someone yelling at us from 
behind.   Sure enough it was Mark Henderson, Mr. Heartland 100 himself.  This 
guy was buzzing with energy as he gave a quick description of the rest of the 
course from where we were to the turnaround at mile 50.   He talked about how 
beautiful the course was and how much he loved the scenery.  I couldn’t help 
but snicker a bit as I asked him what scenery.  Well what he told me took by 
surprise and also taught me another method of overcoming boredom.  He said he 
visualizes cowboys and Indians fighting on these same grounds as he runs.  I 
looked at him and said wow you sure have a vivid imagination.   It sounds 
like an excellent way to keep the mind occupied but somehow I just couldn’t 
look at a prairie full of tall grass and cows and imagine cowboys and 
Indians.    Mark pulled into the aid station first as some of the volunteers 
snapped photos and took video of him.  He joked with the volunteers most of 
which he knew and moved out as quickly as he got in.  That would be the 
closest I would be to Mark the rest of the day with the exception of when he 
passed me coming back from the 50 mile turnaround.   I entered the aid 
station and received the best treatment I had gotten all day.   The two 
ladies running this aid station did a spectacular job and if not for them I’m 
sure I would not have had a hot meal all day.   They fed me sloppy joe and 
pumped me full of coke and water and catered to me as if I was a relative.  I 
came out of the aid station in second place as the third place guy spent some 
time with his crew.

I started a 3.5 mile stretch to the next unmanned aid station on hilly 
terrain.  The course profile has to be similar to that of the Bull Run 50 
only on roads as opposed to muddy trails.  The hills on the backside of the 
course never seemed to stop.   They were very short but never ending.  I was 
in full walk/run mode at this point.  I would run up part of the hill 
finishing it with a power walk and then I would run completely down.  I 
implemented this strategy all the way to the turnaround at mile 50.  It’s a 
lot less stressing on the mind not alone the body allowing yourself to walk 
occasionally.   I was hoping that the fact I implemented this strategy so 
early would help me later in the race.   I dropped back to third place about 
1.5 miles after leaving the mile 42-aid station.   I actually felt more 
comfortable alone than with either of the first two guys.  Mark had way too 
much pizzazz and the other guy wasn’t interested in talking.   It became 
clear that both of these guys were better than me on this day.  While I would 
have liked to have some company I needed to follow my own plan and not get 
caught up somewhere I didn’t belong.  

I stopped to refill my bottles at the final unmanned aid station before 
moving on for the final 4 miles to the turnaround.  I couldn’t believe it the 
scenery actually changed a little here. We passed by a couple of water towers 
through an area where it looked as if people may occupy some time during the 
day.   I still had the second place guy in sight as we traversed a few more 
rolling hills before descending deep into a valley.  As I went down Mark 
passed me going in the other direction.  He fed me encouragement as he told 
me the turnaround was just around the corner.   It seemed to take forever to 
get to the bottom but finally I reached and checked my watch for the first 
and final time of the day.  I had made it to the 50 mile mark in a little 
under 8 hours.  Immediately I thought of last year.  Could this be a 
recurrence of Javelina when I went out way too fast?  My 50-mile split was 
just under 8 there too as I struggled to finish in a little over 21 hours.    
There was no way I could let that happen again.  I have to admit though I 
knew I pushed way too hard at the start so dying late was a distinct 
possibility.  

I watched as the second place guy ran back up the hill we just came down.  I 
thought it would be a wise choice if I took the opportunity to do my first 
significant walking of the day.   I walked most of the way back up the hill 
slipping in a little running when it crested for short periods.   As I 
started my walk up the hill the fourth place runner, David Jones, passed by 
me on his way to the turn around.  I couldn’t tell how much energy he had but 
he definitely looked very focused.   Again I was aware that my placing was in 
jeopardy but also again I had to stay with my game plan.  It was a long race 
and we were only 50 miles into it.  Heck I thought there was a remote 
possibility that I could still win the darn thing.  Sure enough as I walked 
up the final yards of the steep hill here came David Jones rounding the bend 
poised to pass me.  I thought for a moment that maybe he would be a good 
person to hang with but as we ran I could tell he had a purpose for being 
there and it was not to entertain me.   I certainly didn’t want to hold him 
up or have him push me to an uncomfortable pace so I didn’t try to keep up 
with him.  It was a while before I would pass another runner going in the 
other direction so I felt I could at least maintain 4th place to the finish.   
I had to follow my plan of running as much as possible and then implementing 
the walk up the hills/ run down the hills method later in the race to do so.  

Leadville is the only other out and back course I’ve ever run before.  I did 
not find that having knowledge of the course on the return made it any 
easier.  In fact the course going back looked totally different to me than it 
did going out.   I hoped this would not be the same with Heartland.    I 
figured things would be familiar at least until the sun went down.  By that 
time I hoped to have at least ¾ of the course completed.   I ran pretty 
steadily to the unmanned aid station where I filled my bottles and grabbed a 
few chips before moving on.   It was very cool getting the chance to pass by 
the people directly behind me on the way back because we could feed each 
other’s encouragement.  It also, for the first time during the day, gave me a 
sense of togetherness with these people.  I was able to feel part of a group 
fighting for the same outcome rather than an individual fighting impossible 
odds.  

I ran up and down the same path towards mile 58 as I did on the way out.  I 
knew I was near the aid station as I approached the highway on the right and 
crossed over an old deserted bridge to the other side of the road.  I hustled 
the last half-mile or so into the aid station in dire need of some aspirin to 
relieve the pain in my foot.  When I arrived I again indulged in the 
excellent food the aid station had prepared for the runners.  This time I 
went for the hot soup rather than the sloppy joe.  I loaded up with soda and 
water before leaving.  I was making my way down the road drinking my soup 
when I remembered the aspirin.  I backtracked 50 yards to the aid station 
where a volunteer thankfully supplied me with a couple.  This was the first 
aspirin I had taken all day and I hoped to limit my intake to no more than 
two more throughout the rest of the race.    

I was now on what I knew was the longest stretch between aid stations.  This 
part of the course would lead me back up and down the hills to mile 63.  
There were still people coming in the other direction headed towards mile 42, 
which kind of surprised me.  One person in particular, David Hughes, said 
something to me that got me thinking.  He said “good luck catching the guys 
in front of you”.   This was not something that had been going through my 
mind.  I was on the defensive, concentrating on defending my 4th place 
standing.  This told me a lot about myself.  I need to start being more 
aggressive and think about overtaking people rather than being overtaken.  
Sometimes I think a runner’s performance and style can say a lot about the 
individual’s personality.  I truly am a meek person and because of that I 
sometimes allow people to get over on me.  Those that go for the win also go 
for the kill and do not accept defeat and would never allow anyone to take 
advantage of them.   Is my theory true for everyone?  Probably not but it is 
for me.  One day I would like to experience what it feels like to win an 
event but at the same time I really don’t have a dire need to have that 
feeling.   Especially if it’s at the expense of someone who does need it.  

I felt good from miles 58 to 63 but not spectacular.  I ran most of the way 
only walking partially up some of the steeper inclines.  Those uphills sure 
seemed a lot shorter on the way out than they did on the way back.  I was 
able to stay focused and remain confident in my ability to finish with little 
difficulty.  I got a tremendous boost as I ran the final hill up to the mile 
63 aid station and was greeted by the cheers of a volunteer who told me I 
looked strong.   Both gentlemen in the aid station told me that as strong as 
I looked I still had a chance to win this thing.  It was a good ego boost but 
I knew in reality that I had no chance of catching Mark unless he completely 
died out there.  While the volunteers were filling my bottles I ran to my 
drop bag to grab my gloves and my headlamp.  There were still a few hours of 
daylight left but this is where I left my light so I had to get it.  As far 
as the gloves go this was the only drop bag where I had a pair stashed so I 
had to grab them because it was sure to get cold at night.   The aid station 
volunteer talked me into eating a cup of beans before leaving assuring me 
they would only have a positive effect on me.  I was tentative because I have 
never experimented with beans before in a long run and there was the 
potential of them causing stomach problems.  I’m a pretty adventurous guy 
though and I don’t mind taking a gamble so I ate them.  I thanked the guys 
and headed off down the road this time towards mile 68.  

I walked a few hundred yards eating the food I just got from the aid station 
before putting it in gear down the road.  This section started out pretty 
flat however there was a slight upgrade to it.  I ran for long stretches 
before boredom led way to walking.  I just can’t seem to stay in the same 
mindset on flat surfaces as I can with the hills.  A couple of sections of 
this course really reminded me of the road from the fish hatchery to Half 
moon Campground in Leadville.   The road was so flat and boring I walked most 
of the way out to the campground and then again on the return on the way back 
to the fish hatchery.   I didn’t do nearly as much walking here as I did at 
Leadville because I was able to occupy my mind with positive thoughts.   I 
continued on pushing forward as the course did eventually revert back to its 
hilly form.   I still felt strong physically and I was hanging in there 
mentally as I made my way to the top of the hill that led down into the mile 
68 aid station.  I could feel that I was slowly weakening and decided I 
needed to pump myself full of energy fluids.  I had a drop bag at this 
station and planned to use every kind of energy booster I had stashed in it.  
As I sat in a chair sorting through my bag a dog came up and sat next to me.  
I’m not sure what it is about animals but they seem to have the ability to 
comfort me and put me at ease.  I talked to him as I looked in my bag for 
what I needed and he seemed to respond by laying his head on my arm and 
staring in my eyes.   I drank some “Rocket Shot”, a bottle of Sobe 
Adrenaline, and a bottle of Ensure.  I also took a couple of Arnica tablets 
to help me manage the pain.  I packed my bag back up and said goodbye to the 
dog and headed out looking for mile 75.

I felt awesome between miles 68 and 75.  Yes the course remained somewhat 
rolly polly but I kicked some butt and ran just about the whole distance in.  
I wanted to get to mile 75 with some daylight so I could start the final 25 
with my spirits high.   I looked back occasionally on this stretch just out 
of curiosity to see if anyone was near but I didn’t even see a silhouette of 
a person.   I think I did so well here because I was driven to get in before 
darkness.   I was focused on a positive goal keeping my mind occupied and 
away from the negative thoughts, which plagued me throughout the day.   When 
I reached mile 75 it was indeed still light outside and I was pretty fired up 
even for a tired worn out guy.   I didn’t waste too much time here as I 
wanted to run some more in the daylight.  

The miles between 75 and 83 started out very strong but as I went along I 
could feel myself weakening.  There were points where I found myself going 
back to the walk/run method that I implemented earlier in the race.  As 
darkness overcame the sunlight I started to pay more attention to where I 
was.  The course was marked fairly well but there were at least two times 
when I thought I was lost.   I was hoping that there would be a few more 
confidence glow lights set out but to my dismay there wasn’t.   I have a 
tendency to gaze off into my own mind and lose track of where I am.  This was 
okay on this course during the day but at night I needed to pay more 
attention.   Markings were few and far between mainly because it’s a direct 
route on the road.  The few forks and intersections that I did encounter were 
heavily marked.   When I felt lost it was only for a few minutes at the most 
but it was enough to scare the heck out of me.  Who wants to run 80 some 
miles only to get lost and have to backtrack to get back on the right route?  
Certainly not me.   As I passed through the only wooded section I knew I was 
on the right track and on my way into the mile 83-aid station.  The deer that 
I had met up with earlier in the day on this section was long gone but the 
warm thought still remained in my mind.  It was enough to get me up the final 
hill into the mile 83-aid station.    When I arrived I was feeling very weak 
and my stomach was starting to feel queasy.  It was also getting cold outside 
so I put on a long pair of pants, my long sleeved shirt, and a pair of 
gloves.  I left one of my water bottles in my drop bag because I was drinking 
a minimum amount of water at this point so it was more of a hindrance than 
anything else.  After getting some soup I started off on what I knew would be 
a very hard section.   I would have to make it through miles 83 to 91 in the 
mini Wasatch Mountain Range.  

I started off weak and I continued to be weak as the miles went by.  I never 
allowed my body to take over even though it was screaming for comfort.  My 
mind was in total control all the time devising ways to overcome the 
challenge.  No matter how tough it got I never walked for long periods of 
time.  The walk up the hills and then run down method was old and boring.  It 
was no longer sufficient to keep me going so I had to come up with something 
else.   After some thought I came up with the plan to run for 70 seconds and 
then walk for 40.  Where I came up with those goofy numbers who knows but it 
was working.  I would run for 70 seconds no matter if it was up or down and 
the same with the walking.  I continued doing this the entire way into the 
aid station.   There were a few times when I almost lost my concentration and 
thought of walking the entire way in but I immediately squashed those 
thoughts and kept pushing forward.   Those little hills really did seem like 
mountains and the short ascents felt like major climbs.  I knew it was all a 
game my mind was playing with me though and if I kept pushing I’d be through 
this section in no time at all.  Sure enough through all the adversity I saw 
a light in the distance and ran hard toward it knowing I had just finished 
the hardest part of the course.   When I arrived I begged for some Pepto 
Bismol.   I was feeling very nauseous and struggled to keep from getting 
sick.   Stomach problems are not something I’m used to having to deal with 
during one of these events but have certainly been a factor in the last three 
I’ve participated in.   I was sure the Pepto Bismol would be enough to get me 
through the last 8 miles and was very appreciative that the aid station had 
some available for me.  I didn’t waste any time getting in an out of the aid 
station because at this point I was ready to get this over with. 

 I was escorted across the final cow crossing by a sweet little girl that 
couldn’t have been more than 12 years old.  We walked about 50 yards together 
toward the crossing as she told me how she was going to pace her mother to 
the finish.  I thought to myself how nice of a feeling it must be to be able 
to run with a son or daughter in one of these events.  I didn’t spend a heck 
of a lot of time thinking about that though because having no kids myself 
it’s something I may never have an opportunity to experience.   Sad thoughts 
are just not something I needed at this point.  Having that little girl walk 
with me those 50 yards though did give me a brief feeling of how great it 
would feel to be a father.  Alone again it was time to finish what I had 
started many hours ago.  I had 8 miles of flat road to travel before 
finishing up in Cassoday.   I wasn’t charged full of energy like I have been 
in the past at mile 92 so I knew running the entire way in was improbable but 
I sure could attempt to run as much as possible.  I went about a mile and a 
half when I turned to look behind me to see if anyone was near and for the 
first time I saw two lights shining in the distance.  This was enough to put 
a charge in me and force me to go all out.  I was not only running I was 
running dam fast.  I could only maintain it for about 2 or 3 minutes at a 
time before stopping to walk.   When I walked I would look back and see if 
anyone was gaining on me.   The lights would appear and then disappear 
leading me to believe that when I was running I was pulling away from them 
but when I walked they regained whatever they lost.   I figured to stave them 
off I needed to maintain this until the finish.  There was no way I was going 
to let anyone get by me this late in the race.  I had a guy pass me at mile 
95 in Vermont in July and it wasn’t a feeling I was going to revisit on this 
day.   I’m sure my stalkers were in pursuit of me as each time I turned 
around my light shined in their direction.  If I could see their light than 
I’m sure they could see mine.  I pushed harder and harder each time I would 
run and then I would power walk for a while.  I knew I was getting close 
because I could hear the train moving along the tracks that was near the 
finish line.  In the distance I could see lights from the towers that were 
near the town.  It was just a matter of relentless forward motion and pushing 
as hard as I could.  I looked behind a couple of more times and saw no lights 
so I was confident I wasn’t going to have to bust my butt to keep my 4th place 
position.  As I made the right turn onto the main road with about ¼ mile to 
the finish all the sudden I saw two lights pop on about 200 yards behind me.  
I kicked it into full gear as I saw they did the same.  I had way too much of 
a lead and easily pulled away to finish in 4th place in 18:56:50.  The two 
guys behind me finished about a minute or so later tied for 5th.    I had a 
great time at a spectacular event.

Dave Bursler
Bear, Delaware