Subject: 2004 Arkansas Traveller report-very long From: "Jim Stroup" Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 18:34:42 -0500 Hello friends! After resting for almost two years from my first 100 mile foot race and having had an excellent running year up to this point, I decided to screw it up by trying another 100. Unable to decide between The Arkansas Traveller or The Heartland 100, James-pacer extraordinary- Mercer made my decision for me by offering to pace me for the last 32 miles of A.T. James has already finished A.T. twice, once a tenth place finish, so I knew that he was giving me an offer that I couldn't refuse. The deal was this: James and his wife Vicky would meet Judy and me at Camp Ouachita, Arkansas, on Saturday morning for the start of the race. Judy, James and Vicky would crew (meet me at several aid stations along the race course with food, drink, changes of clothing etc.) and James would begin pacing (run with me and listen to me whine and complain and tell me when I was doing something that was life threatening) at mile 68 and run in the last 32 miles. Friday October 1st. Judy and I drove to Morrilton, Arkansas and checked in to our room at the Super 8 Motel. We chose this place not only because it was the closest to the starting line but equally important, IT HAS A WAFFLE HOUSE ON THE SAME PARKING LOT! Where else can you get bacon, eggs, waffles and grits at 4 A.M. before a 100 mile race? Like James' pacing, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. After driving 23 miles to Camp Ouachita, we arrived at the pre-race briefing. Race Directors Stan and Chrissy Ferguson gave us information about the race. We would be weighed three times. If we were too much over or under our pre-race weight we could be pulled out and disqualified for health reasons. If we dropped out of the race on our own we had to have our plastic I.D. bracelet cut off by a race official to prevent being charged for causing a search and rescue to locate our sorry butt. Since Saturday was the first day of bow Deer hunting season we were to be respectful of any hunters that we encountered lest they *entertain* us with their four wheelers like they did after dark last year. Alcohol makes people act differnt doncha know? Specially in the woods.....at night..... After all of these words of encouragement we were treated to an excellent pre-race pasta dinner with all the fixin's. Everything was cooked on site outdoors by part of the -230- volunteers that join together to provide this event. More workers than runners! Southern Hospitality at it's finest!! Saturday morning 4 A.M. Waffle House, Morrilton, Arkansas. Since this is a remote area of Arkansas they are a little deprived. They have no White Castle Hamburger restaurant so the Friday night drunks go to......Waffle House! It was entertaining to watch the couples swaying out the door as we arrived Judy and I were joined for breakfast by SLUGs Joe and Allison Kallo and their friend Steve. After an enormous breakfast of unhealthy food we headed for the starting line. Camp Ouachita 6:00 A.M. James and Vicky managed to find us in the pre-dawn darkness and wish me well with hugs and handshakes. 130 runners gather on the road and with a shotgun blast we are off. Wish I would have know they were going to do THAT! As we head down the road with flashlights bouncing balls of light ahead everyone is happy and chatty, glad to finally be able to release some of the energy that has been being stored for weeks as we cut back our training and mileage. Soon we turn off of the blacktop and on to the first section of gravel road. The sky is beautiful. Crystal clear. There are a lot more stars in Arkansas than St. Louis but it sure is dark if you look of to the side of the road! After five miles we arrive at the first of 25 aid stations, Browns Creek, manned by local SLUGs Bob and Rosemary Marston and their helpers. I got my bottle refilled and head out. Then I smelled the fried bacon! Oh my, did THAT smell good? Rob Hills later told me it tasted good too. He ate seven slices!! This ultramarathon was going to be truly different. Bacon and pancakes at the first aid station. Wow! Unfortunately for me, I was planning on providing most of my own food/fuel in the way of Hammer Gel energy gel and Genesoy bars. I had used these in training and racing leading up to A.T. and the combination had worked well. No hurling or trips to the bushes. Tummies can get finicky when trying to eat and run at the same time. I would have to wait until the slower second half of the race to sample the "good stuff". Until them it was alternately bite of bar, swig of Hammer Gel, and a sip of whatever drink I had in my bottle at the moment. My race went on pretty much like this all day until I was joined by James at "the turn around" aid station. Run and walk from aid station to aid station following the well marked course. Shortly after James and I left "turn around" at 58 miles the sun quickly set and it was completely dark once again. Being out alone in a huge national forest in the dark following the occasional glow stick could give a person's mind the opportunity to think scary thoughts. The only time we were treated to that was the two times the coyotes howled in the distance but James reminded me that the coyotes that were close to us would remain quiet because they were afraid of us and our flashlights....... The Traveller website is full of helpful information. I used much of it to map a strategy for the race. For my crew I estimated where I would be at what time and what I was likely to need in the way of the supplies that I had packed in my van in neat, clearly marked plastic boxes. Judy, James and Vicky did their part like the pros they are by getting those supplies to me on time even though they had to navigate confusingly marked back roads traveling much farther than I did on foot. With the exception of a short section of the Ouachita Trail the whole race take place on "roads" but a quote attributed to the infamous Glen Zirbel, "The trails in Iowa are better than the roads in Arkansas." Having now run both I would have to agree. The race directors have graded the running surface into 6 classifications 1 through 6. Three classes for the gravel roads alone! And then there is the "Old Road" classification that I think was built as a first attempt the cave men. My feet and legs never got stiff from running for long periods of time with the same stride like sometimes happens in a flat road marathon. No sir. Those poor things got battered from every shape, size and kind of rock on the face of the Earth! And the true gravel road sections that were easier to run on? They were either up or down. Very little flat stuff to get bored with. Did I mention dusty? Every time a car or truck would pass it was an automatic walk break for this old asthmatic while he pulled his shirt up over his breathing orifices until the dust settled. All in all this course is a worthy test of a person's fitness, determination and luck. Many people who never get blisters were forced to drop out because of them. Others managed a heroic finish in spite of them. James and I continued to run/walk through rocky areas and up steep inclines and fly down the downhills. We never got lost due to his knowledge of the course and the excellent marking by the race staff. James never smacked me even when I asked him over and over "Are we there yet? How much further to the next aid station? Will I still finish under 24 hours and get that beautiful gold plated belt buckle?" Finally there were no more aid stations. Only 6.3 miles to go and the gravel road surface was smooth. Up and down left turn right turn and then PAVEMENT! One last climb and a turn into the finish line. As I ran down the hill I thanked James for all he did for me. Music started playing, a photographer snapped my picture and a mysterious voice came over the p.a. saying "Congratulations. You just finished the Arkansas Traveller 100" As I welled up with emotion, Stan Ferguson, the Co-Race Director shook my hand. At 5:28 A.M. on the second day this guy was at the finish line to shake my hand!! Judy and Vicky were standing there wrapped in sleeping bags trying to stay warm and had been like that for hours just to see me finish. Jeez! I felt like a Kenyan or something!! In conclusion I have to say that I think I had the easiest day of all. I didn't have to plan for a year to put this race on for others. I didn't have to drive back roads in the dark to wait for some smelly runner to show up eventually. I didn't have to use my time and truck to haul several loads of trash. I didn't stand out in the cold preparing food and cleaning up afterward. All I had to do was run and make a great memory that will last a lifetime. Thank you to all of you that made it possible. I REALLY appreciate it. Jim Stroup jstroup01@charter.net St. Louis Ultrarunners Group To see pictures from A.T. click on http://www.pbase.com/jimslug98/arkansas_traveller_100