Leanhorse is a gem of a race tucked away in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. You have the choice of a 50K, 50-mile or a 100-mile course. Whether you are an experienced ultra runner or someone who is ready to take the step to the next level, one of these races needs to be on your list for 2010.

The 50K and 50 mile course both start and end at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs SD while participants in the 50K are bused to the their start. This was a change for 2009 to allow them an opportunity to do the majority of their miles on the Mickelson Trail before running the final miles on the hills of the Argyle Road and in the city.

For the 50 and 100, race can be broken into three distinct segments. The first miles wind through the city of Hot Springs, into a wide meadow before emptying onto Argyle Road at mile. Argyle is a series of rolling hills on a wide dirt road with almost no traffic. At mile 16 you exit Argyle and the remainder of the run is on the Mickelson Trail. The trail is wide and has an extremely good running surface of very small gravel. The trail is a railroad bed so while there are some climbs, the grade change if gradual and very runable. You continue out 34 miles and the trail then run back to Mueller Center.

I will repeat myself; Leanhorse should be on your list for 2010. Jerry Dunn does an extremely good job organizing and directing the race. This is my fourth year at Leanhorse and I have yet to be aware of any problems with organization, aid or the course. There is a fully stocked aid station approximately every five miles. The volunteers at the stations do a wonderful job. The town of Hot Springs is very supportive. Like last year the prerace dinner is hamburgers, sausage, beans, chips and cookies prepared by local civic groups. Unlike last year there were wonderful bowls of homemade salads and other dishes that added a lot to the meal. There is more food at the finish and also the opportunity to get a professional massage. Another nice touch is a two-day full service expo that provides access to lots of hard to find accessories and a place to purchase last minute or forgotten items. If all that were not enough, Jerry also has the help of his beautiful wife Elaine who is also a very experienced runner and the race director of the Leading Ladies Marathon. (Jerry’s other race is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon held in early June and would be a great training run for Leanhorse.

My personal experience this year was vastly different from my previous finishes. This year proved that no matter how experienced you are you can still make errors in judgment. It was warm this year and although I love the heat, recently it has begun to bother me. I knew this and was extremely conservative right from the start. I ran early on in the cool of the morning, but backed off as the temperature rose. I did well. Drank a lot. Ate enough. Had clear urine. Stopped at all aid stations to put ice in my cap and soak my shirt. I felt great and knew that the cool of the evening would let me make up time.

At about mile 40, just as you pass the Crazy Horse Monument, you begin an almost 10 mile downhill section to the 50 mile turn around. That coincided with the sun going under the horizon and when the sun left I saw my chance to make up lost ground. I ran a good pace for most of those 10 miles. Unfortunately, even though it felt cooler it was still warm. I went by the final aid station at 49.5 miles, made the turn around and back to that station at 50.5 miles. At that point I should have sat down, cooled, hydrated, eaten and gathered myself for the night.

I felt great and saw this as the time to do some steady running and have a good finish. 13.5 hours down, over half finished and I had 16.5 hours if I needed them. So off I went. The next aid station is at mile 55 but at mile 54 I realized that I did not feel so good and as I reached for one of my water bottles, I realized that both were still full which was not a good sign. By the time I got to 55 I was not feeling well at all. I sat, put my head in my hands, saw stars, felt nauseated, fought that, gave in to that, nothing there, dry heaves, tried to stand and could not walk, shivering.

So looking back I should have regrouped at 50 and even at 55. I could have taken an hour, hydrated, fueled and had a nice conservative finish. Maybe not 25 hours like two years ago, maybe not 27 like last year, maybe probably 29 and still a solid finish, but as the saying goes, fatigue makes cowards of us all. The little voice on one shoulder said you can’t finish, you might die on the trail, you are sick, you have no fuel, you are severely dehydrated, you can’t do 45 more miles, just get in the car like a sane person and go to the hotel, take a hot shower and crawl into bed. The voice on the other shoulder did not say a word. Ken is right. It haunts you when you quit. When you are weak and give up.

So I learned some things. I learned even with a lot of experience you can still make big mistakes. You can forget how it feels to walk away. I learned that I am not 25 years old and I need to leave a little of my competitiveness behind. I need to know that a finish is a win. I need to be smarter. AND I need to take the pledge. IF I AM IN A RACE I WILL QUIT FOR ONLY TWO REASONS. I WILL QUIT IF I AM FORCED OUT BY NOT MAKING A CUTOFF AND I WILL POSSIBLY QUIT IF I AM IN NEED OF PARAMEDICS. Otherwise, I will rest, sleep, eat and generally do what it takes to regroup and move on.

See you at the finish in 2010.

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