Suffering & Happy

By Rae Hedlund

When you see people simultaneously suffering and happy, you begin to wonder what you’re missing out on. At least, that’s how it was for me. When I first began running, I thought the marathon  was the ultimate race, a distance that seemed out of my reach; unattainable, but a worthy aspiration.

Then I began hearing about races much longer than that. I read Born to Run and realized the world of running was much more vast than I had imagined. Again, it all seemed unattainable. When I joined DRC, I was about to begin training for my first marathon, which was exciting and nerve-wracking! As I began meeting other DRCers, it was amazing to see how confident they they were in my abilities! It was reassuring in a way. During this training, I tried to figure out what kind of “fuel” worked for me: Gu, Honey Stingers, Nuun, etc. I thought I had it down, though those things bothered my stomach at times.

Well, as I’ve previously written, my marathon happened. If you want to read about it, check it out here. About a month after this, I accompanied Meghan to her first 50-mile. It was a distance I knew she could run and I was excited to see her crush it! Watching her and all the others run that distance made me wonder what it was like: they looked exhausted when they were done, but nearly all of them were smiling! What?!

Let me pause here to say, I began my running journey when Maverick was six weeks old. My goal was to run a half-marathon before he turned one, which I completed. Since the next distance (the marathon) started with a two, I figured I should run one of those before he turned two! So this crazy goal perpetuated into this year, the year my son turns three. This is why I signed up for Ozark Foothills.

By this time in my running journey, I had met some incredible distance runners, many of whom willingly shared their advice and wisdom with me. From these people, I learned how to take uphills and downhills, that it’s okay to walk/hike, that eating real food was okay, and even found a drink that I loved! A little bit of everything. It took some time to figure out what foods my stomach liked, but it was worth the trial and error process!

As my race drew near, DRC had the pleasure of going to the Skunk Run. Stacey and I ran together for 27 miles, my longest run at that time; her encouragement and advice along the way helped me feel more confident in my ability to complete my 50k. Then, about two weeks before my race, our house was hit with a second round of a stomach bug! That whole week, I struggled through sickness, worrying about missing that week of running before my taper. Panic ensued. Friends talked me back down. I got back into running and found that the forced rest had made my legs feel awesome! Okay. Another boost of confidence: I was as ready as I could be!

The morning of the race arrived and I was grateful to ride there with Shelly and Molly. The first loop went much better than I expected, even with a small “detour” of about a half-mile. I was able to see friends along the route (at the aid stations mainly), and coming in from the first loop was exciting! With help from Meghan, Andy, and a few (awesome) others, I was back out on the trail as quickly as possible. Let’s just say the second loop was much slower than the first, but I really enjoyed (most) of it; I never doubted that I would finish. The aid stations kept me going with oranges, fig bars, and Coke (which I never drink but craved that day!).

Yeah that's a smile during the race! It helped that I knew the photographer, so seeing him was a treat as I ran! Credit: Denzil Jennings

That second loop was a struggle. There were points where my legs felt like they weren’t moving. The climbs were rough, the downhills more challenging than I was used to, and I was just plain tired. But I kept going. I kept going because I was, weirdly, having a great time. I was driven, determined to get to the finish line in the best time my body could manage. And I did!

After the finish, this was my "Meghan, I swear I can do this myself!" face.

My “burst” of energy for the home stretch was probably much more of a limp, and I’m pretty sure I fell into Meghan’s arms (sorry for the sweatiness, Meg!). Meghan helped take off my pack, Andy got me a chair and helped me get my shoes off and got me a beer, and Stacey kept snapping pictures. It was amazing having friends there at the end, it really felt like I was celebrating the accomplishment! In the end, I know I suffered and was deep down in that suffering. But I was happy, so incredibly floored at what I had done. I’m still floating on air a bit and can’t wait to see what comes next.

My "sprint" to the finish!

"I think I'm losing a toe nail!"

One of my favorite pictures. Meghan said, "You did it!"

Getting to cheer on other runners as they finished was so awesome!

Race (Review) to the Rocker

By Jill Berron

I had been hearing fellow DRC members talk about what a great run Race to the Rocker was, so I was really excited to sign up for it this year. It’s a unique race, a point-to-point course with easy, rolling hills that runs down Old Route 66 (they close the highway for the race) from downtown Cuba to the World’s Largest Rocker in Fanning. The timing was perfect—it fell right in the middle of my half marathon training, so I knew I would be prepared for the distance and it would be a great opportunity to scale back my long run mileage for an “easier” weekend. I had several goals for the day. My overall goal was to stay under 40 minutes (10:00 pace). My next goal was 38:30 (9:30 pace) and my ultimate never-gonna-happen goal was 36:00 (9:00 pace).

The morning was absolutely gorgeous, although a bit cool before the race began. I got to Cuba early so I would have plenty of time to find parking and relax. I picked up my race packet and got assigned bib # 911. The lady who gave it to me thought that would be a good omen (spoiler:  it turned out to be!). After meeting up with fellow DRCers and taking a few pictures, we made our way to the starting line. We lined up at the front of the second group (non-competitive runners), which turned out to be a mistake.

As the race got started, there was a lot of traffic to fight through: kids who sprinted the first few hundred yards, then stopped, groups running three or four wide across the highway, walkers, etc. I spent the first half mile weaving in and out of traffic trying to find an open space where I could get into a comfortable pace. Finally, I caught up to Tracie and got into my groove. I checked my time at the first mile marker: 10:06.  OK, but not great. I was going to have to kick it up a little to meet my goal.  

Around 1.5 miles, I was starting to get loose and feel good. I finished mile 2 in 9:11, which is fast for me! I didn’t want to burn out, so I just started picking out runners ahead of me and trying to gradually catch up with them. There were spectators along the route, both people who had parked along the road to watch and people who were sitting in their driveways watching. They were awesome cheerleaders!  

When I hit the third mile marker, I couldn’t believe it: I had run an 8:54 mile! I think I ran a sub-9 mile one time in middle school almost 20 years ago. I was feeling fantastic, so I picked up the pace a little bit.  There was a lady in her driveway cheering people on, telling us we were almost there. She said the finish line was just around the corner and when I hit the ¼ mile sign, I gave it everything I had. I crossed the finish line in 36:44, and my last mile was 8:33, my fastest ever! I was so pumped! It was such an amazing feeling!  

I joined Mackenzie and her mom at the finish line and we cheered on the rest of the DRC members as the crossed. DRC had a stellar day: I think almost all (if not all) of our members who raced that day PR’d or tied their PR.

Here is Amy Crow’s experience from the day: My Race to the Rocker experience this year was great! Not only did I have my fastest overall pace ever, but I beat last year's time by over five minutes. I was thrilled with my results. I know it's because of those Union hills! I never ran hills before I started running with the DRC, but now I'm convinced hills are the key to gaining strength and speed (at least in my case).

I can’t wait until next year!

Want to get to know Jill better? Check out her Runfie Questions!

What brought you to DRC? I saw a friend posting to DRC on Facebook (before the group was public) and I needed some motivation and accountability. I was really just getting started and wanted a place to ask questions and learn a little bit.

How long have you been a runner? After a few failed attempts to start, I've been running consistently for about 2 1/2 years.

What is your favorite running quote? I have two favorite running quotes! "It's very hard to understand in the beginning that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit." -George Sheehan

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -John Bingham

When Running Becomes Something More

A Skunk Run Write-Up by Rae Hedlund

We all started our running journeys somewhere, whether it was in school on the track or later in life; for a health-related reason, or just for fun; to lose something or to gain something. These journeys have as many uphills and downhills just as the runs we set out to conquer.  The thing is, running can stop here. Running can become a habit that we enjoy, something social to add to our days that also improves our lives. And that’s wonderful!

Running can stop here, or it can become something more. It can become your passion, the fire that pushes you to do more. It can become the thing that makes you dig deep and discover not only what your body can accomplish, but also what your mind and spirit can endure. You’ll find yourself asking, What’s next? What more can I do? The word “can’t” will fade from your dictionary.

A while back, I wrote my marathon race report that went something like, “That was really f*ing hard!” I am still proud of that accomplishment, but I need to be honest and say that I spent some time afterward doubting my abilities. I hadn’t gotten the time I’d hoped for, had bonked for more miles that I expected, and wasn’t sure if I’d ever run another. Trail running clicked with me through this doubt, and though I was still unsure about certain aspects of running, I knew I still loved the sport.

When the Skunk Run (hosted by the wonderful Idiot’s Running Club) was brought up, I was in! Eight hours to run as much (or as little) as I wanted sounded great! Little did we know, the running conditions would be unexpectedly... damp.

Stacey at one of the numerous creek crossings... okay, okay, skunk & alligator NOT included!

Okay, it was pretty saturated. But you know what? It was incredible! The atmosphere was more that of a party where people also happened to run: there was a massive “aid station” complete with a delicious array of sweet and savory options, a fire pit, and tons of fun people to hang out with and cheer for.

Oh, it was a beautiful sight to behold!

After the national anthem was sung by a very talented young lady, the word “GO!” was yelled and people got on their way. My goal for the day was anywhere from 16-20 miles, just because I didn’t know what the trail conditions would be like, or what terrain to expect. Those first 11 miles were tough, and I was ravenous when we got back from the challenging climbs, fast-moving creek crossings, and rocky, muddy downhills.

Focus, determination, HUNGER.

Arriving back at “base” after the first loop, Stacey and I took a little time to get drinks and some food. Oddly enough, I felt a little concern about grabbing food and heading back out; though I knew I wanted more miles, I didn’t know what food would sit best in my stomach. Some peanut butter sandwiches called my name, though, so I scarfed down half a sandwich and an orange slice. We headed back out to brave another long, laborious loop. We weren’t too far in before I had a little grunting and complaining to do.  Stacey reminded me that we had about five hours to do this loop- in her words, “We could sit and have a freaking picnic if we want!” We had all the time in the world! Later on, she reminded me that none of the DRCers attending had specifically trained for this run; we were just out here, logging major miles, un-tapered, after our regular week of running (which included a six-mile hill workout for some)! With that thought, my level of awe went up and my complaining went down. I was humbled by this thought, but also floored—completely ecstatic!—about our abilities as runners!

During the second loop, Stacey pointed out we would be at 23 miles, and that just didn’t seem right. 26.2, right? But why not 27, to get me my first “ultra”?! We had time, right? Yes, we did! I wasn’t sure, and took my time thinking about it until we got back to base. At this time, I informed Stacey that we “might as well” head back out to get those last few miles! She was so excited and I was, too! A little ways into this, she realized I was in for 27, and then we were more excited!

Running into Andrea and Mackenzie was a special gift as we headed into this last part of our endeavor. There was some screaming and excitement before we took our selfie and continued on our way.

Running into each other gave new life to tired legs!

We kept hoping we’d run into Meghan as well, but didn’t know where she was at on the course, or in her mileage. To our pleasant surprise (after coming across one woman we thought was Meghan but wasn’t), we found her! We didn’t stay with her for long, but she had PR’d her 50k time- what awesome news! We told her I was getting my first ultra-distance, got all psyched up again, and we continued on our way. Hitting our distance we needed to turn around and head back, we enjoyed the sound of some peeper frogs as we took another pic...

And the my watch died! It was incredible that it waited until we were on our way back before it died, so we knew we would get those 27 glorious, well-earned miles! It felt like we were flying on the way back (mostly because it was more downhill than up), and we made it to base feeling way better than I would have ever expected! It was done! I received my medal and began happily stuffing my face.

Finished! Stacey was incredible, her kind encouragement and foul mouth kept me going! Ha!

I received my medal and was dubbed an Idiot-- hooray!

 Stacey, however, had more in her! She headed out for a mile with Mackenzie, who ended up with a whopping 22 miles, and then back out again with Meghan! Stacey finished out with 29 incredible miles, Meghan with a whopping 38.33 for the course record! All the while, Frank was patiently running his own loop to get his longest distance of 32 miles. Dan, who had run with Stacey and I for a while, crushed his distance PR of 11, getting a whole 23 miles! Kristin went in for 12 and ended up with an amazing 16! Andrea, who snuck in and ran with Mackenzie, got 16 in the 4.5 hours she was with us!

These numbers are huge accomplishments for everyone, and I really believe that there is something in the DRC “water” that lends itself to an encouraging, uplifting environment that helps us all to push past what our perceived boundaries are. On Saturday, March 14, eight members of DRC lost the word “can’t”, at least for a day, and thought, “What more can I do?” Running became something more; it became what we did for the day, what we loved doing in the company of others or on our own, reveling in the beauty of nature and a community of runners kinder and more energetic than anyone could ever ask for.