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Flat Rock 50K 2000 Report: Gwen Heist

Sorry I have been so slow in getting this together-- it has been a very
hectic weekend for me as my grandmother also passed away Friday.  After
returning to StL from Kansas on Sunday afternoon, I had about 5 hours before
I had to catch a flight to attend the funeral on Monday.  So, here it is, in
a nutshell....
YEEEHHHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
Geez, it was fun...and miracles really do happen.
   For those of you who have never run the Rock, it is difficult to explain
the course.  You really have to experience this trail to truly appreciate it.
 While it is without question the most difficult trail course I (in my
limited experience) have ever run, it is also one of the races I most look
forward to running each year.  I have conquered the Rock for 4 consecutive
years--not always looking like I survived-- and still can not figure out what
it is that brings me back each year.  Maybe it's the people I look forward to
seeing each year-- the KUS crew is really great.  Maybe it's the challenge of
the course or the beauty of the trail.  Whatever the reason, if at all
possible and God willing, I will continue to make it an annual event.
   So what is Flat Rock like?  Well, there are rocks.  Some of the rocks are
flat.  Actually, there are rocks of every description awaiting you.  There
are solidly embedded rocks hiding in the tall prairie grass waiting to snag
the unsuspecting runner.  There are picturesque limestone bluffs where it
helps to be half mountain goat to get up and down them.  And here and there
exists truly runnable dirt trail-- but not too much lest you get too
complacent!  The trail motto is "if you look up, you're going down" and I've
definitely peeled myself off one or two rocks (and this year, a tree).  But,
if  you finish, you get a hot bowl of chili prepared by Master Chef Purple
Flurp and a piece o' the rock to take home.  (They also feed you the night
before, and this is when R.D> Eric Steele begins to let you in on what you've
gotten yourself into).
   The 2000 race started off looking good-- temps were in the 50's when the
40 or so runners including fellow SLUGS David White and Jim Huss lined up on
the road leading into the trail.  As last year, I wondered if they would
still be speaking to me afterwards-- it's just a little trail run in Kansas,
guys...
   At 7:30am the gun went off.  Two guys took and early lead with myself,
Theresa Wheeler, Mindy Wilson and three other guys in the chase pack.
Theresa set a blistering pace at the start and I was beginning to wonder if I
had mistakenly entered a 10K instead of a 50K....
   The first 6-7 miles passed pretty uneventfully-- Theresa maintained a hard
pace and my only goal was to hang on.  The first aid station came up really
quick-- about 5 minutes ahead of my projected schedule!  Theresa was going to
see what Mindy and I were made of, if she didn't kill us in the process.  We
all stayed pretty much together until the third aid station. Theresa began to
slow the pace a bit and I got cocky.  Seeing an opportunity to pass, I
started to overtake people, then blam!  Caught my foot on a rock and smack
into a big ole' tree at full speed.  That knocked some sense into me and I
slowed to a more reasonable pace until the next aid station.  There I made it
a point to get out ahead of the pack and began to open a very small lead over
Mindy and Theresa.
   Heading towards the halfway point is some really runnable dirt trail and
here I worked to make up some time.  I had been a little overly cautious on
the really rocky sections early on, not fully trusting my knee yet.  However,
a successful first half had given me new confidence.  I made a quick
turnaround and managed (unknown to me at the time) to get out ahead of the
two guys who had been leading up until that point.  Less than a minute out I
ran into Mindy and Theresa coming in and they looked good.  I figured I'd
better start hustling while I could!  It wasn't until I started running into
other people coming in to the station that I realized I was leading.  David
White told me my place and I really didn't figure it could last.  The sun was
climbing and it was starting to get warm and I really die in the heat.
   the second half of the race was run much slower than the first.  Hydration
became a major issue as the temps climbed into the mid-80's.  I kept
expecting to hear someone coming up behind me and every time I would hear the
leaves rustle I would turn to see who was there.  Fortunately for me,
everyone else was apparently slowing in the heat, too, because each time I
looked no one was there.
   The last four miles I knew it was going to be close if I was going to
accomplish one of my goals, which was to break the women's course record I
had set back in 1997.  Coming out of the woods (AT LAST!!!) I still had about
3/4 of a mile to go, and it was already 5:41 and change.  Plus, now the sun
was really up, it was hot, and there was only hot pavement ahead.  But, you
know how it is when you can see the finish line-- all of a sudden your legs
get energy they didn't have earlier.  I managed to push in at 5:49:48,
shaving only about 1 1/2 minutes off my previous best time there.  Mindy came
in probably not 5 minutes later-- a great 1-2 finish for the girls!!  Next
year, I bet the boys will be training!
   If you're looking for a fun 50K, not necessarily a PR and like a
challenge, I would encourage you to give Flat Rock a try.  The people are
great, the course is definitely not mundane, and it's a great way to spend a
weekend.  Hope to see some of you there next year.
   Gwen Heist