Pumpkins, Turtle Heads & Pickle Juice My Pumpkin Holler Race Report

For months I have been making baby steps forward in my recovery from a couple of injuries. And it has been that long since my last ultra. February and Rocky Raccoon to be exact. The comeback was intentionally slow and methodical. With plenty of work put in over the summer to begin building my base back up and a number of good runs and tune up races during training it was time for a big step forward. It was time to "get off the pot". In the last week I ponied up and put my name in the hat for the Pumpkin Holler 50k. This is the second year for this event near Tahlequah, OK. on the J. T. Nickel Preserve. Race day once again included the 50k, 100k and 100 mile options and this year a 25k was thrown into the mix.

The Bridge from Camp Eagle over the Illinois River to the Nickel Preserve (photo property of TATUR)

I really didn't have much of a taper. I did cut my mileage a bit over the last week but kept the intensity the same. And to complicate matters I started fencing lessons with my son the week before which included about 40 minutes of plyometrics (squats and lunges) three nights before the race. On Friday I actually found myself getting nervous. The idea was to use this much more as a long training run and not a focus race. But I have problems accepting that theory. I always have. I guess I'm too competitive. I had to remind myself that my longest training runs had been 16, 17, 20 and 22 miles and those were weeks ago. I also planned on incorporating a 25/5 plan of run/walk that I intend to use at Lookout Mountain.

The course is run mostly on rocky, dirt roads with a short asphalt section in the middle. There are plenty of rolling hills and a few bigger ones along the way. Fellow NWA Goat, David RTR Newman, was along for a go at the Holler. Always good company. Both of us were using this as training for the Lookout Mountain 50 miler due in December. So in the predawn darkness we found ourselves driving the back roads over to Oklahoma. I was fueled up well with a cup of oatmeal, some organic yogurt (with Udo's Oil) and a piece of toast with an egg and a smear of hummus. We arrived at Camp Eagle to join hundreds of others for a day of fun (and some cursing too) with friends, both old and new. Race day forecast was a low in the upper 30s and a high of 80 degrees. That last number had me worried. Thinking about it in my head, the smart thing to do would have been to go out very mellow and then if things felt good at the halfway point, turn it up a notch and see what happens.

A typical stretch of Pumpkin Holler (photo property of TATUR)

It was damn chilly as we removed layers and made final preparations. The sun peeked over the horizon just before the Trail Zombie began the race by smashing a pumpkin on the ground. And with that we were off and down the road. Three runners made a quick dash across the Illinois River and were out of sight in short order. I found myself in a rather large group settled in behind the leaders. It appeared that some folks were moving faster than they wanted in an attempt to warm up. I just wanted to find a more or less comfortable pace and keep it there. Since I despise having too much clothing while running I went with a singlet and shorts only. No gloves, long sleeves, jacket, trash bag, tights or what have you. And for the first few miles I was cold. I did have a pair of arm sleeves I was using. Much less for any protection from the cold but instead to have somewhere to carry my gel flasks since I like to have my hands free. And I don't like fuel belts either. I carried a 20 oz water bottle, 2 x 5 oz EFS Liquid Shots from First Endurance and a Vespa. That's it. No extra gels, electrolyte tablets or other fuel sources.

I skipped my first walk since I was still warming up. About 30 minutes down the road I was nestled in between two groups by myself when I heard footsteps behind me. Like right behind me. It was David. He normally doesn't run this pace so I had to ask. 

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Dude, I'm freaking cold. I'm gonna pay for this pace later on."

So we kept each other company until the first aid station. My plan was to be in and out quickly. No messing around, I want to make it a habit of being efficient. I already knew what I wanted there, water only in the bottle and if fresh fruit was on the table, grab a little. No cookies, PB&J, candy or chips. My plan worked. I was through the aid station in short order and passed a handful of folks that were slower making the transition. That pattern would last all day with one exception. I kept my Garmin on auto-pause and was only stopped for about 8 minutes total on the day. Not too bad. Over the next hour I slowly reeled runners in and passed them on the course or at aid stations. Several miles into the race there was a short out and back section. At the turn I was able to see that I was indeed in the top ten overall. I simply had to maintain it for 3+ more hours. I told myself, just kept moving steadily forward and don't waste time. From there on I would try to keep count of the runners around me. For midpack folks like me a chance at cracking the top ten doesn't come along every day. I wanted to do it. So much for a long training run. True story, Thursday night before the race I was driving home and saw a magnificent bluish shooting star in the western sky. I wished for a top ten finish.

Watch your step here (photo property of TATUR)

Shortly after that out and back the course turned into the wind and wound along mostly exposed road. The sun was in full effect and the temp was quickly rising along with it. I knew being steady on this long stretch would be important. By now the leaders were long gone and the group of us behind them found ourselves getting more and more stretched out. A guy in a green shirt and I had been within spitting distance of each other all morning so I introduced myself. His name is Matt and he lives near Tulsa. He had run the race last year and told me about a spectacular blow up due to going out too fast. He was determined not to make the same mistake this year. I suggested we keep each other honest for a while. So we did.

That's about right

I eventually pulled away as we hit one of the big hills. I got up it faster and true to fashion let my feet go coming down the other side. I picked up plenty of positions doing that throughout the day. I've been practicing my downhill speed all summer which was previously a liability for me. About two hours into the race and between aid stations I found a need for a pit stop. And not the easy water the dirt kind either. Mine would require "accessories" if you know what I mean. The leaves were too small around here. Does the term "turtle head" mean anything to you?

"Where in the hell is that next aid station?"

More Pumpkin Holler real estate (photo property of TATUR)

At mile 17 it appeared. And there wass Edward in his tie-dye shirt ready to help. Not with the turtle head issue but my water bottle. I passed my bottle to him and headed straight for the port-o-pot. Thanks for the help Edward, much appreciated. Back to the other issue, I think it was triplets. And for the record cheap toilet paper and sweaty butts do not mix well. I had no idea how many folks may have passed during my unplanned and extended break. It felt like I was in there for 10 minutes. I had heard runners coming through. I had no idea what the count was now. I sprinted to the table and grabbed a cup of soda and some banana. I saw some yellow fluid in a cup and saw Gatorade bottles. Gatorade sounded kinda good. I'll take that. Gulp! Uh oh, what the *@#$ was that? The gag reflex instantly kicked in but not before some of the pungent liquid made it's way down my gullet. The remainder ended up on the ground after being forcefully rejected. The nice lady manning the table looked disgusted. Pickle juice? Who the #!@% drinks that crap? Friendly suggestion, maybe we shouldn't have the pickle juice right next to the Gatorade?

No, it doesn't

Leaving the aid station I knew my hopes of going sub 5 hour were slim to non existent as the pickle juice and turtle head incident had sucked some life force from my soul. The next several miles which included the 4 miles of pavement were uneventful for the most part. The asphalt is a chance to make up some time but I didn't have it in me today. I finally caught up with the guy who had been in front of me for an hour at the table rock aid station. He looked beat. I picked his brain and asked the volunteers about the next couple of runners in front of us. It sounded as though I was in good shape for a top ten but I wanted to stay in front of this cat here just to make sure. I knew there were plenty of hills in the next stretch. Again, I told myself to keep steady and move forward. But I was starting to fight some demons. My feet and legs were beginning to ache and my stomach was going south. Not a surprise given the unseasonable temperature for the day. I could feel the first twinges of acid reflux kicking in. If I moved too fast my guts would tighten up. I moved well for a couple of more miles before the wheels began to wobble. Miles 24-29 were quite ugly. My pace really slowed down and my 25/5 plan which I had pretty much stuck to all day at times felt more like a  5/5 plan. Physically I was not 100% and mentally I was having issues as well.

I finally decided during mile 28 that perhaps an extended walk would help settle things down and allow some time to muster reserves for a push to the finish. I committed to it and began to walk with a purpose. I gave myself 8 minutes to work it out. Five minutes into it the guy from the last aid station passed me. I stuck to my 8 minute break. I watched him as he passed me and moved down the road. He was moving pretty good. Would I have enough to catch him once I began running again? Making up 2 minutes in two miles seemed like a tough task. My time was up and I began running again, the pace seemed OK. The guy in front of me was within sight. In my mind I attached the hook to him and began to reel him in. But it seemed too slow. Then he broke. He stopped running and began a slow walk. That was all I needed. I could smell the barn and picked it up. I made up the gap quickly and slapped him on the back as I passed. I tried to encourage him to pick it up, that we were almost done. He couldn't find the mojo in the moment though. I managed another 9 minute split as I crossed the river again and wound through the camp ground to the finish. As I approached I heard the voice of fellow NWA Goat, Shannon McFarland, over the PA giving me a shout out. I finished strong but wasn't sure about a top 10 yet.

Pumpkin Holler 50k elevation chart (Garmin 305)

It's always good to hear a familiar voice during a race. Jody McFarland gave me a couple of shouts during the race as she drove by along the course. At my first ultra nobody was more jacked up for my finish than Shannon was. Two weeks ago I paced him a short while during his podium finish at the Arkansas Traveler 100. High fives from him and RD Stormy Phillips as I crossed the finish line. After a quick check I found I finished in 9th place overall and a 30+ minute PR for the 50k distance. I have to be happy with that despite any mistakes I may have made. And just 10 minutes later David rolled in to claim 12th and 1st Old Guy. Get this, he PR'd by well over a full hour. He didn't have to pay the piper on this day. He's crafty. Stellar effort bro and I couldn't be more happy for my running buddy.

TATUR, as always, knows how to do ultra races. Thanks to Stormy, TZ, Brian, Edward and all the volunteers. Thanks to Camp Eagle for opening the facilities to us. The showers on site were very nice to have even if the water smelt like rotten eggs. All in all it was a good day. I have a solid feel for where I am at now and how much more work is needed for Lookout Mountain and a WS100 qualifier. Not that I would run WS100. I'm not stupid. 

By the numbers:

Time 5:21:27

9th place overall and 6th male

31.25 miles (Garmi 305)

Brooks Defyance 3 (road shoes)
2 Vespa
10 oz EFS Liquid Shot

1 turtle head

2 pieces of toilet paper stuck in my keester

.25 seconds, the amount of time to reject the pickle juice

3, the number of times we witnessed the yellow lab head pop above the river bank

1 dead possum

For more information on this race and all things TATUR visit their website here.

*Note: Immediately following my finish I downed a serving of Ultragen from First Endurance. It packs 320 calories and 20g of protein. I then made quick work of another protein drink that had 25g and about 300 calories. I am surprised at how good I felt the next day considering the effort I put in at the race. I had used Ultragen a few times while running in the Tetons this summer with good results there too. At this point I am sold on the stuff. 

OHT and Pumpkin Holler

Me (left) and Will (right) at the OHT trail head (S. McFarland)

Ozark Highlands Trail

Over the last couple of weeks I have had an opportunity to get out to a couple of spots for the first time. That's one of the aspects of trail running that I really enjoy. It's like being a kid again in many regards. Wondering what you will see over that rise in front of you or around the next turn. As the baby steps back continue and my legs slowly return I feel more comfortable venturing further out into the world again. 

First up was a section of the Ozarks Highlands Trail with fellow NWA Goats Shannon "Ewe Turn" McFarland and Will "Insert Nickname Here" Blanchard. Yeah, Will is yet to earn a proper one yet. The OHT is 165 miles of Ozark goodness stretching from Lake Ft. Smith to Woolum. There are some "new" sections extending that distance out to 218 miles but the standard course is accepted as the 165 mile "old trail". Somebody, who shall remain anonymous, had mentioned a possible go at the FKT currently held by Jenny Foster of 62 hours and 25 minutes. That's legit folks. 

So our plan was to make the short jaunt down to the new Lake Ft. Smith Park and have a go at the route over to White Rock Mountain. We met early and carpooled down. The new park is quite nice. Very different than what I remember seeing about 20 years ago while in college. Right on time we hit the trail head. I hadn't worn a full hydration pack in a long time and forgot how heavy 90 oz of water and all the fixings can be. Good news is that it only gets lighter, right? I saw it as incentive to eat and drink early and often. My plan was to down a gel every 20 minutes and see how that works for me. More on my pack and gel consumption later. The trail quickly drops close to the lake. Perhaps a little too close as we found ourselves off course and practically in the water within the first two miles. A quick uphill scamper through the brush and we were back on track. The first 12 miles were very runner friendly. Yes, it featured the usual collection of rocky Ozark trail with plenty of tree cover and lots of rolling hills. There was one good, warm up climb followed by a steep, technical downhill run before the long climb up. My legs were starting to get tired. I had settled in at the back of the pack just trying to hang in there as both Shannon and Will are younger and stronger than I am. Then we found ourselves off course again. After some recon we found the trail. This is about the time Will, while attempting to read the map and navigate the trail simultaneously, nearly impaled his "man bits" on a fallen tree limb. All I heard was a panicked scream and somebody else laughing behind me. I will save that story for him to tell. And it quickly became an adventure after that. 

Lake Ft Smith (Michael Goad)

If I had paid attention I would have noticed that the further we got from the park the less maintained the trail appeared. Well, it eventually becomes an un-maintained trail. Tall grass, bush, brush, briars and lots of downed trees. At points so thick that we were slowed to a walk. And by that I mean more or less the last 5 miles. You simply couldn't see where you were placing your feet. The briars scratched at my legs, hands and arms. And did I mention the poison ivy? Right. We ran through sections of trail thick with the stuff. Both at ankle level and growing on the trees. I could only hope that I had enough sweat on my body to wash it off. Will mentioned the ice storm a couple of years back had really damaged the canopy and allowed the underbrush to explode. Mix in the exceptional drought over the last two years that limited prescribed burns and we are left with a trail that is severely overgrown in places. The final few miles that included the climb up to the top of White Rock (elevation 2,320 ft) were not enjoyable. I was tired, hot and acting like a Diva. I put it into overdrive and powered (as best I could) to the top. I simply wanted it to be over. I wanted to sit down in the shade. At the last trail intersection I stopped and waited for Shannon and Will and we made the final push together. I haven't been as happy to see a road in quite some time.
There is a caretaker that lives at the top of the park in an old house. There is also a lodge and three small cabins (all available to rent). On the porch of this house is a little slice of heaven. Several hummingbird feeders hang in the sun. I have never witnessed a hummingbird orgy until that day. Dozens of the little rockets buzzing in and out created this pitched frenzy and yet a soothing sound. On one side of the front door is a mini freezer packed with ice and ice cream and popsicles. On the other side of the porch is a mini fridge stocked with candy bars, sodas and sports drinks. All icy cold. It is an honor system. You take something you leave a buck in the jar. Will, always the gentleman, dropped $10 in for us and we got busy. I saw a Yoo Hoo get devoured. I worked a Dr. Pepper over pretty hard myself. Then I grabbed a nearly frozen Gatorade and headed over to a trailer under some oak trees to relax. I removed my shoes, sat back and enjoyed not moving. Eventually we all found our way over to the SSS. That's the "Super Scenic Spot". The short Rim Trail around the top features a number of vista views of the surrounding valley and other Boston Mountain Range peaks. We sat and watched a lone climber work his way up a small cliff face. Not a bad way to end the run. 

The prize at the top www.whiterockmountain.com/

But wait, what is that? That tiny, almost microscopic thing on my leg. Is that a seed tick? Holy $#^%! There were hundreds of them. From my ankles up to my knees. Back to the little house I go in search of a hose. I scrubbed my legs with my dirty socks in hopes of removing as many of the tiny blood sucking critters as possible. I already new that by Tuesday my legs would likely look like a bad science experiment. Now I was positive. And they did. Still kinda do a week later. I had numerous scratches, some nice patches of poison ivy and too many chigger bites to count. I had them all around my ankles, on top of my feet, between toes, my calves, thighs, behind my knees, my waist, my junk, a few on my back and shoulders, in my armpits and even in my belly button. You hear that Ryan? 

Back to the house where a shuttle service is offered for $1 per mile (per person). We jumped in the jeep and headed back to Lake Ft. Smith. Just seconds into our return trip we saw the biggest, fattest, most angry rattlesnake in the road. Better there than on the trail I say. And apparently this was a magic jeep that allowed the driver to navigate faster on gravel roads than on asphalt. Who knew?

The hydration pack I used was the Salomon XA10+3. It functioned OK but I found it difficult to reach the pockets for fueling. The UltrAspire I got to demo in the Tetons was much more comfortable and practical. The Salomon is now for sale. The gel every 20 minutes worked OK. It seems like overkill to some extent and I found it a challenge to stay on track. I did go through one pack of Chomps in place of gels in the middle. And I only drank water, no electrolytes other than a couple of S! Caps along the way. 

In the end, this was one of those runs that allows one to take stock of things in terms of toughness. Am I able to put my head down and power through something that is uncomfortable? Check. Even if I acted like Roseann there for a bit. I got the job done. 

By the numbers: 

17.5 miles 

6,117 feet of elevation change

3,743 ascent 2,374 descent

208 chigger bites

87 hummingbirds

1 very mad 4 ft rattlesnake

1 steroid shot

Pumpkin Holler

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending an organized and supported TATUR training run at the JT Nickel Nature Preserve (aka Pumpkin Holler) outside Tahlequah. Fellow NWA Goat and good buddy, David Newman, extended the invitation. It was a short 1 hour drive to the meeting spot. This coming October will mark the second annual Pumpkin Holler 100 and an always friendly group of TATURs (led by Stormy and TZ) were headed out for some fun in the dirt. The preserve is made up of about 17,000 donated and scenic acres along the Illinois River. It is the largest privately protected area in the Ozarks. Race day will feature a 100 miler, 100k, 50k and 25k options. David is already in for the 100k while I am debating between the 50 and 100k. Likely the former and not the later yet.

The TOTs and Goats at Pumpkin Holler (S. Phillips)

After a short briefing and photo op the groups were set and ready to roll. In the photo above Edward is on the left looking at the ground, David is back row (right) in orange sleeveless shirt, that is me next to him (shirtless but rocking the Rush Running cap) and the Trail Zombie is in front of me in the black shirt.
TZ would lead a group on a 6 mile jaunt while Stormy and Edward would support those of use opting for the longer 20 mile loop. The course is mostly maintained dirt roads (very little traffic) with a couple miles of asphalt towards the middle. We would be covering about half the race course loop before turning back on the road that bisects the preserve to return to the Nature Center. I took my hand helds and my plan was a gel every 20 minutes and water. I did have a small supply of electrolyte capsules. The first 6 miles went by easy enough (mostly a gentle descent) and by then we had seen the support truck twice. They had various trail grub in a tub, plenty of water to pass out and good tunes. Right at the 10k mark we hit truck and the asphalt. Edward commented something about "a fella could really make up some time on this 3 mile section of road during the race if he wanted to" or something to that effect. The seed was planted. Why not? After topping off the hand helds I dropped down to half marathon pace. The road section is rolling hills and, naturally, quite runnable. As I hit the dirt again at the table rock stream crossing the truck was set up and waiting. Somewhere along that 3 miles of road I entered race mode. I treated this stop as a race day aid station, quickly filling my bottles and heading out without little banter. I found myself now in the lead. Training run? Naw. Let's see what these ol' legs have in them today. Maybe show those young whippersnappers a thing or two. 

Shortly after leaving there the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. The dirt roads quickly turned to running creeks but it felt great. I was ticking off some solid splits before the turn back to the Center but two guys were right behind me. I thought if they wanna catch me they're gonna have to work for it. I just wanted to stay steady on my pace, push the climbs and let my feet go on the descents. By the time I hit the turn at mile 15 I didn't see anybody behind me. And my legs we hurting. I made the turn and scanned the road behind me for any signs of life. Nothing. I knew a hill was coming up but didn't know how long or steep it was. Something told me to respect it though. I slowed the pace just a touch to collect my mojo. The hill looked long and rather steep. Like a slightly larger and more technical version of Crystal Bridges. Since I couldn't see the top I went into power hike mode. I began covering the tangents to reduce distance and the chance of anybody trying to catch me the chance of getting a peek and any incentive. Pathetic how I turned a training run into my own personal race. That's how my mind works though. I wanted to test myself. To push the envelope and be able to take inventory of my mental and physical conditioning. 

I got to the top and felt OK. It was quite scenic up top and the truck had just passed me again. Did that mean someone was catching me? Either way I knew that I would have one last chance to top off the bottles. The toughest part of the hill was about a half a mile long before it began to level out and I started moving more quickly again. By the time I met Stormy and Edward at the truck the sun broke out, the breeze died and I began to feel spent. My stomach, was had slowly headed South was now on an Express. I began to fight the urge to purge. 5k left, just up a small rise, a section of flat road and then the descent to the Center. It would be a tough go for me until I hit the far side of the hill. More glances over my shoulder. As soon as I caught a glimpse of that green metal roof I knew I was good to go. I cruised in to finish my run with a solid time. I sought shelter in the shade and promptly got off my feet. I was hot. Damn hot. And I had dumped my bottles before the final two miles. Bad move as I now had no water. About 15 minutes later another runner made it in, followed by another and then a sag wagon and so forth. I got back up and out to the driveway to cheer on the other finishers.
Someone was nice enough to offer up some Tums for me. That and some cool water helped. As did changing out of the wet shorts, socks and shoes. No blisters, chaffing or even hotspots. I had taken the time before suiting up to liberally apply a coating of Slather by Skin Strong to my feet and toes. It worked. As did the Belaga socks. I had also made a good choice by running sans shirt to avoid the inevitable bloody man-nipple on a humid, warm day. I had kept up with the 20 minute gel routine but it was tough the last hour. I'm not sure if that is gonna work for me. Perhaps if I took in some more "regular" offerings in the first hour or two that might help keep the GI track happier towards the end. And I'm gonna try some antacids before starting too. I'll experiment with that. After getting to my cooler I downed an 8 oz protein shake and again fought the urge to barf. I lost. But only by a little. It was one of those burps with a little vomit mixed in. Before I realized it, simply by reaction, I had swallowed it back down. David just spit his "vurp" out on the ground. He had a sour stomach too. Maybe it was the high humidity and warm temps? I ran in a pair of older Brooks Defyance road shoes. Trail shoes are definitely an option for running out here. Nothing technical or even rocky out here. The race course does not include the hill we ran. It continues around the Preserve before hitting the Nature Center from the other side. 

A big shout out to Stormy, Edward and TZ for taking time out of their lives to support a band of ruffians out in the middle of nowhere running around in the rain and mud. For more info on the upcoming TATUR Pumpkin Holler races click here.It could be quite beautiful that time of year for a run in the woods. 

By the numbers:

20 miles

2,331 feet of elevation change

1,177 feet of vertical gain

1,154 feet of descent

12 TATURS and 2 Goats

8 gels

3 inches of rain

2 peacocks

1 very mangy coyote