Rockin' K Race Report

View from atop one of the hills at Rockin' K

I ran the Rockin' K Trail Marathon over the weekend. I had always heard it was a tough race. And truth be told, it was tougher than I had imagined. First off, it isn't a marathon... it is actually slightly longer - closer to 28 mi than 26. Second, there are super steep hills (almost cliffs in the sense that one has to climb them rather than run up them) that require full attention and full effort to both climb and descend. Then there is freezing, murky/algae-laden, waist-deep water that must be crossed at three points during the run. And like any good water crossings, they are all preceded or followed by copious amounts of sand. So that by the time runners finish the distance, they are covered in dirt, slightly damp, completely wiped out, and... fully exhilarated by the totality of the experience. 

Another vista

I have never run a race (ultra or otherwise) that was as tough as the Rockin K. I also cannot recall running a race that gave back to the runners more than they put in in terms of self-satisfaction and tremendous scenery. The course has everything: wide open spaces, canyons, cliffs, rivers, bluffs, and hills - yes, lots and lots of long, steep hills. But again, every hill and valley rewarded runners with views that one wouldn't think one would encounter in Kansas. 

  

Running (trudging) up a bluff

The terrain underfoot was also varied, interesting, and challenging. We took off on asphalt, switched to miles of single track dirt, then came rock/limestone surface (very cool to run on), and then sand, mud, and water. The ground required a lot of vigilance. A couple of times I simply stopped to enjoy a vista - I had already seen a couple of tumbles from people who thought that they could look at the spectacular views while running. 

 I'm going to lose a couple of toenails from the run - due to toes being smashed against the front of my Salomons on the downslopes. But that is a small price to pay for a great experience.

And the weather! I think you can tell from the pictures just how perfect it was. The race began with temps in the low 30s F, and concluded in the 50s. It's Kansas, so there was a pant load of wind. But even that worked to make the race more interesting and challenging. There is nothing like standing atop a bluff and feeling wind whipping by to give one a sense of accomplishment.

The race was put on by the Kansas UltraRunners Society. The trails for the event don't really exist as a complete entity any other day of the year. The work that goes into planning and course marking must be astronomical.

Ultra-Man - Mike Miley at one of 3 water crossings

Another great thing about this type of race, as usual, is how supportive and friendly the ultra community can be. There were a lot of Lawrence Trail Hawks present. It was nice to run a race where I actually knew a good number of people - though I mainly ended up running alone, or with new friends I met along the way.

Lots of hills, water, rock and sand 

I'm getting a massage today (on the first Monday after the race). It should help me recover physically from the ravages of the Rockin K. Mentally, however, I'm toast. I think the race left me just crazy enough to want to do it all again next year.