Rod Jetton- 1 Insane Trail Race- Finishing Award

I forgot to show the cedar medallion we revived for finishing.  It says survivor and that is exactly how I felt. 

Thanks and take care,

Rod Jetton

Rod Jetton- 1 Insane Trail Race Outcome

Camp Galilee

When I first saw the name of this race I wondered why they called it 1 Insane race, but after running it I totally understand.  First of all who starts any kind of race in July at 5:00pm?  I don’t know what I was thinking when I registered or why I thought it would be cool by 5pm, but I was wrong.  In July the sun is not even close to going down at 5pm, as a matter of fact it was still quite high in the sky and I am slightly sunburned from the “late” afternoon race. 

I made a wise decision before this race and stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom.  Turns out there were no bathrooms at the race so I avoided the problem I had at the July 4th half marathon.  For the record it was 102 degrees when we started this painful session at 5pm.  As soon as I got out of the car to go check in at the registration table I started sweating.  I checked in at 4:43, changed into my running shoes and put on my camelback.  Unfortunately, I didn’t double tie my shoes and when the race started they came untied and I had to stop about 50 yards into the race to retie them.  

I really didn’t worry about that much because I wasn’t running for time, but I thought how that would have driven me crazy back in my college days.  Needless to say I was in last place at that point.  

So can you tell what language this is?

Soon after the start, another aspect that drove many of us insane were the course markings and turns.  I have no idea what language they were written in but it was not English.  This race took place at Camp Galilee so I assume it was Hebrew, or maybe Greek, but I had no idea what they met. While it seemed like most of us were nice Christian runners, I don’t think we had many Hebrew Bible scholars in the crowd because we all got lost (except for me- Marines are never lost just occasionally disorientated).  I knew things were not going as planned when I met the fast runners coming towards me about a mile into the race.

The reason I thought this was strange was because the race director had told me it was a loop course.  Now, I have run a lot of races and I have run hundreds of loops.  The one thing I know about as loop is, you don’t meet people coming the other direction than you.  They call that an out and back course.  But I just ignored them and jogged along trying to tell myself to slow down and not start to fast with all the 5k runners like I did in the 1/2  marathon.

About this time we came around to the same trail we had been on which again seemed odd on a loop course.  We all stopped looked at each other and asked questions and tried to stay calm, relaxed and not freak out.  Racers hate not knowing which way to run even when we are just “jogging.”  A girl and an old guy who were behind me ran by and headed up a steep hill and said she thought that was the way.  So I took off and followed them.  She had a fancy Garmen watch on and some of those compression socks so I thought she seemed like a trail veteran and probably knew this course.

After catching up with her and taking several minutes to catch my breath enough to ask a question I inquired if she had run this course before?  About that time we hit a turn and she stopped and I could tell she had no idea where she was going.  Fortunately, there was a cooler with water there and I noticed an empty bottle trail to our right and said this must be the way.  

Just around that turn the lead fast runners who I had met earlier were coming down a separate trail and rejoining the race.  They were not too happy and I have no idea where they had wondered to, but I’m betting they ran a long way off course, so it all seemed fair.  They quickly passed me as they mumbled about having no idea where to run.  When you’re a fast runner competing for a place, things like that bother you more.

The course continued on and crossed over itself two more times and I kept jogging around the “loop” meeting several runners all wondering which way to go.  I took some satisfaction in thinking at least I would know the course on the second lap.  I walked the uphill sections to save my legs, but kept a steady pace over the rest of the first “loop.”  The girl and the old guy who had gray hair were just in front of me, but I couldn’t catch them until the last part of the first loop.  

By this time I was thinking if I slowed down the sun would sink lower and it would be cooler for the last lap. Then I came to the turn around and ran all the way back to the starting line, which is what the race director told us to do at the beginning, but as I turned around I noticed the girl turning around at the water table 50 yards away.  As I jogged back up to the water table he said, “You could have turned around here.”   I muttered, “That’s not what you said at the start.” He replied, “My bad.”  It took me 32:00 minutes  to run the first lap.  

I was thinking bad things right at that point because the sun was beating down on my head after taking the wrong path and wondering around and now this “girl” was in front of me.  I quickly caught her and the old guy and passed them but the effort tired me out and I had to walk.  When they passed me back he exclaimed, “Were half way done.”  I added, “That I, was only a 1/3^rd done.” 

They were very nice and we helped each other find our way around through the whole race and it helped me stay motivated trying to keep up with them.  I made my way through the second “loop” and only got turned around once.  I never caught back up to the girl and the old guy but I was dramatically slowing down and it was happening quickly.  I changed my strategy and was now only running the downhill sections.  I know it’s sad but you have no idea how hard it is to carry 214 pounds through a trail in 102 degree heat.  

You may remember when I registered for this insane race I mentioned I may run the 4^th “loop” if I felt good and get a 20k in.  What a laugh that is now.  All I could think about was stopping after two loops.  I wanted to quit so bad.  I was hurting and the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I had never in all my years not finished a race.  

When I came around the corner to the starting line I saw the “girl’ at the water table but the old guy was back by the tent.  I was a bit delirious and had my uplifting Christian music on so I can’t say for sure, but I think she was trying to get him to run another “loop.”  I walked to the water table got me a cold bottle of water and gritted my way down the trail for my final “loop,” wondering if it would be my final act in life.

Then the nice “girl” with the Garmen watch and compression socks jogged by me and said something that I think was encouraging.  At this point I was hurting so bad I really didn’t care, but I have to admit that when I saw her stopped about a mile up the trail I felt a bit more macho.  She was bent over and I asked, "Are you ok."  She said, "Yes, but a few miles ago I was puking my guts up."  I responded, "Do you need anything," and she said, "No, I'm fine just resting."  So I jogged on for as long as I thought she could see me and then started walking again.

Each step was hurting at this point and I had to stop half way up the hills just to catch my breath.  The water in my camelback was hot and there is nothing worse than sucking down plain hot water in a race.  I was grabbing a cold water bottle at each cooler and drinking all I could but it wasn’t enough.

At this point the 20k runners were passing me but they were hurting too.  The first three looked strong but after that they were all suffering.  One kid passed me right at the end but he stopped and visited with me a bit.  He told me his longest previous race was only a 5k.  We walked in together and he is fortunate to be young because in that heat running a 20k for the first time should have killed him.  

This is me hurting!!

I’m proud to say I walked the whole way in and finished the race.  When I stopped I was seeing spots and felt dizzy so I fell down on the grass and drank water.  I don’t know how long I was there but they gave out all the awards and door prizes and I finally got up used the hose to cool down, wash off and slowly walked to the car.

The “old guy” and “girl” were married which probably makes the old guy not so old and helped me feel better.  Unfortunately, the “girl” was older than I thought, which makes me feel worse, but man was she in shape.  They were very nice and I talked with them and several other top runners.  It made me feel good that everyone was talking about how hot it was and some of the guys planned on doing the 20k and 15k races but stopped at the 10k.  I guess I should have too.

They also told me about the 50k trail race in October and said that course is a lot harder than this one.  They mentioned it had a 7 mile uphill section.  It’s a 25k loop that you run forward and backwards.  I wonder if when they say loop they mean a regular loop or a 1 Insane “loop?”   

Even though I have been joking a bit about the heat and the course it was a fun race.  We runners like to suffer and then brag about it.  The race director was a wonderful guy who had some great awards and each of us got a cedar medallion cut from a cedar tree from the trail proving we had completed the race.  He promised to have more signs up next year, and I would recommend some chalk, but the course was really a fun one.  There were a few hills but it wasn’t too bad and the rocks and creeks made it exciting.  The website said, "Be prepared for water in the creeks if it rains," and I would have thanked the Lord if that was the case this year, but in July I doubt next year they will be wet.     

The best part was the money they raised went for missions and everyone from racers to volunteers to spectators were helpful and friendly.  The scary thing is wondering how I will ever hope to finish a 50k race on much steeper hills by October.   I can only hope the cooler weather will help and I’ll be 20 pounds lighter!  I suffered but had a great time and can’t wait to come back next year, hopefully 20 pounds lighter and better acclimatized to the July heat.           

Rod Jetton- 15k Trail Race Tomorrow

I found a trail race tomorrow in Eldorado Springs, Missouri.  It's the 1 Insane trail run to raise funds for missions.  It doesn't start till 5pm so I will have tomorrow to rest up from a very long week.  It's three 5k loops.  They have a 5k, 10k, 15k, and 20k race going, but I chose the 15k which is about 9 miles.  I didn't want to be dead like the 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago.  If I feel good I might do the last lap just for fun.  Keep me in your prayers!!!

Take care and God Bless,
Rod Jetton 

The Freedom 1/2 marathon was hot!!!!

My whole family came into town for the 4th of July weekend so we had 28 guests visiting.  I woke up Saturday morning at 5:30 to get to Table Rock Dam in time for a 7:00am race.  I took some time to pray read a few Bible verses and eat a banana.  I was going to use the restroom, but was running a bit behind and thought I'll wait till I get down to the race.  I needed to register and it was about a 20 min drive to the Dam so I filled up my camelback and headed out while everyone was still asleep.

When I pulled into the starting area I was amazed at all the people.  They were running a 5k, 10k and 1/2 marathon but I really didn't expect this many people on a hot July 4th weekend.  Now, I was planning on using this "race" to just help me get a long run in for my training.  I quickly registered and picked up my race t-shirt and got my iPhone and music ready.  Then I realized my mistake.  The line to the two bathrooms was long.  I mean really long.  It was only 15 min to the race start and I counted all the people in line and estimated that if they all took 1 min I would get in there by 7:12.

Being a Marine I found a quite secluded place behind a bush and took a "natural break" as they say in the Tour de France.  Unfortunately, I was needing to go #2 and thought I'll just stop at the bathroom down at the campground during the race.  This course was a gently rolling paved trail that strolled along the lakes edge for a little over 4 miles.  The 5k runners had a turnaround at the 1.5 mile mark and the 10k runners did two laps of that.  Us 1/2 marathoners, went out past the Branson Bell and the campground all the way past the Marina and then turned around.  We had three laps to complete.

The whistle blew and I took off with the rest of them at what I thought was a nice slow pace, but with all the 5k and 10k runners in there I realized later that I went out a bit to quick.  It was a very hot and humid day but the first lap seemed so easy to me.  The nice thing about the course was you got to see all the other runners twice each lap.  When I started the second lap I was about 20th and told myself I needed to slow down and stay strong for the third lap.  I started getting passed some and being passed even when you know your slowing down takes something out of you.

I was feeling tired and very hot and all the ladies and old men were passing me and I was feeling dead.  But I kept at it and made the turnaround and started back.  The race workers were very encouraging and kept telling me I looked good but I knew they were lying!! ha ha

I finally finished the 2nd lap and started on #3.  I asked one of the workers if the 3rd lap would be more downhill than the first 2 and he almost dragged me off the course fearing I had heat stroke.  I was only joking with him but joking kept my mind off of how slow I was running I mean jogging and how bad I was hurting.  By this time I was walking up the steep hills and I just wanted to finish this race.  (For some reason each lap the hills got steeper. )   I knew if I started the 3rd lap I would have no choice but to run back since my car was parked at the starting area.

After being passed by several more runners the turnaround finally appeared.  It was a bit of a hill up to it but I made it up and was headed home.  At this point I was just trying to push the pain out of my mind.  The sad thing is I was barley running.  I mean this was the slowest pace I had EVER run ANY race in my life.  I kept pushing and went by the campground then the Branson Bell and finally into the finish shoot.

I'm embarrassed to say I ran a 2:04.  I saw that 2 hours was coming up but there was just no way for me to speed up and break 2.  I was dead.  That's a 9:30 pace!!  It made me come to the realization that I am out of shape and overweight and I have to do something about it.  I drank water all day and slept and was hurting bad.  The next day I drank water and slept and was soar.  Finally on  Monday I started feeling normal but my legs were soar.

If I don't drop at least 20 pounds this 50k trail race is going to kill me in October.  I wouldn't recommend running a 1/2 marathon with little or no training but it is a good way to suffer and motivate you to get back in shape.  Hopefully I will do better next week.

Take care,

Rod Jetton