Event: DanMan, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50 mile trail run
Place: 3 miles from Madill, Oklahoma.
Date: Saturday, February 2, 2008
Time: 7:00 AM
Goal: Just run
Age: 55
Weight: 150
Goal Event: Boston Marathon, April 21, 2008
Div: Male 55-59
Bib: No such animal

Weather: Start, 40 degrees, slight wind, clear.
End, 72 degrees, clear, slight breeze, daytime high reached 76.

The DanMan has been held for the last three years. It is a very challenging trail run. I did not run the inaugural event but I did run 18 miles last year.

The DanMan is a race, a Fun run and a training run. It is absolutely what ever you want it to be. Sure, that is the case for most runs but this is an event.

By that I mean the runner completes as many miles as he/she desires at whatever pace makes sense. This is a casual event, no time keeping (just a clock that displays the overall time)….no awards, no fanfare, no bibs. You pick up your own medal when you finish.

Some race, some run, some jog, some walk….whatever please you. Run with a group, run by yourself, stop whenever you want….there is NO time limit…someone will be there when you finish.

Pancakes are served before the event, water, bananas, cookies, and power bars are provided, if you want anything else: bring it with you…including a change of shoes, or whatever. Water is provided on the side of the trails at a few strategic locations.

You can park next to the start….so you stuff (water, shoes, etc.) is right there for you to pick up as you run by.

After the race you can have more pancakes or fried turkey legs.

This is by far…truly…a fun filled event…

Don’t get me wrong…some serious runners show up…..the winner of the marathon finished somewhere the 3:30 mark…but you would never had known…unless you happened to be there when he finished…as I was…

The race started about 15 minutes late to allow time for some of the Tulsa runners to show up. And everyone was fine with that decision. Like I said, casual.

I heard about 100 runners signed up for the event: I am not sure, but it seemed like 50-60 showed up.

We lined up at the starting line…..directions for the trails were explained.

There are a 6.1, 7, and 3.57 mile loop

10k’ers will do the 6.1 with a little extra thrown in…

Half Marathoners will do the 6 and 7.1

Marathoners do the 6 and 7.1, two times.

50 milers do the 6.1, 7, 3.57, three times.

Run all the miles you want…in any order you desire…but no more than 50 miles is allowed.

I think 3 runners planned on completing the 50 mile course.

The theme from Rocky roared as we huddled up for the start…then Dan said…GO…….

Off we went…

My plan for the day was to do a 18-20 mile training run…and maybe the whole marathon if I felt good. NO TIME GOALS…NO FINISH GOALS…just run. I have really been looking forward to this…rarely do I attend a race without a plan…without specific goal as part of my training.

This would be a welcomed relief.

I ran with some friends that I know casually but have never run with before; one is running Boston for the first time. We ran a conservative 9 minute pace. I planned to run with them until the end of the first 6.1 mile loop…

The first loop went quickly, actually too quick…I knew I needed to slow down to allow for a swift recovery. After a PowerGel, banana and Gatorade, I got rid of my vest and long-sleeved technical shirt…and picked up my camera.

A friend of mine was about a quarter mile ahead….I planned on eventually catch up with him.

I took loads of pictures. Most of the trails are flat and well prepared…but there are some very difficult gulley’s, ravines, and some serious hills…this trail has the potential to beat you up.

I caught up with my friend and we finished the 7 mile loop together.

More food and I was off, by myself, to tackle the 6.1 mile loop…again I took lots of pictures…

It was an absolutely beautiful spring like day: in fact it was getting warm; veet warm.

As I ran along, oblivious of my pace, I thought about taking on the final 7 mile loop so I could finish the entire marathon. Then I convinced myself…since I really had no business running the marathon in the first place. Why not trump it and throw in the 3.57 loop and make it a 30 miler….my first ultra. Sounds good to me.

I approached the starting line…took a 5 minute rest, fueled up and decided to tackle the remaining miles.

This is when I saw the lead marathoner win the marathon…Gee…

I saw some friends and told them I was going to finish the marathon: they wished me luck and suggested that I be careful. I said, "I’ll walk if I need to…no rush to get to the finish line."

I dropped off my camera and headed out.

Along the way I caught up with a 50 mile runner (whom I ran with during the first 6.1 mile loop). He said, “I though you were only running 18 miles”. I responded, “Well, I thought I would try the whole marathon distance since I felt good”.

Our conversation was short as he passed by.

At about mile 24 a sign pointed to the right; “50 milers turn here”. I turned: now I knew, there was no turning back.

This part of the trail was very sandy and footing was difficult. And the trail was not marked as well. Many times I wondered if I had missed a turn. So, I watched the trail closely for shoe tracks.

During this loop I was getting tired; the sand really dragged me down. Finally the sand turned into a hard trail and my pace picked up dramatically. It was now that I saw the 50 mile runner who had passed me; I was catching up to him at an alarming rate (keep in mind he had already run 3.57 miles more than me).

As I approached with in a hundred feet, he turned to the right and took a terrible spill. When I caught up I asked if he was ok….he was fine.

The trail was now flat and along an old abandoned railroad track. My legs felt great except for some tightness in my quads.

I was not sure how far I was from the finish line. My Garmin displayed 28.5 miles. I hoped I would arrive at the finish just over 30 miles. If not I would have to run more to reach the 30 mile distance. The last thing I wanted to do was pass the finish line and need to clock in more distance.

The last mile or so became increasingly difficult, my pace slowed; I was ready to be done.

It is in the last half mile that the trail provides some of the most challenges…3…court them…3 steep gulleys’…the first one, I managed to jog down then up. The next one (I had not walked during the entire race), I walked done and jogged up…the third one, well it was all I could take to walk down and up with a side stepping motion.

Whew…my quads were screaming…..my pace was quite slow now: I just hoped that the finish line would give me 30 plus miles.

As I came out of the woods and saw the finish line…I realized that I was short by a half mile, so I passed by with a wave…ran a .3 mile out and back…

And, finally, across the finish line with 30.15 miles on my Garmin…run time 5:27…elapsed time…5:48…

Wow, that was along time to be on my feet.

Kevin, one of my buddies, had just finished the marathon (20 minutes earlier), we hi-fived as I showed him the Garmin….”My first ULTRA…..yes!!!!!”

We talked about my sudden decision to run more than 18 miles…..appears that some of my friends had been waiting for me…with some concern….not knowing that I had added some additional miles.

But I wasn’t the only one to run a distance PR…a friend of mine had decided to finish his first marathon (his plan was to run 20 miles).

We all had a great time discussing our run…the DanMan was over for us…..but not for the 50 mile runners still out there.

I had a great time…it was fun to run without a plan…

Afterwards I took a well deserved nap…..

Now I am ready to get serious about Boston…..Let the Games begin…hehe

 More DanMan Trail Run Pictures.