2019 Rockin' Rockwoods 53k
Greensfelder Park, Wildwood MO
33 Miles 5,200' elev. gain
1st Place Overall, 5:14:38
Ever since I started racing ultra events I haven't done the same race twice. Just for the sheer fact that there are so many races out there to do. But when you fall in love with a course...you run that course again. Rockin' Rockwoods 53k has one of those courses. Located in Greensfelder Park in Wildwood MO, just north of Six Flags St. Louis sits a trail system in the Rockwood Range that is pretty spectacular. Most of the event is held on the Green Rock Trail (GRT) as well as the DeClue and Eagle Valley Trail. This particular race boasts a significant net elevation gain at 5,200 vertical feet. By Midwestern standards thats not too shabby for around these parts where we are mostly surrounded by cornfields.
The course is set up with two separate out and backs. The first out and back you head out towards Fox Creek Lane via the Pinhook Hollow Trail, I believe, which I'd describe mostly as ATV type double wide trail. Hit the first aid station out there at about 4.5 miles in and head on back. You run into some people on the way back but the race numbers are kept relatively low and the trail here is wide enough it is no problem. Its actually a nice set up because you get to see people come and go most of the race, which helps. After that you take a right turn onto the Green Rock Trail and start your long out and back. You go down the roughly 1.5 mile stretch to Allenton Six Flags Rd. cross the road and link up to the Declue Trail section. This section is probably my favorite. I like to call it the roller coaster section for two reasons. One you can literally hear the roller coasters and people screaming at Six Flags and two the trail feels like a roller coaster. Lots of twists and turns and rolling sections. After that you hit another aid station and that connects you to the long stretch out to Glencoe Rd via the GRT. Hit that aid station and head on back the way you came.
The Race:
I went into this years race feeling fit and confident. With last years race in the back of my mind I was kind of basing this years race off of that performance. Last year I was injured for the majority of the year and really didn't start running well until August. I tapered a bit for the race last year as well. I ended up running a 4:29 and felt fantastic. So this year I was feeling good but really didn't taper and Ive actually had a full season of racing under my belt. The night before I was intending to camp out the back of my Xterra in the park. The high temps and humidity had me sweating in the back of the Xterra at 8pm. This was not good. I knew Id get no sleep this way. Started the car up and headed back into town and found a hotel room. Much better. I was able to shower and get in some AC and watch the Cardinals game, perfect. Got in some good sleep as well. Woke up at 4:30 and ate a banana with peanut butter, a heed bar, 1/2 cup of black coffee, and an organic fruit roll. Stretched out for a bit, laid back down, and got some stuff ready. Checked out and then headed to the race at 6:10ish. Picked up my packet in the dark. Got back to the car and started getting stuff ready. Just enough daylight was creeping in to where I didn't need a headlamp in those opening miles.
Horn went off and we were straight in the woods on a narrow rocky path. Ran the opening mile with JP and we chatted a bit. The first out and back was littered with what felt like thousands of spider webs. I decided to pick up some sticks and run with those for at least till the turn around hoping on the way back they'd be knocked down. One of the prices you pay for leading I guess. Hit the first aid station at Mile 4.5. Just shouted out my bib number and I was off. No need for food or water this early. Headed back up the Fox Creek Lane climb segment and started running into the rest of the field. Got to the right turn onto Green Rock and took my first GU at about mile 7. Headed down towards Allenton Rd. and hit the second aid station. Here I refilled my 12 oz. handheld with Heed and was on my way. At an hour and half I took my first salt tablet. I basically continued that intake process the rest of the race. GU every hour and a salt tablet every hour, offset from each other by 30 minutes. Felt good on the DeClue section. Kept telling myself...smooth is fast, fast is smooth. I was basically just trying to find a good rhythm here. Goal was to feel real good going into the last 13 miles after the turn around. At mile 16 shortly after the middle aid station I started to feel off. My climbing legs weren't there and I found myself power hiking a couple of the steep sections on the way out. I did not remember power hiking up these last year. Continued on and still just could not find a rhythm on the GRT section. Got to the turn around. Refilled the handheld and even took a couple sips extra before capping it off. Headed back and just felt weak and slow on the uphills and unsteady on the downhills. It had started to rain a bit on this section making the already unsteady rocks slick. Making the downhills rougher than usual. Got out of GRT and hit the middle aid station again. Somebody said I was looking good but I sure didn't feel that way. Looked at my watch and knew Id be lucky to get under 5 hours this years. Took a shot of Coke looked at the table of food and nothing looked appetizing to me at that moment so I headed out. Walked the steep rocky section up to Scenic Loop Rd. then dipped back into the DeClue section. Started to roll a bit here hoping Id find some leg speed and pick things up but it never really came. I was moving forward on the coaster section and I could hear the screams so I knew I was getting close but this section folds back on itself so much it can be quite demoralizing when your just ready to be done. I was just looking for that little opening in the trees where the power lines are and I knew I was close then.
Got to the last aid station and just cruised it in. Told myself, no walking on this last section. Came across the finish and was glad to be done. Happy to win consecutive years as well even if this year was close to 45 minutes slower. I was still happy with the day and the effort. It was rough conditions this year and a congratulations goes out to all who toughed out a hard course in rough conditions. Shalina and her crew of terrain trail runners always puts on awesome events. This is definitely one of the toughest 50ks in the Midwest for sure. Always enjoy the challenge. You never what kind of hand you're going to get dealt in an ultra. All you worry about are the things you CAN control. If you worry about the weather of trail conditions or what others are doing you're setting yourself up for failure. All you can do is take it a minute, or a mile, or to the next aid station at a time. Break it down into more controllable pieces. Till next time.
Results: https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=64445
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/2747150127
