Category Archives: Racing

2022 Tess 5K Trail Run

Last Saturday I got up bright and early and headed out to Turkey Mountain to run the Tess 5K Trail Run sponsored by the Tristesse Grief Center here in Tulsa.

I decided to go ahead and do a video of the start. After I was done videoing I had to loop around the timer’s truck and across the starting line myself.

A treat for me on this race is that most of it was done on the brand new sustainable trails constructed in the last year. Especially nice was the new trail from the lower parking lot up to the upper level of Turkey Mountain. Those old trails have gotten worse and worse over the years. It got so bad that I hadn’t used them in a long time.

The new trails are like a super highway through the woods. Another benefit is the chances of getting ticks and chiggers from the grass is way less. Also it is easier to pass other people and there is lots of room for both bicyclists and hikers/runners on the trail.

Pretty soon I had passed a small bunch of people and was way behind the pack. That’s alright, I was looking for a great hike through the woods. My running days are over. I do admit though on the smooth slightly downhill stretches I did trot a bit. Probably not over three or four hundred yards total.

And here we split off from the superhighway headed to the left and headed right to one of the legacy trails.

And up the rock garden after we turned south. I got an impromptu invite to a private geological tour of Turkey Mountain last week. I learned that the trail above is caused by alternating layers of shale and sandstone. As the shale layers dissolve and wash away the brittle sandstone breaks and falls down forming a kind of steps. Yep, the steps are ankle breakers!!

I also learned the top of Turkey Mountain is 300 million years old and has been submerged and re-emerged under a huge inland sea five times by a combination of tectonic and weathering forces. The guy showed us rocks that used to be sand on a beach and lots of little fossilized shellfish embedded in the rocks. It was amazing.

Enough geology for now. We made the loop and headed down the superhighway to the finish. All I can say is that I finished vertically. I didn’t place in my age group. Last year I finished first in my age group. Oh well I finished.

It was a great race, it was easy to register and they had lots of volunteers helping out. Timing was by Tatur, the best in the business in my opinion. They had lots of snacks and water for the participants and I think everybody left happy I know I did.

They didn’t have beer this year so I had one at home later on. In fact I might have had more than one, I’m not sure. They had tshirts but they are mailing me mine as I registered a little too late to actually get a tshirt at the event.

I’ll be back next year, here is my post from the 2021 Tess Trail Run.

A big thank to the Tristesse Grief Center, their staff and volunteers who helped, Tatur Racing, and my fellow racers.

I am linking to My Corner of the World. Check it out!.

Running the 2019 Tulsa Run 5K

Saturday was the 42nd running of the Tulsa Run. I have run twenty six of them, twenty three 15K’s and today I ran my third 5K.

It rained all day Friday and most of the night into the morning when my alarm went off at 5:15. I briefly considered not running but I have never ever skipped a race because of weather and today was not a day to start with that. So I got up and got dressed. By race time the rain had cleared out and the weather was perfect. Low 40’s, overcast, slight breeze. Time to roll.

So ran the race by trotting until I felt like walking and then resuming the trot when the spirit told me to run. I also stopped a lot to take photos of various things on the way such as the mural above. Tulsa has had an explosion of Murale Design the past few years. I think it is a nationwide thing from what I read and I love it.

And there was some graffiti on the route. This one is pretty decent.

Right across the street was this. It looks like somebody else has been messing with it. I understand that is a thing with graffiti as well, defacing it. Most graffiti does not age very well and is a form of vandalism.

We also passed an outdoor beer pub. What!! Why have I not heard of this one???

I love the plain outspoken voice of this sign. They were closed though.

And the VFW, their bar is now open to the public. Has been for years.

And we turned and headed downtown.

We passed this old beat up VW Van. 57 years old and they want a bunch of money for it. You could get this, paint it pink, purple, or yellow, with some flowers and peace signs. Tour the state and smoke marijuana. Nowadays in Oklahoma the cops are just going to yawn if they see you smoking weed, as long as you are not driving.

Another mural, for a coffee shop. Very apt I think.

And on down Route 66 and I stopped to say hello to Buck Atom.

And across the street to the Meadow Gold sign.

Kept on, keeping on to the west and turned the corner north onto Boston Avenue and ran under the big US Flag put up by the Tulsa Fire Department. Salud Guys/Gals!! I love this.

And headed a few hundred yards to the finish line.

Here is my official by goodness Finish Line Photo. One of these days I am going to get a photo of me running where it actually looks like I am running. Today was not that day.

Finished really slow, but vertically. Grabbed a water, a sack containing a sandwich and chips, accepted a kit kat bar from a volunteer and then stole another from the table and got barked at, so I stole a third one, and got glared at. Sorry, not sorry. Made my way to my car and drove home.

So years past after cleaning up I would have a couple beers and a couple snickers bars. Nowdays, morning beer drinking is not near as much fun as it used to be and I decided you know, I want a Braums Chocolate Milkshake so I had that. 24 grames of protein, right!? Powerfood

So that’s a wrap folks. I’m linking with Our World Tuesday. Come check it out!!

Bristow Wildflower Run 5K – 2018

The beautiful train station at Bristow, now a museum.

This past weekend I decided to go run a race that I have wanted to be in ever since I started running eons ago but have never done. It is the Bristow Wildflower Run. I had heard that it was a nice race and so I decided to check it out even though I was not running it, I was going to walk it.

I love what I call “Working Man’s Trucks.”

I had never been to Bristow before and I was surprised. It is a really nice little town.

I loved the store fronts. Bristow’s downtown seems to be thriving.

The race is part of the Bristow Tabuleh Fest. I didn’t know it until I moved to Tulsa years ago and I still don’t quite understand it but there is a big thread of Lebanese culture all through northeast Oklahoma. There are several good Lebanese restaurants in Tulsa. Anyway the race started and ended downtown in among all the booths and activities for the Tabuleh Fest.

Bristow’s city park is spectacular.

The fun sounded and off we went. Or rather off they went as I was back walking with the grandmothers until they left me in their dust. The race route goes through some nice neighborhoods and on to a huge park with a lake with the banks covered with wildflowers. Thus the name of the race.

We looped back to downtown and finished the race, well behind the grandmothers I should add. I didn’t win anything, but I had a good time and will be back.

The race hit all the check marks.

Nice T shirt, check, and lots of tshirts for everybody, double check.
Reasonable price – only $23 check
Community participation – there were lots of people cheering us on. Even me, eating the grandmother’s dust, – triple check
Refreshments – yep, lots of water, bananas, orange quarters, check, check, check. Plus there was a huge number of food vendors at the festival.
Venue – check – Bristow is a beautiful town, and downtown Bristow has a lot of preserved historical features including a spectacular train station.
Timing – Tatur.org, nobody better, check

So the race is a keeper for me.

Do you know of any other small town races I should enter?

Relive ‘Bristow Wildflower Run 5K’

Escape from Turkey Mountain 5 Mile Race 2017

This morning was my return to the “Escape from Turkey Mountain 5 Mile” race. Two years ago I ran it and injured my knee when I fell on a rock and caused me to miss about two or three months of running while I rehabbed with physical therapy and exercise. Last year I waited to too long to register and they filled up so this year I was ready!! There were a lot of people there and I went to the back for the start.

And off we went, see all those people ahead of me? They all pretty much stayed ahead of me.

See all the folks behind me? I think almost all of them finished ahead of me. Strange how that works.

Up “the Staircase” from the lower yellow trail to the upper yellow. I have been on the staircase before, I just didn’t know that it had a name. Almost every physical feature on Turkey Mountain has a name, usually several names. My favorite trail is “I want my mommy.” Run it sometime, you will be crying for your mommy.

I am rocking my new running shirt. I love it! Most expensive shirt, of any kind, that I own.

So anyway I finished without falling on anything. I stumbled and almost tripped a few times and slid a few times but managed to stay on my feet. My time was about 1 hr 30 minutes and the distance was about 5.22 miles. So my official time was only about 5 minutes faster than my last run with the knee problem two years ago but the course was a quarter mile longer than then. I am about 20 minutes off the pace I was three years ago. That happens when you are fat, old, and slow.

So, how was the race? Let me see, great course, check. Nice run shirt, check. Medal, check, Food, they had hamburgers, turned out quickly, check. Beer, check, Marshall’s craft beer, so double check. I’ll be back!!

Thank you to Fleet Feet Tulsa, and the many volunteers who make these races go. Thank you to my fellow runners for adding to the atmosphere.

No thanks to the mountain biker who almost crashed into me from behind while we were both going downhill and yelling at me “$%^$&(*&&* %^&*&^”. The convention and etiquette is that people who are participating in sanctioned events in a place, have priority over other people. It is not a rule or a law or anything, it is what people do. I would never interfere with a bicycle racer for example, I would most probably stay off the trails they were using. I had never had a bicyclist intrude like that into a trail race before. 99.99% of trail users are very considerate of others using the tracks.

This is my knee from two years ago. Lots better today. And I still have those socks!!

Tulsa Run 5K – 2015

My Big run every year that I look forward to is the Tulsa Run 15K. I have run it every year since 1994 when it was the first race I ever entered. This year I did the 5K version because I am still in rehab on my knee from a fall that I had in early September. I felt bad about it for about five seconds then my motto kicked in. The motto is “If you can’t do what you want, then do what you can.” So I can walk a 5K, better than sitting on your butt is what I say. Sitting is the new smoking is my new motto.

The downside is that the 5K race starts over an hour before the 15K so I had a little bit less time to get ready. You see my office building is right by the start so historically I am able to get to the office. Make some coffee, check my email and update facebook, do some blogging, and then 10 minutes before the race head downstairs.

Since my leg was sore I had no intention of run/walking. So I made a video of the walk up to the start line. Generally in the 15K it takes about five minutes to get to the start. Psychologically passing people from start to finish. So I started at the back in this race and stayed pretty much in the back. The music community has historically supported the Tulsa Run and I love hearing them. We generally have bagpipers, rockers, rappers, and sometimes cheerleaders. I guess the Christian bands sleep in late because I hear lots of taped Praise and Worship music but not that many performers.These guys have been here the past several years playing Hispanic music. They are pretty darn good. So we go on down Boulder avenue south from downtown and hang a left and go East down Cherry street and then… Wow, look at all the people way ahead of me! And look at all the people coming back already and I have not even got halfway. Such are the joys of walking.

So I finally get down the hill, and then up the hill and turn around and head back down the hill again. Hey time for a Guiness maybe? No, they were closed.

Make the turn at the Fertility Clinic on Boston and another rock group.

Headed up the hill and hey, who are these cheaters coming on the side. I think they are the fun runners. Lots of kids hauling butt is what they were. Nice to seeing kids running is what I say.

And then here comes the back of the packers in the 5k headed towards to art deco canyon of Boston Avenue.

So I got a nice technical long sleeve shirt, a bottle of water, and little medal and a care package containing cheese spread, chips, animal crackers, a tiny twix bar, and a hand wipe. Uhhhh, thanks, where’s the beer, guys? Where are the snickers bar? Oh well, times change and so does this race. Hey, I don’t care, I love this race. I’ll be back.

22nd Tulsa Run in the books. I’m looking forward to running the 15K next year.

Thanks to the race sponsors, the race director and his helper, and the army of volunteers that it takes to put something like this on.

Idaho Falls M.A.D. 4.5K Road Race Report

Logan and I spent a long weekend in Idaho Falls, Idaho visiting my Dad. My sister Ellen, and her husband Irv, and their grandson Mr. Beans also showed up. Ellen is quite the runner these days and she convinced us to sign up for a race, the MAD. Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K. So we rolled out of bed early Saturday morning and made our way over to the starting line.

Mr. Bean’s first experience with a running gel. I’m not sure he liked it.

The race started and took off through the neighborhoods of south Idaho Falls. I had been wondering if the race was a beer run or not but I got my answer when I saw these guys doing the traffic control. They are Mormon missionaries. So no beer I thought, but that is alright, these guys above and the other guys and gals on the route did a great job keeping the runners from getting run over. Notice Logan to the right, keeping his head in the run and not getting distracted like his old man.

We made our way over and irrigation canal.

And by a patriotic Christmas tree, or something. I am not sure what it was.

Here is another missionary and that is Irv waving bye. We were not that close to him. He was headed out of the park to the left and we had to head in.

And then this is where we cheated by a half a klick. I could have sworn that the course markings sent us down this route. See the blue shirts ahead of us? They were fellow runners so we were not cheating. See Logan to the right? He still has half a step on the old man.

We made it out of the park and started running a busy street. Time for a shadow selfie. See who’s shadow is longer than mine?

Here comes Irv. He finished the race and came running back to take my camera to get the finishing pic.

And look who finished ahead of his old man.

And the little (not so little) was gloating about it. Wait till the next race kid! By the way, do you have a ride home?

So, have you run a 4.5K race lately?

Running the Route 66 Half Marathon

(There they go!)

I ran the Half Marathon segment of the Route 66 Half Marathon here in Tulsa on Sunday. Sorry I don’t have too many pics. The temp was about 20 at the start of the race and didn’t get above 30. So at the first of the race while waiting in the “Corral” and at the end my fingers and hands felt like stone so no pics. As I got going my I warmed up and my hands thawed and I pulled the camera out a few times.

(Here comes another wave!)

The course started out downtown and wound down and around what is called Midtown in Tulsa just south of downtown and then further south to a funky little area of small houses and cool restaurants and stores called Brookside. From there we got on Riverside drive and ran north parallel to the Arkansas River back to downtown and then finished in and old warehouse area called the Brady District

(I am fascinated by water station squalor. Runners are such pigs. Oink, oink, snort.)

At the end of a race I generally circulate around and talk to who I know and see what is going on. Take a few pics, take in the scene. Sunday, nope, too danged cold. I did cash in my two beer tickets at once. The lady at the beer table was impressed as I walked away carrying my two beers and my gear bag wearing mittens. Child’s play is what she doesn’t realize.

There are lots of signs on the route. Most by family members of runners. “Go Janet!” or “WTG Dad!” Those are okay. I love the Lululemon Girls. Lululemon is a store that sells high end “cute” workout gear. I don’t think that I have any unless Kohl’s sells their label. I do love the Lululemon girls signs. They have a new store on Peoria in the Brookside area. That ‘s the kind of stuff that they sell in Brookside. I’m not putting it down, just saying. I have bought a few meals on Brookside, but never any merchandise. I’m kind of proud of that actually.

You notice that she is pointing the sign at me right?

The guy is obviously not a Lululemon girl. I bet his girlfriend is though. He gave me a fistbump. I accepted it reluctantly, just so you know. You see the girl is looking right at me. With that look. You know, the look don’t you? She didn’t offer a fist bump or much of anything else.

Anyways, I finished the race, grabbed my gear bag with extra clothes, grabbed and downed my beers and made my way to the shuttle bus. It was heated. I didn’t want to get off but I did. Made it home cleaned up before my selfie with the shirt and medal.

Hey when is the next race!!!

Tulsa Run 15K – 2013 Edition

(The race started several minutes ago and I’m still walking up to the start line. The leaders are over a quarter mile down the road)

Saturday I ran the Tulsa Run 15K. It was my 20th consecutive Tulsa Run. This race was the first race I ever ran way back when and I love it. I have had to make mad dashes from the race to home to shower and catch planes a couple of times. I’ll run it for as long as I can.

(Duck Dynasty Runner, photographer?)

It is like a my meditiation. I run it, no headphones, just the clippity clop of my fellow runner’s feet, the music from the various bands. The generally cool breezy weather. I don’t know. I run it and seems like 5 minutes later, its done.

(There are always lots of bands and musical groups on the route. Used to be there were middle and high school cheerleaders.)

I’ve never been very fast, and I’ve gotten slower as I’ve gotten older and fatter. I used to have time goals and all that. Now I just want to run it. I stop and take pictures.

There were about 4400 runners in the race and it is amazing to me how fast they separate from each other. I always start at the very back. This year it took me about five minutes to get to the start line after the gun went off.

I had been battling a sinus infection all week and considered not running. But I felt better Saturday.

(Do motorcycle policemen ever smile?)

It is a down and back route which some people consider boring. Maybe so, but it gives one the opportunity to check out the leaders and friends in the race. The leaders are amazingly fast.

When I first starte running the race I knew all sorts of people who also run the race. Over the years though almost all my friends and acquaintances quit running for one reason or another.

(The Addams Family, and part of my thumb.)

I don’t know how long I’ll be running it. I figure when I can’t I’ll show up and cheer the folks on. Maybe hold up a sign or ring some cowbells.

(I love ironic signs)

Hey you know if you can’t do what you want, then you do what you can.

Hmm, how do you like the Cave Girls? Let me see, there is Wilma Flintstone and there is Betty Rubble, I don’t know who the others are. Do you?

(Fellow geocacher Ann, aka “ExtremeMom” ringing the cowbells. If you are finding geocaches on the Riverparks chances are they are hers.)

Anyway, it seems before it even started it was over. I ran out of gas at 8K and started running three streetlights and walking one. I did that all the way except when I came within sight of the finish line. You always have to look good at the end right?

I lined up at the beer truck, grabbed my two, drank’em and went home.

(Dweeb Bling)

I’ll be back next year! If I can.

Do you have something you like to do year after year?

Connected Again

I’ve been off the air lately. A few nights ago our internet crashed. I am not sure what caused it but it may be the Obamacare website thrashing around in its death throes did our access in. Stuff like this never happened with Bush is what I say. Of course most Republicans these days don’t even know who Bush is. They seem to think that we didn’t really have a President in the eight years before Obama. And you know they may be right! But I’m digressing The point is that I lost my internet but that’s okay cuz I was out gathering material.

My sister and her youngest daughter came to town for a horse show. (A little bit about that later.) We got to visit a little bit. It would have been rude to be writing a post during a visit don’t you think? For those of you who don’t think that I ever smile, this picture is proof that I do! Sister Ellen is also a fellow blogger. Go check out at News From The “Pole” Yard.

On Saturday I ran the Tulsa Run 15K. It kind of hurt. I had a sinus infection going on and had missed three days of work. Of course my boss is a runner also and asked me Saturday morning, “Oh, so you feel okay to run, huh?” To make matters worse I came in ahead of him, and his wife. Oh well, all in good fun is what I say. I’ll have more about the race in a later post.

Ellen and Jillian are both really involved with 4H and horses and horse judging. They were in town for the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. On Saturday night we met them at the show. I had never been to such a thing and it was just amazing. I have not seen anything like this horse show ever, not on television or anywhere. Those Arabian Horses are very spirited, high strung and beautiful and the owners, breeders, and fans are passionate about the breed. I’ll also be posting more about this later. The National Championship is coming back to Tulsa each year for the next five years. I’ll be there!! Getting high on that green sawdust.

Jillian (at the far right) was the coach of a high school 4H horse judging team from Colorado. Jillian competed extensively in high school and then later at Colorado State University before she graduated. She stays active in the sport. She took vacation from her job to come down with the kids and help them compete.

And then of course we went to the Pumpkin Patch. Gotta have pumpkins this time of year. Of course, Logan can carry the pumpkins now. We started bringing him out here when he was about the size of the one he is holding.

So, anyway, that’s my whirlwind post. I’ve missed everybody! But it was a nice break also. We had a lot going on.

Post Oak Lodge 10K featuring the Hill from Hell!

Saturday bright and early I got up and headed to the Osage Hills northwest of Tulsa to participate in the Post Oak Lodge Challenge 10K. When I got there I fell in love.

With this fireplace and a very comfortable leather chair. It’s a real fire. We have a gas fire at home and it is all nice and everything but nothing puts out a nice glowing warm heat like a real wood fire.

So I sat there napping off and on as they prepped the 25Kers on following the green ribbon.

And then I sat there during the prep for the 10Kers. We were supposed to follow the pink ribbons. You see.

And then the moment of decision. To I get up out of MY chair and go run the race or just kind nap some more. You like my hat, you think its funny. Hey it was 30 deg at race time and I was warm. So laugh all you want you cold eared people.

So off we go!! Following the pink ribbons. The Shadow knows.

The aid stations were fantabulous, water, gatorade, pb&j sandwiches, chips, homemade cookies, salted potatoes. Wonderful. The Shadow also knows this.

We’ve had a little bit of rain so it was nice to see the creeks flowing again. We had a little bit of mud but not to bad.

We took a turn through the Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Gardens.

And we went by the Post Lodge’s Zip lines. At least that is the cover story. The real deal is that Oklahoma has erected these watch towers to keep Democrats out of the state. They are also a last line of defense to keep those pesky Canadians who are enslaved by the national healthcare system out of our state. Rumor has it that they are massed at the border trying to get in.We are ready for them.

The thing about trail runs is that the good ones are have lots of ups and downs. This was a good one.

I finally got to the top of the Hill from Hell. Holmes Peak is the tallest point in Tulsa County. You can see a long ways.

Way over yonder (as we say in Oklahoma) where the cars are is the start and end of the race.

Heading down the Hill from Hell. . That is downtown Tulsa off in the distance.

This race had a beer stop. They said, “Want a beer?” and I said “Do you have any other stupid questions?”

The finish line!! Yeah we are done!!

Lots of food and adult malted beverages available. This is some white chicken chili.

And then back to my spot. If you happen to be up at the lodge anytime soon. Make sure nobody is sitting there, cuz its mine. You can sit there if you want, just don’t get too comfortable.

It was a great race, well organized and everybody had lots of fun.

I had my GPS watch on. If you want to see the route click on the green balloon above and it will take you to another screen. Click on the thing that looks like your DVD “Play” button to the left and it will show you just how slow I am.

YogisDen.us

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