Topeka: You Make it Hurt so Good

Today's race was the Topeka to Auburn Half-Marathon. I car pooled with my buddy Mike Cavillo, the one on the left. This race has become kind of tradition for me. I did not run it last year because I sprained my knee snowboarding. But, I've ran in it 5 of the last 6 years. It's a brutally hard race and weather is always a factor. It's always, either freezing cold, snow covered, icy, or raining. Sometimes, it's all of the above. That's part of its charm.


This is Heidi Bryant (Cute!), a perennial winner in the Kansas City area. You'd think shed get bored winning all the time. One of these days, I'll see if she'll let me profile her. One thing I notice about the female racing scene in the KC area, there is a handful that are excellent runners, and then the talent really drops off. I know there is talent out there, I guess they are too busy being mothers, or something, and just quit competing after college. The numbers may be there, but, maybe, they just don't train with the proper intensity. Maybe they don't know how. Read my blog!

Notice the bowel she is holding. All of the top trophies were bowels, or urns, and even flasks, were made by the art department at Washburn University. Even the medals were made from clay. Very cool!


The older gentleman pictured is the 72-year-old Wray Sharonbrack. He is from Milwaukee and just flew in for the race. He is on a mission to run a half-marathon in each state. He has 13 more to go. I asked him how long he thought it would take to finish the goal and he said by the end of the year! Think about it. That is over a half-marathon a month, each in a different state! Just the expense and logistics is crazy. I asked him how many marathons he's done in his life, and he said that he's run 512 marathons and ultra-marathons in his life! That's unbelievable. But I believe him. Someone call Ripley's.

This was a very competitive race, especially in the 40 and over male divisions. Mike won 1st in the 40-44 division with a 1:30. He was really pumped about it. There was a pack of us old guys. I fell back on some of the monster hills (and their were a lot of them). I had kind of fallen from the pack and was enduring the hell bymyself. Then, in the last 2-miles, an older guy pulled up with me from behind. He had on a Hawaian Ironman jersey. "Great", I thought to myself, I new I was going to have to race him in to the finish. I thought I was going to take him. We were both going neck and neck, sprinting the last 1/10 of a mile. It's not fair enduring that hell for 13-miles and then having to give everything you got at the very end. Well, I guess he wanted it a little more than I did. I jokingly grabbed his jersey like I was going to pull him back right before the finish line. At least we gave the crowd a thrill. It turns out, he was 52, so he wasn't in my age group anyway. Whew! I still had a chance for a medal.

They were giving medals to the top three finishers in each age group. They called the first two, and I wasn't won of them. Then they called the third, and it wasn't me either. I was bummed. But, the third place guy didn't stick around, so, the medal went to me! I mockingly pumped my fist, and the crowd laughed. After all that, I wasn't going home empty handed!

This race is a must-do. The course is crazy-hard, but scenic. It is wonerfully supported with excellent awards. Usually, they give out very nice, emrodered, wind shirts. But, this year, they gave out great gym backs with the Topeka to Auburn logo. How cool is that?! I'm kind of disappointed that more from my runnig group didn't show up. You all get the Winnie Award. Except for Rod, he had to go to his nephew's birthday party.