Monday, April 29, 2013

Only In Arkansas - My 3 Days of Syllamo Race Report (In A Few Sentences)

 
(View From Our Cabin)


I can’t seem to find the time to write a detailed report about my experience at the 3 Days of Syllamo stage race in Arkansas, so I’ll sum it up in a few sentences and let picture tell the rest of the story.  Day 1 (50K) was a disaster, as most runners got lost (Amanda missed the last aid station completely, Stefan mistakenly crossed a river and got entangled in a fence, and I added 7 “bonus” miles).  Add to this Lalo’s injury and the Train’s illness, and our group was not excited about running 50 miles the next day.  After much grumbling and soreness, a few of us toed the line early Saturday for the 50 mile (closer to 45) stage, which ended up being my favorite section of trail in the Northern Ozarks.  Stefan and I ended up having good races, temporarily erasing the misery of the day before.  Jay provided comic relief (wasn’t funny at the time, and I’m glad he’s ok, but there were some funny moments looking back on it).  After eating some local pizza, we crawled into bed for a few hours of sleep.  Day 3 was cold (low 40’s) and rainy, a far cry from the mid 80 degree heat we had experienced the previous 2 days.  Since this stage was short (13 miles), I decided to take it out hard and see if I could hold it.  Stefan crushed the course, and I had a decent race (so did Amanda and Jay).  Within minutes of finishing, Stefan, the Train, and myself hopped in the car for a brutal 10+ hour drive back to San Antonio.
Despite getting lost on day 1, I had a blast at this event and would highly recommend doing it.  I think it helps to have friends along for the journey, and I’m not sure I could have done it without the group we had.  I’ll definitely be bac.

(Typical Section of Course)


(Amanda Splashing Through One Of Many Creek Crossings)

(The Fact That They Had To Put A Sign Up Is A Bit Unnerving)

(Post Race Music)

(Only In Arkansas)

(Post Race Sunday)


(Stefan's Legs After Fighting A Barbed-Wire Fence)