Elite Training Solutions

Diego competed at the Taco Bell 50k last weekend. This was his first ultra distance run. Although it’s not an official race, it drew hundreds of runners. The challenge of this event is that you have to eat an item from Taco Bell every 5k, accumulating at least 9 stops along the way. Diego managed a top 30 result despite being sick before the race. Congratulations on a tough run and way to go!

Kristy Simcox Clark competed at the Cowboy 200 last weekend. The route is on a rail-trail covered in crushed limestone and travels between Norfolk and Valentine, Nebraska through some beautiful rural countryside. The total distance is 200 miles on foot of course! Kristy has completed ultra runs of up to 100 miles previously and this was her first attempt at 200 miles. The first day of racing included a lot of rain. So much so that she had to change her shoes and socks at the first aid station. She battled for nearly 60 hours and got to 140 miles before deciding to stop due to tremendous foot pain. This was nothing to be disappointed about though as it was 40 miles longer than she has ever gone at one time. I am super proud of her effort and inspired by her perseverance in training for and attempting something so difficult. Way to go Kristy! photo credit: Brooke Kaczor

Looking to add volunteers to my Fall Marathon Aide station. If you’re interested please follow this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/Wichita/FallPrairieFireMarathon
Join the Elite Training Solutions water station and use this password: ElitePF26 I hope you can join us!

The last month has been a busy one for racing. We had athletes competing locally, nationally and internationally.
Melissa headed over to Vermont and finished a super hilly Mad Marathon adding another state to her tally of marathon completions. Tom finished with a nice first place age group at the Heatwave 10k continuing to improve his running skills.
Kendall ran an awesome 4 mile race at the Mulvane Old Settlers and knocked a minute off his PR from last year. He finished fourth overall. And Rubi headed down under to race the Sydney Marathon. She ended up running a new PB and finish in the top 1% of women and top 5% overall! I am super proud of each of these athletes as they have put in lots of miles and consistency to achieve these goals. Enjoy your accomplishments and keep up the good work!

We traveled to Leadville, CO last week for a week of hiking, friendship and good food. The schedule was packed with hikes at Mayflower Gulch, 14ers Belford, Oxford, Mt. Missouri and LaPlata Peak; and a chill day at St. Elmo to feed the chipmunks and Mt. Princeton hot springs. Couldn’t have had better weather for the hikes and despite some adversity with altitude sickness for a couple folks we all made some great memories and returned home safe. I am grateful for everyone who joined and thankful to enjoy God’s creation with them. A huge thanks to my wife for taking the lion’s share of cooking for this trip. We all appreciated having so much amazing food to choose from.

Happy 250th!

A month ago Doug mentioned that he wanted to ride 250 miles on the 250th. I thought that sounded like a cool idea and I had been wanting to do something big again after a couple years break from the bike. Despite the hot temps and time of year, we gave it a go. The biggest challenge besides the distance was the temps. Average for the day was 90 degrees with a max feel of 108 degrees and high humidity. We had a tailwind for most of the day, but that usually meant we were moving with little to no ventilation. I particularly remember climbing up texaco hill getting roasted. Once we got to the top and got a cross wind, it felt amazing. Shortly after we jumped into sharps creek for a full body soak around mile 110. We even enjoyed standing inside a b**r freezer at the Casey’s in Cottonwood Falls. Due to the heat we took extra time indoors at gas stations at every opportunity. Unfortunately, we had to cut the ride short due to a huge thunderstorm about 45 miles from our goal finish at the Nebraska border. By that point I was beyond cracked, but wanted to try to finish. It wasn’t meant to be but I had a great time with Cassidy, Zak and Doug. I am grateful for our crew, Richard and Sherdell, they pulled a 24 hour day with us to make this happen. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up for 25 hours let alone ride 218 miles. To God be the glory for the opportunity and for the country we live in.

All of the athletes competing at Unbound Gravel got to experience Kansas weather at its best. Heavy thunderstorms, downpours, wind and heat all in one day over 100-200 miles. Congratulations to Tom Courtney and Jason for persevering and navigating the 106 mile course which included some hike a bike and heavy mud sections.
Additionally, I had the privilege of crewing three 200 mile athletes from Canada; Dan, Brad and Graham. They had reached out a few weeks ago after getting in last minute. Thankfully two of the three were able to finish and I know had the weather not been so intimidating all three would have. It was super inspiring to see everyone out there battling over extreme distances in extreme weather. Congratulations to all of you!

Run race recap from the last few weeks:
We had Kendall competing at the Prairie Fire Marathon 1/2 marathon finishing 5th place in his age group.
Rubi competed at the Bill Snyder Highway 1/2 marathon and finished with a 3 minute PB placing 5th overall female.
And Tom competed at the Little River 10k trail run finishing first in his age group.
Congratulations to all of these athletes. Their hard work and dedication is paying off and it’s fun to see them push themselves to new levels!

Had a great time running the aide station with friends and family at mile 8.5 during the Prairie Fire Marathon spring 1/2 marathon yesterday. My daughter Grace even joined for her first volunteering experience. She handed out Gatorade and gels and was excited every time someone took something from her. It was a beautiful day for a race and great job to all the runners out there!

Tanya Molleker competed at the Boston Marathon recently and finished with a strong performance. It was a particularly encouraging result as she had recently worked her way back from an injury. Despite a short buildup which included plenty of cross training, she was successful in finishing and running healthy. Congratulations and way to persevere!