The Unofficial Katy 225 (Race Report)

Clinton, MO to St. Charles, MO

Monday, October 23 to Friday, October 27

200+ mile attempt #7

Weather - Warm

Preface

I should not have waited so long to write this up as I am sure I have forgotten a LOT of important things.

The original Katy 225 was a race to be put on by the same organizers of the Cowboy 200. Registration for the event happened about a month after Cowboy and I was the very first registrant. Katy 225 was going to be my fall "A" race, as I had done very well at Cowboy and hoped to do just as well in Missouri.

Unfortunately, about 11 days out from race day, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources pulled the event's permit. I'm choosing not to get into a big debate about why the permit was pulled, or the eventual decisions of the below race report. (So don't ask...)

A handful of us decided that we would do our best to do this event without the umbrella of an event. I had the time off from work and had not cancelled any of my travel or other arrangements. Once I had participated in a Zoom call that discussed plans and logistics, I thought I could make this work. Yes, I have done 200 mile races. No, I have never done a race/event/run this long without official support.

Race Day

There was only one other person who was flying into Kansas City (I had planned to fly in there because originally the race was offering a shuttle to get to the host hotel near the start line). Thomas agreed to pick me up and drive me to the start, so I did change my reservation to a hotel near the airport. 

Thomas and his wife Sinead arrived at 5 am for the 90 minute drive to Clinton. We had planned to arrive at 6:30 so we would be ready to go for the originally planned 7 am start. It was pitch black when we got there. Used the bathroom at the trail head and waited for the others to arrive. There was some nervous excitement at the "start" line and before I knew it, we had a countdown to start.

Monday morning starters! (I look very short)

Initially, I had set up my interval timer for running 4 minutes and walking 1 - like I had done at Cowboy. It worked for quite some time, but probably not as long as I was hoping.

I had started the run in my 5" CVG Voodoo shorts, a Rabbit EZ tee and then a Patagonia Airshed Hoodie. I planned on leaving the long sleeves on until it got too warm, which was definitely before I got to the first "aid" station.

We started out heading east on the Katy Trail - which is a very wide, multiuse trail that is made of crushed limestone. We were running right at sunrise, so it was a treat to see that.

I settled into my rhythm and ran alone for many miles. I don't think I ever took any pictures, but there was a marker at every mile. We actually started at 264 and were counting down. 

I was honestly pretty surprised by how pretty this trail was! Unlike Nebraska, there were TONS of trees, and due to the time of year, there were some really incredible fall colors. 

Every time we approached a "town" there would be a little sign off to the side that indicated where we were. 

I began to get a bit warm, but figured I would tough it out until I got to the first "manned" aid station.

Like Cowboy, I thought it would be fun to do a series of bridge selfies. I'll post a few, but not all of them.  

The original race listed access to other trailheads that had bathrooms and water access. The first of these being Calhoun, which was just over 9 miles in.

I opted to not leave the trail as it was a bit off course and I didn't need anything that badly. 

I thought this below sign "You are always welcome in Missouri State Parks" was pretty funny. Welcome on the trails unless it's dark... (

I finally saw the sign for Windsor, which was supposedly at mile 16.9. 

I did not see Paul's crew here, and I'll admit I was a tiny bit worried. It was still very early though, and I know that he was ahead of me at that point. The crew for someone else was there and they offered me some food. I accepted, but what I ate was NOTHING I would normally have. Some sort of Keto tortilla and a banana with honey. I swear I tasted that thing for HOURS. 

This next section was one of the hardest for me. After leaving Windsor the trail changed. There were far fewer trees. Plus, it was unseasonably warm. (I believe the weather app said it was 13 degrees above normal.). I was SO hot and SO thirsty. Hot and humid are not my favorite conditions to run in. 

This sign really made me laugh. Wooo, almost 1000 feet above sea level, lol. This was one of the areas where there was even a bike rack near the bench - I'm assuming because they have a lot of people stop for pictures?

I came across this little guy as I was running along the trail. 

I was still doing my intervals, although it was getting harder to maintain the long running sections with how hot it was. I managed to do over 5.5 hours of them though, which was probably about what I expected I would do before I changed them to be shorter. 

I was starting to worry that I would run out of water in this longer section before getting to the aid station. Even though I had a few extra bottles I had not filled them in Windsor because in the first section I still had quite a bit of water left. Rookie mistake!

Arrived at Green Ridge and there were some other crew folks there, but since it was not an "official" aid station Paul's family was not there, nor did I expect them to be. There was a bathroom, but unfortunately no water. Ugh.

Could it BE any hotter?? The sun only made things worse.

Finally feel like I'm getting close, and I hope it is sooner rather than later. I didn't show the aid station as being until mile 37.9, but I saw Paul's family at the trail head and I was SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM. I slammed a bottle of water and a Mountain Dew, plus just sat there for a few minutes. I could not believe how warm it was and I was mad at myself for running out of water. I drank a protein shake and can't remember what else I ate, but I took some peaches to go and headed out in much better spirits. Shortly after leaving I saw a dive bar right off the trail. I figured I would just stop. I walked in and there was only one other person in there besides the bartender. The man wanted to know what on earth I was doing out in the heat. I told him I was running the whole trail - to which he looked shocked. I ordered a Corona (choices were limited because they had no IPAs or any beer on tap) and went to use the bathroom and washed my hands. The guy bought my beer and told me some things to look out for during the back half of the trail. All in all, the stop was probably about 5 minutes and TOTALLY worth it.

Soon after leaving I had actual roads to cross. I think Sedalia was the only "big" city we would be in the whole time, and after being in the middle of nowhere it was a bit overwhelming. Arrived at the train depot and realized that is probably where the aid station was supposed to be. I was just happy to have had a beer and refilled on everything.

This was the only section where it was probably a hinderance to have the route loaded in my watch. I was heading along a VERY clearly marked section and my watch told me I was off course - it wanted me to go back and then be a few blocks over, so I backtracked. I probably didn't need to do that, but wanted to do the "exact" route that had been designed. 

The outskirts of town were not my favorite. There were some dead animals, trash and a few kinda sketchy people. I was glad to be doing this during the day since I was on my own. 

I was surprised to see crew at Pleasant Green, since it was not a true aid station. I was glad to have the opportunity to get something more to eat (ramen). Paul was cramping a bit (not too much of a surprise after the heat we had been dealing with) and was lying down. I opted to head out first, assuming he would catch me over the next 12 miles, which he did not.

The next aid station was Pilot Grove - which was mile 61.7. I was once again really glad to see John and CJ. When I arrived, I decided to try to sleep and then I would wait for Paul. When I arrived CJ said that Paul had actually been stopped on the trail by a sheriff! He had been asked where he was going and why he was out this late and if he wanted a ride. CJ said we were going to be keeping things "low key" - which made it all the more funny when he accidentally set the car alarm off and then couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Way to be inconspicuous. I was really happy to be offered the first of MANY food choices - this time was cheeseburgers from McDonald's. I honestly can't remember the last time I had one of these, but I tell you what, they taste EXACTLY the same as I remember - and it was pretty delicious. 

This trusty cooler and it's contents were a lifesaver!!

The moon was really incredible. It was also a much warmer night than I expected, with me never needing to put anything on over the tee I had been wearing.

We left Pilot Grove and Paul's nephew, John, joined us. I had been alone for the whole first day, and it was nice to have the company. The family also decided at this point that we were going to just have aid at every accessible trail head, which made everything seem so much more reasonable. Next up was Booneville, which was a cute little town.

We ran along the road for a bit, and then probably the most "city" section of the whole trail - even going by the Isle of Capri casino.

We then had a very long section where we crossed the Missouri River - right as the sun was coming up - which was pretty cool. 

We had to cross another road shortly after climbing one of the only "hills" on the trail - in the middle was a dead skunk. 

The boys met up with us in New Franklin and we were treated to McDonald's breakfast! Like the cheeseburgers, the pancakes taste exactly as I remember - mostly the butter. Also had hashbrowns and a breakfast sandwich with coffee. Delicious!!

We left the "aid station" feeling rejuvenated. More of the same nice, tree-lined trails. It was still warm (80's still, I think), but since it wasn't as sunny it was not NEARLY as bad. 

Paul had done a TON of research on what the trail would be like. I discovered that he made voice recordings that described the mileage, trails, and any "fun facts" about that particular section. We were entering the section with the bluffs, which was really pretty cool and unexpected!

Heading towards Rocheport is the one really cool tunnel. Pictures don't really do it justice, but it was pretty impressive!

We arrived at the Rocheport aid trail head right around 11:30. I know we had food at this one, but I can't remember what at this time. 

I remembered trying to nap, but was unfortunately unsuccessful. All of our stops were pretty long, and I think this one was no exception. 

Saw my first snake! 

It was still pretty warm - and by mid afternoon it was drizzling a bit. Not enough to get wet, but raining nonetheless. 

We saw the boys next at McBain - this time they brought a charcuterie platter and Little Caesar's pizza! I don't know that I will ever have this much amazing food ever again. I realized I had lost my pack of gum at some point, and wouldn't you know that they had a bunch of gum choices as well? Seriously, they had everything.

We headed out again. Nothing too memorable in this section.

EXCEPT FOR BOATHENGE...

Finally we arrived at Cooper's Landing, which was supposed to be mile 102.2 - still not halfway?? This was the only place that wasn't just at a trailhead. There was a small shop/bar where I got my second beer of the race. The place also had a stage for live bands, and CJ and John planned on performing there later. (Seriously - they did, I'll have to try and track down the video).

We tried for a nap, but once again, I didn't sleep. So off we went. I felt refreshed after lying down for a few and having a beer. Paul and I kicked it into high gear and did the entire 8ish mile section running intervals. It began to rain a few miles before we arrived in Hartsburg. By the time we got there it was raining pretty good and it was late. We were both lying down on the benches to try to nap. With the rain it was chilly and I could NOT get comfortable. We were also right next to a cornfield, which was kind of sketchy. Paul was sleeping and CJ would come out every 45 minutes or so to update us on the weather. Finally he kicked us out on the promise that instead of trying to push through to the hostel in Tebbetts that they were going to get a room at the Marriott in Jefferson City for us to get some real, quality sleep.

That was enough for us to head out. It rained pretty good for a while. It wasn't, thankfully, cold rain, but it was a LOT of it. I think I had headed out in my Airshed and my R1. It did warm up, and I definitely remember dropping layers at one point. This section Paul was ahead of me by a decent amount for a lot of this, and I would have to run to catch up. This was probably the lowest I felt during the whole "race."

A VERY long 10 miles.

We arrived at the North Jefferson trailhead shortly before 3. We didn't see the crew vehicle, so I pulled out the Life 360 app and it looked like they were all at the hotel. I told Paul he should text them to come get us. No response. Then he tries calling - all three of them now that his other son Jeff had arrived. Nada. I send a few pings through the app asking for an ETA. Still nothing. Remembering that they were going to book a room at the Marriott, we call there. They have no record of any of them. Finally we zoom in closer on the map and see that they are actually at a Holiday Inn. We try calling there and no one answers at the front desk. We have now been trying to get a hold of people for over a half hour! Finally I suggest to Paul that we just keep going. There is no sense just sitting around. There are other places we can get picked up along the trail (road crossings) and I want to get something done vs. just sitting around. We get about a mile down the road when CJ calls - very apologetic for falling asleep! He picks us up and then it was about ten minutes down the road to the hotel. They were SO kind to get a suite and gave me and Paul dibs on each of the beds. I plugged in my phone and and literally fell asleep in seconds. It felt like I had just closed my eyes when two hours later CJ said it was time to get ready to head back out to the trail. Sigh.

Either the best (or second best) sleep I have ever gotten during a race for sure. So CJ dropped us off where he had picked us up earlier. It seemed like he overshot the road (as there were multiple intersections) and we unfortunately went the wrong way for a bit. We turned around and then found the mailbox landmark I had picked to resume our activities. This section to Tebbetts along the highway was probably my least favorite since it was pretty loud and there was a shocking amount of traffic. I also had developed a cramp of some kind on my right side, right below my ribcage. It would be many hours later before I realized it was probably the empty can in my pack bouncing into my ribs...

After what seemed like an eternity - we arrived in Tebbetts. I took this picture in town:

And the hostel that we did not end up using:

At this trail head we were sharing the space with a group of cyclists that were doing an expedition ride.

Food at this stop was Starbucks breakfast! I had coffee, the cream cheese filled pumpkin muffin and a breakfast sandwich. 

Since we had "just" slept in Jefferson City we headed out without lying down. This section was to be paced by Paul's son Jeff (below in the red vest).

We had more of the really tall bluffs on one side. It was still warm, but cloudy again, so not miserable.

At one point mid run, they decided to nap for a bit. They were going a decent bit off trail, and I didn't want to do that, so I kept going for a few minutes until I found a nice looking spot off the trail. I am not sure I slept, and when I woke up I felt really itchy and had some mosquito bites (or bites from who knows what).

Paul and Jeff had apparently head out and decided to let me sleep. I was trying to catch up to them and was doing intervals but never quite caught up to them. 

Arrived in Portland and knew that there was a bar up the hill, and since we were waiting on the crew I headed up for a beer. Like the place in Sedalia, no IPAs and nothing on tap. I ordered a Blue Moon and then went to pay and was told it was cash only. I apologized and said I only had a card because I was out running the whole trail. The gal was so impressed she gave it to me for no charge. (Of note, this bar also allowed smoking indoors - I literally had no idea this was still a thing!)

Possibly the best food of the entire race happened here - CHIPOTLE BURRITO. I devoured about 98% of this...

We headed out, with John having plans to pace this next section. Unknowingly, this was the longest stretch without aid or trailheads.

Don't worry, according to my phone, this is just a wolf spider - although it was huge and bit frightening.

NEVER thought we were going to make it to the next stop. Ben was flying into St. Louis and had plans of taking a Lyft to meet us. 

We arriving in Rhineland fairly late, and we were both tired. Crew planned to meet us there. Paul and I both laid down on the cement (on the mats) and took very short naps. Ben arrived at McKittrick and headed out on the trails with us. There were times that we were leapfrogging with Paul and we found a bench that looked good for a nap. I laid on the bench and Ben laid near the trail. Later Paul said he ran by and was like "I was wondering who that was sleeping on the trail." To be fair, I was on the bench facing the river and he didn't see me. Haha. 

This whole section is a blur - I think Jeff and Paul beat me into this one again? Maybe there was another napping situation, I can't actually recall. 

Jeff headed out with us from Treloar to Marthasville. This was a very tough section for me again. 

In Dutzow we stopped at this cute shop for smoothies. The guy who runs it is a real-life Forest Gump and has plans to run from Florida to California. 

In Dutzow we had another delicious meal with burgers and part of a burger (I think? Maybe it was part of a sandwich) and Ben had also gotten me a Budweiser. Also, I FINALLY CHANGED MY SHIRT (haha). 

Ben paced us from Dutzow to Augusta - which was a bit challenging for him since he was supposed to be "working." It was hot in this section too - and very humid. 

Another great food option in Augusta - PANDA EXPRESS!!

John paced us from Augusta until Defiance. We were sad to see that the brewery in Defiance closed at 7 pm?? Why... I had been telling Ben that things were going to be catastrophic if I didn't get some sleep. He did Ben things and managed to completely empty out the back of the truck and made a nest for me. I actually got a bit of sleep since I was able to somewhat stretch out and be warm - plus it was actually quiet. Jeff then jumped in to pace from Defiance to Greens Bottom. We thankfully moved quick enough that he wasn't going to miss his flight back home. It was also a pretty great section where we moved quick and talked a lot and time flew by. ALSO - we saw an ARMADILLO!! He ran across the trail right in front of us and then stood on the side while we looked at him with our headlamps. Unfortunately, none of us remembered to get a picture.

We had to go a short bit off the trail to get to the trail head. The bathroom was probably the most disgusting of the whole trail, but hey, it was the last one we had to use. The guys had brought us a smorgasbord of gas station foods - energy drinks, coffee, sandwiches, hot dogs (which is what I had) and a random assortment of meat/cheese sticks. We were so close to being done, but decided that we would have to sleep for a half hour or so before heading out. I think I actually slept!

We picked up Ben again and he "ran" us into the finish. The last few miles were tough for all of us. Paul kept saying he wanted to take a short nap and Ben kept saying "DENIED." When we got closer to St. Charles, we were in a park area and there were some people running. Ben said "they obviously aren't racing because they don't have packs and don't look sad." I said they looked like crossfitters. Sure enough, when we got to the end, the guys came up and congratulated us. They asked if we wanted to do a victory lap. NO.

Me and Paul

John, Paul, CJ, Ben, Me

We found the Katy Bike Stop Cafe nearby and we were really happy that they let us in even though it didn't seem like they should be open yet. We were all very happy to use a real bathroom and wash our hands. Paul and gang planned on going to a hotel to clean up and get some sleep before starting their trek back to Michigan. We stuck around long enough to drink a couple of beers before taking a Lyft to a nearby Hilton.

Stats:

"Official" Time - 94:37:34 (Race cutoff was to be 96 hours)

Watch Time - 91:28:18 (Used the pause/resume function for the first time when we left the course to go to the hotel. Race would have allowed this at crew accessible aid stations. We would have to have turned in timing chips to the aid station and put them back when returning)

Distance - 232.69

Pace - 23:35

Average Moving Pace- 16:28

Run time - 18:36:38

Walk time - 46:21:06

Idle time - 26:30:40 (lol. I definitely lingered way longer than normal, but it was fun to be around other people).

Race directors had already ordered the buckles and they were kind enough to send one to me. What a badass buckle!!! They put so much time into the design and it's truly unique. Really happy to be able to add this to my colleciton.

Thoughts:

• Logistically, this was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I had to be completely reliant on strangers to get this done. I will forever be grateful to Tom and his wife for the ride to Clinton. Words will never express how amazing Paul's family is. CJ, John and Jeff are selfless, funny, generous and incredibly supportive. I would NEVER have been able to do this without their help.
• It's REALLY too bad that the official event was cancelled. Every local I interacted with either knew the run was supposed to happen and were bummed it didn't, or at least was interested in why we were out there.
• This trail is basically the opposite of the Cowboy Trail. It was very scenic and there were lots of benches (that I didn't abuse!). I really liked (at least in the beginning) that there were so many mile markers. Definitely made you feel like you were getting somewhere.
• This might be the least I have slept at a 200+ in a long time. I thought I had it all figured out after how well things went at Cocodona, but this was really hard. Other than the hotel, and maybe the last "aid station" at Greens Bottom, I don't think I ever actually slept. 

Gear:

• I was INCREDIBLY minimal for this event. I packed lightly and used even less than this:

• Gear I had with me and did not use
• Patagonia Micro Puff jacket
• Smartwool Intraknit Tech Scuba Hoodie
• Gloves?!
• Bula beanie
• Space blanket/poncho
• Filter for a bottle - never got close enough to any water source!
• Gear I found essential
• Two Rabbit Runners Roost EZ Tee
• CVG shorts - Pretty sure I only wore 2 pairs of shorts - the voodoo dolls and the space kitties. I may have worn my INKnBURN shorts for part of the race but since I don't have any full body pictures I cannot remember. Either way - now that INKnBURN is out of business, I am REALLY glad to have CVG in my life. The 5" length is perfect for me.
• One Zensah high neck sports bra - like always, wore one bra the whole race
• Socks - 2 pairs of Smartwool, 1 pair of Zensah mini crew
• Shoes - 2 pairs of Topo Ultraventure 2's. Developed the one hotspot/blister on my left forefoot. Otherwise, zero issues.
• Patagonia Airshed Pullover
• Patagonia R1 Techface hoodie - I say this every time, but this piece is undoubtedly one of the best layering pieces I have ever owned. 
• My "new" Tahoe 200 hat. I even wore overnight in lieu of a buff for headlamp. I wore probably 90% of the run.
• Garmin Fenix 7s Solar watch. I charged maybe 5 times during the run. I usually charged sooner than I normally would have just when I already was planning to have the pack off to make things easy.
• Petzl headlamp. I did not bring my Kogalla this time. I did only carry two small battery packs with me. The crew helped with charging battery packs for me - especially when I realized that running the Life 360 app completely drained the battery.
• Goodr sunglasses
• Other stuff
• Used the Ultraspire Zygos 5 pack again. Ever since I've "switched" to Salomon, I find the front bungees on this pack SO infuriating. The pocket placement is all that makes it "better" - by the end I was really wishing I had a different pack though. 
• Spring Energy - I was happy that Lisa had given me her stash of Spring Energy. These have proven to be a great fuel source in a pinch. Used much more in the beginning before the food offerings got more creative.
• Tanri sunscreen - I used the first day before running, but it was so humid that reapplying was futile. Future days were cloudy or so tree-lined that I did not have to use nearly as often as usual.
• Chapstick, probably didn't use as often as usual either, simply because of the humidity.
• After High Lonesome I bought a foldable spork to carry during longer events and I actually used a few times - pretty impressed with the quality for a "cheap" product.
• Rumpl travel blanket - used only at the Pilot Grove stop. All future stops the crew let me use a giant fleece blanket.
• Sea to Summit inflatable travel pillow - I want to love this, but I'm on my second one, and once again, there is some piece that becomes dislodged and the air doesn't stay in? Thankfully I bought at REI so I can return/exchange. May have to go to a different brand next time, because this is annoying. But seriously, a tiny pillow that weighs nothing and takes up no space is SO important.
• Face wipes. It makes such a big difference to use these at least twice a day during longer runs. 

I may make updates if I remember other things. All in all, this was a lot of fun, but not sure I'll do something like this again... (And also, did you know Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri? I know I knew this at some point, but I spent many hours figuring this was a new development. Nope, it always has been.)