The Plan

Just because it was there.

There was no official FKT from Blowing Springs to Kessler. A friend named Michael had been trying to get me (or anyone, really) to run this route for a long time, perhaps more than a year. To our knowledge, not one had ever done it. At 41 miles, it really isn't a long route, but it was also never on my priority list. Yet it was always in the back of my mind.

Due to life circumstances and having to withdraw from Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon for the second year in a row, the end of 2020 seemed like as good a time as any to try.

I never really set a day; I just paid attention to weather forecasts and looked for a good opportunity. The forecast for Tuesday, Dec. 22 seemed as close to ideal as I could get in December in Northwest Arkansas. So even though I ran 18 miles of hill repeats Saturday (Dec. 19), I decided to go for it. There would be no taper, just one extra rest day.

For this FKT attempt, as i was the first, I knew that any time would get an FKT, but I still had goals:

• A Goal: Under 8:00 min/mile.
• B Goal: 8:00 - 8:30 min/mile
• C Goal: Just finish

I knew my A goal was reachable, but I knew it would be taxing. The overall pace wouldn't be that difficult, but figuring in bathroom stops and traffic and such, my running pace would need to be a decent clip under 8:00 min/mile.

I deliberated quite a while whether to do the run self-supported or unsupported. In the end, given the favorable weather conditions, I decided I would do the run unsupported, meaning I had to carry everything I needed with me. (I did take a credit card in case of emergency.) I carried three bottles of water: two handhelds and a soft flask that I could wear in my vest. Two of those bottles had Electroride from Spring Energy. For nutrition, I took Spring Energy "gels". I ended up using two Speednut w/ caffeine, two Speednut w/o caffeine, two Long Haul, and one Canaberry. My pack also had an Uncrustable (long run food of champions) just in case things went south.

As always, I ran in XOSKIN compression shorts and XOTOES, and I wore Topo Fli-Lyte 3s.

The Run

Erich (friend and the photographer/videographer for this endeavor) and I drove up to Blowing Spring in Bella Vista Tuesday morning. We had heard there was construction up in Bella Vista, but we weren't sure where. We saw some in the Blowing Springs parking lot, so I assumed (erroneously) that was it.

The morning was colder than originally forecast. The 30-32 degree morning turned into around 26 degrees. I called an audible and decided to wear an open-backed jacket to start. My hands are always problematic in the cold, so I did my usual: a pair of gloves, hot hands, and mitten shells. We took a quick picture by the Blowing Springs Trailhead sign and made a quick vid, and I started off at just before 6:13 (6:12:56 to be exact).

Everything went smoothly to start. I ran past Cooper Elementary school, past Bella Vista Lake, and past NW McNelly Rd., where part of the trail had been torn out. I knew that part was under construction from running this past summer. Next up was going under I-49. This is where I came across a sign announcing the trail was closed ahead. I didn't think much of it, assuming it would mostly affect cyclists.

I reached the tunnel under I-49. The trail was most definitely closed, but I assumed I could still make it through, thinking it would be much like the previous section at NW McNelly Rd. I climbed over a couple barricades (which should have been a clue) and ran through the tunnel. At the other end... It was an impassible mess. This was the construction people had warned me about. I looked around unsure of what to do. My only option was to climb up the steep embankment at the end of the tunnel and then run over toward Bella Vista Way (I assume).

I ran along Bella Vista Way for just a brief time, but my heart was sinking; I worried the run might be over, and I had no way to call Erich. I didn't have the trail memorized, so I didn't actually know where the trail would be in relation to the road, and I didn't know if I could find it in the dark. After I got past the i-49 on ramp, however, I saw what I thought was the trail back across the construction mess, so I made my way back down an embankment, ran across the construction site, squeezed between a fence and a gate, and I was back on the trail. Any later, and I'm not sure I could've regained the trail. The detour added a little distance and time, but it was early; I had time to catch up.

As dawn arrived, I came to Crystal Bridges. I tried to stop at a trail-side bathroom near Crystal Bridges but it was locked due to COVID-19. I took a moment to throw my headlamp into my pack and eat my first Speednut. Then off I went toward Bentonville on a truly beautiful morning. I am not a fan of the zigzagging trail arrows around the Bentonville square; it's just so indirect and annoying. But I got through with no traffic. Getting back to the real trail on the other side of the square, there was construction again, but this time I just needed to stay on the sidewalk a few seconds longer, and then cut across the dry creek.

From there to mile 17 or so was basically smooth sailing. I ate again at mile 11 and made a bathroom stop in a secluded area. The bathroom stop and lost me some valuable time, but basically everything was smooth and the morning was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I also saw Erich at the half marathon mark.

Just past mile 17 there was an intersection with a large boulder at the southwest corner. I stopped there. It was full pit stop time. Off came the pack, and I swapped my beanie for a hat, took off my jacket, took off my inner gloves, ate another Speednut, and chugged the remainder of my first bottle of water. Then I repacked, adding the beanie, jacket, and gloves to the pack before strapping back up and continuing on my way.

I was now coming to Lowell and the first of several major roads crossings between Lowell and Fayetteville. This was the section where morning traffic could eat up time. Thankfully school was out winter break, so there was no school traffic. The first crossing was W. Monroe Ave. in Lowell. That required a very brief stop. The next was Wagon Wheel Rd. near Bethel Heights. That was also a pretty brief stop before the downhill into Lake Sprindale, where Erich met me again.

After Lake Springdale I was able to run unencumbered for a spell through most of Springdale: past the square, past my sons' school, through a park, and then down to E. Robinson in Springdale, usually the worst of the major crossings. I got held up for quite a while at E. Robinson. I don't know how long, but emotionally it felt sooooooo long. Finally, I ran by Tyson Jr. high, crossed Don Tyson Parkway after a brief wait, and then it was a downhill to Lake Fayetteville.

I stopped at a bench along the trail at Lake Fayetteville to chug the last of my second bottle of water, eat a Long Haul. The temperature had risen significantly by this time, so I packed up my hot hands along with both bottles. I kept the mitten shells, and then I was off again, one soft flask of water left. Erich cheered me on again as I crossed the bridge over the dam near Veteran's Park and then headed west through Johnson.

Now was the long stretch through Fayetteville. This might be a good time to explain my game plan.

I already mentioned that my "A Goal" was to finish the route at an 8:00 min/mile pace or under. My plan was to hit Maple St. having run 8:00 min pace or under and then drop any hammer I might still have to get to Kessler. Most of the day I'd actually been running 7:35-7:45, but my stops had put me at around 7:56 pace as I ran through Fayetteville. So far, so good. I had to stop longer than expected at North St., and not long after, I ate a Canaberry as I walked up the hill to Maple St. I hit Maple at an overall pace of 7:58: exactly according to plan.

But things kinda started to fall apart.

If I ever had a hammer to drop, I must have lost it along the trail earlier in the morning. By the time I reached Walker Park and turned toward Kessler, it was all I could do to keep myself at pace, let alone "kick it in".

Those last four miles were hard. I found myself hoping I'd encounter a random runner ahead of me on the trail, just so I could "race" the person. Yes, I wanted to play a mind game to get myself moving faster, but no such luck. It was just me. And it was hard. The pavement. The speed. The lack of rest. It was catching up with me. I was barely maintaining a fast enough pace to stay under 8:00, but my HR monitor was showing red-level effort.

After almost taking a wrong turn, Erich cheered me on again as I was making the final major turn toward Kessler. I had maybe 2.5 miles to go and a long, slow uphill. It was just enough to make the effort hurt a little more.

About 20 minutes later I was nearing the end, running just to finish. Erich was waiting. Michael was there to see his brainchild come to fruition. I finished the trail at the cul-de-sac. Erich filmed me stopping my watch, and then I promptly collapsed on the grass. The world spun for a while as I laid there.

The Results

So that was that.

The route has been certified. The documentation of my run has been approved. I'm the owner (for now) of a snazzy new unsupported FKT at just under an 8:00 min pace. (Now I need to figure out how to hold that pace for another 9 miles.)

My legs were more sore than they'd been in a long time, a very different sore from longer trail runs. Strava says I also set a 50K and Marathon PR at the same time, so I guess I killed three birds with one stone. I'm now thinking my sub-4 50K goal may not be challenging enough.

2020 was a year both to remember and to forget, but this was a good ending.