First I would like to go on record and challenge anyone who says "there are no hills in Nebraska" September 17th 2005 I had the privilege of running the Bohemian Alps Ultra Marathon with Rob Smith in Brainard Nebraska.  A 50.4 mile running race takes you through four towns and two counties all of which on rolling gravel roads and hills.  By definitions they call these "rolling hills", but I’d be damned if they seem more
like Alps once you starting running them.

Initially the thought of doing this race came up while drinking a few beers and talking tough with Rob Smith.  It’s those sessions that always seem to get us into trouble but in the end, we are always rewarded by
completing a challenge that we normally wouldn’t have attempted.  

I know as a TnT member this website is more Triathlon driven, but I also think it’s about setting goals and completing challenges to make us stronger physically as well as mentally.  As I said earlier the thought
of doing this type race was first thought up, as a way to push each other to do something longer and harder.

 Later in the year it became crystal clear as to why to do it.  Rob Smith’s mother was diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease and to support her and her upcoming challenges Rob wanted to run this race as a fund raiser.  Money raised would be given to
the Parkinson Foundation.  I was simply Rob’s wing-man.  The person to push him to the finish line.
 

Initially our training was Triathlon driven.  We did what most Triathlets do.  Pick out our "A" races.  Train and work hard toward completing those races.  Then after Pigman we changed our Triathlon training regimen to more and frequent long runs that was more Ultra Marathon driven.

Having never competed in an Ultra we really didn’t know what to expect.  We knew this race was going to be for the most part unorganized and low
attendants so we thought it be wise to get there early.  Our race morning started at 2:30am with an hour and half drive to Brainard Nebraska.  We met at the race coordinators house which was also the starting and
finish line.  All 20 athletes were introduced at the pre race briefing.  I was surprised to see the average age of our competitors was in their mid to upper 40s.

Most were from the Lincoln and Omaha but some
traveled from Colorado as well as an Aero Space Engineer employed by NASA from Houston Texas.  Some of the competitors were seasoned Ultra runners and some were just good’ol boy farmers.  Talking about a Motley Crew.  

At 6:30am everyone lined up on the starting line. We were asked to all raise or right hands and repeat the following words.  "I know this is a foolish race to attempt, and if I get hurt, well it’s my own damn
fault".  And Bang!  We were off.  Some took off like a bullet but most stuck together for the first 15 miles.  It took a full 15 miles before the thinning of the herds began.  Rob felt strong and thought he needed pick
up the pace and before I knew it he was gone.  

Now you just put yourself in grind’em out mode and go.  One mile at a time.  You really can’t start counting miles this early in the day but as I was approaching the 26 mile point I mentioned to another runner (who has ran several Ultra’s) it’s really nice to be at the HALF WAY point. He said 26 miles is not half way in an Ultra. Realistically 35 should be considered half way.  

At first that didn’t sink in, but as we approached 35 miles.  Your body starts to change.  You experience new pains. You struggle with nutrition.  The thought of running 15 more miles becomes a gruesome thought. 
And soon those people you called competitors now become your support crew.  Everyone is cheering you on and pushing you.  You realize the success of those running beside you is as equally important as your own
success and you feed off their support and strength.

At mile 40 the race led us through a park name Timber Point Trail.  This park consisted of 2 miles of steep climbs and descents, rocky un-maintained trails and no flat surfaces to be found.  This section was practically difficult because your legs are already fragile, and now you have change to a different style of running.  It’s almost as hard as T2.  Changing from the bike to the run in triathlons has always been difficult for me.  After leaving Timber Point Trail we all renamed it "Timber
Hell".

As 45 miles pass, my thoughts were, "I can do this"!  You envision the finish line.  Some how you dig deep and find a burst of energy.  You start running like a rock star.  The miles are going by faster and faster. 
You gain strength knowing everyone is waiting for you at the end.  Now you can see the town’s water tower in the distance, next you can see the town, and soon Main Street, then the finish line.  

When you see you finish line, there is a rush of joy, but yet you are sadden as well.  You realize it’s not the race that counts but the journey that brought you there is now over too.  The true payoff was not crossing the finish line but when Robs mom was there to push you the last 5 steps of the race.  She knows we didn’t run for another t-shirt but to run give her strength for her future challenges. 

Finale note.  For those who ever wanted to run an Ultra?  The Bohemian Alps Ultra may be a small town event but it is well ran, with enough support to insure everyone to be successful when attempting this
challenge.

For those of you who wish to support Robert’s mother Suzanne.  You can do so by sending a small donation to the Parkinson’s foundation at www.parkinson.org and reference ultra-mom.

Rob Smith               8:23:17

Greg Corns             10:05:20

Mark Henderson          6:54:00 (New course Record)