Fun Run Saturday 7/25 Smokies Half Marathon

If you are interested in running this one then plan to come out on Saturday. Let me know if you would like to meet up so I will be looking for you & make sure that you have a ride to the top. If the forecast is high for thunderstorm then I will cancel. I don't want to relive being at 6000' in a storm unless I have to.

I was planning to run a 50k from Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap on the Appalachian Trail portion in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but schedules and logistics have changed. I am jonesing for some Smoky Mt. action so here is what I have in mind:

Meet at Smokemont Visitors Center on Hwy. 441 in the park at 7:45 AM this Saturday. Leave your vehicle (it's safe) there & I have another hiker coming that will drive us up to Newfound Gap on the A.T. I hope to be on the trail running by 8 AM.

Head east on the A.T. past Charlies Bunion. Take a right onto Dry Sluice Gap Trail which you will follow onto Bradley Fork Trail and end up back at Smokemont with your vehicle. The first three miles on the A.T. are uphill with about 1000' gain. After that the final 10 miles level out and zip down Richland Mountain. You could easily add in more mileage if you like. Take a look at the entire map of the park here.

Here is a map of what I plan to do. The weather looks to be beautiful on Saturday!

The Hot & Juicy Landsford Canal 50K

New running friend Mike Riggins & I Before The Run.

The alarm never had to go off Saturday morning at 3:45 AM. I was wide awake in bed at 3:30 and my brain was telling me "Im ready - get up!" As I lounged few a few more minutes I thought back to Valentine's Day when I finished my first marathon. Right after that race I told myself, "now you can just take a break through the spring and summer and start training again in the fall after the heat is gone." I had not shook the hand of ultra running yet!

I was excited to share the ride to the race with my new friend Mike Riggins from Greenville. He picked me up at 4 AM and we were in Lancaster, SC at the Landsford Canal State Park for the race at 6 AM. The race started at 7 AM so we had a full hour to chat and take care of other stuff. It was nice to meet Christian Griffith and several of the other GUTS (Georgia Ultrarunning & Trailrunning Society). I read several of their blogs and have learned a lot of great ultra stuff from them. On top of that, they are incredibly nice people to spend a day running with.

The 4.25 mile loop course was totally different than what I had in mind. I was thinking it would be 3.25 miles of single track trail and 1 mile of road. Wrong, it was the exact opposite. I was thinking it would be as flat as a pancake. Wrong, there were two respectable hills to get up & down. Ultra running is a sport of "adjustments" and this would be one too.

Claude Sinclair (Race Director) lined about 50 runners up at 7 AM, fired his civil war musket cannon thing and we were running. You could hear the blast echo up the Catawba river and then back down. It was cool.

It seemed like the whole pack started off really fast. I was running a nine minute mile up a steep hill for the first mile and I knew that was just stupid for me. I felt like I needed to keep up with everyone to learn the first loop of the course so I did.

After the first loop I was feeling pretty good and decided that today was the day to push myself and see how fast I could finish. Loops 1-4 went really smooth and I was enjoying the day. I met up with Tiger who was a joy to run & chat with. I have followed her blog for a few months and it was great to finally meet her.

I passed our vehicle every lap and I would eat a few electrolyte caps every time. For some reason I zoned out on the 5th lap and forgot to take them. The temperature on the blacktop had to be over 90 degrees and I was pouring sweat. About 100 yards from the vehicle I realized that I had forgot them, but decided not to back track. As soon as I made up my mind to keep going I saw Erica from Augusta, GA who looked like she was about to collapse trying to make it up the hill. I offered her some food/water and she bent over & looked like she was about to get sick. I offered to stay with her, but she insisted that I push on. I did, but I was a little concerned.

As I made it by the aid station on the 6th lap I was sure to get the Scaps and some extra salt in me. There was a long stretch of road half way through the loop where you could look back and see people behind you. I noticed Erica about 1/2 mile back and she was looking strong.

Erica ran me down heading into the last lap and we arrived at the aid station at the same time. We headed out together and she said that she had taken some extra electrolytes and ginger snaps & felt much better. My electrolyte salt stuff seemed to be doing OK at that point too. We ran/walked together for much of the final loop and stayed ahead of anyone else trying to catch us. We both encouraged each other and finished strong. She is a gutsy runner and I look forward to running with her in the future.

Both of my arm pits became chaffed and bled, but other than that I finished with zero problems! Not only that I finished in 6:13:40 which was a great day for me!

I was proud & excited to earn the famous "Team Slug" shirt and Claude's great homemade finisher's award...


It was great to cap of the run by celebrating my sister's birthday with some burgers and cake right at the park!

Just Signed Up For My First 100 Mile Event

Just did it - just like that! It was really easy. I printed the form & sent off the payment. Just like that I am running a 100 mile race in Florida on February 13, 2010. Heck, it was just as easy to sign up for the Weymouth Woods 100k. I have a feeling things will get tougher soon...

Yes, I have broken the rule of running. Actually I have broken several of them.

1. Too heavy & big to run that far...
2. Not enough rest between races...
3. Too many long races while just beginning in the sport...
4. Probably several other that I haven't even learned the hard way yet.

I continue to run and enjoy it. The pain & pleasure both contribute to the satisfaction. I took a nasty fall this morning while running on some creepy sidewalk terrain and may have broken a knuckle. I jumped right up from the fall, squirted some G2 on the bloody mess and kept chugging along. I never gave a 2nd thought to turning back. As a matter of fact - when the salt from the sweat finally worked it's way to the busted knuckle I just laughed and kept running.

I think the "WHY?" could be the most important aspect of running. No matter if you are running a lap around your block or 100 miles. "Why" do it?

I signed up for the 100 mile event today because I could no longer "not do it." I have to know if my mind and body can fight through the training and then complete the 100 miles at hand. Why else? I am running to God and great things, but away from other things. I'm running away from guilt, family neglect, wasting time, eating/drinking too much, and self-doubt.

Lots of crazy cool things went on in my head/heart when I finished my first two Ultra runs. My confidence peaks and I want to repeat them and experience more of it. Not to mention all of the amazing people that I am meeting along the way. It's not all about any one person, but a group of different people in a supreme struggle sharing unique goals. Sounds king of like Gotham and Batman, huh?

The 100 mile event is over six months away, but in many ways it begins today. I look forward to the training and seeing what happens!