Leatherwood Mountain 50 Mile Ultra

It seems like the better an ultra marathon is, the longer I feel disconnected from "real life" when its over.  At mile 45 of this 50 mile race all I wanted was to be finished.  It seemed the harder I fought for it, the longer it took.  

It's always the best to return to my family, but simple things like forks, phones, TVs, and vehicles just seem strange as I stare outside and long to be out on the trails again.  It felt nearly alien-like to walk into a Burger King on the way home from the race and watch ice fall into my cup from a machine.  It's such a far cry from enjoying hot Coke and crusty PBJ sandwiches on the trail.  The pain is masked by vivid memories of happiness, struggles and friendships.  As the experience continues to sink in, it's already crystal clear that Leatherwood was a very, very special race.

The weekend began with Joe (Epic) Parker and Bo (Uno Banano) picking me up on Friday afternoon.  We made a pit stop to pick up Jonathan in Shelby then eventually met up with Annie & Bryan near Leatherwood.  Excitement was already brewing as Bo signed up for his first 100 mile race (Pinhoti) on the drive up. 

After the usual getting lost and surviving a high elevation down poor of rain we made it safely to the resort.  We were all surprised by just how beautiful the property was.  Check in was at a cozy restaurant and stable:

RD Mark Connolly working hard at packet pickup:

We quickly had our race bags and found the cabin nestled away in the forest.  It was great to be joined by the rest of the crew - Angela, Nick, Heather, Angie, and Scott.   It was great to have so many different runners looking to achieve different goals.  We were covering all the bases between the group, everything from the 10 miler, 50K, and the 50 miler.

Half of the group headed to the pre-race meal and speaker, the rest of us opted to chill at the cabin and eat whatever we could find.  Jonathan hooked Bo and I up with some baked beans, avocado, and bread.  I threw in a Nutella burrito for good measure as well.

As I headed into this race my training has been fairly horrible.  I suffered running burnout at the end of 2012 and my family moved over the last six weeks.  On top of this I've added about 25 lbs. back to my linebacker frame so my goal for this race was to not die.

Making it 25-40 miles would be awesome.

Simply finishing would be excellent.

We walked down to the pre-race meeting as the dinner was ending and stumbled in about halfway through.  I remembered hearing that there would be three different colored markers for each corresponding loop.  Sometimes there would be more than one color on each loop.  Sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right.  I just wanted to finish alive, but I had a feeling that would involve going way off of the course at some point.

We all ended back in the cabin resting for the night fairly early and race morning came quickly.  I didn't wake up nervous, but was super excited to check out some new trails. 

The plan heading into the race was for Bo and I to kinda "pace" Annie since this would be her first 50 miler.  Scott also mentioned that he would probably hang out with us so it was great to have some friends to share it with.

Annie gave Nick and I her race "plan" sheet with aid stations on it and asked what she should do about her drop bags.  Nick noticed a vital strategic move that she had made on her planning sheet.  She had originally ordered her husband Bryan to get her a hamburger for mile 24, but crossed it out and switched to a cheeseburger.  This came only after hours of personal debate and soul searching  :]

Critical Ultra strategy at stake here:

You could feel the energy in the cabin on race morning!



I lined up with about 65 runners for the 50 miler at 7:00 AM.  The weather was perfect at 40 degrees under a bright blue sky. 

We began with a beautiful guest singing of the National Anthem.  The perfect way to begin the journey.

Immediately after, we were commanded to begin and left the comfort of the stables.  I couldn't help but laugh (and whimper) as AC/DC played from the loud speakers "You're on a highway to hell......"

We ran the 1st mile on a fairly flat paved road, then immediately began with a steep 800 foot climb up a gravel road.  The views on this course were absolutely beautiful.

The course followed a pattern most of the day.

1.  Run a short distance on a road.

2.  Climb very steep up a mountain.

Or

3.  Go straight down a mountain.

There was very little flat or "easy" running over the entire 50 miles.  I loved it during the first 20 miles or so until my lack of training caught up with me - then the suffering began.

I remember the last time I felt fairly good during the run was around mile 19.  We made our way up a long/steep/slick mountain to see a beautiful view like this waiting for us.



It was almost freaky to feel so isolated in the wilderness and then stumble upon one of these gorgeous cabins.  From time to time we would hear people out partying on the decks and cheering for us at times.  At least that's what I told myself.

And then there were times through this area where we heard multiple gun shots.  They were a little too close for comfort, but at least they made us run.

There were gunshots and Boobies.  Yes, Boobies.  As we ran into the next aid station they had a big setup going.  Bacon, candy, drinks, and lots of other food.  I scanned down the table and there was even a female runner with her shirt off standing there getting ready to change.  As I was heading out I saw a look on Annie's face that I will never forget and we all had a good laugh about that down the trail.

So back to the run itself, the course was very challenging and scenic up until about mile 20 where I began to fall apart physically and mentally.  I've learned from personal experience to embrace the physical fight and wage war against the mental fight.  Short of breaking a leg, I was not going to drop today so I had to cope and hold on for 30 more miles.  30 more difficult miles.

As Bo, Annie, Scott and I completed the first 25 mile loop we found our self running steep downhills back to the Start/Finish area at the Stable.  It was all I could do to keep up with them.  Even running downhill was becoming a challenge, but I put on my best game face and just smiled.  In a sick way it was fun to be "in the fight to finish" so early.

As we ran into the stables I was putting serious thought into taking my race number off and dropping.  I was just too heavy and under trained to head back out.  I felt like I was holding Annie back and new that she could move along much faster with either Bo or Scott.  I feared that I would become a anchor.

I barely remember checking in at the stable.  Joe and Nick meet me and filled my water bottles and I met a lady who I had went to school with since 1st grade who's husband was running the 10 miler while she volunteered.

The four of us were quickly out of this major aid station and Annie handed me half of a cheeseburger.  That's right, she made me eat my words (literally) about her crossing off the hamburger on the list!

The climb to the next aid station nearly broke me.  My legs were cramping and I vomited three times.  That normally makes me feel better, but this time it was worse.  Scott hung back with me as I insisted that Bo and Annie push on ahead.  I was certain that I would drop at the next aid station which would be around mile 30.   There was just no way that I could make it any farther.

My plan was to let Bo, Scott and Annie get far enough ahead of me so they wouldn't know that I dropped at the next aid station.  I didn't want to have a negative influence on them.

Then I began to think about what I would do if I dropped.  I would go take a shower, eat, drink, cool down, and then feel a lot better in about an hour.  I would also beat myself up and be a big baby about dropping and ruin my entire weekend.   NO, not gonna happen today!

What if I just slowed down a little more now, kept moving, and started the entire race over.  Right here, right now at mile 27.  I was already halfway through and I really did want to see the rest of the course.  So I mentally put the first 27 behind me and focused on the next 23 miles.

All I need to do is make it to the next aid station, take care of myself, then get back on the trail.

At this point, I was a little concerned about making the only cutoff in the race.  If runners didn't complete the first 40 miles under twelve hours they would be pulled from the race.

I noticed Scott would run ahead and look back for me up the trail.  It didn't look like he was going to leave me so I decided to try and catch up.  I've actually "drifted" off him in several ultras so it felt good to be with someone familiar while I was in a bad mental spot.

We met up with Bo and Annie at the next aid station as they were heading out so I quickly just refilled my water bottles and went out with them.  They both seemed to be doing fairly well and I fed off of their enthusiasm.  I had left that dark mental spot back on the trail and we feeling a lot better.  Physically, it was still everything I could do to keep up with the pack.  I would drift back several 100 feet and then have to run harder to catch up with them on the downhills.  My climbing ability was nearly gone around mile 35.

Miles 35-40 were more of the same big climbs and downs.  I began to feel a little better through this stretch after realizing that we were going to finish the first 40 miles with about an hour to spare on the cutoff in 11 hours.  I new that barring any major catastrophe we would all be able to finish the final 10 miles.

That still didn't make it any easier to head back out from the comfort & party at the stables at mile 40.  The buzzards were even circling near the finish line.

Scott and Bo were in and out of this aid station very quickly with their headlamps as we had about two hours until dark at 6:00 PM.  Annie was really excited to have her husband join her for the final 10 mile loop and I told the entire group to please go ahead of me. 

My legs and hips hurt so bad I cried a little as I left the mile stretch of road back onto the trail.  Nick had warned me that the 1st three miles in this section were steep and all uphill and that was really pulling me down into a mental funk.  I tried to listen to some music, but it didn't help much. 

At this point I convinced myself that I was finished with ultras.  Whats the point of being out here walking in the woods all day and soon to be night?  Look at me, I'm not a runner.  I should be at a bowling alley or just laying on a couch somewhere.  Just finish this loop and I will never put myself through this agony again.

Bo decided to hang back and wait for me through here and he could probably tell that I wasn't in much of a talking mood.  I wanted to talk, but I was just incoherent.  I couldn't really think much, but in some sick way I thrived off pushing ahead step after step.

The strong Jason was taking this mountain down leaving the weak person alone to die back in the darkness.

I started feeling much better through this section and even asked Bo if he wanted to run some.  It was probably a pathetic run, but it made me feel like we were getting somewhere.  We ran up on Annie and Bryan around mile 44 and all four stayed together for the rest of the battle.

We came into the mile 44ish aid station and had to do about 3-4 miles to get to the final aid station at 48 before finishing.  It got dark on us around mile 45 and it slowed us down a lot.  I always hit a high point in a race just after sunset and it was not different this time.  I was tired, but mentally felt like a new person. 

It seemed to take FOREVER to get back to the mile 48 aid station but we finally did.  Bo hit rock bottom through this section and was starting to run ahead and lie down on the trail to rest.

We spent quiet a bit of time in the mile 48 aid station, but it didn't matter.  I think we all four needed a break before taking on the final two miles.  We re-grouped and headed out into the night.

At mile 49 we came to a tricky intersection that had confusing directions.  There were ribbons and signs everywhere and we all just wanted to cry.  Well, maybe except for Bryan who was still fresh and had a very level head on him.  He and Annie wanted to go left while Bo and I wanted to go right.  Thankfully, my stubborn side was just too tired to fight so I listed to them and went left.  It ended up being the correct way and they instantly became my personal heroes forever.

The four of us finally hit the final stretch of paved road to the finish and it was very fitting to have Scott join us out of nowhere too.  It was so special to see Annie finish her 1st 50 miler with her husband.  Like all of us, she was in considerable pain, but ran into the finish as a true warrior does.  She's a true ultra runner through & through.

We all four made it in around 15 hours and 10 minutes.  I felt like I had just ran 100 miles.  This course was mile for mile the hardest run I've ever done.

Immediately afterwards we walked over to the restaurant and shared some laughs over a late meal together.

Then back to the cabin to get showered and share a drink together.

I felt extraordinarily fortunate to be able to share this trail with my family (Nick & Heather) and my running family.  You form a bond with people when you go through a course like this and it will always be a special one to me.

I didn't want to think about trail running that night, but the next morning I was already getting excited about  training again and getting into better shape. 

I realized that I need "the fight" in my life of ultra running.  It helps to keep me humble and brings some of the most amazing people in the world into my life.  And I just like to get dirty and play in the woods.

Thanks to the Race Directors Mark Connolly and Tim Worden for all of their hard work that went into this race.  The volunteers at the aid stations were just awesome too!  They have put together something very special with this event.

***Pictures stolen from Epic Joe***



Laurel Valley Training Run 3/23/13

I enjoyed a great training run to kick off the Spring through the rugged 33 mile Laurel Valley course on the Foothills Trail.  This marked my 13th run through this section of trail and my 2nd fastest time 9:17.  I enjoyed the company of Bo (Bonano), Kiley, Justin and Lester for portions of the run. 

After spending about three months away from ultras and training I'm looking forward to reving my mileage up heading into the warmer weather.

One EPIC 24 Hour Race - 2012

This was the 2nd annual "One EPIC 24 Hour Run" and I'm happy to have had the privilege to be a part of them both.   Here is a quote from a post that I put on Facebook after the race..... "if you ever have the chance, go run/walk at least 1 loop at One Epic Run next year. There is something special about this race. Maybe its the great aid station, the friendly volunteers, the laid back (no stress) atmosphere, the beautiful course, or the huge diversity of different people out on the course, but there is just something special and different about this run. I'm already planning to be back next time and really appreciate having such a high quality event only 30 minutes from my home."

I think that about sums it up.

The loop was a little more challenging than the traditional 24 hour race normally uses, but the scenery and diversity more than make up for that.

Runners are able to tackle a 3.1 (5K) loop as many times as they like for the 24 hour limit.  My ambitous goal was to clear at least 85 miles heading into the event.


I ran most of the daylight portion with Bo who was looking to finish a 50K for the day.  I finished the 50K (31.1 Miles) in 7:03.  I ran/walked effortlessly through the day to reach this mileage and  was starting to get my 2nd wind as the sun was going down.

Log Crossing.....

Awesome views along the river....

I never get bored running a 24 hour loop course because the scenery changes just a little with each loop you complete.  As the sun moves, the forest changes with it throughout the day.  Plus, with nearly 100 runners there was always someone to chat with.

I was surprised to see that so many runners packed up and left at dark, but hey that was just more food for me at the aid station!

I hit the 50 mile mark in exactly 12:05 (Twelve hours and five minutes) and knew that I could get around 35 more miles in just under twelve hours.

Then on my 17th loop around the course I lost motivation.  Well, actually I had a few shots of Jim Beam chased with Corona at the aid station before heading out and that may have contributed too!

One of my goals as a ultra runner is to one day run 100 miles within a day (24 hours).  My heart just wasn't up for the battle and I happily decided to back off the pace and make 62.2 miles (100K) my goal for the run.

The legend/clown Ray K. showed up around midnight and paced me and Kelley around a loop in the rain.

I took a very long break (more than a hour) after my 19th loop and reluctantly decided to go walk my 20th which would give me 100K for the event.  I really enjoyed this loop and even started to pick up the pace a little at the end.

I did have some 2nd thoughts about continuing on since the race still had more than 8 hours left, but I felt like I should save myself for The Delirium 24 Hour race in February where I hope to finally hit my sub 24 hour hundo.  Adding 20+ miles to my already weary legs would just mean more time off again from training.

I felt great after my shower and three hour nap in the car, but I was very sore on Sunday afternoon.  Croft has some very twisty trails and I think all of the cutting back-n-forth takes a toll on runners more than anything else.

I wanted to say congratulations to so many runners who hit distance personal records at this race.  My brother in law Nick was one of them, along with Angela (new Epic RD).  And thank you to Denise Davis for the salt pills.

Once again, thanks to Epic Joe Parker and the volunteers who made this a fantastic event.  I'm really excited to hear that it will continue on with a new race directory next year!

Next up is The Harbison 50K on January 5th, which I'm running as a training race for Delirium 24.

Pinhoti 100 Mile Race 2012

This would be my third race at the Pinhoti 100 Miler which runs point to point in Alabama from Heflin to Sylacauga.  It features rolling technical single track trail, a few big climbs, and 15-20 miles of runnable fire roads.  A good mix to keep you interested & entertained over the course of a day or so.

I DNF'd my first attempt and finished in 28:01 last year.

I put together a crew & pacer team of Bo "1 banana" Millwood, Nick Cerda, and Joe Parker.  These guys were responsible for driving me to the race start, then following along the course through 18 aid stations giving me what I needed and running with me through the night. 

The four of us headed to Bama with Joe's dog Onxy for what shaped up to be a beautiful weekend of trail running.  We picked up my race number and packet on Friday in Oxford, AL near the start, enjoyed a steak dinner at Longhorn, then drifted off to sleep in the hotel before 10 PM watching "The Book of Eli" on TV.

I woke up about 20 minutes before the alarm at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning feeling great.  We met up with several other runners in the hotel lobby at 5 AM and made the 30 minute drive to the start.  Temps were unusually mild around 48 degrees at the start.

The race began at 6:00 AM so it was dark for the first 30 minutes.


It was great to see a local trail runnin' friend Chris Worl who had a great race...

Like a fool, I immediately started the race in the front 25% of the pack.  I ran just about every hill and didn't bother pacing myself at all.  I didn't look at my watch and just let the excitement of the morning carry me.  This is normally a recipe for disaster in a 100 Mile race and it nearly was for me then.  My reckless abandon of a moderate pace caught up to me fairly quickly around mile 20 when temps began to hit 80 degrees.  It got hot in a hurry and my basketball shorts were soaking wet with sweat.  Not a good sign this early in Pinhoti.

My crew had already met up with me three times and everything was clicking until the heat crept in.  I began to get very dizzy and nausea around mile 25 and eventually just collapsed beside the trail into a soft bed of pine straw.  I closed my eyes and I could feel the world spinning.  I wasn't even sure if I could make it two more miles into the 27 mile aid station.  Several runners past me and checked to see if I was OK.  I just lied to most of them because I didn't want to mess with their head or slow their race down.  At least until a runner came through that I knew - Denise.  She could tell that I wasn't doing well and offered me some jelly beans.  They did pick me up a little, at least enough to get up and drag myself into the aid station.  I was thinking it may be time to take my race number off and call it a day. 

At the last minute before I saw Joe before getting to the aid station I reminded myself that it was still very early in the race and I was way ahead of the cutoff times.  Just give yourself a chance and try to cool down for 10 minutes in the aid station.  I didn't want to have to face that 4 hour drive back to Spartanburg without a buckle - I would let them down and myself.

28 Mile Lake Morgan Aid Station Where I nearly dropped

It was great to see my crew here and the immediately had me sat down in a chair under some shade.  I must have looked rough because they didn't push me back on the trail at all.  Bo hooked me up with a ice towel to put on my head while Nick & Joe fixed me up with a Powerade, Red Bull, Coke, and some ice water.  They also had grilled me a juicy cheeseburger too which really hit the spot.

I started feeling better after about 10 minutes and I quietly told myself that I would at least make it 12 more miles to Bald Rock where I would see the crew again.  I decided to slow my pace way down and just enjoy the beauty of the trail for a while.  If my dizzy episodes returned then I would drop at Bald Rock and not try to put myself in harms way.

Sure enough I started to feel much better as I climbed up the trail away from Lake Morgan.  Even though I was feeling much better I would only run at a slow shuffle pace on the downhills and flats.  I didn't want to risk blowing up again.

I took it easy all the way up to Bald Rock which is at mile 40ish and a major turning point of this race.  At this point runners are allowed to pickup a pacer to run with them.  And because this is a park you actually feel like you're a part of society again with normal people walking around on top of the mountain and taking pictures of stuff.

My mind was destroyed at this point because I knew that I had a very long 60 miles to go and it would be getting dark in about two hours.  Could I face the dark and more of this trail for 15 more hours?  I had ran out of water again and decided that eating a pack of skittles was a good idea.  I nearly choked on them about a half mile from the top.  Soon after that episode I ran into Brad and Candy who were taking a break on some big boulders.  That looked appealing, but I needed to be alone so I kept going up closer to the top.

I knew that just getting up to the next aid station would give me a huge lift, but it still seemed SO far away.  As I got closer I ran into three ladies who were enjoying the beautiful afternoon walking their dog.  This was one of those big poodle looking dogs with a big Afro and I started petting it.  Before I knew it I was sitting on the ground beside him, petting him and telling him all of my troubles of the day.  I'm not sure how long I did this, but when I looked up at the ladies, I could tell that they weren't comfortable with the situation at all.  It honestly embarrassed me a little bit and I felt like I was having a mental breakdown.

I decided to stand up, man up, and get up to the aid station.

The top of Mt. Cheaha (highest point in Bama') is stunningly beautiful.

I saw Bo waiting for me on top of the boardwalk observation deck and it gave me an immediate surge of energy to hear him cheer for me as I finished up this climb.  I was fired up - when I climbed up the stairs to the boardwalk I dropped down and began throwing down push ups in front of everyone there.  I was seriously on the verge of losing my mind.  Bo told me to get up and we ran the next quarter mile to meet up with the rest of the crew at the Bald Rock aid station.

"Epic" Joe Parker and Marie-Ange were waiting to run with me for the next 15-20 miles, but before that I had to take care of some business.  I quickly changed back into my Hokas, lubed up my feet, and put on fresh socks.  After a Red Bull, Coke, Chips, and Raisinettes I felt like a new man.  It was almost like this was a brand new race.

The Hokas felt great on my feet and we made our way down the steep "Blue Hell" section of the trail.  It was nice to not feel any of the rocks or roots that had been tormenting me for the last ten miles.  Joe kept both Marie and I entertained as we headed into the Silent Trail aid station around mile 46.  It was cool to talk with Marie because she is also a wheat free eater and she had a ton of recipes to share.

It began to get dark on us about 2 mile after this aid station and the miles continued to tick by as we all three shared some great conversation.  As we past a few runners who were alone through this stretch I was so thankful to have my friends with me.

It was another lift to run up on my buddy Vic around mile 53.  He was my crew chief here last year always gets me fired up when I see him out on the trails.  I remembered looking down at my watch and thinking that it was only 9:00 PM, it already felt like I had been running in the dark for ten hours.  I knew this race was about to get a lot tougher.

There was my crew waiting for me again at Adams Gap (Mile 55).  Joe had one more five mile section to run with me before going back to his crew duties and I was happy to have mostly runnable fire roads through this next section.  He kept me entertained with some "hashing" stories from recent runs.  This section went by really quick and before I knew it we were already closing in on the 61 mile mark of the race. 

Bo jumped into pace me here and we had a lot of fun working through the twisty/rocky sections of trail leading to Porter's Gap (Mile 70) where Nick was going to run with me.  We past a lot of runners through this section who were struggling.  I was feeling pretty good and really wanted to get to mile 70 because that would mean less that a 50K to go!

I had struggled all day with my nutrition up to this point.  I've been eating a wheat free diet for the past 40+ days and I tried my best to run without it during the race.  I just kept bonking and getting so low on energy and I remembered Marie telling me to just eat what my body craved earlier during the race.  I finally started taking her advice and my energy levels began to rise.  I started shoving in all types of bread products and I could tell the difference within minutes.  On the downside, I would begin to feel green after about 1 hour of eating it, but the trade off was well worth it.

My nutrition was fine, nothing was injured, and everything was clicking.  I knew that once we got up and over the big climb to the Pinnacle aid station at mile 75 I needed to start reaching deep  and running as much as possible. 

Bo did a great job of pacing me into Porter's Gap and Nick took over for the next 15 miles that that would end up taking us over 5 hours through the middle of the night into daybreak.  Just like at Western States, Nick got in front of me and stayed consistent.  We climbed up the very steep switchbacks to Pinnacle slowly, but steadily and I didn't feel completely wasted at the top.

Aaron from GUTS hooked us up with some hot bacon, egg, and cheese sammies and we were quickly back onto the trail.  I was so excited to know that we were now about 25 miles from the finish and 10 miles from seeing the crew again.  If I could just make it to Bull's Gap (Mile 85), most of the single track was over and easy fire roads were the only thing between me and the finish.

I've never had such a surge of strength during a race as I did after The Pinnacle.  Once we walked another quarter mile to the top we ran nearly all the way down 5 miles to the aid station at mile 80.  This is a mostly downhill stretch, but it is very rocky and technical.  I told Nick that I wanted to run and would just accept the risk of falling and getting hurt.  I felt way to good to walk.  Plus I was afraid that slowing down to a walk would drain my mental fortitude as well.

The volunteers had some amazing tasting Ginger Ale at mile 80 and I drank a whole can of it along with some sandwiches and soup.  Food was no longer appealing and I was just mindlessly shoving calories in my mouth at that point.  I was sick of eating & drinking, but just like stopping to fuel your vehicle up, it had to be done or we weren't going anywhere.

We ran forever out of this aid station toward the mile 85 aid station where the crew was waiting for us.  This stretch seemed to go on forever and I hit my lowest point of the race.  I remember telling Nick that it just wasn't right and that everyone at this race were a bunch of liars.  I tried to eat what I could, but I felt like it was going to come right back up.  Looking back this section HAS to be much longer than the 4.4 miles that the volunteers said it was.

We finally made it to the mile 85 aid station about 15 minutes before sunrise around 6:15 AM.  I asked Nick to get some some Dunkin Sticks, Double Shot of Expresso Milk, and some salt tabs.  It was on and time to go!

I was in and out of this aid station very quickly, maybe less than a minute and Bo headed out with me to see me in for the final 15 miles.

We absolutely killed the next four miles (by my standards)!  We averaged a 10:55 min/mile pace and got there in about 42 minutes.  These were rolling fire roads that were much easier than the rocky trails I had just spent the last five hours on.  As an added bonus we were able to take out lights off since the sun was now up enough to see.

It was great to see Mark & Tim manning the very remote mile 90 aid station and we flew through it, barely stopping long enough to get a drink. 

Right after this aid station I hit another very low point and I nearly fell apart mentally & physically.  We had about nine miles to go, but the thought of running for 2+ more hours just seemed impossible.  I doubted my ability to finish it and just didn't want to eat another bite. 

Bo and I made a game out of the fire roads that my pacer Sean taught me last year.  We would pick out landmarks along the road and run to them, then take a short walk break before doing it again.  This really helped to take my mind off the pain and I was glad that Bo took over the game and started telling me what to do.  Like a sheep going to the slaughter, I just blindly did what he said.

We had one more aid station around mile 95 before running a few miles, hitting the road, then finishing in the high school stadium.  A lady was on the trail near the final aid station and she told us that we were close, only a quarter mile to get to it.  Well, we ran a quarter of a mile and nothing!  I became furious and nearly lost my cool.  It was at least another half mile to the aid station and most of this was uphill.

I was a total mess of a man at mile 95.  I wanted the pain to be over so badly.  My crew was there waiting and I yelled up ahead that I needed more double shots and dunkin sticks.  I shoved what I could in my mouth and took off again with Bo.  We jogged slowly out of the aid station and then the sugar and caffeine came over me in just the perfect way.  I went ahead and ate 2 gels and a pack of crackers too.  Then chased it with as much water as I could.

We started running and I knew that I would either vomit and collapse or have a strong finish.  I told Bo that I didn't want to talk anymore, just run.  We did just that.  I put down about a 10 min/mile pace for the final 5.4 mile stretch.  When we finally hit the paved road which leads into town I knew that I could hold the pace for as long as needed.  I didn't focus on the pain, I focused on the finish and just ran.  It felt amazing.

We saw Nick waiting up ahead before the turn into the stadium and he joined in with Bo and I, then Epic Joe was waiting just before the entrance onto the school property:

Once again, there was the track and I savored every second of running around it.  It felt great to wrap this thing up for myself and my crew who had kept their horse in the race for 27 hours and 14 minutes.  This was a great weekend that I feel fortunate to have spent with so many amazing people. 

Thanks again to Nick, Joe, and Bo who helped me make it happen.  Also to to the race director Todd Henderson and the many volunteers who gave up most of their weekend so 230 runners could go play in the woods.  And Scott, for taking these photos of me at the end.

Dupont 50K Race

With only 26 days until I run the Pinhoti 100 Mile race I decided to show up and race this 2 loop course.  I felt like I needed a mental baseline of where I was in regards to my training.  I had still put in 44 miles during the week leading up to the race so I would have to accept my end result, even on fairly tired legs.

I met up with Bo before the race and we carpooled together to the start.  It was nestled deep in the foothills near the NC/SC state line.  It's normally an adventure in itself to even find the start line of a trail ultra, but we made it with no problems.

Check in went smooth and we lined up with about 60 -70 other runners on the start line promptly at 7:30 AM.  The course description stated that it had rolling hills with a few substantial climbs.  We were to do the loop twice and it was about 15.50 miles long.  There was also a team relay option for the race.

The entire field of runners went out VERY fast.  I looked at my Garmin and we were running about a 9:55 min/mile pace for the first mile.  I think the relay team runners were a big part of this as their pace was supposed to be much faster than most of the 50K runners. 

Oh well, I ran at the very back of the pack with Chris, Bo, and Bill K.  I knew that this pace would start breaking runners down soon (including myself).  It did.

We crossed several deep creeks during the first 8 miles.  As most runners tried to tiptoe across on the rocks, I opted to just plow through the deepest part in my Hokas.  I needed to see how they were going to hold up in the water and they did great. 

It was so much fun to splash through a creek and then run up a rutted out rocky hill on the other side.  Rarely ever feeling the slightest root or rock in the Hokas.

I was a little surprised by how rocky the trail was.  I was expecting a much more groomed surface, but was glad to see this.  I love running the technical stuff.  This caused the field of runners to spread out and everyone settled into their own pace.

I ran as many hills as possible without completely "redlining" and overheating.  If that began to happen then I would walk for a short bit and then pickup a jog again.

I attacked this first loop as hard as possible and my first 15.5 mile split was 2:57.   This averaged out to a 11:25 min/mile pace over about 2,400 feet of elevation gain on a fairly technical trail.  I was very pleased with this, but had a feeling that I was going to fall apart on the 2nd loop.

I hit the 2nd loop hard and kept pushing the pace.  I was very disappointed to arrive with no water available at the 20 mile aid station.  The purpose of this race was to raise money for college student scholarships which I think is great.  As a result there was very little in the way of aid station food or drinks.  Heed/Water if you were lucky.  I'm fine with this type of event, but there MUST be water out for the runners.  It is dangerous to not have this necessity.

As a result I begin to cramp and slow down for the next six miles.  This really frustrated me because some of the fastest running on the course was to be had through this section and I was forced to mainly just shuffle through it.

I briefly thought about taking a chance and drinking from a creek, but thankfully decided against it.

I was finally able to get some water around mile 27.  I took down two S-Caps and a gel and began to feel better within about 15 minutes.  All that was left at this point in the race was a steep half mile climb and then some very fast running opportunities into the finish.

I tried to keep pushing as hard as possible, but my legs were quickly dying on me and the cramping was trying to start back.

My legs were absolutely dead during the final mile as I pushed the pace into the finish.  I knew that the faster I ran the sooner it would be over and I did just that.  Full steam ahead.

I really thought that I had a shot at a sub 6:00 hour finish, but couldn't quiet pull it off.  I was still pleased to finish around 6:20.  This averaged out to about a 12:15 min/mile pace which should make a 15:00 min/mile pace seem very easy next month at Pinhoti.

I enjoyed this course and race, but if you ever decide to run it just come prepared with your own food and water.  They do allow two drop bags to be placed out on the course.  Use them.

Georgia Jewel 50 Mile Race

I stood at the finish line at 14 + hours and kept saying, "I never thought this would be so hard."

Of course, ANY 50 miles of running is hard, but this was a total shock for me.

I will go into more detail about the race, but first let me say how impressed I was by Karen (Race Director) and all of the volunteers who made this happen.  Everything flowed smoothly from picking up my bib number to finishing the race.  The trail was marked with perfection and the aid stations were plentiful.

On top of all this, the trail was beautiful.  I was expecting a run through some small wooded hills with a few decent views, but I was totally wrong.  A big part of this 50 miles ran on top of ridge lines which gave a constant overlook of some stunning valley views.  Then the mountain top views after the climbs were outstanding! 

I had originally planned to run the 100 miler, but decided to drop down to the 50 as a training run for the Pinhoti 100 miler in November.  Now I can't wait to go back next year and run the 100 miler at the Jewel!

Ok, the race....

The host hotel is only about 2 minutes from the start line so it was nice to have a little extra "sleep in" time on Saturday morning.

Me, Weezy, Bo, and Christian decided to make this a "bro run" and take on the challenge together.  We lined up at 6 AM to begin the race in the dark with a 1.5 mile climb up a paved road to the trail.  This was a well thought out start because it allowed all of the runners to spread out into their own pace without congestion.  The 35 & 50 milers both started together.  100 mile runners had the privilege of starting at 4:00 AM.

At the 1.8 mile mark the course throws you into some rocky & gnarly single track which runs along a ridge for about 3 miles.  It was beautiful to run through here and watch the sunrise over my right shoulder.  Christian had motored ahead of us, but the three of us set into a very easy pace as it begin to get light.

I loved that the course was setup with unmanned water stops in between regular aid stations.  This kept runners from waisting a lot of time and gave you just what you needed without carry a lot of fluid.  I made it through the entire course comfortably by carrying just one 20 ounce water bottle and a small 5 ounce slur mix shooter.

We ran along at a very "chill" pace for the first 23 miles and I laughed several times about the trail being so easy.  I stopped laughing at mile 23.1.  50 mile runners were doing 25 miles out, then turning around and coming back.  Around mile 23 the trail takes you up this crazy long & nasty climb to the top of a mountain.  I didn't really get too beat down on the climb, but the trail quickly earned my respect and attention.

We caught up with Christian through this section and the four of us spent longer than normal on top of the mountain enjoying the incredible views.  I was a little jealous at this point that I wasn't running the full 100 miles because those runner got to explore 25 more miles before turning around.  Next year!

Of course, the climb back down the mountain was much easier and it was nice to see where all of the other runners were in regards to the course.

The climb up and over to Snake Creek around mile 31 was the toughest on the course.  It was moderately steep and went on for nearly 2 miles.  Plus it had gotten much warmer during this part of the day and that beat us down even more.

Yea, like a stumbling idiot, I took down a ham & mustard wheat wrap.  Then ate another wheat wrap.  Then threw down about 6 cups of coke and handfulls of candy.  I thought I was gonna blow like a gyzer going up the next climb and told Bo that things were not good.  He ran on ahead - smart dude.

It eventually got better after about a mile.  Man, I'm glad I didn't have to lose all of that food.  The 100 milers would have had a mess to deal with on their way back the next day  :]

The climb went up & up from the aid station and I felt better.  I felt very controlled with my breathing and climbing rhythm so the new training must be working out some.

Weezy decided to call it a day at the mile 34 aid station and the three of us continued on.  I briefly considered pushing the pace, but stuck to my original plan of just trying to stay consistent and saving the hard running for Pinhoti in November.

We were happy to see Bo decide to push the pace and move ahead.  He was running his first 50 mile ultra and I believe that he could have finished 100 miles out there.

I'm glad I did decide to stick to my steady running plan cause' it was cool to run with Christian for a while.  He is normally miles and mile ahead of me in an ultra, but due to his recent health issues he was pushing to just finish this tough 50.

Surprises always happen during ultras.  It suddenly looked like I could be caught in the woods without a light.

I left my headlamp with the volunteers at the mile 10 aid station earlier that morning just in case I needed it for the return trip where I would pass through again at mile 40.  It was looking like I may indeed need to use it to finish, but they had sent them back to the start!  I panicked for a minute, but then decided that I would just pick up the pace a little to make it out to the road where I could easily finish in the dark.

I ran with Christian up through the next 5 miles and then decided that I better pick up the pace to make sure I was outta the woods before dark.  He did have his light, but it is nearly impossible to safely share one between two runners.

I'm so glad that it worked out this way because I arrived at the road about 30 minutes before sunset.  Just in time to sit on a huge rocky overlook and catch one of the most amazing sunsets that I've ever seen.  I reflected over the day as I watched the deep purples & orange creep down behind the blue mountains on the horizon.  This had ended up being one of the best days I had ever spent as a trail runner.  Great friends, awesome trails, and being part of something much bigger than myself.

Christian and I took the paved road down together to the finish for about 1.5 miles carefully dodging traffic at dusk.   As always, the finish line couldn't have looked better when we finally made it in.

I guess there is no need to say that I highly recommend this race to any lover of gnarly trails in the mountains, but I do!  I cannot wait to go back and hit the hundo next year.

This was an absolute perfect training run for my 100 miler at Pinhoti.  I spent 14+ hours on my feet and was able to get right back into solid training after one day of rest.  Plus, it re-kindled the fire to go out and give it all in November.  Just what I needed.

Congratulations to Bo Millwood for blasting through his 1st 50 miler.  You made it look easy man!

Here is the garmin info if you're interested.

Laurel Valley 2012 35.7 Mile Race

Laurel Valley featured the usual suspects this year.  You can see some of them pictured to the left.  It was great to have Kelley and Vic in the mix too for their 1st trip through this remote wilderness course.  Christian even made this his ultra comeback race willing to man up and start the race with a paralyzed lung.  Tough , stupid?  Either way he was going in and you gotta respect that.  Then you have Fejes on the right who made the USA 24 Hr. team this year.  He was playing it safe and not running this year due to the race.  At least one of us has some sense.

Wayne and I had a classic race on the course last year.  He finished about 2 minutes before me and this year we decided to try and push each other to a sub 9:00 hour finish which would be personal best for us both.  Either way it was gonna be a "Bro Run" - Good hard running while spending a day on the trails together enjoying some of the finest single track that the Carolinas have to offer.  That's exactly what we did.

The race started promptly at 6 AM in a unusual cool August rain.  We slowly made are way up the first climb in the dark with headlamps glowing up and down the trail.

This race is special to just about every runner for different reasons.  It always has that family reunion vibe to it.  From the pre-race dinner on Friday night through the end of the event on Saturday.  There is just something special about the Laurel Valley trail, but the race weekend is even better.

To be completely honest we both had 8:30 as a finishing time goal this year.  We worked the hills and ran everything that we could hard.  We were right on track for our goal time through the first half of the race.  We hit the 8 mile mark in 1:50 ahead of pace schedule.

Then the 13.3 Toxaway Bridge mark around 9:20 - still ahead of the 8:30 pace.  It was great to see my brother & sister-n-law here with a small aid station setup for runners.  We had a quick laugh with them, grabbed a nutty buddy and kept cruising.

We handled the first tough climbs of the course well and we were both excited to be at mile 21.7 Horsepastuer River in 5:45.  We were only about five minutes behind our goal time and still moving well.  No mental or physical issues to speak of.

We both knew that the toughest part of the course was ahead of us.  The final 11 miles or so is about 85% uphill.  Not just uphill, but relentless climbs that look the same and just demoralize you.  Many make you feel that you are lost in the wilderness and just running in circles.  If the course was not so beautiful it would be enough to drive you into madness.

Wait, it did drive us into madness......again.

We attacked the climb after the river as hard as we could.  Still no real problems to speak of.  We climbed and climbed the long fire road until finally reaching some nice running stretches into Bear Creek. 

The course threw another obstacle at us.  One of the suspension bridges had been hit by a falling tree and it was all twisted up over a big ravine.  Runners were forced to shimmy across it the best they could in hopes that it would not give way leaving you to a 50 foot rocky fall below.

I kept mentioning that we had the toughest climbs ahead.  Probably too much talking and not enough going.  At this point we begin to lose steam.  From Bear Creek up to Thompson River you just climb and climb.  I mean stupid climbing where get 60-70 steps, take a turn and then a nearly vertical fire road is in your face.  You climb up that and then it looks exactly the same again. 

By the time we made it up these series of climbs we were spent.  We forced ourselves to run the flats and downs hard, but even that was a struggle.

Thompson River marks the 28 mile mark and you have about a 10K to go which is over 6 miles.  Once again the climbs keep coming and this set of hills ruined our chances of a sub 9:00 finish.  It nearly ruined our chances of a sub 10:00 finish.

With that being said we enjoyed the run and decided that clock would not dictate what kind of experience we would have on the trail.

We kept plugging away running some with Grant, Jon, Mullet, and some others.  We finally made it to the final climb and finished out the torture of climbing up another 1,300 ft. mountain and stairs, rocks, and roots.

We finished up around 9:49 together  and enjoyed catching up with other runners at the finish.  Laurel Valley continues to top my list in the ultra world.  It has all of the elements that I love about trail running.  When you mix in about sixty other like minded runners it just makes it that much more special.  This was my 4th race finish and 13th time running through the entire course.  I hope to have 1,000 more opportunities to enjoy it.

Thanks to Claude & Martha for putting this race on for so many years.  Also to Will Brown and Bill Keane for hosting the dinner and helping with many of the race duties.