Blind Pig 100 Mile Endurance Run

The Blind Pig 100 was amongst South Carolina's 1st one hundred mile ultra marathon races.  Claude Sinclair put one on many years ago, but this has been the most recent as of late.

I helped Angela (Race Director) layout the course for the race which ended up being a 9 mile loop.  100 Mile runners did a half mile out-n-back for 1 mile at the beginning, then completed 11 loops for the 100 mile event.  There was also a 100K option with consisted of seven loops.

Since running 75 miles at The Delirium 24 hour race on 2/8/14, I've averaged about 13 miles per week in my training.  Burnt out, tired, mental, lazy, frustrated, crazy?  Maybe more problems than that, but those are for another blog.

After nine weeks of virtually no ultra training I decided to show up on my home course for this 100 mile challenge.  No crew or pacers -  I wanted to really know how much of a 100 mile event is "mental".  I've heard it said many times that you run the first 50 with your legs and the last 50 miles with your heart.  I planned to put that strategy to the test knowing that a DNF (did not finish) drop would probably sink me deeper into a slump.

As about 50 runners stood at the start line I felt like a gambler in Vegas.  I was pushing all of the chips in for a finish.  I had 32 hours to figure out how to get it done.  It didn't have to be graceful or pretty, just a finish.  Then again, I don't think any of my race finishes have ever been every eloquent.

I walked most of the 1st loop as nearly every runner took off at a fast pace from the start line.  I could see problems for many runners as soon as they started.   The temperatures were going to climb into the mid 80s with high humidity and this certainly wasn't the time in the race to try and gain ground against the clock.

I felt surprisingly strong for the first 50K (31 miles) which was over three loops.  I finished it in about 7 hours and that meant I was on about a 23 hour pace finish.  I realized that I would slow down a lot during the night, but felt lots of confidence with this cushion built in.

There were two aid stations on the loop.  One at the start/finish and another at the 3.8 mile mark on the loop.  I knew nearly everyone who was running the aid stations throughout the race and that was a tremendous boost.  Speaking of the aid stations, they had everything you would've wanted.  Burgers, pizza, homemade cookies, coffee, candy, chips, soda, fruit, bacon, jerky - it was all superb.

I ran a loop with Jonathan F. and Kiley around the halfway point and by 2:00 AM I was so sleepy I couldn't keep my head up.  I was over six hours ahead of the cutoff time so I decided to crawl in the car and get some sleep.  After a nearly three hour nap I woke up alert, but incredibly stiff.  It took me about 5 miles to get limbered up enough to run again.  This put me around the 80 mile mark and I knew with eight hours to finish I would make the final 20 miles.  Even if it nearly killed me.

Beth & the kids were out to help at the aid station around 10 AM and they met up with me at mile 91 before I headed out on the last loop.  I was prepared to face it alone, but since Beth offered to go with me I took her up on it.  We walked the entire loop in 2:30 which is about a 16:30 min/mile pace.  I was nearly at the point of sheer exhaustion and was slurring my words badly.  Luckily, she's seen me like this before so it didn't come as a surprise.

I ended up crossing the finish line in 28:55 which was nearly exactly what I had predicted at the start.  Finishing this race in my hometown of Spartanburg on my own training trails meant a great deal to me and once the word gets out, I believe this race will fill up to capacity next year.  It was really cool to have Angela hand me the finisher's buckle, even if I was reduced to sitting on the ground at that point.

My feet are a little sore from all of the roots today, but other than that I'm not extremely beat up.

I simply tried to take care of my body as much as possible during the first 50 miles and set myself up in decent shape for the 2nd half of the race.  Completing a 100 mile race really does require a lot of mental toughness.  After finishing this one I would agree that you can get one finished on minimal training, but you will enjoy it more if you're in better condition.

Either way I'm thrilled to have been a part of this event and can't wait to do it again next year.

Photo of Kelley (who also finished) and I at the finish.

2014 - The Year of Ultra Running Stupidity

It's time to get back into running.  I've taken off the last seven weeks and added about 30 pounds onto my linebacker football frame.  It seems as if I do this nearly every winter after the holidays. 

Mental & physical injuries have kept me off the trails too.  As a matter of fact, I'm all over the board in my head.   I know from experience that this leads to the best kind of ultra running.  I need alone time on the trail.  Time to hear my heart beat and let go of the doubts.  Maybe gain some different ones too.  I can't afford to race with anyone now.  Digging out of the pit requires my full attention, but its nice to see other sickos out doing whatever it is they're doing.

Getting up at 5 AM on Saturday morning is nearly the last thing that I want to do this weekend, but I know that it will be good for me.  I'll drive home afterwards beat down, but full of hope.  It will be worth it.

I won't complain or make excuses because I've finished even 100 mile races even heavier than I am now.  If I really want it bad enough, then I finish.  If not, then I just walk off the course with the bib number in my hand.  After nearly 70 ultra marathons, I've never been pulled for simply not making a cutoff time.  Running is a privilege, not a right.  You either do it or you don't.

“You can’t keep a squirrel on the ground when his nuts are in a tree.”
 

The Leatherwood Mountain 50K will be comical this weekend.  With 8,000 feet of climbing up in the middle of the North Carolina mountains I'm like a sheep headed to the slaughter.  However, I will climb those mountains and shuffle down the few flat miles of trails. 

My sarcasm won't let me escape what's yet to come.  I will undoubtedly be someones "inspiration" because I'm so big and able to finish this race.  I'm never sure if I should take that as a compliment or insult so I just take it.  I've learned to just smile because for the most part people don't really want to know what I'm thinking.

The good thing is I believe several runners have taken on ultras & finished  them because they saw that I could.  It's a twisted human comparison that sometimes urges people to push themselves beyond what even stupidity calls "normal running".  I'm happy to have been some part of that in other runners lives.  I've been on both sides of the equation and it somehow works.  That's one reason I continue to blog here.

 

What's even funnier is my Spring race schedule.  Three 100 miler races between April 12th and May 17th.  I'm not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for these back in the fall.  Once again, if I want them bad enough I will finish.   I want them all bad enough.  I can tell.  It's that time of year again to prove something to myself.  Why can't I just accept what I've learned from the last six times that I've done this?  I'm not sure.  Possibly stupidity.

A very sick part of me enjoys getting out of shape and then having to battle back into condition to get through ultras.  I keep saying that this will be the last time, but like a 12 stepper I keep returning to the trail.  It needs to stop this time, but it probably wont.

I keep waiting for that Forest Gump moment.  The moment when I can say that "I'm finished" running.  I'm tired and ready to just go home.  Maybe that's why I keep going back to these things.

Now its nearing time to sign up for some Fall 100's before the rate hikes go up.  At this point someone should be paying me to labor through another 100 miles of wilderness.   I'll be in much better shape for those as I normally am.  The cooler weather will naturally lead to faster finishing times and make us all feel like we've really improved.  In reality, probably not - its just cooler weather after a hot summer.

 

I'm running more 100 mile races these days.  It only makes sense to get the most bang for my buck.   Why only shuffle 31 miles when I can walk about 50 more to get a pretty little belt buckle.  Its actually more than the buckle, it's going home and putting it in my case on the wall and feeling "completed".  Then over the years I will look at it out of fear thinking that I probably can't do it again.  This forces me to sign up for another one just to prove completion again.  The cycle is vicious and ridiculously demanding.  How many cases will I fill up on the walls before it ends? 

It's becoming a problem.  I wish I could be happy to just write a neat little blog story or post some pictures on Facebook about the last "epic ultra".  It's way beyond that now.  Part of me wishes that I would have never found ultra running, but then I would have missed all of this.  It's a seesaw of joy & misery.

 

If I haven't learned anything else about "running" distance I've learned this.  You can walk & finish just about every race there is out there now.   I've spoken to a few race directors and runners who despise this.  They feel that runners should train hard for events and be prepared to "race" them at 100% effort.  I mostly agree for several reasons, but then there are the select few of us who "need" to suffer tremendously in a prolonged state of beautiful misery.   Even when our minds & bodies aren't close to being prepared for the challenge at hand.  And of course the RDs need to make money so I expect the generous cutoff times to only grow as the sport does.

 

It's personally frustrating and a little embarrassing to be back in this shape again, but forward I charge (Ok...walk).  If you see me out running at Leatherwood on Saturday please stop and say "hello".  I'll smile like always and hopefully we'll both feel better about ourselves.

“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.”
― Jack London



Delirium 24 Hour Race - Lowcountry Ultra

I was certain of running 100 miles at The Delirium 24 Hour Endurance Race in Ridgeland, SC.  As I write this I'm reminded of another ultra running  mantra. 

 

"Nothing is certain except the uncertain."

 

This was a flat 1.695 mile loop course with one aid station at the start/finish area.  The loop would need to be completed 59 times for 100 miles.  My strategy going in was to pick three "walk" areas on the loop to take a 60 second break and run the rest while keeping aid station stops to a bare minimum.

 

My split goals for the entire race were to complete the 1st 50 miles in 11 hours and the 2nd in 13 hours.  I've never ran a flat 24 hour course so I had no idea if this was even a realistic possibility for me.  On top of this my training has been virtually non-existent in January.

 

After some reflection from the race my 1st mistake was made by not sleeping close to the event on Friday night.  I had to get up before 4 AM and drive three hours on Saturday morning.  This ended up working against me later in the race.

 

Either way, the Delirium began promptly at 8 AM on Saturday morning and I felt great.  I don't recall ever being this rested heading into a race.  It was raining as we started running and this continued through early afternoon.  The rain contributed to some muddy areas, but one area of the course was about 100 yards of complete slop.  It made for a nice walk break so it naturally fit into my plan anyway.

 

 

I run in Hoka shoes and it was great to see them as a sponsor for the race.  They were allowing runners to "sample" their shoes and I saw pair after pair of new shoes getting trashed in the mud.

 

Running with new & old friends allowed the first six hours of the race to go by really quick.

I was shocked to hit the 31 mile (50K) mark in 6:03.  This was only 15 minutes off of my fastest 50K race time and it made me question if the pace was way too fast.  I didn't concern myself with it and just kept running by feel and even added a fourth "walk" break section into the loop to slow things down a little more.

 

I hit a low mental & physical spot from miles 25-40.  This is completely normal for me and I knew it would pass.  It did and I started to feel much better around mile 50.

 

The 50 mile split time was 10:13.  This would give me 13:47 to complete the 2nd half of the race which is about a 16:30 min/mile pace.  Basically a brisk walking pace.

 

The lack of hills and flat terrain began to break by hips down at mile 55.  By mile 62 (100K) I was really struggling to run.  I was still shocked to finish the 100K distance in 13:10 which was well over an hour off of my fastest time.

 

Walking became a struggle around mile 70 and my hips were on fire.  I was even beginning to feel what seemed to be shin splints coming on in both legs.  I had thoughts of trying to push through it, but staggering around the loop for six more hours without a hope of getting 100 miles helped me decide to stop around 75.   I was deliriously (fitting description) sleepy by this point at 2:00 AM after being up so long and several cups of coffee wasn't even helping.

 

 

 I'm excited to come away from a great race where I was able to actually run more miles in a single event than I ever have before.  I'll keep the 100 miles within 24 hours goal stashed away in my head for next time.  I have a better idea of what I'm getting into now.

 

A huge "Thank You" is due to the race director Tim Waz and so many volunteers who counted laps, prepared food, emptied trash cans, and simply offered a word of encouragement.  This was an outstanding event and we are very fortunate to have it in South Carolina.  There are also 6 and 12 hour race options.  If you're looking for a well organized event that will allow you to test your endurance, then get this one on your calendar early because I'm sure it will fill up even faster for 2015.

Harbison 50K 2014

The 4th annual Harbison 50K was held on Saturday January 4th 2014 in Columbia, SC at Harbison State Forest.   Dan Hartley was the original founder and Race Director, but this year he passed the torch to David Nance.  The event ended up selling out a few days before the start which is a strong indication to how great the race is.  I have actually only ran this race as a sweep once before so I was looking forward to enjoying it as just a "runner" this time.

The course itself is a 15.5 mile loop that is ran twice in the same direction.  The first 8-9 miles are very windy, but mainly flat with a few rocks & roots.  The final 6-7 miles of the loop included a few hills with some more technical sections to have fun with.  Overall, this is a very fast course for the average runner and I'm sure a lot of people set personal best times on it.

As 2013 winded down I had some major turmoil in my personal life.  I considered giving up running and just heading back into the gym to stay healthy.  The emotional roots of ultra running have grown so deep into my heart and its become increasingly difficult to face a big race while carrying a burden.  I went back & forth about the decision all week before Harbison.  One part of me begged to withdraw from racing & my running friends.  Quietly fading away into my personal little world where everything is safe.  I know better than that from experience.  That personal little world leads to depression and isolation which opens up the door to poor eating & health choices.  Then before I realize it, I'm back over 300 pounds on the couch and I'm not sure how many more times I can pull myself out of that situation again.  So I decided to run for my friends, for the pain, and honestly out of fear of slipping away.  So I just put on my shoes and mindlessly went to run in the woods all day.

On the flip side I have what is probably another sickness.  I love for things to go wrong and hurt during a long run.  This includes both my physical & mental well being.  I'm at a point now where I don't always enjoy the first 30-40 miles because for the most part they come fairly easy.  I prefer the miles after 50 where your body & mind begin to wrestle.  I'm forced to live in the moment and the other pains from life disappear for hours.  That's the very spot that I crave to live in.  I feel closer to God, safer, and more loved when I'm completely destroyed from the inside out than anywhere else. 

 

Back to the race itself.  I was able to share some miles with Angela, Laura, Brian, and several other friends over the course of the day.  Angela was celebrating her 35th birthday and as an added bonus Tim brought her some pork rinds and mustard the aid station he was working.  This was one of the best treats I've ever eaten during an ultra.  As a matter of fact, I ran the final three miles carrying the bag and munching on them all the way into the finish.

David (Race Director) and all of the volunteers put on a stellar event.  The course was marked perfectly and the aid stations had so many food/drink choices.  If you're thinking about a 50K around the New Year in 2015, this race needs to be the one you run.

After over seven hours it felt good to be finished.  I honestly did want to go run some more and enjoy the trail, but my legs were aching from too many holiday drinks & goodies.  Looking back this was my 67th ultra marathon that I've completed since May 2009.  It was a pivotal run that wasn't about time or endurance, but realizing how much I love the simple act of running.  

Epic 24 Hour Race 2013

The third annual Epic 24 Hour race was a huge success in Spartanburg, SC!  About 150 runners took part in the event which has experienced monumental growth each year.  This event is more of a End of the Year Running Party than a race for me personally, but I somehow managed to sneak in about 52 miles over the course of the race.

I started running the 3.1 mile loop as the race began at 9:00 AM and finished a 50K distance in 7:28.  After taking a brief break, I headed out for a few more loops before taking a long break around 9 PM for some burgers and drinks.  I ran some more throughout the night and enjoyed staying warm by the fire as it rained on/off.

It was great to run a relaxed pace with so many friends and not feel any pressure from cutoffs or other racing logistics.  The new Race Director Angela Merrill did a fantastic job along with all of the volunteers who helped out.  This was the perfect way to close out my 2013 ultra racing year with friends & family.

Pinhoti 100 Mile Ultra Race 2013

I've tried to begin writing this race report at least five times, then stopping after being overcome with emotions.  I don't know how to write it, but I want to make some attempt to record it.  This time, I'm forcing myself to just write while putting my emotions aside to the best of my ability.  I would rather not even post what I have, but I know looking back I will regret it.

I'm not going into a lot of detail about the course itself.  This is the 4th time I've ran the race and you can find that information over on the right side of the page from previous years.   The course is a beautifully diverse point to point run taking you over Bald Rock State Park which is the highest point in Alabama.

Several of my friends were running this as their first 100 miler.  Annie, Angela, Bo, and Katie in addition to a few others.  The five of us had done several training runs/races together and shared the common vision of a solid finish under the 30 hour race cutoff time.

You form a close bond with friends like this when you're working towards such a monumental goal race.  All of us had different struggles on various training runs through the six months leading up.  We just all hoped that race day would be the day that everything was "clicking".

Annie and I had decided to combine our crews and run it together as a team several months before the race.  She ended up with most of my regular crew friends and I had the experience of how to run the course.  It was a good decision to join up.  Her husband Bryan and Joe were there to provide support and run with us some.

I rode down with Joe on Friday and we all celebrated our pre-race dinner together at Mellow Mushroom in Heflin, AL.

I was excited to finally be back in Alabama and running Pinhoti again.  This race has that familiar "homecoming" feel to it with so many new & old friends taking part in it.  It was really special to have everyone together and helped me relax before heading to be around 9:00 PM.

I slept great through the night and woke up 10 minutes feeling excited before the alarm went off.  As I laid there watching the minutes tick down to 3:30 I wondered what would be going on 24 hours from now?  The comfort of the warm bed was such a contrast of what was to come, but I was more than ready to face it.

We were up at 3:30 and leaving the hotel at 4:30.  It was a 40 minute drive to the start where Bryan and Joe dropped us off to walk the half mile to the start line.

It was freezing as we walked down the gravel road to the campground.  As soon as we got there and signed in we headed for someones fire in one of the campsites.  It was small so I headed out into the dark woods to gather some more wood.  I just needed a distraction.  I never get to races early because I get antsy just watching everyone get wound tight.  Walking around in the dark did the trick.

Bright smiling faces minutes before the start!

Todd, the race director stood up three minutes before the race and murmured some words that no one could hear, then just like that we were off and running 100 miles at Pinhoti!

Well, we were actually walking because when over 230 runners try to get onto a single track trail it creates a monster traffic jam.  It was a little frustrating to get caught near the back of the line, but I knew that starting slow was smarter than fighting near the front of the pack.

Annie, Phil, and I made our way together sharing a beautiful Alabama sunrise and lots of laughs into the first aid station around six miles.  I've learned that you must adjust "on the fly" during a 100 mile race.  Things rarely go as planned and this had already happened after six miles.  Jason R. Tiana, and Tim informed us that our crew couldn't make it to the aid station.  So we handed them our warm gear and head lamps. 

As we headed off through the next section of trail I couldn't help but to be overwhelmed by how beautiful the trail was.  Off into the distance you could see views of a small town valley and towering mountains under a deep blue sky.  It was just the type of scene that you wanted to freeze and enjoy for a long time.  Unfortunately, the race clock was ticking so that was not possible, but it was a great reminder of why I love trail running so much.

I use a supplement super starch product called UCAN to help "steady" my mental & physical energy during ultras and one serving normally lasts about 3 hours.  It begin to wear off around mile 11 and so did my patience. 

Phil, Annie, and I were all three still running together and begin to come upon large groups of runners.  Sometimes the group would be as big as 15 with someone moving what seemed to be very slowly in the front.  It was very difficult to pass a few times and my patience final broke.

My watch was showing a very slow pace that was incorrect and thought that we were already way behind cutoff times for the race.  Everything blew up in my head and went darting past a large group of about 20 runners.  What was even worse is that it was only about 100 yards from the next aid station which made me really look like a jerk.

I came into the aid station upset and just wanting to get away from the crowds.  My blood sugar and/or pressure had to be all over the map and I instantly began feeling normal again after getting some food in me.  I apologized to Phil & Annie and we continued on down the trail heading to the next stop at mile 18.

The next 10 miles were enjoyable as we all shared stories and just enjoyed the terrain.  I was able to maintain my energy & attitude a lot better and felt so horrible for losing my cool earlier in the race.  I had to put that behind me because you don't want any negative thoughts monkeying around in your head during a 100.

The temperature began to get warm as it always does just before the mile 27 aid station.  I was really excited about this one because Bryan & Joe had us cheeseburgers waiting!  On the other hand, I felt really tired.  It was just the distance and I knew I would work through it.  I just hate having to do it.

My stomach was churning as we entered the aid station.  Bryan & Joe were so helpful always asking us what we wanted and if I didn't answer they would start suggesting different things.  I was able to scarf down about 1/2 of the burger and we were off again.  Heading down one of the longest & toughest mental stretches of the course.

Annie begin to suffer from some stomach issues through here and I actually begin to feel much better.  I knew going into the race that running as a team meant sharing the highs & lows.  We had both adjusted very well with these up to this point.  Annie didn't bother me when I had my breakdown and I tried my best to help her through the stomach issues.

Either way, I knew the real race would soon begin around mile 41 after we climbed up Mt. Cheaha towards Bald Rock State Park.

We made our way up to the top at mile 41 around 4:30 PM which was about 10 hours into the race.  We were still about 1.5 hours ahead of the cutoff and moving well, but not feeling well.  Annie kept complaining of her stomach hurting and I had literally told her everything I knew to do for it.

I felt so nappy, like a dirty salt stick and wanted to take a quick bath.  Joe gave me a hand with it and as always I ended up flashing him and the rest of the park.  As he was holding up a towel a wind gust came by and took all the privacy away.  All we could do was laugh at that point.  It was just better than crying.

It was great to hear that Joe would be running the next five mile section with us!  We were both a little weary from the first 41 miles and I was hoping that he could possibly help Annie out some.

Right after leaving Bald Rock Park the course takes you down a very steep and rocky section of trail called "Blue Hell".  We went off course through this section and ended up traversing a rock slide.  Luckily Joe was there to help us find our way back to the trail which consisted of a really steep climb up a ledge.

At this point Annie was really struggling and in pain.  I kept thinking that she would work through it by the next aid station.  Joe helped her by getting her to take some electrolyte tabs and we enjoyed this easier stretch of running onto the next aid station where Bryan would be waiting for us.

It was just starting to get dark and I knew what was in store for the rest of the night.  It was about to get interesting.  It always does when the sun goes down after running all day.

Bryan had us some hot chicken broth which really brought me back to life at mile 46.  Annie was having a tough time getting any calories to agree with her and we tried to just rest for a few minutes to see if that would help some.

After a few minutes we were headed out into the night with our headlamps trying to prepare mentally for a night on the trail.  We enjoyed a brilliant sunset over the river and ran upon several campers with huge campfires during this stretch.  It was a gratifying sound to smell campfire smoke and hear laughter as it got dark.

We heard Angela and Jason Rogers scream at us from about a half mile back at one of the turns and it was great to have them catch up.  The four of us enjoyed catching up on how the day had went as we were now around mile 50.

Annie was getting sicker through this section and I asked Angela to keep moving ahead with Jason even though she was trying to help her.  We tried to slow the pace on the climbs and it helped out some.

I had finally transitioned over to my "feel good" zone of running with normally happens after about 50 miles.  I knew that barring any big setbacks, we were going to finish this race.  It was just a matter of taking care of ourselves and putting one foot in front of the other.

I was really excited to be sharing this experience with Annie.  I knew how hard she had trained for over half a year and that she was ready to go head-to-head with the rest of the course.  It was going to be fun to see her finally shake off these stomach problems and start building some momentum into the 2nd half of the race.

Bryan & Joe were waiting for us at Mile 55 and I could sense that they were a lot more anxious this time.  Apparently we were now losing time to the cutoff clock.  Annie got very sick at this point and all I could do was sit there and pray for her.  I had exhausted every solution to try and help her and was now just wanting it to finally pass.

Joe was set to run the next 30 miles with us and I was so thankful to have him and Bryan helping us.  We headed off down the trail with what seemed to be less than an hour ahead of the cutoff time that would cause us to be pulled from the race.

This stretch consisted of all fire road and I had yet another mental breakdown.  A truck drove up behind Annie and Joe and came very close to hitting them.  It stopped then spun the tires before taking off.  I lost control and took off chasing the truck running as hard as I could.  I was hoping that the next aid station was just ahead so I could set whoever it was straight.  Luckily, it wasn't and I ended up running upon Angela again.

We made up 8 minutes on the cutoff clock through this section and were quickly through it and back on the trail.  All Annie could do at this point was eat a few ginger chews and try to maintain even a marginal level of stomach comfort.  I was really getting concerned since she had now been dealing with this for over four hours.

Joe did the absolute best he could with us both.  We slowed way down through this next stretch and couldn't really help it because so much of it was rocky & hidden under pine needles.  We were doing anything to take our mind off of it.  Rapping, singing, whatever, just make it end!

When we rolled into mile 65 I think we were about 20 minutes ahead of the cutoff time.  We had lost a lot of time stumbling around through the last section and at this point Annie was hanging on by a thread.  The temperature must have dropped at least 10 degrees and we were all shivering.  Of course it took another five minutes to get our warm clothes on and we got back on the trail as quickly as possible.

Annie began asking me to go ahead and leave her through this section.  She didn't want me to get caught by the cutoff and have to drop.  I understood what she was saying and asking, but we had committed to run this together.  Joe tried to keep us both moving and to not worry about it until the next aid station.

I knew how sick & tired she was at this point.  She had just ran 20 difficult miles after doing 45 other ones with basically no calories in her system.  She insisted one more time that I go ahead and leave her and Joe.  I told her no, that I wanted her to dig as deep as she could and get to the next aid station.  This section had a very long & steep climb that seemed to go on forever. 

Annie got quiet and just started running.  It was the strongest effort that I've ever seen a runner in that condition put in.  Any time that the trail turned I could see her face wincing in pain, but she never complained.  Whenever the trail would flatten out she put in her best pace, running on empty just trying to stay in the race.  To me, it's what ultra running is all about.  Laying it all on the line until you have no more to give.

As we ran into the mile 69 aid station she looked as if she was ready to collapse.  I could tell that the fight was still alive in her mind, but the body was finished.  Shaking & trembling.  Her fight was over for this race.  I told her and Bryan that I couldn't make this decision and as they talked I finally confessed that with us being 10 minutes ahead of the cutoff and the toughest stretch of trail ahead it was over.  They both agreed.

The life went out of me at his second.  I wanted to cry, but nothing would happen.  Within seconds all of the training and talk of this race rushed through my head.  Was this really happening?  This can't be.  I knew how much Annie & Bryan had both put into this weekend to make it happen and it was too much to grasp.  I thought I should just drop.  It would be easier on everyone.  Annie was clearly violently ill and I had no right to be out there.

The confusion and emotions made me nearly get sick.

I may always feel selfish for the decision I made to continue, but I did.  I ran 32 miles with rage.  As hard as I could maintain and at points sending me into spells of delirium.

Joe threw half of a burger in my lap before we left the mile 68 aid station and told me to eat it.  I did and like a dog he threw me the other half and I ate it too.

As we crossed the highway leading into the toughest 5 miles stretch of the course I told Joe that the sweeps would never catch us.  I told him to get in front of me and drag me.  I didn't care what hurt.  This was personal now and it was getting done.  The race now had my heart stamped on it because it had robbed so much from Annie & Bryan.

We must have passed 10 runners on the way up the Pinnacle climb.  I was pulling off my warm clothes and pouring sweat in 30 degree weather and 20 MPH winds.  We made up 10 minutes on the climb up Pinnacle and I wanted more.

The blisters and my heels and Achilles had become highly aggravated from all of the water crossings and burned with pain.  I could feel them burst open in my shoe and it would burn like fire.  I visualized a box in my mind where I would toss any problem that came up.  The box didn't have a bottom and once the problem was in there it couldn't come back up.

As we crested the Pinnacle and went back onto some very rocky single track I kicked a rock so hard I was certain my foot was broke.  It went into the box and didn't matter anymore.

At mile 78 Joe and I both went completely out of our minds.  We had kicked so many rocks and fallen around that we didn't even know where we were.  I think at one point we circled a set of the same trees three times screaming into the dark Alabama night. 

I knew that Joe was in pain.  I had noticed a wrap on his right foot and it was making him run differently.  He laid it all on the line for me.  Another reason to keep moving and not let him down either.

We finally got away from the nasty rocks and had some decent fire road to run on, still only 10-15 minutes ahead of the cutoff.  Now to compound the situation, both of our headlamps were just about to burn out.  Fortunately, the sun came up just as they begin to go dark.

We went as hard as possible down to the mile 85 aid station.  I just knew that we were going to miss the cutoff and my race would be over there.  We pushed and pushed. 

Finally we came out at the aid station with about 10 minutes to spare.  I saw Bryan and my eyes tried to fill up with tears, but I couldn't now.  I had to get out of this aid station back on the trail.  He handed me the best bacon, egg, and cheese muffin I've ever had and I took off. 

I had thought so many times how much fun it would be when Annie go to this section.  It's mainly all fire roads in and you can really start sensing the end of the race.  The thought of it brought me to to ground.  I began crying uncontrollably with me head between my knees.  I'm not sure how long I was there, but another runner pulled me up by the shirt and told me to cry later, we were about to get caught by the sweepers. 

Whoever you were, thank you.

I stood up and ran as hard as I could go.  I ran up hills and down them, nearly to the point of exhaustion.  I was stumbling forward when someone said "hey" and it was Katie and her pacer.  This couldn't have came at a better time and I was able to gain some composure by spending a few miles with them.

I ran ahead into the final aid station at mile 95 with a head full of confusion.  I saw faces and people talking to me, but it was all a haze.  I shoved about 4 brownies down, gave Bryan my water bottles and headed about for the final 4.75 miles. 

I had a tremendous peace come over me during this stretch.  As I was running I felt as if the ground was moving underneath me.  It felt effortless and I've never enjoyed a Sunday morning run as much as this one.  The dew was dripping from the grass and I could hear every breath go in and out of my lungs.  I connected with God in a very real way and just ran with a grateful heart.

The final 1-2 mile stretch is on paved road through a neighborhood area.  I cried nearly all the way down the road because Annie was missing this.  I had fought my fights here before.  I lost some and won some.  It hurt to not be able to share this part of the trail with her, but at the same time I was thankful for such good friends.

Finally, I made the turn into the Sylacauga High School Football stadium and my friend Jon Allen who had finished the race in 4th place was waiting and offered to pace me into the finish.  I was so incredibly humbled by this and it really made my day.  Of course, I continued my tradition of hitting the football tackling dummy on the way into the track.

This finish was much different than the other two.  I took the outside lane of the track and shuffled slowly.  No screaming, or carrying on.  It was a bitter sweet finish that I'm still dealing with in my head.  I crossed the line and I was so happy that the Race Director had ran out of finisher awards, Belt Buckles.  I would much rather get one in the mail and just have it that way.

Of course thanks to Todd Henderson (Race Director) and everyone who volunteered and helped me.  Especially Bryan and Joe who were just perfect the entire race.

And a big shout out to Bo, Katie, and Jason G. who finished their 1st hundos! 

Whitewater Center 50K Race Report

This was a first annual ultra race taking place at the US National White Water Center in Charlotte, NC.  The race featured two distances of 50M or 50K which were both ran on a looped course format.

I choose the 50K option since Pinhoti 100 is only about 13 days away.  It was a wise decision because the course seemed to run much tougher than everyone originally expected.

Packet pickup on Friday night was easy & quick at the center.  It was great as always to hang out with friends and make some new ones.  I was able to catch the last 10 minutes of a panel discussion featuring a very talented ultra runner Karl Meltzer and a few others.

Great hotels are only about five minutes from the location which made it easy to get a good nights sleep.

Everyone arrived a little early to the race on Saturday morning.  Even me, which is very unusual.  It was actually nice to be able to relax with friends for a few minutes before the start.

The 50K course featured three 10.3 mile loops with approximately 1,000 foot of climbing on each loop.  A very tame course and possibly a Personal Record type event with perfect temperatures hanging in the upper 50's to 60ish.

A slight drizzle began to fall just minutes before the race as about 50 runners heard our final instructions together in the Whitewater Arena area.  The facilities here are phenomenal and professional grade.  Heated lockers rooms with full showers, high end gear shop, and attention to every athlete's needs.  It was a strange, but exciting "feel" for an ultra.  One that I have yet to be a part of.

 I've never seen runners take off at the pace that was taken when it started.  It was a dark start at 6:00 AM and I'm guessing well over 75% of the field must have averaged an 8-9 minute mile as we began.  I watched the headlamps make the turn across the river and so many went quickly out of sight.

Me, Katie and Angela settled into a nice steady pace and enjoyed some laughs as we zigged zagged our way through the first miles of the course.  We hit the first aid station around mile 4.25 and soon after that the sun began to come up. 

 



We took down the first 10.75 mile loop in about 2:15.  As the sun came up and I got a feel for the trail I knew this was going to be a solid day of running.  The UCAN I've been taking in addition to a steady drip of sugar has really helped me keep a steady flow of energy.

It was great to have Katie's husband Jeff looking out for us and he grabbed all of our headlamps after the 1st loop.  The three of us got restocked at the great aid station and headed back out for loop 2.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course because even I could run so much of it.  There were no big climbs and the terrain was diverse enough to keep things interesting.  A few roots & rocks, but nothing that could really hold you back.  I think what ended up making the race tougher for most people than expected was all of the twists & turns.  This really takes a toll on your lower body after lots of miles.

Angela began to experience some back problems around mile 15 on loop two and she insisted that Katie & I carry on ahead of her.  We were both hesitant to go, but realize when Angela says something she means it.

We were all running so well and I wanted to try and hang with Katie.  She is one of the most consistent runners I've ever paced with.  Uphills, downhills, flats - all the same pace.  I'm normally all over the board with my pace, but today I felt like I could hold on for the 2nd half of the race.

We finished out miles 16-21.50 and did the 2nd loop in about 2:40 which was around 5:00 hours into the race.  Jeff was there to help us out again and we fueled up, then hit the trail again for our final loop.

We continued the steady 11-12 min mile pace heading into miles 22-32.  My butt & hip muscles began to really starting fatiguing around mile 26.  I knew it had to be all of the twist & turns.  All of the aid stations were so clean and the volunteers were super nice.  This really helped keep me going at the later points in the race.

At one point we both thought we had went off course because we didn't recognize the course.  It was marked properly, but after looking back at my GPS we never went off course.  I think we were both going a little looney at this point.

I mentioned to Katie that we could possibly finish under 7 hours, but we both agreed that it really didn't matter since we had a 100 mile race in only two weeks.  Then again, I think it did matter and we both really just wanted to be finished!  We took turns taking the front and pushed the pace down to around 10:30 min/miles in some stretches.  My freaking legs were screaming with the burn, but it felt kind of good too.

We finally made the last turn which led us to a half mile finish along the Whitewater River Rafing course.  I saw my friend Drew up ahead and told Katie that we had to push all the chips in and go for him.  Wisely, she didn't buy into my nonsense, but I began pushing wide open during the final quarter mile towards the finish line. 

Drew caught a glimpse of me coming at the final turn so at that point we were both committed to a full out sprint.  My closing kick must look like a Rhino on Meth, but I gave it my best.  He crossed 1 second before me and I collapsed to the ground and nearly got sick in front of everyone. 

It was a fitting finish for the day.  I feel very well trained & mentally ready for Pinhoti 100.

This was an outstanding race and very professionally put on by the RDs and volunteers.  I highly recommend it!

Also a special shout out to Kat, who finished 1st female and took home several great prizes including a NEW Suunto GPS Watch!  Also to Jeff who let me wipe me glasses on his clean shirt and fed me beer at the finish.

Here is my full GPS race if you're interested in looking over the details.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move20132168