Grindstone 100 Race Report

"If you start to feel good during an ultra, don't worry, you will get over it." - Gene Thibeault

A few questions I have been asked one too many times are Why do you run so much? Why do you put your body through that? and, my personal favorite, What are you running from? My typical response is I like to test the limits of what my body can do.  Last weekend while I was at the Grindstone 100 - I realized why I run so much.  I train hard so that I have the opportunities to run races like the Grindstone 100.

Tent City

When I showed up to Camp Shenandoah where the start/finish was on Thursday, I wasn't sure what to expect.  After setting up camp I chatted with a few of the other racers for the rest of the evening.  By the time I woke up on Friday and ate a small breakfast, it was time to check in. After the prerace meeting I tried to relax for the next few hours before the race started.  I tried sleeping but that was nearly impossible... the adrenaline was starting to kick in.  Finally around 5:00 p.m. I slowly made my way to the start line to prepare for the race. We waited inside the dining hall for close to an hour due to the rain.  At 6:00 p.m. it was time to start, and 263 brave souls took off for the mountains in what would turn out to be a cold, wet race.

If the race ended here I would have won but unfortunately we still had 100 miles to go!

As we made our way around the lake in the opening mile, I was running in the front at a modest pace. I settled into a nice pace

Andrew Snope and I around 5 miles

early on knowing I had a long night ahead of me. The first 5 miles went by without any issues. As it grew darker, I started the first big climb of the race, a 3500 ft climb stretched out in to 5 miles.  It was raining as we made our way higher and higher.  I felt good on the climb up to the top of Elliots Knob.  Once at the top you punch your bib before heading back down the gravel road and onto a single track.  I didn't want to push the pace on the descent so I let the lead group go.  My lack of technical trail running showed up on this descent as I fell twice within a 5 minute span.

The next few miles were a blur as I pulled through Dowells Draft aid station at mile 22 in 3:54.  I felt good.  I grabbed some bananas and oranges and took off for the trail spending less than a minute at the aid station.  

Somewhere around the 24-25 mile mark things turned from good to terrible because I started to feel sharp pains in the knee that I had surgery on in late June.  I immediately started to walk because I was afraid of doing any more damage to it.  I was not sure if it hurt because I fell or if I stepped on it wrong, but either way I decided to play it safe and walk it out.  While walking I was on an emotional roller coaster.  My first thought was that I'd have to drop because I still had 75 miles to go.  Luckily I was in the middle of the woods so I had no choice but to keep walking.  Somewhere during my stroll I changed my mind - I decided I would walk the remaining 75 miles because I had 38 hours to finish. I knew that I needed to complete this race in order to qualify for Hard Rock and Western States.

I took some Ibuprofen and just continued walking. When I arrived at the Lookout Mountain aid station, I grabbed some fruit and refilled my water bottles.  As I was walking out of the aid station I decided to try running.  Low and behold my knee wasn't bothering me too much.  So for the next 6 miles I ran what I could and walked when I had too.  I caught up to John Robinson, and we ran together into the North River Gap aid station at mile 36.  

Typically I don't use drop bags because my wife crews for me - but since she couldn't make this trip, I had no choice but to use them. I've heard horror stories from other runners in different races about how long it can take to locate a drop bag.  To my surprise by the time I weighed in, a volunteer already had my drop bag ready for me. I was looking forward to the treat I had waiting for me in my bag... Naked Juice.  I started drinking these juices at Delirium 24hr, and I will continue to use it in the future because it tastes amazing.  It's not only refreshing but it also gives you the calories and sugar needed during a long run.  

This is where things started to turn around for me and I have to thank John and my mango Naked Juice for that.  We had a 7 mile 4,000 ft climb staring us in the face.  John was in front dragging my butt up this thing.  He was flying up it and I was doing everything I could in order to stay with him.  There were parts of this climb that were stupid steep but then there were runnable parts.  John and I didn't talk much during the climb.  We just put our heads down and kept climbing.  We passed a couple of runners along the way and 1 hr 57 minutes later we were at the top.  I can say without a doubt that if I was by myself during that section it would have taken me 20-30 minutes longer.

Once at the top, we started running again.  It was easy dirt road running which was a great change from the technical single track earlier in the race.  We made quick work of the Little Bald Knob aid station at mile 44 and kept moving towards Reddish Knob aid station, which was just 4 miles away.  The rain had stopped and the stars had come out which made it a little more enjoyable.  We had a quick climb up Reddish Knob where we punched our race numbers again before we headed to the turn around.  John and I ran a good portion of the road section before reaching the turn around 10:46 into the race.  I was extremely excited to feel this good 51.5 miles into the race.

We hiked a good portion of the road back up to the Reddish Knob aid station before grabbing some grilled cheese sandwiches.  I rarely eat things like that during a race but it was cold, and my body craved something warm.  John and I ran a pretty good pace on the road back.  We turned onto a single track trail which meant it was time for a long descent back into North River Gap aid station.  We could start to see the first signs of daylight. Not quite ready to turn off our head lamps, we took the beginning part of the descent slowly.  With a couple of miles left of the descent it was light enough to turn our headlamps off which gave me a jolt of energy.  John stopped to eat something and I pushed on down the mountain.  I picked up a couple of other runners and even caught up to my buddy Andrew Snope.  I was flying down the mountain and came into North River Gap full of energy.  I stuffed my face with a lot of food and weighed in.  Once again, the volunteers had my drop bag ready for me before I finished weighing in. I pulled out my other Naked Juice and hit the trails.

At that time, I was in 11th place and I was head hunting the people in front of me.  I was running fast and closing the gap on them.  The next 6 miles were runnable and I wanted to take advantage of that.  I had the feeling that we all seek during an ultra... a feeling that I could run forever.  With each and every stride I took I was gaining ground.  Within 6 miles I had gained 12 minutes on the runner ahead of me.  At the next aid station, I quickly refilled my water bottles, grabbed some oranges and kept going.

It was 8 miles to the next aid station.  I was still feeling good and ran a majority of the trail to Dowells Draft aid station.  I was hurting but knew I would be able to push through the pain as I only had 22 miles left.  I came into the aid station in 10th and left in 9th. Shortly after leaving the aid station, the trail turned up.  Up and up I went.  I did not recall any of this from earlier in the race.  It just kept going.  It sucked every bit of energy I had out of me.  For as good as I was feeling just a few miles ago, I was feeling that bad up this climb.  Eventually I made it to the top and when I tried running I had nothing.  I couldn't run the flats and I couldn't run the downhills.  I was in a world of hurt.

I walked as fast as I could hoping that I would be able to start running again but every time I tried I was unable to. My knee was practically screaming out at me. I walked all the way to the Dry Branch aid station at mile 87.  I left the aid station knowing I had one more big climb left.  About 1 mile up that climb I turned around and saw Andrew flying up the climb.  He said a few encouraging words to me before taking off for a strong 7th place finish.  After about 3 more miles, I made it to the turn off to head down Elliots Knob. I thought that I would be able to let gravity take over and run down the gravel road, however I was sadly mistaken.  I tried running but my quads and knee were shot. So I walked.  Eventually the road leveled off, and I was able to muster up an "ultra shuffle" into the final aid station.  

As I left, I really tried to enjoy the last 5 miles.  Knowing my race was almost over, my energy returned.  I was able to power hike the short climb and once at the top I was able to run again.  It felt good.  Once I was back at the boyscout campground, I only had 1.5 miles left.  I started to think about the journey that I just went on.  All of the ups and downs and how much I truly enjoy ultra running.  I made my way back around the pond and onto the final stretch.  I crossed the finish line in 22:33:30.  My comeback to ultra running was complete.

 

Clark Zealand, the race director, put on a first class event.  This race embodies everything that is ultra running. I rarely run the same race twice but I look forward to returning to this race next year at 100% and shaving a couple hours off my time.

Homestead 10 x 5K - I did it for the honey!

"I sure wish it was hotter and more humid out... said no runner ever." - unknown

 

After one successful week back running, I had a genius idea... why not run the Homestead 10 x 5k which was the next weekend? Sure I would only have trained for two weeks before the race, and my longest run was only ten miles in the last five months, but what the hell. My knee felt good, and I had wanted to run the 10 x 5k ever since I moved to Charleston.

I thought this was a great race to ease me back into competition since I would not have to run 31 miles straight, and instead only had to run a 5k on the hour for 10 consecutive hours (ha!). I decided to sign up after promising my wife that I would stop immediately if my knee started to hurt.

As a runner, the problem with living in the south during the summer is the heat. This summer has been relatively mild, right up until three days before the race when a heat wave hit the south. I started to rethink the idea of competing in this race when I heard news anchors advising people to stay inside unless they had to go outside, and if they had to go outside to not go out during the hottest part of the day. In the end, I  decided to move forward with my plans to compete because a little bit of heat wasn't going to scare me away.

The morning of the race was overwhelming for me. I realized just how much I missed racing... not only the competition, but the ultra running community/family. There are truly no better, crazier people than ultra runners.

Lowcountry Ultra's Race Director Tim Waz (and closet Alabama fan) sounded a siren to signify the first 5k was about to begin. We lined up to the start line, and five minutes later we were off. My strategy going in to the race was to run the first few 5k's as quickly as I could, and then hold on for dear life after that.  

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

I started off strong and in control, running the first 5k in 20:11. After finishing I quickly grabbed some fruit and water. Before I knew it, it was time to line up again. Off we went for the second 5k, which I ran in 20:18.  I felt good after the second run, but I knew I would not be able to hold that pace throughout the rest of the race. So I planned to slow down on the third and fourth runs, which I did finishing in 21:24 and 21:48.

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

After the fourth run, I noticed a significant increase in temperature since the start of the race. It was extremely hot...  I'm talking so hot you could fry an egg on the pavement.  We later found out the temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and with the heat index it was a staggering 126 degrees Fahrenheit. Downright miserable. 

Nonetheless the brave souls running this race heard the horn which meant five minutes until the start of the fifth race. My legs were hurting badly by this point. However, I found out I was in 2nd place and was determined to stay there. Bren Tompkins, aka Spiderman, was in 3rd place, and I knew I had to stay focused if I wanted to keep my place. So off we went.

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

I managed to run the fifth 5k in 23:06. At the end of this run, I couldn't take it anymore. I made the decision to do something I've never done before... drop from the race. I had my mind made up.  My knee wasn't hurting but my legs were screaming. I convinced myself it was okay to drop since I just started back. I sat down, and sent a text to my wife letting her know about my decision to drop. She had the perfect response, "Enjoy the pain - it was not so long ago that you were wanting to feel like this but couldn't because of your knee." I stared down at those words, and knew she was right (which is rare ;-P). I picked myself up, stretched and then made my way to the start line.

Run #6 went down in 23:45.  Bren was gaining time on me quickly.  I knew I needed one last, hard effort on loop #7. I went out with Bren on this run, losing only a handful of seconds to him with a finish of 23:30. I was a little delusional at this point. I tried not to think about the three runs I had left. 

Fueling up in between runs (Photo credit: Nicole Taylor)

At the end of the eighth run, I finished with a time of 24:03. I was exhausted both mentally and physically. I tried to continue eating fruit and drinking water after each run, but the heat was not helping my appetite. The last thing I wanted to do was eat, but remembering how the award ceremony ended at my last race, I did myself (and everyone else) a favor and forced the food down.

At the start of the ninth run, I was leading Bren by only seven minutes and forty-five seconds. I didn't want to lose my edge so close to the finish, but I knew I could only do so much. Bren took off on the ninth lap, while I was left playing catch up. I managed a finish of 24:20, while Bren moved up two minutes closer to my overall time. 

There we stood at the start of the tenth and final lap. I kept reminding myself this was the last run of the day, as if that would make this run easier.  My legs were squealing... my mind was trying to convince me to walk this one out, but I knew I would be disappointed if I did that. "Pain is temporary," is what I kept telling myself. I also thought of one of my good ultra running buddies, Masumi, who could not be at the race that day - and decided to run this last loop for him. A smile crept on to my face as I turned the corner one last time to see the finish line. I finished the last run in 25:20. 

Photo Credit: Nicole Taylor

Relieved to be done with my first race since knee surgery, I collapsed (willingly this time) on the grass for a few minutes. I was ecstatic to finish in 2nd place overall, and even more excited knowing that I would receive a jar of Tim Waz's homemade honey.

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to be back running. My knee has made a full recovery thanks to Dr. McKoy at Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and I'm focused on my next quest - Grindstone 100.

Revenge at The North Face Endurance Challenge Atlanta 50 Miler

"Racing is pain, and that's why you do it, to challenge yourself and the limits of your physical and mental barriers.  You don't experience that in an armchair watching television."- Mark Allen

After last years debacle at North Face in Atlanta, I vowed to never run that race again simply because it beat me up so badly physically and mentally.  However, there I was Saturday morning at 4:55 a.m. standing at the start line in pitch black darkness, thinking about the events that happened last year and trying not to let them happen again this year.  I wanted my revenge.

At 5:00 a.m. sharp the first wave of runners headed down the open field toward the Pine Mountain trail where we would spend the next 2 hours stumbling through the darkness. Right before we stepped on to the trail, I realized that I was leading everyone. This surprised me as I was running a very modest pace.  After a couple of miles we had established a group of about 5 runners.  It was a great group to run with as we were all chatting and getting to know each other.

5 miles down... 45 more to go!

We came into the first aid station, which was 5 miles in, and I decided to run right through without stopping.  We only had 6 miles to the next aid, and I had enough water and gels to get me through this section.  The trail was lined with glow sticks which made navigation easy so the only thing I had to worry about was not falling over the many rocks that were on the course.  I was concentrating on taking a Clif Gel every 25-30 minutes.  I wanted to stay ahead of my nutrition plan early as I knew it would be difficult for me to take in calories later.  Every time we came to a hair pin turn, I would glance behind to see how many we had in our group.  We had 4 in our group with Jonathan Allen just behind.

Refilling at 11 miles

After a quick bathroom break, which relieved me of my pacing duties, I filed in the back of our group. At the second aid station I refilled my bottle, restocked on Clif Gels and grabbed a pack of Clif Shot Blocks.  Even though it was less than 5 miles to the next aid station I wanted the calories.  I was feeling great and was excited about how the race was going, even though it was early.  When the sun finally broke through the trees I turned off my headlamp and... fell flat on my face.  Are you kidding me!!!!  I make it through 2+ hours of pitch black darkness on this technical trail without falling and within 30 seconds of turning the headlamp off I do a face plant.  Lucky for me, I didn't hurt myself too badly.

Our group of 4 was still together at the 16 mile aid station. As we left, I remembered from the year before that the next 7 miles was one of the harder sections of the course so I wanted to keep a steady pace. Along here our group dwindled from 4 down to 3 and then down to 2.  Not knowing it at the time but Russell Jones and myself would spend the next 5 hours separated by no more than 30 seconds.

Coming into 29.1 aid station

Knowing the 23 mile aid station was just up the trail I stopped to use the bathroom, giving Russell around 30 seconds going into the aid station.  While at the aid station, I ate a few bananas and headed down the trail back in the lead.  After a mile or so there was still no sign of Russell.  I turned onto a new section of the trail and started running up a long dirt road.  I glanced behind me and saw Russell making his way up the road.  I am glad he decided to catch up as it was easier to run with someone than by myself.  Every time we turned the corner, I saw that the trail kept going up; and I would grow more and more frustrated. Finally we turned off the dirt road  and on to a trail. We were then immediately faced with a short but steep climb.  This was a hands-on-knees kind of climb.  I was lucky to have Russell with me as we worked together to stay on the trail.  Some sections were tough to navigate so it was good to have 2 sets of eyes looking for the orange markers.  We finally broke through the trees and into an open field with the 29 mile aid station in sight.  We were running together into the aid station. We made quick work of the stop - refilled water bottles and stocked up on gels.

Up to this point my nutrition plan was perfect.  The Clif Gels were still tasting great and I was able to stomach them.  My legs were starting to get a little fatigued but that's what should happen after running 30 miles on a technical trail.  In the next 6.5 miles Russell and I continued to run together.  If I walked up a hill then he walked.  If I picked up the pace on a downhill or flat - he matched it.  We were making it a point to stay together and if someone caught up to us we hoped we would have the legs to stay with them.

Russell and I coming into 35.5 aid station

As we were nearing the 35.5 mile aid station I started to get really hungry.  Luckily I had some crackers in my race belt so I stopped to eat them even though the aid station was less than a mile up the road.  When I got to the aid station I planned on eating a little bit of everything they had.  I did not want to feel hungry again for the rest of the race.  I ate several bananas, Clif Shot Blocks, potatoes, saltine crackers and 2 gels all while the volunteer refilled my bottle.  To make it go down easier I even had a little bit of mountain dew.  Russell and I left the aid station once again, together. Knowing this was one of the easier sections we decided to run at a good pace in hopes that we could hold off whoever was behind us.

Over the next several miles we were never separated by more than a couple of seconds except when I stopped to use the bathroom.  We were passing 50k racers going the other direction and I was trying to catch back up to Russell.  A couple of the racers stopped to let me by and as I went by my foot hit a rock and down I went.  Yelling words that should not have been said (sorry Mom!)  I stood up and was hit with a cramp.  After a few seconds I started running and finally caught back up to Russell.

39.7 aid station

Coming into the 42.5 mile aid station we were once again together.  We refilled our bottles and went down the trail for the final 7.5 miles.  The problem with running in the lead is you don't know who is behind you and how far back they are.  While Russell and I were staying together, Jonathan Allen was inching closer and closer to us.  We figured he was lurking back there somewhere and it was only a matter of time before we saw him.  We hoped he used all of his energy trying to catch up to us and that we would be able to stay with him. Unfortunately, he passed us around the 44-45 mile mark while we were going up a hill, and I knew I could not match his pace. Russell moved on with Jonathan while I remained behind.  Once I made it to the top of the hill, I tried to put in one last effort in hopes of keeping it close but my legs just weren't able to keep the pace. After a long uphill leading to the final aid station, I knew there was no hope.  They had put a couple of minutes on me with only 2.5 miles left.

2.6 miles left

I made quick work of the last aid station as I wanted to finish in the top 3.  Once again I was in a position of not knowing who was behind me or how far back they were so I pushed with everything I had.  A couple of cramps stopped me in my tracks but I was able to run those out. Finally I came over a small hill and could smell the finish line food.  I looked up and saw the tents of the festival. I took one last glance behind me just to make sure no one was back there.  As I came out of the trail and onto the open field where we started more than 8 hours ago, I was so excited.  I put my hands up in the air as I crossed the finish line in 8:08:05.  I was ecstatic, not only because of my 3rd place finish, but because I got my revenge and knocked almost 1 hour off of last year's time.  I could not believe it.




It was congratulations all around.  Jonathan ran an extremely smart race to finish in 1st with a time of 7:59:20.  Russell pushed Jonathan in the final miles and came in 2nd at 8:03:51.  This was the closest race in North Face Endurance Challenge-Atlanta history, and I was glad to be a part of it.   Below is a quick interview with the overall Top 3 from the race.

                        

Top 3 from North Face: Jonathan Allen, Russell Jones and Me

There were two things that made my race go so well.  For the second race in a row Clif Gels did not let me down.  I cannot express how great these things are.  I ate around 20 gels during my race and not once did I have to force myself to take it because they taste so good.

The second thing that made my race go so well were my shoes.  Thanks to Chris from Fleet Feet in Mount Pleasant for getting me into the Pearl Izumi N1's.  After about 30 miles of trail running the week before the race without any knee problems, I decided to use them at North Face.  With the trail being as rocky as it was I wanted a little more protection than the NB110 could provide, and the PI N1s did not let me down.

I want to take some time to enjoy this race so I am not sure what the near future holds for me. I might take the rest of the year off from racing and focus on the Delirium 24hr race in February, or I might compete in the Mad Marsh 50K or Lookout Mountain 50 Miler later in the year.  Whatever my next race is I hope to build from this race.

Cremator 50 Race Report

"The best pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die." - Steve Prefontaine

On Saturday, July 20 I ran in the Cremator 50 in Beaufort, SC.  This race is part of a race series that Tim Waz puts on called LowCountry Ultras.  The week leading up to the race I tried to determine what my strategy would be come race day - I had two options.  Option 1: Start off conservative and sustain that pace longer, most likely leading to a faster finish time.  Option 2: Go out fast, hold it for as long as possible and know there would most likely be a lot of  suffering in the final miles.  So naturally I chose Option 2. Here's how it went down.


Start Line

My wife and I made the 2 hour trek from Charleston to Beaufort the morning of the race.  We arrived just before 5 a.m. and checked in.  Tim Waz gave a few race instructions to the racers and then we lined up on the start line.  At 6 a.m. 50 runners took off down the road, heading for what would turn out to be a long, hot day of racing.  Ryan Thompson and I had done several training runs together so I knew what he was capable of doing.  Ryan, myself and Jason Flassing took the race out at what felt like an easy sub 7:30 per mile pace.  I decided at that point that I would just hold onto that pace for as long as possible knowing there would be some carnage in the late miles.  Before I knew it, we had arrived at the first aid station and we were now 6 miles into the race.  Ryan was having some GI issues so he stopped to use the bathroom, and Jason continued running about a minute behind me.  I quickly exchanged my water bottle and my wife gave me 3 medjool dates.  This would be the game plan until I could no longer stomach dates. 

The next 6.5 miles went down without any issues, and I pulled into the 12.5 mile aid station around 1:33 into the race.  Still feeling good, I quickly switched water bottles, grabbed some dates and turned to start my journey back down the road.



12.5 mile turn-around

With this being an out and back course, I could see exactly how far behind 2nd and 3rd place were.  At this point, Ryan and Jason were only a few minutes behind me. The two of them were close enough to catch me if I faltered in any way.  At one point I was contemplating waiting on Ryan just to have someone to talk to but ultimately decided against it.  Around mile 19 I was able to see my wife again, and she gave me more dates and another water bottle of cold water.  With the temperatures starting to rise, she poured some water on my back to cool me off. It was one of the highlights of the day!  I gave her a kiss and headed towards the midway check point.  

Coming into the 25 mile aid station, I decided to drop the pace down to 7:40 per mile.  I knew the 25 mile aid station was just around the corner, so I looked down at my watch and saw that it read a little over 25 miles. Apparently, not only was this race run in the middle of the summer in South Carolina with no shade but Tim also made the course long (thanks Tim!) When I arrived at the aid station, I ate some watermelon and oranges.  I put on my music, switched water bottles and headed back out for the last lap.

My legs started to hurt but I was not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I decided to maintain a sub 7:45 pace.  On the way out I noticed that Ryan was only a couple of minutes behind me. Realizing that there were still 25 miles left to run, I knew the race was far from over and I needed to run smart.  After climbing the one and only hill on the course, which was a bridge over the Beaufort River, I decided to slow my pace.  The clouds started to break and the sun came out which made the temperature rise quickly.  I came into the 31 mile aid station right at 4 hrs into the race.  I switched water bottles, grabbed some dates and had my wife pour more cold water on me.

I left the aid station in fairly good spirits, and  I was running right at a 8:00 minute pace.  Then I experienced a first - I could no longer stomach food. I tried to eat my dates but had to spit them out because I started to feel ill.  I knew I needed calories so I tried a gel.  That didn't sit well with my stomach either.  At this point, my goal was to make it to the next aid station so I could try other foods before things got too bad.  I was about 3 miles from the aid station when all of a sudden IT hit me - kind of like how Alan got hit by Mike Tyson in "The Hangover."  I was down for the count.  I was no longer able to take in calories, and I ran out of water.  As if that wasn't bad enough, I stopped to pee for the second time and the color was neon orange.  Things looked grim.  I kept telling myself to get to the next aid station where I could spend a few minutes and recover.  I came into the aid station where I tried to eat several different things, including salt tabs, hoping that would help.  I was finally able to stomach a couple of potatoes and a little bit of coke.  I decided to spend 5 minutes at this aid station so I could prepare for the last 12.5 miles



Forcing myself to eat calories

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At last I was able to jog out of the aid station with two bottles in my hand.  The sun was in full force at this point, and I knew I needed to drink a lot of water.  As I passed Ryan, who was only about a mile behind me, he told me he was dropping due to GI issues. I tried to persuade him to continue running, but certainly understood his reason for dropping. I started to feel my energy levels come back to me but the damage had already been done.  About 2 miles after I left the aid station, I passed Sara Maltby who was now in 2nd place.  She was running well and looked like she was still fresh.  I knew I had a good lead and needed to keep moving forward to secure the win.  I continued running until I started having painful cramps which forced me to start walking.  At this point in the race, I felt like my feet were rubbed raw from running on the hot pavement.  I could feel blisters starting to form on the bottom of my feet, and I knew there was nothing I could do about it.  So I told myself to run for as long as I could. 



Photo-op with Race Director Tim Waz

I finally made it back to the last aid station where my wife was waiting for me.  I spent a couple of minutes there refilling water bottles and taking in whatever calories I could stomach.  Mark Knowling volunteered to run the last 6 miles with me, and I gladly accepted.  Mark and I left the aid station and started to make our way to the finish line.  Given how I felt at the time, I was running a fairly decent pace.  I allowed myself to walk a little bit as long as it wasn't for too long.  It was nice having Mark there to keep me company in the final few miles.  We made one last trip over the bridge, and then we had a little over 2 miles left.  In my final mile I wanted to walk a little bit but Mark convinced me to run the rest of the way.  We turned the final corner, and I could see the finish.  I came up to the finish as quickly as I could where my wife, Ryan, Tim and volunteers were waiting for me.  I finished the Cremator 51 Miler in 7:23:47.  It felt good to be done.  Tim put a medal around my neck and congratulated me.  We took a couple of pictures and then it was time to jump into the pool where I spent the next few minutes cooling off.




Post-win swim

I love ultra running because it's unpredictable. You can train but you're never really sure how you're going to feel mentally and physically come race day.  I read in a race report once that had the perfect statement to sum up my race, "You won't know, unless you go."  I have no regrets about my decision to take the race out that fast.  Even though I know I could have taken it out slower and finished with a faster time, I am satisfied with how my race went. 

Congrats to everyone who made it to the start line and finished!  A special thanks to Tim for putting on this great event!  I am looking forward to participating in some of your other races. 

So many people think that running is an individual sport but it definitely is not.  I could not have finished this race without the help of all of the volunteers.  Thanks to Mark who had no plans to pace me but ended up doing so which helped me get to the finish line. Finally the biggest thanks to my wife.  She had come down with a bad cold just 2 days before the race and still went down and stood outside in the heat for over 7 hours while I ran down the searing hot road in the middle of summer like an idiot. 

Here are a couple of other pictures from the race:


Can you see me?

Feeling good - now bring on the heat!



Not feeling so good!









Oak Mountain 50K Race Report

"Don't stop till everything's gone

Straight ahead never turn round

Don't back up, don't back down

Full throttle, wide open

You get tired, you don't show it

Dig a little deeper when you think you can't dig no more

That's the only way I know" - Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Eric Church

On March 9th I was joined by approximately 130 runners for The Oak Mountain 50K.  Oak Mountain State Park is located in Pelham, Alabama just outside of Birmingham.  Having grown up in Pelham, I spent many hours mountain biking and running the trails at Oak Mountain so I knew what to expect coming into this race.  The course had two aid stations, and you went to each one twice. One station was at the bottom of a ridge and the other was at the top.  The course was actually 33 miles long and had 3900 ft of climbing, so I knew this was going to take a little longer than The Black Warrior 50K.  Even though I didn't quite have the race I was expecting at Black Warrior, I looked at it as a chance to get a good, long run in 3 weeks out from the Oak Mountain 50K.  The next 2 weeks were spent building on my Black Warrior fitness, and I knew I was coming into this race in better shape.

My wife and I drove down to my mom's house on Friday evening - she lives about 20 miles from Oak Mountain State Park.  After a good night of sleep, I woke up around 5 am to get ready for the adventure that was about to take place.  

At 7 am, on what felt like a perfect spring day, we made our way on to a paved road towards the Yellow Trail. The Yellow Trail consists of short, steep rolling climbs which makes it difficult to get into any kind of running rhythm.  After a mile, I let someone else take the lead. He quickly pulled ahead of me and went out of sight.  I had to force myself to let him go knowing that I could not win the race in this section but I could lose it.  I pulled into the first aid station (7ish miles) in about 55 minutes and my crew told me I was about 2 minutes back from the lead guy. 

Start of the race

1/2 mile into the race getting ready to turn onto single track

I quickly exchanged water bottles with my crew and headed up the Blue Trail.  This next section of the race was hands down my favorite section.  We had a 2 mile climb that lead to the top of the ridge followed by a few miles of trail running bliss.  I was feeling good and pushing the pace.  I finally caught a glimpse of first place and timed him at 1:30 ahead of me.  The next time I saw him he was only about 45 seconds ahead.  I was about 1.5 miles from the next aid station and wanted to catch him before then. At Peavine Falls we had a rocky climb down to the base of the falls, and I made my attack there. We made the steep climb out of the gorge and ran into the second aid station together.  

My crew did a perfect job getting me in and out of the aid station without wasting any time.  I took the lead at this aid station.  As I left I knew I was running well and wanted to put as much time as possible ahead of second place.  I was in what could only be described as a trail running euphoric state of mind.  With every step I took, my foot glided over the rocks and roots and landed perfectly on the trail.  It was a steep rocky decent but I was running effortlessly and in control.  I made it to the bottom of the decent and picked up the pace.  I crossed a few bridges and was running on perfect trail all the way to the next aid station.  

Another perfect crew stop

Once again I quickly switched water bottles and headed down the Red Trail towards the final major climb back to the top of the ridge. This climb was about 2-3 miles on a dirt road and not nearly as steep as the climb up the Blue Trail.  Even though I was in the lead, I was acting like I was in second place and chasing first. Once I made it to the top of the ridge, I knew no one would catch me. It was now not a race against others but more of a race against the clock.  I turned off of the dirt road and onto a beautiful single track back towards the Peavine Falls Aid Station.  I started seeing outbound racers and knew I was less than half a mile from the final aid station.  As I pulled into the aid station, I started to feel a little dehydration setting in so I had my crew mix half a cup of gatorade in with my water.

I left the aid station at 3:43 into the race.  I had between 5-7 miles left, and my goal was to break 4:30.  My crew passed me in the car and yelled at me to run faster, so I took their advice. I turned off of the road onto the B.U.M.P trail and my leg started cramping up.  I took a quick minute to stretch and then started running again but the cramp would not go away.  This trail crossed the road several times and each time my  crew was there waiting for me. Once I arrived at the bottom of the trail, I knew there were only a couple of miles of rolling trail left.  Even though I was still cramping, I tried to enjoy the last leg of the race as much as possible. I came out of the woods and made one last turn towards the finish.  I tossed my water bottle to the side and threw my hands up in the air knowing I had just won my first ultra.  I crossed the finish line in 4:31:32.

Crossing the finish

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Check out some more pics from the race:

 

Black Warrior 50K Race Report

"If you can't win, make the fellow in front of you break the record." - unknown

Let me start off by saying this quote is only partially true because the fellow in front of me did break the course record but it had little to do with me pushing him and more to do with the fact that he was running on a whole different level during this race. As we were running the first few miles, one 25k participant told me that it was going to be a slow race due to the wet and muddy conditions.  So congratulations, Lee, on proving him wrong and setting a new course record. (Side note: If you live in the Nashville area - be sure to check out Lee's running store called the Nashville Running Company!)

The Black Warrior takes place in the Bankhead National Forrest just outside of Moulton, Al. The race was only a 2 1/2 hour drive from Nashville,  so my wife and I decided to head down the morning of the race.  When we arrived I picked up my race number and did a quick warm up. The start of the race is on a bridge about .3 miles from the finish so I headed over there and ran the first few hundred yards past the start to see what kind of hill we had to run up at the beginning.  I did not know anything about this course other than the first 2.5 miles were up hill and the rest of the race was on a single track.

Just before the start

At approximately 8:00 a.m. 150 people set off in a brisk 34 degrees up the dirt road towards the muddy single track.  Both the 25k and 50k racers started at the same time, and considering I did not know who was in what race, I set off at my own pace.  From the start I was running up front with Lee Wilson and a 25k racer.  The first 2.5 miles were advertised as being up hill but after about 1.5 miles the road started to level out.  As the three of us turned onto the single track, I looked back and realized that we had a  good gap on the rest of the racers.  I was immediately greeted with what would become the theme of the day... MUD.  I knew since the course took place on a horse trail that it would be muddy but I did not realize it would be this bad.  We were going under fallen trees, over fallen trees and through mud pits that were 20+ ft in length but this is what trail running is all about.

After about 6 miles Lee took the lead and I decided to let him go in hopes of catching him later.  The 25k race split off from the 50k at the 8 mile mark so I was left running by myself. We had a couple of creek crossings that washed the mud off of our shoes but then we were immediately running through mud again.  I was feeling good and hoping to keep Lee within striking distance.  As I came up to the 12.5 mile aid station where my wife was waiting, I was informed that Lee had already put 5 minutes on me.  I refilled my bottle and grabbed some fruit and headed back to the trail.

The entire course consisted of rolling hills that were all runnable.  All in all there was about 3,600 ft of climbing and if it was not for the wet, muddy conditions, I believe someone could easily break 3:30.  Everything was going well and I thought I was keeping Lee within striking distance but I could not have been more wrong.  As I came up to the 17 mile aid station they told me he was 9 minutes up.  I still had hope but it was slipping quickly.  Only 2 miles later, I came to the deepest creek crossing where they told me I was 13 minutes back.  At this point he was putting time on me quickly and I knew I would not catch him.  My mindset changed from winning to holding on to 2nd.  The mud pits were taking an effect on me both physically and mentally.  I was hurting and not in a good place.  I was growing more and more frustrated with the mud and actually cursing it every time I saw another pit.  I knew the 24 mile aid station was coming up and wanted to get to it so I could refill my bottle and get some calories in me.  As I came into the aid station I was surprised to see 2:53 on the clock.  That meant I had 67 minutes to go the last 7 miles to break 4 hrs.  I left the aid station in high spirits.

Mile 19

I was running down the hill and doing the math in my head.  However as I came up to another a creek crossing I saw a sign pointing me in the direction I needed to go and that's when I saw it - 50K Race 24 mile mark.  I had the wrong mileage at the last aid station.  This deflated me and really sent me on a downward spiral.  I had checked out of this race mentally and was ready for the finish.  I was running but at a slow pace, and I kept looking behind me expecting to see another racer.  Since I did not know the course I was not sure where the last aid station was.  As I made turns I would look up hoping to see the tent but I never did so I would look back down and see more mud.  Finally after what seemed liked forever I looked up and saw the white tent.  That signified the last aid station and a down hill dirt road without mud all the way to the finish.  I made a quick stop at the aid station and started running because I knew someone was coming.  I only had about 2.8 miles to the finish and wanted to hold on to 2nd place.

Final few strides before the finish

I got to the steep down hill and took one last glance behind me only to see nothing.  I picked up the pace and crossed over the start line.  After about 200 yards past the bridge I could see the final turn which led to the finish line and that is when I heard it, loud cheering behind me.  I picked up the pace to ensure he wouldn't catch me and crossed the finish in 4:16:20. Christopher Borden crossed the finish just 48 seconds later... talking about a close one.

This was definitely an up and down race for me.  I had some good moments and some bad.  I did not finish in the time that I was hoping for but I think the trail conditions had a lot to do with it.  This was only my 4th ultramarathon and there is a lot I still need to learn.  I feel that with every race I run, I learn something new.

One thing I learned from this race, was to be the one who chooses the music we listen to before my race. Against my better judgement, I let my wife choose the music during our car ride to the race. One of the songs she played was a Taylor Swift song that I later learned is called "I Knew You Were Trouble." During a majority of my race, I had this song stuck in my head. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it) I only knew one line of this song. I have to admit that it was a first (and hopefully last) for me.

Once again thanks to my beautiful wife who stood in cold weather at the aid stations to crew and cheer me on.  I couldn't ask for a more supportive woman to call my wife - even if she does have terrible taste in music.

The North Face Endurance Challenge – Atlanta 50 Miler Race Report

When I returned to Nashville after Leadville, I started running with a couple of my buddies who were training for the 50K North Face Endurance Challenge in Atlanta. My buddies and wife quickly convinced me that I should compete in the 50 miler of the North Face Endurance Challenge – so I signed up. I had a month and a half to prepare for the race – so I immediately started researching the course. Since this is a relatively new race – there weren’t very many race reports. All of the reports I read mainly discussed the amount of rocks covering the trail. I was not looking forward to this race and my motivation was slipping. I was running around 65-75 miles a week for the month leading to the race.  Even though my fitness was not where I had hoped it would be – I still wanted to finish top 3. 

My wife and I drove down the night before the race to Pine Mountain, which was about an hour south of Atlanta.  My wife was nice enough to drive so that I could try and get some sleep.  We arrived to the parking lot around 3 a.m. and hopped on the shuttle to the start line for a 5 a.m. start.

On the start line, I positioned myself at the front and listened to Dean Karnazes give a motivational speech before the race.  The gun shot off, and we made our way toward the trail in complete darkness.  I did not know what to expect since I had never run in F.D. Roosevelt Park before. As we entered the trail it was even darker than it was at the start line, and we had to constantly avoid rocks and roots.  I was in the top 5 and running right behind Hal Koerner (North Face) and Jason Bryant (La Sportiva).  It was pitch black, and we could hear people yelling behind us as they stepped on rocks.  The first aid station was 5 miles in, and I arrived in 3^rd place – feeling great.  I grabbed some dates from my wife knowing that I would not see her again until mile 28.    

There were no unrunnable climbs in this race, just rolling hills and LOTS of rocks.   I was talking with the other runners as we ran at a decent, steady pace.  We pulled into the second aid station realizing that Hal Koerner was not with us.  I figured this was not a good sign as he was the defending champ and probably knew something we didn’t.  Within about a mile of leaving the second aid station, I looked behind me and saw two headlamps.  Hal Koerner and Jason Bryant came flying by me – I managed to keep them in eyesight for a little while.  Around the 17 mile mark I lost sight of everyone in front of me and was running in 4^th place.  I was not feeling well and could barely run.  I was getting frustrated at the rockiness of this course.  In fact it was so bad I briefly thought about dropping out of the race at the next aid station.  I was running/walking when I was passed by someone else.  Now knowing I was in 5^th place I could only hope that I would get my energy back and slowly catch the runners in front of me.

I finally started to get my legs back around the 24 mile mark.  I cruised into the 28 mile mark in 5^th place and about 10 minutes behind 3^rd.  Since I was feeling good I wanted to get in and out of this aid station.  I was able to run for about another 5 miles and then I lost all of my energy.  At this point I knew finishing in the top 3 was out of the question, and I just wanted to merely finish.  I told myself to try to enjoy the rest of this race as much as I possibly could. It was hot, rocky and I felt miserable.  With about 10 miles to go I did not care what my time was, I just wanted this to be over.  It was like a terrible nightmare.  I knew I was somewhere near the finish as I saw more and more of the relay runners.  I kept asking them how far it was and they told me just a mile or so.  I crested over a small hill and could see the white tents of the finish line.  I came out of the woods and jogged to the finish line in 5^th place.  I was disappointed but at the same time relieved it was over.

I went to search for one of my friend’s (Jamie Schuer) who ran the 50K and found him soaking in the ice bath. This was his first 50K, and he rocked it!  We grabbed some food and waited for our other buddy, Mitch Pousson, to cross the finish line.  Mitch finished under his goal time and ran a fantastic race as well.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying the post race festivities. 

Mitch, Me and Jamie

This course was brutal and a lot rougher than what I normally run on. Even though I didn’t have the race I had hoped to have – I was still glad to finish.  I would like to thank both Jamie and Mitch for convincing me to compete in this Challenge.  Most importantly I would like to thank my wife for driving all night long and crewing all day without any sleep.  She really is the reason I am able to do these adventures with complete focus.