Mountain Mist 2014

I love and hate Mountain Mist.

Really. I love it. It's unique. It draws a very talented and well trained field from all over. It's a different race every year. It's a huge party. It's a MUST DO. We're fortunate to have a race like that so nearby. Ultra runners all over the country know about this one.

Really. I hate it. It's so difficult. It's rocky. You have to sign up on the day registration opens or you'll miss it (and you can't miss it no matter how much you hate it). Old Railroad Bed trail is on the course, and I hate that trail. It beats you to death. It chews you up and spits you out.

Maybe I love it more for all the reasons I hate it.

Then I got a call from my boss on Tuesday. "I'm going to need you to be on a plane tomorrow." I replied, "For how long?" She said, "Until Friday." Sigh. After looking at so many options, I ended up with an itinerary that had me landing in Nashville at 11:00 PM Friday night. That meant I'd be home by 1 AM at the earliest. And I'd be coming from Pacific Time. The other thing I didn't think about was that when we landed in Atlanta, every restaurant in the airport was closed. No dinner. Not good. So, will Jack in the Box at midnight qualify as pre-race carb loading?  It'll have to.

But hey, I'm not in good shape anyway, so just run and have fun and see what happens.

To O'Shaughnessy
The changes to this course are brilliant. I always hated starting cold and having to run a sub-7 minute mile just to get to the trail-head before people who are too cautious on rocky descents. I really, really like the changes that gives 3 miles for the field to even out. So, I was able to run relaxed and ease into the race and still take the descent on Walnut Hill at a reasonable clip. The course was in rare form this year with so many icicles. It was beautiful. I just tried to relax and enjoy the first 6 miles. I made it there in roughly 58 minutes. I was pleased with that.

To Three  Benches
Several runners breezed past me as I refilled my water bottle at the aid station. So, on the descent down Warpath Ridge, I was hindered by the crowd. This was just too slow. After the gnarly descent, on the flatter and easier section, I got too relaxed and tripped over a rock and had one of the worst falls I've ever had trail running. My left quad took the brunt of the fall as I landed on a sharp rock and rolled over on my left side and took more rocks to the hip and side. My rule of falling is "Get up before it starts hurting." So I popped up and barely broke stride. A few hundred yards later, I realized that it hurt. A lot.

I enjoyed some nice conversation on Power Line Trail and followed a crowd up K2 to avoid exerting too much energy on the first major climb. All was well. I got stuck behind some slower folks again on Goat Trail and opportunities to pass just weren't there. I arrived into 3 benches at a busy time and had to fill my own water bottle. That's no problem, but I was using pre-filled cups and they were frozen. I got in and out as quickly as I could. I forgot to look at my watch. But I knew this section took longer than it should have.

To Fearn, the Halfway Point
This section was fairly uneventful, too. I was able to join Alex Clark and James Falcon and Brian Thompson for some really cool conversation. Stone Cuts is one of the coolest parts of this race. Here I am exiting stone cuts.

Runner Guns. Photo courtesy of Gregg Gelmis

It was good seeing Scott and Chelsea Sciavone at the aid station. It's nice when volunteers call you by name and specifically offer to help you. Volunteers make races work. I appreciate the help, guys. I left Fearn at 2:44-ish.

To Land Trust

I didn't feel too very tired coming out of Fearn. I knew that a beating was coming my way, but I've run the Land Trust trails more than anywhere else on the course. I actually felt pretty good and just cruised on High trail and had a pretty good descent with Sally Brooking (grand masters female winner) down Bluff Line. It was quite fun. I rolled into the Land Trust and pitched a tent. Seriously. I stayed here way, way too long. I ate a couple of crackers because I'd rather eaten snot than another GU. I drank some coke. I chatted. I looked for excuses not to take the beating that the next trails would give me. I left at 3:24.

To Trough Springs

I was right. Old Railroad Bed Trail and Alms House Trail just chewed me up. They beat me. I just could not find a rhythm running these trails. I've run these trails more than any section of trails on Monte Sano, and I stil run them slower than Nana texting. It's bad.

When I exited Alms House onto Waterline Trail, I was in a very low spot. I cursed Dink for dangling the carrot that is a 10 time finisher award. I was thinking to myself that I'd never run on trails ever, ever, ever again. I was considering retiring from ultras altogether. I was hating life.

Then, just at the base of the waterfall, I looked up. It was completely frozen. It was a stunningly beautiful view. I couldn't get over how awesome the view was. And I said, "This is why I do this. Let's go."

Coming in to Trough Springs aid station, I looked at my watch and noticed that it said 4:18. I knew that I had a chance to break 5:30. Ok, then. I didn't have another negative thought the whole race.

To the Finish

I knew that 5:30 wasn't in the bag. But I knew I could do it. I ran a good clip on Arrowhead Trail. This is another very good change to the course. I hated this section of Natural Well Trail. And my understanding is that the washout is now completely impassable. I passed several people on this stretch and also after the trail spits out on Natural Well Trail. I am horrible at the descent on Natural Well. Horrible. I got passed here by 3rd overall female Erin Looney. She crushed this descent. I caught her back at the bottom on what used to be slush mile. I knew that I had to run well on the bottom of McKay Hollow because I knew it would be dry today and I knew the climb was going to challenge me. I didn't blister it, but I did run it consistently. I made the climb pretty good, too, passing Sally Brooking here and a couple of other people on the uphill. At the top, I ran about 8:20 pace to the finish and passed 3 or 4 more.

Courtesy Gregg Gelmis

I was 12th in the 40-49 group. That's TWO SPOTS, only 30 seconds from getting a beanie. Man, I want one of those Mountain Mist beanies. I really should have gotten one this year. I was in good enough shape. I just had some bad luck the week before and I didn't take the race seriously enough. 

I'm getting a beanie. Soon. Next year.

And I want to close with a huge thanks to the volunteers, especially the volunteers on O'Shaugnessy where it was windy and cold. Just to name a few... Dink and Suzanne Taylor for putting on this first class event. Thanks to Carl Smith for timing services as always. Thanks to Madelyn Patton for checking me in without ID. Thanks to Gregg Gelmis for always giving us some great photos to remember these events. Thanks to Mona Parker for filling my bottle at O'Shaugnessy, the coldest and windiest aid station. Thanks to Scott and Chelsea Schiavone for helping out at Fearn. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers at Land Trust aid station. Thanks to Elle Trowbridge for her help at Trough Springs. Thanks to Jennifer Bicknell for helping out at the finish. I know I'm missing several, who specifically helped me today. Sorry!

Alabama's Toughest Trail Run

I've gotten a little push from some folks for a Mountain Mist report. At least I have a reader or two left! :)
I Finally broke 5 hours!!!!

Photo Courtesy of James Hurley

First, as usual, I have to give credit to Dink and Suzanne Taylor for directing this most excellent event! Also, I'd like to give credit to Huntsville Track Club for their excellent timing services for this race. This is really one first class ultra. It's a privilege to have an event of this quality so close to home!

Pre-Race
Yes, I remembered my shoes this year! I don't think Matt or Lanier will let me forget that mistake from last year. I was a little confused about what to wear. I felt cold, but I knew that the temperature would rise and that I would get hot. I opted for the less is better philosophy and went with shorts, short sleeves, and gloves. That ended up being wise as it did get warmer than I expected.

Photo Courtesy of James Hurley

One of my favorite parts of this race is hanging out with friends pre-race. Chatting strategy, giving encouraging words, laughing, seeing folks I don't always see, etc. etc.

To Aid 1

I actually started on time this year! Yay!

I was a little concerned about the race to the trail head. I hadn't warmed up at all, and I'm just not used to blasting out at that pace. I do better to start slowly and then finish strong. I ran about a 6:50 mile to the trail head and scooted down Walnut hill pretty quickly. I immediately slowed down on Mountain Mist trail to relax a bit from the fast start. Several folks passed me here. I just let them go and ran my own race. I hung for a while here with FFRT teammate Tim Pitt. I late on Mountain Mist, just before the climb to South Plateau.

From there I ran mostly alone until I caught the current female leader on the Family Bike Trail. I ran with her to the aid station, but I could tell that she wasn't going to be able to maintain that pace.  I don't know what happened to her after I passed her. I hit the aid station at 53:21. That seemed to put me well on course for a sub 5 hour.

To 3 Benches
I flew down the Warpath descent passing several people, which was tricky on the downhill. Then I settled behind a group after it flattened out at the bottom. When we exited the woods headed toward the power lines, there were only two left in the group, Matthew Vest and me. I learned that he also had a sub 5 hour goal, and we ended up running most of the rest of the race together, taking turns leading.

I set the pace on the K2 climb, and it seemed to be just about right because Matthew didn't feel the need to pass even though I offered. Also, I had plenty of energy for the goat trail after we topped out. Like all the aid stations, I was in and out as quickly as possible at 3 benches. I was only there for as long as it took to fill my bottle. 1:39:51 and still on track for 5 hours.

The "Halfway" Point
The aid station at Fearn is considered the halfway point, even though it is at about 17 miles. It typically is the halfway point for time. The run from 3 benches was fairly uneventful with Matt leading most of the way here. He really enjoyed the trip through Stone Cuts.

There were some nice photos at the Cold Springs crossing just before the aid station.

Photo Courtesy of Marc Davis

My goal was to get to the halfway point without being tired. Mission accomplished. I felt really good. Also, my motto all day was, "Take what the course gives and give what the course takes." Again, in and out of the aid station as quickly as possible. 2:29:24, right on track for 5 hours.

To Land Trust
This was another uneventful section of the race. I was a little slower coming down Bluffline than I should have been. I'm not sure why. It felt fast, but it wasn't very fast at all. I was starting to feel a little tired in my legs, but I still felt good, as good as I ever remember feeling at this point in the race. 3:03:53.

On To Waterline
This was without a doubt the best I have ever run on Railroad Bed Trail and Alms House Trail. Here, I put some distance on Matthew. But it came at a price. When I got to the end of Alms House Trail and turned left onto Waterline, I felt completely beat up! I ended up walking almost all of Waterline. I saw Matt behind me, so I sped up a bit and realized that I was about to puke. I actually wanted to puke. I knew I'd feel better, but it just wouldn't happen. I was having an awesome race to this point and probably had a legitimate chance at sub 4:50. But I fell completely apart from this point onward. Matt passed me at the top of Waterline and encouraged me. I stayed with him to the aid station. 3:48:54. I knew that I could run the last 10k in less than 71 minutes, but I wasn't sure I could keep it together from here to the end of the race.

To Rest Shelter
I hung on to Matt as long as I could. He pulled away and out of my sight at suicide drop. I was sick, miserable, and wanting to puke still. So, I ran gingerly and cautiously down the steep, technical descent to McKay Hollow. I really ran this section as poorly as I could have. I struggled badly, but I never fell.

Slush mile wasn't as bad as I expected, but I was struggling to just put one foot in front of the other. I was longing for Rest Shelter climb because I knew I'd be near the end. It couldn't come soon enough! When it came, I couldn't run a step. I could see David O'Keefe up ahead, but I knew I had no chance of catching anyone. I had passed William Ansick back on Bluffline, and he passed me fairly strongly on this climb. I just had nothing left. I wanted to puke. Badly. I just couldn't. Ugh. It was so bad that when I got to the top of Rest Shelter climb, I asked if I could drop out! With 1.8 easy miles to go, I asked to quit. I'm thankful that the aid station volunteer wouldn't let me do that!

The End
On that 1.8 miles that I was talked into running, I was barely able to slog it out. It was my stomach, not my legs. I just felt awful. I fell twice during this stretch, the only times I fell all day! I was just enduring, running slower than a 10:00 pace. I just couldn't go. I just fell apart. If not for the stomach issues, I really believe I could have finished much stronger. I finished in 4:56:53 which was better than my goal.

Oh well. I'm very pleased with the race. I broke 5 hours and I know I can do better. With better course conditions, a little better luck with nutrition, and more trail specific training, I can run this course faster. But I ran the best I could on that day!

Mountain Mist 50k

The infamous Mountain Mist 50k Trail Run.. This event simply demands your respect. It draws the best local runners and also draws top national talent. The course has very difficult climbs and descents and is very rocky and muddy. Mountain Mist is exactly what a trail run should be.

Before the Race
I have been injured and I haven't been training. So, in addition to running gingerly like a school girl in a tutu, I'm out of shape because I haven't done any hard workouts since November.  I just wasn't prepared for this race. I had taken two weeks off and then tapered for the week leading up to the race.  I was very stale, both mentally and physically.

The thought of just sitting this one out and volunteering instead of running crossed my mind. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to compete at the level I expect was discouraging. How do I approach this?  Do I just run as if I'm prepared and see what happens?  Do I let up and just have fun? Ugh. I was so confused going into this.  I decided to just run at a 5 hour pace and then see what happens.

Because of the indecision, I didn't really mentally prepare the evening before like I usually do.  I had some vague idea of when I'd hit the aid stations, and that was about it. I didn't eat a normal pre-race dinner. I did the math to figure out the absolute latest that I could sleep and still get to the race just in time to check in and start.  That time was 6:30.

I set everything out for the race the night before as usual, except for my shoes. I didn't set out my shoes because they were still wet from a muddy trail run earlier in the week.  I had set them on a rack underneath a ceiling fan to dry out.  I'll just grab them before I leave and they'll be dry.  They were dry, but I forgot to grab them.  Yep. I'm that absent-minded.

I mean, to run a race, all you really need is clothing, shoes, and your number. Everything else is just fluff. How could I forget shoes?  Well, I was driving along and thinking about the race, doing the most mental preparation I had done for this race! I'm not sure what triggered this thought, but something did right as I crossed the Jeff Road and University Drive intersection. MY SHOES ARE AT HOME! The time... 7:09.  NO WAY I CAN GO BACK HOME AND MAKE IT ON TIME FOR THE RACE!!

So, I called my lovely wife.  I was afraid I was going to make her mad. (Really, I'd be mad if someone woke me up at 7:00 AM on a Saturday asking me to bail them out of their own stupidity.) She was incredibly gracious! She didn't call me dumb or anything.  She didn't complain or yell. I do not deserve her as a wife.  Truly. She just got out of bed, woke the kids up, got ready, grabbed my shoes and headed toward the mountain.  I turned around and headed toward Athens. After I met her, I took the shoes and knew I'd be late.

The only good thing about it is that I got premo parking! Someone had left after the start. I hopped out of the car (I had put on my shoes at at red light on the way.) ran to the check-in desk where Ronnie Nelson quickly said, "We got you!" (It helps to know people.), and took off! 8:00, 8:15, what's the difference? In my haste, I forgot to get my S Caps. That will factor in later.

Aid 1
It's a good thing I know the course.  There wasn't anyone in sight, obviously. I was running about 7:40 pace on the road thinking about how to make up some time.  I was sticking with my 5 hour pace plan.  On the descent down Walnut Hill on Cold Springs trail, I caught the pack. This is unfortunate.  I would have preferred to have caught them at the bottom.  People were literally sitting on their bottoms and sliding down the hill.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I explained that I had a late start and did the best I could to run by, but it was crowded and slow.  I was courteous and did most of my passing off of the trail. It was tough running!

As I hit Mountain Mist trail, I couldn't believe how beautiful the mountain was today. It was completely snow covered. The trails were covered in snow and the beauty was just breath-taking. I've never been so proud to welcome people to my home course before. On Mountain Mist Trail, I met up with Keith Hallmark, the RD for Black Warrior 50k. We chatted it up about his race for a bit. I'm still unsure if I can run it or not, but I'd really like to. If you can, run the Black Warrior 50k or 25k. That is one of my all time favorite events.  I digress.

The rest of the journey to Aid 1 was fairly uneventful, except that I used a lot of energy passing people.  I ran a little with fellow Limestone County runner Glen King. I also met several people from all over the country, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  This race draws them in.

At the aid station, I barely slowed down enough to top off my water bottle and thank the volunteers.  1:10 gun time, 55 minutes "chip" time.

Aid 2
Immediately after Aid 1 is one of my favorite descents on any trail anywhere. But it was very crowded.  Just before the descent, I saw and spoke with Josh Vinson who asked why I was this far back.  He got a kick out of my story.  I also chatted with Ragnar teammate Shawn Barber.  Then, I kinda recklessly started flying down the descent weaving in and out of more timid runners.  I nearly crashed with several trees, but descents are so much fun.

At the bottom, I ran along with a couple of strangers until Power Line.  Running their pace forced me to reign it in after the quick descent.  On Power Line, I passed them.  I was thankful for the cold temperatures to keep this trail from being so muddy. I moved along passing folks until the K2 climb.  Here, I stayed behind Randy McFarland and Linda Scavarda and chatted with them until the top.

On Goat Trail, I met Carly Koerner from Oregon. We chatted a bit about the National Championship game and the competition at the front of the race and the conditions of the trail and the weather in Oregon and on and on.  We both blazed through the Aid Station with a water top off only. 2:03 gun time, 1:48 "chip" time.

On to Fearn
I ran with Carly for another mile or so and then I left her.  This was my first mistake.  I was really surprised by how good I felt 12 miles into the run.  But I knew that the race hadn't begun. From here until the turn on Mountain Mist was a very lonely 4 miles and I struggled mightily.  I should have stayed with her.

After the turn on Mountain Mist, I caught up with fellow Limestone County runner and Athens Sunday morning 10 miler regular Lanier Greenhaw.  He was already struggling with cramps.  I was beyond ready to slow down, so we ran together to Fearn.  Again, the course was just absolutely beautiful. There was a stretch where we were walking, and there was a camera lady snapping pictures.  Wait! We begged, we're running now, take pictures! Delete the ones of us walking! She obliged.  Too funny.

I had icicles forming on my beard.  One of them was about 1.5 inches long.  It was funny to look at.  At the aid station, everyone was commenting on it! I said that I needed a picture because I was afraid that my wife would make me shave after this race.  Greg Gelmis obliged and got a really nice shot of the frozen beard. That's Lanier over my left shoulder.



3:02 gun time, 2:47 "chip" time.

Enter Land Trust
I left the Fearn aid station after a couple PB&J squares and a pretzel.  I knew I needed salt and I knew the cramps were coming. Ugh, I forgot my S Caps. Still, I continued running Toll Gate and High Trail.  I settled into a pack and ran their pace until Bluff Line.  Bryan Campbell was in this pack and we chatted a while.  At Bluff Line, I again let it go on the descent.  I flew down, passing people like crazy.  I felt fatigued, but still wasn't too bad off. I left Bryan behind here.  Again, a mistake.

I heard some noises up ahead.  Am I coming up on someone else to pass now? I don't see anyone... Then I ran by an electronic skeleton! Perfect given the race mascot!  Nice touch!  But to make him speak, someone must have been here recently... Sure enough, I caught some people.

But now, my legs are starting to hurt.  This isn't minor pain, either.  Ouch. Spasms and cramps.  20 miles in and I'm done.  I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 11 miles.  I gut it out until the Land Trust Aid Station. I beg for salt there, but there's no salt or S! Caps.  I eat a couple of banana pieces and a pretzel hoping the potassium will help.  Even now, it was too late, though. My legs are done.  3:47 gun time and 3:32 "chip" time.  A fall apart is in my immediate future.

On to Waterline
Railroad Bed trail is the death of me in this race. My legs are hurting bad. I need to lift my legs for this awful rocky section. I just can't. I'm toast.  My goal just now changed from run as fast as you can to finish the race with as little additional suffering as possible.

I need to lie down. Seriously. There was nowhere to lie down. Snow is everywhere. I continue looking and looking. Eureka! There is a large rock with no snow on it! (I have no idea how it got there, but I was so glad to see it.) Right next to the rock is a tall tree.  Yes, I did it.  I lay down on that rock and propped my feet straight up against that tree. I lay there for nearly 20 minutes. It felt SOOOOOOO good! The people passing kept asking if I were OK. Yes, I'm fine.  I'm hurting, but I'll live.  I even joked that the race wasn't difficult enough for me so I needed to do an ab workout here.

When I saw Lanier coming, I got up and ran with him. That break was magic for my legs.  I knew, though, that to press too much would do me in again, so we both ran easily through Railroad Bed trail and Alms House trail. Toward the end of Alms House, Lanier tripped but didn't fall on a rock and that triggered another cramp for him. He slowed but seemed to be ok and I kept going.

When I hit Waterline, I walked the whole way, but I did walk rather quickly. I was walking along with a couple of ladies, one from Chattanooga and one from Atlanta, each running their first ultra.  They did AWESOME! They stayed with me until the hand climb part of Waterline where I opened a lead. This climb never gets easy.

At the top of Waterline, the pain was back in my legs.  I just gutted it out to the aid station where I knew there would be salted potatoes. I ate mostly salt and a little potato and stayed here WAY too long. 4:55 gun time and 4:50 "chip" time.

The Last 10k
My legs are killing me. It hurts bad. I need to lie down again.  How can I finish with the least amount of pain and suffering? I found a spot before Natural Well that was dry enough to lie down on and prop my feed up against a tree again. People passing were nearly mocking this time.  It's OK, I deserved it. "Look, that guy crashed again!" Yes, I did. Nearly 20 minutes later, I got up again.

I struggled through the muddy nasty trail. Tom Holt from Athens caught me from behind here.  I could barely move and I just let him go.  I continued to struggle down the nasty rocky un-runnable descent past Natural Well. I slipped on an icy rock and fell and bruised my hip pretty good, but got up and kept going.  My hamstring had not started hurting, and I had vowed that injury would be the only thing that would keep me from finishing this race if I started. I don't remember ever covering this part of the trail slower than I did on this day. I was so glad to see the bottom and the turn to McKay Hollow trail.

Here, I met Kris Strope. We ran "slush mile" and "Rest Shelter Climb" together.  He obviously felt better than I did.  I hadn't run with Kris in a long time, so it was good to run and chat with him. We ran pretty good on this part of the trail.  At the top of Rest Shelter, I saw Tom Holt again, and cramps were really getting him. Kris decided to stay with him and I continued on.

The Finish and After
I crossed the finish line in 6:30 gun time and 6:15 "chip" time. This was far and away my worst race performance ever.  I understand why. I'm not angry or disappointed, but I was a little embarrassed about my time after the race.  I did what I could do. I was unprepared and it showed.  I wasn't unprepared because of laziness. I was unprepared because of injury. I'm not ashamed now.

I mailed it in and stopped pushing so that I could recover in time to begin (again) Boston training. I saw no need to keep pushing knowing that I wasn't going to have a good finishing time. I think it was a wise decision to back off in the second half.

After the race, I saw lots of friends waiting on me.  Shane O'Neill came in after me, but neither of us have any idea when I passed him. If I had known, I would have hung with him to have company till the end.

Several of my friends had great races. I'd like to give a shout out to some who had amazing performances.

• James Falcon absolutely blistered the course going sub 4:30 with a 4:29 and 11th overall. I'm amazed by his performance! James, you're out of my league.
• Brett Wilks showed his manliness on the trails with an awesome 4:42.
• Marcus Farris went sub-5:00 with a 4:56.
• Eric Fritz ran a personal best Mist with a 5:15.

As always, thanks to Dink and Suzanne Taylor, Fleet Feet in Huntsville, HTC, and all the volunteers.  Mountain Mist is what a trail run should be. It's a first class event.

Mountain Mist 2010

Intro

Wow! What an awesome race! Several of my friends had a really good day today and I congratulate them! A few guys that I trained with for this race put a beat down on me today, namely Mark Freeman, Justin Hulsman, and Marcus Farris.

Big thanks to Fleet Feet in Huntsville and Dink and Suzanne Taylor for pulling off another excellent event. Also, the volunteers deserve a big "Thank you!" For some, this was at least a 12 hour day. THANKS!

The folks at Huntsville Track Club continue to amaze me by having results posted already! Results are available here. David Riddle won by over 10 minutes in an amazing 3:58:30 . Dewayne Satterfield won the Masters and was 2nd overall with 4:09:09. Dewayne takes tough to a completely different level. The women's winner was Dana Overton in 5:21:09.

I ran a 5:21:48. That earned me 32nd overall of 247 finishers, which means pretty much nothing.

The Start

I had no idea what to expect today. I had 4 days with no running and little sleep leading up to the race (sound like an excuse?). This was my first attempt at racing a 50k. I knew the course would be a mess. I knew that I was unprepared for the climbs. I also knew that I was unprepared to run beyond 24 or so miles. All of those things were factors (excuses) today.

At the start I wanted to stay near the front pack to be sure I didn't get stuck behind slow runners on the trails. That meant clocking the first mile in 7:15 with no warm up. Even so, I was stuck behind some slower folks going down Walnut Hill. It's a tricky descent, but there is no need to stop like the people in front of me did. Anyway.

As we climbed up Mountain Mist trail to the South Plateau, I settled into a rhythm with Ragnar teammate and CM Marathon training partner Justin Hulsman. There was a guy running near us who would alternate grunts and "woo!'s". I was glad to pass him.

Along South Plateau and Family Bike Trail, John Wiygul joined Justin and me. We had some good conversation and a few laughs. I was conflicted here about how fast to run. I didn't want to use up all my gas, but these are the only fast miles on the course. We ended up running them in the low 8's, which was probably not fast enough. Make hay while the sun shines, so to speak. Still, though, we hit the first aid station really close to the plan at 53 minutes. Just before the aid station I saw Eric Fritz for the first time. He had a great day today, smashing his 5:30 goal with a 5:24!

The First Major Climb

Warpath Ridge is one of the funnest descents anywhere! We flew down this hill! I don't know how many people we passed. They were all courteous enough to yield. Justin commented here on how quickly we descended and how I had become lighter on my feet since we had last run on trails.

Along Power Line/Flat Rock, I had a slip and an almost fall. I was completely horizontal with hands and feet on the ground. No knee or elbow hit the ground, so I wasn't down! That was the only time all day that I came close to falling, which is a bit surprising given the conditions today.

What goes down must go back up, and K2 was just up ahead. Justin and I ran this behind Marcus Farris. He climbed very smart! Walking much of it and running the less steep sections. At the top, we passed Mark Freeman who struggled a bit with the climb. We used Goat trail to recover from the climb, and probably should have run this a bit faster. We hit Aid 2 at 3 benches still on plan at about 1:40.

On Through Stone Cuts

This section of the race was fairly uneventful. Marcus, Justin and I were just running along with some interesting conversation. Where else in the world would a 19 year old and a 26 year old let an old geezer like me hang out with them? Also, along this section I met Mark Fisher who ran a sub 3:10 at Rocket City but was struggling with injury and blisters today. Another fun descent and then on to Aid 3 behind schedule a bit at almost 2:35. I realized that Cold Springs up to Fearn was a portion that I had rarely, if ever, run in daylight!

Based on the way I felt and the split at the aid station, I knew 5 hours was not to be today. I started battling cramps at about 14 miles, and I spent the rest of the day running on the edge of calf cramps. I would push as hard as I could without cramping.

To the Bottom of Land Trust

Marcus really opened his lead on us past Aid Station 3. It was good to see George DeWitt and Carl Smith and other friends at Aid 3. Justin was now leading the way up Tollgate and High trails. I was starting to struggle a little, so I was glad that he was setting the pace now. It would force me to run harder whether I wanted to or not.

But the cramps. Ouch. My legs just wanted to seize up.

I was curious about how Bluffline trail would be. When we hit it, Justin started flying on the descent. I stayed right on his heels and it was awesome fun! It wasn't as slippery as I feared. This year, I have grown to just love the technical descents. I have room for improvement, but I've come a long way on these in just a few weeks. I had to have that today.

Along this descent, we passed Eric Schotz. I've never been ahead of him at any time in any race. Ever. I sure had no business being ahead of him 20 miles into this race. I knew he would pass me back. I am not near his class.

After the descent, my legs refused. I had to walk or cramp. Justin entertained the idea of staying with me, but I insisted that he go on. That was the last I would see of him until the finish line. I walked unless the terrain went downhill, then I ran. I continued this until Eric Fritz caught me again. He asked how I was doing, and wanting some company, I sucked it up and stayed with him to Aid 4. I hit Aid 4 way behind schedule at almost 3:15. Now, 5:30 was my new goal. And given the way I felt, I thought that was ambitious.

Waterline

One could argue that this race doesn't begin until Aid 4. I sure felt awful to just be starting a race!! I'm not sure how I lost Eric Fritz here. I don't remember if he went ahead of me or if I went ahead of him. Somehow, I was ahead of him at Waterline, but I honestly don't remember passing him.

Railroad Bed is one of the most miserable trails to run. The sharp rocks! The tricky stream crossings! I had been running it at about a 9:30pace during training runs, but all I could muster was an 11:00 pace. This was a lonely stretch. There was nobody in sight. I came up on some stranger and passed him.

Alms House Trail mixes very technical sections with very runnable sections. Again, all my legs would do was 11:20 pace. Oh how I wanted to go faster, but could not. I passed another stranger on Alms House. Then, near the end, as expected, Eric Schotz came flying by. I had no chance at all to even think about giving chase. I kept him in sight as we turned on Waterline, but he was moving!

I caught up with Mark Freeman again here and Eric Fritz was close behind. This was the first time I remembered seeing Mark since K2, but obviously I had seen him since I passed him there and I was catching him here. I stayed on his heels up Waterline. We were both struggling. We spoke of the potatoes that we hoped would be at the next aid station! Also, we commented that all the practice climbing this still didn't make it easier! This is simply the toughest climb in any race I've ever run. Lake Trail at Mount Cheaha is not this hard, in my opinion.

Waterline totally defeated me. I hung on to keep moving to the next aid station. And the potatoes were there!!! I caked them in salt which I so desperately needed. I hung out too long at this aid station. Mark continued. Fritz continued. I stayed and chatted. I was hoping a slight rest would help. I knew that I had to go, though. So off I went after about 2 minutes. The clock said about 4:10. 5:30 was attainable. If somehow I could avoid cramps, 5:20 wasn't out of the question.

Rest Shelter

Either Railroad Bed or Natural Well is the bane of this race. Perhaps both are. However, on that first slightly downhill section, I had been training at a sub 8:00 pace. Hah! My legs would do no faster than 11:00. This was getting frustrating! I wanted to go faster. I know I can run faster. But if I do, my calves seize.

Along this section, the women's runner-up, Kellie Smirnoff, passed me. She was running strong and was the women's leader at this point. I congratulated her and encouraged her to stay strong. I tried to stay close, but my legs wouldn't let me. I noticed that logs and rocks definitely slowed her down. As the trail was getting more difficult, I was able to catch her. She mentioned to me that she is a road runner and this was her first trail race! WOW!!

As we hit the nasty, technical descent from Natural Well, it slowed her down terribly and she courteously let me pass. I was reluctant because I've never been able to run this section well at all. But today was different! I have no idea how or why, but I was able to run this descent! It wasn't great, but it was BY FAR the best I've ever done on this section! I passed Ryan Meulemans here, but I knew he would get past me on the flats at the bottom, and told him so.

And Ryan did. But before he did, Dana Overton, the overall women's winner, passed me. She was running very strong! I tried to stay close, but I just could not. The flats and the ups were just more than I could do. I struggled along the bottom of McKay Hollow.

I was both dreading and wishing for the Rest Shelter climb. I knew it meant that the end was near. I knew it meant that there would be much less mud. But I also knew that it would be a near impossible climb given my cramps and fatigue.

And the climb began. And continued. And continued. I decided to really push. It hurt. The end is near. I passed Eric Fritz and a couple of others near the bottom of this climb. I gained considerable ground on Dana Overton. I ran. I walked. I ran. I walked. I was really giving it all I had. I was going better than most on the ups at this point. At the top, I was less than 10 seconds behind Dana. Could I avoid being chicked?

To the Finish!

Nope. I tried, but she really opened up her lead on South Plateau. I said to myself, run at marathon pace! You can hold MP for less than 2 miles! It's easy, runnable ground. It may as well be road! Run! I ran at about 7:30 pace for about a half mile, and just blew up. I clocked this mile over 9:00. That's not hardly MP! :)

Oh well. I tried. All I wanted was the finish line. I was tired. I couldn't even run a 9:00 minute mile. I was done. I crossed at 5:21:48, the first guy to be chicked. :) Congrats to Dana. She is tough. Very tough.

At the finish, it was great to see lots of friends there cheering the finishers on. Scott Michael was there. It was good to be reunited with Mark and Justin. Patrick Fagerman had an absolutely amazing day and broke 5 hours. Wow! Every time he sees me, he reminds me of our battle at the Huntsville Half Marathon and he reminds me of the outcome. :) I'll have to find a way to come out on top if I find myself in a battle with him in the future! We had some good natured trash talk.

After some solid food and a change of clothes, I hung around with Scott waiting on Matt Davis and Lanier Greenhaw. Matt deserves some big props here. He trained hard for this race and had much of his hard work hindered by sickness the days before the race. I could tell he wasn't well on the ride over. I wondered whether he would DNF or even DNS. But he gutted it out and refused to quit. He probably tolerated a lot more discomfort than I did.

It really is difficult to describe the energy that surrounds this event. The crowds in the lodge, the excitement, the cheers, the known difficulty, the camaraderie, and the fantastic organization all make this a unique event.

Mountain Mist

I have to start today by giving a BIG shout out to my buddy Mark Freeman. He had a fantastic run yesterday at Mountain Mist. He absolutely dropped the hammer down and blew away his goal and my expectation for his finishing time. He ran the toughest trail run in Alabama, the Mountain Mist 50k, in 5:20:17. That is insane good. Way to go Mark!!!! I'm way proud of my friend!! Congrats! Nice job! Amazing!

Results are at the HTC Website.

Mark made up for my slacking yesterday. I totally slacked. I ran maybe 2 or 3 miles tops. I just didn't want to, so I quit. Then, I played some racquetball, which was fun. I dove a couple of times and I'm a little sore. I have to learn not to go all out all the time.

Today, I met with the Athens group and ran 10 with them. I ran to the meeting place and ran home for a total of 14 miles. Today was the largest group yet! 13 folks! Great run guys and gals!

On the trail again

That's why I run trails. Today was an absolutely beautiful, if cold, run! Those two above are shots looking up the steep part of Waterline on the Mountain Mist course.

It really looks like the Mt. Cheaha 50k is a go. So, I'm continuing to train and log the miles to be ready for it. I'm excited, but I'm also a little intimidated by the climb and distance of that race.

My schedule called for 20 miles today. I didn't quite make it. I logged about 18.5. I'm a little ahead on mileage this week, and I may log a couple of extra tomorrow to make up for it. I know it's not the same, but it's better than nothing.

I worked late last night and just couldn't get out of bed in time to meet the Mountain Mist training group. I was just about 10 minutes late, and they left without me, as they should have. :(

They were marking the course today, so I thought I had a chance to catch them. I ran the second half. I'm guessing that the markers were on the first half today because I never caught them, and I ran out of course markings at the end of Waterline. If any of the markers are reading this, nice job guys. It was pretty obvious where to go even to a trail newbie like me.

Oh yeah, today's run was AWESOME. It was still very cold when I started. It didn't really warm up that much while I was out there. Notice in the pictures how the Mountain Mist course can look! According to weather.com, there will be just about perfect weather for the Mountain Mist 50k next week.

This last picture is a stream that crosses Natural Well Trail along the descent to McKay Hollow.

Trails again

Today I met Mark over at Monte Sano to do run part of the Mt. Mist course. I love running trails! We ran the first half of the course and then took a steep climb up Sinks Trail (I think) up to our cars to refill water and hit the South Plateau loop for another 3+ miles. It was around 19 miles total.

We were planning to start at about 6:15 or 6:30, but I got just out of Athens and realized that I forgot my shoes. Yep, I was driving to run and forgot my shoes. Boneheaded, I know. We were so late and behind that we decided to just meet with the Mt. Mist training group. They were doing the second half today. We did that last week so we decided to stick with our original plan and do to the first half.

Updates

A while back I toyed with the idea of ending this blog because the training, marathon, and recovery were complete. Well, several have said they still want to read the blog, so the blog stays. I'll keep the name the same so that folks won't have to update links, etc. Also, the Rocket City Marathon is what started the blog and will hopefully be a key part of my training each year.

This weeks training
Remember that Tuesday I did speed work.

Wednesday
I followed that up with a long run. Not wise! Wednesday, New Year's Eve, Mark and I ran about 17 on Monte Sano. We ran the second half of Mt. Mist, with a wrong turn thrown in to add 1.5 miles. That's a tough finish! I totally bonked at about 14.5 miles. I just had no more gas. I kept stopping to walk. Thanks for your patience, Mark! I'll never do speed work and a long run on back to back days again.

Check out pictures from Wednesday's run in my Facebook photos.

Friday
Friday, I played 6 games of racquetball and then took Leigh and the kids for a hike on the trails at Monte Sano. We went about 3 miles total, which was just a little too far (my mistake), but the complaining was minimal. They loved it!


Saturday
And today I did a 15 miler around Athens, 13+ of them with Matt. We ran mostly at an 8:30 pace and finished the run with the last 3 under 8:00, and miles 14 and 15 were around 7:40. Road miles sure do get easier after running on the trails! I don't have to think about every step!