StumpJump 50k Trail Race
Race Report
This was my first attempt at any mileage over 26.2 and was also my first trail race. Trail running seems like a great marriage for me. I love to run and I love hiking trails. I heard about this race a couple years ago when my buddy and old college roommate said that he was going to attempt it, and wanted me to also. I currently was training for my first marathon to run at the end of October 2010, and didn’t want this tough race just a month before my first marathon. He never ran the StumpJump but I knew I wanted to eventually.
Saturday morning Amber and I left the hotel in Cleveland at 6:15 am. It would take us about 1hr to get to Signal Mtn for a start time of 8am. It was the first chilly morning I had experienced this year, with a temp at sunrise of around 50 degrees. After dropping of my “drop bag” at the registration table and going through my customary wait in line at the porta-potty. I walked back to the van and got the last few items for my race. Nathan Judd met Amber and me, and we walked to the start. Once last trip to the john, peeled off my outer layer of warmth, attached my ipod and gloves, took a couple pictures, then the starting horn went off…and so I began my first UltraMarathon and Trail race.
The course starts at Signal Mtn Middle-High School. We weave through the parking lot and along some of the school’s roads for the first .5 miles then we enter the trail, the remainder of the race save the last .5 and a .10 mile section at mile 6.1 and 24.8 were on trails. The first 3 miles or so was along a fairly wide smooth trail with little elevation change. I got in the back of the pack to pace myself and not go out too fast. Even early on I decided that I would “speed hike” every hill and run everything else. The trail was crowded and it was hard at times to get a good stride. Once we came to “Mushroom Rock” (a 20ft high rock that looks like a…well you guessed it…mushroom) the terrain and elevation changed.
From mile about mile 3 to mile 4.5 or so we went from an elevation of 2000ft to 1300ft. Much of it was on a very technical downhill, I would have liked to run more of it but the crowed pack I was in would not allow it. At the bottom of the descent was a swinging bridge. I decided to make a quick “pitstop” before going over the bridge, this was a mistake. In the process a even slower group got in front of me and after the bridge was a sharp climb then another sharp descent. I struggled trying to hike past and get to a quicker pack. The first aid station was a mile 6.1. I was feeling good but had already drank my entire water bottle full of “red gatorade” that my mother-in-law had provided. At the station they refilled me with HEED and I had some trail mix and tried to get in front of the slower pack. The next 4.5 miles was a lot of stop and go. I was in a train of about 15 people. I wanted to pass but couldn’t, and it might have been helpful to keep me from wearing out. I was still speed hiking the inclines and many times could hike faster than some were running up the hill. It was at the next aid station that my “crew” was there to cheer me on. Nathan was on top of a large boulder and yelled at me to stop walking! But I couldn’t go any faster than those in front of me. My wife was around the corner. It was great to see her and is always such a boost to morale. I had been at it for 10.6 miles and 2hrs and 33mins. At the station I was refilled on HEED, had trail mix, and two new potato quarters dipped in salt (yummy!). A kiss good bye and I was off into the loop portion of the trail. That first 10.6 I would do again going the other way.
From 10.6 to 13.3 I was moving good. It was just me and one other guy on the trail for at least a whole mile. We would move at a good pace on the flat and down hills and then speed hike the inclines. He was wearing some Vibram barefoot style shoes, but not the toe type. He would jump around a lot on the trail and jump over thing, I thought it was a waste of energy but he looked like he was having fun. We then caught up to a new pack, this was a pack that I would be with off and on for the next 8 miles. The next aid station came with more love and encouragement from my crew and some more grub to eat.
From 13.3 to 16.8 was pretty uneventful…well I don’t remember much of it. It was the part of the race where I was comfortable going at t steady pace and in race hypnosis. However right before the next aid station at 16.8 we came to a rock road that was a big incline at the aid station I took a salt tablet, more trail mix, some pretzels, and more HEED. I also saw a guy by the name of Mike that I had meet at the Carbo Dinner the night before. He was from Nashville. This was his first Ultra also but he was already an accomplished endurance athlete by completing two Ironman Triathlons. I would pass him up hiking the rest of the incline before the trail leveled out. Then next few miles were some of my favorite, mostly because I was all alone for the first time. I could see a few people off in the distance in front but no body behind me. I settled in to a faster pace, turned up my tunes, and enjoyed my run…then came the Rock Garden.
I had heard about this part of the trail through reading others race reports. I came to what I though was the rock garden when the trail disappeared and there was just boulder and rocks that you had to navigate on top of…it was useless to try to run it. I got through that little section and thought well that wasn’t that bad. I made the next turn and there was the real garden. It was worse and horrible and no fun…I did not enjoy it! I would have like it if I was just on a nature hike but after 18 miles it was not fun at all. It was also hard to know where to go. The little yellow flags that mark the course were hard to see among the yellow leaves that had fallen on the rocks. Once defeating the garden I came to the mile 19 aid station where I saw my crew for the last time before the finish. I changed my shirt, reapplied “body glide” and got some more supplies (gels and energy bars). After refilling my water bottle I was about to go back on the return stick of the 10miles.
The next 5 miles were good. People were few and far between, I passed many and was not passed once. The same part that before was stop and go, was now all go. I reached the aid station at 24.8 and I knew those steep down hills were now going to be up hills. I would hike the next mile with spurts of running when it leveled out for a second. Someone would pass me on the running part, but then I would pass them on the hiking. At about mile 26 or so I saw a guy on sitting on a log on the side of the trail. I asked him if he was okay. He told me he was fine, but I imagine he never got up from that seat. I continued my run/hike formula that had gone so well the whole race. It was at this time that I checked my phone to see if Amber had written me. To my surprise my entire family and a few friends had written me words of encouragement…it was pretty awesome and a great boost. I got to the last aid station at Mushroom Rock….it was the beginning of the end.
Mushroom rock was at 26.8…ONLY 4.2 from the finish…that was a long 4.2 miles! I would have another serious incline before getting close to the school campus. I was hurting pretty bad by this point but I also had the glorious realization that I was going to do it. I could see the soccer field and then a little big later the football stadium, I knew the finish wasn’t too far away just about 2 miles. I though 2 miles! I have run 2 miles everyday since 12/1/09, I can run 2 miles! We came to a road crossing and I asked a young man for a mileage…he told me .8 left. That was a shot in the arm I looked at my watch and saw that I had 15 mins to run .8 miles and I would break 7hrs. I ran hard and hiked harder. I felt like I had ran .8 and my watch had told me I ran at least that much when I came to another road crossing where this time another young man told me we had .5 left to go…that was disappointing. I came out on to the road and the 7hr mark came and went. There was a guy in front of me that clapped his hands together in aggravation. I caught up to him and asked him was he shooting for 7hrs, he said that was what the clap was about. We hiked the last incline on the road together then “sprinted” the homestretch. The race was over! Waiting for me was my buddy Nathan, my wonderful wife Amber and my two kids Kherington and Lukas. It was a great day.
Below are the stats. If you have any questions about the race or about training I will be happy to give you my little bit of knowledge.
Distance 31 miles
Time 7:06:38
Pace 13:46
Elevation gain 5,677ft
Calories 4,524
