Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Georgia Jewel 35 miler Race Report

It's been a while since I did a race report, but I just started my taper for Grindstone 100 and I thought this race I just completed deserved some love.

If you are thinking about a race at the end of your summer training cycle, then think no longer and sign up for the Georgia Jewel as soon as possible. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. The race directors are top notch and truly care for each and every runner. They are not there to collect a race fee and give a high five. They are there to give you a great race experience and encouragement to reach your goals. The volunteers were incredible with wonderful aid stations. The trail is also a good challenge for the beginner to seasoned ultra runner. So do your self a favor and sign up for the Jewel next year!

With that being said I will tell you how my day went and also some more specific description of the trail for those of you that like to know what the trail will be like before you run it.

Start to John's Mtn. (0-7.5)

The Georgia Jewel 35 miler is a point to point adventure that starts at the Dry Creek trail system in Northen GA and follows mostly the Pinhoti Trail to the Convention Center in Dalton, GA.


Because it is a point to point, you meet at the finish and take a bus to the start. We were told that the buses would leave promptly at 6am and the 50 milers would start at 700am while the 35 milers would start at 715am.

I got to the race finish at about 5:35am and gathered my gear together, put on socks and shoes then took care of my pre-race business. Upon exiting the porta-john, Franklin, half of the race directing couple known as "Team Baker", told me that I could ride in his truck to the start with the rest of our "Crew" that was running, Nick Horvath and Jeremiah Lackey (who was running the 50 miler).
"Carpool Karoke" Photo by Jobie Williams


While the buses left on time, we didn't arrive on time. Evidently the buses following us had the speed of a old golf cart. The country roads trip that should have taken 35-40 mins took well over an hour. Needless to say the race got started late.

We all exit our vehicles and then one of my favorite parts of Ultra running is seeing who all is there. Giving last minute "good lucks" and "you will do great" to running friends, Facebook running friends that I finally meet in person, and brand new friends.
James, Felix, Jeremiah, Nick before the start.


Team Baker gathers everyone together and gives the finally instructions before Jenny sends off the 50 mile group and tell us that we are going to start in just a couple minutes.

Team Baker with the last minute instructions



3...2...1... and we are off.

The race starts at the Dry Creek Trail System that is multiuse and very popular with horseback riders. The 35 milers wouldn't be using these trails hardly at all, but instead we turn right on the gravel service road and take that to join the Pinhoti trail.

Start of the 35miler leaving Dry Creek (Photo by Jobie Williams)


The gameplan for the day was to just take it easy and not race. I wanted to dial in a fueling strategy for Grindstone and just test out things while getting some time on feet. I was going for a special DNF type race, Do Nothing Foolish.

After a quick turn to the right and a water crossing, the first climb begins. Nick and I were running up the hill on the service road and I mentioned that we can hike this if he wanted to. After a few more seconds I decided to hike it and he decided to race, I wouldn't see him again until the finish where he was already changed having come in 4th. I pulled my headphones out of my pack and walked for a few more minutes being passed by several people before I decided to run again.

Photo by Jobie Williams


The first 4 miles are all service road before turning on to pretty non technical single track that continues to wind up to John's Mountain. Along the way up to John's Mountain which is the highest point of the race and the best view too, I met a few other runners. Molly was from the Atlanta area and had run this race a few times before. We ran close to each other till we got to the next aid station where I went to take a picture and also get a pancake. This aid station was run by the Scenic City Trail Runners. They are a wonderful group of people and runners that plan weekly runs in Chattanooga and encourage the community in a great way. Can't say enough good things about these people!

The SCTR Super Heroes with Felix Chea 


John's Mtn to Snake Creek (7.5-17.3)


View from John's Mountain


Upon leaving the Superhero's Sanctuary of John's Mountain Aid station the course also leaves the Pinhoti trail for the first time and follows the John Mountain trail down to the Keown Falls trailhead. This trail is the most technical that we have been on so far in the race. It is rocky, rooty and there were some recent blow downs to navigate through. The sun was starting to come through the trees now. I made my way down the stone steps and across more rocks and technical terrain before coming out at the next aid station in the parking lot of the trail head. I refilled one bottle with tailwind and another with water and ran down the road.

Just a little technical coming off John's Mtn (Photo by Jobie Williams)


At the aid station I had caught up to two other runners and followed behind them for a bit until there was a gravel road climb where they walked and I ran. It was about that time that a car came down the road and the driver gave some encouraging words. It was Josh Tilford who was out cheering, crewing, and photoing his wife, Kellye for her first ultra.

After crossing Pocket Road, the Pinhoti goes past Pilcher's Pond and onto to some of my favorite section of trail for the race. It wasn't anything special but just nice single track and I was feeling really good. This is also when I started seeing the 100 mile runners. I knew some of them and would shout out their name as they passed by trying to give them all the encouragement I could, knowing they would have a long day.

I passed by the spot that Nick and I ran an aid station last year and began to climb to the next ridge line and along the way I caught a few more runners. This part of the trail is not very technical but it does climb for a while. Once I got to the top and started heading down a little bit one of the 100 milers complained, "You guys got it easy, it's all down hill for you." I just snickered and told him that he was looking strong.

After some quick and smoother downhill switchbacks I was at the next aid station called Snake Creek. This station was run by the RD for No Business 100 and I introduced myself and got a refill on water and tailwind. I didn't stay long and I didn't eat anything they had to offer, just pushed on up the next hill.

Snake Creek to Dug Gap Power lines (17.5- 32.9)

At the aid station I had caught up to two more runners. The single track rocky and rooty trail immediately climbs for nearly 2 miles and I ran past the first and started to make my way towards the next. There were some backpackers up on the trail too as I got up to the top of Mill Creek Mtn. The sun now was full blast and the temperature was rising. I came across another runner and some day hikers as the trail started to descend. This is a very quick and smooth down hill that brings you down to a little creek crossing. You can stay completely dry but the same creek crosses the trail 3 times. I took a few seconds each time to splash my face and wet my hat. I was almost out of water and I had a couple more miles at least to the next aid station. At the last little creek crossing, as I was wetting my hat, the guy I had passed going up from the last aid station had caught up. We discussed about how much father the next aid was going to be and we both pressed on till we got to Stover's aid station.

This aid station was run by some friends of Franklin and Jenny that were from Cincinnati. They were awesome. I was bone dry so they filled one bottle up and I guzzled it while they filled up the other two. I changed my shirt and took car of some other house keeping items. I loaded my pack back up and headed out just a few seconds behind the other guy. I decided to run up to him so we could hike up the gravel hill together to the single track turn in to the left.

I introduced myself. His name was Joe and he was from Florida. After talking for a few minutes I realized that he had ran with Nick earlier in the day. We shared some stories and such for about 45 mins. That is one of the best things about trail running, the trail conversations. I pulled away from him somewhere on the ridge line.

This section of trail from Stover's to Dug Gap is some of the most technical continual trail for the day. It is very rocky, so much so that some call it a rock garden. I don't consider it like the rock garden at Mullen's Cove or the one at the lower end of the Fiery Gizzard trail, but every time I run it, it gets rockier.

I was about out of water again when I got to the Lonely Water Aid. This was an unmanned aid station but still awesome. The RD had some how got gallons of water on top of this mountain in the middle of no where, and it was a wonderful oasis in the heat. I filled up bottles and dumped some on my head and down my back and then continued on my way. I was just lazily running along trying not to stub my toes on the rocks when I saw a couple shirts in the distance. Suddenly I got some energy and tried to chase them down. Before I got to the gravel road down hill I had passed both of them and saw another half way down the hill. I ran down in full sun towards the last aid station.

The Dug Gap Power Line Aid was being manned by no other the Vegan Corey. He game me news on Nick that he had been in an out quick and was about 40 mins ahead of me, meaning that he had already finished and in 4th place! So much for not racing. I filled up and was on my way down the beautiful power line cut for the finals miles of the race.
View of the last Aid Station and the Power Lines (photo by Jobie Williams)


Power Lines to Finish (32.9-35ish)

The end of the race is easy (except for one little part). You can bomb down hill past the power lines into the woods then down to a road that you turn right on. You continue down hill on the road and start to hear Interstate 75 on the other side of a tree line. You turn left down a smaller country road and head back into the woods. It was about this time that I texted Nick to congratulate him and let him know that I was almost done. He said just wait for the hill! It was then that the road I was on started to go up, it wasn't a steep or extraordinary long hill, but I did walk a lot of it. Then it goes back down the road ends into the guys house where there is a sign telling us to run through his yard. Then the course joins another broken concrete road and makes a turn to the left. That is when you see the hill that was aptly named by Nick, Mt. Baker. It is only .10 of a mile in length but it is straight up! I am surprised that when they paved it with concrete that it didn't all just slide to the bottom and form a big pile of concrete rocks. I tried to run it, but that only lasted a few seconds. Then it was hands on knees hiking up about ready to crawl. It took me 3:22 just to get up that 1/10th of a mile! What a way to end an ultra marathon.
Here is a pic of Jim struggling up to give you a reference (Photo by Jobie Williams)


Once I crested the top I felt like I was flying towards the finish. Of course anything feels fast once you have crawled up a hill of that magnitude. I made the turn and saw the finish line and came in 10th place with a time of 7:24. I was pleased that my day went well with no problems and that I got a solid last training run in.

Finish! (photo by Nick Horvath)


Some people are drawn to certain races because of the course or because of the views. Some people may be drawn by the swag or the awards. The thing that separates this race from others that I have done is truly the people. The RD's, the volunteers, and the runners were all incredible. It was like one big encouragement and love trail fest at the Georgia Jewel. I can't recommend this race enough. I know the Jewel will be on my race or volunteer calendar for next year too!

Gear List:
Hoka Challenger 3's
Salomon Vest Set 8
Swiftwick Pursuit 4in
Several bottles of Tailwind
6 packs of Honey Stinger Chews
1 pack of Cliff Shots

Strava Data: https://www.strava.com/activities/1198254092

Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/1198254092








Thursday, June 9, 2016

THUNDER ROCK 100 TRAIL RACE 2016

Last year, I failed…as far as running my 100 mile race goes. I let the pain, the elements, and all the other frustrations that lead to a DNF get in the way. As I sat at the mile 75 aid station, all I could think about was how bad I hurt and how far I still had to go. Then in one moment, I told Will, the aid station worker, “I’m done.” Almost every run since then, I have thought about that DNF. I thought about being better prepared, being more focused, about being tougher—about finishing.

This year I had the best day of running in the woods I have ever had.

The weeks leading up to the race were worrisome. I had trained hard, but 3 weeks before race day I had gotten a bad cold that turned into walking pneumonia. I was on antibiotic and prednisone. The antibiotic would not stop until just two days before the race. I was concerned what health I would be in for 100 miles. However I took it easy on my daily runs and tried to rest as much as possible. Come the week of the race, I was feeling pretty good and just had a really great week leading up to the race.

Wednesday night I put all my stuff together knowing that Thursday night I would want to get in bed early and had more prep to do. As far as prerace sleep went, I slept great. I work up race day at about 7:30 and we were planning on leaving the house at 9:40 or so to drive the 1hr to the race start. While I was laying in bed, I was reading through the words of encouragement from my friends and I decided to watch a video that my best running buddy Nick Horvath had sent me. It is called “This is your day” and it follows a few different runners, especially Rob Krar through last year’s Western States 100. It was good, motivating, and fitting for the adventure I was about to start…I too wanted it to be “my day.” And do the best I could in this race.

We packed the van and I gave my wife Amber, who was going to be my crew, some final instructions. She was going to be putting herself through a lot for me. She was 35 weeks pregnant and was going to tote the other 3 kids around with her and all sleep in the van waiting on me. She did a wonderful job all day long and I am very thankful for her and my kids. We arrived to the start line with plenty of time to get my bib, take pictures, and prep my feet. The downfall of last year other than just not enduring was my feet got so badly blistered. You can read last year’s report HERE. This year I had tried to figure out what would be best so that would not be an issue. It ended up being a combination of socks (Swiftwick Pursuits) and a special tape called Leukotape that I used on the bottoms of both of my feet. This tape and this technique is what I learned through some research on pages like THIS.

Nick Horvath, Nathan Judd, Josh Cole
Photo by Jobie Williams
Minutes before an ultra are some of my favorite of the day. You get to see friends and training partners. Families give their last hugs and kisses.
Photo by Jobie Williams
You get to feel the contained excitement of the battle that is about to take place—the battle of will and determination, of grit and perseverance. The famous Jobie Williams was there taking pictures and Randy was giving his final instructions…3, 2, 1, Go!

The Thunder Rock 100 Trail Run takes place in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk Co., TN. Starting at Parksville Lake Campground, the route climbs over a couple mountains, crosses one river and multiple creeks. It is set in what most would call the middle of nowhere. It is remote, it is green, it is wet, and it is beautiful.

I usually try to give a blow by blow of the race, but I have already described the trail and other race specifics. So instead of that I want to mention some goals and what made this a great race for me.

Photo by Jobie Williams

Focus

I wanted to focus on the situation, problem, mile that was in front of me and not the 100 miles or 80 miles or 36 miles I had to go at any point during this race. So I broke the race down into aid station to aid station and mile to mile. Or sometimes trail marking flag to flag.
Last summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to crew Joshua Holmes at Badwater 135 during his successful “Slamwater” attempt. (If you don’t know what Badwater is, then look it up! The Grand Slam is 4 of the “original 100 milers” all done in one summer…if you add Badwater it becomes Slamwater.) While the entire experience was truly incredible, I also learned a lot in the desert. One of those was how to focus on the mile and not so much the race. So I did just that. I was just going to run each mile the best I could. If I screwed up one mile, I would have another chance in just a few mins. When I did great one mile I would try to let that help me focus on the next.

Headed toward the River
Photo by Jobie Williams
This strategy worked great. Last year I was so consumed thinking that I had a marathon to go, not realizing that I really only had 8ish miles to go to get to the next aid station,and really only one mile at a time.

I used this idea of focus when I didn’t want to run. If there was an incline I would try to run up it for a 20 second count. I would just focus on getting that 20 seconds done. There were some miles when I was with my pacer,
Pacer for miles 41-64 Jeremiah Lackey
Photo by Gregg Gelmis
Jeremiah that I just wanted to focus on running for the next half mile or quarter of a mile. Or I would say let’s run to that next flag. Focus went a long way when I was by myself for most of the last 36 miles. I would focus on running for a whole song on my ipod or maybe just till the chorus or till the singer said a certain lyric that I knew was coming up in the song. Even when I wasn’t running, I wanted each step to count. So I would focus on walking with purpose, never taking a lazy step. Focus on that next step to make it the best towards your goal.

Fueling

My fueling plan was pretty simple but I think that it had a huge impact upon my performance. I used Cliff Shot Bloks, Tailwind, Endurolytes, PB and Honey sandwiches, and what I could find at the aid stations. Every 45 mins I was going to take 3 Shot Bloks. Every 1hr 30, I was going to eat a sandwich. I was going to drink tailwind the entire time in both bottles and take 2 to 4 endurolytes at each aid station. The plan worked well for the first 30 miles or so, but then I got tired of the sandwiches so I just kept taking the Shot Bloks, Tailwind and some aid station fair. The best was the hot ham and cheese sandwich at Manning’s Cabin Aid station. The other aid stations had great stuff but I just wanted to keep moving.
Chowing down on something at mile 75
Photo by Whitney Franklin
I think one of the main reasons that I did so well and never had a true low was from fueling properly. Without the constant and continual intake of calories I would have definitely gone deep into a pain cave and hitched a ride on the struggle bus.
I can’t say enough good things about Tailwind. If you haven’t tried it, you should. I am not sure how many bottles of it I had while out there, but I know it helped me reach my goal and I had no GI issues. This year Tailwind was actually at the aid stations too. I had known that going in so I didn’t pack several baggies of it to fill up. However at the first aid station they evidently didn’t get the memo and still had Heed in the water jug…I asked about Tailwind and they had a bag there so I threw in my two scoops per bottle and went on my way.

Friends and Family

A highlight of this year’s race for me was that I was constantly surrounded by people I knew. Not only did I have the stellar crew of Amber (35 weeks pregnant), Kherington (7), Lukas (5), and Linkoln (2), but I also knew someone at each aid station except for one.
My family crew did great. They were at each spot on time and had my bag of stuff that I needed. They were most helpful at mile 17 when I needed a full sock and shoe change after the river crossing. They dried my feet and helped me put on my calf sleeves, socks and new shoes. Lukas was especially helpful in trying to fix my hair and unwrinkle my shirt. I don’t know why he thought either were important, but he was being helpful. They camped out in the car for me all night and were just a great blessing to have. There is something special about seeing your family after being alone in the woods for a few hours when everything hurts.
3 of my crew--Kherington, Lukas, and Linkoln


As I mentioned I had friends all over the place. Some I am closer to than others, but they all knew my face and my name and I knew them. At the first Aid Station I got to see Kris Whorton. This was not her official aid station to be in charge of but she was there with all of her encouragement and a big hug. She does so much for the Chattanooga trail community and most of it is behind the scenes, and is just an awesome person. At the bottom of Oswald before crossing the river I got to see part of “The Crew” and their families for a split second. To see them and have them cheer me on was great, and Jobie got a pretty good pic in the process too. Once I was in the river, Monica Manning was there to see if I needed anything and to encourage me. Once I got to the other side, I saw Nathan Judd’s parents, Daniel Hamilton, and Missy Emerling.
Selfie with the great Kris Whorton

Iron Gap at mile 25ish was the only time I didn’t know someone. By the time I got to Bullet Creek Randy and Kris Whorton were there. I snapped a pic with Kris, since I was her runner. (Each Aid Station Captain got a free entry, and Kris gave hers to me). I told her that I was going to try and do her proud. At Servilla I got to see my crew again and pick up my pacer. I had never had a real pacer before, and Jeremiah had never been a real pacer. I think we both did okay for our first time. He reminded me to eat and drink and plus he pushed me to keep moving when I wanted to just walk sometimes. It was great to have him through the dark miles in Coker Creek. When we got to Manning’s Cabin aid, Erin Thurman and some of the Scenic City Trail Runners were there. Erin is a great encourager of runners of all levels and distances. And the SCTR group is a great place for all types to learn about some of the great trails we have in Chattanooga. At Coker Falls, I believe Monica Manning was there again, meaning that she probably had not slept, since it was now close to midnight.
Fording the Hiawassee
Photo by Gregg Gelmis
As Jeremiah and I finished the Coker Creek section we came up to the party known as the Powerhouse Aid station. It was run by the Hollands, Bakers, and the Williams--all great families and great friends. It was there last year that I got to really talk to Nate and Katie for the first time. They did a wonderful job with their aid station. At Reliance I got to see Amber, but the kids were thankfully asleep since it was like 3 am. I also saw Samuel Hammonds and Cary Long. Jeremiah left me there but I knew I would see more friends at the top of Deep Gap. There I got to see the Pistol crew including Whitney Franklin. It was just wonderful to see her even if it was just for a couple mins.
Aid Station Selfie!
Selfie by Whitney
Back in the daylight I got to see Corey and his “diversity Santa” along with my crew again who were all awake now, although Lukas had somehow lost a shoe so he had to stay in the van. I saw Nick and Josh’s family and they gave me their well wishes as I was staring the last legs of the course. At the Whitewater Center I got to see Nick Cutchens (aka Tall Nick) and to share a quick laugh with him.
When I got to the final aid station at Boyd Gap I got to see Kris Whorton again for the 3rd time! I also saw Ryan Beckett. Ryan and I had run together a few times on Stringer’s Ridge. When I saw him at the aid he asked if I needed anything. That is the common thing to ask and usually the answer is “Nah, I’m okay” or “Yeah, do you have any chocolate, or chips, etc.” But my response was, “Yeah, do you wanna run with me?” Ryan was in khaki shorts and some type of brown non-athletic shoe. He thought for what could have only been a split second and said , “Yes!” I was hurting and I had been lonely. I wanted just some company for the last 7.4 miles. I had no idea at the time that Ryan had been up all day also and had run 24 miles as a sweeper in the middle of the night. I was so thankful for his company and his kindness to run with me those last few miles.
Besides the friends that were there I had friends on facebook and around the country that were checking in on me or thinking about me. It was great to see their messages and to know they were pulling for me to have a good day. I was especially thinking about Josh Holmes and his wife Kristie. She had recently had a massive heart attack and was in ICU hooked up to all kinds of things. I spent some time praying and thinking about them and their well being. (Check out their gofundme page)


Falls, Frustrations, and Fun

In any race I am sure there is at least one frustration that a runner will experience. In a 100 mile race, there are frustrations that always pop up. But the key is not to let these frustrations rule your race, but yet problem solve and rule your own race.



Muddy Trails
Photo by Gregg Gelmis
I fell twice during the run, once coming down Oswald and once in the Towee Creek section. Coming down Oswald’s dome was a little over grown and the thin single track trail became even thinner to the point that it was half-track in some places. This along with the decline made for difficult footing. I knew I was going to fall, at some point. I had already told myself to not let it ruin my day when I fell. Then it happened, my right foot got tripped up while my left was behind me in the air. I fell hard on rocks and 2inch wide stumps caught my thighs and shins. My mouth even hit and I had dirt all over me. I hopped up and kept running. Thankfully I would go through the river soon to wash off some of the blood. The second time I fell was with Jeremiah. We were working our way towards Reliance, and I was currently trying to run for the next half mile or .25 when I placed my right foot on a large slanted rock and I slipped falling with all of my weight on the side of my hip. I knew immediately that it would leave a good bruise, and it did for the next 2 weeks.


Other frustrations included the rain and trail conditions. While the rain kept it cool, it made the trail so sloppy. I was working hard trying to stay out of the puddles but by the time the trail became a small creek it was no use. This made some areas really muddy and that would cake on your shoes. Other areas were just slippery and nasty. Lots and lots of rain.
The cloudy view from "The Hitching Post"


Besides that, I don’t remember many other bad frustrations. Well except a elastic band that holds my left water bottle in snapped at mile 30. I ended up rigging it with a pin from my race bib. I also had the normal pains of a 100. I had the rolled ankles, twice one time in a 5 min period that really hurt. There was one of the little elastic straps on my bag snapping or losing a bag of stuff because I didn’t zip my bag up properly. These little things can drive you crazy, or you can just keep moving.
There are funny things that happen that make the journey fun too. At about 3:30 am and around mile 73 or so a song came on my ipod that made me truly laugh out loud. It was BNL “Who needs Sleep?” Hallucinations are funny too, but I didn’t have any this time. Although I thought I did. I came into the Lost Creek campground area and I looked down towards a picnic table and I thought I saw a man sitting there on the table (for whatever reason all of my hallucinations are people). I decided I was just going to run by the hallucination when he spoke and asked me where the shoe drop was. I looked around and pointed to the tarp on the ground. He was 5ft from it. I think he was more tired than I was.
In the end, the race was hard, painful, tiring, but so much fun. It is hard to explain to someone how much fun being in the woods “running” for an entire day is, and I am not going to try and do that here. But it is so much fun to push yourself and to enjoy the gorgeous creation all around you. Even though it was a nasty weather day, and the best view at the “hitching post” was a cloud, the course was so beautiful all day long. I even saw a bear!
Finished! 23:48
Photo by Chris from Lavendar Roots

Great Crew

Randy Whorton Race Director Extraordinaire 

Next adventure…The Last Annual Vol State 500k starting July 14th

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Georgia Death Race 2016 (GDR) Race Report

After closing out 2015 with a good race at Lookout Mtn 50, I was looking forward to what I could possibly do in 2016. The first on the list of Ultra’s for the year was the Georgia Death Race (GDR). A race that is billed at being one of the toughest in the South with some 40,000 feet of elevation change and a race director that was sorry but not sorry about how that each competitor was going to die. His attempt on humor was not appreciated by all, but he was trying to market it as a tough race. So much so that the race is advertised as 68 miles, but weeks before the race he decides that it may be a little bit longer eventually giving it a total mileage of 72, but was perhaps closer to 70.
I had signed up for this race under the peer pressure of some other guys that I had been running with in training for Lookout. From reading the race website and knowing that we would be going in the original direction from Vogel State Park to Amicalola Falls, the logistics seemed good for me. For in 2014 they started like at 5am so that the runners could catch the sunrise on Coosa Bald, the highest point in the race. This means I would be able to run the course in hopefully a decent time and then get back in time for Sunday. However as time got closer I found out that the race would start at 8am meaning that I may be a little short on time.

Knowing the difficulty and believing some of the hype I decided to train by running as much vertical as I could. For the month of January and February I had very fun runs that could be considered flat. Even on my easy runs I was hunting hills. I even set aside some training days just to focus on climbing, either by doing repeats up and down Lookout, or by mapping out a long run that hit every long climb I could find. We had two group training runs that were planned out to help us prepare for GDR. One was Oswald Dome repeats and the other was a trip down to run the first 28 miles of the course. Oswald Dome is the peak of Bean Mountain in the Cherokee National forest. The trail takes you from the bank of the Hiawassee river up about 4 miles and well over 2000ft. The problem is Oswald Dome Trail has several switchbacks. The climb was long and sustained but the steepness was nothing as what would be the “dragon spine” of the Duncan Ridge Trail (DRT). My true test of preparedness would be the training run on the course.
Pre-Training Run with Sean Lawford Photo by Nate Holland

A few guys (Holland, Baker, Lackey) were planning on going up the night before to run the last 10 or so miles of the course, while I and a couple others were going to go early in the morning and meet them for the first 28 miles. Well the other guys ended up having conflicts so I went by myself to meet the other three. This was a pretty nerve racking run because of a couple of the guys that I was going to be running with whom I consider elites. Both Holland and Baker had won 50 mile trail races, both are lightning fast, and both are very high on my list of runners that I admire. With the other guys that not being able to run with us meant that I was either going to keep up with those two, or they were going to be waiting on me all day. In the end, they were very gracious and perhaps a little tired from their run and lack of sleep the night before. I survived the training run and had a better idea of what I needed to do to have a good day come GDR. 

Day Before Death

David Horton!
I left early Friday afternoon with fellow RIF Bill Baker to go down to GA. Bill was going to be crewing his son, Franklin, for GDR. I enjoyed sharing stories and hearing about his future plans and his advice for VolState. Bill dropped me off at the cabin where I would be staying with the Bakers, Hollands, and Lackeys. They were kind enough to let me crash on a futon downstairs and share their prerace supper. We drove to the pre-race meeting and kit check located at the Amicalola Falls Lodge. Because of the remote nature of this race and I believe in order for the NPS to permit it, each participant has a required kit. I decided to use my UD PB Pack to carry the required space blanket, whistle, headlamp (with back up), thermal shirt, warm hat/buff, and weatherproof jacket. We were also going to be required to carry a railroad spike (I still don’t understand how that plays in with the theme of death). I had my mandatory stuffed checked and got my bid. We also were given a race shirt, somehow I was down for a SMALL…after a little back and forth with the lady at check in I received my size Large. The highlight of the pre race meeting was recognizing Ultra legend David Horton sitting two rows in front of me. If you don’t know who he is then look him up. (He is the 2nd man to ever finish Barkley, winner of Hardrock 100, and former AT record holder). It was a honor to get to meet him and to have a short conversation with him. After Holland had his turn answering a few quick questions from Ash Walsh of the new site EastUltra.com, we were on our way back to the cabin to eat and get ready for Saturday’s adventure.
Photo by Greg Gelmis

Race Morning

I slept probably the best before a big race than I ever have before. I woke up at 3 am thinking that it was past time to wake up but then went back to sleep till right before my alarm went off at 5am. I showered, collected my things, and made my way upstairs for breakfast (two cinnamon crunch bagels). Franklin and Bill Baker and I headed out towards the race start at about 6am. After a pit stop for gas and coffee for Bill we made it to the race start for check-in and drop bag drop off. The scene before an ultra is one of my favorites. There is the meeting of friends who only see each other at the next ultra. There is the quiet crowd noise of fellow runners asking the same questions for the 100th time, “Are you ready?” “What’s your plan for today?” “Do you have a time goal?” “Is this your first?” “What are you fueling on?” There is also the simple stillness before the start. You can search most runners eyes and see they are mentally preparing themselves for what will most definitely be more of a mental struggle than it will ever be a physical one.
GDR CREW 
I was surrounded by the “GDR Crew” minus 1. Corey had come down with the flu just days before so he would not be running with us, however he would be out on the course for moral support. We took a few pictures and all joined the herd of runners awaiting our final instructions. Sean (Run Bum) told some story about running at Everest Base Camp. I am sure it was meant to be inspirational, but all of us were just waiting on the clock to strike 8am and for him to say go. And just like that we were off heading down the road towards the Coosa Loop trail in Vogel State park.


Vogel to White Oak Stomp (Mile 0-8)

The plan for today was to just coast as much as possible for the first 28 miles. I was planning going easy and doing a lot of hiking. My advantage is that I had run most of this route before and knew a little bit of what to expect. I was running with 3 of the GDR crew: Jeremiah Lackey, Nick Horvath, and Josh Cole. Once we got on to the trail Greg Gelmis of “We Run” everything was there taking pictures. Greg is absolutely amazing and have enjoyed getting to see him at so many trail races. He probably averages at least a half marathon of running for as many times as I saw him on the trail.

The Coosa Loop has a short little climb to a road crossing to where it goes downhill for a quick 2 miles. Somewhere along the way I lost Nick and Josh. I was now leading a train of a few runners including Jeremiah. The pace was comfortable, I was just letting gravity work and was trying not to work at all. At about 3.5 miles in we were about to start the largest climb of the day, but certainly not the hardest. Before starting the climb I took a pit stop and Jeremiah ran on. The next 4 miles were all climbing to the top of Coosa bald. The trail was beautiful and so was the scenery. During the training run we were in a cloud the whole time, however now the skies were pretty clear and it was even a little bit warm as we climbed to the highest point in the race (aprox. 4200 ft). While hiking up I had passed several other runners and spent some time with Sean Lawford. He kept telling me over and over again that I should take it easy because I will want to have legs to run with when I get to mile 41, when the trail opened up to fire roads. After cresting Coosa we turned right on to the DRT, we would be on this for the 15 or so miles and it immediately got steep. Plummeting down the single track I was being passed by some of the same people I had passed earlier climbing. Downhill is not my strong suit. I always feel uneasy. Soon I arrived to the first aid station, White Oak Stomp. I refilled my bottles that had had Tailwind in them, one with water and the other with Gatorade. I grabbed a hand full of chips and two cookies and quickly made my way down the trail.
Early Miles with Nick and Josh Picture by Greg Gelmis

White Oak Stomp to Fish Gap (Miles 8-15.5)

I had 7.5 miles till my next aid station. One of the best ways to tackle an Ultra is aid station to aid station. You don’t start the race to run 72 miles. You start the race to run the 8 or so miles to first aid station, then you run to the next and so on. I was now fully on the DRT a trail known for its steepness. Most trail builders use switchbacks to climb or descend ridges those that built the DRT added very few switchbacks, I think in the whole 15 miles I may have counted 2 or 3. The rest was straight up and down. There was section that we had run in training that I was not looking forward to. We had stopped at Mulky Gap to filter water on our training run and when we continued we thought we were following the trail up the ridge. This trail was so steep it was one of the first times that I thought about quitting the climb part of the way through and just giving up. Thankfully that was not the trail we took in the course. Instead we took a trail to the left that went up the ridge a little better way. One of the cool things about this section is that just a week or so ago the NPS had done a prescribed burn. So much of the undergrowth was charred away and made for really cool scenery. It was somewhere along this section that I hit my first hints of struggle. For some reason the course leaves the DRT and starts bushwhacking up to Fish Gap. I did not enjoy this romp in the woods. I ran into a stick that snapped when my chest hit it. I was just ready to be back on the actually trail. It was about that time that I heard familiar voices cutting up behind me, it was Nick and Josh and they were just what I needed to feel better.

Fish Gap to Skeenah (Miles 15.5-21.5)

Upon leaving the Fish Gap Aid station, we as a trio of Nooga runners continued to go up and down the DRT. Nick and Josh let me lead and we would all power hike the very steep inclines sometimes with hands on knees and then casually descend the steep other side. The conversation was fun as we talked about the day’s adventure and other random things. Then as we started to climb again the conversation would stop until the next downhill. At some point I looked down at my watch and the trail ahead of us and tried to do some math. I knew that we should be making the turn off the DRT to Skeenah Gap around mile 20. So I told the guys, “This should be the last steep climb, then we will see the sign for the Benton McKaye Trail (BMT).” Well sure enough it wasn’t the last climb, in fact there was a couple more climbs left. They were beginning to get a little annoyed with my prognostication of the end of the climbs. Then I promised them that this climb was the last…and thankfully it was!

We turned right onto the only out and back section of the course. It was 1.5 miles downhill which means 1.5 miles up hill on the back. The best thing about an out and back if there is anything, is the opportunity to see other runners. You get to encourage them and they get to encourage you. On the way down we saw Sarah who was another Chattanooga runner and who was currently sitting first female but we had no idea at the time. She went on to get third female, amazing! We also saw Jeremiah, who I hadn’t seen in about 17 miles. He was making his way up the hill and we all yelled “Jeremiah!!!!” As we descended and got closer to Skeenah Gap the temperature was rising. By the time we got to the aid station it was warm enough to dump a couple bottles of water all over my head and neck. I refueled and started hiking up back towards the top.

Skeenah to Point Bravo (Miles 21.5-28)

I left Nick and Josh at the aid station but told them to catch up to me. They did about the time we joined the main BMT again. We were now through with the DRT and the “Dragon’s Spine” and on to a trail that had switchbacks. The three of us moved well hiking up and cruising down. Upon the long descent into “Point Bravo” at the Hwy 60 we were all running strong but we were getting tired and it was still hot. We could hear the crowd of people at the aid station which was also a crew access point. About 100 yards or so before getting there we saw a photographer sitting at the base of the tree, to our surprise, behind the camera lens was Corey! It was wonderful to see him out there and to have his encouragement.

Sitting in the elf seat Picture by Katy Holland
Point Bravo Aid Station was a circus. There were people everywhere. The aid station workers were quick to grab my dropbag and fill up my bottles. Nick and Josh had crew there so I knew we would be there a little longer than the other aid stations. I decided to take a seat and go through my drop bag and refill my bottles with Tailwind. I found Dan, Marylou Corino’s husband, and he had what I assume was a camp chair that was made for elfin people. Not the elves that are tall like in Lord of the Rings but more like the elves that live in trees and make cookies. I sat down on this very uncomfortable chair and downed two packs of applesauce and some other treats. I looked across the road and saw Nick talking to his wife Carmen and he looked like he was about ready to go, I think it had been about 8 mins or so. I went to get my bottles topped off and told Nick that I was going to head on and that I would probably see him soon, however I was about to spend the next 44 miles mainly by myself.

Point Bravo to Sapling Gap (Miles 28-33)

After crossing HWY 60, I continued along the BMT. I wasn’t running any right now and I was feeling the heat and humidity. I wasn’t feeling the best. I had a sub sandwich that I took a little bite off hoping some calories would make me feel better, but I could barely chew the small bite. It tasted gross. I chewed on the small bit for what seemed like 3 minutes till I became disgusted and spit it out then threw the rest of the sandwich in the woods, maybe some bear had a good lunch. I hiked on and noticed a guy moving up quickly behind me. He told me that I should hurry up or I might not make cut offs. I thought he was out of his mind, Cutoffs?! I was way ahead of cutoffs and I didn’t plan on those being an issue today. But I let him pass and I continued my death march. I thought that any minute Nick and Josh would catch up to me and give me the boost I needed. I was in a low. They happen in ultras. I knew that it would go away, but at the same time I wasn’t enjoying it. I finally decided that maybe some music would help. I got out my headphones and hit shuffle. I decided to run a few steps during the chorus of a song, the first running steps I had taken since coming into Point Bravo. I soon was feeling better and suddenly had a realization that I was going to finish this race. I was behind schedule by about 1hr but I was going to finish it. Even though I still hadn’t finished half of the race I started to get emotional knowing that I was going to do it. This was course was going to be a true test of how my ultra year was going to turn out and I was going to pass this test, even if I had 40 miles or so to go.
Crossing the Taccoa Swinging Bridge Picture by Greg Gelmis

Sapling Gap to Long Creek (Miles 33-41)

I don’t remember much about the next section of trail from Sapling Gap to Long Creek. I remember that it was climb, hike, run, hike, climb, hike, run. There were two guys that I could see ahead of me every so often and I knew I was gaining on them. The trail was beautiful and still had a lot of ups and downs. But I knew that I was finishing this joker and that I was going to move with purpose. The entire time I was out there, I never just walked I always walked with purpose or hiked with purpose. I saw a fire up ahead and some kids and I thought I was at the aid station, but they said it was another mile up down the trail. I had turned left in a big field that dropped me off on to a service road. The next several miles would be a mix of service roads and bike trails. Soon I was at Long Creek aid station.
I got to the aid station and decided to do some foot maintenance. One of the biggest contributors to my DNF at Thunder Rock last year was my feet getting torn up and me not taking care of them when I should have. So I decided to do a little foot practice. I knew I had got a blister on my toe. So I took off my socks popped the blister, tried to tape it up and put on my CEP compression socks. I had not used those socks in long training, but knew the compression would feel good. Sure enough it felt great! The aid station workers helped me with my socks, shoes, gear, and topping off my bottles. Then I moved on to a pure fire road section heading into Winding Stair Aid.

Long Creek to Winding Stair (Miles 41-47)

Photo by Carmen Horvath
These were some of the best miles of the race as far as speed is concerned. I was able to put down a sub 10 min mile through here and that is on 43 mile legs. I ended up passing two people on this section that were walking instead of running. I quickly arrived at Winding Stair, the second crew access aid station. There I was welcomed by Brad, a Texas transplant that I had met volunteering at Clouldland earlier this year. He took my bottles and went to fill them up since I was planning on walking out of my way towards the aid station. I saw Carmen and she let me look at their handy dandy laminated course profile so I could what I had next. And just like that I was out. I think I only spent a total of 3 mins total in that aid.


Winding Stair to Jake Bull (Miles 47-53)

Winding Stair is where you could pick up your pacer if you had one. I saw a couple running ahead of me I assumed one was a pacer. I ended up passing them and a couple other runners (including the guy that warned me about cut offs at mile 30) as we finished up the fire road. I turned left onto a bike/horse trail as the sun was about to set. I really enjoyed this section too. The trail was soft and very tame…it winded down with some nice switchbacks. I ran/walked this entire section fairly well and turned on my head lamp a couple miles from the next aid station Jake Bull.
Last Light during GDR

I was getting tired and I wanted some caffeine. They didn’t have any coffee at Jake Bull but they did have some good grilled cheese sandwiches. I sat down in the chair and had two pieces of grilled cheese, some M&M’s and some coke. Refilled my bottles and asked how long till the next aid. The volunteer said 9 miles…I parroted his words with my own emphasis. “9 MILES?! 9 MILES?!” That seemed like a long way this late in the race.

Jake Bull to Nimblewill Gap (Miles 53-63)

I left the aid station and continued on some bike trails. I saw a head lamp off in the distance and set a goal to pass him before the next aid station. Soon I saw three headlamps behind me. I set another goal to not let them get close to me. At one point I thought I had lost the trail and got worried that I might have to back track. I continued running looking for a flag…then I started walking so I could scan more carefully. I told myself I was going to go for about 30 more seconds then I would turn back. I was just about to turn around when I saw the pink polka dot flag around the next bend in the trail. With new found confidence that I was going the right direction I pressed on before being dumped out on to a paved road. There was a blinky to my right signifying that it was the right way to go. I saw about a half mile ahead the head lamp that I was hunting. He wasn’t moving fast and I knew I would catch him. He kept looking around with his head lamp, he obviously thought he was lost. There were many markers on the road to let us know that it was the right road. A car was coming down the road so I flagged them down and asked them what road I was on. It was the right road. I caught up to the headlamp and told him that we were going the right way. He complained about life and the race for a bit while I passed him then I ran on ahead so he wouldn’t think that he would catch me back. The road soon started going up hill. Then it turned to gravel and dirt and kept going up. I was going to try to run/hike it. I would run for 30 seconds to a minute and then hike it for the same amount of time. I did a couple miles like that then I just got tired and decided I would hike it in to the next aid. It was very dark now and it was starting to get cold. And to make matters worse my headlamp did it warning blink to let me know that it was about dead. It should not have been about dead, but there was something faulty with it. The last 2 miles up to the aid station seemed to take forever, it climbed and climbed and then suddenly it was there. I sat next to the fire to open my pack and get my back up headlamp out. I immediately started shivering. I asked for some coffee and this time they had some very nasty coffee there. I drank it. I needed the caffeine. I took my headlamp out and put it on my lap. Then somehow I forgot that I had taken it out. I looked in my pack and started to panic, where is my back up? I just saw it! Didn’t I? Maybe it feel out somewhere. I have to find it! Then I realized it was sitting in my lap. I put it on and put on my weatherproof jacket and headed down to the finish. GDR was almost over.

Nimblewill to Finish (Miles 63-72)

I was tired and worn out. My quads were pretty trashed from all the down hill but I tried to run walk as much as I could being on the fire road. About a mile after the aid station I finally warmed back up and started a good run and hike interval. I was just getting in the groove when the course left the fire road and turned down the Appalachian Approach Trail. Soon I was in the park where the race would finish but the trail got difficult. Huge ankle rolling rocks, steep down hills with roots, etc. etc. I am sure it would not have been as bad on fresh legs but on 68 mile legs it was a pain. I could hear a cowbell and some cheering in the valley below, I knew that someone else just finished. It would be almost an hour longer for me to finish the last 3 miles. I got to the parking lot of the Amicalola State Park just to be told to go climb up the steps to the falls. Upon reaching the steps I saw a sign that said, “Stairs: 125 Difficulty: Strenuous.” I thought 125 wasn’t that bad and knocked them out pretty quickly pulling myself up using the hand rails. I am sure the falls was beautiful but it was after 1 am and dark. I crossed  a little bridge and saw another sign, “Stairs: 425 Difficulty: Strenuous.”
I thought…you have got to be kidding me. I pulled myself up all those steps tripping a few times until I got to the top. From there I ran down the road till I joined the Creek trail. Although short, and probably easy in the day light on a short run, it was very difficult and technical. I basically hiked tripping over every root and rock in my path. Finally I made a turn and jogged to the creek that I would have to cross to reach the finish line. There was a small group of people there waiting at the finish. I was most thankful to see my wife waiting there to give me a hug, a warm blanket, and eventually a ride home. GDR was done. 72 miles in 17hrs 48 mins and 40 seconds.
Photo by Amber Pharr

Overall thoughts:
I was pleased with my performance. I could have done a few things better but I did a lot of things very well to have a good day. I was super pleased with my training. Good hard training makes for good fun racing.

GDR was definitely a tough course, probably the toughest I had done. The course was beautiful. The volunteers were some of the best I had ever experienced from aid station to aid station. The race had some draw backs…it involved zero swag. We got a shirt and a engraved rail road spike. A race with this much hype deserves to have a better finisher award. The finish line was also lack luster. I know that it was a long time since the first guy finished over 6 hours before I did, but there wasn’t much for the finisher by way of food or drink.

I am very thankful for all those that continue to help me reach my running goals. My wife does an amazing job encouraging me and allowing me the time to train. She also went out of her way to bring all the kids to the finish and to drive me home at 230 am so that I could teach and preach that morning. Thank you so much Amber. I am also thankful for the countless friends who gave me words of encouragement. I am especially thankful for the hours and miles that I got to spend with the GDR crew. I am proud of each of them in their performance. Holland didn’t have the day he wanted but still finished strong. Franklin had the day he perhaps didn’t expect and finished in 6th overall. Jeremiah had a rough time but toughed it out a lot longer than most mere mortals would. Nick and Josh did something that hardly never happens; they ran the entire race together, reminiscent of the two soldiers that did WSER 100 together in Dean’s book Ultramarathon Man.