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 2^nd 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 100^th 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 6^th 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.

Next up Strolling Jim 40 miler

Lookout Mountain 50 2015

The Lookout Mountain 50 miler was my first 50 miler back in 2012. At the time I was living in South Carolina and not able to run on trails as much, nor get in as much climbing in training as I do now. Needless to say I was excited about this race and my chances to have a good day. I love Lookout Mtn. It is my favorite trail system in the area with so much to offer and great views. I had run parts of the course multiple times, except for the loop through Long Branch. I had devised a pace chart based off my 2012 performance that included an A Goal of 9:05, B Goal of 9:40, and a PR Goal of sub 10:22.

The morning of the race was one of the coldest mornings we have had so far this “winter.” Dusty Jameson had stayed the night at my house and the two of us left about 6:30 for a 7:30 start time. Although I was a little bundled up before the start, I decided to wear a hat, gloves (I wear plastic latex like gloves under my wool gloves when it is really cold. These gloves make a little sweat suit for my hands that keeps them warm, while the wool keeps the cool air off of the), my Brooks Sherpa 2in1 shorts, a UnderArmor thermal long-sleeved base layer and a Fleet Feet Sports Chattanooga shirt, Sockwell socks, and Hoka Challenger ATR shoes.. It was about 30 degrees at start and I got in the mid front back just in time to hear Randy count us down to 3…2…1…Go!

Covenant to Cravens House (0 to 8 miles)

The race starts at Covenant College, a small private Presbyterian school in Lookout Mountain Georgia. Too help thin out the crowd the course goes along campus sidewalks and roads for about a half mile before diving down the mountain on the single track trail that leads to the Ochs Gateway. Adolph S. Ochs moved to Chattanooga in his teens and purchased the Chattanooga Times at age 19. When he was in his 30’s he purchased a then nearly bankrupt paper called The New York Times. By using some of the same strategies that he did in Chattanooga, The New York Times began to flourish. Although he moved to New York to work for his new larger paper, Ochs loved Chattanooga and especially Lookout Mountain. He purchased the land that surrounds the Point from the Whiteside family and later sold it to the government for use as part of the National Park and Battlefields. The first 8 mile of the race were all on land that Mr. Ochs used to own.

Leaving the Start Line

From Ochs Gateway the trail becomes the Bluff Trail. This is probably my favorite 4.5 miles of trail anywhere in the area. It is just technical enough to have to hop around rocks and roots. There are beautiful panoramic views on the exposed bluff. On the other side there are large out cropping including my favorite called “Giants Niche.” Part of my strategy was to be in the mid front pack for this part of the race so that I would not get stuck in a train or conga line of runners and not be able to pass if I wanted. At about two mile in I decided to take my first sip of water. I was wearing my UD PB Vest. As I pulled out the left front bottle, a couple of things that I had stuffed beside it fell out. So I had to stop and pick them up, and the 4 guys that were following behind me quickly passed. One of the guys was Dusty. Together we passed the group of three and ran together for about the next mile. He was remarking about how beautiful the view was off of the bluff, then a few seconds later he cracked his ankle on a rock and twisted it. He told me to run on. He would catch up to me a few hours later and have a real good day for his first 50 mile trail race.

The Bluff trail runs along the west brow of the mountain towards the point of the mountain. At the point there are stairs to your right that lead up to the National Park and an awesome overlook of Moccasin bend and Chattanooga. Shortly past the steps are some plaques about the hotel that once stood in that area and the “Battle above the Clouds” that took place during the Civil War. Passing the point the trail becomes the Mountain Beautiful Trail. This single track trail goes below the east brow and switch backs down the mountain some. You have a choice to turn left and go down to Cravens house or turn right and continue on the Mountain Beautiful Trail. We take the right path that has another pair of descending switch back. At this point I heard some people talking behind me, but they weren’t speaking English and I was having trouble picking up on what they were saying. I let them pass. It was a duo of Spaniards that I would leap frog with most of the day until finally passing them at mile 35. The trail goes under the Incline Railway that connects St. Elmo station to the station on top of the mountain. Then it takes some switch backs to climb back up the mountain some before eventually switchbacking down to the Guild-Hardy Trail. This is a wide gravel trail that has a steady down ward grade. The trail was once the railway bed for the railway that meandered up the mountain from St. Elmo to the Rock City area. At one of the switchbacks of the old rail way the turn was so sharp that the train had to go out to a dead end and then the tracks were switched so that the train would continue up facing the opposite direction.

My hope was to get to Cravens house in 1hr 20 mins…I got there in 1hr and 17 mins. I was 3 mins ahead of my A Goal pace. Cravens house is an excellent place to get a great view of the city and also to begin a hike of Lookout Mountain. It was a house built by Robert Cravens that was used as a hospital during the Civil War. After the death of his widow, the house and the land were deeded to the National Park. I took no time at the Aid Station except to fill my one water bottle. I was feeling good and ready to bomb down to the Nature Center.

Cravens House to Nature Center (8-14.8miles)

Photo by Alan Thomas

Leaving the Cravens House aid station I saw someone taking pictures. I assumed it was just a race photographer, but instead it was a member from church Alan Thomas. It was good to see him there and at Covenant a couple hours later. The trail from Cravens begins on a double track trail to the “Rifle Pits.” This is supposedly where during the Civil War Union Troops erected small stone walls and dug pits to shoot their rifles from. However there is debate about whether these are much older stone walls built by the native Americans that once lived and fought in the area. Either way, this downhill section of trail is very technical in spots. I had trained on my footwork on this trail several times so that I could run it fast come race day. Thankfully I was able to do just that. The trail then joins the Guild Trail again for a little over a mile. This wide leaf and gravel filled trail continues to slope downward. Off to your right, if you look real close you can see the remnants of a Civilian Conservation Corp Camp (alliteration galore). There is a small plaque telling about the Corp and how they built most of the trails that we would be running on for the next 12 miles or so. After making a bend on the Guild Trail we make a sharp left to go on the Jura trail that goes further down the mountain. This single track trail is pretty quick and easy in this direction, and meets a trail intersection that leads us to the Lightmill trail and Susan’s Curves which are part of the Reflection Riding trail system. These are wide trails with lots of leaves, but makes for easy running. I was moving along very fast at this point in the race, at least for me. Even with the easy running, I somehow rolled my left ankle fairly bad. I had to walk for about a min. It was the same one I had rolled in training a few days before. I would tighten my shoe at the next aid station and I thought the ankle would be okay. Once I got down to the Nature Center area the course turns left on to the gravel road. Usually it goes down to a muddy trail next to Lookout Creek, but for whatever reason we stay high and dry. From Cravens to Nature Center I wanted to run a 50 min split, but I ended up running it in 47 mins, faster than I ever dreamed I could run it. I am now 6 whole mins ahead of pace. I was beginning to think this was going to be a great day, and that I might break 9 hrs for a total time. But I had only gone about 14-15 miles…and I had a big climb ahead of me.

Nature Center to Skyuka Spring (14.8-19 miles)

The trail is all single track from the Nature Center to Skyuka Springs. There is a decent climb up to the Skyuka trail. I had been looking forward to the climbing because I feel like I am pretty good at that. I passed a few people in the first mile or two up to the main trail. From there it was a rolling downhill run to Skyuka. The initial climb took a little more out of me than I thought it would. I had been fueling according to schedule well. Every 4 miles I was taking either half a pack of Shot Bloks or one pack of GU chews. I also had drunk over 2 bottles of water with Tailwind in it. But even with this I could feel the salt building up on my face and knew I should take some salt. However, I couldn’t find the baggy of pills in my pack and didn’t want to stop to take it off. I was still running everything but the steeper inclines. I would watch the guy ahead of me and see where he walked and decided I would try to run 20 more steps past where he stopped. I ended up passing a few other runners with this strategy. I got out another pack of Shot Bloks knowing that I should down them before the climb after Skyuka Springs. The first year I did this race, I didn’t even notice the Springs down below the trail. Since then I had been down there several times. Skyuka is a fresh water spring that comes out from under the rocks of the bottom of Lookout Mtn. There is a big sign that says, “Non-Potable water.” Therefore I had never tried to drink the water before. But one day I heard from Nick Horvath that he had tried it on a hot summer run and that it was great water. Since then I have never been afraid to fill my bottle up there. I wouldn’t need to today, but the water there is great. I reached Skyuka Springs at 2:46 into the race. I had hoped to make it there by 2:45 for my A Goal pace. So I had lost a little time on this section. However now I would start the major climb of the day.

Skyuka Springs to Covenant College (19-22.5 miles)

The section from Skyuka to Covenant is 3.5 miles at a steady climb of nearly 2000 ft of gain. There basically are two trails to get to the top, John Smart and Jackson Gap/Spring trails. I had run this section multiple times in training; always knowing that one day it would count. I knew where to run at and when to hike. My plan was to run from the sign at Skyuka through the first powerline cut and then power hike until I recovered. Then I would run again for as long as I could, then for 20 more counts before power hiking again. I was doing great until I got to the Jackson Springs near the top (also said to be “Non-Potable” but I have never tried these waters before). Once I hiked past the springs, I felt tired…blah. I decided that I would walk some…and I ended up walking about .5 miles. Even with my walking at the end I made it up from Skyuka in 47:34. My A Goal was 45 mins, my B Goal 48 mins. I was back to Covenant in 3:33 mins, just 3 mins over my A Goal. I had run the first 22.5 miles of the course in a pace of 9:28 per mile. In 2012 it had taken me 4hrs. I should have been pumped. I should have been ecstatic that I was hitting my times with near perfection. I should have gotten my food, filled my bottles, taken some salt and headed out. In Ultras as in life, there is a lot of “I should haves.” But instead I sat down…I should NOT have sat down. The highlight of sitting down was that I got to see my family. This was the first ultra that my entire family had the opportunity to see me on the course. It was wonderful, beyond special, to see them. Amber helped me get my stuff and the kids asked questions and gave hugs. Kherington said I had something all over my face…it was salt. Even in the cooler temps I was sweating a lot. Here was a perfect opportunity to get some salt in me, and I didn’t do it. I sat there and enjoyed my family and a 6 inch sub sandwich. It may not have been the best race strategy, but I loved getting to sit there with them for a few very long minutes.

Coming back into Covenant. Photo by Alan Thomas

Covenant to Lula Lake (22.5-29.9)

This section stunk. It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t technical. It was downhill. It was on some wider trails. It was a low point. The thoughts of going sub 9 hrs quickly slipped away as I jogged out of the sight of my family. The jog quickly turned to a trot, then to a walk as I was on some of the cross-country trails of Covenant College. I knew the trail would get small and muddier once we got on the Browlow

Enjoying time with the family.

trail. That was even more of an excuse to walk. As people would come up behind me, I would feign feeling good and running, until they asked to pass and then I would walk again. The negative story began to speak louder in my head. I try to tell myself positive stories, about what I am doing well, or what I am going to do well at certain points in the race. Going up the mountain on John Smart, my positive stories were loud and clear. When I bombed down the technical Rifle Pits at mile 8, the positive stories were almost screaming for other people to hear. Now as I was approaching the Powerline Cut with a minor climb before the double track trail down to Lula, the negative stories were telling me how bad this race stunk. How that I wasn’t going to reach my goals. How that I should have trained harder. How that I should have lost weight. How that I should think about whether I should even do this Ultra thing any more. I was tired. But I wasn’t worn out. I was a little dehydrated only have peed once the entire day. My electrolytes were a little out of balance because I hadn’t had any salt. But most of all, my head wasn’t in the game. The most important part of Ultra running is the mental game, and I was losing.

Right before leaving the Powerline Cut, Dusty caught back up with me. I was so glad that he was having a good day and had recovered from his sprain. He would go on to complete his first 50 mile race in 10:06. A few mins later as I was slowly jogging down the trail, I heard a voice yell towards me about 50 yards away, “Hey David! You should be a lot farther ahead of me than right now!” At first I didn’t know who it was. There was no way that it could be who I thought it was…but as he got closer I realized it was Nick Horvath. I was shocked to see him. A few weeks ago we were out running a 13ish mile run at Enterprise south, when he hurt his knee. Since then he had only one long run and even that was painful for him. So I expected him to be towards the back pack, and not where he was breathing down my neck. I stopped for him, because I wasn’t running well, and started trotting in front of him. Nick is an extremely positive guy to have out on a long trail run. We had shared many miles and many memories and miseries out in the woods. He asked me how I was, and I told him I wasn’t doing great now. He said, “Well let’s just have fun and enjoy the day” (easier said than done for me, who was still in a bad place mentally). I enjoyed running with him and another guy named Connor for about a mile, when I fell for the first time of the day. It was stupid. I don’t know what I tripped on but I hit the ground pretty hard. They got in front of me and I started following behind them. About 5 mins later on a downhill section, I fell again! Nick and Connor kept trucking on, and I decided to start walking again.

The wide trail is covered with leaves about shoe deep. There is the constant sound of rustling underfoot. Soon however you also hear water rushing. I was approaching Rock Creek, the same creek that will feed the falls in a few miles. The water was up, but not impassable. I was able to get across without getting my feet wet. I knew this was creek over half way to the next aid station, and I was trying to use this knowledge to my advantage. This 7 mile stretch felt so terribly long. I eventually came out of the woods to cross Lula Lake Road to enter the Lula Lake Land Trust via “Water Bandit’s Pass” (this is the name I gave the area behind the guard rail of Lula Lake Rd where I hit a cooler of water one morning before a long trail run with Nick. This was where we were to refill out bottles after 15 miles. When we got there, someone had stolen my water cooler).

Lula Lake Falls

Lula Lake Land Trust is a privately owned area that has trails that have taken the place of an old railway bed. There are also single and double track trails in the area. To help protect the land, it is only open to the public on the first and last Saturday of each month. The trail goes down to the main parking area/field and then crosses over a beautiful footbridge to the other side of Rock Creek. The trail then turns left into a single track trail, leaving the wide Middle Trail. I was running a little better by this point but still wasn’t feeling it. I just wanted to get to Lula, get some coke and salt. The trail pops back on to the other side of the Middle trail and then turns right. This was new because usually we would turn left and join the Ford Trail, then a winding narrow single track trail next to the creek. I am still not sure why the course change. Shortly after this I find myself at the aid station ready to refuel and feel better. I have to get better or today will just be a waste. I hadn’t checked my pace chart in a long time and figured I was doomed. After getting several salt pills, a few shots of coke, and getting the rocks out of my shoes (Samuel Hammonds so nicely helped me untie my shoes), I got out my phone to text Amber and let her know my location. To my shock, after leaving the aid station my race time was 5:11. I was leaving right when I had hoped to be there for my B Goal time of Sub 9:40. Suddenly the positive stories started to pipe up again.

Lula Lake to Long Branch (29.9-34)

Ropes on the High Adventure Trail

Leaving the Lula aid station with new found zeal, I followed along the gravel road/old rail bed to the view of Lula Falls at my left. This is one of the well-hidden gems of the Chattanooga area. I then turned right to climb up the High Adventure trail. This is not a running trail but a hiking trail for me, which includes some ropes to help pull you up to the top on to the Lula Bluff trail. From the Bluff trail you can look out to your left and see the little community of Flintstone, GA. It is not the city of Chattanooga, but Flintstone is cool to see, because many of the members from church live in that little town. Also along the Bluff trail I saw the leaders. I tried to cheer each of them on as they passed. It was especially good to see Nathan Holland. Even though he was not having his best day, he had a big smile and words of encouragement for me.

The next big change from the original course was next. Usually, we would continue on the bluff trail till it ends, but this time we turned right on to a single track trail called the Jedi Trail. We took this trail till we hit Ovenbird then back on the Middle trail for the third time. The rest of this section is all narrow single track on the F4 trail. It is named such because it was a trail rebuilt after an F4 tornado ripped up the original trail. It is an awesome little trail that runs along the creek and above it. After a couple miles it climbs up to turn right next to the “trash house” on to Nickajack Road. You run along the road for a whopping .3 miles before entering the parking area for the Long Branch Trail head of the Clouldland Connector. We would only be on the Connector for less than half a mile, but if we were to take it then you can eventually go all the way out to Cloudland Canyon. Lookout Mtn is blessed with miles and miles of trails.

My baby girl walking with me to the aid station.

Climbing up the hill to the aid station, my family was again waiting on me. Kherington held my hand as I went to get my water refilled, my socks changed, and some salt pills. Steve Carter was heading up the aid station and provided some much needed encouragement for those of us that were about to start “the loop.”

The Long Branch Loop (34-38.2)

This loop is no fun, but I knew that going in. The trail is single track the whole way and goes around a small community of houses then out towards High Point (the highest point of the mountain) then back to run beside Long Branch creek. There is not much to report about this loop other than it is longer than it should be. I was very focused though on continuing to run stronger. Amber had told me that Nick was only a couple mins ahead of me and that he said he would run the last part with me if I wanted. So I pressed on trying to make up the few mins. I caught up to the Spaniards again and passed them for the last time on the big climb in the loop. Eventually a young runner tucked in behind me as we ran along the creek. He had just a 20 oz plastic Walmart spring water bottle in his hand. As he would run he would crush it in his hands, that got kind of old. He also kept tripping and falling over the roots behind me. The trail was beautiful but it was so narrow with the trees everywhere that sometimes you would have to make 10 quick turns just to run 20 yards. I eventually caught up to Nick about a mile from the aid station. He was power hiking with Jeremiah Lackey, another running buddy, who had twisted both of his ankles. Nick selflessly decided to hike in the next 13 or so miles with Lackey to help him out and get him to the finish.

Once I got back to the aid station, Amber was holding Linkoln who had fallen asleep. She pointed me over to where my stuff was so I could grab some food and change into my RunItFast shirt. Jobie Williams, an awesome trail runner, photographer, and Christian man, was there and he gave me a few words of encouragement. Amber walked over, carrying Linkoln, to see if needed anything else. Amber did an amazing job helping me. She truly deserves a medal for all that she was able to do. The night before she played hostess as we had guest in our house. That morning she took care of the company and got 3 kids ready for a day in the woods. Drove them all to the race course, had my stuff ready for me, and gave great encouragement. The last time I saw her at Long Branch she not only was crewing me but was also holding our 30+ lbs 2 year old. To top it all off, she is also pregnant. To call her superwoman is an understatement, I am just thankful that she’s mine.

Long Branch to Lula Lake (38.2 42.5)

I now was truly a man on a mission. I had overcome my earlier demons and was running well again. There is a great mental boost after leaving the loop. Everything left is what you have already done, just in the other direction. I ran along with a couple others as we worked are way back through the F4 trail. This time it was two-way traffic for a while as some were still making their way out to the loop. It seemed like in no time I was back at the ropes of High Adventure and then down to the Aid Station. I got out my pace chart while drinking a few cups of coke and taking some more salt pills. I was doing well on time. In fact I had run this section over 3 mins faster than I had earlier today. I knew that if I wanted to make it back for a race time of 9:40 that I had to run the next 7 miles in a 13:30 pace. Even though it was late in the race and the trail back was mostly uphill, that pace would be very doable.

Lula Lake to FINISH (42.5-50)

Leaving Lula I set my watch to the average lap pace, so that I could know how close I was to the 13:30 mile. The first mile out of Lula was in 11 mins, that gave me plenty of buffer to get to the finish line. I ran and hiked and ran and hiked. I kept moving forward and didn’t stop moving till I reached the top. By the time I got to the Powerline Cut the sun was beginning to set on the other side of the mountain, but I would have plenty of time to make it back before having to use my head lamp. I made it back to the Covenant College cross country trails and I could see the finish line less than a half mile away. I ran up the next little climb and to the rope light and started to Whoop (so the kids would know I was getting close). I crossed the finish line in 9:33:56, well under my B Goal pace. I was tired and hurting, but thankful to collect my medal and to see my family waiting to congratulate me.

FINISH LINE! Photo by Ashleigh Jameson

Some Takeaways from the race—

1. I am beyond blessed to be able to do this crazy sport. I have a supportive family. I have a beautiful area to run in. I have been given a body that can endure punishment. I am very thankful that I can be an Ultra Runner.

2. Randy, Kris, and all the Wild Trails crew do a great job with their races. The trail was in its best condition. They had cleared trail and even removed leaves from some areas, like at the rifle pits. The volunteers were wonderful and encouraging. The swag was great! We got super soft race shirt, a comfy hoodie, a “chocolate milk” cup, and a medal. Plus it was an awesome race experience. If you ever have an opportunity to run a Wild Trails race…Do it!

3. No matter how many times I train on John Smart, it never gets any easier. That is a tough little trail. I need to train on it more.

4. Take the 1min 30secs to find your salt pills. I think that if I would have taken salt earlier, I may have had an even better day. But because it was in a weird spot in my pack I didn’t take it, nor took the 90secs to find it.

5. My family is awesome. Before this race and many other races I told Amber to come if she could but that I wouldn’t be depending on her. I know that with the 3 kids and being pregnant that she may not be able to get to the aid stations. I let her know that I wanted to hopefully see her at the finish if nothing else. However she once again did so much. As much as I try to tell her that I wasn’t depending on her, I usually end up depending on her. I depend on her to give me time to train. I depend on her to give me encouragement when I am in a slump. And I definitely depend on her or at least the thought of her and the kids when I am running these ultras. Thank you Amber for all you do in helping me in all aspects of life.

Post Race Care

Thunder Rock 100 2015 DNF

Strolling Jim 40 2015

Thunder Rock 100 2014

Disclaimer: Race reports often times can seem arrogant and prideful in the accomplishments of the individual. While that may be the nature of the beast, I want you to understand that I am humbled by this accomplishment. I would not have been able to do any of it with out the grace of God, the love and encouragement of my wife, and the countless friends and family that have been there along the way. The purpose of this report is not only to tell you all about the training and running of my first 100 mile race, but to be informational and inspirational. Because who knows? You may want to do one of these one day! While you may not think you can do it, with the proper effort and support you can do great things when you have great help.

“Pulling the Trigger”

It was January 16th and I had been sitting through a short course web conference class for the past 3 hours, but there was something else occupying my mind. Whether or not to sign up for an 100 mile race “in my own backyard.” As far as running has gone 2013 was not my best year. I began 2014 with the Pistol Ultras in Alcoa where I ran the lowest distance of a 50k. It was a wake up call that I was not in the best running shape and this 100 miler may be a pipe dream. I had watched the preview video for the Thunder Rock 100 several times, talked with my best friend about running it, and decided to pull the trigger. Then just like that, with a couple clicks of a computer mouse, I had committed myself to training for and running 100 miles. And so it begins…

Training for ThundoHundo

If you do a google search for a 100 mile training program you will find some. Most of them consist of several months of building up to a long weekend of back to back to back long runs. This type of long weekend simulates what it is like to run with tired legs. While that type of training may be ideal, the schedule of a busy life does not always allow for a 50 to 70 mile weekend of running. I grabbed a piece of paper and planned out what would be the next 16 weeks of my training. There was a half marathon that I wanted to do in February that I wanted to do well on too, so I threw that in the plan also. The training plan would build for three weeks and then have a week of lower mileage. I tried to make at least 50% of my runs on local trails and sought to have 80% of my runs to have some type of hill climbing. A lot of people avoid hills when starting to run, and I used to be one of those people. However if you are going to develop into a stronger runner, then you need to learn to love the climb. Hills not only make you stronger but they also make you faster, without doing the often monotonous speed training or track work. Through out the training I had the opportunity to do some long fun runs with my “training partner” Nathan Judd. Even though he lives on the other side of Tennessee, I ran more miles with him than anyone else. I usually train alone, but when I was in his town or he was in mine, we planned to do as many miles as possible. Two weeks before the race we even went to the Smokies for a Friday afternoon and Saturday putting in several miles and lots of climbing and descent. When the 16 weeks were up, I considered my training at least adequate to finish my first 100. In February I ran 128 miles. In March I stepped it up to 235 miles. April became one of my longest months to date with 310 miles. And in May I had one weekend in the Smokies, then the taper to rest for the longest run of my life on May 16th. 

“Are you Ready?”

This seems to be the favorite question for people to ask someone attempting a long distance in a race, just like the favorite question to a pregnant woman is “How are you feeling?” The reason may be that people do not know what else to ask. Whatever the case, I really did not know the answer to that question. How does one insure that they are “ready” to run 100 miles? I knew I was as ready as I could be, but there were several things that I wasn’t sure how to be ready for. What would it be like to run 1 mile further than my current long of 50 miles, much less 50 miles more? What would it be like to run through an entire night? What would it be like to try to stay awake for over 30 hours? What would my stomach do? Would I have to try to use the restroom in the middle of the woods? What if I twist my ankle? What if I want to quit? What if I don’t finish? With those questions and more in mind, the day of the race approached. 

The Day before Thunder

The Thunder Rock 100 is held on a Friday beginning at Noon and the race is cut off Saturday at 6pm. As a preacher, having a race start on Friday instead of Saturday was excellent. That meant I could run the race and not have to take a Sunday off from preaching, that is if I could survive to make it to worship on Sunday. This Friday start, also meant that the pre-race festivities were pushed to Thursday. That afternoon as tried to pack as much as possible for the next days adventure. I needed to have my clothes and gear ready to go. The race allows for drop bags to be placed at certain locations along the race route. I needed to pack these with the supplies that I would need later in the race. I choose to pack 3 drop bags, one for mile 25, one for mile 54/75 and one for mile 83 after crossing the Hiawassee River. I also got my gear ready. I had recently bought an Ultimate Direction pack that I was going to use for the race. While it is usually a “no-no” to use a piece of gear that you have never trained with, I needed a pack to help me carry my water and other supplies that I might need in between aid stations. The night before the race I went to the packet pick up and pre-race meal at Elemental, a restaurant on the North Shore of Chattanooga. I was looking forward to meeting a group of online friends that were in the same enabling running club as I called Run It Fast. The food was interesting, called a Paleo bowl that I had grilled salmon added to, but it was not enough. The RD Randy Whorton talked about what the next day would bring and then the head medical Dr. spoke about all the dangers of running the race and some things to prepare for, one being the cold we were going to experience. Afterwards, because we were still hungry, Nathan and his wife, Melissa, Joshua Holmes and I went to Mellow Mushroom. It is always great to sit and listen to Josh give his sage advice when he is in town and hear of his amazing adventures. I got back home by 9 to finish packing and to get to bed early. Tomorrow was going to be a LONG day in the woods. 

The Race Shirt and Buckle

Thunderstruck!

Friday 8:00am-11:59am—I tried to sleep in as long as possible. The race didn’t start until noon and the cut off was 30 hours. So I was committed in my mind to being out there until then, so I wanted the rest. My family and I left the house by 9am, full packed for the fun filled day. We had to drop our daughter off at preschool first and then my wife and the boys were going to accompany me to the race start. The drive from Chattanooga to the Cherokee National Forest is only about an hour. I wanted to be there in plenty of time to drop my bags off and take care of some pre-race necessities. 

The race is set in the Cherokee National Forest. It is a very remote part of East TN in Polk County. However its remoteness is second to its beauty. The race start was at the Ocoee Whitewater Center that was built and used for the 1996 Olympics. The Ocoee is still heavily used by rafters and kayakers for it’s world class rapids. We were going to use the Center’s parking lot and the bridge to cross to the other side. After a brief thundershower, the RD called the racers to the start. Final hugs, goodbyes, and high-fives were given before the clock would strike 12. 

RIF before the race

Friday 12:00pm-5:00pm (Mile 1-25)

AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blared over the loud speakers. 200 runners began to cross the Ocoee River by the Olympic Bridge. Perhaps we were all having some of the same thoughts, especially those of us who had never completed or even attempted an 100 miler before. I was thinking about the daunting task I had began, how that I could be on this course for the next 30 hours, how that it was going to be hard and difficult. However, I must keep a positive yet realistic mind. Endurance running is many times much more mental than physical. I had to keep my mind right the entire time. 

After crossing the bridge the the single track trail turned left to make the first ascent of the day. I started the race near the back of the pack. This has its positive and negative effects. Positively, it lets you start out slow. There is no reason to sprint the first miles of an 100. It also can be motivating to move up the field by passing people. Negatively, it can be very frustrating not being able to run freely because there are so many people bottle necked on the trail. Trains of people develop on the trail. The head of the train is the person running the fastest in that group, the rest of the train is either happy to run behind the leader, or is striving to find a way to move up in the train to be the new leader or run up to the back of another train. I got caught in 3 trains during the first 6 miles, each progressively faster and less frustrating. The second train I came across had a familiar face in it. I saw Joshua Holmes, RIF #1, trying to fight through the train too. There is where I meet another runner Franklin and the three of us talked about what the day may have in hold for us. As a trio we moved through the second train and then through a third train, until it was just the three of us running on the single track making our way to the first aid station. The trail ended into the Thunder Rock campground and we turned right on to a bridge that would take us back over the Ocoee. I had been running for an hour and had drank half of each of my water bottles. So I filled one bottle with the other and then filled the empty one with new water. Once we started the next hike I would add my Tailwind to it. Leaving the aid station I got to see my family for the last time before heading into the woods again. Lukas was giving hi-fives, Linkoln was smiling, and Amber gave me a kiss as I passed by. I would not see her again until 10:30pm at mile 50. 

The trio crossed Hwy 64 onto the trail. That would be the last road we would see until mile 25. We were now on the Benton McKaye Trail for the next few miles. The BMT is actually a 300 mile trail that was named after the man that came up with the idea for the Appalachian Trail. As soon as we started the BMT we started another steep ascent. We would be at least gradually climbing for the next 8 miles until we reached the top of Brock Mountain and descended to the next aid station at Deep Gap. As we started to make the climb the sky opened up  and with it came lighting, thunder, rain, and hail! This storm would last for the next hour at least and at times would be heavy rain. This rain caused the trails to be in very sloppy conditions for the entire day. The three of us continued to pass people along the trail through the deep woods. Then I fell for the first time of the day. I tripped over a root or rock or something and landed on my right shoulder up against a fern covered embankment. I quickly popped back to my feet and began running again. Franklin was moving on and I wouldn’t see him again until Coker Falls at mile 40. Josh was well ahead now too but I would see him again at the next aid station. Because I so quickly recovered from my fall, I did not do a full evaluation of my condition until I was down the trail another .20 of a mile. That is when I realized I had cut my left pinky just a little bit and it was bleeding, it wasn’t a big deal. But I also realized, I had lost a water bottle out of my back….that was a BIG DEAL. So I turned around and went back down the trail like a salmon going against the current of runners that I had just passed earlier. Thankfully I found it in the ferns just a short time later, to turn around again and fight a new train that had formed in front  of me. The BMT runs through the Big Frog Wilderness Area for a short section before going to Brock Mountain, unfortunately any athletic event is prohibited in “Wilderness Areas.” So this meant there was a section that had been “bushwacked” just for us so we could skirt the wilderness area. This section was basically a mudslide down to the trail…I slide on my butt several times trying to grab trees to slow me down on slide. The rain continued and hailed every so often as the trail meandered up to Brock Mtn where I came across Joshua again. He was kind enough to take a picture of me running behind him. 

Photo by my personal race photographer Joshua Holmes

The two of us ran to the top of Brock and then started our descent. With in no time we were at the 2nd Aid Station at Deep Gap (mile 15). This aid station was run by a boy scout or cub scout troop. I refilled both of my bottles and didn’t see anything appetizing to eat, but I did pull out a couple of peanut butter sandwiches to eat sometime between here and the next aid station 10 miles away. This section was some of the lushes and prettiest of the course. The trail was single track and steep in spots. It would have been more runnable if it wasn’t so wet and muddy. Thankfully the rain had stopped and would not start again till tomorrow at almost noon. Josh moved on ahead of me and I played leap frog with a couple guys who were from Vermont. One guy had long bushy hair, the other had long bushy beard but was bald…I guess together it all evened out. Also during this section is a trail along Lost Creek, this too was so beautiful. The wide creek running beside you and a canopy of trees above you, an amazing area save the sloppy trails that could suck the shoes off your feet. After Lost Creek there is a steep switch backing climb and descent into the Reliance, TN. 

I had run almost a full marathon. I had been on the trail for 5 hours, yet I was only 1/4 of the way done. Coming into the Reliance Aid Station, I first ran through a campground where a lot of crew  groups were waiting for their runners. As I ran through them, there was lots of clapping and cowbells and cheers. It kind of got to me, about what I was trying to accomplish today. I refilled my bottles, and found my drop bag that I switched out with the bag I had in my pack and I started running again.

5:01pm—10:30pm (Miles 25-50)

Leaving Reliance, the next 7 miles were not my favorite. There was a lot of pavement involved and frankly I was getting tired. The course goes over the Hiawassee River and then follows a trail/road along the Hiawassee until it eventually dead ends into the Powerhouse Aid station. While on this section, there was one little part of trail that connected various parking lots for the river. I was behind a fellow for a while and then had just got in front of him when we came to one of these parking lots. There was one car parked there. An older couple along with a young girl about the age of 7 or so sitting on a picnic table. As I approached them the girl looked towards me and yelled, “Daddy!” She jumped to her feet and ran past me to the man behind me and jumped into his arms. It was a sweet moment and made me think of my family. I wouldn’t see my little girl till Sunday, but I was looking forward to seeing Amber at the Coker Falls crew access, where we had planned to meet at 8:05pm. Once I got to the Powerhouse Aid station, I must have looked pretty tired. One of the volunteers there asked me a if I was okay…then about 30 seconds later she asked again. As I was filling my bottles and looking for some caffeine, she asked for the third time saying, “Are you sure you are okay? This next section is tough.” I felt tired but I was ready for the next section, I had run this section on a training run a couple months earlier. I got past the TVA parking area and then on to a beautiful and technical single track trail that followed the water but also had two steep abrupt climbs and descents. During my training run I had gotten loss on this trail. I followed it to the point where I had lost the trail earlier and….yep….I lost the trail again. It leads down to the creek and then just stops. I pulled myself up to the bank and fought through some trees and undergrowth looking for a flag or a trail or a person. I decided I would go back towards the place where I lost it and wait for someone when I saw 4 other runners jumping over the creek upon large boulders to the other side where there was a flag….So that is how the trail goes, across the creek! I continued on this section watching the sun go down and watching my watch. I wanted to be there at the right time for Amber, it looked like I was going to be there almost exactly on time. Josh also caught up to me on the ascent to Coker Falls and passed me. Evidently I had passed him while he stopped for nature. We came to the falls on our left and the aid stain was just ahead. I am sure the Falls were beautiful, but I was wanting to get to the crew access by 8:05pm. At the Coker Falls Aid Station, I refilled bottles, and drank some coke. Josh was there and sat down looking tired. Also there was Franklin, who I hadn’t seen since like mile 7. The trio was short lived though when Franklin said that he was dropping due to knee pain. I was upset for him, but also prayed that I wouldn’t hurt something out here either. 

Leaving Coker falls I climbed a large hill on a dirt road till I got to the crew access. I saw Melissa Judd and the rest of the Judd Crew, but I didn’t see Amer. Melissa said that she saw her and that she was parking the car. So Melissa went to go look for her while I sat down in a camp chair they had for Nathan. It was the first time I had sat down all race.  I had run over 8hrs and 40 miles. The seat felt good but I didn’t need to be there long. I fixed my bag and put on my headlamp because it was getting dark. I wanted to get going but before that I wanted to find Amber. So I started walking up another hill where all the crew was parked. I started yelling, “Amber Pharr!!!! Amber Pharr!!!” as I walked along the long row of parked crew vehicles. I never found her there and Melissa came back down the hill saying she couldn’t find her either. I was a little worried, but wouldn’t worry too much more unless I missed her at the next cress access at Servilla Church (Mile 50). 

The next 10 miles was going to be mostly car restricted dirt roads. The sky was clear and it got dark quickly. I had my headlamp that supposedly would last for 6 hours. I had a cheap back up too, but didn’t want to use it. So instead I would just run by the moon light when I could and only turn the lamp on steep downhills or at crossroads. My plan worked well and made the night an enjoyable game for this part. The moon was very bright and for one entire down hill section there was a big truck behind me with very bright lights. I used his light to guide my way for at least a mile down the hill. The roads eventually lead to the next aid station called Manning Cabin. I don’t know what its called that, I didn’t see a cabin, nor did I see Peyton Manning. This was the first aid station where I started to get cold. I had my bottles filled up and I had some hot cocoa and my first cup of coffee of the night. I am not a big coffee drinking. I usually have like one or maybe two cups a week. This night I would have about 10 little cups full. As I left the aid station, I was getting cold. In fact I started to shiver as I ran away. I was wearing the same short sleeve shirt I had started with, the same one that had been in the rain, hail, and 46 miles of sweat. I had a long sleeve shirt in my pack and I had a pull over and gloves waiting for me at Iron Gap, 9 miles away. I decided that I would try to warm up while running and then change shirts at Servilla Church where hopefully Amber would be waiting on me. The dirt roads of Polk County turned to paved and we came to some houses and eventually an intersection where a volunteer was pointing me right, where I would see my one woman crew. As I climbed the hill to Servilla Church parking lot at about mile 50, a fireman asked me what my name and address was. I assume he was checking to see if I was okay. I told him and he gave me a high five. I then saw Amber up ahead and hurried to the chair he had for me. She told me she had some trouble getting to the first rendezvous point, but would tell me the whole story later, let’s just say she doesn’t do well on small curvy dirt roads with steep embankments on the side. It was wonderful to see her and a great moral booster. The last time she had seen me after fifty miles I was a mess, this time I was tired but resilient and ready to take on the next 50. I changed shirts and filled my bottles up. A kiss and hug good bye lead me to taking steps I had never taken before and miles I had never conquered. 

10:31pm- 7:10 am Miles 50-82

The road from Servilla Church is dirt and ascends up to the Aid Station Iron Gap. This was a very strong section for me. Coming off of the high of seeing Amber I ran and power hiked hard all the way up. I ate some sandwiches along the way and passed several others. 4 miles later I got to Iron Gap. I filled the bottles and had some coffee. I grabbed my drop bag and took the running pullover and gloves out. I tied the pullover around my waist and put the gloves on my hands. I was so thankful for those gloves, and that I had packed the thicker gloves. Leaving Iron Gap is the stem of a lollipop section of the course. The climb continues till it goes down hill toward the next Aid Station called Bullet Creek. During this section I started playing a little game with myself. I would leave my head lamp off for all the ascents while I was walking and turn it on low for all the flat and down hill running. Something else that was motivating was using the head lamps of the other runners. I would look off into the dark horizon before me and see a flash of like or a dull glow in the distance. Then I would say to myself, I going to catch ‘em. For the next however long it took I would work hard to catch up to that light. This little game caused me to work hard when I might have relax in the darkness. After catching a few lights, I saw a red blinking light ahead off the side of the dirt road. I could see it for ever and was curious to find out what it was. Once I got close enough and walked over to investigate it closer. It was a sign saying that the Pistol Ultra’s Aid Station at Bullet Creek was only a mile away! That was an amazing sign of hope when I had been moving for 12 hours straight for 60 miles. Once I got to the Aid station it was like a Carnival! There were lights, music, heaters, and all kinds of food! I went straight for the Chocolate milk and m and m’s. I asked for some coffee and sat down for a minute to put on my jacket that had been around my waist. It was getting colder and I knew that once I left the heaters it was going to be tough. At the Aid Station, Joshua was sitting down getting his foot looked at and some moleskin added to cover up a blister. He quickly got up and headed out while I stayed for a few more mins to have another chocolate milk and some more candy. I would see Josh again at the finish festivities but not before. 

As soon as I left Bullet Creek, I started the shivers again, but warmed up as I started moving. This dirt road was all part of the “pop” of the lollipop and I was going to have to make two sizable climbs before getting to Starr Mountain at mile 65. I continued to play the headlamp game and was looking forward to seeing Amber at the next aid station. I passed a few more people on this section and kept thinking that the headlamp in front of me would be Josh but it was always someone else. After about 5 miles I approached the Starr Mtn. aid station and Amber was there waiting in the van. She had fallen asleep on and off for a few hours so I was glad she was getting some rest. It was now 2:05 am, I was 10 mins early on my projected time. I sat down for a few minutes to get some coffee and have my bottles filled. I had a couple sandwiches since the last time she saw me and I put some in my pocket for the next section…a very long section. 

I would see Amber again in the morning before the River crossing. The next 10 miles seemed to never end. I was working my way back to Iron Gap and mile 75. The dirt road was not that bad, but we then went to more of single/double track trail. The lights of Etowah off to the right were nice, but I was getting really tired. I hadn’t got passed much during the race, but I started getting passed by some people at this point, it was usually two at a time. Not because there was two racers that close together, but because of the allowed “safety runner” that was with the racer. I decided I needed to eat so I had some more peanut butter sandwiches. I was just so looking forward to the next aid station and to the sun coming up. I had been told by several people that the sun coming up will give me energy. If I could just make it till the sun came up I would feel better. The sunrise would wake me up. This is my goal, the sun rise…but the sun would not rise for a long time. It was during this down time that I started walking more of the flats. My plan had been to power hike the climbs, and run the flats and downhills when possible. To help overcome my urge to walk I would tell myself, run till you can’t and then walk for a 20 seconds. That is exactly what I did. When I started walking I would start counting in my head and sometime audibly 1, 2, 3, 4…20, then I would start to shuffle into a run again. Sometimes I could go for a few minutes before repeating the process, sometimes it was only about 30 seconds. I found myself wishing for a climb so I had an excuse to walk. Sometimes I would evidently forget how to count to 20 and have to try a couple of times. All in all, I made it back to Iron Gap, mile 75. I drank coffee and filled my water bottle. It was sometime between 4 and 5 am and there was not glimmer of sun yet. 

I had been looking forward to this next section in the race, because of my familiarity with it. During a training run Nathan and I had run up this trail, the Coffee Branch Trail and then back down. During the training run I tried to make as many mental notes as possible that I could use during the race. The trail is a horse trail that is wide and has some loose rocks on it. On our training run we flew down the descent at a steady pace. However in the wee hours of the morning and with the trail still sloppy from all the rain, there was not flying down anything. From Iron Gap to the River, it is pretty much all down hill…and for my me it was pretty much the same. This section that I had been looking forward to…stunk. It was miserable. I was past tired. I was sore. I was cold. I was impatient. Where was the sun! The sun was supposed to give me energy. I needed some desperately right now. I splashed and slid down the trail and at one point I fell. I tripped or lost my footing and went face and chest first to the rocky ground below me. I don’t remember it hurting but I do remember my two water bottles flying out of my pack and rolling yards down the trail. I do remember how hard it was to pick them off the ground with out falling over again. More people passed me. Some looked “fresh” others seemed pretty miserable too, but no one was as miserable as I felt. Where was the sun!? I kept thinking I would be at the bottom of the trail at any moment but it just kept going down and I kept going down. I was so tired and so out of it, I had forgotten to do the one thing that could have helped me get back into it…drink! I had left Iron Gap with two bottles full of Tailwind but not almost to the bottom of the trail and I had only had a few sips, stupid! The sun finally started to rise around 6:30 am, but with it came no energy, instead came foggy eyes. It was the weirdest thing. It seemed as if I was wearing glasses and they had fogged up on the lower half. However, in reality my glasses had not fogged up, because I wasn’t wearing glasses! Instead my vision was foggy, anything below straight ahead seemed blurry. This made the already difficult slipper trail even more difficult. After about another mile in the sunrise that did nothing for me, I came out to the Gee Creek campground where I would see Amber again.

I got to Amber and the camp chair and sat down. I told her all about how my life currently sucked. Before the race I had told her one major bit of instructions, “Don’t let me quit.” Thankfully she didn’t even bring that option up. Even though I was sitting but 3 feet from our van that could take me home to a hot shower and a warm bed, quitting was not an option. This was a low…very low in the race, but it would get better. If I stuck with it, it would get better. Before the race in conversation with Josh via messages he told me, during a 100 miler you will have several  highs and lows, the key is don’t let the highs seem too high and don’t let the lows get too low. I currently was fighting that too low part. I had some coke and cookies before walking towards the actual aid station about another half mile away. It was 7:10 am and people were cooking breakfast in the campground. During the walk was when I realized that I had stopped drinking. I downed the two bottles I had in my pack and then asked for more. I downed a third one shortly after that. I sat in the chair at the aid station while Nathan’s parents asked me some questions and asked me to pose for some pictures…I was not in the mood. From my chair I could see the Hiwassee River and Chilhowee Mtn in front of me. They were basically the only two things keeping me from my finish. I switched in to some old running shoes that were going to get soaked, and I stood up making my way down into the ice cold Hiwassee. 

7:11am - 12:00pm Miles 83 to 100

I had woken up the day before at about this time, and as I descended the rope into the water, I woke up again. The water was cold, slow moving and about mid thigh deep on me. It felt great in a way. The swelling I am sure I experienced over the last 80+ miles was being shocked by the ice bath type effect. About have way across the river, it hit me. I really need to go to the restroom. I had been running for over 19 hours and hadn’t had to #2 once…and now I needed to, and quickly. Thankfully when I got to the other side of the river there were some latrines in the parking lot of the next aid station. I made my way to the boys side and it was locked, occupied. So I went to the female said and the door opened, but no toilet paper…thankfully I had packed wipes. Afterwards I waked the 20 or so yards to the aid station and sat down to wait on amber to bring me a my shoes, fresh socks and a fresh shirt. I wasn’t feeling much better, but life didn’t totally suck at this point. Amber kept reminding me that I was a strong hiker and the 4 miles 2,000+ ft climb was going to be my forte. I refilled my bottles, that I was going to drink this time, and put on some tunes to motivate me up the mountain. The first few steps out of the chair was tough, but I was going to climb it. I had only 17 miles separating me from my first buckle. I fixed my hat down on my head so that I could only see a few feet infront of me. I did not want the continual climb to the top to overwhelm me. I was going to take this mountain 3 yards at a time. 

As I started the descent and got into the set of switch backs I came across a runner sitting on the side of the trial. He shielded his eyes with his hands and said something to the effect of, “Don’t look, this is embarrassing.” I don’t know what he meant, and honestly I don’t know if he was even real or not, he may have been a hallucination, cause that was just a strange thing to say. As I climbed I felt strong and stronger. As I was going up the mountain my spirits were rising also. I ended up passing 5 or 6 people by just power hiking. I go to the top and turned let on another dirt road called Oswald’s Dome Road. At this Aid station there were grown men dressed up as giant rabbits and mice. One mouse had a crown on his head, I assume he was their leader. This was not an hallucination, but what they men at the aid station told me was a lie! 

I kid you not...Giant Animals!

They said, “It’s all down hill from here.” And, “This will be your fastest trail half marathon!” It was true that I had just 13 miles left, what was not true is that it was all down hill or that it was fast! 

I ran strong down the road for a few miles and then the road started climbing. Up ahead I saw a guy in the woods equating up and down. He was about 6 ft tall and wearing a red and blue shirt. He would pop up and look around then squat back down. As I got closer, I realized that he was an hallucination. The all down hill from here part, kept climbing. So much so that I thought I had missed my turn off the road. So I pulled out my phone and turned on the GPS to see what road I was on…it was the right road, but it kept going up. Near the top of the massive hill I saw two guys that looked like they were falling apart. They walked swaying and pigeon toed. They were having a low point, but I was currently in a high. I ran past them and soon was at the McCamy Lake Aid station and saw Amber. 

What a difference 9 miles makes! The last time I saw Amber I was miserable but determined. Now as I sat in the chair I was pumped and ready to finish this thing strong. The aid station worker said that “it’s all down hill” and that “it’s less than 6 miles to the finish.” He too lied. From the McCamy Lake Campground the trail was wide, smooth, gradual down hill, and awesome. I thought I am going to kill this! I have 1hr and 45 mins to run less than 6 miles to break 24 hours. THIS IS AWESOME!!! Then the trail turned to the left past Benton Falls. And with it came a steep down and up section that was completely unrunnable. There was roots and rocks. At one time there was steep switchbacks going down that had a even steeper embankment off to the left. The trail itself was so narrow that calling it single track made it seem wide, it was more like half-track. I had to use trees to keep my balance. The trail seemed to go on for ever. I had been running, well more like struggling down hill, for more than an hour by myself when I finally came to a clearing, there was a Ranger there with his ATV. Behind me was the two guys that seemed so miserable only 9 mile earlier. The ranger told us to turn right on this grass road/trail and I asked how much further. I assumed he would say a short distance. But instead he said 1.5 miles. This section was much more runnable and I ran as fast as I could. Evidently I had gone so slow on the technical part that even more people caught up to me. We were now all running in a train about 6 bodies long and I was the caboose. We got to a trail head marker that said we still had .7 to the finish. As we approached the end, we could all sense the 24 hours coming to an end and we all shot to a sprint. I call it a sprint because it was the fastest we could possibly move…but we probably were just running at a moderate pace. Down the hill to the left we could hear cheers and cowbells. I ran across the line and looked at the clock behind me, 24:00:15. 

The Finish! 24:00:15

The Aftermath

I was beyond overwhelmed in completed my first 100 miler right at 24 hours. I hugged my wife that was there waiting on me in the now cold rain and we made our way to the van where we would drive to the finish line festivities. I was sore and tired, but I had completed something that a few years ago I had never even heard of!

There are so many people that I need to thank that made this possible. I thank God for enabling me with the ability and health to run and enjoy his nature. I thank my wife for her relentless encouragement and help through so much. The opportunity to see her face alone was what would get me through the lowest of lows in the race. I thank my friends that support me and cheer me on. I thank Run It Fast for being the enabling group of crazies that push me to push my limits. I thank my father who signed me up for my first race, the Art Fest 5k in Knoxville when I was like 11 years old and who would have me run 2 miles to begin and end every summer always reminding me that if I ever run enough that I would actually enjoy it, I certainly enjoy it now. I guess I should even thank my grandmother who taught me how to "nun." (It's a long story)

 It was my race, but I needed all of them and more to make it happen.

I learned a lot during that 24 hours and 100 miles. And I look forward to learning more when I try 100 miles again!