Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Mt. Cheaha 50k -- Simply Beautiful!

February 28

Before the Race
I am in the Talladega National Forest getting ready to run my second new ultra-race here in Alabama.  Last month, I enjoyed the surprisingly challenging and interesting Mountain Mist race.  This month, the Mt. Cheaha 50k race is before me, and I have had a good few weeks of training.  Three weeks ago, I blitzed an 18-mile tempo run, so I am feeling confident coming into this race.  My daughter, Amy, is again crewing for me today.  The weather is slightly cool this morning with temperature around 34, but is supposed to warm up into the 50s.  Therefore, I start the race with shorts, short and long sleeve shirts, and gloves.  At the last minute, I decide to start with just a Buff on my head, forgoing the wool hat.


Race to the single track trail
I injected a bit of excitement by losing my race timing chip.  It was safety pinned onto my shorts, but fell off when I went into the woods to take my final leak before the start.  Soon thereafter, I hear the race director announcing that a timing chip had been turned in.  I looked down, and my timing chip was not there, so I went up and said I was missing one.  They didn’t have a way to determine for sure that it was mine, but no one else was missing one, so luckily it turned out to be mine.  I didn’t know this until the finish as there were no intermediate timing mats on the course.

Mile 3.3      33:09 (10:03 avg./mile) Chandler Springs

The race begins in a small parking area, and there is only about 20 yards before we enter the forest on a single-track trail.  It is a tricky balance between getting close to the front on the single-track trail so that I don’t get stuck behind slower runners and not slowing down any runners behind me.  Since I pushed fairly far forward in the field, I feel obligated to run most of this first section.  I hope I haven’t started too fast only to burnout later.  Amy and I had decided beforehand that she would skip the first aid station and just meet me at the second one.  So, I grab a quick cup of water and head towards the second aid station.

Mile 8.5      1:03:07 (12:08 avg./mile) Clairmont Gap


Pinhoti Trail Marker
With the field nicely spread out, I scale back a little bit on the pace.  I also spend five minutes taking a wrong turn.  Just after crossing a dirt jeep trail, I follow some streamers off to the right and down a hill for about a quarter of a mile.  However, the race course is not marked with streamers, but rather with surveyor flags.  When the streamers quit, I turn around, hike back up the hill and find my error.  Even with my slight detour, I still made good time.  At the aid station, I drink half of a pint of chocolate milk and eat half of a bagel.  I also dropped off my gloves and my long sleeve shirt as the weather is warming up very nicely.

Mile 14.9    1:25:15 (13:19 avg./mile) Adams Gap


This course is over 80% single track trail, and it is quite beautiful!  There are some ups and downs along with some ins and outs, but not many of them are pointless.  Around mile 10 or so, a very young runner, Duncan, passes me as he is blazing down a hill.  I wonder why he was behind me to begin with, but I will see him later.  This section also has the most technical footing with plenty of rocks.  But I am feeling good and maneuvering over and around the rocks with ease.  The couple of race reports from past races that I read last night alerted me to this section, and I take some comfort that this is supposed to be the worst of it.  I have pushed hard on this section, but my time does not indicate this.  I take solace in the fact that I am maintaining my placing, or at least it seems that way as I think I am passing as many people as are passing me.  I drink some Conquest and then take a stack of cookies from the aid station for the trail.  Amy has managed to navigate the back roads very well so far.

Mile 18.4    50:38 (14:28 avg./mile) Hubbard Creek

I continue to keep my effort high as the course climbs and descends.  The sky is crystal clear, and the views with no leaves on the trees are quite spectacular!  This section takes me longer than I had expected, but such it is during an ultra-race.  This section has the first stream crossing where I finally get my feet wet.  The trail has been mostly dry and nice, but now my feet will be damp.  At this aid station, I again drink some Conquest and eat a couple of sandwich quarters.  Amy says that she has heard she might not be able to get to the next aid station, so maybe I won’t see her until mile 28.

Mile 25.3    1:30:03 (13:03 avg./mile) Silent Trail

I work into a very good rhythm on this section, and for the second half I run with a lady from Columbus, Georgia.  Her name is Brenda, and she drove up here with her running club.  She said there were 14 or 18 of them that drove up together in a caravan.  That sounds like a lot of fun.  There are two major stream crossings during this section, and the water level is about mid-calf deep.  I navigate them successfully only getting my shoes and socks wet both times.  Around mile 23, I re-pass the young Duncan, who looks like he might be hitting a wall.  At the aid station, Amy is there despite the rumors, and I drink some Coke before heading up the road.

Mile 27.9    34:04 (13:06 avg./mile) Lake Cheaha

This section starts out on a dirt road and then continues on a paved road into Cheaha State Park.  Most of the section is uphill, but I manage to run about half of it.  A few people pass me, and I hope that I don’t lose any more places before the end.  At the aid station, I grab another Coke and then press on towards the finish.

Mile 31.1    44:33 (13:55 avg./mile) FINISH – Bald Rock

Nearing the Finish
The final climb is rather brutal!  The young runner, Duncan, comes up behind me, and I ask him how old he is.  He says he is 16, and this makes me more determined than ever to try and stay ahead of him.  The thought in my head is that I am 30 years older than him.  However, I have experience and determination on my side.  Of course, he has youth and vigor on his side.  Despite this advantage, I manage to open up a gap as I relentlessly power up and over the rocks and boulders.  When I think the climb ends, I start running, hoping that the finish is not far.  Unfortunately, the finish is not close, and there is still some climbing left before the finish.  However, this provides an opportunity to repass a couple of runners that passed me a few miles earlier.  I push hard all the way to the finish, not wanting to see any more of Duncan.

Official Finishing Time          6:40:49

56th out of 296 entrants (19th of M40-49)

The day is warm and beautiful.  I have given this race a very good, honest effort.  I am completely satisfied with my results.  Duncan also passed the last couple of runners and is the next to finish after me—only two minutes behind.  It is his first ultramarathon finish, and I am sure I will not be ahead of him next time.  My crew (Amy) has provided more flawless support for her dear old dad.

The extended push, nearly from the start to the finish, gives me a ton of confidence going forward.  No, I cannot push like this on a longer race, but it sure feels great to be able to do it on a 50k.  My culminating goal for the summer will be running the Bighorn 100 miler in June in Wyoming.  Before then, I may enter the Sweet H20 race in Georgia in April.  It is another 50k, but has a very good reputation.  Until then…

Never stop running,
Darin