October
3
When I decided to run this race, I liked the date as it is 10 weeks
before Hellgate. This would allow me to
run another race on November 7—5 weeks before Hellgate. Initially, I was looking at the Stump Jump
50k in Chattanooga, but that filled up very quickly so I found this race and
decided it would be good. The field is
small, and it is a point-to-point race.
Since the race is on the Cumberland Trail, the thought I had was that it
would be of moderate difficulty.
Yesterday afternoon, I drove from Huntsville through heavy traffic
around Chattanooga and Knoxville. I made
it to the packet pick-up at Cove Lake State Park just as the race director was
packing up. I got my t-shirt and asked
about race numbers. He said they would
just write our number on our hand in the morning. From there I ate a quick dinner at Fazzoli’s
and checked into my Budget Motel Inn, which was truly a cheap place, but it
would suffice for just me for one night.
There are 42 people signed up for this race, and 33 of us get on the
bus in the morning to ride to the start.
I find out on the bus ride that many of the runners are first time
ultra-runners. It should be interesting
as the low parked off of South Carolina will keep us wet all day. The temperatures are in the mid-50s, and I am
going with just a short-sleeve shirt and buff, of course. I don’t think crews are possible with this
race, but then again it is just a 50k.
Mile
~6 1:38:01 Lick Creek Mountain
We
depart the bus. I find the race director
and he writes my number on my right hand.
Then most all of the runners water the bushes before the race director
blows a whistle to start the race. We
immediately turn onto the single-track, Cumberland Trail. It is morning twilight, and many of the
runners have headlamps, but I didn’t want to bother, and I can see well
enough. There are about 7-8 runners on
the trail ahead of me, and then I am leading a chase pack of another 7-8
runners. After the initial climb, about
two miles into the race, most of the runners behind me finally decide to
pass. I am more than happy to let them
pass so that I don’t push the pace too hard early. Most of this first section is uphill,
comprising of two long climbs. When I
arrive at the first aid station, a couple of the front runners are passing
through having already completed the three mile loop. I grab a cup of water and a PB&J sandwich
quarter before starting the loop.
Mile
~9 43:13 Lick Creek Mountain
I
read that the loop was 2-3 miles, but obviously, it was at least three. It is a lollipop loop so I get to see another
runner returning as I am heading out.
After the stick portion, the loop starts a very steep, but short
climb. I hike up that, but run most of
the rest of this section. It feels like
we aren’t getting shorted at all on mileage today. As I return to the aid station, I meet a few
runners heading out on the loop. Then at
the aid station, the sweepers are there.
These are volunteers who run behind all of the runners picking up the
streamers and such that mark the course.
They also represent in some form the pace the runners need to be ahead
to finish under the cut-off time. So, I
have about 45 minutes or so on the cut-off time at this point based on the
sweepers’ position. I grab another
PB&J sandwich quarter and start down the hill towards the next aid station.
Mile
~12 45:37 Norma Road
As
I begin my decent, another runner comes up behind me. I let him pass, but then re-pass him at one
of the stream crossings after we get down in the valley. However, when I stop to take a leak, he goes
by me again, and I never see him again during the race. Thus begins a long stretch where the only
people I see are the aid station workers.
I will not see another runner for over three hours. At the aid station where two ladies are
volunteering, I grab a couple of sandwich quarters and a cup of water before I
start the next climb.
Mile
~17 1:38:32 Lower Elk Field
This section begins with a long climb to the top of
a bald mountain. It feels like I am
climbing forever and thus not making great time as the climb is steep in many
places. While the trail is in great
shape and the footing is good, it is not runnable in many places due to the
steepness of the terrain. I finally make
it to the top of the mountain and proceed to pick my way across the bald. The markings are about every 200 yards or so,
but I am in the clouds and visibility is 200 yards at best. The trail continues through high grass, and
it is difficult to follow at times. Just
about the time I think I must have missed an aid station or something, out of
the fog a blue pop-up shelter appears.
There is a couple working this aid station, and I know they have to be
chilly on this day. It has begun to rain
steadily, but this couple is prepared with good jackets and such. I thank them for being out here on this
miserable day, and then I eat three sandwich quarters.
Mile
~23.5 2:00:20 Carroll Road
After
descending off of the bald, the trail then starts another climb. I have been running by myself for so long, it
seems like all of the other runners have quit running. I miss a turn at one point, but quickly
realize my mistake as the trail just sort of ended. I trace back about 100 yards and find the
place where the true trail turned to the right and uphill. As I finish another section of hard climbing,
I finally make it to this aid station where there is another runner! The first one I have seen in almost four
hours! As I am putting a little more
water in my Camelbak, two more runners come into the aid station. The aid station workers say it is about 7
miles or so to the finish from here and that this is the last aid station. I fuel up with three more sandwich quarters
and a cup of Coke to start the final stretch.
Mile
~31.5 1:56:13 FINISH – Cove Lake
I
basically leave the last aid station with a guy right in front of me and two
runners just behind. One of the runners
behind me is a female, and I think there is only one more female ahead of
me. I will do my best to try and keep
her behind me so that I only get “chicked” once today. I pass the guy ahead of me, but then he stays
with me as we start to descend. We are
pushing each other hard until we realize we haven’t seen a trail blaze in a
while. We make the wise decision to turn
around to find the turn we must have missed.
We lose about 10 minutes on this detour, and when we find the missed
turn, there is the female runner just ahead of us. However, she is stuck at a blown down tree
trying to find a way around it. I spy a
blaze below us, and launch down the side of the mountain to regain the trail on
the other side of the blown down tree.
In the process I open a gap on the guy that I was running with and the
female runner. I take the opportunity to
push the pace down the hill, pushing the edge of control going down difficult,
technical trail that also happens to be wet and muddy. I manage to continue my pace all of the way
to the park and the finish. The female
runner and the other guy finish a few minutes after me.
Official
Finishing Time 8:41:42
17th
out of 42 entrants (4th of M40-49)
I mention to
the race director that this felt as hard as the Barkley Fall Classic, and he
says it is harder than the BFC course from last year. When the two runners finish after me, I thank
them for pushing me to the finish. I
partake of a couple of pieces of cold pizza and a cup of Coke at the finish
area, before walking to my car.
This race was
wonderful! I had a great time running by
myself, mostly, on a rainy, cool day in the mountains. The climbing was butt kicking, and I find out
that it was about 8,400 feet of climbing.
What a day! My legs will be sore
for several days, but I am happy with my performance and hope that my legs will
recover quickly. My left knee was
hurting on the steep up and down sections today, so I am also hoping that it
rebounds well. My next scheduled race is
the Georgia Summit to Sky 50k on November 7.
Until then…
Never stop
running,
Darin
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