Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50 Miler

Months ago I was intrigued when the WV Mountain Trail Runners decided to debut a new race, a 50 miler in August that would start at 9pm on a Friday night. I hate heat so a night race in August seemed like it would work better for me. Since I've been planning on doing the Mountain Masochist 50 miler in November, I wanted to get another 50 miler in so I knew I could make the distance. I've only done one 50 miler, Bull Run in 2006, and dnf-ed from jfk twice at mile 38, so I was very concerned about doing another one prior to MMTR. One potential conflict was that the race finished on Saturday, Megan's birthday, but she generously agreed to stay up much of the night and go to WV for her b-day!! So all the stars aligned and I sent in my entry.

Pre-race
What a weird feeling starting a race at 9pm! We got out there in good time on Friday afternoon, but then it was just hanging out and waiting. I occupied my time helping out some putting supplies together for the aid stations and chatting with various folks. Finally it was time for the 8pm race briefing and then at long last time to start.

Start to AS1 (mile 5.7, 1:08 split)
It was weird running in the dark. Other than Amanda and Mark, I lost track of other folks I knew pretty quickly. All you could see were glowing headlamps, you really had no idea who was around you. This section was all either paved road or gravel road, it seemed like we made it to the AS in no time. There were a lot of volunteers there to help, this AS was staffed by Kaydra, the RD's wife and their families. They took great care of us and had us out of there in no time.

AS1 to AS2 (mile 12.9, 1:33:11 split/2:41:12 cum)
This is the aid station where Lorrin and Mical were volunteering with Dan Todd so we were really looking forward to getting to this AS to see those guys. But first we had to climb and climb up the gravel road to the top of Cheat Mountain at 4,000 feet. This seemed to take forever. We turned our lights out to check out the stars, they were amazing! The breeze picked up and I was really happy that the weather was working out, I'd guess it was in the 60's at the start and the 50's for much of the race. We continued on the gravel road and finally saw lots of light up ahead. We had arrived at the AS, they had lots of food and really cool lights and were full of encouragement. Lorrin was concerned that Joe wasn't with us, I thought he was ahead of us but it turns out he wasn't. At this point I was still running with Amanda and Mark as well as several other folks, Ashley, Tracy and Dave.

AS2 to AS3 (mile 17.7, 1:34:46 split/4:15:58 cum)
We were finally leaving the road and heading out to single track trail, I was looking forward to this! This is when I discovered it's really hard to appreciate single track like you would in the daylight. You really can't afford to do anything other than focus on the circle of light in front of you while at the same time keeping an eye out for trail markers. Adam really did an amazing job of marking the course, I don't think we ever went off track. But you still had to pay close attention to the trail, there were moss covered rocks and roots and a fair number of short muddy sections. Pretty quickly Joe, Pete and Tim Daly caught up and passed us in this area. Mark took off with them too. Amanda, Tracey and I continued on our way. This section of the course seemed to take forever. I couldn't believe this was really 4.9 miles. We finally hit the gravel road section I was expecting and then that seemed to take forever. At long last we smelled a campfire and guessed we were close. We entered another energetic and totally well stocked aid station. Bradley Mongold greeted us all, Paul, Laura and others filled up our hydration packs and water bottles. We were surprised to see Joe and Mark there, we thought they were long gone! We all ended up leaving the AS pretty much together up the Whitmeadow Trail.

AS3 to AS4 (mile 23.2, 1:28:14 split/5:44:13 cum)
It would be an understatement to say I was nervous about the cut-offs in this race. They were at mile 23.2 at 6 hours and mile 33.3 at 9 hours. This seems generous to some, scary to others like me. I was now very stressed, AS4 was 5.4 miles away and we had about an hour and 40 minutes to get there. The last 4.9 mile section had taken us 1:34, I knew we'd have to push it.

Almost immediately we hit an uphill section and lost sight of Mark and Joe. It was Tracey, Amanda, Dave and me, we passed another guy in short order. We finished the climb and hit runnable trail. Tracey started out pushing us forward. Somewhere in here Amanda had an apparently spectacular fall. I was in front of her so I missed it but Dave said it was pretty amazing. Luckily Amanda hit a soft, rotting log instead of a rock with her knee and was quickly able to recover. We took off again, all pushing it as we were all aware of the cut-off. We hit the gravel road again and turned left toward the AS. The road wasn't flat so we had a number of ups and downs on the top of the ridge before we finally saw the light of the AS and we knew we had made the cut-off. These folks were even more energetic if that's possible! I knew who the volunteers were going to be at all the AS's and it really helped to look forward to seeing each group. And I must say that Bill Potts, Willie Lehmann, Joel and Katie Wolpert did not let me down!! They got us everything we needed, offered words of encouragement, lied about how good we looked, etc. And then we were off...

AS4 to AS5 (mile 27.8, 1:15:14 split/6:59:27 cum)
Still mindful that we now had about 3 hours and 10 minutes to cover the next 10 miles, we still tried to push it. We started out for about a mile on the gravel road and then turned left onto Stonecoal Trail. It was Tracey, Amanda and me again. We passed another woman walking in here. I don't remember much about this section. I think because it was now about 3am, I was totally concentrating on the circle of light from my headlamp and moving as fast as I could. We hit a gravel road finally and I knew we should be close to AS5. And finally we were greeted by the Hooks family as we refilled and refueled. This was a bustling AS, not only were Joe and Mark there but so were Pete and Tim Daly, Ashley and several others. We got in and out quickly and headed out on another section of gravel road.

AS5 to AS6 (mile 33.3, 1:21:13 split/8:20:41 cum)
First gravel road, then we hit the Shavers Trail. Mark and Joe were in the lead, then Amanda and me, then Ashley, Dave and Tracey. The Shavers Trail was an adventure, it was through a tunnel of big mountain laurel, some runnable and some washed out rocky and rooty areas. Then there was an uphill section where I couldn't discern the trail at all it was so rocky and rooty. Somewhere in here it dawned on me that after this trail, we'd be on gravel road the rest of the way. Before the race I had wished there was more single track, now I was relishing the fact we'd be off the single track. My eyes were getting real tired from staring at the patch of light in front of me. I told Amanda I felt like I hadn't blinked in hours. Finally we hit the road and I didn't even care that it was uphill, I was just happy it was a road and I didn't have to concentrate as hard to keep my footing. Amanda and I were on our own at this point, we alternate walking and running, wondering when we'd ever get to the AS. AS6 was the same as AS4 so we were really looking forward to seeing those guys again. And then we were finally there and we had made the cut-off by 40 minutes! And Joe and Mark were there too! Tracey, Ashley and Dave soon arrived. We all fueled up and heading out close to the same time.

AS6 to AS7 (mile 37.1, 55:17 split/9:15:59 cum)
Here's where I had my low point. This section was 3.8 miles and would bring us back to Lorrin, Mical and Dan Todd. But it's like 5:30 in the morning, still pitch black, and I find myself climbing hills again. I guess I had hoped this would be a mostly flat section of road, but no, it was just as hilly as all the rest and it seemed to take forever. Also, I had worked really hard to make the cut-off, made it to mile 33, and I was now ready to be done! After all, I've mostly done 50k's and this is when I would be done. Amanda kept up the encouragement and eventually I rallied, it started to get lighter, and we finally made it to see our friends. Continuing our previous pattern, we found Joe and Mark at the AS. The rest of the folks we had been with had gone on ahead. I figured I'd better get out quick or I'd want to stay and ride the rest of the way in the car with Lorrin and Mical.

AS7 to AS8 (mile 44.3, 1:30:47 split/10:46:46 cum)
Here I tried really hard not to focus on the fact that I still had almost 13 miles to go and that this segment was 7.2 miles. At long last we had been able to ditch our headlamps, that was a glorious feeling. For hours after the race I swear I still felt as if I was wearing it. Daylight helped too. After several miles of rolling road on top of the mountain we finally started to descend in earnest. Although it hurt to run, I had to use gravity while I could. Somewhere in here we passed Dave and then Ashley, we never saw Tracey again. Mark and Joe had taken off and I wasn't sure I'd see them again. Amanda and I ran and ran and ran and we made it to the LAST aid station at long last! Kaydra was still there as were several other folks. I could barely eat or drink anything, I was done. We left for the last 5.7 miles.

AS8 to the finish (mile 50, 1:07:57 split/11:54:43 cum)
I left first, Amanda, Mark and Joe quickly caught up to me and we continued our descent. Down, down off Cheat Mountain we went, we started to pass some houses. Amanda's Garmin had matched exactly with the course info so far and she started to tick off miles to encourage me. We passed two guys walking in here. Amanda said we could break 12 hours but we needed to move it. I was not all that into this idea but tried to rally again. I couldn't have been happier when we saw the 1 mile to go sign. The only downside is that it was now sunny and warming up, but heck, it was still before 9 am so it wasn't that hot! Joe was in the lead and as he crested a hill he yelled back to us that he could see the finish and he wasn't going on without us. Bringing up the rear, I crested the hill myself to join Joe, Mark and Amanda for a short run down the hill, up the driveway and across the finish line.


Reflection
I am so happy that's over with!! It's a big weight off my shoulders to know that I made it. A couple of times during the race I remembered Adam saying this was an "easy" 50 miler. I remember him clarifying that by saying 50milers aren't easy, but compared to some others, this is "easy." I've now confirmed there is not such thing as an easy 50 miler. I almost lost it after the finish, it took so much mental effort to keep myself together those last 17 miles that I just felt like I wanted to cry. Eventually I rallied after a shower and some food.

Thanks to Amanda for keeping me going all those miles. I definitely would not have wanted to run all those miles in the dark alone!! And Mark and Joe, you guys were awesome to run with! Lorrin and Mical - I know you didn't get any sleep but it was sure nice to see you at crucial parts of the run, it definitely helped keep me going. And thanks Megan for agreeing to spend your birthday sleeping briefly on the 4-H floor and getting up at 3:30 am to work the finish line, you rock!

Here are the results. And some pictures from Mical as well as some others.

Comus 5k

And here are a few pictures from the Comus 5k.

North Fork

It's August so that must mean it's time for the annual West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners trail run on the North Fork Mountain Trail! It was a beautiful, cool, low humidity weekend and a great day for a run Saturday. The trail is about 24 miles along a ridge top with many incredible views, you can run the first half, the second half, or the whole thing. This year I ran the second half with some extra miles at the start to get about 16.5 in. Other times I've run the first half or the whole thing. I had a realization this year...the second half is much more enjoyable if you skip the first half!! Duh!

But the defining moment of my run came about half way through when I had an encounter with a rattlesnake. I was in a totally shady part of the trail, in the middle of a really rocky section that had just started uphill so I was walking. Then just to the left of the trail (we're talking 12 inches to the left of the trail, not 12 feet!), in a beam of light next to a rock I see a snake.
I believe I said "holy s***" quite loudly and moved back to a safe distance. It was pretty clearly a Timber Rattlesnake. At this moment I really lamented the fact that I was running alone. Where are my buddies??? Lorrin, Amanda or Mical would know what to do!! Why isn't there anyone coming up behind me?? So I took a few pictures and tried to decide what to do. I don't believe in killing snakes so that was out, not to mention I wouldn't want to get close enough to try. I didn't think throwing anything at it was a good idea, don't want to get him riled up! So, despite the risk his buddies could be close by, I decided to bushwack around. I made it safely by, took a few more pictures, and then spent the next hour trying to get my heart rate down. For awhile afterwards I was turning every stick into a snake as well as going through steps of what I would do if I did get bitten. It was nerve racking there for awhile but I finally calmed myself down and went on my merry way.

I finally got to the last really rocky section and enjoyed the great views before descending 2,000 feet to the finish. I'm happy to say I had no more snake sightings, turns out I was the only one that saw a snake. It was my lucky day!! The rest of the day/evening was spent enjoying cold beverages, much food, great conversation and smores around the campfire. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Catoctin results and pictures

	Here are some pictures Lorrin took at Catoctin. Results are up on Kevin Sayers' site.
Catoctin 2008

"Catoctin" (by Joe)

Prologue
Saturday was the dreaded "Catoctin 50K." I completed it in 7 hours and 10 minutes -- by my watch -- the exact time, to the minute, as my 2006 finishing time.

In preparation for my return to Catactin, I dusted off my plan from 2006. In '06, things went pretty well. In March of that year I’d completed my first 50 miler, a slog through the cold rain and mud at Bull Run (introduction to hypothermia). In June of that year I completed my first 40 miler through the hot sun at Highland Sky (introduction to dehydration). With these experiences in mind, I approached Catoctin with the respect it needs. I planned ahead to go out slow enough in the beginning, hold back enough that I could complete the second half of the race in the same time, or faster time, than the first half.

This plan is based on the fact that the first half of the race, while difficult, is easier than the second half. We start on high at the Tea Room, and run “downhill” to Manor Campground. The first half gives you a net descent of probably 1,000 feet over 16 miles -- albeit with plenty of ups and downs along the way that disguise that statistic. At Manor Campround we turn around and cover the same trail, with the same net elevation gain. The second half, therefore, is essentially a long, tough protracted uphill, feeling all the tougher with the terrain and fatigue of the first half.

Based on the timing splits that Michelle gave me (thanks Michelle!), I knew I had to be at Hamburg Rd (mile 6-ish) in 1:35 (race time). Then be at Delauter Rd (mile 8.5) about 35 minutes later. I didn't know any other times, but somehow remembered that my turnaround time at Manor (mile 16) was 10 minutes slower than my time coming back. That would mean it around 3:40 minutes. All of this was flexible, of course. The overall goal was to finish in not too much pain, and somewhere in the vicinity of my earlier time.

A Surprise Appearance
At the start I saw and greeted many of the people that I'd seen last week at Catherine's Furnace F/A. I saw Mark Radan (aka "gym" Mark), and the Gowens and some others. Always nice to see folks. I was sitting on the window sill in the Tea Room, looking at the view of the ridgeline stretching south into VA. I heard a familiar voice, looked up and there were Mark M, Angelo, and Phil. They looked awful, dripping wet. I figured they got caught in some isolated downpour that happened only on the other side of the building. But really they looked like the already ran the race. So I joked, "you guys look like you already ran the race." And Phil replied in his characteristic undertoned way, "yeah, we started at 2am at Manor and ran in just now." I only believed him because I knew Angelo was involved, and it sounded like one his hairbrained schemes.

So eventually we all gathered for the prerace briefing. Race director Kevin explained things - basically run on the blue blazed trail until Manor, then turnaround and come back. It's really that simple. This is a sparten sort of race. Very few markings, no trail clearing ahead of time. Nothing special, though very good aid and support along the way. The race director, Kevin, shared some nice thoughts about his wife, who passed away earlier this year from cancer, and to whom the race is dedicated. He thanked everyone for being there, told us to be sure to have fun, bid us good luck, and launched the race with a simple, "one, two, three, go!"

The First Half
Phil and I let everyone get ahead of us, and started in a slow trot at the end of the field. So far, everything was going according to plan. We kept this pace down the first hill, up the next, down the next (through the lovely stream valley where Lorrin and I saw the rattlesnake a few years ago), passing people only occasionally. As we headed up the second of the two initial hills, the timing was right, but I was surprised at how many people were around us. We were close to a cutoff pace, and it looked like we were in the middle the main field. Maybe everyone had the same plan.

We got to Hamburg Road in 1 hour 35 minutes. Right on plan. Then on to Delauter Rd in about 35 minutes. Kim, Phil's girlfriend, was volunteering there. She cheered us on and helped load us up with the provisions needed for the push to the Manor turnaround, a long 6.5 miles ahead. Well stocked, we moved on, and without trying, we started to kick it up a notch.

There is a long hill after the Delauter Rd aid station that typically I would walk and use to hydrate and eat. But at the Catherine's Furnace run, a funny thing became clear to me - running a slight uphill is sometimes less painful than a downhill. So, here at Catoctin, if I'm slower than usual on the downhill, I had to make up for it on the uphill. With that in mind, I started running. Phil followed, and the push was on. There is a very long downhill leading to Manor, and I did my best, but could feel the legs getting stiff and wondered how long I could keep up the pace. I'd been noticing an ache in my left hamstring that got a little worse as I went downhill. I hate to focus on things like that, but knew I had to monitor it a little.

The Turnaround
At the turnaround we were welcomed by Lorrin, Mark, Jim, Pam among others. they took to us like a pit crew, and when I returned from the loop around the bathhouse, my pack was already stocked. I changed out of my long sleeve shirt, into a short sleeve. I grabbed some pringles and was ready to go. Then, luckily, I remembered that I needed more salt pills. Phil said, "I'll just get a head start," and took off. Phil had been hinting that he was slowing down a little - afterall, he started running at 2am and was now finishing the first 50k of the day. I figured I'd catch him going back up that long hill.

I started strong, but still cautious. As they say, the last half of Catoctin is really the last two-thirds. I was overtaking people pretty consistently, and running the less steep parts of the climb, but still no Phil. By the top of the hill, I determined he must have gone off trail for a nature break or something and passed him and wouldn't see him again. So on I went, continuing a good pace. Near the top of the hill I passed Caren and Mark Z. who looked strong and optimistic as ever.

I noticed a strange sensation that when the trail leveled out, it seemed harder to run. The slight uphills, for some reason, were the most comfortable. The general aching in my legs grew and grew. I no longer felt the ache in my hamstring. Either it got sorted out, or it got absorbed into the more uniform pain in my legs. The sun was coming out more, for longer periods, and the afternoon heat was combining with the morning humidity. The sweat was getting bad. I knew I had to keep drinking and taking in sodium.

On the way out, hours before, I ran the long hill after the Delauter AS. Now I approached the same hill, but going down. Normally I would welcome this opportunity to harness the power of gravity. But today, with the fatigue already searing my legs, I looked at this long downhill as one cruel bit of torture with every pounding step. I shuffled down the hill as best I could, almost angry at that damn hill when I finally got to the bottom. The pain in my legs was real now. Running hurt, pure and simple, and it would hurt from now until the end, nine miles on. At about that moment, the balance of effort shifted from physical to mental. As long at the physical structures held out, getting to the finish was henceforth a matter of will. I felt my spirits sag, and knew I was hitting a low point. My mother always says that she'd rather have a root canal than run 30 miles. At these moments I understand what she means, and as I pounded down that hill, clenched teeth, it would be easy to question why I was doing it at all.

From the bottom of that hill, I knew, it was slightly uphill (runnable) to the Delauter AS. I ran to it, and Kim was there to greet me. I had to sit down for a minute. I'm sure I didn't seem too cheery. I told her I didn't know where Phil was. I lost him at the turnaround, he must have gone off trail and I passed him. "Oh no, he's up ahead about 5 minutes," she said. My low point sagged lower. There I was running my heart out and a guy who started at 2am was gaining time on me. To add to it, I was falling behind schedule on my personal goal and would have to increase my pace to the end if I wanted to finish in my goal time. Increasing my pace was not really an option. I sat and picked rocks out of my shoe and wallowed a bit. Kim got me a cold towel and some watermelon. (It can be so helpful to have a friendly face to help you along the way). I pushed myself on.

I went up the the hill out of the AS. I was annoyed somehow that Phil was still ahead. Not because it was Phil, of course, and not because I hate getting beat (I'm a middle of the packer, afterall), but because it signaled to me that I wasn't doing all I could do. Phil had been running since 2am. He'd covered, now, over 40+ miles to my 20-something. Phil expected me to catch him long ago. He was having a fantastic race.

Getting into the Right Gear
I guess somewhere deep down I have a competitive bone, but mainly against myself. I ran the situation through my mind again: my legs were screaming, I was still 8 miles from the finish, I had miles of rocks still to go and two crushing hills at the very end, the heat was becoming a real factor, I wanted to slow my pace when I needed to speed it up. I took all that, bundled it up and threw it away. Way back, early in the race, I had found a "gear" that worked - a connection between mental and physical that would keep me moving within the limits. I'd been running in that gear ever since. But the gear was now painful. So, I made the decision that I did not need to speed my pace, just keep it. Stay in that gear, up hill and down hill, and don't think about anything else. And so it was. The only real limit was the physical one, and I could feel that my legs, though throbbing and exhausted, were sound.

I've asked myself "why am I out here," and it is this kind of moment that helps me answer that question - the moment when I kick myself past the invisible barrier of my mental limits. Because five years ago I would have been incredulous at the suggestion that I could run 30 miles, especially on this terrain. And because a year and a half ago I couldn't walk down a supermarket aisle without pain. Because right there, at that moment, I could be out there, and there is no guarantee of that later. I thanked the heavens for it. I caught up with Phil about two miles after Delauter, just before Hamburg Rd. We shook hands and ran to the Hamburg aid station together. We fueled up, and he told me to go on. He was finished, he said, and would just have to drag himself to the end.

I went on, getting back in gear and regaining my focus, churning the trail away step by step. I was passing other runners continuously now. That is encouraging in and of itself, but also reassured me that my plan was a good one - keep some energy for later - and that I had stuck to it well. But no matter how far I'd come, I knew the last two miles were the real test.

With about four miles left to the finish I came to the first two final hills. I had to get down the hill, then up the other side and stay focused. There was nothing to do but to do it. So I did. At the bottom of the hill I caught up with Mark Radan. We exchanged a phrase or two in commiseration, and I pressed on up the hill. I stayed in gear, running when I could, walking otherwise, but a solid pace always. The heat by now was oppressive, true Catoctin heat. I swore that I had never sweat as much as I was right then. When that hill was done, I moved to the next hill, on down to the bottom.

The Final 'Hill'
The climb to the finish line began, and for the first time in ages I hazarded to look at the watch: 6:53. I had about seventeen minutes left to stay on goal, but that didn't matter. I was doing what I must, and whether I came in a few minutes ahead or behind that time was almost irrelevant, and out of my hands now. I took another slug of the salted honey mix that had been fueling me all day, and dug in, up the hill.

I came up on Allen Gowan just at the mid-way point, where it levels off to go to the mountain bikers' parking lot. I went on, crossing the road and onto the yellow trail. For the first time I allowed myself to think that I might actually finish this race running, not crawling, and I wanted to weep. But no time for that now, I had one last stretch of hill to go. The last half mile or so is probably 300 feet of elevation gain, most of it on a steep, rooty section of the "green trail," about a quarter mile straight up. Then it levels off and the last quarter mile is a shallower technical uphill around the back of the Tea Room, some rocks and roots, and a final last pitch up 30 feet or so to the road and the finish line.

But first the green trail, and it's always steeper than I remember. That didn't matter, my gear held firm. I churned up it in a fast walk. Near where it levels off I heard the shouts of Lorrin, Kim and Mark cheering me on. I could only raise my hands briefly in acknowledgment. I turned left and ran the final stretch, not noticing the rocks and roots, walking briefly to climb the final pitch. Just ahead of me a guy heard me coming and kicked into a sprint. Thank goodness, I thought, I don't want to 'wargo' anyone today. But then I saw another guy walking - Tom Corris, with cramps in his legs - and I called to him, "Run, Tom, I don't want to pass you." But he waved me on. He couldn't speed up, and I couldn't slow down. I ran across the line, and stopped my watch at 7 hours 10 minutes. Every bit of me wanting to crumble apart. I staggered to a picnic table and fell onto the bench. In the end it all came together. The variables of weather, hydration, nutrition, etc., were managed as best they could be. I had to dig deep for it, and am happy with the result.

Phil came in about 20 minutes later, a bit ashen and understandably tired. He had an amazing day. He covered 48 miles over about 13 or 14 hours - outpacing me for most of it! Caren and Mark Z. pulled off their own endurance feat coming in at 9 hours and 45 minutes -- meaning they got caught in the three thundery downpours that hit after I finished. Great work on finishing, you guys.