Sky to Summit 50k - Race Report

  

I had been watching the weather leading up to the Sky to Summit 50k put on by Run Bum Tours all week hoping that there would be a break in the weather. The race director, Sean, had been sending out emails a few days out warning us of the cold weather and rain that was expected on race day. This was not the kind of weather that I was looking for as we were heading into this race.

On race morning I got up early and headed over to my friend, Ross' house to head up to Sky Valley, GA and the start of the race. We got to the check in about an hour before the start and got checked in while a light rain fell on us. We then headed back to the car and started loading up our packs and getting our rain gear ready for the race.

At 6:45 Sean called everyone together for a mandatory race meeting, and finished up the meeting by having us all say together, "We are here to have fun!" Then at 7am we were off and running.

The race started off on some roads in the Sky Valley Resort, but we were greeted immediately with some big climbs. Ross and I settled into some hiking and running when we hit some flats and the occasional downhill. We ran/hiked the first 3.5 miles with a bunch of other runners up to the top of Rabun Bald which is the second highest peak in Georgia, and we had already climbed a little over 1,500ft. We then started to head down off Rabun Bald on the Bartram Trail. Ross and I had done a training run on this section of the course and blasted the downhill, but ended up paying for it on the way back up during that run. We knew that we wanted to take it kind of easy on this section of the course because we knew that climbing back up Rabun Bald the second time was going to be a bear.

When we made it to Wilson Gap Aid station (8ish miles), and we were greeted with some needed snacks and we were able to refill our water bottles before heading on down to the next section which would be an out and back. Thankfully the rain had let up by the time we got to the summit of Rabun Bald, so Ross and I were able to pack up our rain jackets and not have to deal with them for a while.

The next 3ish miles we crossed a number of streams that were between ankle and calf deep. Then we got to the one water crossing that we had been warned about. I jumped right in knowing that there was no way to go around this without getting wet, and immediately the water was up over my knees. I just had to laugh at the whole situation and kept on running to the next aid station Darnell Creek (11ish miles).

Darnell Creek aid station was the turn around point and we would then climb over 2,000ft back up to the top of Rabun Bald before heading down the back side. The climb back to Wilson Gap was tough going, and when we finally made it back we took some extra time filling water bottles and getting some food before heading back up Rabun Bald. It was going to be 7ish hard miles to the next aid station.

Leaving Wilson Gap we got back on the Bartram Trail climbing up to Rabun Bald. This is where I began to have a rough time. To be honest I don't think I was fully prepared for all the climbing that was required for the Sky to Summit course. It took me a long time to hike/run back up to the summit. Ross was ahead of me encouraging me, and pushing me to keep going. When I finally made the summit I was tired and took some extra time at the base of the fire tower before heading down the mountain.

Leaving the summit Ross and I were in a line of other runners heading down the trail. The back side of the mountain was really steep and very technical for the first few miles, and it was made even more difficult with all the slick rocks and leaves from all the rain. We all continued slowly making it down the mountain until we hit some runnable sections where the group began to pick up the pace. I wasn't feeling great at the time, so I let everyone pass and continued to slowly make it down the mountain.

Then it happened...I was making my way down the mountain and I slipped on some leaves taking a small fall. It wasn't a big deal, so I just got back up and kept moving.

SLIP!

I take another fall this time landing on my backside in the mud. A little mad at myself I get back up and again start heading down the trail trying to be a little more careful with all the slick leaves and rocks.

SLIP! CRASH!

This time I did it. I took another fall on some slick leaves, but this time I landed on a rock...HARD! This immediately shot pain up my tailbone and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get up. I took a few minutes then made myself get up, and began walking down the trail to Three Forks Aid Station. On the way down my brain made the decision that I was going to drop. I was disappointed, mad, upset, and so many other feelings at the time. I have not had to DNF any ultra yet, and it looked like this would be my first.

I finally got down to Three Forks and took my time. I hung out in the aid station and tent for a while watching other runners come in and leave. I had come into the aid station planning on dropping, but I hadn't told any of the workers of my plan yet, so when one asked when I was going to head on I decided I would suck it up and grit out the last 9 miles to the finish. My brain was saying stop, but my heart wouldn't let me give up. I really wasn't thinking clearly and filled up one water bottle with Gatorade and the other with Coke and then headed up the gravel road.

The next few miles were very painful. Every step hurt, but I was determined to finish this race no matter what. We left the gravel road and headed down a trail to Holcomb Creek Falls before heading back up the trail and back to the gravel road. I walked most of the gravel road hiking as quickly as I could and trying to ignore the pain that I was feeling on my tailbone.

I finally hit the Bartram Trail and it was time to head back up to Beegum Gap. This part of the trail was really beautiful and it took us by a number of waterfalls. I continued to try and run when I could and fight through the pain as I hiked up the hills to Beegum.

At Beegum I filled my bottles with water this time, and shuffled off to the finish line. The last 2.5 miles were mostly downhill and on the road, so I was able to make my way down without too much trouble.

I finally made it to the finish line where I was greeted by Sean and Ross and the other runners hanging out at the finish line. My finish time was 8:29:38.

I had finished this race.
I was tired.
I hurt badly.
I was frustrated with myself.
I was happy that I pushed through to the finish!

Sky to Summit is the hardest 50k I've ever run, and probably the most beautiful race I've ever run. I am so glad that Ross talked me into running this one with him. I learned a lot from this ultra, and I hope to be able to take what I've learned into my next race.

Next up: Battle for Black Rock 24 mile on December 5th!

Photo Credits: The top two photos and the last one were taken by Ross Wise. You can read his race report here, and see his race video here. Congratulations to Ross on completing his first 50k!

Dusk Till Dawn Endurance Night Race & Relay - Race Recap

On May 29th I set out for a different kind of adventure by joining up with two friends, Austin and Ross, to run all night.  This was the second year that they have held the race, but it was the first year for the relay.  Not knowing what to expect we all set out for a new adventure.

We arrived at McIntosh Reserve around 6:30pm on Friday night to get checked in, and begin setting up our tent area.  Each relay team had an area close to the start where they could set up at tent, and have a place to rest when they weren't running.  After we all got everything settled we headed up to the group shelter for the info meeting before the race started.  The RD went over all the instructions, and then gave us about 5 minutes to talk to some of the other runners before the race began.

Austin ran our first lap so he could become familiar with the course in the daylight, and because he has gotten lost in a few other races in the past.  Our strategy going in was that Austin would run one lap, then Ross would run two laps, and then I would run two laps.  After that we would see how things were going.  Austin and all the other runners took off on their first lap while everyone else hung out back at camp.  I was already feeling tired, so I laid down in the tent to get a quick power nap.

About an hour after they took off I began to hear people yelling, and clapping for the first runners coming back from their first lap.  I got up out of the tent in time to see Austin run by and up to the check in point.  Austin passed off our slap bracelet to Ross and he was off for his first lap.  It was about this time that it really started to get dark.  I pulled out my headlamp and headed up to the group shelter to hang out with Austin, and Joshua who was hanging out and serving as our crew for the race.

Slowly we would see headlamps in the woods off in the distance begin to get closer to us, and we would cheer for the individual runners as they came to check in from their lap.  When Austin came in we realized that he was the third runner in, so we were hoping to keep this up.  We began to see some of the relay teams come in and switch off runners, and then we saw Ross running up to check in.  He was covered in mud, but in good spirits.  He got a refill on his water, ate a few things at the aid station, and changed his socks before heading out to run a second lap.

I was really getting anxious at this point because I haven't run one step yet and it continued to get later and later.  I got my water bottles and pack loaded up so that when Ross came in I would be ready to go.  As I was hanging out talking with other runners and listening to them talk about the course I started getting more anxious.  I was ready to go!  I became a little nervous though because I heard from a few runners that they had gotten a little off trail at a few points.  I knew that I was going to have to pay close attention to make sure I didn't get lost.

A little after 11:30 Ross came in from his second lap and I was off.  Immediately I went from the excitement of the aid station and being around people to running on a trail in the dark by myself.  The trail was a little torn up because of some rain earlier in the week that caused a lot of muddy sections.  The wet trails plus the fact that people had been running on the trail for 3.5 hours already made the trails even muddier and more slick.

I run by myself a lot, and run in the dark a lot, so being out on the trail was peaceful to me.  I was able to enjoy the sounds of the night.  Most of the loop was a series of horse trails, and gravel roads to connect the trails.  Because I had heard so many people talk about missing flags and getting off trail I was hyperaware of looking for the next flag and making sure I was on track.

I finished my first lap and came into the aid station for just a moment before heading back out for my second lap.  The second lap I felt myself slowing a little and I had to make sure to push myself to run as much as I could.  The last two miles were in a big field where I was able to cut my headlamp and run by the light of the moon.  I finished my second lap and passed the bracelet off to Austin to head out for two laps.  I was beat, but I knew that I would need to be ready to head out again for a third lap.

I stayed in the aid station to catch my breath, drink some water, and eat a little food.  I then headed down to our tent to get out of my sweaty clothes and sleep a little.  I told Joshua to come wake me when Ross headed out for his next loop.  I quickly fell asleep and before long heard Joshua waking me up.  I was groggy, and sluggish at this point.  I got enough of myself together to get my shoes back on and my pack together to head up to the aid station to wait on Ross.

I was slowly getting everything together when all of a sudden we saw Ross charging in from his third lap.  He passed the slap bracelet to me and I quickly threw my pack on to head out on my third lap.  I was not as ready as I would have liked to have been, but it was my turn to head out.  Right away I could tell that my whole body was tired.  Not just tired legs, but tired all over.  I knew that this lap would be kind of slow.

I made the most of the lap as I worked my way up the hills, and tried not to slip too bad in the shoe sucking mud.  I even ended up running through the small stream crossing after a failed attempt to rock hop it.  This was not my lap.  I just kept telling myself that I needed to be done by 6:30am at the latest, so that Austin would have plenty of time to head out for one more lap.  I finally made it back to the aid station around 6:15am to pass the slap bracelet off to Austin for one more lap.

Trail Dawgs: Ross Wise, Austin Hall, Adam Reed, & Joshua Warren (crew)

Austin was able to get one more lap in for our team and all total we ended up with 60 miles!  This was good enough to be tied for second.  After the last runner came in we were treated to a catered breakfast where we were able to talk with the other runners and hang out talking about the night.

This was my first team relay event, timed event, and loop course.  I had fun, and definitely learned a lot from the experience.  I hope that we are able to get the Trail Dawgs back together next year for this event.

Tortoise and the Hare 50k Race Recap

I don't exactly remember where I first saw The Tortoise and the Hare 50k advertised, but once I looked into the idea behind the race I knew that I wanted to be a part of it.  The goal of the race is that they want everyone to finish as close to 3pm as possible.  In order to do this everyone chooses a wave start time that will allow them to finish around 3pm.  This brings more excitement to the race as everyone (Tortoises and Hares) are all finishing close to the same time and everyone is there to celebrate your accomplishment.  There were three start times for the "tortoises" 6am, 7am, and 8am, and three start times for the "hares" 9am, 10am, 11am.  I had signed up to be a part of the first "hare" wave at 9am.

Early Saturday Morning
I was using this race as a training run as a part of my training for my first 50 miler in January, so I was relaxed as I drove the 2.5hrs to Blue Ridge, GA on that Saturday morning.  The start time that I had selected was 9am, so I wanted to try and get to the start around 8am to watch a wave of runners leave, get checked in, and have time to get everything ready before my start time.  I arrived a little later than expected and was greeted by many of the 8am wave runners coming down the dirt road from the starting line.

Check-in

When I arrived to the parking lot and didn't see a lot of people around, but went ahead to the start line to find packet pickup.  It was 21º that morning, so I was trying to figure out what I was going to wear for the race.  There weren't any other runners down at the packet pickup, so the process was really quick.  When I asked about the 9am wave start I was told me that there wouldn't be an "official" start and that I could just start whenever I wanted.  I decided to wait until 9am to head out with all the other 9am wave runners.

The Start

A little before 9am I emerged from my car and started walking down to the starting line.  I had seen a couple of other runners arrive and go ahead and start early (it was only 21º).  As I walked down to the starting line I notice that there are only three other runners gathering around the start.  One guy was standing by himself saying that he was waiting for his friend.  The other two guys were planning on running the race together.  At 9am one of the guys said, "we'll it's 9 so I guess we should go ahead and start."  Just like that we crossed the start line and headed out on the course.

The Course

The course was described in this way:

The course consists of mostly rolling hills with a few steep, intermediate inclines (intermediate is a matter of opinion – the toughest part of the course, the Stanley Gap trail, features uphill elevation gain of somewhere around 2500 ft in 3 miles – but it sure is fun going back down!).

I found out though that there seemed to be a lot of uphill along the way.  I was able to run around 80-85% of the course, and the rest was a lot of power hiking.  There were a lot of rocks and roots on the course too which usually isn't that big of a deal except that it was November and the trails were covered in leaves.  So, there were times where I couldn't see where I was putting my feet and I came close to rolling an ankle.

The course was marked well at every turn.  They didn't put out a lot of flagging, but at every intersection they had flags and signs to point you in the right direction.  I never really worried about getting off the trail.

The Race
Since the race was a wave start, and I only started with two other guys, I ran 90% of this race with no one else around.  Even from the very beginning I found myself alone on the trail.  I do a lot of my training alone, so it wasn't that big of a deal.  The only thing that I was worried about was getting lost, but as I said earlier the major intersections were marked very well.  It wasn't until around mile 9 or 10 that I started to see some other runners coming toward me on the trail that I was heading down.  I continued on with the race and passed a number of runners over the next 10 miles.

Then, around mile 20 I hit a low point.  I was just flat out tired of running, and knew that I still had a long way to go.  I kept moving forward, walking and pushing through.  I knew that it would get better at some point and around mile 21.5 I came into an aid station.  I refilled my water bottle, poured in some Tailwind, took some s-caps, and ate some food.  This was the first real food I had eaten the whole race.  I was using Tailwind for my nutrition in the race.  It was the first time that I have ever used tailwind and it worked great!  I felt energized the whole time, but I began to get hungry, so I ate a few PB&J's off the aid station table to take some of the edge off my hunger.

Once I left the aid station at mile 21.5 I felt reenergized, and ready to take on the rest of the course.  I continued to enjoy the day talking with some of the other runners on the course and having fun on the course.  I felt really strong when I got back on the gravel road that lead back to the finish line and pushed hard all the way to the finish (thanks Tailwind)!

As I approached the finish line there were a lot of people standing around cheering me on as I ran.  My official finish time was 6:33:14, and I was happy with the time for my 3rd 50k.  Since there were so many people at the finish line I wasn't sure where I actually finished, but I found out later that I had finished 12th overall and 1st in my age group!  

Final Thoughts:

I was extremely happy with the way this 50k went for me!  I am continuing to learn more about myself, this distance, and what it takes to run.  This was my third 50k and I was using this as a training run in a 50 mile training plan.  I am beginning to become more comfortable running the 50k distance, but still feel that I have plenty of room for improvement.  

South Carolina Oconee 50k Race Recap

The Oconee 50k/ Half Marathon at Oconee State Park in Mountain Rest, South Carolina is something special.  Tucked away in the North Western corner of South Carolina is Oconee State Park. It is the terminus of the Foothills Trail. This race takes place at the foothills of the mountains.  The race was put on by Run Bum Tours race director Sean "Run Bum" Blanton.

PreRace Check-in

On Friday night I checked in and picked up my race bib at the Oconee State Park visitor center.  Registration was quick and I was able to get in and out without much wait.  It was exciting to see and meet some of the other runners that would be running with the next day.

Friday Night

My wife and I had rented a camping cabin for the weekend and ended up heading down to Walhalla to find a place to eat.  We found a pizza place that served pasta that was large enough for the both of us to share.  Then, it was back up to our cabin and early to bed so that I would be well rested for the race.

PreRace Saturday Morning

I woke up around 4am on Saturday to make sure I had time to eat a Clif Bar and drink my morning cup of coffee.  I let our camping cabin and drove the 2 miles to Oconee State Park and went to the visitor center where all the runners were gathered.  The race director, Sean, met with all the 50k runners at 5:50 to go over course markings, and other information that we needed to know about the race.  We then made our way to the back of the visitor center to the starting line.

The Start

Sean counted us down to the 6am start and then lead us through the park to the start of the trail.  It was a cool 50 degrees and I was a little chilled at the start, but I knew that I would warm up quickly once the race began.  Also, it was dark and all runners were required to run with a headlamp.  I had done most of my runs up to this point in the dark with a headlamp, but these runs were on roads so this was a new thing to be on the trails.  I quickly found a pace and fell into line with some other runners.

Miles 1-4 (Junction Aid Station)

In the first four miles I was getting warmed up and trying to get into a rhythm that I felt like I could sustain for the race.  Since I was running with a headlamp I was running a little slower, and because everyone was bunched up in these first four miles.  I have a tendency to start slow and get stuck behind people going slower than what I felt comfortable with, so I spent the first two miles in a conga line running the flats and downhills, while walking the hills.  After two miles I couldn't take it any longer and ended up passing the people in front of me until I had some open trail in front of me.  I was able to get to a comfortable pace and run the next two miles to the Junction Aid station.  Around mile 3 the sun had come up enough that I was able to see and turn off my headlamp.  As I approached the first aid station I was still filling real strong and wasn't low on water so I just blew through the aid station and continued on the course.  This allowed me to pick up some time, and pass some other runners.

Miles 4-9 (Choehee Road Aid Station)

Since I didn't stop at the aid station I pulled a GU out of my pack and ate it while I ran down the trail.  This section of the course was some great single track with a few uphills, but mostly flat runnable terrain.  I quickly found myself alone and running at a comfortable pace.  I would hear people ahead of me every once in a while and ended up passing a few runners along the way.  Once I got to the aid station the workers there began helping me to fill my water bottle, and I began snacking on some PB&J.  I also took a S-Cap to make sure that I was replacing any salt that I was loosing, and I downed another couple of GU gels.  The aid station workers were so friendly and helpful!

Miles 9-15.5 (Cherry Hill Aid Station)

The Choehee Aid station was on a gravel road that the race course followed downhill for about 2.5 miles.  I was able to enjoy the free speed of running downhill, but the whole time was thinking about the fact that the race is an out and back, and I was going to have to run back up this hill.  Once I got to the bottom of the hill the race kicked back into the woods on some nice single track.  This section of the race was a lot of uphill.  I had practiced running up some hills in my training, and I was determined to run as much of the course as I could.  I quickly shortened my stride and just kept plugging along up the hill.  Around mile 13 the first runner passed me going back down the hill.  As I continued running up the hill I started counting the number of runners that were passing me and tried to figure out what place I was in.  When I got to the top of the hill and to the aid station I had figured I was somewhere between 12th and 14th place.  Feeling great I still took some time to stop fill my water bottle, eat some more PB&J's, eat some watermelon, take a couple more S-Caps, and ate another GU.  

Miles 15.5-21 (Choehee Road Aid Station)

Still feeling really strong I bolted out of Cherry Hill and started blasting the downhill.  As I was running I was passing many other runners who were heading up to Cherry Hill.  I even passed a couple of other runners who had left Cherry Hill before me. Once I got to the bottom of the trail I hit the gravel road that was I knew was going to be a long hard 2.5 miles all uphill.  I also need up hitting a wall and did not feel motivated to run up the gravel hill.  Luckily for me as I started up the hill another runner came out of the woods heading up the gravel hill.  We ended up power walking the whole hill and talked the whole way up to the aid station.  I have to say that if it had not been for them I probably would have walked up the hill a lot slower.  On the way up to the aid station I ran out  of water, so I knew that I needed to take some extra time drinking water at Choehee.  I drank about two water bottles full before filling it up to put in my pack.  I ate some more PB&J's, took couple more S-Caps, and another GU.

Miles 21-26 (Junction Aid Station)

Since I took a little longer at Choehee Aid Station I had a few runners that ended up passing me while I was getting some extra water.  Out of Choehee the course went back into the woods onto some single track.  We ran up hill about a mile and then ended up doing a lot of downhills and some rolling hills.  Around mile 24 my right toe caught a rock as I was running down a hill and I lost my balance.  I ended up doing a superman slide on the side of the trail.  My calves immediately cramped up and were causing me a ton of pain.  I rolled off my stomach and sat up trying to massage my calves and ease the cramping.  After about 30 seconds my calves began to relax, but I knew if I didn't get up quickly they were going to cramp again.  I grabbed a tree in front of me and pulled myself to my feet, brushed myself off and started running down the trail again.  I ended up rolling into Junction Aid station a little beat up, but feeling good that I only had 5 more miles to go!

Miles 26-31 (Oconee State Park)

I set out of Junction and followed the marked path for the course.  The aid station workers had told us that some of the 13.1 mile runners had gotten lost, so they had tried to mark the course a little better for us.  I was glad they told me this because I knew I needed to pay close attention to the course.  There were a couple places where I almost got lost, but I was able to quickly see my mistake and find the right path.  The race finished up by running around the lake to the finish line.  As I crossed the finish line I was amazed to see 5:47:09 as my finishing time.  A new 50k PR for me!  I also later leaned that I had finished 16th overall.

Final Thoughts:

The SC Oconee 50k was a great second 50k for me to run.  It had some great single track, and lots of easy runable trails.  I would definitely recommend this race to someone, and especially for someone wanting to do their first 50k!