Morning Trail Run

Bomber Crash Site

Home Loop

Stone Lions

100 mile PR by a good 90 minutes. Bagged the Alabama state high point. Probably a short course but I’ll take it. Lower elevation but plenty of rocks and vert to keep it interesting. Probably write more later but I’m very tired.

Edit 11/18.
A few weeks have passed, so I have forgotton a few things and reflected on others.

The bus leaves Sylacauga at 3:45AM sharp. It's a regular school bus, and it's a 2 hour drive. Annoyingly, the bus arrives at the start line a little past 5:50 just minutes until the race starts at 6am. It is still totally dark out. There are no toilets to be seen. People are streaming over the woods to pee, but obviously no time for anything else. If you are solo and have a bag for sweatshirt, etc. it's a race to start to try and find the RD pickup so you can drop off your bag and find a spot in the queue. There is no line in the dirt so it's difficult to know where the front of the corral is. It's critical to know where the front is if you have time goals at this race.  

I took this one out pretty hot, and it was a good decision overall. This race rapidly funnels down to single track. Probably less than 1/2 mile from the start line the single track starts. It's dark, the trail is covered in leaves, and there are a decent number of obstacles like rocks and roots. Passing is difficult and everyone thinks the race is on the line so they are huffing and puffing and don't want to step aside. I can't blame them either, but it's also frustrating because many of these people are absolutely in the process of blowing themselves up and walking it in, or maybe even DNFing at mile 40.

Regardless, being at nearly sea level coming down from 7000' in Los Alamos, running feels great. I'm cruising the ups and downs feeling fairly relaxed. I probably get a little greedy and do pass some folks during the first 10 miles. Probably more effort than was necessary, but I'm also feeling the race day!

During the first 15-20 miles there are a handful of creeks and especially in the dark, it is a good idea to avoid stepping in the water.

Eventually, things do thin out. I start to find my own pace and area. I usually like running solo, so this takes some time. I don't meet too many people, but I did meet 8OA early on and had a nice chat. I also saw Chris Stayman who I met at Cruel Jewel at one of the aid stations during this early time.

Around mile 28, I kept hoping I would find an AS with a porta potty, but no luck. Eventually, I settle for going in the woods -- really wish I could have taken care of this at the start line, but again the bus situation is a little weird. I lose a few places while doing this, but it's early in the race.

By some luck, the very hot day forecasted stayed fairly overcast until some time between the mile 28 and 36 AS. This is good because the dew point is supposed to be in the 60s getting close to bad levels. And certainly for someone who doesn't have humidity, this is hard.

At mile 36 I fill up my hat and sleves with ice which helps power me all the way up Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. You can tell when you are getting close to the top because you start seeing lots of day hikers who drove to the TH at the summit. Upon reaching the summit I took a coupe selfies and sort of admired the view. It's actually a pretty great view -- this course is far more scenic than Cruel Jewel.

But I'm feeling motivated and strong still, so I keep moving hammering the downhill miles. There is a short section here which is about as technical as any race or trail I have done. It's about 1/2-1mile long steep section that is rocky and also has plenty of roots. It's got pretty darn hot and I actually have some weird crampy moment with my calf and hamstring which makes this technical section even more difficult. Fortunately it's done quickly and easily. I think this is also where I passed at least one runner who was absolutely blown up from the heat and technicality.

Down at Cheaha Lake is where a critical mistake is made that was a little annoying. I get to the lake and there are cars everywhere, people cheering and supposed to be an AS. I don't see it, and no one is directing me where to go. In the confusion I must have blown past it, not picking up anything. I don't realize this for another 2 miles when I get to the water only AS. I fill up on water (great!) but it's nearly 7 miles to the next full aid.

Thus, I went nearly 15 miles between aid on accident during the hottest part of the day. Fortuntely I had an extra gel, and I had been drinking tons of water all day. It's not a disaster, but by the time I reach Hubbard Creek "Area 52" with the Aliens I am feeling kinda wrecked. I start chugging everythign have out. 2 cups of pickle juice, 2 cups of coke, 2 cups of ginger ale. Then I start to feel pretty (predictably terrible). I give a minute and try eating everything I can, bacon, broth, banana, etc.  My stomach is a little rough, but I just grab some additional food and decide to start walking. I walked for probably 1/2 mile slowly eating and sipping roctane slowly feeling better and better. It takes a bit, but I do recover completely which is great.

There are some very scenic sections of trail from mile 36 to 57 at Adams and I am fortunate I am in pretty good spirits the whole way. Especially from Silent Trail to Hubbard was amazing (even though I was super hungry and thirsty). There is a lot of water flowing over beautiful granite, with fall colors. Just a great day to be running.

At Adams I do my full changeover to night stuff and hit the porta potty again. I'm a little worried at this point I am going to have lots of GI issues. Coming out of Adams is great, it's still light and there are several miles of road. I am able to really hammer these and I think I passed at least one person.

Eventually the road becomes more and more rocky and things get dark. I had been listening to "The Dragon Reborn" book 3 of the Wheel of Time and I get to one of my favorite chapters in the whole series where Mat takes on Gawyn and Galad with his quarterstaff. Very memorable. 

The rest starts to become a bit hazy as the full night sets in. I get extra batteries at Porter's Gap and run into Mike who sold me the headlamp at REI in Birmingham. Fun stuff.

At some point I pass the woman who took first. She was cruising the uphills and I drafted off her for a while. She seemed a bit annoyed I wasn't passing, so eventually I moved on. It was nice to reach Pinnacle and even nicer to reach Wormy's Pulpit. The race was just dragging for me by this point. Some of the climbs were very steep here (maybe the steepest all day). There's lots of rocks covered in leaves which intermittantly wreck your groove. My quads were starting to feel a bit blown, and my ankles were developing some irritation. I knew I had runners behind me and I just needed to buckle down. Tough and character building. 

There's a forest road just above the trail and a few cars pass. One car is off the road, probably inebriated and begging me to help him. I'm in no position with 85 miles on the legs, and I move on as fast as possible.

Finally sometime after Worm'y Pulpit there is a downhill stretch. All I wanted to do was hammer it, but my quads and to a greater extent my ankle prevent this. I still manage 12 min miles, but they feel slow.

Finally I get to Bulls Gap where the road begins. I eat what I can manage and start cruising. I love it and hate it. I'm keeping close to 12 minute miles, but running the uphills is becoming a massive pain and my ankle feels worse on the downhills. I just try to minimize the walking and grind eventually reaching the last AS. Again I eat what I can manage and pass another runner.

At this point I thought there were something like 3.5 miles left to cover. I was thinking if I just hit 15 minute pace I could break 21 hours. Unfortunately the website GPX track did not include all of the trail, and it was closer to 4.5 miles. Once I realize this, I sort of think there is still a chance to break 21, but quickly realize there is not. I get kind of demoralized, do a little too much walking, but also realize there might be other runners. In my mind, this final stretch is so easy I'm thinking people are still hammering 12 minute miles behind me. Probably not true, but once I see the headlamps I try to move faster. Near the end I get confused in the dark and think someone is really close behind. With 3/4 mile left I just start giving it everything I have and pull across the finish at 21:09.

The next finisher was not close (probably 8 minutes back) but with the winding trail I think I just caught her light.

I was absolutely toasted. There's no chair. There's no food. Fortunately someone did bring me my bag from the start line. I had a granola bar to eat in there.

Then Zack finished 8OA and I chatted with him and his crew Joe for a minute. Great people.

I am so ready to lay down and eat. I drive back to the hotel which by some miracle has ramen and chips for sale in the lobby at 3 am. The ramen is so good. I can't eat much even though I am so hungry. I take a shower and wake up after 90 minutes. A friend from New Mexico had finished and was at the hotel to take a shower. 

Had some more good naps, then went back to the finish line for golden hour, lunch food, and drop bags.

Overall a great race. Either this one or Cruel Jewel is probably my best effort, overall. Time to start dreaming about the next one I guess. Hardrock lottery is in December and Pinhoti let me enter Western States lottery again. So who knows!

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Andy Chrysler

Pinhoti 100 6 OA

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