I had set a goal for myself: finish a 50 mile trail race in my 50th year. At 12:40 am on Sunday, May 21st, 16 hours and 40 minutes after I started, I accomplished my goal.
I've seen the Cruel Jewel described as "the hardest 50 in the east". At 56 miles, with 17,969' of elevation gain (and the same amount of drop), that point is hard to argue. 130 people started and only 76 finished. Despite midday temps near 90 and a massive thunderstorm that broke just as night fell, I managed to finish 23rd overall and 2nd in the Men 50-59 age group.
I arrived at Vogel State Park at 5:30 am on Saturday and boarded the bus that would shuttle us west to the start at Camp Morganton in Blue Ridge, GA. As we were approaching the camp we passed several of the 100 mile runners. Their race had started Friday at noon and these folks were just hitting their halfway turnaround. A very humbling site and we all whooped and cheered for them. We had about an hour before the start so I had plenty of time for a long walk, short jog and some limbering before we were gathered to the start, given the minimalist safety instructions and then we were on our way through the warm, humid morning.
I had attempted on previous 50 miler, the Fontandango 50 in March, 2016. I went out too fast and decided to drop at 30, something I've long since regretted. In preparation for the Cruel Jewel, I ran a trail marathon in March and a trail 50K in April, running both at a very conservative, near 50 mile pace. These were both exercises in mental and emotional discipline. I wanted to pin on a number, line up in a group, and be ok with letting everyone go and just moving as comfortably as I could. I did finish the marathon strong, running the 4th fastest split of the day over the last five miles. I figured this race would take at least 12 hours to run which meant finishing at night. I did several late evening training runs that meant starting tired, and running through the transition of day into night. I felt very prepared going into this race.
My plan was to start very conservatively, meet my crew at mile 30 (my crew was FANTASTIC) and see how I was feeling. If I felt well, I'd push more and see if I could improve my position. I think the strategy worked. At the first aid station I was in 81st place. At mile 30, I'd moved up to 47th, and finished 23rd. My head, gut, and attitude stayed strong all day and into the night. I encountered many other runners really struggling on the long climbs; hollow eyed, soul searching and some just sitting on the trail. At mile 30, Wilscot Gap, I met my crew who had a chair ready and all my gear laid out. I changed into my Altra Torins, which gave a really nice lifting feel to my legs, and left feeling full of running. (The Torins however are a road shoe which was totally fine on the dry trail. However, a couple of hours later, the trail was a muddy torrent complete with scurrying salamanders.)
This was the first event I ran without using gels. Over the last several weeks of training, I'd transitioned toward more of a fat adapted regimen, drinking plain water and using RX bars every 2 hours rather than gels every 30 minutes. My energy stayed great all day with no spikes/falls and no GI issues. This fueling switch worked extremely well for me.
The day was not without its share of challenges. Around 1:00pm I came to the four mile stretch that runs along gravel fire road and paved state road. The midday temps rose and the thick trail canopy was gone. As night began to fall, I was in the longest gap between aid stations, the 7.6 miles between Fish Gap and White Oak Stomp. The sky got very dark, the wind picked up strongly and soon torrential rains were blowing sideways as the skies would occasionally light up with lightening. Luckily the temps didn't plunge as I did not bring any kind of jacket with me. Soaked to the bone, headlamp illuminating the new creek that had recently been the trail, I pushed on. I saw two headlamps in front of me and over the next few minutes I noticed they were not getting any closer but they didn't seem to be farther away either. I decided those folks were moving as well as I was (I don't think anyone passed me after mile 10 or so) so I decided to push hard for a short time and catch up. I'm glad I did. We formed a three man train that ground over one of the hardest sections of the course through dark, rainy, foggy, muddy trail. The aid station crew at Stomp were ready (ALL OF THE AID STATION CREWS WERE AMAZING) with hot broth and grilled cheese sandwiches. We got out of the rain for a few minutes, tanked up, topped off, made sure the station crews had our numbers (looked longingly at the warm camp fire for about a second) then plunged back into the darkness, making for Wolf Creek, the 10th aid station (which is just an unmanned water drop). The 2000' descent into Wolf Creek, the trail turned into a mud slick, was challenging.
One of the runners and I stayed together to the finish. Steven P. from Asheville. Super nice guy. We crossed the finish line together, having had more rain fall on us as we approached Vogel. My crew was at the finish line waiting for me and the finish was everything I imagined it would be. I let out a loud, "FIFTY AT FIFTY, YEAAAAAH" celebration scream.
This event is super well organized by dumassevents (Dahlonega Ultra Marathon ASSociation). The course is well marked, the aid stations well stocked and plentiful. Beginning at Camp Morganton and ending at Vogel State Park allows for ample parking and access to facilities. I will definitely run more of this group's races. I'm looking at the Bull Mtn 100K in October!
I committed to this race like I had no race before. In January, I totally gave up alcohol. Over the next several months I stopped eating wheat, corn, and most grains as well as caffeine. Likewise, I almost totally cut out processed sugar and most nightshades. What did all this do? I feel absolutely certain that it improved my sleep, reduced inflammation, improved my gut, improved my recovery, and just helped me feel better overall. Another factor that helped me have a great race was my local terrain. The 3000' climbs up to the Black Mountain Crest trail and the super gnarly sections of the AT near where I live were the perfect preparation for the Cruel Jewel's Dragon Spine. During my hard training runs I would say out lout to myself, "Rush, this is what it is. Steep hills and tired legs. This is what it is and you are finding a way through it." During the race itself, I talked to myself about being grateful, running full of love, how happy I am to be alive. Keeping a positive attitude, focused primarily on gratitude, definitely contributed to having a fantastic experience. And my crew. My crew were just super supportive, flexible, and kept me wrapped in love. Also, Aaron Saft of FootRx Asheville, gave me the day-glo yellow "Foot Rx Trail & Ultra Team" shirt. I love that shop and I wanted to represent them well.
Submitted by Rush 5/23/2017 1495574328
17 miles on the BHT today. Ran into snow about an hour into the climb. Deep drifts, lots of slush, runoff, and mud.
Submitted by Rush 4/9/2017 1491703702
A couple of pics from the Northern Trails Marathon. The first is from the first couple of miles. The second is just before the finish line.
Submitted by Rush 3/24/2017 1490365345
My goal for this year, my 50th year, is to complete a 50 mile event. I've chosen Georgia's Cruel Jewel (May 20th), called the hardest 50 in the east, for my 2nd attempt at the distance.
I made an attempt at 50 miles in March, 2016 at the Fontandango 50, a ten mile loop course. I dropped after 30 having gone out way too fast and ended up with a mild case of Ketosis. I learned much in that race, mostly that I could have recovered and continued without dropping.
My plan for this spring is this: trail marathon in March, trail 50K in April, Cruel Jewel in May. Last Sunday I crossed the first item off the list, completing the Northern Trails marathon in 4:42. That's not particularly fast, but I approached the race as a training run for the Jewel; fully loaded pack, very easy pace focused on starting very relaxed and letting other runners go. My plan was to stay at an 11:00 minute per mile pace until I hit the last aid station, mile 21, and then push the last 5 miles. The plan worked perfectly. While I finished 11/22 for the event, I ran the 4th fastest time of the day over that last 5 miles. The push stretched out my recovery a few days longer, but psychologically, the effort was well worth it. Full results here.
My body is feeling solid as I start focussing on the Hungry Mother 50K set for April 22nd.
Submitted by Rush 3/20/2017 1490016808
she will be hurricanes
she will be whitewater
she will be slow dark rivers searching for the sea
she will be clear cold mountain streams falling over ancient stones
Submitted by Rush 3/9/2017 1489029195
First time running the Table Rock Ultras 50K and, hopefully, it won't be the last. I came into this race with a bad bout of tendinitis in my hip which also had triggered my IT band. I had cut my mileage way back starting about 3 weeks prior to the race and really just hoped to be able to finish.
The race starts in the Steele Creek Campground along NC 181, meanders through a HUGE pasture / meadow before entering the treeline. I was glad the leaves were still on the trees as the day got HOT (92 degrees when I left around 2:30 pm) and the shade was plentiful. The route is a mixture of grassy road grade, graveled forest service road, and some super gnarly single track with six or so shin-deep stream crossings. The aid stations were well placed for me, carrying a single water bottle and only once, in the 5.4 mile stretch between aid stations #5 to #6 did I empty my water bottle (but only for the last 10 minutes before hitting #6). The stations were well stocked with AMAZING volunteers, ice water buckets with big sponges, and even some TailWind drink mix. Speaking of TailWind, this is the first race I've done in which I drank TailWind the entire distance and I have to say, on a hot and humid day, my energy levels stayed great and I never got dehydrated. Good stuff!
The highlight of the route is the steep 2.4 mile climb up to the the race's namesake, Table Rock. The views were STAGGERING but the top was swarming with flies. A couple of quick pics and I was headed back down. I feel like the large amount of vertical training I do on the A.T. and in the Black Mountains really helped today as I was able to run and power hike my way to the top without totally redlining. I saw several runners lying beside (or right in the middle of) the trail with their legs up or just sitting exhausted. I was really more worried about the long downhill's impact on my IT band, but it held together as I practiced my day's mantra - Don't press, don't stress. I paused several times to stretch a little bit. I did quite a bit of 80/20 (run 80 steps, walk 20) on the long ascents and even some of the descents to rest my aching hip. Coming out of the tree line and into the completely exposed meadow in the hottest part of the day was a challenge, but that last leg is only a mile or so. I was happy to cross the line running strong. No cramps, no falls (though I did slip in the creek once). MAN it felt good to sit in the stream after the race!
Psychologically, I approached this race differently, knowing that my hip/IT band were going to be a limiting factor. Rather than focusing on an overall time or an overall pace, I just focused on running aid station to aid station, telling myself, "All I'm doing right now is a 5.4 mile run to aid station #3. That's all I'm doing." I got to where I could predict, to within a couple of minutes, when I would arrive at the next aid station and that was psychologically rewarding. In addition, I ran the last 10 miles or more in solitude, and following a tip I heard on the Ultrarunner Podcast I gave myself verbal reinforcement, saying things like, "Rush, you're doing great. You're not pressing, your not stressing. You're relaxed, you're managing your hydration and nutrition really well. Your head's clear, your hip feels good, knee feels good, you're doing a great job!" This may sound silly (or even a little crazy) but I definitely believe it helped keep me in a good place throughout the entire race.
In short, a super well organized race with plentiful camping if you want/need to come down the day before with a fun and challenging course that offers 360 degree views from the top of Table Rock. They do start a 30K version about 30 minutes after the 50K went out and I got passed by a couple of the gazelles, but it was no big deal. Check it out!
Submitted by Rush 9/27/2016 1475010704
The weekend before the Table Rock Ultras 50K, I went out for 10 miles on the A.T. heading north from Chestoa at the Nolichucky River crossing.
Submitted by Rush 9/27/2016 1475009559
A short video from the high point of the Buncombe Horse Trail taken Saturday, August 20, 2016. About a 14 mile run up/down.
Submitted by Rush 8/29/2016 1472476422
Some short videos from runs this summer.
Submitted by Rush 8/28/2016 1472401095
This week I passed a milestone; 10,000 miles in my running log. The log dates back to 2006, the year I turned 40 and decided to run my local, fall, 5K.
Submitted by Rush 8/11/2016 1470924223
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