Race Report: H9 (Heat, Humidity & Hills) 25-Miler – Part One

This is a long one but this was the longest race I’ve run in my life and a huge milestone in my running “career.”  I’m breaking this into two parts and it is still very long.  Settle in folks…

I recently completed a marathon training plan that I started in April.  I’ve got 4 20-milers under my belt.  I’m acclimated to hot weather running after slogging through all 4 20-milers from June to August.  I’m a new-ish trail runner (February) but I’ve managed to get a trail half and several shorter trail races under my belt.  I’ve made it a point to do more of my long runs on trails and Kennesaw Mountain has become my friend.  I’ve been climbing it at lunch and recently did a long 10 mile run out there last weekend.

I thought I was ready.  I felt prepared.  I wasn’t really nervous.  I guessed it would take about  6 hours and I felt that I could handle that.  The H9 turned out to be more than I could have imagined.  Had I known how this race would turn out, I would have never signed up because of doubts that I could finish it.

I got lucky with the weather.  Atlanta has been unseasonably cool the past week with highs in the mid-80′s.  This is nowhere near my preferred temperature for running but compared to mid-90′s it was a good thing.  Even though I run at 5AM in the morning during, it is typically in the mid-70s with 97% humidity.  Saturday was clear and cool with temps in the seventies and very little humidity.  The race was held in the North Georgia mountains and it was fully shaded so it felt great.  I was able to cross the Heat & Humidity challenges out as factors in the difficulty of the race.  Thank God for that because the hills were enough of a challenge.

I arrived at Vogel State Park in Blairsville and met up with the small group of runners.  There were maybe 30 people running the race.  I would say the majority were running the 25 mile course but there were maybe 7 hard-core runners doing the 50 mile course.  Everyone seemed so casual about the whole thing and suddenly I was shaking in my Montrail Masochists.  I guess when you run 100 milers, the prospect of 25 miles or even 50 miles seems like nothing.  I felt like such a newbie!  My first (and only) marathon was done in 2008 which seemed like ages ago.  Plus, that was a road race and if you’ve dabbled in the world of trail running you know they can be like night and day.

I had no choice but to put my nerves aside and focus on monumentus task ahead.  We had a short meeting about the course and race details.  I can’t say I came away enlightened and secure in my ability to not get lost.  I don’t think anyone did.  Part of the course was on the Coosa Backcountry Loop which is well-established.  But we were going to branch off into the DRT (Duncan Ridge Trail) which is miles and miles of trails that aren’t so well-travelled or maintained.  I was eager to do this race though because my first ultramarathon will be the Duncan Ridge Trail 50K.  What better way to get a taste of the trail system?

I managed to commit to memory the general trail markings of the larger course (green for one section, lime green tags for this race and blue for another trail).  Trails are typically marked with “blazes” of a particular color on trees.  A particular race usually marks the course “decision points” with tape flags of a particular color.  Following the blazes doesn’t promise a short route to civilization – just a small measure of security that to indicate that you are actually on an identifiable course and not wandering lost in the woods somewhere.

I really started to feel not ready for this whole thing but I made my last minute preparations.  I had prepared a drop bag with extra socks, sunscreen, extra fuel, SCaps and Nuun tabs and dropped that off with a volunteer.  I sprayed on a maximum strength bug/tick spray and applied a coating of sunscreen to my face (really liking the Scape Face Stick).  My coach directed me to take an S-Cap (electrolytes) and a gel 15-20 minutes before the race start and I complied.  I had eaten a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and two eggs with cheddar 3 hours earlier for breakfast.  My stomach was settled and my energy level was high.

We started at exactly 9AM with little fanfare on a main road that quickly diverted into the woods and the Coosa trail.  My coach (and good sense) told me to start very slow, slower than I thought I could possibly go.  I was to save my energy for the last 20% of the race.  I listened to his advice.  I noticed that was what other people did too.  We immediately encountered runnable hills and no one ran them.  They walked the hills and ran when it was flat which wasn’t often.  I followed along with the crowd of front runners but probably should have slowed down even further.  In the midst of a bunch of rolling hills, we hit a good stretch of runnable single-track and I ran along slowly.

One of the things I always hear about is how welcoming the ultra community is and I got a real taste of racing camaraderie during this race.  I settled into the middle of the pack.  There was a group of people way behind me that I never saw again.  There was also a group of people still in front of me but still in sight because I didn’t want to get lost.  I began chatting with the woman behind me (after verifying that she didn’t need to pass me) and we talked and ran along for a long time.  She was something of a newbie like me in that she had not yet run an ultramarathon.  However, she was an experienced hiker and had recently come off an 80 mile hike through some of these trails.  It’s kind of funny to talk to someone for thirty minutes and not see their face, but it was fascinating to hear about her journey.  An hour passed quickly and I had yet to turn on my Ipod.

Since my unseen running buddy had experienced some of these trails before, she was able to forewarn the group that it was about to get tough for a long time.  The rolling hills and runnable single-track gave way to multiple straight climbing sections.  It was like climb, climb recover a bit, climb, climb, climb and on and on.  My heart was beating out of my chest and I knew I had to slow down.  The hiker girl who was previously behind me was in front of me now.  There was one guy behind me who was “holding back” because he was doing the 50-miler, but I waved him on to pass me too.  I was now at the back of the pack alone.  There were other races there but they were about 5 minutes back according to the 50-miler who passed me.

I was struggling and I was 5 miles into the race!  My hamstrings were on fire and my calves were burning.  I just wanted to stand on level ground. I started to have serious doubts right there and then.  Not about this particular race, but about the 50K in November.  If I’m dying 5 miles in how am I going to do a harder race in November?  Maybe I am not cut out for this?  I was teetering to the dark side way too early and that left me dismayed.  I didn’t hit this point mentally until Mile 16 of my road marathon.

The good thing about hills and venturing to the dark side is that both things eventually pass.  I caught back up to a smaller band of the larger group (and my hiker friend) and a few of the 50-milers who had broken off from the speedy pack.  We attacked another crazy climb together in spurts.  My good spirits returned after we got on fairly level ground again.  I also knew an aide station was coming up at Mile 8.8 and that was comforting.  We were about 2:30 hours in at this point.  I mentally extended that six hour finish (that I dreamed up out of thin air) to seven hours and was fine with that.

We hit the aide station and it was an oasis in the middle of nowhere.  God bless race volunteers!  There was a buffet of foods (chips, gummy bears, PB&J sandwich quarters, Coke, Mountain Dew) and our drop bags.  I had been steadily fueling the whole race as advised by my coach.  Instead of slamming a GU at a preset time like I tended to do in the past, I took in food every 5 minutes or so.  I had finished a pack of Honey Stinger chews and another gel since the beginning of the race.  I drank whenever I was thirsty.  I still felt good physically even though it had been a rough 2:30 hours.  I ate some gummies, a PB&J and a few chips at the aide station.  I had a small cup of Gatorade and a few sips of Coke.   I should have let them refill my hydration pack but for some reason I did not.  Fear of running out of water later on caused me unnecessary stress.

While I was at this aide station, one of the runners who I hadn’t seen in a long time ran back and warned us that there was a rattlesnake on the trail about 2 minutes up the road.  Huh? Who?  What?  Freaking out is an understatement.  I tipped away from the aide station on high alert.  I don’t do snakes.  I know I’m out in their territory and all but still…  I turned my music off so I could hear everything.  I jumped at every tiny sound.  Of course, the trail had the nerve to be very narrow and overgrown at this point so it was hard to see and the snake would have been VERY close to me if he was out there.  I was scared to run fast because I didn’t want to step on anything and you know…get killed.  So I fast-strolled and white-knuckled it for 5 minutes until I felt sure that I had missed snakey.  Other racers spotted him and snapped pictures…

Photo Courtesy of M. Curcio

While on the hunt for Mr. Snake, I noted the overgrown trail.  This started to be typical of the next 3 miles or so.  I couldn’t believe that some of the areas I was running through was even considered a trail.  There were bushes and plants everywhere!  I gave up trying to kick and push them aside and just surrendered to rubbing calves, thighs and sometimes shoulders with the vegetation.  Some thorny branches literally ate my shoe and I had to stop and disentangle myself my their grasp.  My Ipod got caught on something and I had to go back and retrieve it.  I got all scratched up because of some spiky plants in the mix.  I prayed that none of this stuff was poison ivy or oak because it just couldn’t be avoided.  I took the picture below after emerging from the area pictured between the two trees?  Does that look like a trail to you?  It was miles of this type of terrain.

Does this look like a trail to you?

After I emerged from the bush, I had the “pleasure” of tackling another climb.  I felt like crying.  Really, this was getting ridiculous!  This climb was such that I would just hike from tree to tree, stop to catch my breath and then get started again.  I would feel like I was making progress and then realize I had so much further to go – like I was on this neverending staircase.  I had no choice but to keep going so that’s what I did.  Hills do end and I was rewarded with a downhill section.  The problem was the descent was very steep and narrow.  I like downhill running but this scary.  I did not even attempt to run it.  I walked and tried not to fall down.

After the steep descent, I escaped the woods and spilled out onto a fire road.  There were several official course markings here and it looked like I could go two different ways.  I was scratching my head in confusion as to what to do and an angel ran out of the woods.  The “angel” turned out to be another guy who my coach is coaching.  It was good to meet him and he was right on time.  He was running the 50 mile course but we were all following the same directions at that point.  I was very glad to see him and get some confirmation about which way to go.

The terrain turned flat but with a fairly steep drop-off on the side.  I learned that it is best not to look down because I got dizzy when I saw the drop-off.  I was grateful to finally be running again though.  Hiking up hills and slogging through bushes gets really old.  I continuously walked fast and ran when I felt it safe to do so but there was a lot of walking.  I wanted to run and my body needed the change in motion pattern.

I finally got the chance after the course split and what happens?  I had my first real fall!  The ground wasn’t really technical and I was paying attention to where I was going but I tripped over something and could not catch myself.  I fell soooo hard!  I felt the shock go through my legs.  The “angel” in front of me heard the commotion and turned around to assist me.  What are the odds that I spend all these hours running mostly alone and the minute I take a spectacular fall someone is there to witness it?

I brushed myself off and surveyed the damaged.  My left knee was bleeding and my right knee felt wobbly.  I quickly started walking it out to see if anything was permanently damaged.  I was shaken up but otherwise OK.  After 5 minutes or so, I was up and running again with a smile on my face.  Falls happen and you have to shake that stuff off and keep it moving unless you are really hurt.  What choice do you really have if you are in the middle of nowhere and have no idea when/if the next person might come along?

It had been an eventful three miles since the last aide station (snakes, overgrown trails and clumsy falls).  I was happy to pull into the next stop and re-group.  My hiking running buddy was apparently not too far behind me because she pulled in shortly after me.  I slammed more Gatorade & Coke and ate another PB&J and got my water pack refilled.  It was virtually empty at that point.  I went looking for my Nuun tabs and could not find them.  I had put them along with other pills (Advil & SCaps) in a baggie and it had disappeared.  My hiker friend saved me by sharing a couple of Nuun-like tabs that she had.  I was so grateful!  I was also nervous for the future without electrolytes.  The aid stations were reasonable distances apart but I didn’t like not being prepared.

The volunteer couple at the aid station asked if we had seem “E” on the course because she was “missing.”  At every aid stop, they checked out numbers just to make sure no one was too far off course.  “E” had gone from second place woman to MIA.  This was troublesome to me and drove home just how easily you can get lost out there on the trails.  From the volunteer’s description, I remembered the girl and I had heard her say she had not done a lot of trail races.  Another newbie like me lost in the woods!

Amazingly enough, “E” came flying out of the woods while we were at the aide station.  She was understandably shaken up at having been off course for so long.  It seems she had missed a turn at an aid station that was unmanned when she happened to breeze through.  I remember this station because another guy got turned around there too but the volunteer just happened to catch him.  I felt bad for her because you could tell she went through some things out there alone.

I eventually took off from the aide station with the hiker girl and “E.”  We were instructed to head up a long gravel fire road to continue on course.  “E” was clearly a strong runner and she disappeared within a few minutes.  I walked with the hiker girl because we both stated that we really didn’t feel like running LOL.  This road was one long incline and made entirely of gravel which is really annoying to run on (hurts your feet).  We came to a split in the road and stopped to decided what to do when “E” came running back down the road towards us.  She was unsure of her path and had turned around to back track.  She was scared and having been lost before in serious doubt of her navigation skills.  Why am I spending so much time on “E”?  Because we would share a scary moment in another hour.

Tune in tomorrow!  I told you this was crazy long! Read Part Two