Quest For The Crest 50K- 23,000ft of Elevation Change; What I learned from this race

This past Sunday, I ran the Quest For The Crest 50K in Burnsville NC. Burnsville is right beside Mt. Mitchell. Mt Mitchell is the tallest mountain on the east coast at 6,683ft (2,037m). While my friends from the Western United States laugh at the elevation of Mt. Mitchell, the difficulty comes from how technical the trails are with boulders, rocks and roots from hell. The steepness of the ascents and descents make the course almost un-joggable. Notice I used the word joggable instead of running. Many of the ascents and descents rise and fall with 20% or more being the norm.

Martin at mile 28

Video Link of the Course- Check It Out


Before I start complaining about how technical and hard the race was, the biggest draw was the views from the top of the mountains.

Quest for the Crest 50K Website Link- Check It Out

The race is advertised as the hardest 50K in the US. Speed Goat 50K has slightly less elevation change and run-able trails according to 2 runners I spoke with during the race. When you are hiking up hill, you have to time to talk between breaths of air. In fairness, Speed Goat 50K is at a higher elevation which means less oxygen to work with than Quest for Crest 50K. Quest for the Crest 50K punishes the runner by making you scramble and climb up big rocks all day where you are not able to run. When going downhill, I called it rock jumping as you are falling down the decline hoping to catch the next rock.

This is what the easier downhills looked like

T-Shirt Logo

You Tube Video Link of the Course by Kelly Cooper

I entered this race based on its description as the hardest 50K. 3 years ago I started running longer distances in order to see how I matched up mentally against tough events. I am a runner first who likes trails. The most successful racers at this race where trail people first who liked running if the trail allowed it. They looked like they were hovering over the rocks swiftly going uphill and downhill and could have cared less about their race time.

Course Map- Click to Enlarge

My "A" race for the fall is the Uwharrie Mtn. 100 Mile Endurance Race. Uwharrie is considered a technical course. After running the Quest course and using it as a comparison, Uwharrie looks a lot easier. I knew this race was going to be a stretch for me and a great core strength test. My main consideration after 3 miles was to finish the race and not leave injured. Because the race is a part of the Sky Runner Series, you had to carry a whistle, poncho and emergency blanket. All 3 of the safety items easily fitted between both my bottles with my Orange Mud HydraQuiver Vest Pack 2. It is a great way to carry 2 big bottles on your shoulders without any bouncing instead of a hydration vest which has cooked my back in previous races.

Orange Mud Hydra Quiver 2 Vest

The course is extremely remote so it was necessary to carry at least 44 oz of water. The aid stations at the top of the race had only enough water to fill up 1 bottle. Some racers brought a filtering system to fill up from the creeks we crossed all day. The volunteers did a great job of keeping us going. Some of the aid stations took the volunteers over 2 hours hiking so we could have drinkable water during the race.

Trail Pic

The trails without rocks and boulders were overgrown so being able to lift your knees while jogging gave you an advantage. I fell 4 times through the race and consider myself lucky. I wore compression sleeves for the first time on my shins for protection from brush and rocks.

Trail Pic

As I normally do in races, I focused on my heart rate to help me not over exert myself and bonk. My normal aerobic zone is 135 to 145 bpm where I am comfortable talking and breathing. The first 3 miles had an approx a 23% grade of climbing with the aid of my hands. I used my hands the entire race to help me with the climbing. I looked at my heart rate and it was at 159 bpm and I was doing a 22 minute mile. For perspective, I ran Umstead 100 miles (16 hours and 37 minutes) at an average of 141 bpm. I felt like I was hardly moving and my heart rate was beating hard like I was running a 10K on the road. My average heart rate for the 32 miles was 158 and the Quest For the Crest 50K race took me 10 hours and 1 minute to finish. I regularly run 50K's on an easy course in under 4 hours and my heart rate stays around 145.

Trail Pic

Trail Pic

There were 4 aid stations over 32 miles and as usual I spent less than 30 seconds in each one as I filled my bottle and kept moving. I carried all the food / fuel I needed. I am proud of my effort on the up hill sections as I was able to move through other runners. When it came to down hill and rock jumping, I was passed by what seemed like the whole field. Young runners would just fly down the "trails" bouncing off rocks and jumping over roots with descents at least 15%. 2 foot step downs were the norm and I just was not able to gain much speed going downhill. The little voice in my head kept reminding me that I have a family to support and didn't need to run downhill with reckless abandon.

Trail Pic

Trail Pic

My training was not enough to be successful at this race by my standards. 

Here is my normal training schedule: Swimming at least 90 minutes on Monday & Friday to help my body recover, Running 7 miles or more on Tuesday through Thursday, 3 to 4 hour run on Saturday and 2 hours on Sunday. I also ride my bike 7 miles to the Y each day. At lunch Monday through Thursday, I go to the gym and spend at least 30 minutes on the stair master with my 20lb weight vest. I also do a 30 minute squats, lunges, dead-lifts, & plank routine 2 times a week. Based on the soreness I am feeling 2 days after this event, my training was not even close to being enough. 

Trail Pic

The winner was a young man (early 20's) who finished in 5:59 minutes to beat the professionals in the field. He told me this was his first Ultra race. He ran straight down hill (approx. 25% decline) for the last 4 miles in under 28 minutes to break 6 hours and get the extra $300 bonus. He lives with his parents and likes to run in the woods. I love his carefree attitude about running with friends when there is a local event.

Trail Pic

Overall I am happy with my effort and time. I got to see parts of the NC Mountains I have never seen and the race gave me a new enhanced perspective of what is considered hard. All my gear worked flawlessly. My nutrition and pacing allowed me to finish strong. The last 1/2 mile is flat and I ran that portion at a 7 minute pace because I was so happy to be finishing and finally able to run.

Gear I used

• Skechers Ultra Shoes 2 Link
• Orange Mud HQ Vest Pack 2- Click this link to save 10% of all Orange Mud products
• Xtend Endurance- fuel for my water bottle
• Injinji Performance Socks

My next race is Dust to Dawn 50 Miler Link- Check It Out. Night race around Ft Bragg (Pinehurst NC) on the roads. I am looking forward to seeing how much time I can take off my time from last year when I won the race in 8 hours and 1 minute while stopping to be sick 3 times during the race. 

As Mom always told me when I was young, "you will not set many records but you will keep em watching."

Rattler Trail Marathon: Running on Rocks and Roots

I went to the Rattler Trail Marathon (May 9th) at San-Lee Park in Sanford NC with little to no expectations. I had a flair up with my arthritic hip on Tuesday before the race. The only thing I did fitness wise was swim 36 laps (1 mile) on Friday. I was well rested but had no idea how the hip would hold up during the race. My only thought going in was to take little steps so I would not extend my stride and stretch something which would cause more downtime. 

The race was put on by Dan Paige who is also the race director for Uwharrie 100 (link) in October. Dan is an accomplished ultra runner so he knows how to put on excellent events with all the details handled. The race offered 3 distances- 10K, Half and Marathon. Everyone started at the same time. 

Dan and Amanda Paige

The course comprised 3 loops around the lake at the park.  The bike trails are single track, twisty and constantly turning with all the rocks, roots and boulders you could ever want to run over by choice. There were not any significant climbs but you were constantly going up and down all day. The race was free with donations going towards rebuilding some of the park that burned in the past. Beautiful facility. Well worth the drive to enjoy the park. Two minutes off the highway 421 By Pass.

I saw many of my friends from the Southern Pines Ultra Club (Link) and Mangum Track Club (Link). The race started and we were off at a fast pace. As always, I wanted to watch my heart rate as a guide for not going out too fast. My aerobic threshold is 135 to 145. At the Umstead 100 miler, my heart rate averaged 141. Based on the short distance of a marathon, I wanted to keep my heart rate between 155 to 160 which is pushing the limits. The temperatures got up to 86 degrees which made the race more challenging to keep the body cool and keep the heart rate down. I run mostly in the morning so I am not used to running in the heat. Three miles in and my heart rate was 166 to 170 so I knew I was going too hard and needed to slow down. I was able to pass most of the slower runners and got my heart rate down to 162. I never was able to get below 160 the whole day. I decided to stop worrying about heart rate and focused on not letting it creep up any higher than 170 on the climbs. I figured if I bonked from going out too hard then I would learn more about my limits. 

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into impossible" Arthur Clarke

I brought my own food and drink to carry during the race. I am a big believer in taking the thinking out of the equation and being self sufficient. I don't want to face any decisions in the race other than to keep going hard. The marathon race was 3 loops so I brought 3 bottles of water/fuel mix, a gel bottle and a couple of Clif Bars to munch on. During the race I ran up to my cooler, grabbed a bottle and I was back at it. Most other racers were waiting for their bottles to be filled up. It is time this 49 year old could not afford to give up compared to the youngsters I was racing. 

The course was super technical. I had to watch every step and I still managed to trip and fall 6 times. One time when I fell I landed in the creek beside the path. The cool water felt good. I felt like I was trail dancing as very few steps were normal. Because of having to take smaller steps to dodge obstacles, my hip held up well. I tend to push hard when I am racing and often don't pay attention so I was leading the marathon at mile 9 until I got off course for 1.5 miles and then I was in 3rd place at mile twelve. I kept thinking to be patient and run my race. As long as I did my best that day, I would be more than happy with whatever place I ended up. At the end of the second loop I passed the leader as he waited to get more water in his bottle and food. I took off and he got within 5 minutes of me at mile 18. I finished strong and was able to finish in first place by 25 minutes. The heart rate is the only thing I watched and if I respected it I would have some energy at the end of the race. I also want to give a shout out to Cherie McCafferty from the Mangum Track Club for winning the marathon for the ladies.

I highly recommend the race for trail lovers. 

Quest for the Crest 50K Link

My next race is "Quest for the Crest 50K" in Burnsville NC. It is billed as the hardest 50K in the US because of the 11,200 ft of climbing and 11,700 ft of loss in 50K. There is 22,900 ft of elevation change. As a manner of comparison- Speed Goat 50K out west is thought to be one of the hardest 50K's and it only has 11,000 ft of vertical gain and loss. I have been getting on the Stair Master for 45 minutes at lunch with my weighted vest in addition to running around 65 miles and swimming during the week. This race is going to be a climb fest for me. Racers are coming from around the country to run this event. I will be thrilled if I finish in the top half of the racers. 

Gear used:

Orange Mud Link

Xtend Link

Skechers Link

"Limits like fears, are often just an illusion" Michael Jordan

Grandfather Mountain Marathon

 

 

 

I came into the Grandfather Mtn Marathon (GFMM) with low expectations as I had not recovered fully from the 50 Mile Dust To Dawn 2 weeks before. I also was having an over-use niggle (injury pain) in my right shin. Whenever I over-train I develop niggles which is my body’s way of staying I need to stop and rest. I did not run the week before in hopes I could finish the marathon. I put on shin sleeves in hopes it would help keep down the pain during the race. I also wore my cushion shoe, which is the Ultra by Skechers.

Stu Stepp and I went to the race Saturday morning. Stu had never run the 4^th hardest marathon in the US so he was looking at it as a hard training run.

 

The GFMM is usually the second week of July and is the only marathon or longer race during the month of July. If offers a great way to see some of the prettiest part of the state and get a heck of a hill workout at the same time. My experience shows you should add 15 to 20 minutes of time to your normal marathon time to get an idea of where you will finish at GFMM on a perfect day. If it is over 80 degrees with humidity, it can be a long day. The finish is one of the best as you enter the stadium where the Highland Games are being held and run around the track. It is neat to hear 3000 Scotts cheering for you as you finish.

 

My strategy for GFMM is simple. On the flat to downhill portions of the race, you have to take advantage of opportunity. The 5 big hills are going to eat up time and you cannot walk them if you want to have a good race. The first 3 miles are net downhill so it is more important than in most races to start strong. I drank a cup of Scivation Psycho Supplement which gave me a mental and energy boost at the start of the race.

 

Scivation Psycho- Pre Run Drink

I wrote where the 5 bigs hills are on my arm so I knew throughout the race what was coming. I started off with my friend Jake and Alisha from Boone. Jake has already won 2 marathon or longer races this year and Alisha is a professional tri-athlete. I expected to run with them if I was able to have a good race. Jake at mile 1 disappears into the porta-potties and says he will catch up. They finish the race 3 minutes behind me together. Alisha ends up 2nd women overall. I toll her if she had not waited on Jake she would have won. The shin started hollering around mile 8 and I mentally focused on a song to focus on something else. Whatever I focus on will only grow stronger. I started passing runners at mile 13 as the hills were taking to take casualties. My goal was to keep my heart rate on 155bpm knowing that it would rise on the hills. I intentionally never look at my heart rate as I am running or finishing a hill as I use to use it as an excuse to ease up. I knew from my breathing that I gave it my best on the hills which my heart rate peaking at 177bpm. I had one runner past me during the race at mile 18 as if I was standing still. He finished in 6th place. I used Scivation Xtend EnduranceSupplement in my handheld for my fuel instead of using gels. I used a small 12oz handheld that I filled up twice. Xtend Endurance contains the electrolytes and carbohydrates for fuel during the race. I finished strong and was happy with my 9th place finish. 350 runners started the race. Last year I finished 13th place.This year,  I was lucky to win my age group. My time was 3:27 and last year my time was 3:14. I ran a much better race this year and surprised at the end with the total time. This year was much hotter and more humid. Last year 31 runners ran faster than 3:30 and this year only 13. It would good to connect with runners I see at GFMM each year including Bobby Aswell, Phyllis Tsang, Baki Oguz &  Caleb Masland with Bonk Proof Running who won the race. He is a professional runner from Boone. Great coach too.

 

Stu finished in 3:45 which is an excellent first attempt at GFMM.
Next year one of his goals will be to not walk any of the hills which has to do with pacing.



Black Mountain Monster 24 Hour Race and 103 Miles

 

The Black Mountain Monster is an annual trail running event held in May at Montreat College in Black Mountain NC. It is a family-oriented gathering where you run as much or as little for the time duration you choose- 6, 12 or 24 hours. The race starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and stops at 10 a.m. Sunday, which is great because it allows you to drive in and setup camp the day of the race. If your plans are to run the full 24 hours, it is nice to have 4 hours of sunlight to finish the race the next day.

 

Anne and I drove up to Black Mountain Friday evening and ate at a local pizza place called Fresh. They cook their pizzas in a brick oven and offer gluten free dishes at a reasonable price. We stayed at a friend’s cabin in Old Fort, which is just down the road from Black Mountain.

 

Pre 24 Hour Race

Saturday came early and I began my preparation by taping each toe and bottom area of my feet. I spent close to 45 minutes getting them ready for the battle ahead. In the past, blisters have made my long races even more difficult. My friend Kathi Russo let me borrow a book called “Fixing Your Feet.” The book goes into detail as to how to how to prepare and care for your feet during ultra races. I followed the directions for taping, lubricating, and wearing the right socks based on where the problem areas are on my feet. This was the first long race where I walked away without a blister or black toenail. As a reference, I ended up losing 3 toenails after the Boston Marathon last month. My problem areas are with my toes so I brought 2 new pairs of Injinji (5 toe) socks to the race. I wore the Skechers Ultra model. It has a wide toe box and plenty of cushioning even for a 100 miles. The Ultra model has an aggressive tread pattern and not once did I slip and slide on varied terrain on the course. I wore a pair of gaiters over the tops of my shoes to keep the dirt, rocks, and sticks out of my shoe. Not once did I have to take off my shoes to remove any foreign objects.

Fixing Your Feet on Amazon

 

When we arrived at the race / camp site- Caleb, Stu and Shane had already setup the canopy over our own aid station where we had two 8ft tables on which to set our food and fuel supplies. It is important to have everything at waist level during the race as bending down to pick up something off the ground is too painful to consider. Being this was my first 24-hour race, I brought more than I could ever consume but wanted to err on the safe side. The weather at the start was cool with a slight breeze. The weather could not have been better. The slight drizzle that started at 5am Sunday morning did not have an effect on anyone’s performance.

Caleb Steedley, Martin, Stu Stepp & Shane Vanhoose

The atmosphere was relaxed as families are setting up camp while the kids were playing in the creeks. One racer brought his dog to accompany him for 6 hours. Everyone is cheering each other on and helping in any way. At road races, the competition is with the other runners and how you place compared to them. At Ultra races (unless you are an elite runner), you are only competing with yourself and how far can you go before you stop.

 

I had some goals for the race in order of importance: A: Be moving at 24 hours, B: Not sit down other than to change clothes, C: Run 100 miles & D: Place in the top 3 for distance. I also wanted to find out how many hours I could run before I started walking up the hills.

The only goal I thought was even possible was to be moving (walking) at 24 hours. The other goals were just plain crazy thinking since I had never run longer than 9 hours (54 miles), only 10% of my running is on trails, and had not run more than 6 hours in the dark in training for the race.

 

The 3.1 mile trail consisted of a ton of turns, 4 good sized hills, many roots that tried to grab my feet as the race progressed and ½ mile section of greenway payment that featured a severe downhill. The trail was well marked with arrows on the ground and each root was painted white to help you focus and not fall because of them. Each time you completed the loop; you ran by your own aid station to refuel, showed your bib number to the scorer, and took off again. The race aid station featured fruits, drinks, broth, pizza, and every other food group you could imagine. There was a mini aid station at the halfway point deep in the woods. I made it a point to ask the scorer not to tell me how many miles I had run or number of loops. My goal was to be moving at the end and not quit. I did not want the number of miles I had already run to play into whether or not I continued when I entered the “pain cave.”

 

 

My only chance for running 24 hours was to not go out too fast and burn out early. I made a commitment to anyone that would listen that I would not allow my heart rate to get over 130 beats per minute for the first 12 hours. My normal aerobic heart rate is 140 to 150 beats per minute. If I fueled correctly, use salt tabs and ate as much solid food as possible, I thought I would have a 50% chance of lasting until the end.

 

 

The start was relaxed as the race director thanked everyone for coming and the sponsors. He started the race by saying, “OK go” and everyone started with a slow jog. The first 6 hours, I was always near somebody as the 6, 12 and 24 hour runners started together. I ran 2 loops with Stu and Caleb and noticed my heart rate was climbing on the hills above 140 so I backed off and let them go knowing I had a long night ahead of me. Each time I passed a runner, we would speak and talk about what they wanted to accomplish. Every person had their own reason as to why they would come out and walk/run for 6 hours of more. Many of the participants did not have the lean bodies of runners but somehow found a way to keep moving. I really believe mental strength has more to do with finishing Ultras and then physical ability. Watching 70-year-old men & women completing 65+ miles in 24 hours inspired me. One of my favorite sayings I saw on the back of a running team’s (Runners from Hell) shirts was “Suck it up buttercup.” Ultra runners are not good crowds to complain to if you want sympathy. I visited with some of my Dailymile buddies- Chas W & Sean B.

Xtend Endurance Link on Amazon

 

Before the start, I had mixed up my drinks and got my food ready so I could come by our aid station and pick up what I needed and keep moving. Shane did a great job of refilling my bottles and keeping them on ice for me during the race. Each time I came through, I would grab an ice-cold bandana and tie it around my neck to lower my temperature. One of the time killers I wanted to avoid was spending too much time at the aid station. I was generally in and out within a minute so I was able to stay in a mental zone. One of the many things I observed about myself is how quiet I was as the day continued. I would still give everyone a thumb-up and a smile each time I passed someone. I felt like I had a job to do and needed to put all my energy into completing it. When others would pace me for a lap, I would thank them but not engage in much more talking. I had so many thoughts going through my head and having a hard time concentrating, the best I could do was to keep moving forward. I wore my Garmin watch and only looked at the heart rate and settled into 130 hr zone for the first 11 hours. At 9pm, I took off the watch and ran by feel the rest of the way. I continued to run until 1am when I walked my first hill. I found out that I can run 15 hours without stopping if I fuel correctly and did not let my heart rate surge. I ran without a shirt all afternoon and into the night. At 1am, I put on a short sleeve shirt as the temperatures were in the mid 40’s.

Around 2am, all but a few runners were sleeping. I did not see another runner until 5:30am. My stomach started to give me trouble at 3am so I started eating ginger chews. The ginger helped to settle my stomach and I was able to get my momentum back. Everyone I had spoken with who had completed a 100-mile race told me there would be a bad period during the race and it would be only temporary. I had intentionally not put on any music so I could have that to look forward to when the run got harder. At 4am, I was wiped out but still moving while walking the up and down hills. The down hills are so much tougher for me since I had to break my fall so I did not tumble over. I really slowed down to a 15-16 minute mile pace at this point. The only drink I could keep down was flat coke.

When I completed another loop at 5am, the scorer looked at me and asked what my goal was and I told him a 100. He looked at my miles and said at your current pace, you are not going to make it to 100. He replied, “You will end up at 97 miles.” I would have to average a 12-minute mile pace for the next 4 hours to have a chance. I hung my head and thought about all the people who were texting, calling and praying for me. It would have sucked to tell them I ended up 3 miles short of my goal. Three lousy miles over 24 hours.

Some inner voice spoke to me and said, “I am not going down without a fight.” I have tried so hard to teach my Sons (Sam & Tellor) to push past the pain and always finish strong. Now was the time to put my words into action. I walked back to my aid station, put on my Boston Marathon shirt I had never worn and put on my earphones. I took off. I ran every part of the course including hills to get me back on track. I started just clicking off the loops again and the scorer would smile as I kept coming around every 36 minutes. Shane ran with me at 6am for 3 loops and motivated me to push hard which helped me believe I would hit 100-mile mark. The sun coming up gave me a jolt of energy. I also filled up with hand held bottle with hot broth and Xtend Endurance to refuel each other lap. I started passing others who were walking on the course. Everyone was cheering and giving me high fives as I came through each time.

Just Completed 100 Miles- More Miles to Run



When I hit 100 miles at a little after 9am, the scorer asked me if I was going to quit. He said I was in 2^nd place. I told him my first and main goal was to be moving on the course at the end of 24 hours so I kept going even though my pace had slowed down. The race had marshals throughout the course so you could get credit for partial laps and miles. I had to run the last half mile in 5 minutes to get to the next mile marker, which gave me a total of 103 miles. The winner ran 108 miles. I got a nice medal and a gift certificate for 2^nd place. Stu Stepp came in second in the 12-hour race and ran 56 miles. Caleb Steedley ran 66 miles and his wife Carla ran 40 miles to give them a team total of 106 miles. Shane Vanhoose put in 40 miles running and keeping us going at the aid station. Gina Lyerly paced us with 19 miles.

After 24 Hours
Caleb & Carla Steedley, Martin & Shane Vanhoose

Things I learned:

·         My ability to concentrate and focus diminished as the race went on. I would get to the aid station and forget what I needed to pack for the next loop. I would be back on the trail and remember I forgot my fuel, etc. The top elite runners have crews who know what to hand them each hour, which takes the thinking away from the runner. My down period came from not remembering to eat and drink previously.

·         I can accomplish more that I can believe when I focus on small goals. My only thought each loop was finishing the one I was running. I never thought about being running outside for 24 hours, total miles, or the amount of effort it would take to run 100 miles. Bite size chunks is all I can mentally handle and be effective.

·         My mental attitude had more to do with me finishing the race than my fitness level. If I am positive and trying to make the best of a tough situation, it goes by faster and is less painful. There was not a moment during the 24 hours where I took the time to complain or think about stopping. My job was to do my best and be glad in it. One trick I used during the race was to smile at each person I encountered and thank every volunteer. The smiling trick worked because when they smiled back I got a boost of energy that kept me going.

·         100 miles is not that far on a loop course. If I had fuel properly at the end, I could have either gotten in another 2 laps or gone longer than 24 hours. This race did not have the altitude and sustained climbing like some of the big boy 100-mile ultra races. This race did give me the confidence to sign up for the Uwharrie 100 miler in October.

·         I need to run more trails than I am currently doing to get ready for the next trail race. Running pace on trails are much slower as the soft ground absorbs all your energy. The terrain is never level so my hips and thighs are reminding me of my little trail training during recovery. Trails are much more fun as the view is always changing and you have to pay attention so you do not trip. The soft ground is also so much easier on your body.

·         When your body is telling you that nothing tastes good, it’s time to get in some calories (fuel). You have go against your intuition (rest, etc) in ultra races.

 

Gear I Used:

·         Skechers Ultra

·         Xtend Endurance Drink Mix

·         Injinji Socks

·         Vespa Gel

·         Salt Stick with Caffeine Tablets

·         Dirty Girl Ankle Gaiters