Saturday I ran my first 50k (31.06 miles). Any race longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles is considered an "Ultramarathon". These races usually are 50k, 50 miles, 100k, or 100 miles in distance, and most take place off road on trails.
The Mountain Mist 50k takes place at the Monte Sano state park in Huntsville and is one of Alabama's most popular and difficult trail runs. Katie and I woke up at 4:00 Saturday morning and began our voyage to Huntsville. Rain was coming down in buckets and I thought of my normal Saturday running group getting pelted. Turns out that they had a great 22 mile run despite the harsh conditions. Way to go guys!
We arrived at the lodge at the Monte Sano state park about an hour before race time. Luckily the rain had moved on. I checked in and spent the next hour nervously milling around the lodge with 300 hardcore looking folks. The race director gave us our instructions and alerted us to watch out for ice on the course : /. The gun went off at 8:00 and we were off, quickly reaching the trail. We ran single file through woods and beautiful open spaces for the first 9 miles. Everyone was very friendly and chatty and we moved along at a comfortable pace. As a rookie, I asked the veteran trail runners what to expect for the rest of the day. They prepared me for the worst, which was ahead.
At mile 17 I was beginning to get tired and the terrain was becoming much more challenging. Rocks, roots, and extreme hills were relentless for the final 14 miles. Two of the climbs were almost vertical, each lasting over a mile. We also had to navigate a 100 yard, 90 degree rock climb up the side of a waterfall. At this point, mile 23, my legs were screaming at me.
Finally, after 6 hours and 41 minutes, I exhaustedly crossed the finished line.
Mountain Mist was a fantastic experience and definitely the most difficult challenged I've completed. The race was well run, the course was challenging and beautiful, the volunteers were great, and the other participants were the most talented I've been around at any event. I look forward to improving as a trail runner and continuing to pursue ultra events. Maybe I'll even sign up for a 100 miler some day.
Special thanks to Katie for hanging out in the cold for almost 7 hours, waiting for me to emerge from the wilderness : )
JG
1 comment:
John,
Congratulations again for accomplishing this. Because the picture of that trail really is the pefect back drop for a Jason movie.
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