(As many of my stories do, this story comes with a back story. If you want to skip to the race report, feel free to go down to where it says "Start to Mile 31" and go from there.)
December 2018, I was given the opportunity to run at the Desert Solstice and a week prior to the race, I had gotten sick and though the recovery went well, I did not race well and my stomach wasn't feeling too happy with the water of Arizona while I was staying there. I ended the race without even getting through half of what I thought I was capable of.
January 2019, I signed up for another race in Florida, due to my failed attempt in December, but was foolish in deciding that I needed to change my eating habits and tried to go keto and race, causing great discomfort throughout the month I should have been recuperating and didn't even give myself a shot at improvement between the time, and lost a month of solid training. With that, I was behind in fitness, my stomach was sick, and the race also did not go well.
Two races where I didn't get even close to running the whole 24 hours. Two races where I had failed. The results of those races sidelined my mind and I wasn't as motivated to continue training. It was definitely a rough patch, and I needed to do something about it. So I thought of one race that would be the hardest race I would ever do, something that would require me to be out all night long for a minimum of 24 hours but way worse than a 24 hour race. I chose the Cruel Jewel 100 because it would give me that. I don't know how many people knows this, but I am rather awful when it comes to hilly courses and the only reason I compete decently in some hilly terrain is due to the speed in my legs. Whether it was going up or down, I had a hard time finding the strength to get through it, but in the flats, I've always been able to make up ground... and Cruel Jewel would not provide me that luxury. It was perfect. My weakness for 106 miles.
Training was going rather well and I managed a win at the Pistol 100k, but when I had a peak week planned, all of a sudden, I found myself unable to breathe as my lungs felt a severe pain any time I had more than half a breath within me. Somehow, I had turned my rib, and knocked myself out of training. I spent 5 days in agony as I could not breathe and I had already signed up for a 6 hour race so I went despite not having run at all prior to the race. I spent the first 2.5 hours barely breathing and my heart rate slowly climbed despite my slow pace. Fortunately, I fell down and as if planned, due to the fall, the rib jerked back into place, and my lungs felt free. I ended up winning the race, but the first half still cost me a good bit, but the week still wasn't the peak week that I had hoped and it was now time for me to taper before Cruel Jewel.
My original goal was to get under 30 hours and get as close to 24 hours as I possibly could, but with the unexpected 5 week taper, the main thing I was going for was to finish the race.
When the race started, I was over rested and nervous about the incline and decline I was about to hit. This would definitely prove to be as cruel as the course was meant to be.
The Course:
Located in Vogel State Park, in north Georgia, there is a course that is feared due to the 106 miles of mountain running, boasting 33,000 ft of elevation change both up and down. That's equivalent to climbing up and down Mt Everest and having a few bonus ascents and descents while you're traversing 106 miles. Most of the course is on trail, but there are a few spots where you will be running on the road. The majority of the race is either going up or down and an extremely few areas are flat running. With so many ascents and descents, twists and turns, it's hard to maintain any sort of speed and it is a road runner's nightmare. Perfect, since I consider myself more of a road runner type of individual. I just enjoy trails. The start is at noon on Friday and there is a 48 hour cutoff. Only one person has made it across the finish line in under 24 hours, and even he was extremely beat down by the course. Making it through the course is in itself an achievement... so most would consider any finish a glorious feat.
My Gear:
4 Pairs of Topo UltraFly 2's
1 Pair of Topo Phantom
Stoke Signal Socks
Stoke Signal Socks
KT Tape (to wrap my feet to support the arches)
Nike Combat Compression Shorts and SAAX Compression Shorts
Underarmour shorts
Underarmour compression shirt
Topo singlet, KT tape shirt
OrangeMud endurance pack x2
SWORD (the only drink I would carry in my pack)
Ben Gay (instead of warming up, I use this guy to relax my muscles)
Peanut Butter Crackers
Pickle Juice (gross but effective)
Topo Buff
iPod Shuffle (when the going gets tough)
Coros Apex (tells time and how fast I can go)
The Crew:
Jacob was one of my first cross country runners I've coached when I first began coaching at Johnson University, and now he's also doing ultras. We made a deal that I would help him in his run at D3 and he would help me in my run over at Cruel Jewel. It was his first time crewing me, and I knew there wouldn't be a problem as long as he followed the plan. Aaron Mawfo is one of my best friends from college and he has been to a few of my races. He would be there only for the first half of the day. He would be there to help with one of the hardest parts of the race, the first 20 miles and however long he could stay. With those two and the plan, I would eventually get to the finish line.
The Plan:
At first, the plan was for me to get as close as I could to 24 hours, but with the lung issue during my training, I told my crew to look at the timing plan as a way they could get to the next area ahead of me without ever worrying about missing me. Other than that, it was simple. The race would be filled with inclines and declines so I would not have to worry about speed at all unless I had the opportunity. Walk the uphills and jog the downhills. The race would come once I get to the half way point. As I had thrown the plans out the window, time was no longer important to me. If I was remotely close to my original goals, my crew would be able to tell me what I needed to do, but if it was not close, then I had no worries. The plans are only guidelines. I would carry SWORD with me at all times. I would eat 2 peanut butter crackers every two miles, and whenever I came to an aid station, I would consume coca cola and make sure I was getting properly iced down and cooled off and then get out of there. At the half way point, I would then know what place I was and begin slowly picking people off, bit by bit. I would run a little more often now, running a few slight inclines, getting me towards the goal at a faster pace. Towards the end, I was hoping to get in under 30 hours if possible, and push my luck as far as it would go, and finish strong. Little did I know that the plan would go askew after the first 25.5 miles....
Pre Race:
Staying the night over at Aaron's place, I had a 1:45 minute drive to the start line. It wouldn't be too bad as it was a noon start, so I knew I would get the sleep I needed. I went to sleep before 11, woke up at around 8, it was a good night's rest. I put on the racing outfit except for the KT tape and got ready lazily, and drove into Vogel State Park to get my stuff. Arriving around 10:45, I went to packet pickup and enjoyed seeing people and then went back to my car, got lubed up, taped up, and put on the icy hot stuff and was ready to begin. The race would begin at noon....
Start to Mile 31
Starting off, I knew that unlike the rest of the course, the first small portion would be rather easy as it would be on the road. Being okay with getting passed as the race went on, I went forward as I normally would on a flat course and found myself pushing faster than everyone else. Knowing that this wouldn't last long, I enjoyed the scenery, and kept it up til I came to the first hill where I promptly walked and was passed by so many people. As the race had yet to start for me, it was absolutely okay for them all to pass me. I needed to survive and get to the end in one piece without burning out. However, that being said, I also needed to get myself out there and back in one piece as fast as I was capable of. Game day decisions are very taxing and at any moment, like a house of cards, anything can break me. It didn't matter if I was off by a few hours from what I would have loved to hit because I was going at a pace that was comfortable to me. Even when my SWORD ran out between meeting my crew, it didn't affect me because I asked the aid station if they could get me some salt tablets and put water in my pack and ate a little more than usual. Problems are easily averted when I'm in control of reacting and being proactive to each situation.
What did matter to me was at mile 20.6 when too much SWORD was placed in my pack and the shoe change happened an aid station too early. Though it may seem like a minor detail, to me it was huge. Though the plan was to put half of a bag of SWORD in my pack, through a misunderstanding of what I needed, the plan was not executed and I ended up carrying extra weight for 4.9 miles, causing me to tire faster (more mental than physical). The whole idea of me planning ahead was so that I would only have to worry about my race. After this, now for the rest of the race, I would be worried that there would be more miscommunications again and thus, the extra physical and mental weight wore me down. At the aid station I left from, I had already consumed a good bit of coca cola and pickle juice, so I was too full to even drink more between the aid stations. I was planning on exploding at the next aid station because I had a plan and the plan was meant to be followed, but instead, I calmed myself down. I needed the crew to be supporting me and me exploding on them as I wanted to would not help that happen.
At mile 25.5 I explained thoroughly what it meant to be my crew. My sisters were thorough at following the plans and they knew what to do, and I found out how hard it could be to work with a new crew that didn't know me and my plans well. Still ticked because of the lack of apology/recognition for how a small mishap would really affect the rest of the race, I would have to forgive and move forward because at this point, anger was a waste of energy. I was still frustrated, but at least (hopefully) the plans would be followed and it would be okay. (I was shown a picture later of how much SWORD I had still left and was told that I hadn't been drinking enough... but to me, when I looked at the picture, all I saw was a pound of extra weight I was carrying throughout the section). I went out trying to recover, but the house of cards had already fallen and now it was time for me to get into survival mode. I was still angry and this was not fun. I made it to mile 31 and at that point, I was emotionally exhausted and needed rest and space from my crew, but wasn't given any. I guess I was coddled by my sisters who knew me and knew that when I needed space, to stay away and when I needed all the attention, they gave it to me. At this point, some chafing had also developed and I tried to get some bag balm on it, and it was alright, but it would only get worse. The only time I was glad my crew was nearby was when I had a sudden cramp attack and also felt nauseated and wanted to throw up. They were there for me and got me out of those two scenarios.
It was a dark place. I was not happy at this point. I felt like I was having to do two people's jobs instead of my own and the mental battle wore me down. Fortunately, from this point on, things got better. I knew deep deep down that my crew was doing their best to help me, but I so desperately missed my sisters.
Mile 31 to Mile 50.2
As I was extremely tired and needed a way to get through this horrid mess, Jacob talked to Kevin and Annie and thus I began my journey to the half way point with Annie. This portion wasn't bad at all as Annie was a wonderful individual to talk to whilst we made our way across the Georgia mountains. It was easier for me to encourage her instead of focusing on why I felt so crappy and my negativity blew away. It was a rather joyful time jogging, walking, hiking with another and I was able to eat a buttload at each aid station, powering me up, getting ready for the return trip. In the trip, I discovered that both Annie and I ran our first ultra in the same race and ran at Leadville the same year! As this was a rather nice night run we were out for, I had a wonderful time telling stories and getting some back in return. The bridge with lights was beautiful, the fireflies were out there and it was soothing. Of course, we weren't dilly dallying around and moving forward, but it was a very very enjoyable night and gave my body time to recover.
Unfortunately, there was nothing dramatic going on during this time except my excessive eating so there's really not much to tell other than this was a good time for me to get ready for the return trip, where I planned on making a great comeback. The 'turnaround' point was always just a bit further than what one would think, but knowing that it was so close made it alright and so when we saw the turnaround point, we were both glad and the crew gave us a big cheer as we meandered into the camp.
Mile 50.2 to Mile 75
After changing clothes and feeling refreshed, I calculated that if I ran well, I would be able to catch up and get top 20 in the race. At this point I was somewhere close to 100th place and it wasn't looking too good. After putting on my earphones and shoved the ipod shuffle in the pouch, I immediately took off and ran where I could and my legs felt so free. It was wonderful. I even forgot to walk up some of the ascents! But after the excitement wore down, I went smoothly to the next aid station where I took a few foods in and then proceeded to continue on my merry way. I had come in placing around 80-90th at this point and thought to myself, "wouldn't it be fun if I caught a lot of people?" and so I did. Looking back, I know I definitely went too fast, but what can I say? I enjoy the thrill of the chase. Like a hunter hunting, I had to continue on after my prey and my prey was always one runner ahead. As I went around the 5.8 mile loop, I felt like I was flying. My legs were burning a little to much, but it was totally worth it. Passing by people and flying, I felt like I was on the top of the world.
Coming back to the aid station, I had come out of that loop in the top 60 and now I went off to chase after those who went up the mountain.... but first, some vaseline... it was getting worse now. My running form was slightly off, leaning on each foot a little too much, the pain little by little intensifying... I knew it was going to be a problem later... but oh well, not now, I had people to catch! I slowly climbed up the hill and at every possible moment, I ran. Once at the top, it was easy to run the trails and pass a few people and I counted how many people would be in front of me as I went on as they would only be 5 miles ahead of me... about 20. This was fun! I kept on passing people as I made my way down on the out and back portion of the course and when I arrived at the bottom and asked what place I was, they informed me that I would be approximately 44th place. Interesting....
So the chase was on, but this time, I had to go uphill, and again, before I left... vaseline! It was really bugging me now and it became harder and harder to climb. At the rate I was going, it was looking pretty good for me as long as I didn't blow up, and I didn't feel like it would happen. I had my water refilled half way so I would make it to the next aid station where Jacob would be waiting for me, and went out. I thought I knew where I was and drank continuously so as to arrive at the aid station right when I ran out of water, but a false summit made me drink faster than what I should have and by the time I actually reached the top, I was far from the aid station and without water.... this was going to be a problem. I had around 2 miles left and no water... somehow I needed to get there without busting. I began breathing through my nose and checked my heart rate to make sure I wasn't going too fast... everything mattered. I slowly descended without catching anyone and I was feeling a little hot and my thirst now was very noticeable. The end had better be there or I would have to retire due to my own stupidity! I was feeling a little exhausted and knew it meant I was in trouble, but fortunately, I saw someone continuing on the path and caught up with him and right at that point, the aid station. Whew, I made it to mile 69.1 and still had some ways to go.
The next portion was 5.9 miles and a lot of it was on the road and so I thought I would take a break at the aid station to get my fluids in, as well as my food, but the lack of liquids had already taken its toll. Not only was that an issue, but the chafing was even worse.... (yes, you're going to hear a lot about this from this point on). I went on as best I could as the road portion is my specialty, but at this point, the sun had come up and the heat had turned on (thus the importance on hydration). I went on as best I could but managed only to barely make it to the end of the road where a nice little mountain bade me to climb its back. Normally I would decline, but this being a part of the race, I obliged myself and hobbled up. Vaseline was no longer working. Bag balm would not help. I was going to be in a lot of pain for the remainder of the trip. I climbed over the mountain and at the bottom, was met with the aid station. I was tired and didn't really make up any placement, and the plan was about to change....
Mile 75 to Finish
Coming in, I was spent. It was hot, I was tired, I made a huge mistake of letting my liquids run out before it was time, and I was paying for the consequences of running like a penguin. Though I am willing to bet a leg that my calculations were off when I thought I could run a good bit of the 56 miles, the reason it was extremely off would have to be because of my wonderful bio-mechanics. Running while trying to keep the chafing pain at a minimum required me to put extra weight onto each leg, thus tiring the quadriceps til it would eventually totally destroy themselves. Coupled with slight dehydration and that's the perfect combination for blowing up the legs, which is exactly WHAT I DID NOT WANT TO DO. You know, things happen, and as I did not pay enough attention to detail, I ended up causing my own downfall. Getting up and hobbling, the pace was over a 30 minute mile, which is appalling, but as time went on, I warmed up and waddled my way to a 24 minute mile, and even jogged but sigh.... too early. Being an overeager individual that wants nothing more than to get back to running, I ran a tad too early, resulting in another waddling walk of terror and when I came to mile 80.5, I was a beautiful mess.
I needed the next bit to clear my mind of all and recover so I could get to the end and as it was already the second day without sleep, Jacob convinced me that he would walk with me. Half of me wanted to kill him for his incessant talking, but the other half revered him as an angel bringing me to the next aid station. It truly was a love hate relationship at this point. The sun was little by little beginning to wane and I had the lights packed. This time, I was carrying the SWORD because there would be no more aid as Jacob was my only aid (which is why conscious Sho told him not to do that, but semi conscious Sho didn't care). When we reached the next aid station, it was alright, but I was beginning to hit another low. I was tired. 85.4 miles and I needed a break... and unfortunately, that's where we heard the bad news. Through a series of unfortunate events, Jacob's car was towed and so he was now stuck. I had my keys so I was safe, but the racing equipment was with him... but that wasn't my problem exactly. I was too tired for that.
With him having to deal with that and me not able to sleep, it was time for me to go. Alone. It was going to be a long waddle but I knew that I came here to finish the race and so I would finish it. With a newfound energy which lasted for about 3 minutes, I pushed forward and once again fell into a wonderful trap of exhaustion, but this time, without my headphones. They were with the other bag. Sigh. It was going to be rough, but I knew that as long as I kept going, I would make it. I passed by another runner who wasn't doing well and told him that I would tell the next aid station to be ready for him to make sure he had a place to rest and then did my calculations again to see how long it would take me to finish. There was one important thing going on where I had less time than everyone else. Most people had 48 hours to finish the race, but for me... FOR ME.... I had 42 hours. Why? Well it's quite simple. I told my church that I was going to make it to lead the worship service, do communion meditation, and children's church. I calculated and recalculated, and figured that if I push hard enough, I would be able to just make it as long as the chafing doesn't affect me too much.
Except it did.
It sucked.
A lot.
I continued on my merry way and made it to mile 90.3 with the help of a 50 mile runner named Heather and two sticks I found on the ground, I managed to push forward. We talked about life and got her back story on how she started ultras and though my watch said it was 91.3 miles, it was the aid station we were suppose to be at.... at this point, every tenth of a mile off mattered. At the station, Heather seemed to be hit by a wave of nausea and had to drop and so I lent her my phone to text her husband to pick her up, so hopefully she got helped out, and I went on my lovely way waddling like a pregnant penguin. At the aid station, someone had left their hiking poles, so the aid station guy thought I should trade in my tree branches for the poles and return them to their owners at the finish line, and I thought that that was a grand idea! My spirits were lifted, and though my energy level was back to where I would normally run, the pain was too severe and the affected area was raw. It was hopeless. I was going to have a sucky shower when I finished. At this point, the darkness had come in, which meant it was very cool and I had a wonderful time walking around the woods, having no idea where the trails were. All I knew was we were going up, then down, then up, then down, then up, then down. Miles passed by like a turtle drinking vodka and at that point, my feet started hurting. Being on your feet for a good portion of two days does really get to you, and in that forest, it really got to me.
Into the darkness I continued to walk, but this time, I had no idea where the aid station is. My mind was going crazy because of the lack of sleep, and every ten minutes or so, I would almost fall off the trail. I was tired but looked at my watch in hopes that it would read a higher mileage... no use. I actually had to work to get there. When I could, I jogged a weird waddle jog but it seemed to make no difference. The aid station was at mile 97.6 but my watch read 98.6 and I didn't see any lights.... this was a big problem. A few 50 milers asked if their mileage was right and I assured them that the miles were right but the aid was nowhere. I asked if they could whoop if they see the aid station as they went ahead and they were very much obliged to do so, and I heard a loud hoot after about ten minutes and I whooped back.... but they yelled back saying it wasn't them but an owl... such a depressing thing to hear. Normally I'd be excited but not this time. The owl continued to hoot so if they did holler or whatever, I didn't really hear it. All I know is that when my watch read 99.?? I suddenly came across an aid station with a fire. I came in there, had them fill up my water bag and took off my shoes and sat near the fire while massaging my feet. It was too tiring.
Not even 30 minutes later, Annie and her pacer came and it was a pleasant surprise. They urged me to come with them but I politely declined, deciding that I would rest my feet before I undertook the last 4 hours of hiking. I continued stalling until I left and when I did, a good number of people also left with me. They seemed to be hiking very well, but as for me, I was shaking my butt because my hips don't lie. It hurt. All I had to do was go up the mountain, then down to the water aid station (4.7 miles away) and then go up again and then down to the road and it would be a straight shot to the finish (3.7 miles) for a grand total of 8.4 miles... I didn't know if I could do it. I just kept it up as best I could. Going up, we had two false summits and then finally when we were going down, I was super glad for the poles I had received. By then, shaking my hips and putting extra weight on each quad had taken its toll and both my quads were rather dead. Going down to the water aid station took way too long and my sanity was wearing down with each step. I always said that I would rather be slow cooked to death than being fried alive, but in this case.... I'll choose the frying pan.
From the water aid station, there was only one more climb to the top and then it was down to the road where it was a straight shot to the finish line. The climb however, was extremely deceiving. We all knew that after a long straight climb, the path would veer to the right and then it would be the top of the hill, but I had no idea how many times it seemed to veer to the right. The first time, I wasn't caught unaware of the situation and so it was good that I continued onward as if nothing had happened, but after the 3rd time, I was sure each time it veered right, it was the final one. My watch had already stopped measuring the distance due to low batteries (around 39:45:00) so I only had the time to calculate how much longer we would have to do. By then, I had mastered the waddling, but it was still hard climbing up when I didn't know where the top was. Eventually, I caved and let someone else lead so I could take a mental breather. After the 7th? time I reached the top, we had finally made it. Only one thing that stood between me and the finish line. The downhill. I knew I had the roads but the downhill... oh my goodness it was going to suck. The chafing was still the biggest issue and I needed to get to the end ASAP so I could shower and GET TO CHURCH!
The downhill was very similar to the uphill. It would go down, and then we'd have to go over a fallen tree, then it would mean we were close to the end.... but 4 times? Really? Does that really need to happen? Apparently Cruel Jewel is extremely cruel. At some point in the downhill, Jacob came galloping in, with his annoyingly jovial self and told me that he got his car back so I didn't have to worry about figuring out how to get him home... but all was well. He distracted me so well that before I realized it, we were at the bottom. I was tired, and I wanted to get out, so I did what I would naturally do in such circumstances. Ignore the chafing and run. It was going to hurt anyway. Might as well give it a reason! So off we went. A ten minute mile quickly went into 9, and then maybe we hit 8. Who knows. It felt like a 7 but it didn't matter. I passed a few people as I went in and saw the wonderful finish line and so I continued on and finished strong. Hey. At least I looked pretty good going out and coming in right? It was a long day and I was so glad that I got to stop.
Acknowledgements
Thank you Jacob and Aaron for dealing with the Bratty Prince. I like my way and it's hard to deal with a person that expects people to do exactly as he asks of them. It was a tough day and Jacob pulled through, only sleeping bits here and there, supporting me as best he can. Thanks to every single aid station worker because it was because of them that I was able to get out and continue from each aid station to the next. It must be tough to deal with so many needy people! Thanks to the RD fam. As always, you all are awesome. Especially thanks for the breakfast you had at the finish line. Glorious food indeed. Thanks to Annie for having a wonderful walk/hike/run with me. Congratulations on your finish and it was a pleasure sharing the trails with you. To all my new friends I've made on the trails, good job with what you've done, it was nice meeting you all. Thank you to Topo (for the shoes as they didn't give me any issues at all), KT tape for the KT tape and blister prevention tape (only 2 blisters on where I didn't put the tape on), Stoke Signal for the socks (kept me mostly poison ivy free!), Orange Mud (the pack was awesome and kept me properly hydrated and kept all my stuff close to me), SWORD (the drink is the best thing ever!), Coros (the watch was epic. Lasted almost 40 hours! Dang!). Special thanks to Adam for some great pics!!
PS
I managed to drive back to church and have a late band practice, breezed through church without sleeping, shopped at Kroger, ate a snack, and went to sleep right away... It was a long day. Awake from Friday all the way until Saturday afternoon. I'm glad I was able to get through this race... and weirdly enough, I kinda want to get back there and challenge it one more time.
After all this, it's time I had a little break, and so I will take one. After a week or two where I get to enjoy myself, I'll jump back into training again. This time, I'll be even more prepared. Mentally, I've grown through this race and now am ready for my next goal. My next big race is the US 24 Hour Championships. I plan on going there and winning it. I have less than 4 months to get ready. It's going to be fun, and I'm ready to step up there. Thanks for reading!
-Sho
Coros Apex (tells time and how fast I can go)
The Crew:
Jacob was one of my first cross country runners I've coached when I first began coaching at Johnson University, and now he's also doing ultras. We made a deal that I would help him in his run at D3 and he would help me in my run over at Cruel Jewel. It was his first time crewing me, and I knew there wouldn't be a problem as long as he followed the plan. Aaron Mawfo is one of my best friends from college and he has been to a few of my races. He would be there only for the first half of the day. He would be there to help with one of the hardest parts of the race, the first 20 miles and however long he could stay. With those two and the plan, I would eventually get to the finish line.
The Plan:
At first, the plan was for me to get as close as I could to 24 hours, but with the lung issue during my training, I told my crew to look at the timing plan as a way they could get to the next area ahead of me without ever worrying about missing me. Other than that, it was simple. The race would be filled with inclines and declines so I would not have to worry about speed at all unless I had the opportunity. Walk the uphills and jog the downhills. The race would come once I get to the half way point. As I had thrown the plans out the window, time was no longer important to me. If I was remotely close to my original goals, my crew would be able to tell me what I needed to do, but if it was not close, then I had no worries. The plans are only guidelines. I would carry SWORD with me at all times. I would eat 2 peanut butter crackers every two miles, and whenever I came to an aid station, I would consume coca cola and make sure I was getting properly iced down and cooled off and then get out of there. At the half way point, I would then know what place I was and begin slowly picking people off, bit by bit. I would run a little more often now, running a few slight inclines, getting me towards the goal at a faster pace. Towards the end, I was hoping to get in under 30 hours if possible, and push my luck as far as it would go, and finish strong. Little did I know that the plan would go askew after the first 25.5 miles....
Pre Race:
Staying the night over at Aaron's place, I had a 1:45 minute drive to the start line. It wouldn't be too bad as it was a noon start, so I knew I would get the sleep I needed. I went to sleep before 11, woke up at around 8, it was a good night's rest. I put on the racing outfit except for the KT tape and got ready lazily, and drove into Vogel State Park to get my stuff. Arriving around 10:45, I went to packet pickup and enjoyed seeing people and then went back to my car, got lubed up, taped up, and put on the icy hot stuff and was ready to begin. The race would begin at noon....
Start to Mile 31Starting off, I knew that unlike the rest of the course, the first small portion would be rather easy as it would be on the road. Being okay with getting passed as the race went on, I went forward as I normally would on a flat course and found myself pushing faster than everyone else. Knowing that this wouldn't last long, I enjoyed the scenery, and kept it up til I came to the first hill where I promptly walked and was passed by so many people. As the race had yet to start for me, it was absolutely okay for them all to pass me. I needed to survive and get to the end in one piece without burning out. However, that being said, I also needed to get myself out there and back in one piece as fast as I was capable of. Game day decisions are very taxing and at any moment, like a house of cards, anything can break me. It didn't matter if I was off by a few hours from what I would have loved to hit because I was going at a pace that was comfortable to me. Even when my SWORD ran out between meeting my crew, it didn't affect me because I asked the aid station if they could get me some salt tablets and put water in my pack and ate a little more than usual. Problems are easily averted when I'm in control of reacting and being proactive to each situation.
At mile 25.5 I explained thoroughly what it meant to be my crew. My sisters were thorough at following the plans and they knew what to do, and I found out how hard it could be to work with a new crew that didn't know me and my plans well. Still ticked because of the lack of apology/recognition for how a small mishap would really affect the rest of the race, I would have to forgive and move forward because at this point, anger was a waste of energy. I was still frustrated, but at least (hopefully) the plans would be followed and it would be okay. (I was shown a picture later of how much SWORD I had still left and was told that I hadn't been drinking enough... but to me, when I looked at the picture, all I saw was a pound of extra weight I was carrying throughout the section). I went out trying to recover, but the house of cards had already fallen and now it was time for me to get into survival mode. I was still angry and this was not fun. I made it to mile 31 and at that point, I was emotionally exhausted and needed rest and space from my crew, but wasn't given any. I guess I was coddled by my sisters who knew me and knew that when I needed space, to stay away and when I needed all the attention, they gave it to me. At this point, some chafing had also developed and I tried to get some bag balm on it, and it was alright, but it would only get worse. The only time I was glad my crew was nearby was when I had a sudden cramp attack and also felt nauseated and wanted to throw up. They were there for me and got me out of those two scenarios.
It was a dark place. I was not happy at this point. I felt like I was having to do two people's jobs instead of my own and the mental battle wore me down. Fortunately, from this point on, things got better. I knew deep deep down that my crew was doing their best to help me, but I so desperately missed my sisters.
Mile 31 to Mile 50.2As I was extremely tired and needed a way to get through this horrid mess, Jacob talked to Kevin and Annie and thus I began my journey to the half way point with Annie. This portion wasn't bad at all as Annie was a wonderful individual to talk to whilst we made our way across the Georgia mountains. It was easier for me to encourage her instead of focusing on why I felt so crappy and my negativity blew away. It was a rather joyful time jogging, walking, hiking with another and I was able to eat a buttload at each aid station, powering me up, getting ready for the return trip. In the trip, I discovered that both Annie and I ran our first ultra in the same race and ran at Leadville the same year! As this was a rather nice night run we were out for, I had a wonderful time telling stories and getting some back in return. The bridge with lights was beautiful, the fireflies were out there and it was soothing. Of course, we weren't dilly dallying around and moving forward, but it was a very very enjoyable night and gave my body time to recover.
Unfortunately, there was nothing dramatic going on during this time except my excessive eating so there's really not much to tell other than this was a good time for me to get ready for the return trip, where I planned on making a great comeback. The 'turnaround' point was always just a bit further than what one would think, but knowing that it was so close made it alright and so when we saw the turnaround point, we were both glad and the crew gave us a big cheer as we meandered into the camp.
Mile 50.2 to Mile 75
After changing clothes and feeling refreshed, I calculated that if I ran well, I would be able to catch up and get top 20 in the race. At this point I was somewhere close to 100th place and it wasn't looking too good. After putting on my earphones and shoved the ipod shuffle in the pouch, I immediately took off and ran where I could and my legs felt so free. It was wonderful. I even forgot to walk up some of the ascents! But after the excitement wore down, I went smoothly to the next aid station where I took a few foods in and then proceeded to continue on my merry way. I had come in placing around 80-90th at this point and thought to myself, "wouldn't it be fun if I caught a lot of people?" and so I did. Looking back, I know I definitely went too fast, but what can I say? I enjoy the thrill of the chase. Like a hunter hunting, I had to continue on after my prey and my prey was always one runner ahead. As I went around the 5.8 mile loop, I felt like I was flying. My legs were burning a little to much, but it was totally worth it. Passing by people and flying, I felt like I was on the top of the world.
Coming back to the aid station, I had come out of that loop in the top 60 and now I went off to chase after those who went up the mountain.... but first, some vaseline... it was getting worse now. My running form was slightly off, leaning on each foot a little too much, the pain little by little intensifying... I knew it was going to be a problem later... but oh well, not now, I had people to catch! I slowly climbed up the hill and at every possible moment, I ran. Once at the top, it was easy to run the trails and pass a few people and I counted how many people would be in front of me as I went on as they would only be 5 miles ahead of me... about 20. This was fun! I kept on passing people as I made my way down on the out and back portion of the course and when I arrived at the bottom and asked what place I was, they informed me that I would be approximately 44th place. Interesting....
So the chase was on, but this time, I had to go uphill, and again, before I left... vaseline! It was really bugging me now and it became harder and harder to climb. At the rate I was going, it was looking pretty good for me as long as I didn't blow up, and I didn't feel like it would happen. I had my water refilled half way so I would make it to the next aid station where Jacob would be waiting for me, and went out. I thought I knew where I was and drank continuously so as to arrive at the aid station right when I ran out of water, but a false summit made me drink faster than what I should have and by the time I actually reached the top, I was far from the aid station and without water.... this was going to be a problem. I had around 2 miles left and no water... somehow I needed to get there without busting. I began breathing through my nose and checked my heart rate to make sure I wasn't going too fast... everything mattered. I slowly descended without catching anyone and I was feeling a little hot and my thirst now was very noticeable. The end had better be there or I would have to retire due to my own stupidity! I was feeling a little exhausted and knew it meant I was in trouble, but fortunately, I saw someone continuing on the path and caught up with him and right at that point, the aid station. Whew, I made it to mile 69.1 and still had some ways to go.
The next portion was 5.9 miles and a lot of it was on the road and so I thought I would take a break at the aid station to get my fluids in, as well as my food, but the lack of liquids had already taken its toll. Not only was that an issue, but the chafing was even worse.... (yes, you're going to hear a lot about this from this point on). I went on as best I could as the road portion is my specialty, but at this point, the sun had come up and the heat had turned on (thus the importance on hydration). I went on as best I could but managed only to barely make it to the end of the road where a nice little mountain bade me to climb its back. Normally I would decline, but this being a part of the race, I obliged myself and hobbled up. Vaseline was no longer working. Bag balm would not help. I was going to be in a lot of pain for the remainder of the trip. I climbed over the mountain and at the bottom, was met with the aid station. I was tired and didn't really make up any placement, and the plan was about to change....
Mile 75 to FinishComing in, I was spent. It was hot, I was tired, I made a huge mistake of letting my liquids run out before it was time, and I was paying for the consequences of running like a penguin. Though I am willing to bet a leg that my calculations were off when I thought I could run a good bit of the 56 miles, the reason it was extremely off would have to be because of my wonderful bio-mechanics. Running while trying to keep the chafing pain at a minimum required me to put extra weight onto each leg, thus tiring the quadriceps til it would eventually totally destroy themselves. Coupled with slight dehydration and that's the perfect combination for blowing up the legs, which is exactly WHAT I DID NOT WANT TO DO. You know, things happen, and as I did not pay enough attention to detail, I ended up causing my own downfall. Getting up and hobbling, the pace was over a 30 minute mile, which is appalling, but as time went on, I warmed up and waddled my way to a 24 minute mile, and even jogged but sigh.... too early. Being an overeager individual that wants nothing more than to get back to running, I ran a tad too early, resulting in another waddling walk of terror and when I came to mile 80.5, I was a beautiful mess.
I needed the next bit to clear my mind of all and recover so I could get to the end and as it was already the second day without sleep, Jacob convinced me that he would walk with me. Half of me wanted to kill him for his incessant talking, but the other half revered him as an angel bringing me to the next aid station. It truly was a love hate relationship at this point. The sun was little by little beginning to wane and I had the lights packed. This time, I was carrying the SWORD because there would be no more aid as Jacob was my only aid (which is why conscious Sho told him not to do that, but semi conscious Sho didn't care). When we reached the next aid station, it was alright, but I was beginning to hit another low. I was tired. 85.4 miles and I needed a break... and unfortunately, that's where we heard the bad news. Through a series of unfortunate events, Jacob's car was towed and so he was now stuck. I had my keys so I was safe, but the racing equipment was with him... but that wasn't my problem exactly. I was too tired for that.
With him having to deal with that and me not able to sleep, it was time for me to go. Alone. It was going to be a long waddle but I knew that I came here to finish the race and so I would finish it. With a newfound energy which lasted for about 3 minutes, I pushed forward and once again fell into a wonderful trap of exhaustion, but this time, without my headphones. They were with the other bag. Sigh. It was going to be rough, but I knew that as long as I kept going, I would make it. I passed by another runner who wasn't doing well and told him that I would tell the next aid station to be ready for him to make sure he had a place to rest and then did my calculations again to see how long it would take me to finish. There was one important thing going on where I had less time than everyone else. Most people had 48 hours to finish the race, but for me... FOR ME.... I had 42 hours. Why? Well it's quite simple. I told my church that I was going to make it to lead the worship service, do communion meditation, and children's church. I calculated and recalculated, and figured that if I push hard enough, I would be able to just make it as long as the chafing doesn't affect me too much.
Except it did.
It sucked.
A lot.
I continued on my merry way and made it to mile 90.3 with the help of a 50 mile runner named Heather and two sticks I found on the ground, I managed to push forward. We talked about life and got her back story on how she started ultras and though my watch said it was 91.3 miles, it was the aid station we were suppose to be at.... at this point, every tenth of a mile off mattered. At the station, Heather seemed to be hit by a wave of nausea and had to drop and so I lent her my phone to text her husband to pick her up, so hopefully she got helped out, and I went on my lovely way waddling like a pregnant penguin. At the aid station, someone had left their hiking poles, so the aid station guy thought I should trade in my tree branches for the poles and return them to their owners at the finish line, and I thought that that was a grand idea! My spirits were lifted, and though my energy level was back to where I would normally run, the pain was too severe and the affected area was raw. It was hopeless. I was going to have a sucky shower when I finished. At this point, the darkness had come in, which meant it was very cool and I had a wonderful time walking around the woods, having no idea where the trails were. All I knew was we were going up, then down, then up, then down, then up, then down. Miles passed by like a turtle drinking vodka and at that point, my feet started hurting. Being on your feet for a good portion of two days does really get to you, and in that forest, it really got to me.
Into the darkness I continued to walk, but this time, I had no idea where the aid station is. My mind was going crazy because of the lack of sleep, and every ten minutes or so, I would almost fall off the trail. I was tired but looked at my watch in hopes that it would read a higher mileage... no use. I actually had to work to get there. When I could, I jogged a weird waddle jog but it seemed to make no difference. The aid station was at mile 97.6 but my watch read 98.6 and I didn't see any lights.... this was a big problem. A few 50 milers asked if their mileage was right and I assured them that the miles were right but the aid was nowhere. I asked if they could whoop if they see the aid station as they went ahead and they were very much obliged to do so, and I heard a loud hoot after about ten minutes and I whooped back.... but they yelled back saying it wasn't them but an owl... such a depressing thing to hear. Normally I'd be excited but not this time. The owl continued to hoot so if they did holler or whatever, I didn't really hear it. All I know is that when my watch read 99.?? I suddenly came across an aid station with a fire. I came in there, had them fill up my water bag and took off my shoes and sat near the fire while massaging my feet. It was too tiring.
Not even 30 minutes later, Annie and her pacer came and it was a pleasant surprise. They urged me to come with them but I politely declined, deciding that I would rest my feet before I undertook the last 4 hours of hiking. I continued stalling until I left and when I did, a good number of people also left with me. They seemed to be hiking very well, but as for me, I was shaking my butt because my hips don't lie. It hurt. All I had to do was go up the mountain, then down to the water aid station (4.7 miles away) and then go up again and then down to the road and it would be a straight shot to the finish (3.7 miles) for a grand total of 8.4 miles... I didn't know if I could do it. I just kept it up as best I could. Going up, we had two false summits and then finally when we were going down, I was super glad for the poles I had received. By then, shaking my hips and putting extra weight on each quad had taken its toll and both my quads were rather dead. Going down to the water aid station took way too long and my sanity was wearing down with each step. I always said that I would rather be slow cooked to death than being fried alive, but in this case.... I'll choose the frying pan.
From the water aid station, there was only one more climb to the top and then it was down to the road where it was a straight shot to the finish line. The climb however, was extremely deceiving. We all knew that after a long straight climb, the path would veer to the right and then it would be the top of the hill, but I had no idea how many times it seemed to veer to the right. The first time, I wasn't caught unaware of the situation and so it was good that I continued onward as if nothing had happened, but after the 3rd time, I was sure each time it veered right, it was the final one. My watch had already stopped measuring the distance due to low batteries (around 39:45:00) so I only had the time to calculate how much longer we would have to do. By then, I had mastered the waddling, but it was still hard climbing up when I didn't know where the top was. Eventually, I caved and let someone else lead so I could take a mental breather. After the 7th? time I reached the top, we had finally made it. Only one thing that stood between me and the finish line. The downhill. I knew I had the roads but the downhill... oh my goodness it was going to suck. The chafing was still the biggest issue and I needed to get to the end ASAP so I could shower and GET TO CHURCH!
The downhill was very similar to the uphill. It would go down, and then we'd have to go over a fallen tree, then it would mean we were close to the end.... but 4 times? Really? Does that really need to happen? Apparently Cruel Jewel is extremely cruel. At some point in the downhill, Jacob came galloping in, with his annoyingly jovial self and told me that he got his car back so I didn't have to worry about figuring out how to get him home... but all was well. He distracted me so well that before I realized it, we were at the bottom. I was tired, and I wanted to get out, so I did what I would naturally do in such circumstances. Ignore the chafing and run. It was going to hurt anyway. Might as well give it a reason! So off we went. A ten minute mile quickly went into 9, and then maybe we hit 8. Who knows. It felt like a 7 but it didn't matter. I passed a few people as I went in and saw the wonderful finish line and so I continued on and finished strong. Hey. At least I looked pretty good going out and coming in right? It was a long day and I was so glad that I got to stop.Acknowledgements
Thank you Jacob and Aaron for dealing with the Bratty Prince. I like my way and it's hard to deal with a person that expects people to do exactly as he asks of them. It was a tough day and Jacob pulled through, only sleeping bits here and there, supporting me as best he can. Thanks to every single aid station worker because it was because of them that I was able to get out and continue from each aid station to the next. It must be tough to deal with so many needy people! Thanks to the RD fam. As always, you all are awesome. Especially thanks for the breakfast you had at the finish line. Glorious food indeed. Thanks to Annie for having a wonderful walk/hike/run with me. Congratulations on your finish and it was a pleasure sharing the trails with you. To all my new friends I've made on the trails, good job with what you've done, it was nice meeting you all. Thank you to Topo (for the shoes as they didn't give me any issues at all), KT tape for the KT tape and blister prevention tape (only 2 blisters on where I didn't put the tape on), Stoke Signal for the socks (kept me mostly poison ivy free!), Orange Mud (the pack was awesome and kept me properly hydrated and kept all my stuff close to me), SWORD (the drink is the best thing ever!), Coros (the watch was epic. Lasted almost 40 hours! Dang!). Special thanks to Adam for some great pics!!
PS
I managed to drive back to church and have a late band practice, breezed through church without sleeping, shopped at Kroger, ate a snack, and went to sleep right away... It was a long day. Awake from Friday all the way until Saturday afternoon. I'm glad I was able to get through this race... and weirdly enough, I kinda want to get back there and challenge it one more time.
After all this, it's time I had a little break, and so I will take one. After a week or two where I get to enjoy myself, I'll jump back into training again. This time, I'll be even more prepared. Mentally, I've grown through this race and now am ready for my next goal. My next big race is the US 24 Hour Championships. I plan on going there and winning it. I have less than 4 months to get ready. It's going to be fun, and I'm ready to step up there. Thanks for reading!
-Sho
