straight from the gut

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
APRIL 2008
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE GEORGIA
ULTRARUNNING AND TRAILRUNNING SOCIETY
Greetings From the President
Are you as glad as I am
that it is warm again?
It’s almost time to put up
the winter tights and
break out all the shorts
and tank tops for good.
Maybe even order some
new gear with the GUTS
logo. It’s also time to get
in some serious training
and run a few fun races.
This year there are more
than a dozen trail races
of various distances
within an easy drive. The
Granite Grinder on April
19th in Conyers is a new
trail half-marathon that is
offering GUTS members
a $10 entry discount.
The Sweetwater ½ and
50K races are back, under the direction of the
DCRR, and should again
provide a tough course
and an exciting river
crossing (for the
50kers). And of course
there is the “old timer”,
Twisted Ankle ½ and full
marathon on May 17th.
Meanwhile Xterra has
been hosting a series of
trail races, with the last
race, a 15K at Dauset
Trails, coming up on
May 31st. Of course if
trails aren’t your thing
(say it isn’t so!) there is
always the 30th anniversary edition of the Strolling Jim 40 miler, on May
3rd, a true classic in ultra running. Maybe I will
see you there.
Come join us for the
weekly Tuesday night
trail run at Kennesaw
Mountain. We run about
an hour, at various
speeds. Now that daylight savings has
brought us extra hours
of daylight, we have
plenty of time to run
over the top of the
mountain. To be kind,
we’ll just do it on the first
Tuesday, besides it’s a
good way to build up an
appetite! Check the
members-only section of
the forum for the first
Tuesday schedule. The
first Tuesday trail run is
followed by pizza & beer
at the Marietta Pizza
Company, located on
Marietta Square. And the
first pitcher is on GUTS,
so all the more reason to
join us soon.
Happy Trails,
Janice Anderson
GUTS Board
President
Janice Anderson
Vice President
Sally Brooking
Secretary/Web Master
Sarah Tynes
Treasurer
Debbi Legg
Public Relations
Floren Ansley
At-Large
Susan Breeding
Jaydene Reardon
Editor
Allison Gonzalez
E-mail us:
[email protected]
GUTS Alabama Triple Crown
The inaugural GUTS Alabama Triple Crown consisted of completing the
following three 50K races
located in Alabama:
Mountain Mist (January),
Mt Cheaha (February),
and Oak Mountain
(March). The only thing a
GUTS member had to do
was finish all 3 events, but
that proved to be a lot
harder than it sounded.
Every finisher of the Alabama Triple Crown re-
ceived a golden fleece
beanie with the GUTS logo
and the “Alabama Triple
Crown” moniker. After
Mtn Mist there were 27
GUTS members capable of
completing the triple, and
after Mt Cheaha there
were 18, but ultimately
only 12 managed to finish
all three races. We
planned to add special
jewels to the overall fastest male and female’s
beanies, but both declined
their jewels and were satisfied with the beanie
alone. Brad Boyd took a
big lead over all the men
after Mtn Mist and Nils
Pedersen was unable to
close the gap. Sally Brooking easily led the women.
Congrats to all the finishers and a special thanks to
Donald Brown (aka Rich
Cheese) for tracking the
results.
Check out the results on
page 2!
Inside this issue:
Red Top Rumble
2
Calendar of Events
4
Spill Your Guts
5
Member Spotlight
6
Race Tracker
7
GUTS Gear Information
12
Race Reports
13
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 2
Alabama Triple Crown Results
#
Last Name
1 Brooking
2 Gonzalez
3 Lance
First Name
Sally
Enid
Susan
City
Marietta
Kennesaw
Whitesburg
S
F
F
F
1 Boyd
2 Pedersen
3 Coleman
4 Whatley
5 Spruill
6 Silva
7 Hackett
8 Slafkosky
9 Skinner
Thomas
Nils
Marty
Prince
Jason
Matt
Andrew
Jamie
Thomas
Atlanta
Kennesaw
Marietta
Birmingham
Atlanta
Atlanta
East Point
Marietta
Alpharetta
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
Spurgeon
William
Jason
Antonio
Christian
Steve
Marietta
Huntsville
East Point
Kennesaw
Norcross
Woodstock
10 Hendrick
11 Ansick
12 Barringer
13 Gonzalez
14 Griffith
15 Michael
Age State Mtn Mist Mt Cheaha
51
GA 5:30:46
5:42:04
40
GA 5:57:33
6:19:14
48
GA 6:21:50
6:48:20
Oak Mtn
5:38:00
6:09:38
6:53:00
Cumulative
Cumul Gap
16:50:50
0
18:26:25
1:35:35
20:03:10
1:36:45
36
38
46
39
32
31
41
54
61
GA
GA
GA
AL
GA
GA
GA
GA
GA
4:34:43
4:54:16
5:21:26
5:37:14
5:34:31
5:29:33
5:55:52
6:10:07
7:37:02
4:56:29
5:16:05
5:24:07
5:57:11
6:23:32
7:27:01
6:43:11
6:37:22
8:00:06
5:12:00
5:15:39
5:34:20
5:28:00
6:12:18
5:34:41
6:21:00
6:30:10
7:39:00
14:43:12
15:26:00
16:19:53
17:02:25
18:10:21
18:31:15
19:00:03
19:17:39
23:16:08
48
21
38
32
37
58
GA
AL
GA
GA
GA
GA
5:16:25
5:19:51
5:55:54
6:24:24
6:41:33
7:05:15
5:39:07
5:58:55
6:18:26
7:24:43
7:19:08
7:37:20
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
10:55:32
11:18:46
12:14:20
13:49:07
14:00:41
14:42:35
0
0:42:48
0:53:53
0:42:32
1:07:56
0:20:54
0:28:48
0:17:36
3:58:29
NOTE: Cumulative Gap (Cumul Gap) = the time this person is behind the person ahead of them
Red Top Rumble Race Report
By Jaydene Reardon (Race Director)
Jaydene and her
husband, Dennis
As many of you know, the
1st Annual Red Top Rumble
was my first shot at race
directing and it was quite
the challenge! Months of
preparation leading up to
the race made me wonder
how it was all going to
come together. A month or
so before the race, we
gathered a great group of
GUTS volunteers to go out
to Red Top Mountain State
Park & create a 3/4 mile
makeshift trail through the
woods. The makeshift trail
would be used to connect
the Iron Hill Trail to the
campground and then on to
the Homestead Loop. There
was an old firebreak that
we used as a guideline to
wind through the trees.
Weeks later as I continued
to go back to the park for
check ups, I noticed the
trail getting more & more
distinguishable. Local runners had discovered the
path and made it part of
their own route which
helped us from having to
go back & do anymore
course work.
The weather couldn’t have
been better for race day.
With bright blue skies and
not a cloud in sight, runners
gathered at the park in Cartersville, GA on Sunday,
February 10, 2008. The
course started on the 3.6
Iron Hill gravel trail which
offered scenic views of
Lake Allatoona and several
bridge crossings. After
scurrying through the
makeshift trail, runners
were connected to the
Homestead and Sweetgum
Loops. The course winded
along beautiful red clay
trails allowing runners to
take in even more breathtaking views and quiet,
serene areas. Three aid
stations along the course
helped to encourage the
runners as they made…
Continued on p. 3
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 3
Red Top Rumble (cont.)
their way over the hills. The
3rd aid station was stocked
with the usual goodies that
can be found at most GUTS
races such as infamous
Moonpies, Clif Shots, Potato
Chips, M&M’s and Gummy
Bears. Official drink sponsor, Accelerade, was on the
course to quench everyone’s thirst along the way.
The Red Top Rumble
course had its fair share of
hills but that didn’t stop the
lead runners from pulling
away and putting in fast
times at the event. Plus, I’m
happy to report that we
only had one runner veer
off course! Awards were
given to Top 10 Overall
Male & Female, 1st Masters
Male & Female and 1st
Grandmasters Male & Female. Overall winners received a free pair of PUMA
trail shoes. All winners
were also given a customized fuzzy fleece blanket,
Ever Red™ Loropetalum
and other items donated
from race sponsors.
Runners enjoyed Post-Race
festivities with beverages
from Steaz, energy bars
from Larabar and a spread
of Honeybaked Ham sandwiches with potato chips.
I really want to express
special thanks to all of the
volunteers who made the
race a success! Jamie
Slafkosky, volunteer captain, helped to coordinate
all of the helpers for race
day preparations. Thanks to
GUTS members: Janice
Anderson, Sarah Tynes,
Eddie Roberts, Steve
Freemerman, Deanna
McCurdy, Sally Brooking,
Marty Coleman, Floren Ansley, Tony Gonzalez, Jason
Rockman, Lionel Higdon,
Meg & Jim Crawford, Chris
Bennett, Jason Barringer,
Nils Pedersen, Evelyn
White, Susan Lance, Margaret Taylor, Laura Greco,
Donald Brown, Larry Robbins, Mike Delang, Mike
Price, Andy Shoenig & Nick
Andrews for going above &
beyond to help with race
efforts. Honestly, I felt like I
had the best group of volunteers an RD could ask for!
Last, but certainly not least,
thanks to my husband Dennis for being so understanding about the hours of
preparation leading up to
the race. It felt so good to
have him by my side on
race day as my ‘fireman’
keeping things under control and ready to help with
anything.
We hope to see you out
there in 2009!
Overall RTR Finishers
OVERALL MALE
1. Joseph Gibson - 1:13:07
OVERALL FEMALE
1. Carrie Brady - 1:26:45
2. Mike Cosentino - 1:15:22
2. Kate Brun - 1:27:26
3. Tim Tatarka - 1:15:42
3. Michelle King - 1:27:55
4. Jason Scott - 1:16:44
4. Roxanne Zobava - 1:29:04
5. Matt Sims - 1:17:12
5. Jenny Callaway - 1:34:36
6. Samuel Linhoss - 1:18:16
6. Maureen Riordan - 1:34:54
7. Scott Freedman - 1:19:13
7. Rachel Heim - 1:35:02
8. Nils Pedersen - 1:19:24
8. Amanda Holzhausen - 1:36:21
9. Jason Hanlin - 1:20:52
9. Deanna Cromer - 1:37:37
10. Joey Howe - 1:22:23
10. Maja Gottlieb - 1:38:09
OVERALL MASTERS MALE
Raymond Ross - 1:19:45
OVERALL MASTERS FEMALE
Marcia Gibson - 1:47:59
OVERALL GRANDMASTERS MALE
Michael Walcott - 1:30:35
OVERALL GRANDMASTERS FEMALE
Susan Jones - 1:46:37
Kate
Brun,showing
off her awards
after running
the RTR
“The course
winded along
beautiful red
clay trails,
allowing
runners to take
in...breathtaki
ng views…”
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 4
Calendar of Upcoming GUTS Events
April 13 (Sunday)
GUTS run
Fort Mountain State Park
Join us in North GA for a long run at Fort Mountain State Park. Meet Sunday morning at
8am for a long run. There are multiple loops so that you can choose your distance and
speed. Fort Mtn is northwest of Ellijay. Please e-mail GUTS at [email protected] with
the subject line I’LL CLIMB THE WALL if you will be coming along for the run. GUTS will
be providing bagels & munchies after the run so RSVP’s are appreciated. See the park
website for directions: http://gastateparks.org/info/fortmt/ Be green and use the forum
for carpools.
May 10
GUTS Trail Work Day and Training run
Kennesaw Mountain
First a nice trail run, then some fun, muscle-building trail work, and finally good food at
the GUTS cookout. Meet at 7:30 am at the visitor’s center for the run. Meet at 10am at the
visitor’s center for the work (no need to bring anything other than your enthusiasm). Plan
to work for 3-4 hours. The cookout will take place directly after completing the trail work.
GUTS will supply food and drinks but please feel free to bring a dessert or side dish to
share. Check the website for details www.getguts.com
June 8 (Sunday)
GUTS run
Join us for a run on roads, with a mix of soft surface and little bit of trails at the Suwanee
Greenway in Alpharetta. From I-285, go North at Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Stay on Peachtree Industrial for approx. 15 miles. Turn Right onto McGinnis Ferry Rd (after Sugarloaf
Pkwy). Greenway is 1.2 miles on left, but park on the right. For more information go to
http://georgiatrails.com/trails/suwaneegreenway.html GUTS will be providing bagels &
munchies after the run so RSVP’s are appreciated. Use the forum for carpools.
Notable Non-GUTS Events
April 13
Harbison Forest 50k. 8:00 am. Columbia, SC
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=308058&ck=
April 19
Granite Grinder Half Marathon Trail Race. 8:00 am. Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers, GA.
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1508190
April 26
Sweet H2O 50k / Half Marathon. 7:30 am. Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Spring, GA.
http://www.dcrr.clubexpress.com/
May 3
Strolling Jim 40 Mile Run. 7:00 am. Wartrace, TN.
http://www.tynesweb.com/sj40/
May 4
Buncombe Trail 34 Mile. 7:30 am. Joanna, SC
May 17
Twisted Ankle Marathon & Half Marathon. 9:00 am. Summerville, GA
http://www.rungeorgiatrails.com/
May 31
Deep South 15k. 8:30 am. Dauset Trails.
http://www.dirtyspokes.com/
June 8
Chattooga River 50k. 8:00 am. Oconee County, SC
August 9
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 5
Welcome New Members!
Kate
Barbara
Michael
David
Elizabeth
Mike
Kim
Dr. Josh
B. Enid
Laura
Gary
Steve
Rahn
Kim
Delana
Josh
Barron
Border
Eiland
Ellis
Frasier
Freeland
Fuller
Glass
Gonzalez
Greco
Henderson
Keith
Lieberman
Malonson
McFarlin
Micko
Rome
Atlanta
LaGrange
Watkinsville
Atlanta
Cumming
Atlanta
Marietta
Kennesaw
Decatur
Kennesaw
Alpharetta
Lawrenceville
Marietta
Canton
Atlanta
Annamarie Mindel
Cathi
Monk
James
Moore
Sean
O
Gerald
Oortman
Valerie
Pichardo
Wendy
Price
Collette Ragan
Eddie
Roberts
David
Schuitema
Sean
Snyder
Barbara Waring
Dan
Wilkins
Matt
Wilson
Decatur
Mableton
Lilburn
Atlanta
Marietta
Atlanta
Norcross
Atlanta
Lilburn
Covington
Atlanta
Marietta
Atlanta
Phenix City (AL)
*As of March 18, 2008
Spill Your GUTS...Don’t Let a Bear Do It For You
Q: Dear GUTS -- Is it really possible to train
using low mileage for races as long as 100
miles?
ported a few positive side effects, including
clearing of the sinuses and weeks of spontaneous laughter.
A: Yes, you can do it! The key to a low mileage program is in back-to-back long runs.
You don’t have to do these every weekend,
but you should aim to do them twice a
month and incorporate several longer
races into your overall plan. Other than
that, one or two runs during the week will
suffice.
Q: Dear GUTS -- While running on the trail,
I tripped and fell, landing on my knees.
They are all swollen and I can hardly walk,
but nothing is injured or broken. I cannot
force myself to lie still for even a few days.
What can I do to speed up the recover?
Q: Dear GUTS -- What should you do if
you're running behind someone with a
flatulence problem?
A: Miss Trail Manners would say that for
such unacceptable noises/smells, that
these“be acknowledged by neither the
noisemaker nor the noise recipient, because socially they do not exist.” Personally I would try to pick up the pace and
leave it all behind!
Q: Dear GUTS,
I have heard of this sickness in runners, but
am not sure how to stay away from it.
It is called “spurgeonstinkobronchioitis.”
Can you tell me about it?
A: As I understand it, symptoms include:
nausea, burning of the eyes and nasal passages, and a loss of appetite. On a positive
note, however, some sufferers have re-
A: Be sure and hit your head on the way
down. This prevents you from remembering that you are hurt! But seriously, you
should use the RICE method. They key is
Rest (that’s the R). Next begin icing immediately. Ice for about 30 minutes at a time
(for the first day or so). Compression is
next. Keep your knees wrapped all day!
This will reduce the swelling. And finally,
elevate your knees as much as possible.
This can be tough at work, so at least elevate once you arrive home. You will be
back to falling down the trail in no time.
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 6
Member Spotlight: Jill Floyd and Debbi Legg
Name: Jill Floyd
Age: 44 (only a few days
left!)
Birthplace/Hometown:
Calhoun, Georgia
Years Running: 15 total,
but taking it a bit more
seriously--5 years.
Trail runner or Ultra
runner? Both trail and
ultra runner—I love the
trails, but my running
style prefers the roads.
Favorite quote: “Fat,
drunk and stupid is no
way to go through
life.” (From Animal House)
Personal philosophy: If I can do it, anybody can
do it.
Personal hero: My mother
Book you are currently reading: Three Cups of
Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
and a book on Options trading in the stock market.
Favorite vacation location: Anywhere in the
world as long as there’s a beach.
Pet Peeve: Cyclists and runners who don’t follow
the rules of the road—they give all of us a bad
name.
Favorite place to run: Vickery Creek trail in Roswell, Brookhaven and the bike path along the Sea
of Japan in Niigata, Japan.
Favorite time of day to run? In the mornings, but
I find myself running a lot at night.
Short Term goal: To complete a 100 miler
(almost there)
Long Term goal: To enjoy every running moment and realize that they are a blessings from
God
Best race experience: Running my first ultra
(Darkside 8 hour race in 2005) and actually winning (43.5 miles) having never run more than 26.2
before.
Most monumental struggle during a race: It’s a
tie between my first marathon in NYC 1998 having
never run more than 14 miles (my feet hurt SO
BAD) and last year running 70 miles of a 100 miler
after being sick and throwing up at mile 4—it was
as tough as anything I’ve ever done.
Favorite piece of running gear: My Ipod
Favorite post-run food/drink: Pizza and Beer
Chronic injuries: No, I’ve been so lucky!!!!!
Favorite pacer and crew: Betty Haake from the
Concourse Athletic Club—she is my hero!
Most intriguing item found on the trail (money
doesn’t count!): A fully operational vending machine where one could purchase bags of Rice during a trail race in Kakizaki, Japan (I’m not kidding)
Favorite non-running leisure activity: You mean
we’re supposed to do something else? (Kidding!)
Spending time with my husband, Ken.
Interesting fact about you that we’d never think to
ask: That I lived in Japan and speak Japanese.
Name: Debbi Legg
Age: 43
Birthplace/Hometown: Denver,
CO
Years Running: 11 years
Trail runner or Ultra runner?:
Both (and any other kind of runner).
Favorite quote: Life’s a journey...not a destination” (Aerosmith, circa 1990 -haha).
Personal philosophy: Running
emulates life.
Personal hero: Parents
Book you are currently reading:
The Appeal
Favorite vacation location: Any
beach...anywhere
Pet peeve: When people don’t consider others
Favorite place to run: Stump Jump trails in Tennessee
Favorite time of day to run: Morning
Short Term goal: Squeeze in 80 miles+ weeks
Long Term goal: Run a 100-miler
Best race experience: Chickamauga Marathon - Set a
PR without trying and all my close friends were there.
Most monumental struggle during a race: Fighting
the altitude at the Tahoe Rim 50 Miler
Favorite piece of running gear: Garmin GPS
Favorite post-run food/drink: Hot coffee with lots of
cream and sugar if it’s cold out. Cold Coke if it’s hot
out. (You didn’t specify nutritionally sound haha)
Chronic injuries: Piriformis (booty) and hip flexors.
Favorite pacer and crew: Never had a pacer or crew.
Most intriguing item found on the trail (money
doesn’t count!): A hanger deep in the woods in Hell,
Michigan.
Favorite non-running leisure activity: Going to the
movies.
Interesting fact about you that we’d never think to
ask: That I absolutely hated running in high school.
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
2nd Quarter Race Tracker
DISNEY MARATHON
1/13/08
Prince Whatley
3:17:08
HOUSTON MARATHON
1/13/08
3:43:47
Javier Dejesus
DUBAI MARATHON
01/18/08
Russ Johnson
3:53:50
MUSEUM OF AVIATION MARATHON
1/19/08
Roman Szczesniak
3:54:49
Scott Ludwig
3:56:10
Tom Adair
6:06:36
MT. MIST 50K TRAIL RUN
01/26/08
Thomas Boyd
4:34:43
Nils Pedersen
5:54:16
Peter Jolles
5:05:20
5:08:10
Jon Obst
Greg Goodson
5:16:09
Spurgeon Hendrick
5:16:25
Marty Coleman
5:21:26
Matt Silva
5:29:33
Sally Brooking
5:30:46
5:34:31
Jason Spruill
Will Kaufmann
5:37:40
5:55:52
Andrew Hackett
5:55:54
Jason Barringer
6:06:05
Andrew Shoenig
Nicolas Andrews
6:09:06
6:10:07
Jamie Slafkosky
Lane Vogel
6:11:43
Susan Lance
6:21:50
6:24:24
Antonio Gonzalez
Rob Turner
6:41:18
Christian Griffith
6:41:33
7:04:19
Amiee Henderson
Steve Michael
7:05:15
Tom Skinner
7:37:02
CALLAWAY GARDENS MARATHON
1/27/08
Scott Ludwig
5:06:10 1st AG
4:06:10 1st AG
Al Barker
Evelyn White
5:12:19
XTERRA 10K
02/02/08
Todd Tuttle
Michael Delang
James Moore
David Schoenberg
Jeffrey Gelinas
Ron Sanders
Mary Brauchla
Gail Gibson
0:52:09
0:52:56
0:53:44
0:55:16
0:56:53
0:59:32
0:59:48
1:01:19
Page 7
Priscilla Harmon 1:01:27
Lucinda Hastings 1:11:19
Wendy Price
1:14:15
Chris Simser
1:15:15
ROCKY RACCOON 100 MILER
02/02/08
Robert Newcomer
23:31:22
Andy Velazco
26:39:58
ROCKY RACOON 50 MILER
02/02/08
Tom Baker
10:30:20
MERCEDES MARATHON
2/9/08
Prince Whatley
3:59:57
Sarah Tynes
4:57:33
RED TOP RUMBLE 11.5 MILE TRAIL RUN
2/10/08
Mike Cosentino 1:15:22 2nd Overall Male
Nils Pedersen
1:19:24 8th Overall Male
Michael Strickland
1:27:01
Reeve McNamara
1:27:03
Kate Brun
1:27:26 2nd Overall
Female
Roxanne Zobava 1:29:04 4th Overall Female
Brent
Boyle
1:29:32
Michael Walcott 1:30:35 1st Overall
Grandmasters
David McCurdy 1:31:11
Will Kaufmann 1:32:26
Andy Shoenig
1:32:58
Javier DeJesus
1:33:00
Steve DeMoss 1:33:05
Jenny Callaway 1:34:36 5th Overall Female
Jason Callaway 1:34:37
Rachel Heim
1:35:02 7th Overall
Female
David Schoenberg
1:35:26
Hugh Beasley
1:36:11
Andrew Hackett 1:36:26
Deanna Cromer 1:37:37 9th Overall Female
Michael Bayer
1:37:57
Michael Watson 1:38:24
Nate Johnson
1:39:32
Dwayne MacInnis
1:39:35
Toni Glover
1:39:38
Antonio Gonzalez
1:41:31
Vic Erevia
1:41:58
Michael Kidd
1:44:03
Pablo Medina
1:44:43
Jeffrey Gelinas 1:45:06
Susan Jones
1:46:37 1st Overall
Grandmasters
Malissa Piersol 1:47:35
Nick Ader
1:47:57
Steve Michael
1:48:55
Joseph Toczek
1:49:18
Michael Picklesimer
1:49:34
Aimee Henderson
1:50:11
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 8
1:50:39
Jennifer Waller
Len Thompson
1:50:53
Terry Hampton
1:51:44
Gary Henderson
1:52:43
Paula Checchi
1:53:04
Lionel Higdon
1:53:43
1:54:54
Jill Floyd
1:55:58
Joyce Buchleitner
Phil Canning
1:58:12
Evelyn White
2:03:20
Kim Malonson
2:03:37
Ken Locke
2:03:38
Rob Wade
2:03:56
Mari Fridenmaker
2:04:19
Elizabeth Frasier
2:10:25
Laura Pound
2:11:14
Christian Griffith
2:12:38
Lee Miller
2:14:39
Steve Keith
2:17:47
Charlie "ChooChoo" Richardson 2:26:17
Eve Hall
2:28:41
Rick Hall
2:28:42
Michelle Hackett
2:34:57
Wendy Price
2:35:51
2:36:13
James Moore
Fred Payton
2:37:58
2:40:53
Joyce Scheibel
Barbara Waring
2:47:20
2:52:13
Anne Rentz
3:04:14
Annamarie Mindel
Deb Chichester
3:13:26
MYRTLE BEACH MARATHON
02/16/08
Roman Szczesniak
3:56:43
3:58:05
Jill Floyd
Steve Michael
4:29:52
MT. CHEAHA 50K
2/23/08
Thomas Boyd
4:56:29
Nils Pederson
5:16:05
Marty Coleman
5:24:07
Sprugeon Hendrick
5:39:07
Sally Brooking
5:42:04
Prince Whatley
5:57:11
William Ansick
5:58:55
6:18:26
Jason Barringer
Phil Canning
6:18:26
Enid Gonzalez
6:19:14
6:23:32
Jason Spruill
6:37:22
Jamie Slafkosky
6:43:11
Andrew Hackett
Susan Lance
6:48:20
Robert Newcomer
6:55:01
6:56:25
Jay Hallinan
Mike Hopton
7:13:14
Christian Griffith
7:19:08
7:24:43
Antonio Gonzalez
Matt Silva
7:27:01
Debbi Legg
7:37:15
Steve Michael
7:37:20
7:52:55
Joe Williamson
Jill Floyd
Michael DeLang
Thomas Skinner
Jeff Gelinas
Bruce Young
Evelyn White
7:54:54
7:55:19
8:00:06
8:00:11
8:20:17
8:59:55
MT. MITCHELL CHALLENGE 40 MILER
2/23/08
Lionel Higdon
8:03:50
Sarah Tynes
9:53:29
ANTARCTICA MARATHON
03/05/08
Walt Prescott
5:48:18
Winston Davis
7:33:47
ANTARCTICA ½ MARATHON
03/05/08
Tom Adair
4:09:34
DELANO 12 HOUR
03/08/08/
Larry Robbins
40 miles
THRILL IN THE HILLS ½ MARATHON
3/12/08
Javier Dejesus
1:42:54
OAK MOUNTAIN 50K
03/22/08
Thomas Boyd
Nils Pedersen
Prince Whatley
Marty Coleman
Matt Silva
Sally Brooking
Robert Newcomer
David Schoenberg
Enid Gonzalez
Jason Spruill
Andrew Hackett
Phil Canning
Jamie Slafkosky
Mike Price
Susan Lance
Jill Floyd
Thomas Skinner
Terry Hampton
5:12:00 4th
5:15:39 5th
5:28:00 8th
5:34:20
5:34:41
5:38:00 2nd female
5:47:19
6:09:00
6:09:38 3rd female
6:12:18
6:21:00
6:24:00
6:30:10
6:42:48
6:53:00
6:57:00
7:39:00
8:41:00
ROCK CREEK RIVER GORGE TRAIL RACES
03/29/08
10.2 miles
Michael Eiland
1:33:50
Andy Shoenig
1:38:24
Steve Freemerman
1:41:43
6.5 miles
Nate Johnson
1:00:59
Deb Chichester
2:14:43
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 9
I could just spit! I
didn’t get your
results this quarter. Send them
next time!
Running On….
Featured Poet, Gitagoing (a.k.a.
Larry Robbins)
soft the snow
gentle the fall
alone my trail
hold my love
stardust call
Do you have something to say? Of course you do! Next
quarter, be sure to share your thoughts and experiences
with the rest of us! When you run a race, write a race report. As much as you appreciate the insider information
gleaned from reading other people’s reports, you could
do the same for others!
Maybe you just want to review some great (or not-sogreat) running gear, write about proper trail etiquette
(after being tailgated for the umpteenth time by Joe Blow
at Kennesaw Mountain!), compose an original poem, or
reflect on the impact running has had on your life. Whatever you’re writing (about running), we want to hear it!
So brag a little! Send your submissions (along with your
race times -- please don’t make Janice spit again!) to [email protected], with “Newsletter Fodder” in
the subject line. You don’t have to wait until you get an
e-mail from the Prez to send stuff! We’re always accepting submissions.
bright the slivers
through the leaves
alone my trail
see my love
stardust call
dusty the path
endless the way
alone my trail
touch my love
stardust call
rocky the canyon
along the cliff
alone my trail
trust my love
stardust call
sandy the shore
by the waves
alone my trail
misty my love
stardust call
morning the glory
bloom of life
alone my trail
kiss of spring
stardust call
snow tonight but spring is close
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 10
Running Safety By Tony Gonzalez (slwrunner)
As most of you already
know, I was in accident
earlier this month. But just
to recap….after finishing
my run at Kennesaw Mountain I was struck by a car
while crossing the road at a
crosswalk.
With that in mind, I thought
it would be a good idea to
go over some basic running
and trail running safety. I
found these safety rules
online (Running for Dummies and Runners World)
and noticed that I myself
have broken some of these
rules. So, please take this
time to look them over and
see what safety rules you
are breaking and how you
can fix it, especially now
that running season is upon
us!!
Running For Dummies
By Florence Griffith Joyner,
John Hanc, Jackie JoynerKersee
Most running safety rules
are just common sense. But
you see so many runners —
both male and female —
who violate them every day
that a rules review is indeed in order.
Consider the following:
Don't wear headsets. This
is the No. 1 rule for safe
running. Why? Because
when you listen to music or
the radio while running
outside, you can't hear car
horns, cyclists, or, heaven
forbid, the footsteps of
someone coming up behind
you.
Run against traffic. A bicycle is considered a vehicle, so it is subject to the
same laws as cars and
trucks. Cyclists ride with
traffic. You are not a vehicle. You are a runner. You
are also in a highly vulnerable position if you're running near cars, trucks, and
bicycles.
So the best way to prevent
an untimely meeting with
one of these vehicles is to
be able to see them. That
means running on the side
of the road or on the sidewalk and running while
facing traffic.
If you run at night, make
yourself visible. Wear
light-colored clothing and
invest a few dollars in a
reflective vest, which you
can purchase at a local running store (BPRC or Phidippides ) or through a mailorder running catalog.
Don't challenge cars to a
race. If you and a car are
both approaching an intersection, stop and let the car
go first. (News flash:
They're faster than you.)
Beware of stopped cars
waiting to make a right
turn. Stop and wait until
they make the turn, or run
behind them.
Run with others. This may
be the easiest way to avoid
problems altogether. Sharing the road with other runners is also a great way to
stay motivated and to enjoy
the sport. You can find potential partners through
your running club, your
running apparel store, or
community bulletin boards
at your library.
If you must run alone, a
treadmill at home or at a
health club is a much safer
option. A local track also
offers some protection, but
not if you're running alone
and after dark.
Avoid running alone in
unpopulated, unfamiliar
areas and stay away from
trails surrounded by
heavy brush.
Do not wear jewelry. But
do carry identification
(RoadID, SmartID sold by
BPRC and Phidippides…..this is something
I wasn’t doing!!) or write
your name, phone number,
and blood type on the inside sole of your running
shoe.
Always trust your intuition. If you're unsure about
a person or a place, avoid
it.
Carry a noisemaker
(whistle) or get training in
self-defense and the use
of pepper spray. And always call police if something happens to you or
someone else or if you see
something or someone suspicious.
Don't stop to give directions to strangers in cars
if you are running alone.
Trail Running Safety:
What you should know
before hitting the trails
By Brian D. Sabin
Even experienced trail runners can get into trouble on
unpredictable terrain. And
now that more runners are
going off-road, accidents
are likely to increase. Here
are five tips for staying safe
on the trails.
Keep in touch: When trying a new trail, go with….
Continued on Page 10
“If you and a
car are both
approaching
an
intersection,
stop and let
the car go first.
Newsflash:
They’re faster
than you.”
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 11
Running Safety (cont.)
someone who knows it--and bring a map,
compass, cell phone, and whistle. If you do
go solo, give someone a map of your intended route. Go to nps.gov for maps of
national park trails, or plot your route at
www.usatf.org.
Think time, not distance: Tough terrain
and hills can double the time you need to
cover a mile. So consider how long you
want to be out. "Experienced trail runners
cover about six miles an hour," says Scott
Jurek, seven-time winner of the Western
States Endurance Run. "Less-fit runners
should target four."
“You may
need to drink
some green
tea or take that
coffee fix
through the
day to make it
to your 2 AM
training
session…”
Fuel up: Bring food with you, even on short
runs, in case you're in the woods longer
than expected. "Energy bars and gels are
good because they're easy to carry and
digest," says Monique Ryan, author of
Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.
The carbohydrates will help you run and
concentrate. Also, stay hydrated with small,
frequent sips from a water bottle or hydra-
tion pack.
Watch the weather: Especially at higher
elevations, temperatures can change and
storms can roll in quickly, so plan accordingly. Even in the summer, Jurek brings a
winter hat and a Brooks L.S.D. jacket ($85,
www.brooksrunning.com), which is waterresistant and weighs only 3.1 ounces. Use
sunscreen, but be careful not to apply too
much; it can clog pores and cause you to
overheat.
Train your feet: Get used to running on
easy paths, then move on to more gnarly
trails. "Take short, quick steps so you can
react," Jurek says, adding that your stride
rate should be about 90 per minute. Road
shoes work, but trail shoes have more traction and protect your feet from rocks and
roots.
Find Your Time to Run
By Gitagoing (a.k.a. Larry Robbins)
Can't find the time to get in those long training runs???? Reconsider your priorities
and the time you have available. 2AM is
prime time for opening that door and venturing out with just your shoes and spirit on
a 15-20 mile run. Your loved ones and the
world will be asleep and won't miss you.
For two years Robbie and I were in Chicago in the early 80's with stressful work
with the then AT&T Networks Systems. The
Days of the Winters never gave much daylight to run in. This was the time Robbie
and I were dating and she trusted me so
much that she followed me to Chicago
where work led me. I just had to trust that
wonderful lady also and be her companion
in life.
Since running was really what I wanted,
the amazing Prairie Path gave me the opportunity. It was a converted RR track like
the Silver Comet here in Georgia, but was
mostly dirt for a 100 miles. What more
could a runner ask for, so I bought a small
place near the trail.
Since I had so many responsibilities with
work, I was so exhausted at the end of
those days and Robbie needed my devotion and I needed to run, 2AM seems like a
good time to train. Guess what??? it was
perfect and great and beautiful.
The crunch of that snow on that trail is still
one of my best memories, even in the 60
degree below wind and snow, these were
my best training runs.
I have never actually won a race in my
life. The training advice however is
good. You may need to drink some green
tea or take that coffee fix through the day,
to make it to your 2AM training session on
the trail or road in the dark, but it is
safe. My last training tip is this: remember
those long miles in the dark, in the blizzards, on the roads, in the hills, on the
beach, alone -- it’s preparation to be with
your running friends that are the best in the
races.
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 12
One Runner’s Story By Evelyn White
My trail running experience began last April at the
Sweet Water H2O 1/2 marathon hosted by GUTS. I
knew I was hooked and
wanted to do more trail
running. In the following
months I read about the
Mount Cheaha 50K and
asked my boyfriend, Ken
what he thought. He immediately responded with a
flurry of emails asking me if
I was feeling well (aka ARE
YOU CRAZY!!!). I was determined to do it. I, a new-
bie was going to tackle my
first 50K at Mount Cheaha
no less.
So, I began to plan on how
best to go about achieving
such a feat. It wasn't too
hard. I joined GUTS and
that got me in right frame of
mind and body. Thanks to
GUTS and Ken I was able to
complete Mount Cheaha
50K in just under the cut-off
time of 9 hours. I can't wait
until next year and in the
meantime I plan to do more
50K's and have fun
with GUTS.
Evelyn and her boyfriend Ken at the Mt.
Who Is It?
Each quarter, we’ll see just how well you know your fellow
GUTS runners. So, who is it?
Did you figure out last
issue’s photo? If you
did, congratulations
(we think). If you didn’t...well, if you don’t
know, we’re not telling...
Well, who do we have
here? Think
hard...We’ll spill the
beans in the next issue.
GUTS Gear
Show off your GUTS with some new gear! Order by April 13th….
New GUTS apparel is now available! Several items including cool tie-dye shirts, technical tops, shorts & patches can
be ordered using our new downloadable order form. Complete details and order forms are located in the GUTS
‘members only’ forum at www.GetGuts.com.
Simply e-mail the order form to [email protected] with subject line ‘GUTS GEAR’. Then, mail a hard copy with
your check payable to GUTS. Complete details are on the forms and all orders are due in our e-mail inbox by April
13th.
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 13
Oak Mountain 50K
By Nils Pedersen
Birmingham, AL
March 22, 2008
“...there was
a makeshift
trail that
once again
made me
feel like a
trailrunnerwannabe.”
I know this isn't going to be up to the high
standard of surftrip's race reports, but to
climb a mountain you have to start at the
base. Here goes.
It was no coincidence that our carpool decided to meet at 420 in the morning for the
anticipated drive to Birmingham (perfect
meeting time right!). With a couple of water
stops we arrived at Oak Mountain at 6:15
for race check-in and last minute preparation. As usual there were plenty of GUTS
members around. Some obvious people
missing were Tony the Tercel Tackler (I
hope he gets better soon) and Colonel who
had saved the day for the family. On the
other hand Dewayne Satterfield had
changed his family vacation and made a
surprise start to wrap up a very impressive
Non-GUTS Alabama Triple Crown.
The weather forecast was predicting temperatures in the low 70'ies which I consider
warm. Nonetheless, I didn't think to bring a
tank top or even a short sleeve shirt. Luckily, Marty was kind enough to loan me a
shirt so I wouldn't have to pull the sleeves
of one of my own.
After a short briefing by race director Scott
Parker, we were off. A quick loop around
the parking lot before hitting the singletrack trails was sufficient to settle the order.
To no ones surprise Dewayne Satterfield
was in the lead with some guy from Colorado and was soon out of site. The GUTS
Alabama Triple Crown leader Brad Boyd
was in the chase pack and soon out of sight
as well and onto winning the GUTS Alabama Triple Crown.
The first 7-8 miles was quite beautiful and
very runnable along a creek and around a
lake with a "waterfall" in between. The temperature at this point was around 50 and
perfect for running. At this point I was running along John Dove who was giving me
some great advice about the course and
telling me to save some energy for the hill
after the 3rd aid station. John is certainly an
experienced trail runner that passed me on
every downhill and wasted no time in the
aid stations. I found myself catching up to
him on the flatter parts.
After the first aid station (North Trail Head)
there was a decent climb up towards the
ridge of Oak Mountain. The ridge was very
runnable with few roots and rocks. I found
myself running with Marty for a short while.
Just before the 2nd aid station there was a
steep drop down towards Peavine Falls
with a couple of scary drop-offs (admitted, I
am a flatlander that is scared of heights!).
The climb out of the waterfall reminded me
of Mountain Mist but since this was early in
the race, it wasn't nearly as dreadful. After
climbing out of the waterfall I was happy to
roll into Aid Station 2 for some candy, coke,
and powerade.
After Aid Station two the journey went on
back to Aid Station 1 that doubled as Aid
Station 3. Shortly after leaving the Peavine
Falls aid station, there was a make shift trail
that once again made me feel like a trailrunner-wannabe. I was tip-toeing like a
barefooted princess walking on broken
glass in the dark and didn't get anywhere.
Obviously, John Dove once again charged
way ahead of me. The decent was followed
by some runnable sections that were better
suited for my abilities. I managed to catch
up to John again and even passed him on a
flat section. I am sure he was laughing
since this was his 5th Oak Mountain 50k
and he knew that a rocky downhill was
coming up. Sure enough I had to slowdown
to crutch walking pace again, and John left
me mesmerized as he managed to get completely out of sight! A flat runnable part
followed the descent and I soon reached
Aid Station 3 after having caught up to John
again.
This was about 21 miles into the race and I
felt like I had saved some energy for the
hill going up to the top of Oak Mountain.
Well, I didn't have much left but still managed to run/walk up the hill. Half way to the
top I passed Todd Henderson (Mt Cheaha
Race Director). He looked like he was hurting. I tried to encourage him by saying that
at least we didn't have Blue Hell in front of
us. Not sure if that helped him as I didn't
see him again before finishing. After reaching the top of the hill, the course was quite
runnable again and managed to squeeze
ahead of someone else just before Aid Station 4. I rushed through the aid station
wanting to stay ahead. (Continued on next
page)
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 14
Oak Mountain 50K (cont.)
Now, there is supposedly only five miles
mostly downhill towards the finish line.
However, these miles were "Horton miles".
At this time, the temperature had climbed
to at least the mid sixties (sure, I am from
cold Denmark, but still!). I wasn't running
with a water bottle and was starting to feel
the hurt from the day's effort. Well, the guy
I had just passed was not giving up and
kept the chase on. Well, how hard can it be
to run five miles downhill? My quads weren't even burning. Well, let me tell you, it
was some very long miles. Just like waiting
for that Microsoft progress bar to finish
downloading the last five seconds! There
are many switchbacks on this part and
every time I thought I had gotten ahead my
chaser would be right back on my tail. I
was watching my GPS and noticed that I
was getting close to the five miles as I was
looking forward to finishing the race. However, the 5 mile marker was soon long
gone and still no finish line in site! The trail
at this point was runnable and I was able to
keep on plodding along before finally
reaching the finish area in 5:15:42 without
getting passed. This was just a few seconds
faster than my time at Mt Cheaha and even
a few minutes faster than what I had expected for the day.
Being dehydrated and hungry, I quickly
drank a coke and ate some brownies. After
settling down, I was surprised to find a
bucket full of Miller Lite, amazing what you
get for a $35 entry fee! There was even allyou-can-eat barbecue and a finisher price.
Everybody had a great time hanging out
with kinfolks. GUTS was well-represented
and all the GUTS Alabama Triple Crown
runners got an awesome embroidered yellow hat that I am sure you will be seeing
around as soon as any cold weather hits
Atlanta.
This race is truly a gem in so many ways. It
is a fantastic course that has a little bit of
everything and the aid stations were wellstocked and friendly staffed. Scott Parker
(race director) appears to be as grounded
as his fellow directors at Cheaha and Mist
and I am sure that this the word will get out
and many more will show up for future
races. Many thanks to the race director and
all the volunteers who were out helping, it
was great day at Oak Mountain.
Also thanks to Jamie for driving and thanks
to Jamie and Enid for the interesting conversations on the drive out and back.
Congratulations to all the GUTS Triple
Crown finishers!
Antarctic Marathon By Tom Adair
March 5, 2008, King George, Island, Antarctica
Round-trip to the Antarctic, aka “The White Continent”, from Atlanta was approximately
7,644 miles and 22 hours of time. Our one-way trip to Antarctica actually took five full days
with the stops, transfers and lots of waiting.
Delta Airline
Argentina Airline
Argentina Airline
Russian ship
Sarpik (Ocean Nova)
Atlanta to Miami
Miami to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
Ushuaia to
King George, Antarctica
1,000 miles
4,417 miles
1,627 miles
660+ miles
2 hours 0 minutes
8 hours 30 minutes
3 hours 40 minutes48 hours
TOTALS
7,644 miles
22 hours 10 minutesThe finish line photo is of me with a pelvis fracture (in 3 places) at the Antarctica Marathon
and Half Marathon. The photo was taken by Marathon Tours and Travel. My only purpose
on this 18-day trip was to finish the marathon. I failed. My journey coming down the glacier
and falling was a humbling experience. I received a finisher’s medal for the Antarctica
Marathon & Half Marathon----I only finished the half marathon.
The expedition leader on the ship said on the first day that Antarctica is a inhospitable, unpredictable and dangerous. I agree. He forgot to say Antarctica is absolutely beautiful. The
wildlife (penguins, whales, seals, and other critters) was fantastic. I’ll go back in 2010 to
finish the marathon for my 7th continent.
“It was some
very long
miles. Just
like waiting
for that
Microsoft
progress bar
to finish
downloading
the last five
seconds!”
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 15
“I caught a
second wind
and was
flying as I
reached the
beautiful
spread of
food…”
Oak Mountain 50K: Another Perspective
By David Schoenberg
This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of joining around 100 runners at the Oak Mountain
50k outside of Birmingham, AL. It was my first
official race over this distance having covered it before in my training last fall while
preparing for Santa Barbara 9 Trails (an injury prevented me from actually participating
in SB9T).
The Oak Mountain race is actually more of a
50k+, with the overall distance hovering
somewhere around 33 miles. With 3,900' of
total elevation gain this race has some climbs
but is not impossibly hard. Perfect for my first
50k! My lady and I made the two hour drive
to Alabama the morning of the race fully appreciating the hour time difference. The temperature at the start was a comfortable 50
degrees. Everybody was in good spirits.
There were smiles everywhere. It was going
to be a good day!
We started off on the yellow trail with some
steep inclines forcing us to walk almost right
away. My strategy was to run very conservatively until the first major aid station. I wanted
to get through this part feeling fresh with
plenty of energy left in the tank. It was here
on the yellow trail that I met Andy, a local
with whom I would zig-zag all day long. He
was full of info not just about what was coming
up on the course but also about the area. I
loved talking to him!
Once we passed the first major aid station
(1:15, North Trail Head), we were off to tackle
our first big climb of the day. It was here that I
realized my legs feeling good today. At the
top of the ridge I caught up with Andy again (I
tend to take a while at aid stations). The trail
was pretty much table top flat up there until
we dropped down to the most beautiful point
of the course: Peavine Falls.
It's a rocky climb down to the base of the falls
and then a steep climb back up. You definitely needed all four to make it to the top. It
was awesome! Soon after, we hit the Peavine
Falls aid station (2:30). My lady was waiting
for me here with a couple of gels and a big
smile. Fueled up and feeling great I hit the
white trail. My legs started feeling a little
tired during this section. I guess this race
wasn't going to go by pain free...
The white trail was beautiful single track and
took us to the top of the race (Shackleford
Point, 1260'). From there, we hit a steep and
rocky decent back down to the North Trail
Head station (aid 3). During this decent, I
caught a second wind and was flying as I
reached the beautiful spread of food (3:55). I
was getting hungry, so I spent some time
here eating. I used the entire 3+ mile incline
on the red trail, which we were now headed
up, to eat and then digest.
Once back up on top of the ridge, I was all
alone for about 45 minutes. It was time for
some tunes (Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam)! Getting to Aid 4 (back at Peavine Falls) was the
biggest challenge of the day for me. Listening to the music and singing out loud made
things a lot easier. Once I reached the
Peavine Falls parking lot (5:05), I knew
things would be all downhill from there. Literally. The majority of the rest of the race
was mostly downhill.
The problem was that they told me I was in
the top 30. 29th to be exact. "Whaaaa? Are
you kidding??" I now had my lady pacing
me and running downhill is my strength.
Let's see if I can finish in the top 30! It was on
this downhill that I caught my third wind. I
quickly lost my lady (we had discussed before the race that I would just go if I felt
good) and continued to attack the downhill.
It was here that gravity just took me for a
ride. I probably ran about two miles somewhere in the low 7s. It was unbelievable! I
passed five people before I finished with a
lady who had I had seen on the course all
day (she's a GUTS member, but I didn't catch
her name). My final time was 6:09:41! The
results aren't posted yet, but it looks like I
finished in the top 25! (The results are now
posted). It lists me as 23rd overall, however,
Enid Gonzalez beat me. She was 23rd, I was
24th.)
It was great to hang out after the race and
talk to some of the other folks I had run with.
Eventually I got talking to Alan Abbs (check
out this interview Scott Dunlap did with him
and his wife Bev Anderson-Abbs; they must
be the best ultra-running couple in the
world). Alan was in town to see his folks and
just finished 2nd overall (DeWayne
Satterfield won). We talked for a while as I
was enjoying my post-race burger. Hopefully, I'll see Alan again at some other race
either here or out West. He is extremely
nice and awesome to talk to. I wish him and
Bev the best of luck at Western States this
year!
I want to thank RD Scott Parker and all the
volunteers for wonderful, wonderful race! It
couldn't have been better organized. I loved
the no-frills approach (no sponsor logos
anywhere!). Next up: SweetH20 50k!
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 16
Playing in the Mud: A Mountain Mist Race Report
By Christian Griffith
When I was about 14 years
old, my town of Myrtle
Beach, SC was growing like
crazy. The city was building
hotels, houses and restaurants by the hundreds, and
as a kid, there was nothing
more fun than throwing on
some long pants, a longsleeved shirt, and hitting
the muddy construction
sites for hours and hours of
get-dirty games.
The Mountain Mist 50K is a
get-dirty game. The best
I’ve ever played.
Pre-race | There Are No
Coincidences
Thank goodness I found
Tony roaming around the
Holiday Inn at 5:30
a.m. Tony is a fellow member of GUTS, and it was
nice to see a familiar face
since I had no idea how to
find Monte Sano Lodge, the
mountain, nor any of the
roads getting
there.
After a plate o’ pancakes at
the Huntsville IHOP, we
headed towards to mountain. There was a slight,
sleety rain on the way up
the mountain, and I started
to get concerned that I had
neglected to bring any
rain/sleet/snow protection.
About halfway up the
mountain, I quickly learned
why the race is called
Mountain Mist. We turned a
corner and went from a
light, misty rain, to up-inthe-clouds. I couldn’t see 20
feet in front me. There’s a
little mountain community
up there at Monte Sano, and
I couldn’t help but wonder
what it must be like to “live
in the clouds”.
We arrived at the race start,
unloaded our gear,
checked in with the race
volunteers, and settled in at
the Monte Sano lodge preparing our bottles, lacing
up our shoes and greeting some of the arriving
runers.
“…wait until you get to
the trail to fall down”
Before the start, one of the
race officials stood up and
announced, “there are random patches of ice around
the lodge. Please be careful
at the start, and at least,
wait until you get to the trail
to fall down.”
Five minutes later, we’re
off…And I fell down.
In the first 100 yards of the
trail I kicked a nasty root
and went ass over tea kettles, close to taking out two
other runners with me. This
would end up being the
theme for the day.
The beginning of the race
was a little slow. I got stuck
behind a group that was
very concerned with the
rocky, potentially
slick, terrain and thus was
moving very carefully
along the trail. The singletrack trail was tight. Looking to the left it went
straight down over the
ridge, and looking to the
right it went straight up
sheer rock, so unless you
wanted
to squeeze uncomfortably
close to others runners to
pass, you were sort of stuck
in position for awhile.
But, when it opened up, I
surprised myself. I took off,
and from this point on,
around mile 3, I was rarely
passed, but passed lots of
others. That might sound
like a little bit o’ braggin’,
but that’s new for me. I love
ultrarunning and I can’t
help but feel a little
proud of the fact that I am
steadily improving.
I’ve found my niche. Technical descents. I love to run
down those hairball,
sketchy rocky sections. I
just bust all out Rambo-like,
skipping and dancing over
rocks and crevasses, jumping from section to section,
knee-lifting and bobbing
and weaving… I LOVE THIS
TERRAIN, and there is lots
and lots of it to love at the
Mountain Mist.
…but I also fell at least 10
times, beating up my up my
ankles, toes, knees, hands
and forearms.Gotta pay to
play.
Chatty-cathy Coming
Through
Maybe it was the caffeine
from the large IHOP coffee.
Maybe it was the caffeine in
my gels. Whatever it was, I
was just a’chattin’ away
like Betty Rubble at the
beauty parlor. My first victim was Sandy, from Downtown Atlanta. I chatted her
head off throughout the
long rocky descent at
O’Shaunghnessy Point (??)
as well as along the very
muuuudy powerline section.
The powerline section was
really wild. Wide open
vistas, and a field of tall,
light brown, chest-high,
whisping weeds on each
side of the trail. It was a lot
different than the spooky,
misty, wooded trails that
make up most of this race.
And then it was time to
climb.
The first tough climb at
Mountain Mist shows up…
Continued on page 16
“Maybe it was
the caffeine…
whatever it
was, I was just
a’ chattin’ away
like Betty
Rubble at the
beauty
parlor…”
STRAIGHT FROM THE GUT
Page 17
Playing in the Mud (cont.)
“Actually fell
three times
in this
section and
these last
few falls
were
sucking the
life right out
of me…”
around mile, I dunno, 9-ish? The ascent is
called K2 and understandably so. it’s a
good one and it pops out of nowhere. Immediately you are winding your way up
never-ending switch-back after switchback of steep, rocky trail. For me, this is
where the race really started.
The Pain Settles In
After leaving aid station 2, somewhere
around mile 13-ish, chatty-cathy took a nap
as I caught up to a group of about 5 runners, none of whom were talking at all.
Kinda sensing that was the intention for this
bunch, I kept quiet and just ran along, doing the rock dance and judging each step
very carefully.
Finally, after running 20 feet behind this
girl with muddy shoes for about 4 miles in
complete silence, I blurted out, “I wonder if
my shoes look as funny as yours?” — you
had to see this girl’s shoes. There was so
much mud on them that the mud had developed depth and thickness and was growing
around the perimeter of her shoes. It
looked like she was running in snow shoes.
The middle of the race has lots of rolling
sections that continue to increase in rockiness. The surroundings are beautiful and
ever-changing. In the mids, we went from
the eery, misty forest, …to loose-rocky,
hard-packed dirt descents, …to areas of
dense greenery …and then…
Waterline
This was what I was waiting for. The Waterline. The much-talked about section of the
race known for breaking folks down every
year. It’s a trail section that is so steep, it
requires a few hundred feet of actual rock
climbing, through some very slick and
muddy terrain; and oh yea, it’s positioned
24 miles into the race. Exactly what you are
looking for after almost a full marathon of
running… {wink}
At first, we started up a pretty steep, but
easily manageable incline, and I was thinking, “well, this isn’t so bad.”, “maybe all
that hill training is making this feel easy…
Inexperience rearing it’s ugly head again.
We slowed way down on the ascent and our
group of four had turned into a line of ten
runners. The front runner, who knew the
course, stopped and said, “we go up
there”, pointing straight to the top of what
looked like nothing but shear rock to me.
“How?”, I asked.
“Follow me.”
And we started crawling across the rocks,
through the mud, across the falls, and up
the slippery ascent while holding on to
trees, rocks, dirt and sometimes, each
other. Whatever it took to get to the next
challenge in the climb. The total climb goes
from ~ 780 feet to ~1450 in what feels like
less than a mile. …it’s the most challenging
ascent I have experienced to date.
If you are reading this report as someone
who has run this race, you’re nodding your
head right now and reminiscing your specific climbing experience at Waterline.
If you are reading this report as someone
who is interested in running the Mountain
Mist, I’m here to tell ya - This is the baddest-ass section of the race. It’s tough,
dirty, and hairy. You’ll slip, bang something, and bang something else. Your
quads will burn and your calves may cramp
…or wanna cramp. You’ll spend time talking yourself out of stopping halfway up and
resting …you’ll rest anyway. …however
you cleverly sneak it in before the person
behind you runs up on your heels.
Waterline rocks.
After waterline and a relatively flat, rocky
section, there is a very long, steep, and
arguably the most technical, descent on the
course. It winds down through various
switchbacks with mud, creek crossings,
drop-offs and slick slate. I loved this and
moved very quickly through this section;
but, I fell hard too.
Actually fell three times in this section; and
these last few falls were sucking the life
right out of me. I’m glad I was alone since I
was cussing up a storm …and it didn’t help
trying to take a drink from my bottle and
slurping down some mud along with my
water. Note to self: after falling in the mud,
wipe off your handheld water bottle spouts.
But par for the course, looking back, it was
another one of my favorite sections. Call it
caveman running.
Censored.
One of the Mountain Mist elevation maps
that I first studied used to name the last
climb in the race as simply, “censored”.”
You have got to be kidding me”, I thought
to myself as I arrived at the bottom of this
climb. I looked up. Way up. Way, way up at
the top of the mountain to see one of the
runners ahead looking like a little colorful
spec on mountain top...
Continued on the next page
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2
Page 18
Playing in the Mud (cont.)
“Man… 28, 29 miles into this race and we
have to climb that?” I don’t have anything
to say about that climb other than it’s steep,
long, tiring, and goes on for-ev-er. It’s
nothing fancy …nothing awe-inspiring. Just
good ol’ fashioned, roll-your-sleeves-upand-endure-it, one foot after the other, until
you summit. And boy are you glad to summit.
1.8 Miles to Home Free
At the summit of that third, and last, brutal
climb, was the final aid station. Thank
goodness for the energy of the volunteers
because I needed some encouragement
and I needed it right away. I was dying. At
the aid station, a sign read, ”1.8 miles to
go” - That in itself was very encouraging
and I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed a
couple of mini Snickers bars and jogged it
home for a 6:41:33 finish, 30
minutes faster than any previous 50K I have run to
date, putting me 146th
place out 253 starters.
Would I do it again?
If I could register now I
would. I can’t see how any 50K could be
much better than this. The trails were beautiful …stunningly beautiful. The course was
gnarly and tough. The people were
friendly. The vibe was electric. The aid
stations were plentiful and the volunteers
were some of the most knowledgeable and
supportive folks I ever experienced. Even
without the PR (personal record), I fell in
love with Monte Sano and the Mountain
Mist 50K Trail Run. See ya next year …for a
sub 6:00:00
A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE GEORGIA
ULTRARUNNING AND TRAILRUNNING SOCIETY