Race Report - 2012 Georgia Jewel 100 Mile Endurance Race

2012 Georgia Jewel 100 Mile Endurance Race Finisher Buckle

Road Trip

I am one lucky guy. Ronnie Hines, James Duncan and Ed Johnson all agreed to crew and pace me at the second edition of the Georgia Jewel 100 Mile Endurance Run. After running the inaugural Double Top 100 Mile Race in March, Ronnie and Dan "The Man" Burstein put a bug in my ear. "Why don't you go for the "Pinhoti Grand Slam"? While there is no official event of that name, we all decided that running all 3 100 mile races on the Pinhoti trail in Georgia and Alabama in one calendar year should constitute an unofficial "Slam". I thought it was a cool idea. I already had enough reason to attempt the Pinhoti 100 again after failing at my first attempt two years ago. But since I had already run the inaugural Georgia Jewel 100 last year, I needed an additional reason to run that one again and this idea fit it perfectly.

I went through my usual logistics planning weeks ahead of time, only to wait until the day of my departure to actually pack my stuff. The GPS in my car was loaded with the aid station locations for my crew and my pace chart was laminated and safely stuck into my running pack. I basically tossed almost all of my running gear into the back of my car, so that my crew could just access whatever was needed when I'd hit the aid stations. Not having to pack drop bags made my planning a whole lot easier.

Ed and I left Huntsville, Alabama just after 1PM and headed for Dalton, Georgia. James arrived there a couple of hours before us as he was already in Atlanta on a work related project. Ronnie would join up with my crew Saturday around noon after flying into Atlanta and driving straight to one of the aid station to meet up with us.

Ed and I arrived in Dalton around 4:30PM. We met up with James, who had already checked in to the Courtyard Marriott and we walked to the race hotel for the official check in and packet pickup after dropping off our stuff in our room. I picked up my packet, met a few old and new friends and listened to the pre-race briefing. Afterwards, we headed to the Dalton Depot, where a couple of other local ultra runners from Huntsville (Cary Long, Eric Fritz, Rob Youngren and Blake Thompson) joined us for a carbo dinner. By 8pm, we were back in the hotel ready to catch some shut eye before our 2:45AM wakeup call. Well, i guess that wasn't meant to be. After rolling around, my mind racing and consumed with the race, I managed a whole 3 hours of sleep.

Bib #2, how did that happen?

The Early Stage

When the alarm went off at 2:45AM, I quickly fixed myself a cup of coffee and got dressed. James and Ed got ready as well and we headed to the race start. I joined 47 other runners ready to tackle the Georgia Jewel 100. I was one of only three runners that were attempting to complete the Jewel for the second time.

Yeah, I'm ready! Can you see the determination in my face?

Race director Karen Pearson sent us on our way at 4AM sharp. the 35 and 50 milers would follow at 6AM. I was feeling confident. I had my crew ready to meet up with me for the first time at the 17 mile aid station. I had my pacing plan and decided to stick to it as long as I could. After all, the primary goal was just to finish. I settled into an easy pace, chatting with some runners, but mostly ran on my own, a few runners ahead and behind me.

Laundry line...ultra style!

Normally, I would continue to ramble on about how I progressed from aid station to aid station at this point in my race report. However, I've run the race before and this time I felt it much more important to describe the best ultra running has to offer its participants and that is...drum roll...its participants.

Around mile 40, I stumbled out of the woods and onto a country road. I knew i had 2 miles to cover on this exposed road before I'd make it to the next aid station, but as it turned out, the last 6 miles (or rather 8 miles due to a missed turn) really took it out of me and I experienced overheating for the very first time. I was ready to just lay down in the middle of the road. I was spent, but there wasn't any shade, so I couldn't lay down. Instead, I continued to stumble to a bridge. I stopped, I couldn't go on. I had nothing left. I wouldn't make it another 2 miles, no way! I started looking for cars, any cars. I was just about to stick out my thumb to hitch a ride when angels appeared before me....well, it was Willy's crew, ultra runners par excellence Vikena Yutz and Philip Sustar. "Are you alright?" they asked. "No" I responded while hunched over, "I'm done".

Kena and Phile picked me up, led me across the street to lean against a bridge barrier before telling me to sit down in a tiny spot of shade. The recognized that I was overheating. Thank goodness somebody did, because I was clueless. They handed me ice packs, placed them around my neck and on my head, and handed me an ice cold blue Powerade and a bottle of sparkling water (one of my favorite beverages). I was ready to suit, I didn't think I could recover, but Kena and Phil assured me that it would pass. "You're looking better already" and "It will get better, trust us!" they said.

A Battle of Attrition

"This is a battle of attrition and you've just taken a one-two punch from the Jewel. Now it's time to get back up and show it who's boss". While those are probably not the exact words, they do represent what Philip Sustar told me at mile 40 as I was sitting there. The race would have been over right there and then had it not been for these two guys. It also wasn't the first time that they helped me out. They've helped me at other races before and I've seen them do the same for countless others. Phil and Kena are the perfect examples of what makes ultra running more than just a sport. They didn't have to help me, they certainly didn't have to hang around until I was able to keep moving...but they did it anyway.

I got off my a$$ and started to walk slowly, one foot in front of the other, until I reached the next aid station. And who was there waiting for me? My crew, Ronnie, James and Ed, guys who were out there to help me reach my goal. They didn't have to, and yet, here they were, giving up their entire weekend for me. And they didn't just provide me with food and water. They moved from aid station to aid station, getting a chair ready for me, getting me dry clothes and dry shoes. They even took care of my feet to keep blisters to a minimum. Now that's what I call real friends!

While I was struggling through the final 17 miles of the race with Ronnie as my pacer, Ed decided to take a nap while sending a text.

And when they were not tending to my every need, one of them was running with me for the entire second half of the race to pace me and to just be there to keep me company through the night.

Then there were the countless volunteers at the start and finish area and at the aid stations. For 36 hours, they selflessly provided assistance to almost 150 runners and I'm sure that they always received the gratitude they they all deserve. Hopefully, some of them will ready this and know how much I and all the other runners appreciate everything they did.

All of these selfless people are the reason I continue to participate in ultras. They are the reason why I can't wait to run my next ultra and why I want to do the same for other runners. The ultra running community is more than just a lose connection of like minded people, it is a family. Only family does for each other what these folks do for each other. Thanks again to all of you. I finished much slower than expected, but I finished...and I am one step closer to the "Pinhoti Grand Slam" nonetheless:-)

Me kissing the finish sign after 32 hours and 35 minutes, Hardrock style;-)

Ed paced me from mile 52 to mile 72, James paced me for the next 15 miles and Ronnie dragged me the last 17 miles. After 32 hours and 35 minutes, I crossed the finish. Yes, I received a Georgia Jewel 100 Mile Finisher buckle, but they are the ones that earned it. I had the easy part, I just had to put one foot in front of the other, listening to their instructions as I went. They had to listen to me whine, complain and try to negotiate my way out of running, but they persevered. As a result, I persevered.

One happy camper at the Georgia Jewel 100 finish line.

As a bonus, I got to watch Liz Bauer finish and break the world record of 100 mile ultra marathons run in one year (26). But Liz isn't done yet, she intends to add 4 more before the year is over. What an amazing performance. As an ultra runner, you're not just surrounded by great people but by great people that are great athletes, too.

Training Log - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Ed and I met up just after 6AM to run a little over 4 miles around the UAH campus near my house. It was the first cooler run since the beginning of summer several months ago and temps were in the high 50s. I actually wore a long sleeve fleece top as I knew our pace would be slow. At this stage, I am just trying to keep my legs loose with the big goal on Saturday in sight.

Training Log - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

With 3-5 inches of rain overnight, Rich made the call early for a little fun mud run on our local trails this morning. I was game. We planned a short 5 mile route with plenty of opportunities for reek crossings that had turned into "ranging rivers" and just plain ol' muddy trails. We kept the pace easy, allowing us enough energy for an engaging conversation. Before I knew it, we arrived back at his house. The weather was perfect with cooler temps and a light drizzle accompanying us along the way. I plan on one or 32 more very short runs just to keep the legs lose before Saturday's big day.

Training Log - Sunday, September 16, 2012

The alarm went of at 3AM this Sunday morning to allow me to meet up with Rich and Ed for what was to be an easy 11 miles on our local trails starting at 4AM. I had a very busy day ahead and figured this would be the only time to squeeze in a longish run. I'm very lucky to have friends who are just as crazy as I am...or maybe they were just being pals providing a running buddy in need with some company;-) Either way, a 3AM wake-up call on a Sunday morning is never considered normal. I picked up Richard just before 4AM and we met up with Ed at the Monte Sano hiker's parking lot just after 4AM. Some chronic issues I've been dealing with in the past decided to flare up again and I ended up cutting the run short. We ended up with half the distance, but I was still glad to have gotten out for this run.

Training Log - Thursday, September

I was able to meet up with the Need For Speed group this evening for planned 400m repeats. However, the Grissom High School track was occupied by it's marching band, so Shannon chose to run Fartleks on the neighboring roads across the street from the school. The layout of the neighborhood lent itself to this type of training. The grid of streets allowed us to run at near maximum pace for .3 miles down one street before turning on the next street for a 70% recovery jog. Once we reached the end of the next street, we would pick up our pace again for another .3 miles. We kept "zigzagging" down the neighborhood and back until we had about 5 or 6 pickups in the books. It was quite a challenge to stick with Shannon's pace during this workout as Jason can attest to as well, but we managed to stay with him for the most part.

When I got home, I finally had a chance to look at our pickup pace for the 5 or 6 repeats. We managed to keep a sub 5:30 min per mile pace for all of the fast legs, not too bad at all. I do not plan an major workouts for the next 8 days in order to give my body time to recharge for the Georgia Jewel.

Training Log - Wednesday, September 12, 2012

After Ed decided to take another day to nurse his heel injury, James and I met up at Richard's house at 5:15AM to get back to our favorite Ranger Station out & back 10 miler up and and back down Monte Sano mountain. This run is mostly technical single track trail with lots of climbing on the way out (up) and lots of technical downhill on the way back. We decided to take an easy pace today, which allowed us to catch up and carry a conversation without fighting for air, which was quite enjoyable. Shortly after filling James in on my running shoe fiasco from Saturday's trail run, I decided to provide him with another tale from the trails. I decided to pick up the pace during the last half mile of technical downhill trail and ended up tripping forward, only softening the blow of the crash by hooking a tree with my right arm on the way down. The inside of my right lower arm looks like a very large "strawberry" (severe rug burn). Luckily, I received no further injuries other than a few scrapes on my left knee. I also managed once again to damage yet another pair of trail shoes, but this time it's only a very tiny tear in the cushioning around the ankle. Anyway, after that and last Saturday's adventure, I pretty much decided to keep it somewhat flat for the remainder of my 100 mile training. The Georgia Jewel 100 is in 10 days and I'm supposed to taper anyway, right?

After work, I decided to join my wife on a nice 5 miler around the UAH campus. I have to admit, it is much for fun to run with someone who is training for a race than it is to run because you are training for a race, does that make sense? It's just running for running's sake and I'm sure I'll be doing much more of that once I've tackled the Gerogia Jewel 100 and Pinhoti 100 in the next couple of months;-)

Training Log - Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I decided to go for a short tempo run after work this evening. I felt a little bad about taking yesterday off, but I think I needed the rest. I ended up with another fastest time, running one of my trusty old running routes around the UAH campus in a new personal best, just over 7 minutes per mile. While this isn't race pace, it is faster than I usually push myself during my training runs. I usually defer those kinds of efforts to actual races. Temps were okay, just slightly warmer than I had hoped, but I was a great 5 1/2 mile run.

Training Log - Sunday, September 9, 2012

I had a great run with my wife Anya this morning. I had my long run yesterday morning and today, it was my wife's turn. I worked out a route that included a one mile "cross country" loop around Redstone Federal Credit Union and the usual UAH loop. We ended up with close to 10 miles. The weather couldn't have been more perfect with temps in the high 60s and no humidity to speak of. I'm really proud of Anya. She's started to train for the Fuego Y Agua 25K in Nicaragua next February and can only run 2-3 times a week due to her work schedule. Still, she's managed to squeeze in a long run of 10 miles just about every weekend. Before long, she'll be running another ultra:-)

Training Log - Saturday, September 8, 2012

Perfect weather for a long trail run this morning. Slight overcast and cooler temps with a chance of rain. I met up with Cary Long, Ed Johnson and a couple of other folks at the hiker's parking lot at 6AM. The plan was to run the 5 mile North loop of the Dizzy Fifties race course before meeting up with a few more runners back at the parking lot at 7AM to run a modified version of the first half of the Mountain Mist race course.

We started running just after 6:05AM and stopped at 6:06AM. One of us had their first wipeout just 50 yards into the run. Well, it's always good to get the falls out of the way early. At 6:09AM we stopped again, Ed had rolled his ankle. Just a minute later, I tripped on a tiny root that literally obliterated my right shoe, ripping two large gashes into the upper and even ripping the rubber material that the upper was attached to. Hm, this was going to be an even longer day if we continued on like this.

However, we were able to continue without problems for now and the first 5 miles went by pretty fast. Back in the hiker's parking lot, we picked up a group of runners including Jason Shattuck to continue our run for an additional 15 miles. Most runners stayed with us for about 5-8miles while Cary, Ed, Jason and I continued on. Unforeseen remaining incidents were reduced to a pitstop and an ankle roll. Jason and Ed peeled off just about a mile early while Cary and I continued to complete just over 19 miles. Intermittent rain showers kept me cool for most of the way and the pace kept me relaxed. I did go through about 100 ounces of liquids during the run and I never felt sloshy. I also took a couple of salt pills and a Honey Stinger waffle and chews to stay fueled.

All in all, it was a great run. I'm not sure how to squeeze in a long run next week, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I plan to do easier runs during the weeks without much climbing. The goals is to keep running while allowing my body and muscles to recover in an effort to taper for the Georgia Jewel 100 in two weeks.

Training Log - Friday, September 7, 2012

Ed stopped by my house this morning at 5:30AM and we headed towards the corner of Wynn Drive and Bradford Blvd to meet up with James. Once we spotted James, we ran the Redstone FCU loop (1 mile) before heading back to the UAH campus for another loop. James veered off after that and Ed and I headed back to my house to complete our run at just under 8.5 miles. We took an easy pace on a flat course. Temps were mild and the humidity, while still a factor, wasn't quite as bad as Monday and Wednesday.

Training Log - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

After taking a day off to spend some more time recovering from this weekend, I was ready to hit the road again this morning with Ed and James. We met up at Research Park for an put and back 9.5 miler that included a nice trail loop up and down Rainbow Mountain. I hadn't run this route since last December and I was looking forward to running it again. James, Ed and I took off at a decent pace and we maintained this pace for most of the way. While the heat was bearable, the humidity was extreme. I was glad I had brought water along with me. When it was all said and done, we had run the second fastest time eve for this route. The only time we went faster was in December almost 3 years ago. Not bad for a training run in extreme heat and humidity.

Training Log - Monday, September 3, 2012

After a disappointing performance at Merrill's Mile 24 Hour Endurance Run due to some stomach issues, it was time to build some confidence back and just get out running again. What better way to get out for a run on Labor Day than to run a new and challenging route. I finally had the chance to run the infamous Mt. Everest Run. This run has three climbs that are no laughing matter according to folks who'd done this run before. I met up with Cary Long, Eric Charette, Christy and Tony Scott and many others at the Weatherly Rd YMCA parking lot at 5PM to get my road climb on;-) We kept an easy pace for the most part, allowing me to run every hill without too much trouble. It was a great workout. We even got a refreshing rain shower for the last couple of miles of our run. It was nice to see that I can still run:-)

Race Report - 2012 Merrill's Mile 24 Hour Endurance Run

Appropriate race logo for an ultra on at an Army Ranger Training Camp.

This one was completely unplanned for me. Lurking on the ultra list as I often do, I noticed a post from ultra runner and fellow Huntsvillian Heather Whiteside regretting that she couldn't participate in the inaugural version of the Merrill's Mile 24 Hour Endurance Run that she had registered for due to a family commitment. She had asked RD Willy Syndram if she could transfer the entry to another runner for free as she just wanted someone to at least get to participate in her stead and I was the lucky winner who replied first. Thanks again to both Willy and Heather for giving me this opportunity. While I certainly didn't have my best performance by a long stretch, I did have an amazing time with lots of ultra runners and ultra friends I hadn't seen in quite some time.

Appropriate logo for a bunch of "dumasses" running in circles;-)

I also got to witness my buddy Timo Sandritter's first ever ultra marathon finish. I used to run university loops with this guy for many many afternoons years ago when he first moved to the States. After a long hiatus from running, he had recently started to participate in a couple of local 5Ks and 10Ks after some training and decided it was time for the next step...a 24 hour ultra marathon. No not really, he just had no plans that weekend and figured, why not go along with Martin and see how many miles I actually can run, if I put my mind to it. Well, he ran a total of 40 miles in less than 13 hours....after never having run more than 10 miles in his entire life. Congrats, Timo. Your next ultra finish is just around the corner, I'm sure;-)

Camping "ultra style" in the center of the dirt track (our canopy is the green one in the far back).

We arrived at Camp Merrill early Friday evening. Pre-race check in took place a a church parking lot across the street from the main gate and RD Willy Syndram looked slightly baffled when we arrived. But why, you ask? Well, my old Garmin sent us through the woods, literally, to get to the camp. 15 miles of jeep roads at the end of which we arrived at the main gate of the camp from the opposite direction of everyone else who obviously took the lone paved road leading to the Ranger's Camp. This was only the tip of the iceberg of our little driving adventure. Instead of routing us around Fort Mountain State Park and the mountain, my Garmin sent us straight through and over. However, it was definitely the more scenic route and unlike the last time I went here (March 2012 to run Double Top 100 Miler), this time I took the time for a quick snapshot of the beautiful view (see below).

View atop Fort Mountain State Park on our drive to Camp Frank D. Merrill.

Once Timo and I got registered (Willy was kindly assisted by Kena), we headed straight for the town of Dahlonega to find our hotel and food. While I did enjoy the Italian restaurant we found, their food appeared to be the cause for the rough night I had ahead of me.

I woke up at 4AM sharp, stomach rumbling...you can guess the rest. I continued the trip the the bathroom multiple times over the next 3 hours and when it was finally time to get up and head for the race, I knew I would be in for a rough race. Regardless of how much fluids I had consumed over the past three days to "prehydrate" for the race, I knew I would be starting the race with a hydration deficit.

We arrived at Camp Merrill around 7:30 AM with plenty of time to set up our supplies and our canopy. Runners had already arrived and more continued to arrive every few minutes. We had a prime spot on the inside of the track near the start/finish area and one of the two aid stations, right next to some GUTS folks (Philip Sustar and his family). Willy and his crew of volunteers were already done setting up and Perry Sebastian was setting up his timing equipment (that Perry guy, even when he's not hosting a race,  he still finds productive ways to get involved in a race. Thanks, buddy!)

By now, it was time to get ready to race. I strapped my GoPro to my head and headed for the starting line to hear Willy send us off on our way. The race course was a 1 mile gravel loop next to the Ranger Camp airfield. The course was fully exposed to the sun for much of the day and that beat down by the sun had a serious affect on every single runner out there. Staying hydrated and avoiding overheating was at the top of the to do list for every runner.

I took a conservative pace approach at the start as I expected it to be a long day. The first 10 miles went by pretty quickly. There were lots of folks I hadn't seen in a while and I was busy catching up and making new friends along the way. Margaret Curcio, Jason Rogers, Brad Goodridge and Candy Finley to name just a few. Ronnie Hines joined us a little later for the 12 hour night time run and there were rumors that Dan "The Man" Burstein made an appearance as well. Unfortunately, I had already left at that point, but more about that later.

Between miles 11 and 20, I started to feel the urge to pee. What happened next basically put a stop to my secondary goal of completing 100 miles in 24 hours. A dark discoloration was accompanied by a burning sensation, a clear indicator that I was severely dehydrated. In an effort to try to recover, I took a lengthy break to rehydrate before continuing on. After a 90 minuted break, it was time to get going again. However, my confidence took another hit when the same issues appeared again just 5 miles later. Still, I continued and didn't stop until I completed 34 miles. It was time once more for another lengthy break. Another 120 minutes later, it was time to get moving yet again. By now it was getting dark and Ronnie had arrived. He was his usual supportive self. Immediately, he offered his help to everyone and shortly after he arrived, he took of to the local watering hole to get some of us runners some grub. That cheeseburger and fries really hit the spot, thanks again Ronnie, you are fantastic. I can't believe I will be able to rely on you during the Georgia Jewel 100 as my crew chief. Selflessly, this guy even ran a few loops to pace both Philip and Kena to their respective victories and 100 mile buckles. Even with all that, he still managed to run 50 miles himself, what a guy!

After I got going again, I continued to struggle with the same issues, but I continued on for a while. Once Timo had completed 40 miles, he decided to took a break. Who could blame him. This guy hadn't run more than 10 miles at a time in his entire life and here he was, completing 40 miles. He felt great...for a few minutes...and then the pain began. Nausea, chills and muscle aches. He was done. I took this as my signal to call it a day as well. I had a big 100 mile trail race just 3 weeks down the road and there was no reason to hurt myself any more. We packed up and headed for a cheap hotel an hour outside of Dahlonega on our way back home. I was happy enough. I got to spend a few hours with friends and fellow ultra runners at a very well run event. Thanks again to RD Willy Syndram and his amazing crew of volunteers. The support was fantastic and I will happily return for more "fun in the sun" next year.