Minding the Ducks for 12 Fantastic Hours

Photo Credits (T. Perry, R. Heerkens Jr.)

72 laps done...and enjoying some well-earned happiness

Never in a hundred years would I have thought that I'd have the opportunity to run an ultra in my childhood home town, just 5 miles from the house I grew up in.  Thinking back to my junior-varsity cross-country days, I recall that my very first organized race, a short 3-mile local invitational, was in Webster Park just down the road from North Ponds.  Here I was on Saturday, some 20+ years later running again in Webster.  It was marvelous.

North Ponds Park is a place I hadn't been to since I was very young.  I have vague memories of flying kites there with my dad when I was probably 8 years old.  When I happened across a listing for a 12-hour ultra event titled "Mind The Ducks" that would take place at the Park, I had to sign up.  I knew that I was already signed up for "3 Days at the Fair" for the following week, but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to run loops around my old childhood stomping grounds.  The only limit I set for myself was to not do anything stupid and mess myself up for 3 Days.  Which...well.....I maybe sort of did do.   Oops.

North Ponds Park (with mile loop around the perimeter)

A view along the lovely course

Another view of the course

Just how close the race was to my old house

The drive up took maybe an hour from where I was staying down in the Finger Lakes.  I was running late due to some road construction and didn't pull into the parking lot until about 6:48 or so.  I had only about 10 minutes to get ready.  Thankfully I came already dressed to run, and simply had to swap shoes, move my supplies bin over to the course, and make a bathroom stop.  I checked in, pinned on my number, and by the time I readied myself I had only about 3 minutes till the start.....but I still needed to hit the restroom.  I figured....well, this is a 12-hour, so it won't really matter if I start a minute or two late.  I stepped into the port-o-potty, took care of business, and outside I could hear some muffled speech through a megaphone.  I never heard an official "start" or horn, but when I stepped out of the restroom, the runners were all already on their way and I was left standing alone at an empty start line.  I couldn't help but chuckle a little.  I stepped over the starting mat, and began jogging my way up to the front of the pack.  

My pace goal from the start was to try to maintain a moderate-to-easy pace for the first 25-30 miles.  To me this mean about a 9 minute mile (perhaps a tiny bit slower).  I ended up pushing it a smidge and was averaging 8:45's for the first 15 or so.  I was kind of using my memory of my Pine Creek Challenge races as a sort-of gauge.  At Pine Creek, I ran comfortably all day, and managed a 10:21 100K.  This meant, if I went a touch slower, I should be able to tack on a few extra over 62, but really didn't think I'd get that far.  Knowing I had "3 Days" the follow week, I kept trying to tell myself that I would limit my effort to 50 miles or less....perhaps even 50k.  Once out there though, I just couldn't bring myself to quit early.  Everything about the day was simply marvelous.  I have been under a lot of stress lately with dissertation writing, so getting out on the beautiful loop in my home town was just too good to quit early.  I was smiling, and enjoying myself...and figured as long as I was having fun, there was no need to stop early.  Life is too short to always be planning for "the next race".  I was in a wonderful event, and I was going to suck the marrow out of it.

Race Start....(and I'm in the outhouse in the back!)

And they're off! (without me)

...and I'm playing catch-up in the first minute of the race.

A lot of people have asked how a self-described "trail-runner" like myself, could possibly enjoy a paved 1-mile loop.  The honest answer is that I'm not entirely sure why I do...but that I just do.  I really just like being outdoors...and running.  It's that simple.  I like mixing things up too and having a diverse blend of events that I participate in.  This way, things don't get stagnant or too familiar.  Last year was the first year I decided to take a stab at timed events and so far, I've really enjoyed them.  I never had any interest in them at all, but now that I've done a few, I can say that my opinion has changed.  I would still choose a narrow, serpentine single-track as my first choice of course, but that doesn't mean running loops around a lovely little park in upstate New York can't also keep me smiling.

As the loops began adding up early in the day, my pace remained fairly steady.  I was maintaining consistent 8:45 - 9:00 minute miles and still smiling.  The course was littered with Canada Geese and flocks of their fuzzy baby goslings, as well as numerous snapping turtles.  I must have stopped a dozen times to pick up stray baby turtles (hatchlings? turtlets? turtlings?) that were on the path...and move them to the grass off-course.  The field of runners was quite diverse with an incredibly positive and fun attitude overall.  I had some great conversations with many throughout the day.  In general, everyone seemed very happy to be there and all had some really great goals set for themselves.  One of the nice bonuses to a 1-mile event too is that you get a spectacular cheering section every 10-15 minutes.  All day as I came through the timing mat, I was welcomed with consistent cheering and encouragement.  Even at the 1/2 mile mark there were small groups set up to cheer us on all day.  This was particularly nice at the top of the short little pitch we had to climb about halfway into the loop.

Early in the day, the weather was perfect.  There was some misty clouds keeping the sun slightly shaded, and there was a slight breeze to keep us cooled off.  It was truly perfect running weather.  As the day approached noon though, the clouds cleared up and the sun got nice and hot (with some added humidity to boot).  It wasn't miserable, but it definitely slowed people down, myself included.  I was a little late getting the sunblock on too, and ended up with some slight sunburn.

Coming in to the end of a loop

Cruising down the one "hill" on the course

Geese!

When I hit the Marathon mark, I decided to take a 5 minute rest break.  I made a pit stop, and then visited my supplies bin where I finally put on some sunblock, chapstick, and changed into my more ventilated button-down shirt.  I rolled my legs out with my "Stick" and simply took a few minutes to myself walking around to the aid station.  I had my bin set up about 0.1 miles from the finish, so it felt good to walk for a short bit.  At the station I finally enjoyed a nice sit-down break.  Up until this point, I had no idea what place I was in.  Each lap I saw my name pop up on the top of the TV screen, but just assumed I was on top because I was the most recent person to cross the mat.  It turns out that I was looking at the leader board.  I honestly hadn't even thought I'd have a chance to place at this event as I knew the current record holder was supposed to be running again (He had done something like 87 miles back in 2011).  It turns out, he wasn't there though.  I would be happy to get the 100K so was quite surprised to find out I was leading the race by 2 laps.  The race director announced as I came through that I was the "first marathon finisher!".  It was pretty exciting, but it also started to churn up some old memories of finding out I was leading at Pine Creek.  Now what?  Do I keep running to simply enjoy myself, or do I knowingly push the pace to try to secure the win?  I fought this question for the better part of the next 20 miles.  I did NOT want to push it, but there's just something so exciting about knowing you're leading a race...a feeling I almost never get (only once before).  I decided to just try to keep maintaining my steady pace, rather than to push it,  in hopes that everyone else would be slowing down throughout the day.  If by chance, someone were to catch me, than I would give them a hardy congrats and celebrate with them, as they would have obviously paced themselves better throughout the day than I did.  At this point there wasn't a whole lot I could really do other than to just keep trucking along and hope to maintain my lead.

The day continued to get hotter, and I was starting to slow significantly.  I was talking short walk breaks, and stopping consistently for 10-20 second breaks at the aid station.  The volunteers were wonderful though, and always made sure to have my bottle filled for the next loop.  I felt bad during the afternoon as the wind really began to pick up, and everything was blowing away.  They put in some monumental efforts to keep things "glued" down to the table.  As far as nutrition, I played it relatively well.  I kept a steady flow of gels coming through the day, and popped down occasional fruit, pretzels, and candy when I felt like it.  At lunch time I ate a couple of small pieces of pizza too.  I did get a little behind on my salt, until I realized they had tabs at the station.  After a few hours of catch up, I did finally feel like I got myself regulated and never had any major stomach discomfort.  I probably should have drank more throughout the day though as I didn't make as many bathroom stops as I would have liked.

By late afternoon the clouds had started to cover up the sun, and the temps became pleasant again.  It was a nice relief.  As I approached the 50-mile mark I was rather surprised to see that my time was 7:49, literally the exact same time that I posted for my fastest ever 50-mile PR at Tussey Mountain.  Granted this was a flat 1-mile loop, but this obviously had me a smidge worried as this seemed way too fast (although my body didn't seem to feel like it was).  I still felt ok and wanted to keep jogging away.  At mile 57, I was surprised when I came around a loop a bit tired and in need of a pick-me-up, to find my wonderful partner and other-half waiting for me and cheering me on near the finish.  I told her not to make the drive up from the Finger Lakes, but I was glad to see her...and glad that I would be seeing her for the final 3 hours.  Talk about a pick-me-up!  My sister and my nephew would show up just another half-hour later and it was simply fantastic to see them both at one of my events.  My nephew is coming up on his 1-year birthday and he seemed like he was having a great time and smiling each time I passed by.  Perhaps my plan to secretly plant the subliminal seed early for him to be an ultrarunner...is working!  It certainly brought a smile to my face to see them all each loop.   When I finally hit 62 miles just a hair over 10 hours (a new PR for 100k for me), I decided I needed a long break.  I sat for along time with my family and rolled out my legs on the grass.  I played with my nephew a bit and we all just talked about whether or not I should keep going for the final 2 hours.  I decided to just walk a full loop and see how I felt.  

Coming in on one of the many mid-day hot loops.

After the one-mile walking loop, I took note of the leader-board and saw that I still maintained a 4-loop lead.  I had sort of reasoned at this point that even if just plodded along for the final 1hr 40mins, that I'd probably keep the win.  So I began jogging.  But then the math started to kick in.  I started playing the numbers game of how many laps could I get in.  At first I thought hitting 70 would be about right.  But then I quickly realized that 71 was totally doable.  Finally, I thought it would somehow be a good idea if I ran 8:30 miles for 3 miles...then I could get in 72.  Not my most intelligent idea, but nonetheless what I decided to go with.

So miles 69, 70, and 71 were less than pleasant.  I began huffing, and grunting, and pushing rather hard just so that I'd guarantee myself at least 12 minutes for that last mile and perhaps a chance to walk a bit. For those three miles I never stopped at the aid station, I never refilled my bottle, I just ran solid.  And...well....it hurt a bit.  I had played it so safe all day, and yet here I was, likely blowing out my legs, just 30 minutes before the finish.  Oh well...carpe diem right?  At this point most of the field was still out there chugging along and most still quite happy.  I was really thrilled by all of the cheers and encouragement from the all as I made my way around those last miles.  I tried as much as I could to also offer words of encouragement all day to everyone that I could.  I was really impressed by everybody's effort all day.  There were likely many detailed and storied personal challenges at play out there that I wasn't aware of...and I know that all that participated should feel proud of their accomplishments.  

Finishing lap 70

Coming in at the end of 71, not feeling great...but

just one more to go

Finishing Lap 71...One more

As I rounded the finish stanchion at the end of 71, I tossed my water bottle, and began my final lap  with a full 16 minutes to do it.  I knew that this would be plenty of time to take it easy.  My pace slowed to a meager trot, and I tried to take in the cool air and enjoy the last mile to its fullest.  I stopped to walk about 1/2 way in to the lap and even stopped at one point to admire one last gaze over the ponds.  It was a fantastic way to end the day.  I walked a leisurely stroll along the far side of the park and when I rounded the last turn along the highway, I picked it back up to a slow jog.  I trotted the final 2/10 into the finish and crossed the line with almost 4 minutes still to spare.  I immediately walked over to the the plushest bit of grass I could find and laid down for a long 10 minutes.  I missed the final runner crossing the line at 12:00 hours exactly but certainly heard the cheers.  

The Finish (11:56:28).  72 Laps, 72.86 miles

Overall I was thrilled with my day.  Today, my soreness has all but gone, which is good, but I likely will have to take it quite easy at 3 Days.  To me, this is ok though.  I was able to notch only my 2nd victory ever with a quite respectable 72 laps (72.86 miles), and keep a hearty smile on for 95% of the day.  The volunteers were top notch, the race director took a very active role in the race and was there all day cheering everyone on, and even dressed up in a full shirt/tie.  I think it's quite refreshing to participate in an event that is run so well as an entire package.....especially one in my home town!  Thanks also go to the sponsors.

Thanks all for a great experience, and perhaps I'll see you gain in '15.  It was a pleasure running and chatting with each of you.

-j

Some gear and geek stuff:

• I went very standard for this event and brought very little with me.  I ran the first half in just an old beat-up running shirt and running shorts, and at the marathon mark changed into my old polyester button-down shirt.  I wore an old pair of Hokas that already had way too many miles on them, but they held up fine.  The tread was already severely worn, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to wear them even more.  Needless to say they are looking pretty bad now.

• I carried a single old water bottle for random laps throughout the day, but never any food.

• I ate mostly gels and fruit (and assorted aid station food), and took some occasional salt tabs

• I drank a fair amount of caffeine (mtn dew), ginger-ale for my stomach, and gatorade/powerade

• I took a tylenol late in the day.

FINAL RESULTS:  Mind The Ducks Results

Garmin Data:  Mind the Ducks Garmin

(The elevation data is messed up however)

My numbers plot clearly shows how my pace played out.  My first 26 were quite steady, and then I began to get rather erratic.  These times reflect my total pace including breaks (not just moving pace).  You can see things like my 26 mile break, and my breaks and walking loops at the end.  Additionally, you can see the 3 miles near the end where I picked it up.  I'm fairly certain that had the race been a few hours longer, that the top women's finisher (Vikki Baylis) would have likely caught me as she was only a few miles behind and was doing a much better job at keeping a steady pace all day.  Which reminds me.....major kudos to the womens field in general.  The leaders ran really smart races and placed 5 of the 10 overall finishes.  It was basically dead even between the top 5 mens and top 5 womens finishers if you compare times and stats.

Race Pace

One last thing....the prize swag is fantastic!  I honestly wasn't even really expecting anything over-the-top when it comes to swag, but the prizes here were definitely top notch.  I came away with an enormous bag of goodies, including a Buff, a thermos, coffee mug (already been used btw), and various other fun things.  I thought the way the race director set up the prizes was both clever, and very motivating.  He had assigned various prizes for each "milestone".  In other words, you got something for hitting the marathon mark, and then something else for hitting 50k, and 50 miles.  Lastly, you got the final awards for topping 100K...which is how I came away with all the prizes even including a small cooler and a Mind the Ducks towel.  I think this made for very discrete milestones for people to focus on achieving.  

I even got a wooden hand-made first-place finishers award!

All of my crazy goodies!

Overall MTD Winner Award.  Sweet!

Playtime at Greenwood Furnace

Greenwood's famous (and historic) iron furnace stone stack

I decided to post a few words about a little race that took place over the weekend in my backyard.  It wasn't any high-profile ultra, nor an event one my find featured in ultrarunning magazine....but it was an incredibly fun and feisty event with some great after-run food and drink.  I didn't take any pictures so this post will be very short with a few stock photos.  My whole idea here is to simply reiterate the fact that you often don't really need to look that far to find great little local races that pack in a lot of fun, and allow you to spend a few hours on some spectacular trails with some really great people.

Last year I ran the 2nd annual Greenwood Trail Challenge which happened to be sandwiched in nicely between the Hyner View 50K, and my 3 Days at the Fair.  This year, Hyner was a week later, meaning that the Greenwood was just a week after.  I knew if I ran it again this year, I'd be a little more sluggish.  Still, I decided it was simply too good of an opportunity to pass up.  Despite the relatively short distance (13 miles) of the course, the Greenwood Trail Challenge is a monster.  It packs a whopping 3300' of gain in this short distance, and many of the miles are littered with brutal and unending Pennsylvania rock gardens.  This race is about as technical as you can get on the East Coast and I don't say that lightly.  I suppose if you did some off-trail running in the mountains of Southern Maine or New Hampshire, you could rival the technical level of Greenwood, but for official "trails", this is right up there with the Frozen Snot or Rothrock Challenge.  There's a reason that Appalachian Trail thru-hikers refer to Pennsylvania as the place "where hiking shoes go to die".  The rocks here along the orocline of the Appalachian fold-thrust belt are legendary, especially within the area of Rothrock State Forest.  Any  trail runners out there who regularly participate in events in PA will tell you the same.  Putting aside larger known events the like Laurel Highlands and the upcoming inaugural Eastern States 100, there are a series of more "local" races (The PA Trail Runner Trophy Series) that are put on each year that are all as tough as nails that many outside of PA don't even know about.  Races like the Rothrock Challenge, Hyner View, Frozen Snot, the Megatransect, the Dam Half/Full, the Dam Scramble, and the Mile Run Trail Challenge Half-Marathon.  Sure most of these events aren't even "ultras" so to speak, but all of them are ass-kickers, and offer up about as much fun as you could ask for as a trail runner.  On top of that, they all have fantastic race directors, and all have the home-grown/local feel that I love so much in a good trail race.  When the day comes that I leave the state of PA, I will certainly miss these little gems.

A typical picture from the "rocky" Appalachian Trail in PA

The short story on the race itself was that it went fairly smoothly.  I ran way too hard with a ridiculously high heart-rate for the entire event.  I was pretty miserable on the climbs, and sluggish to boot.  I was getting passed quite regularly on the climbs despite feeling like I was moving well.  I made up for it though with quick descents and very fast running on what little level terrain there was.  Almost every runner that passed me during the race I was able to re-pass by the finish....coming in 9th place overall and about 5 minutes slower than last year.   The rain held off, but because of the damp air, many of the rocks were very slippery.  This instinctively made me slow down a smidge on the descents and keep it slightly conservative.  I was out there to have some semblance of fun, not to kill myself on a stupid wipeout.  There's little room for error on a course like this.  If you take a gnarly spill, it could end very badly.  I think most of the 5 minutes I lost from last year came from this more conservative approach to the rocks.  Despite the high heart-rate, and sluggish climbs, I still had a good time, and was able to catch up with some friends before and after the race.  The race directors again provided a fantastic spread of great food and drink and many of us relaxed and traded trail stories after the run.  It ended up being the perfect way to start a Sunday morning.

The short description of the course is quite simple.  You start the race with a quick up-and-down, and then make the first big 1400 foot climb up to the Greenwood Tower.  Its important to note that even on top when you finally get some "flat" runable trail, it is littered with jagged rocks making for some extremely technical navigation.  The course then immediately takes you down the even more technical Greenwood Spur Trail (A spur of the mid-state trail) down to the Alan Seeger Natural Area.  This is one of the most technical official "trails" in all of Rothrock.  A few years ago, I was actually doing repeats on this climb/descent as a part of my Barkley training.  Once at the bottom of this descent, you get spoiled with a 1-mile road section to stretch the legs.  I was able to pull off a sub-8 minute mile in here and it felt great.  It ends quickly though and the toughest climb of the course begins.  Another 1400 ascent back up to the tower, but with a notorious pitch in the middle that requires some "All-Fours" scrambling.  It's amazing how less than 10 miles into a trail race you can feel so utterly spent by this point, but this course will do that to you.  At the top, you pass by the tower again, and get to cruise the long downhill back towards the finish line.  Like last year, I ran the last mile in about 7:40 pace and crossed the finish spent.  My recovery was quick though as my belly was soon full of some great home-cooked food.  I should note that the volunteers along the course were fantastic as well and made sure we stayed on course in the few confusing spots.

If I'm around next year, I'm sure I'll be running it again.

hike on everyone,

-j

Here was my GPS Track for the day:  Greenwood Furnace Trail Challenge

Official Results: Greenwood Furnace 2014 Results

GPS Track

Elevation Profile.  Up-Down-Up-Down, pretty much sums it up.

Google Earth view

Some typical trail tread (photo: GFTC website)

Another Fun Outing at Hyner View 50k

Photo Credits (P. Lopes, seePArun.com)

Along the "Cliffhanger" Trail (mile 1.5)

For a third year in a row, I again found myself climbing and descending the steep and rocky hillsides deep within the region of the Appalachian Plateau, near Hyner, PA.  It seems that I just can't stay away from the wonderful little gem of a race, known as the "Hyner View Challenge",  tucked away in the remote north-central part of the state.  There's something about this event that always brings me back.  I guess you could say it's a lot of things....ranging from the great course, to the wicked-fun climbs, to the technical trail-tread, to the outstanding after-party.  Simply put, everything about this race really is quite a treat.  The volunteers are great, the race director is top notch, and even the swag bag came replete with merino wool socks!  The registration fee is incredibly reasonable as well, considering the course you get spoiled with.

A few years ago when I signed up for this race, I had just sort of figured it'd be good to do being that it was somewhat "local".  In the end, despite the great course, I had somewhat of a mediocre day.  I was still incredibly sore from the Barkley and simply went out too hard.  I have a tendency to mis-judge my effort level for 50k's (it's always been somewhat of an awkward distance for me - would much rather do a 50m or 100m).  I finished fairly well (6:05ish), but wasn't sure I would ever go back, or do another 50k for that matter.  But one year later, I did decide to give it another go, and last year I showed up to see if I could get out of the running funk I had found myself in.  I ended up having a wonderful time on the course, and a much needed re-awakining with my love of the trails.  It was in a sense therapeutic, and I had a great finish time to boot (5:44ish).

Going into the race this year, I knew I wasn't quite as trained as I'd like.  I took a lot of time off after Barkley these past 4 weeks and simply wasn't in top Hyner shape.  I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be going after any records this year....but rather just going out to enjoy the beautiful course.  I wanted to come away from the race smiling, and in good enough shape that I wouldn't be sore for a week.  To me, there was no point in racing full steam.  I really just wanted to especially take note of the scenery this year as well, as I often have forgotten to really look around on this course.  Some of the vistas are simply spectacular (particularly from the escarpment on first climb).

The race began an hour earlier than usual this year.  The idea behind this was to hopefully help curb some of the "traffic jamming" that has traditionally occurred when the 50k runners come back into the course and back-up against some of the 25k crowds.  It's never been a problem for me, as any 25k runners I've come up on in the past have always been incredibly gracious and accommodating, making sure to give me plenty of room to pass.  Still, the race director thought it might smooth things out bit.  This did mean a 7:00 am start though.  

About 150+ of us lined up on the road and after a few words from the director, we were off.  The first mile takes us along a road and allows for the crowd to spread out a bit.  Once the single track starts, it's much harder to pass as the first section of trail is very narrow.  I was pretty happy to be running in my first ultra since the Barkley.  It felt great to know I'd be playing on some fantastic single-track for the next 6+ hours too, so I was quite content regardless of my position entering the single-track.

Lining up for the start, getting some instructions from the RD

...and we're off!

The entire field heading out over the bridge towards the single track

I very quickly found myself in a decent position in the pack.  I was more concerned about just having some room to stretch my arms and legs, than where I was place-wise.  It can get pretty crowded at Hyner, and I did get stuck in moderate conga line on the first big climb up to the View.  I knew once at the top though, things would spread out, so I didn't sweat it.  Instead, I just tried to chat it up with my fellow runners and keep everyone smiling.  It helped to make the 1500'+ climb go much faster.  This year I also was spoiled in that my partner-in-crime and other-half had come to cheer me on, and was waiting at the View.  It always a wonderful treat to come around a corner, or top out on a climb and see her...so I was quite thrilled once I reached the the top.

Looking down from "Hyner View" to the highway bridge (and start line)

my "pack" topping out at Hyner View after a blood-pumping 1500'+ climb

relaxing in the "pack"

All right...time to RUN some downhill!

Starting the descent back down from the top

The day went as smooth as I could have hoped.  I ran solid through all of the descents, being careful not to fully "open up".  I didn't want my quads destroyed, so I kept my internal speed-governor turned on.  Several runners would pass me on those descents, but I pushed steadily on my climbs, often re-passing them, and never really ceasing; even running some of the climbs on occasion.  I made sure to fully enjoy the aid stations this year too and chat with the volunteers.  I wasn't in any particular hurry, so I took a minute or two to simply make some conversation with them.  Some of those stations are pretty remote, and I know it's quite a pain to get food and supplies out there.  I tried to at least let them know that I was appreciative and thankful.  

The climbs and descents rolled on, and my energy level kept fairly steady.  I was vigilant about my gel and salt intake, and I never ran into any trouble.  It did start getting a bit hot as it got closer to noon and the sun came out, but it was nothing a little water over the head couldn't solve.  Miles ticked by and I honestly didn't really care.  I was truly enjoying myself and again Hyner was helping to bring out that inner kid in me.  I was having a blast considering the monumental amount of climbing and descending. The 50k deals up a whopping 7500+ feet of total ascent...and you definitely feel it.

Google Earth track of course

mmmm....7500 glorious feet of ascent.  Good times.

Eventually, after making the extended loop of the 50k course, I did re-connect back in with the 25k course and with the 25k runners.  For me, and where I was in the course, the 7:00 am start actually meant that I hit larger number of runners...although they were moving generally faster than the runners I would have hit last year.  In the end though, the time difference was probably a wash as it took me longer to pass the larger crowds this year.  

By the time I made it to the Post Draft descent, I was starting to get fatigued.  I still had the one last gnarly climb up Cleveland Hollow and the SOB, but after that I knew it would be smooth sailing.  I sort of tucked in behind a large group of 25kers and was content to just stay put.  I had no overwhelming desire to try and pass the 30 or so people in front of me, so I just stayed with them until we all topped out after the SOB.  Once there, I fueled up for one last time and took off around the horseshoe and down the final screaming descent along Huff Run back to the road.  I was pushing out some quick miles at this point just anxious to get to the great food and drink at the post-race party.  I had had a fantastic day, but was ready to cross that line and enjoy a well-deserved rest.  Thankfully though, and just as planned,  I was still smiling as I crossed the highway bridge...although most certainly out of gas as I headed up the final small climb to the finish stanchion.  As I came around the corner I noted my watch time was a sliver under 6 hours so I jogged up to the finish so that I would stills squeak in under the mark.  As I crossed the line, the finish clock read 5:59:52 (my watch read 5:59:24).  I was quite thrilled with this time considering my goals this year.  I had no intention of setting any speed records and simply wanted to take it easy.  The fact that I still managed a sub-6 hour finish is just gravy on top!  After the race I caught up with many of my fellow runners and friends and enjoyed copious amounts of fantastic food and drink.  I can easily say again without hesitation that the Hyner post-race party is the best I've ever found.  The race registration is worth it alone just for the food and party!  I think I managed to finish in the top 20 overall, but honestly the fact that I was still moving fairly well and smiling at the finish...and am sitting here 24 hours later not really sore at all, means that I accomplished all of my goals for race day.  If I'm still in PA next year, you can be sure I'll be running Hyner again.  I can proudly say that I've run every 50k since its inception at this event (the 50k began in 2012, so I'm 3 for 3!).

Good times for sure this year.

hike on my friends,

-j

Squeaking in under 6 hours (5:59:52)

Time to eat some barbecue chicken and home-made brownies!

Garmin Stats:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/488246167

On a side, "gear-head", note....I again went with a new pair of trail running shoes for this event.  I had started running my Rothrock training runs in La Sportiva Ultra Raptors and found that they work fantastic for very technical trails.  I even used them at Barkley for 2 of my loops this year.  The only downside is they are a bit heavy.  After chatting with another fellow Barker this year, I decided to give the new Bushido a try, and so far I've been extremely happy with them.  I ran the race in these babies and my feet held up great.  The grip was good, and no matter what sort of sharp rock I was running over, I never felt a thing.  The best way I can describe them is that they feel like the Raptors, only lighter.  Plus...they are bright yellow....which is always fun!!

Last year I ran Hyner in the Sportiva Helios which were also fantastic, however they are somewhat fragile and just don't hold up very well to the technical trails.  For the $115 dollars you'll drop on them, it just doesn't seem worth it to me.  I've since worn the Helios as my "everyday" shoes and find that they are incredibly comfortable in that function.

Sporting my new Sportiva Bushidos

2014 Barkley Marathons Run Report

Photo credits (John Price, Karen Jackson, Karine Comeau, et al.)

3-Loop Fun Run Finished (Just BARELY!!!)

I came into this year's Barkley run in a very different and unfamiliar mind-space than I had the previous two years........let me explain,

Back in 2012, I was completely and whole-heartedly all-consumed by the idea of finishing. My training was regimented and intense.  I was single in purpose and a goal of a sub-60 hour finish was my only option.  I had spent months studying every resource available, fallen asleep nightly dreaming of climbs and descents I'd never even seen in person, and imagined nothing greater than touching that yellow gate after 5 loops.  My schoolwork suffered a bit, I saw very little of friends, family, and loved-ones, and getting my daily hill workouts in was not optional....it was required.  It helped that we had fantastic weather that year, which made compass-navigating more feasible...and a finish more possible.  When somehow, I was able to pull off the impossible and actually finish, I wasn't quite sure how to feel.  Certainly it was incredible, and I knew I had earned something that no one would ever be able to take away, but I didn't know how it would affect my trail and ultrarunning in general.  I sort-of wandered for a bit and had trouble finding enjoyment out of other races for several months afterward.  I kind of had this nagging feeling of "what's next?".  It wasn't just that I finished either.  It was the entirety of the event.  I loved the people, the atmosphere, the culture, and the camaraderie of the Barkley.  It was a how an event should be in my mind.  When I showed up to some future races that year, I was turned-off by the sponsorships, the swag bags, the expos, and the corporate feeling.  I still had some fun at events like Hyner and Finger Lakes....but other events made me feel out of place.  I just wanted to go back to Frozen Head, to a place and an event that made me feel as I should.

When I got accepted for 2nd attempt last year, I was ecstatic to be going back.  I had been pining for it for almost a year and while tucked away in my little tent in Antarctica, I could think of nothing other than getting back out there and playing on the steep and briar-infested slopes at Frozen Head.  My training in 2013 was even more intense.  I pushed harder than I ever had in my life hitting 100+ mile weeks, 35,000' ascent weeks, and streaks lasting all winter.  I wanted to finish a 2nd time.  At least I thought I did.  I came to the 2013 Barkley more trained than for any other event in my life, even more so than the 2012 race.  Showing back up to Frozen Head was magical.  I was home again.  I played in the park for a week or so before the race and sucked the marrow out of it.  I got to be the veteran, giving advice (some good, some bad) to the virgins as they began to file in.  It was awesome.  I got to catch up with Brett, Travis, Jared, Carl, Nick and the Abbs' (along with many others).  It was truly magical.  When the race started, I comfortably, and strongly pushed out a quick 8:24 first lap in mediocre weather, still feeling great.  I knew that I was more trained and it was showing.  I was on great pace to finish again, even with the new course change.  But then something happened.  On loop 2, a whirlwind of things piled up on me and left me feeling empty.  I had stopped eating and the cold rain steered me into a hypothermic state.  A group of us got lost in the fog and I felt personally responsible for ruining their race.  My last quote that I remember uttering to Nick and Travis as we passed each on Rat Jaw on loop 2 was, "Guys.....I'm in a horrendously dark place right now...and it is so indescribably terrible".  Nick, trying to be encouraging said something along the lines of "Just don't quit at the tower!  Finish this loop dammit!".  But I did quit at the tower.  I stumbled down the mountain a cold, shivering, hypothermic, and depressed disaster.  Laz tapped me out and told me that even had I been legally finishing loop 2, he would have pulled me because I was shivering so badly.   I wasn't so much mad about quitting as I knew, for safety and health reasons, that it was likely the right thing to do, but I was confused and saddened by the horrible despondency and depression I was feeling.  I had never felt that way during an event before and it was simply awful.

As the following day went on, I found solace in becoming a member of Travis's crew and support.  In 2012, he and Alyssa were a big reason for my finish, so I got to feel like I was returning the favor.  Seeing he (and Nick) triumph was magical, and allowed me to find some peace out of the entire ordeal. When I got home I didn't run for a long time....weeks.  I couldn't find my center and I struggled with a lot of things.  I had lost sight of what it was that was important to me with regards to being outdoors and playing on trails, and my experience at the Barkley allowed me to realize this.  I slowly found my compass bearing again, and started up with the running...more cognizant of the aesthetics and beauty of the running, and not so much the number-crunching.  Gradually I found that happiness again, and ended up having an incredibly fun year playing at events like 3 Days, and Vol State.  I slowed down a bit in 2013, and like I said, I tried to enjoy the trails and roads more for what they were, and not for the times I might clock running on them.  It was a bit of a soul-search I had to go through I think, a sort-of running-epiphany....but one that I necessarily needed.  It was my failure at Barkley that made it possible.

So....when I applied for this year's Barkley, I wrote a very different kind of essay and had a very different mental goal for my run.  I knew, without question, that I would not be able to get in the training that I would really need, especially if the course change was to be at all significant (which it WAS!).  I have been in the final stages of writing up my doctoral thesis, and finding time to squeeze in the necessary hill workouts was an incredibly difficult struggle.  Still, I got in a fair amount...and enough to give me a small fighting chance.  The most important thing to me this year was to just enjoy as much time as I could on the course for whatever that meant.  I wanted to just be out there.  I also had made the decision beforehand that I would not forcefully latch on to anyone.  I would simply do my own thing, and if that meant I was around others great...but if others went ahead, that'd be great too.  I wanted to find myself on the course, and absorbing the experience within my own mind.  No ipods, no time-math, no crazy heart-rate monitoring....just me and the woods.   I had made a few other adjustments as well....like that I had decided that I would use my trekking poles this year...something that I had wished I had done last year.  I proved in 2012 that a stick works, but I missed my poles for sure.  I also carried a lot more clothing, rain gear, and food....so I was heavier.  I knew the forecast was not looking so great so I didn't want to screw around with hypothermia again.  There were also a lot of people I was really looking forward to meeting and catching up with this year.  People like Willy "Natureboy" Syndram (with whom I hiked the 75 miles of the Smokies on my AT thru-hike back in 07),  and Heather "Anish" Anderson, the current PCT speed record holder.  I knew other fast runners with large ultra resumes would be coming too...people like Jamil Coury and Eva Pastalkova, that I was looking forward to chatting with.  But as always, I was really looking forward to seeing the likes of the legends like Ed Furtaw, Matt Mahoney, Mike Dobies, Stu Gleman, and of course Laz himself.  I wanted a year to relish in, and remember, regardless of the outcome.  I knew in my heart, that this could be my last year participating in a while as I just don't know where I'll be, and what I'll be doing next year at this time.

THE REPORT:

This year I again came to Frozen Head a few days early, but mostly just to get myself in the right headspace, not so much to explore trails.  I did spend a few days making some trailed loops around the park, but mostly I just sat in my cheap motel room in Wartburg or my tent at Frozen Head working on my thesis.  As the week got closer to Friday, I was amazed at how slowly people were filing in to camp.  I thought for sure that more virgins would want as much time as possible to prod the veterans for useful info...but it seemed there was a general attitude this year of "ahhh...I'll just follow a veteran"  By Thursday afternoon people were still slowly trickling in, and I found myself settled in nicely at the site right next to my site from the previous 2 years.  I was sharing with a few others, and right next to the Abbs' and Jared.  It was a great little group.  I wandered around and met whom I could, caught up with those I knew, and chatted with the virgins.  I helped a few with map issues, tried to give hints where I could...but mostly just relaxed.  I did not do any running or hiking for the 2 days before the race.  I simply ate and took it easy.  On Friday afternoon, Laz put out the map and we all glared at it in horror as we envisioned the new 600+ foot climb that we'd now have to do (Hiram's Vertical Smile).  Last year's change, while not trivial, was still manageable.  This year though, it was going to definitely add some time onto loops.  It was quite significant....and we all knew it.  Even Jared knew it.  I prepped my gear, set up my car-aid-station, made my food bags, and wrote down all of my necessary compass headings on my two maps.  It all went fairly smoothly, and I was relaxing again by the time the chicken came out.  I enjoyed some lively banter up by the fire and traded some good Vol State and Barkley stories (particularly with Alan).  The general opinion around camp was that Laz was going to start the race early morning, but no one knew for sure.  I was guessing a 5 - 6 am start.  Sure enough the conch blew at 5:46 am waking me up in my tent after a very poor night's sleep.  

Talking chicken and Vol State with Alan and Nikki.

We all scrambled around getting our gear and supplies in order.  I burned through 20 minutes just taping and prepping my feet, but it was worth every minute of it.  Thankfully I had prepped my entire bag the night before so really just had to eat, and freshen up before heading up to the gate.  About 5 minutes before the cigarette, I checked in and took my place at the front of the gate.  I wanted to again take a spot near the front up Bird Mountain.  I knew Jared would likely go out first, but I had hoped to be not far behind.  At precisely 6:46 am, Laz lit the cigarette and we were off....

6:46 AM Start (still in the dark)

LOOP 1:

The forecast for the race was basically that the first day would be on-and-off rain, cooler, with a very cold first night (with maybe even some snow).  There were also conflicting reports of high winds for later in the day.  In other words I knew the first 18-24 hours would be tough and I mentally prepared for it.  I would not be pulling out another 8:24 loop, pending some miracle.  I led the wave up Bird Mountain with the Abbs', Jamil, and Jodi not far behind.  At the top we broke off onto the Cumberland Trail taking at least 6-8 people with us.  It was a large crew that seemingly wanted to keep us veterans in sight.  After quick work through Fangorn we came upon the first book and chaos ensued.  Everyone frantically wanted their pages first.  It was a bit of a push/shove match but eventually I left with my page just behind Alan and Bev.  We bolted down Checkmate still pulling several other runners with us and before we knew it were climbing up to Jury Ridge.  At the top, we put our game faces on as we began the dreaded new section.  After grabbing the new Book 2 just off of Jury Ridge's ridgeline, we took an incorrect line down to the confluence and Book 3.  We ended up passing the gas well, but were still too far North.  We wandered around for a good 10 minutes looking for the draw and the confluence and eventually bumped into Jared who was also wandering around looking for the Book.  We all agreed we were too far North as the landscape didn't seem right, and after a good 15 minutes we finally found the right place and the book.  We began the new, and very steep climb back up to the North Boundary Trail where we would pop back in to the usual course.  From here on out, the course would be the same as last year.  On the climb, the first real significant one of the day, I noticed I was already lagging behind the others.  I decided that I would do my own thing and let them go on ahead.  I was here to enjoy myself and that was it.  What none of us knew was that while were were looking for Book 3, several others passed us.  At the top of the climb, we scrambled up the Vertical high wall (which was tons of fun!), and popped out on the NBT.  I jogged my way along the trail, past the coal ponds (passing several others along the way) until the final switchbacks up to Garden Spot.  I hiked up and gathered the book...making sure to eat as well.  By this point, the rains and fog had started.  I had caught up to Jodi at this point and I decided to navigate down through the Stallion, Butt-slide, Fyke's sections.  

The two of us made quick, albeit briar-infested work up on Stallion, and were soon descending down to the New River.  The Abbs and Jamil were still well out of view ahead of us.  We had some great conversation up and over the Spectacle and I showed him the navigation ropes up Pig Head Creek.  My climbing was still labored, but I was having fun.  Once we hit Rat Jaw, the rain was full-on.  It was cold, windy, wet, and foggy on the climb.  This also meant that the mud had become similar to last year...almost impassible.  We found ourselves climbing Rat Jaw by staying on top of the briars for traction.

Alan, Bev, Jamil Descending....Jodi and I ascending 

(I'm at the top of picture, a bit behind Jodi)

Jodi killing the climb up RatJaw

Final push up Ratjaw

Topping out in the fog

Jodi and I getting pages at the tower (Loop1)

I made the descent with Jodi and we made quick work through the prison tunnel.  On the other side we could see the Abbs' and Jamil starting the climb up the Bad thing and we figured we'd probably catch up to them if things went well.  We dove into the briars by the water towers and began the slow and painful climb up the Bad Thing (probably my least favorite climb on the entire course).  I explained the contour around the top to the proper capstone and we nailed it almost dead on.  Within a minute or so on the top we were tearing our pages out and checking our compass headings for our descent down zip line.   Our line wasn't terrible down, but was a smidge off as we found ourselves a little off course near the bottom.  We spotted the Abbs' and Jamil across the creek though and jumped in to join them.  The 5 of us got our Beech Fork pages and climbed Big Hell together to the summit.  After the long/slow climb, we grabbed our last pages and began the jog/run back to camp down from Chimney Top.  The wind was blowing and I had to stop to put on another rain shell.  We had a good pace all the way back to camp and came up on the gate at about 9 hours 12 minutes....a little slower than I would have liked, but not bad considering the rain and fog that had been plaguing us all day.  I knew the night loop was going to be tough and I informed the others I'd be spending 20-25 minutes in camp.

LOOP 2:

In camp I moved with purpose, but also made sure not to miss anything.  I knew on our current time and pace, we'd likely get through the new parts still in daylight which was fantastic in my book.  We each spent about 25 minutes eating, and resupplying.  I was careful to bring lots of extra clothing.  I knew it was going to be a cold night, and even though the rain had mostly stopped, we were all still wet  and would get even colder as the night moved on.  Additionally, the winds had started to pick up.  At the gate, we all checked out and began the climb up Bird.  Things went smoothly at checkmate, and we were soon climbing up to Jury Ridge mentally preparing for the new parts.  I was again lagging a bit, and had decided that once on the climb up from the new section, I would slow up a bit and let the others go ahead.  This time, we navigated book 2 perfectly with the help of Jodi (who had nailed it his first time through).  On the climb, I watched as the others slowly pulled away and I mentally prepared for a long, cold night alone.  I took time to eat, and kept a smooth and even pace.  The NBT went by mile by mile, and soon I was climbing to Garden Spot.  When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the others were only a few minutes ahead of me.  I stopped for a couple minutes to warm up and eat.  I made the turn to Stallion, feeling pretty good, and made quick work down the Barley Branch towards Leonard's Butt Slide.  At the bottom, I had caught back up to the group, but there was someone missing.  I noted Bev wasn't around and had assumed she was just taking a pit stop, but Alan informed me that she had to drop due to borderline hypothermic conditions.  I knew exactly how awful that feels and it brought back vivid memories from last year.  I was super bummed to hear the news, but you simply don't mess around with safety issues.  The night had gotten very cold and it was now sleeting on and off.  We were all so far into the loop yet all we could all think about was getting back to the gate.  There was definitely some quit temptation coming on at this point.  Moving through the remaining parts of the loop were slow and labored.   Generally on the climbs I fell back behind the group a bit, but then caught back up on the downs.  One by one...book pages were collected, and we suffered through the cold up to the tower.  The fog was pretty bad, but not quite as bad as last year.  At the tower, I was presented again with a temptation to quit and recalled my mental state last year.  This is where I gave up.  I refused to this year.  I quickly headed down Ratjaw before the debate was even settled, so that I would have no choice but to finish the loop.  I was dreading the thought of the Bad Thing.  I simply hate that climb...but we were making steady progress.  We ran into Jared at the Beech Fork as he was heading out on his loop 3.  It was good seeing him and he still had quite a bit of spunk in his step.  I had no doubt that he'd be going for 5, pending some major blowout.  We made the last slog up to Chimney Top, got our pages, and began the jog back to camp.  

We came into the gate at about 23 total hours. The first words out of Laz's mouth were "Well that was kind of a slow loop for you guys!".  My immediate response was...."you're a bad, bad man Laz".   On the run into camp, we had all discussed our intentions, and the general consensus was that we would all like to go for loop 3, but none of us were particularly thrilled about it.  I informed the others that I would be taking at least 45 minutes this break.  I need to warm up, and re-evaluate my goals.I set up in the warm bathroom, and ate a lot of food to replenish.  Alan and Jamil were also doing the same, while Jodi was taking a nap.

LOOP 3:

The decision to go out on loop 3 was a very difficult one.  Had I not dropped so early last year, there is a good chance I would have pulled the plug at 2.  At 24+ hours we all knew it but didn't want to say it: A 5 loop finish was no longer possible.  A 3rd loop would be it if we went for it.  A fun run would be all I would come away with.  Considering my lack of training, and the horrendous weather on day/night 1, I was actually quite content with this thought.  The problem was, we still had to do that 3rd loop.  I had many debates in my mind, but after about 70 minutes of mulling around, I finally just got up and starting walking towards the gate.  If I didn't do it then, I was never going to do it.  Jamil and Alan reluctantly followed.  We hadn't see Jodi.  We were all starting to suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation a bit.  We were slow on the climb and since it had become clear that this would be our last lap, we laid into the caffeine tabs.  Alan and I started popping 200mg tabs left and right.  The mini boosts were nice, but really did nothing more than to keep us alert.  Slopping around in the mud and cold the previous night had really cost me a lot of energy...much more so than in 2012.  I was much more tired on this loop 3 than on my 2012 loop 3.  Thankfully, the sun was just starting to come up on the climb up to Chimney Top.  Branches along the trail were caked in wind-blown ice.  It was quite surreal.  The wind at the top was still biting hard and made for a brisk morning.  It felt good to be on a reverse loop...my first since 2012.  We navigated perfectly down and up the Beech Fork and were soon descending to the prison.  Alan and I got off course going down the Bad Thing, but corrected quickly.  Still, Jamil had managed to beat us down and was waiting for us at the book.  We noticed that Jodi's page was also missing, meaning he had passed us at some point.  It was apparent that the sleep did him well!  I was happy for him that he was having such a strong loop 3 and finally going out on his own.  I secretly began to hope that he might sneak in under 36 and still have time to go out for a 4th. 

The long climb up lower and upper Rat Jaw took a while, and we were greeted part way up by the French film crew.  I think at one point they got video of me pissing...so that'll be some lovely footage. Right as we began climbing upper Rat Jaw, Jodi was already coming down.  He had already gained about 45-60 minutes on us and was looking fantastic!  I could see the hunger in his eyes.  It reminded me of myself two years ago.  We all wished him well, and the three of us plodded on.  We made quick work on Rat Jaw and Alan began hinting at quitting.  I tried to keep his mind distracted and soon the three of us were descending back down Pig Head Creek.  There'd be no quit at the Tower this loop dammit!  I led us down that descent and got out on the road quickly.  The climb up Meth Lab Hill, despite being tame, really sapped me.  I fell behind again.  I began to worry a bit about our finishing time.   I kept telling the other two NOT to wait for me as it might come down to minutes.  On the descent down the Spectacle though, I caught back up with Alan and we breezed down to the New River grabbing the swamp book in the process.  In my mind we now had 3 major climbs left...Stallion, Hiram's Smile, and Checkmate.   We just needed to get through them and we'd be done.  The climb up Stallion was the longest, but it's one of my favorites so it didn't bother me.  The sandwich I'd eaten at the tower was finally kicking in and I maintained a steady pace up the entire climb.  Within an hour we were en route to Garden Spot with 4+ hours of time remaining.  We hustled at the Spot, and began a very brisk hike along the NBT.  We passed the turn off to quitter's road where I told Alan he had come this far...he was stuck with us till the end.  There'd be no quitting.  When the three of us made it to the "Wilderness" Ridge at the turnoff to the new section, we all breathed a long sigh, gathered ourselves, took a bearing, and dove down into the woods.  I took lead, and navigated quite well, down to the confluence.  On the ascent up to Jury Ridge, Jamil confidently took lead and picked a perfect line up to the Book 2 cairn.  This was critical to our finishing as we lost no time here.  It was truly a perfect ascent.  At the top, we all ate quickly, sussed ourselves out, and did some time-math.  We also put our headlamps on as it was getting dark.  We all agreed we needed 2 hours from Phillips Creek to be safe.  We were at 2:20.  We hustled down the switchbacks to the creek and began the climb up Checkmate with about 1:55 remaining.  It was going to be close.

I had never navigated up Checkmate in the dark so we all agreed to let Alan lead.  It was a lot of pressure to put on him, but he navigated us perfectly and when we topped out on the coal bench I thought we could relax and had the finish in the bag.  We rounded the bench to the book...BUT IT WASNT THERE.  Panic set in. We scrambled back and forth and could not find it.  I knew all of the visual markers.  The rusty cable, the fallen tree....everything was where it should be...but no book.  Precious minutes ticked by and I yelled, "I'm not going to go out like this dammit!".  Finally, I took a deep breath, climbed up on the center ridge where we come down to the book, and traced an approach to where it should be.  I popped out on the bench, looked to my left where the book should be....and there it was.  It was there all along.  Annoying! In the end, we lost about 5-7 minutes, making our precious cushion that much slimmer.  We quickly bolted into Fangorn. I navigated, praying that I didn't screw us up.  A couple of times I didn't recognize the surroundings, but I always gathered myself quickly and refound the route quickly.  Soon we were making the final climb up to Hiram's Gambit and the final high-point of the race.  We popped out on the Cumberland Trail, hopped over the Pillars and hit the Bird Trail junction at the top with 25 minutes to get to the bottom.  I did the quick math, turned to the guys and said,

"I think we have to run a bit to make this guys.  I don't want to be the guy that misses it by 2 minutes...so I'm running.  I don't care how much it hurts".

They agreed and we sort-of run-hobbled our way down the mountain, grunting and groaning the entire way.  My attitude shifted between elation and panic.  Moments would pass where I was convinced we'd make it, and then after countless switchbacks not ending, I'd panic and start running faster.  I kept hearing the creek, but it never seemed like it was getting closer.  

10 minutes left.  Still switchbacking....still seemingly no closer.   7 minutes left and the creek is now loud.  I see a headlamp and know we are close.  I recognize the last switchback and realize I'm about to pop out on the road.  We're going to make it.  This is the first moment I'm truly convinced we'll make it....only about 1/4 mile from the finish.  The headlamp was from some of the film crew waiting.  I turn on the adrenaline afterburners and run around the corner not waiting for Alan and Jamil (I know they are just 30 seconds behind me anyway and that they're safe to finish as well).

I ran down the final road to a large and welcoming crowd of my Barkley Family cheering and hollering for us all.  I touch the gate at 39:56, with just 4 minutes to spare.  Alan and Jamil are a minute behind me.  The crowd tells us all that it was the most intense and exciting fun-run finish ever...waiting for us.  They were all biting their nails and watching as our headlamps descended the mountain, wondering if we'd make it.  I took a well-earned seat in the chair by the gate, turned in my pages, and then stood up to gracefully accept my Taps.  We all laughed about the crazy finish, and then gradually retired to our campsites and tents.  It was a hell of a fun run finish.  Jodi had gained over 3 hours on us during his 3rd loop finishing with an amazing 36:36...just a smidge over the cut-off for a loop 4 attempt.  He had the 2nd best performance at Barkley this year and should feel pretty darn good about that.  I can definitely see him coming back for another go.

The next day at about 4 pm, I stood patiently at the gate and watched as Jared Campbell became the 2nd two-time finisher.  I stood eagerly for over an hour and listened to his wonderful stories of loops 4 and 5.  I couldn't help but smile to see such an incredibly humble guy, with such a kind heart, finish the Barkley for a 2nd time (especially on this tougher course).  It was an honor to shake his hand and hear his stories.  He earned his finish, and I hope he takes a nice long rest in the coming weeks.

All in all it was a great success.  I was of course somewhat disappointed not to be out on a 4th or 5th, but considering my lackluster training this year, I can't be anything but content with my fun run.  I drove home from Tennessee quite pleased with my experience and happy to have met and talked with so many great people.  I will miss my Barkley Family over the year, but will be thinking of all of you often.  Thanks for again imprinting the indelible memories in my heart and mind.

hike on my friends,

-john

39:56 Fun run finish

Alan's Finish and Taps

Jamil's Finish

The Barkley Buckle

Celebrating with Jodi the next day.  (Using a pole to walk!)

Jared Campbell Finishes again:  57:50