I read this the morning after the race and thought with a rearranging of the letters of one word it made for a great summation of Black Toe 2019: James 1:2-3(NASB) “Consider it all joy when you encounter various trails (original trials) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
I hope you get a couple of things out of this post. One is that great friends can make a huge impact, so if you are ever in Nashville on a Tuesday or Thursday join The Dirtbag Trail Club for a run. You can find the details on the Facebook page ‘The Dirtbag Trail Run Club’. The other is that I like to tell stories about my adventures, so this might get a bit long, if all you’re interested in is my stats, well they are kind of buried in the story, not real sorry.
99% of these photos were taken by Misty Wong who spent the day chronicling the race. For several hours she walked the course backwards capturing some great photos of the runners on the course. I rarely get pictures that show what the course conditions looked like. I hope you get a sense of the conditions through her pictures.
I’ve done this race before as a part of a 3 guys and a chick team, they were all much younger and faster than I, but we managed 2nd place that year. It was a dry year. Last year I volunteered at the race that became a mud fest about 4 hours after it started, runners came in SO completely covered in mud. It was said that sections of the course was like a slip-n-slid and that the safest/only way down was on your back side. The question became what was this year going to hold? Hardwin Adventures has this reputation of hard races and great a great fun atmosphere at the start/finish. How was this year going to compare?
John started prepping the trail about 3 weeks before the race, fixing parts that had been washed out over the past year, knocking down weeds on the trail and rerouting sections to help the course flow better. In between the weekend trail work it rained a couple times for several days in a row. The last two weekends before the race we rerouted an S-curve in a downhill section of the course and work on ‘the bridge’. Most of the uphill section had not been blown, most of the downhill sections had. Finally with the bulk of the work done we flagged. This was going to be interesting.
Seven days out from the race the weather watch was on, early predictions had a full day of rain. The banter began, who was using what app and what did that app say compared to others. All were searching for the most favorable forecast. By Thursday the forecast was pretty much agreed upon, it was going to be wet followed by snow. Then the questions of will it be worse than last year started flowing. Black Toe 2019 had all the makings for an epic ultra race.
The basics:
· 12 or 24 hours, you get to pick how long before you die
· Solo, 2 or 4 person relays; those who suffer don’t want to be alone in their pain
· Approximately 5 mile loops
I arrive at about 8am on Saturday morning. Parking was going to be an issue, one couldn’t have a bunch of 2-wheel drive cars stuck in their back and side yards. The runners had received written and video instructions on where to park. While my car was supposed to be all wheel drive, I chose not to risk parking near the barn instead opted for parking with the 2-wheel drives. As I park I see Mr. Hardin, owner of the property on which we were to run 5 mile loops, who offers to drive me up to the barn where the run is to start. Before heading out we go down to the gate check out the water level. The creek, now a river, was lapping at the bottom of the gate. I ask Mr. Hardin if he had ever seen the water higher. ‘Once.’ A slight concern was on his face at this point as he found a rock to place at the gate as a marker of water level. The only time he recalled seeing the water higher was the 2010 flood. This was going to be interesting.
Arriving at the barn I find a stash spot for my tub of gear, I don’t normally bring a plastic tub but it was prudent considering the forecast. Time for a little socializing, with roughly an hour and half before the Runners Oath it was time for handshakes, fist bumps and pictures. Forty-five minutes later it was time to switch gears. Going over my final gear check and getting everything set, water proof socks, one water bottle, one Electro+ride, vest and poles. Lastly, just before the call to gather for the oath the poncho went on, yea it was most defiantly raining.
As I’m getting my gear together I heard talk of a shortened course, then it was confirmed. Straight into the woods and up, best guess was that 5 miles was going to become 3.5 miles with the same amount of climbing, this just got real interesting. The goal was still the same, 50 miles. We were told the vertical hadn’t changed as all the climbing was in this section of the course, so 1,400 feet of climbing per loop. 50 miles here we come. Before we started off I hadn’t figure out just when and where I was going to need nutrition wise on the now shorter course, normally for training I would just stop at the car after every loop to eat, but something told me I would need a bit more food than that today. My first loop would be my fastest of the day, less than an hour for loop one. The trail conditions were better than expected at this point, nothing to worry about. Back at the barn I ate some food and left as quick as I could. I was in great spirits, had a great attitude, and was running alongside some great friends and others who have accomplished great things as trail runners. What was a little rain? For the first loop I had been running with a couple of friends getting the lay of the land when we came to ‘the bridge’; this bridge was basically two tree trunks laid parallel to each other with about 2 ½ feet between them overlaid with 2x4’s for slats, last weekend it had been condemned then some Dirtbags fixed it. We stopped looked at our options, Jeff took off with Kerry close on his heels and I followed, that was the last I saw of them for a long time. The next time I saw Kerry he was leaning on one of the posts back at the barn.
What the heck? Without waiting for any sort of explanation I suggested he change back into his running clothes and get back out there, yea that didn’t happen. Jeff was still out there, but hadn’t lapped me yet, yet being the key word there. Over the course of the 12 hours the drops would be sever and so would be the number of times I got lapped, but I kept going. One in and out I see Jon sitting down changed out of his running gear and again the ‘What the heck?’ came out followed by ‘Let’s get going! Come on.’ Again that didn’t happen, I would utter that phrase one more time before the 12 hours was up. Over the course of my 10 loops in 11:45 hours I would be lapped by 5 different runners at least twice and by some of those 3 times. Alex Brown was the first, the speed demon was going to attempt a course record which meant over 62 miles in 12 hours, for a brief time I ran with him each time he passed me we’re talking a whole 2 minutes, I got to run with him!
Next was Scott Simcox again he passed me 3 times with one loop we got to yo-yo for about ½ a mile, but he was still a loop or two up on me. Both of these guys were doing the 12 hour solo. Then there was that guy, Tim Hill, who had to have passed me 3 or 4 times and I thought he was on a relay team but he wasn’t, yep 12 hour solo. He ended up winning, he never stopped until time was out. Then while I’m being lapped by the 12 hour solo speed demons I’m also getting lapped by the 24 hour solo leaders, again what the heck. The up side here was it only happened 2 or 3 times for each of them. I didn’t know who ‘Greg Armstrong’ was as he lapped my several times each time he looked like just some none runner guy who had found some sticks to use as poles, something I’ve done on more than one occasion. He looked like my type of runner, cotton t-shirt over what looked like a sweat shirt and shorts. He was moving well and fast, wow! Then there was Steve Barber, at one point we actually spent about 5 minutes together as he passed me, he thought we were on the same loop, I knew different; after a quick comparison of miles according to Garmin, which is almost never correct, we determined he was at that point on lap up on me. We had a great time encouraging each other as the carnage around us continued and we contemplated the amount of drops after the sun set.
Then there was Jeff Davis, one of the steadiest guys I know on the trails, who has laid out some of the craziest, therefore the best, adventure runs. He passed me again 2 or 3 times, on one of those passes he asks what happened to my poncho. The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out, so I dropped my poncho with my friends at the barn; 2 laps later the rain had started again, so I asked for my poncho. When delivered it was said to have been left out in the back of a truck and was now wet inside and out, so I was given a friends rain coat which worked to keep the upper half of me dry. The last ‘What the heck?’ came when I rolled up to the barn only to find Alex Brown and Scott Simcox with clothes changed. I asked Alex if he got his 50, nope not this time; he said he decided to stop so he could help Steve Barber through the rest of the night. I suggested he get back out there and get it done, but that wasn’t going to happen. He did do me a huge favor when I realized that I hadn’t written my lap time down on the board, so he put it up for me and came back with the statement of one more lap and I would have done more than he. Reality was I need 3 more and did 2 more, but who’s counting. I think this was the same loop when I first got to see John and Kimmy Maltempo.
After my second loop was finished I stopped counting loops. I had figured out what I was going to need food wise while I was on the trail and what I was going to want back at the barn. Now it was just about getting it done. I mentioned that the course had been shortened, the reason was the little creek crossings that where a part of the course could not be traversed at all and most of the low sections where under water. The water on the shortened course was crazy both in amount and ferocity. Nearly every foot of the trail was either under water or a swift running stream. In all my loops only one section ended up not being a sponge for all the water and it was only around 20 feet long. Water takes the most efficient way down and since we had been cutting and clearing trail, guess where the water went. Where the water couldn’t get off the trail it pooled up waiting for the puddle to get deep enough to spill over the lip and continue on down the hill. By the time I hit loops 3 and 4 I had decided to attempt to make my life a little easier and my feet a little happier by creating drainage spots for the water as I went by with the hope of the next time I came through there wouldn’t be as much standing water, it worked about half the time. The end of loop 2 or 3 the water proof socks came off, they are useless when the puddle you step in is half way up your calf and all the splashing you’re doing is sending water right down the inside sock with no way out but the way it went in. By the end of the 2nd or 3rd loop I felt like my feet where swimming. Fresh socks on and I was off. It was at this point I realized just how great it was to have a crew, aka a group of friends to help you.
Nearly every time I came into the barn somebody was ready for me and we had a system worked out. The system had become really efficient and I had my wits about me enough to relay to Becca, there for the first IDK how many completed loops, who then relayed it on to Jim and everyone else who was going to be hanging out at the barn. Every loop I knew I needed to eat and drink grab a Spring Energy Long Haul, it took 2 loops to figure this part out; then every other loop I needed to refill my bottles with water and Spring Energy Electroride. Nutrition wise the only error I had was early on when I didn’t eat enough at the barn once, which made for low energy loop resulting in eating anything when I got back to the barn which made my stomach turn just a touch during the next loop until I ate my Long Haul. During one of these stops I needed to fill my bottles and John Harding, race director and good friend, was asking if he could help so I gave him my water bottle and asked for water.
He looked at me and headed off to fill it with water when I stopped him and said I had the water right here, we both laughed; last year I mistakenly filled both of his bottles up with Tailwind when one or both of them should have been water which had a negative outcome. I don’t remember how many loops after that, but the sun had gone down and I was coming into the barn and the first person I see is John Maltempo which made my day. He and I have had lots of conversations about nutrition during these types of events and he had brought some smoked pork butt. The first question you are almost always asked coming into an aid station is ‘What can I get you?’ and this loop was no different. I just pointed at John and said whatever he says, man that was the trick for sure. Next thing I know I’m eating smoked pork butt with slaw and bbq sauce and drinking some water. John informs me after checking my water bottles that I’m not drinking enough and that I need to drink more water on my next loop. Which was great except for one thing that meant I had to stop and pee more often.
All I said was ‘okay’ and I would attempt to do what he said. When I came in for what would be my last loop due to some Matrix type moves on the trail and running out of time John and Kimmy feed me filled my bottles and put my mittens on my cold and numb fingers. Other friends where getting my requests out of my bucket and passing them up to John and Kimmy. During my second to last loop the rain had changed over once or twice to sleet and the wind was howling without mercy on the hill top and through nearly every gap on the course, yea those last two loops got cold quick.
So I realize I haven’t said much of anything about the trail conditions other than it was bad, muddy. The course has some beautiful views and vistas. The highest point you can look in all directions through leafless trees and see nearly forever, then within the woods you cross countless small streams and can see some water falls. All of these water features got magnified this year, small springs that trickled out became raging streams, dripping rock out cropping’s became beautiful waterfalls, everywhere you looked there was flowing water. I mentioned earlier what the water was doing but not the impact it was having on the trail.
At first the leaf covered section was the easiest to move through, it was the first true climb section and the leaves hadn’t been blow off. As the day wore on it became no different than any other part, just a sloppy mess when the water couldn’t drain off, hard semi-rocky ground from where the water had swept away all the top soil or what I will call a mud pie consistency, kinda like wet cement. Up, down or flat including over rocks and roots the surface under your foot was one of those three conditions and the longer you went the more like mud pie it became. So foot placement became quite tricky. On my first or second loop I pulled out my poles and didn’t put them away the rest of the day, while I would have gone faster without them I’m sure I wouldn’t have stayed upright without them. On my last lap the sleet and rain had changed fully over to snow, it was on this lap that I knew I wasn’t going out again. I had figured out how to maneuver down most of the downhill sections by either skipping or stepping beside the trail on to firmer ground with more leaf and debris cover, skipping was a lot faster. I almost bought it 3 different times on that last loop. The first attempt at falling was hitting a muddy banked turn right after a short steep down. On the descent I had learned to step about 1 ½ feet off to the left for the down and just before the turn started step back in, as soon as I did my legs started going forward leaving my top pitching backwards, my back pole bounced off the mud as I twisted my upper body back into an upright position. All those clams, bridges, planks, dead bugs and leg levers had just paid huge dividends I stayed up right! The next was stepping into an unexpectedly deep puddle of mud, I thought I had them all labeled in my mind I must have forgotten about this one; my poles truly kept me up right there. ‘Toes up’ is a favorite saying of mine as I go through technical sections and that with my poles allowed me to keep from tripping over a section of now exposed roots one of which almost sent me to the ground. I was tripping and stumbling more and more with each passing loop it was time to be done, I was still in great spirits and would have gone on if... but time had run out. I finished my last loop at 9:45 pm after going for 11:45 hours I was officially done, 10 loops done. Wow, what strong fun day for me. My overall demeanor never went south on me, never hit a low spot. It truly was a great run in the worst conditions possible.
Approximately 37 miles with roughly 14,000 feet of climbing, no those aren’t typos. Shoes: Nike Wild Horse. Poles: Black Diamond Trekking Poles. Icebreaker short sleeve shirt, cargo shorts, Fleetures Marino wool short crew socks - one pair, Randy Sun waterproof socks for one or two loops, and one $5 white poncho. Head lamp was a $20 Amazon special with 1500 lumens. Prepackaged food: Spring Energy, always a go to. I’m not endorsed by them but if you want to give them a try use the link where ever you see Spring Energy and type in ‘JackS’ at check out to get a nice discount; when I use it, it always covers a bit more than my shipping cost for a discount.
The next day I figured out I had come across some poison ivy as my lower shin to the top of my ankles was starting to break out in small bumps and itching, a small price to pay for such a great day.
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