{"id":148,"date":"2015-01-28T01:30:35","date_gmt":"2015-01-28T01:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/?p=148"},"modified":"2015-01-28T02:31:28","modified_gmt":"2015-01-28T02:31:28","slug":"mountain-mist-50k-trail-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/?p=148","title":{"rendered":"Mountain Mist 50k Trail Run 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-145\" src=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist1.jpg\" alt=\"Mist1\" width=\"756\" height=\"866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist1.jpg 756w, https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist1-262x300.jpg 262w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend I decided to run what is claimed to be the premier ultra trail run in the Southeast.\u00a0 31 plus miles would need to be covered to reach the finish line racing on Monte Sano in Huntsville AL.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the way I saw it.<\/p>\n<p>To set the story up it will help to understand that I barely qualify to run this.\u00a0 Here is a notice from the Mountain Mist site:<\/p>\n<p id=\"|10779\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Those demonstrating no previous endurance activities will be denied entry or have your entry to this race removed and no refund will be issued. If you have a question about a qualification standard, please contact eric.charette@yahoo.com<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any previous Mountain Mist 50km finish<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any ultra marathon finish in previous 2 years<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any marathon finish under 4:40 in previous 2 years<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any 70.3 Triathlon finish under 7:00 in previous 2 years<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any 140.6 Triathlon finish in previous 2 years<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Other endurance running activities on case by base basis<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I barely qualify, but I qualify nonetheless.<\/p>\n<p>Weather:\u00a0 A couple of days before the start it rains cats and dogs.\u00a0 I can only imagine what the trail will look like after several hundred runners trample over it.\u00a0 Night before the start, it snows &#8211; sure why not!\u00a0 Guess with snow on the ground I don&#8217;t need to mention it&#8217;s cold.<\/p>\n<p>Race Day:<\/p>\n<p>Dress:\u00a0 I decide as I usually do in really cold running to go with shorts, calf compression sleeves, long sleeve running shirt with a short sleeve running shirt over it. Visor, no boggin&#8217; for headgear. Camelback for hydration.\u00a0 Gloves.\u00a0 It&#8217;s cold but hopefully I warm up after a few miles like normal.<\/p>\n<p>Breakfast:Cup of Coffee.<\/p>\n<p>Arrival:\u00a0 Arrive at the lodge early for the start.\u00a0 As I survey the other runners I&#8217;m reminded that I barely qualify to run this one.\u00a0 Everyone looks like they showed up for a skinny person&#8217;s convention.\u00a0 Me, I&#8217;m looking for anyone that I can hang out with that looks like a rugby player.\u00a0 Just a few.\u00a0 The rest appear to be serious ultra runners from all over the country.\u00a0 Several men are sporting ultra beards which intimidate me.\u00a0 Find some bacon, probably eat too much but I&#8217;m ready for the race.<\/p>\n<p>Racing:\u00a0 Racing is a relative term for me.\u00a0 As with most ultra competitors it means a lot of running with periodic walks in-between &#8211; you must develop a strategy.\u00a0 It&#8217;s an endurance race.\u00a0 How you get to the finish line is up to you.\u00a0 But there&#8217;s a catch.\u00a0 This race has cut off times for the safety of volunteers and runners.\u00a0 This means you must make certain aid stations by a certain time or get pulled off the course.<\/p>\n<p>Aid Station One Cutoff &#8211; Start goes off without a hitch.\u00a0 Run on the pavement for a little while to allow faster runners to get a head start on the trail.\u00a0 I hit the trail.\u00a0 It&#8217;s soooo muddy!\u00a0 Several hundred runners were ahead of me and the trail was trashed from the beginning.\u00a0 Then there was the first big climb &#8211; lovingly referred to as K2.\u00a0 That climb just kept on giving until your legs were trashed and this takes place just a few miles in.\u00a0 I was sliding in and out of mud like it was an ice patch for much of the race.\u00a0 But, I make the aid station with only 5 minutes to spare.\u00a0 I realize that I will probably be pulled at the second aid station due to this small margin.<\/p>\n<p>Aid Station Two:\u00a0 Many people got pulled from the course at station one.\u00a0 So now I find myself running for miles without ever seeing anyone.\u00a0 At one moment I thought I was off the trail and wondered how they would ever find anyone that far out in the middle of the forest.\u00a0 Right when I started to seriously question it I saw a red trail marker &#8211; and it felt good to see it.<\/p>\n<p>The Fall:\u00a0 My last ultra on the mountain I found myself kicking rocks and falling.\u00a0 Thought I had masted it (you never will) and was floating along (my fantasy) when I slipped on a downhill, no one within miles.\u00a0 Did I mention mud?\u00a0 Also this trial is littered the entire way with rocks as well!\u00a0 Back to the fall&#8230;\u00a0 On my way down I grab a sapling of decent size to stop my impending fall, it snaps like a toothpick and the inevitable happens.\u00a0 I actually land on a dead tree after a few summer-salts, which crumbles and actually cushions my fall.\u00a0 I get up hoping nothing is broke.\u00a0 My ribs on my right side are aching &#8211; bad, I have a cut on my leg and a few scratches.\u00a0 After getting back on track I decide I don&#8217;t care if I make the next cutoff time or not!\u00a0 That hurt!<\/p>\n<p>Aid Station Two Cutoff &#8211; As I pull up on aid station two and ask if I made it (I&#8217;m good if I didn&#8217;t as this is a brutal race) they said I made it by 25 minutes!\u00a0 What? Darn! That means I&#8217;ll have to continue and so I do.\u00a0 I am now thinking that I may actually finish the Mountain Mist!<\/p>\n<p>Problem: To get to the next aid station I will need to climb Waterline.\u00a0 The climb that this race is known for and you do it toward the end with tired legs.<\/p>\n<p>Aid Station Three Cutoff &#8211; Things seem to be going fairly well.\u00a0 Mud and rocks everywhere.\u00a0 Thought I saw a dinosaur stuck in one of the mud pits. Then I see Waterline.\u00a0 It just goes up and up and up.\u00a0 No switchbacks.\u00a0 Just up!\u00a0 It became so demoralizing that I had to keep my head down and look at my feet &#8211; one step at a time. This happens after you&#8217;ve already run close to 24 miles. Then, here&#8217;s the kicker.\u00a0 About 3\/4 of the the way you have to climb a short rock face!\u00a0 It seemed dangerous to me.\u00a0 If you fell then you would fall a looooooong ways before anything could stop you.\u00a0 Here&#8217;s a pic from <a href=\"http:\/\/runyourfirstultra.homestead.com\/Running-your-first-50K.html\">runyourfirstultra <\/a>which has many pics of the race.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mist22.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-146\" src=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mist22.jpg\" alt=\"mist22\" width=\"473\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mist22.jpg 473w, https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/mist22-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Once you finish this climb you still have a steep climb to go.\u00a0 But I make it.\u00a0 I have now been racing over 6\/12 hours as I come up on the LAST aid station.\u00a0 If I make it here I will most likely finish the Mountain Mist.<\/p>\n<p>The Results are In<\/p>\n<p>As I run in to the aid station the wonderful volunteers are offering encouragement.\u00a0 I ask if I made the cut off and in a sad voice she says no!\u00a0 I scream THANK YOU, BEST NEWS I&#8217;VE HEARD TODAY!\u00a0 I was trashed and felt I got my money&#8217;s worth.\u00a0 Did I mention you have to pay for this experience?<\/p>\n<p>After 26-27 miles running on a trial for over 6 hours I missed the last cutoff by 10 minutes!\u00a0 10 minutes!\u00a0 Small things matter and if you don&#8217;t want to get pulled off the course you should RUN FASTER!<\/p>\n<p>So in the end I had a great time, in a weird way.\u00a0 When riding back to the lodge (the ride of shame) I said I&#8217;d never do that again &#8211; with the mud, rocks, and that rock climb, it wasn&#8217;t that fun.\u00a0 But on the way home I was already thinking about how I could do better next year.<\/p>\n<p>But, I did accomplish a few goals:<\/p>\n<p>1. I did meet the qualifications to be able to enter the Mist<\/p>\n<p>2. I did climb Waterline<\/p>\n<p>But when all was said and done I didn&#8217;t see this:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-147\" src=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Mist3.jpg\" alt=\"Mist3\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As I write this with hurting legs I&#8217;m already in the process of choosing my next ultra! It looks like either a 12 hour endurance race in Decatur, AL or a 50 miler in Alex City AL.\u00a0 If your an ultra runner you must give the mist a try!\u00a0 Maybe I&#8217;ll see you next year.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll be the one that looks out of place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the weekend I decided to run what is claimed to be the premier ultra trail run in the Southeast.\u00a0 31 plus miles would need to be covered to reach the finish line racing on Monte Sano in Huntsville AL. Here&#8217;s the way I saw it. To set the story up it will help to &hellip; <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link btn\" href=\"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/?p=148\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[43,44,18,19],"class_list":["post-148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ultra-running","tag-mist","tag-mountain-mist-2015","tag-ultra","tag-ultra-running","item-wrap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=148"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148\/revisions\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allthingstonyj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}