Uwharrie 50k

“The Uwharrie 100 miler is the hardest 100 miler on the East Coast…possibly the entire US,” he said.

Who ‘he’ is doesn’t really matter since I’ve heard this very thing from more than one person—and that alone intrigued me. I checked out the website and thought the elevation profile didn’t look too hideous . . . how hard could it be? This year’s schedule was already jam packed so doing another 100 miler in October was out of the question, but when they opened up the first ever 50k option I jumped at the chance to run it. What a great way to check out the Figure 8 shaped loop while also getting a ‘back up’ ultra in for the 12 Ultras in 12 Months Challenge.

The most deceptive elevation profile!

 

In the weeks leading up to the race we received multiple email updates and Facebook posts so there were no mysteries when we toed the Start Line 2 hours after the 100 milers and 100k runners took off. With the sun up and no need for headlamps, but with a slight chill in the air, we headed out to see what the next 32 miles would bring.

It brought the most difficult 50k I’ve done so far, with a burn in my legs I never imagined possible, hills so steep I resorted to bear crawling up some parts of them, and a sense of accomplishment at the end that rivaled my thrill at the Eagle Up Ultra Finish Line.

The course is 100% singletrack. Knowing there wouldn’t be any stretch of road for us to spread out initially, I bolted to the front of the pack and held a slightly aggressive pace just to ensure my usual spot in these races—behind the fastest runners but ahead of the mid-pack. After a few miles of rolling hills I settled into a more moderate pace and let my mind enjoy the journey while my feet tried their best to float over the multitude of rocks and roots that littered the trail.

Photo by: Vasu Mandava

6.5 miles in I was 4^th place overall, first female, feeling great, and eager to see the first aide station, Crossroads. They had plenty of delicious smelling breakfast foods, but none of the PBJ squares or watermelon I live off of so I quickly left there and pressed on for the next 5 mile stretch which would loop us back to the Start/Finish Line. The first two miles were easy running and I picked up my pace. Little did I know I was banking time for ‘Hallucination Hill’ that was just ahead of me. That hill was no joke. For a bit I tried to utilize my 100 steps running/25 steps walking intervals. But when the terrain shot straight up, I abandoned that and settled for just making some kind of forward progress. At last I reached the top and realized that I was now third place overall and the man I passed at the aide station was nowhere to be seen (I saw him later at the Finish Line and he ended up having a rough day dealing with massive leg cramps. Kudos to him for pressing on and managing the challenge to get that Finish at all!). There were a few more steep undulations but nothing too terrible and I finished that first loop in 2 hrs 9 minutes as First Female and third overall (though someone confused me by saying I was second person through).

Such a hard course, but so much fun!

This Start/Finish aide station had my coveted watermelon slices so I took two and headed right back out again. Now we were retracing our first 6.5 miles. I stopped for a few seconds and took off my base layer with the long sleeves—the sun was up and both layers were drenched in sweat. I figured now was the time to control my body temperature and hopefully prevent a Yeti 2.0. Those few seconds spent changing would haunt me later.

Feeling a bit cooler I picked up the pace a little and settled in for the rest of the race.

This time when I passed through the Crossroads aide station the volunteer recognized me and pointed out that they had the PBJ squares ready to go. Yes! I loved the food AND the fact that the volunteers who had already been tending to everybody running every race already recognized me the second time through. Talk about great service!

Yeah for watermelon! Photo By: Vasu Mandava

This next stretch of trail changed my mind about ever running the 100 here. Actually it made me wonder if I’d have the strength left to finish any of my next races at all! Brutal terrain here could easily crush a soul . . . oh wait . . . that’s the name of this hill! Soul Crusher was a beastly climb that went straight up for days, and when it finished going up, it went up some more. To add insult to injury, after finally reaching the top and enjoying a brief downhill where the lactic acid could finally move out of my quads, the stinker went back up AGAIN! Ouch!

But that wasn’t the only sucker punch of these miles before reaching Kelly’s Kitchen Aide Station. We also had to visit “Sasquatch”. This climb, which was the focal point of every single video I’d seen about this race, was even worse than the worst descriptions. It was a scramble that was so steep that I could stand straight up and be face to face with the rocks we were trying to climb. Thankfully this section had markings painted straight on the rocks because finding a trail among these boulders would have been impossible for a novice to the trail like me.

Quite possibly the most unattractive picture of me…ever. But it perfectly describes what the Sasquatch climb was like. Photo by: Stephen Pusser

 

Later on in the night, when the skies opened up and poured unrelenting rain for hours on end, I thought about the 100 milers who had to traverse those miles in the wet and dark and was in awe that anyone could accomplish it. That goes beyond Beast Mode and into the realm of Superhero.

But all things, including uphill climbs, come to an end and at last I reached Kelly’s Aide station. The short side trail leading us there was the only stretch of down-and-back on the whole course, and while I didn’t see the first place runner, I did see second place. He was just leaving the aide station as I approached. For the first time I realized how close I was to overcoming him. I again grabbed some coke and watermelon, joked with the EMS worker who somehow managed to mention this course and the word ‘easy’ in one sentence, then headed back out—desperately hoping not to see a female runner right on my tail. The only other runner I saw was another male and he was about three miles behind me, as best as I could guess. Cautiously optimistic about my position in the Female division I set my sights on second place overall and charged ahead.

After the brutal terrain leading to Kelly’s Aide Station, I was prepared for the worst, but it never came. These miles back to last aide station were the most runnable of the entire course. There were still plenty of hills and lots of roots and rocks to watch for, but compared to the previous six miles this was more manageable. All the while I could see the second place male just ahead of me but couldn’t really close the distance . . . nor did I want to at this point. Keeping him in sight was good enough for me right now.

An ache started to creep into my legs again and I started to feel the effects of the hard effort of the day so far. I tried to channel my inner Courtney Dauwalter and ignored the discomfort. Instead I resorted to my typical go-to for mental reprieve . . . reciting the multiplication table. It worked. I was distracted enough to plow through the next miles.

Once again I arrived at the Crossroads aide station just as the second place runner was taking off again. Eager as I was to keep right on his heels, I knew the next five miles to the finish, which retraced our steps over ‘Hallucination Hill’, required being fueled and hydrated and mentally ready to charge ahead. I took the time to drink some coke, eat more watermelon, appreciate the volunteer who refilled my bottle with cold water, and then headed out to get this done once and for all.

Happy to be at the last aide station, and appreciating the great volunteers there. Photo By: Vasu Mandava

The first two miles were runnable and enjoyable, though my legs were on fire from the earlier efforts and the constant rollers and rocks on every step. The climbs I successfully ran up the first time were now harder and I was walking a lot more. Surely the man ahead of me had pulled way ahead and there were too many miles to go to start any kind of a sprint effort now. I eased up on the pace a little bit in the hopes that I would have the strength to hold off any female runner creeping up behind me.

Hallucination Hill wasn’t any easier the second time up, though it wasn’t any worse either. The miles bringing us back down it on the far side were tricky and technical, but I made every effort to run as much of it as possible. I crossed the bridge marking the last two miles of the course and lo and behold, second place was right in front of me. He hadn’t pulled ahead as much as I’d feared.

Mentally I was ready to push hard and catch him now. Physically my legs weren’t up for it. For the first time all day it dawned on me that I’d run a 100 mile race three weeks earlier and maybe…just maybe…the legs weren’t fully recovered yet.

Shocker.

I asked for a little more effort from the muscles, and they laughed at me.

With half a mile to go, the man in front started to walk and I ran past him. I think I surprised him with my presence and that inspired him pick it up again. I tried to sprint to get a lead but his energy reserve was much deeper than mine. He passed me back with .1 mile to the Finish Line and I cheered him as he flew to the end.

Laughing, content that I gave it all I had. At least the second place finisher (slightly obscured by RD Dan in this photo) was also gassed at the Finish!

Twenty seconds.

That was the time difference between 2^nd and 3^rd place.

That’s half the time it took me to take off my shirt four hours ago.

Woulda-coulda-shoulda.

I could second guess my decision to take off that shirt and lose that time that made the difference in the race result, but I also know that if I hadn’t stopped and done that I would have overheated and had a completely different day altogether. In the end, I’m over the moon happy with my finish and the effort I put into the day. Bravo to Dan Meeks for a really well run race and a much deserved 2^nd place finish.

2nd and 3rd place Overall, Dan Meeks, and myself.

I hung around at the Finish for a bit, then changed into warm clothes and started working as a volunteer at the Start/Finish line aide station (First Place finisher, Bryan Garrido also stuck around to volunteer). I got to see the 100k and 100 milers come through, including Mike Lawson who I ran with at the Umstead Marathon this year. He looked incredibly strong as he headed out for loop 3 of 5. I hung out and helped fill water bottles and pop blisters until the last 50k runner came across the Finish Line.

I would have liked to stay longer and see more runners come through, but I needed to be back in Virginia by morning to help coach the marathon training team in VA and had a 5 hour drive back in the pouring rain to consider. I headed to the hotel for a shower and nap, then said goodbye to Uwharrie and started the drive home.

Some members of the RVA marathon training team who came to train in the rain on Sunday morning. It was hard enough on the road, I can’t imagine how tough the 100 mile runners are to run in that downpour all night long on the muddy trails.

Now that the legs have stopped burning and I have had time to simmer with all the great memories of this race, I’d consider doing the 100 miler here—though first I’d like to try the 100k distance. Unfortunately the race will have to be on hiatus for at least a year as the RD deploys overseas. Fingers crossed that they bring it back upon his return to the US. This is a brilliant race. The terrain is the hardest I’ve seen, the energy of the volunteers and the food at the aide stations is the best I’ve come across at a 50k (and having run Blues Cruise 50k, that’s saying something!), and the sense of accomplishment at the Finish is tremendous.

The details Race Directors Dan and Amanda tend to at this race are incredible. Our bibs had personalized messages on the back with their cell phone number listed–just in case we needed help out there. The aide stations had every imaginable food available and covered every dietary need. Volunteers had as much energy and good will and enthusiasm in the middle of the night (in the rain) as they did at high noon in the sunshine. And even though they didn’t actually arrange it, the fact that Boy Scout troops were out in abundance and cheered on all the racers as if we were each in the lead pack at the Tour de France, just made the day that much more special. Runners hung out at the Finish Line for hours afterwards, and there was a true sense of camaraderie among everyone. Truly trail running at it’s very best.

Finishers, racers, crew, and friends hung out at the campfire to compare notes and encourage others.

Now it’s time to recovery and prepare for the next ultra—Mountain Masochist 50 miler.

Once again I ran this race carrying Sgt Michael George, a military veteran who took his life after suffering with PTS. Our veterans deal with more, emotionally and physically, than we can possible imagine. If you know a veteran, please reach out and check in with them. They give so much for us, it’s our duty to give back.

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