Promise Land 50K -A Rugged Beauty (Read 713 times)

A Rugged Beauty The Promise Land 50k Bedford, VA April 26, 2008 She was lying on her side in an active balance of the erect and the reclined. Winter sun had tanned her with a tawny, oak bronze across every ridge and curve of a magnificent and seductive topography. She was barely clad. Draped with a scant hint of a green lace gown sprinkled with jewels as bright and translucent as wildflowers in April sun. She was waiting for her perennial encounter with…. "Hey Buddy, you’re off the trail." He was right. As I regained contact with the outer world of people, rocks, and trees, I Iooked back and saw two runners standing in an obvious switchback that I had missed. They had been gaining on me climbing up Apple Orchard Falls Trail toward the second and last peak at Sunset Fields, mile 26 on the course. Outwardly, I had only travel 30 yards off the trail. Inwardly, I have no idea. On a warm, spring Friday afternoon, I turned left off Hwy 122, 9 miles north of Bedford at the Millstone Tea Room. I was not too far ahead of a bank of dark stormy clouds bound for the Promise Land. A couple of years ago, not long after taking up running, when a ten mile run still had the respect of distance that it really always should, I happened upon a description of the Promise Land 50k event. The course, the campout, the bonfire all made organic sense too me. All I had to do was train and condition for a 30+ mile run and I would be there. For the young and restless with a bit of athletic prowess, that’s challenging, but for a middle-aged couch potato, like myself, more of a fantasy. Still I dreamed, but not neglecting training. Only a dream will make your training come true. Of course, the reverse is also true. I pulled into the large mowed field at Promise Land Youth Camp and set up the hammock in the trees along the edge near a small stream. Several runners had already pitched tent and were milling about the Pavilion. I checked in, chatted, hydrated, and waited patiently for the truckload of pizzas and rain to arrive. The full force of the thunderstorm missed us, though it dampened enthusiasm for the bonfire. The pizza storm hit us head on, and there was much rejoicing. About 9pm, I crawled into my hammock, listen to the rain and slept several hours. At 3 am I woke. The rain had stopped and it was still warm, maybe 60*. I crawled outside with my pad and sleeping bag and slept some more waiting for the 4:30 wakeup call on the PA. That would give me plenty of time to get ready for the 5:30 start. "It’s 5 o’clock, we’ll be lining up in 15 minutes for the pre-race briefing." That was the next thing I heard. Fortunately I had stuffed everything I would need to start, in a single bag. Usually, to get ready to run, I just rummage around through my jumble of gear until chaos takes some order. But without this bit of organization, I would have been a late starter. I meet up with the Iron Mt Dead Guys: Doug, Rick, Jason, Tammy and her brother. I missed Nick. He and Tammy were crewing. I barely had time to finish my banana, a group photo, the prayer, the national anthem, and off we go. At just this point I realized I’d made a serious gear error in bleary 5am judgement. Socks. I always do long and/or hard runs in thin little Injinji socks plus a thicker Smartwool outer sock for cushion. The first time I wore those Injinji’s alone, I ended up with a blood blister the size of Rhode Island on cusp of my heel. But I tried them alone on a short run a few days ago and kind of liked the feel. I thought I’d give them a try at least to the ridge top Aid Station at Sunset Fields where our drop bags would be. I could add a layer if necessary and even slip out of my new, light Streaks to my tried and true Divides, if the trail was extra harsh. Wait a minute. There’s not going to be any drop bags taken anywhere unless your crew does it. Miles later I realized that Tammy was going up and could have taken it if I’d thought to ask. This could be an ultra-blister day. We’re headed up a paved road in the dark. I’m wearing a headlamp, shorts (sorry kilt fans), a compression short sleeve, and loose fit short sleeve tech from the Terrapin Mt Half, and a billed hat. I’m carrying two hand-helds, one starting with Clip2, the other with water and in its pouch an emergency Espresso ClifShot. In my key pocket, I have a vial with 7 Scaps and 5 caps of ibuprofen. My Garmin just recently made it back from the shop, but I’m going with a cheap plastic stopwatch today. The course time limit is 10 hours. So without the GPS to pace myself, I calculated the cut-off pace. Then divided up distance between aid stations, multiplied, adjusted for the elevation profile with wild guestimates, interpolated for a few Horton Miles, trademark of our infamous race director, Dr David Horton, just in case. I crossed my fingers and ignored the variable of technical footing variance, and ended up with a cheat sheet of my maximum allowed arrival time for each aid station. Thank God and Bill Gates for Excel. I memorized it. To Overstreet Falls Aid Station #1 Mile 2.64. Goal time 6:30am It’s dark much of the way, but all road. From pavement, to gravel, to dirt and rocks, it gets steeper and steeper, but never as difficult as the first climb at Terrapin Mt. It's just a few miles northeast of PL. I made good time and left the AS at 6:14. To Reed Creek Aid Staion #2 Mile 8.55. Goal time 8:00. Immediately we start on non-technical single-track and in places it’s not too steep to run until we crest a ridge and start down a wide lane carpeted with moss and grass. Maybe this is the Promise Land. I’m moving up into different groups of 2-5 runners and fall back occasionally. Few people are really chatty having just climbed 2000’ feet. I did listen to a man talking about the Barkley. He made 13 miles of the first of 5 twenty-mile loops before dropping out. It took him 6 or 7 hours. That’s still an accomplishment. We are now rolling up and down on an old road paved with grass and vetch, cut along the south face of the mountain headed into the sunrise. We have a great view of the mountain hollows below filled with sleepy cotton clouds. Tears would better describe the beauty than words. I think about this. You can see this driving in a car along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but until you’ve ran or at least walked a considerable distance within this view, deep beauty will allude you. It will hide beneath words and vision, even on a postcard or in flowery verses. When you think you’ve captured that vision of beauty standing by your car at a scenic overlook, deep beauty is still running wild and free. At the AS, I stay with banana and orange slices, diluted ClifDrink and plain water in the bottles. Departure time about 7:45. To Sunset Fields Aid Station #3 Mile 11.94. Goal Time 9:30 Back onto narrower single track in the forest, with running and walking interspersed, the climb is growing less and less steep as we cross the Parkway. Soon, we reach the course apex at about 4000’. We start to roll along down a wide gravel service road at a good clip toward the AS. A few crews are there as is Tammy. The sun is starting to get some strength in it, but the air is just a touch thinner and feels cooler. I’m starting to eat some starches at this point also, and draining at least a 20oz between stations. Down the hill we go. Departure time about 8:35. To Cornelius Creek Trail Junction Aid Station #4 Mile 16.09. Goal Time 10:30 This was almost all tough technical. 4 miles of rock dancing with 2000’ of drop. The top end was the toughest and the single track emptied on to a grassy road at a switchback for a brief reprieve. I planted my right foot on the very last rock about 10" high only to have it slip completely off to the left. I jammed it straight-kneed hard into the ground with the other foot still in flight. I don’t how I avoided falling or why it didn’t rip out my knee. But within a step or two things felt fairly normal. Cornelius Creek was stunning from what I could gather from my peripheral vision. We came into the AS with hamburgers on the grill. I was in pain here, mainly quads, gut, and feet. Calories are my friends. Food and liquid is going down well, but I avoided the hamburger as its getting warmer and Colon Hollow is an unknown and may require some running. I’m banking a lot of time, and not feeling especially exhausted, but strained gut muscle and foot pain brought me to a low point. I left at about 9:35 and took some ibuprofen at 16 miles. To Colon Hollow Aid Station #5 Mile 19.26 Goal Time: 11:15 There was a paved or gravel road that had a gentle down grade nice for running, if you like that sort of thing. After a mile or so, we are flagged off the pavement back into the woods by our yellow Montrail streamers. This portion is uphill, but the walking is a relief. A tall, young, fit trail runner followed me into the station. He had started injured, some ITB taping on both legs and struggling with pulled groin muscles. The lady running the station said, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." I leave by myself about 10:30. My mood is improving and I can’t think of any problem that might prevent me from finishing in 10 hrs. My sock error, is a non-issue, even though my feet have been wet for a couple of hours, there are no blisters forming. Back to Cornelius Creek Trail Junction. Aid Station #6 Mile 23.89. Goal Time: 1:00pm I continue the climb on a wide grassy trail deeper into the woods. There is a little gentle downhill mixed in. I found this portion to be one of the more enjoyable and laid back sections of the whole run. The trail ends with a left on a dirt road. Several cars are parked there and I presume it to be runner's families to cheer them on. Turns out they are bird watchers. One lady asks, "What kind of event are you folks doing"? I said it was a 50k race from Promise Land Youth Camp. "How far is that?" I say the course is over 30 miles. "Oh my goodness". I turn off the road back onto single track, technical, steep, downhill. Variations on a Rock Theme in Pain major by Meistro D. Horton. Soon I’m back at the Cornelius Creek Aid Station. Only one hamburger left, I take half of it. No ClifDrink, but I’ve been taking S-caps by the clock. I should have eaten more and drank more to prepare for the next section. I left at about 11:35, well ahead of the 1:30pm cutoff for this station. Back to Sunset Fields via Apple Orchard Falls Trail, Aid Station #7 Mile 26.68 Goal Time 2:00 Instead of taking the route that dropped us 2000’ feet in 4 miles, we’re going to climb it in 3. I allowed an hour. It took an 1:35. But after about 40 minutes just before the trail got real steep, I spent 5 minutes in a waterfall. The temps were well into the 70s and a 8’ moss covered rock with a mountain creek spilling over it like a bottomless bottle of chilled champagne was, well, more temptation than I wanted to dodge. Clothes and all, in I went. I felt like a new person. The climb involved lots of rock steps and sawn timber ones until well past the large falls. Even then, there was a mile left to the station. But there were plenty of wildflowers to sooth toiling flesh, wild bleeding hearts, a profusion of dutchmen’s breeches, and a true pink form of Trillium erectum. This is also where I strayed. By the time I’d topped out I was rationing the last of 40 oz of water. Tammy was watching for her brother. Her husband Rick had finished by now, as had Josh and Doug. I lingered here taking in extra calories and fluids, and stretching -5 minutes at least. We’ve completed a marathon distance in about 7:40, and almost the entire portion of climbing –just under 8000’. On average we’ve climbed 295’ and lost 225’ per mile. I left at about 1:10pm. 5 more miles, 2000’ of loss, let the race begin. Back to Overstreet Falls Aid Station #8 Mile 29.09 Goal time: 2:45 Having over-lingered at Sunset Fields, though I was careful not to sit, it was difficult at first just to walk, let alone run. But before long, I could lift my heels enough to let the mountain to run for me. In no time it seemed I was back to this, the first and last aid station, having cut off 4 miles of the Reed Creek section. They were out of ClifDrink, and I declined the Gatorade. I left about 1:40pm. To the Finish Mile 31.75 We’re back to the road now, downhill the rest of the way. At first its so steep, I’m braking more than running. But gradually the grade begins to lessen and the stride flows better. I catch back up with two ladies, one of whom is a also of a masterly age. Both had passed me since the mountaintop. We ran together, all of us glad to have the end within earshot if not in sight of the finish. We turn in to camp, there’s David goading us on. Suddenly, the younger woman surges in front with only 25yds to go. "What??? We masters age runners can’t let that stand." The two of us also surge and the three of finish in 8:42:17, 210 of 268 starters. I grab a burger, and chat with my Iron Mt.clan, Doug took 1st male 60 and over. Rick had a good day and Josh also with 7:14 for his first "tough" ultra. I was glad the course had a few soft spots in Reed Creek and Colon Hollow otherwise, I would have Suffered. Just after I’d stuck camp, the sky exploded with thunder, fire and water. The 9:15 plus finishers got to combine their bath with the last few miles. I waited in my car and had a nice long soak in the creek afterwards. See you there next year, I Promise. JJJ

I should have posted this link. It should get you started to ultra land This is central Virginia north of Roanoke, east of I-81. jjj

Wow

A thing of beauty... Thanks JJJessee.

Wow JJJ! What a great read with my morning cup of coffee! Thank you for yet another poetic report from one of your many adventures! As others have said, and as I have said in the past, in my next life I wanna come back as you. Good to hear you got your pizza and burgers. And no blisters. You blew away your time goal too. I wish you would've used that extra time in the bank to snap some pictures, it sounded beautiful! Thanks JJJ, that was awesome! And congratulations!

Thanks a bushel, folks. For reading and all the encouragement and support you bring here. BtB, I really was afraid time was gonna bite me. Maybe next year a camera, its tempting. Tet, Some of the Iron Mt Dead Guys are coming to White River, Nick Whited and Eric Grossman, with his family. 50 miles is my next goal, White River is just a tad too soon, but some day we'll run together. jjj

I am so glad you cross posted this so I could read it on this rainy,gloomy day. You have such a way with language. Hey and you aren't a half bad ultra runner either Thanks again for a fabulous RR Jjj, enjoy your hiatus. Barb

Wow!