Race Report: Cloudland Canyon 50k

Subtitle: My First Ultra 😃

Pre-race 

We took Friday off from work and traveled to Rising Fawn, GA, about a 4 hour drive from Greenville. Stopped for lunch outside of Atlanta, and arrived at the campground around 2:30pm. Got checked in and settled into our yurt. We headed into Chattanooga for an early dinner at Naked River Brewing Company. Had some food and beer, then headed to packet pick-up at a local outdoor store. Got everything picked up, then decided to go to one more stop at Heaven & Ales (brewery) before heading back to the campground. We ended up staying way later than intended and I was irritated (mostly at myself) by the time we got back because I'd wanted to be in bed by 9, but we didn't get back until about 9:30pm. Oh well. I set my alarm and got into bed quickly, probably asleep around 10.

Race Day

Alarm time = 5:00 a.m.

I was awake by 4:45, of course. I got ready and ate my breakfast (yogurt + granola) as quietly as I could in the dark before heading out and picking up a fellow racer and yurt-er to head to the finish area & shuttle pick-up. With the course being a mostly point-to-point race, we had to take a shuttle from the finish line & parking area up to the start line. The race info said buses would leave at 6:30 a.m. and we got there in plenty of time. It was chilly (38F) but not unbearable, although they had the heat cranked to 11 on the bus!

On the bus

We got to the start line right at sunrise and immediately jumped into the huuuuuuuge port-a-potty line.

At the start area

Waiting in line! Eugene did the Sky to Summit 50k just a few weeks ago. 

The RD made some pre-race announcements (again, a familiar message of "You'll be tempted to run this first part... DON'T.") and just as I reached the port-a-potty, I heard the 5-4-3-2-1 GO! Oh well... not like it's chip timed or like I cared about missing the first 60 seconds of the race. Besides, when I got out, there was a crowd to just get onto the trail.

Bottleneck

First steps on the trail

The first bit of trail was some technical(ish) singletrack which was the reason for the bottleneck. Not much running happened in the first bit. Eventually the crowds thinned to where I could run a bit, but it was still usually someone else in front of me dictating when I would run or walk and at what pace.

Line of people through the woods

Even so, it was enjoyable to pop in and out of conversation with the folks around me, and just take in the scenery. Once the sun came up over the ridge it was really nice, and I'd gotten to open enough gaps between other runners that I could run and walk when I wanted to.

  

First aid station reached at 9.75 mi / just over 2 hours in. 

Hungry.

At this point, I could already tell I was feeling "ahead of my miles"... i.e. I'd only done about 10 but already felt like I'd done 15 or so. I was hungry - ate bacon, oreos, breakfast burritos, and quesadillas at the aid station. I'd already eaten a waffle and some gummies. Yep, I did not fuel properly in the days leading up to this race and I knew it. Only thing I could do was keep going and try to bolster energy where I could (i.e. eat ALL THE THINGS).

Back on the trail. 

I don't remember much of the next section... I did a good bit of actual running since the trail was of a rolling nature, gradual ups and downs, but nothing too significant until we got close to the next aid station at about mile 18. Scott & D were waiting for me at this one, and it was a welcome sight to get some hugs and well-wishes (as well as more snacks).

  

We also arrived at the main overlook of the canyon - really breathtaking!

Fellow runner snapped photos for me

The pics don't do this view justice.

After a little admiration of the scenery, I continued to the next and hardest section: an out-and-back descent (via 600 stairs) into the canyon to the far end (and aid station) and back up.

We're talking about that BIG DIP there. ^

While this part of the run did offer some really beautiful scenery of the river and waterfalls, it was very hard to appreciate it all knowing that I'd have to be doing it in reverse in a few miles. I did fail to notice just how steep the descent on the trail was, and was quite (unpleasantly) surprised by how hard it was going back up! The stairs were hard, which I knew would be the case. I did enjoy the waterfalls, though, even if they were painful to get to/from!

Hard to capture a good angle on this one, but it was very pretty!

 

You can barely see the rim of the canyon above... that's where we came from!

More pretty cascades

  

Through the woods

Trail... going back up to the top.

  

Oh, so many stairs.

The rock formations on the sides of the canyon were cool

  

Another pretty falls!

A welcome sign... even though it was still 5+ miles away

  

After the Tour de Waterfalls, we were back onto the trail heading up to the West Rim. We climbed the final elevation out of the canyon and passed behind the yurt village, so I got to see Scott & D waiting there for me. 

Happy to see my boys!

At this point, I was feeling the effects of under-fueling, and no amount of food I ate was saving me. I started out with too much of a deficit to make up for it in-race, and all I could do was will myself to keep moving. I wasn't sure about water, either... was I dehydrated, or over-hydrated? I had done my best to eat salty snacks at each aid station... but was it enough, or too much? All the things that were running through my head as I plodded up the mountain and around the West Rim.

 

 

At least the views were amazing.

I walked a lot of those last few miles until we popped out onto the road at the edge of the park. The rest of the race would be on the road, just a couple of miles to the finish. I knew I would do it, but I was not enjoying it. At this point I just wanted to be done and take a nap. My watch clicked past 26.2 and I walked on.

MARATHONNNNNN

One more greeting from Scott & D at the entrance to the yurt village before they headed to the finish line. 

I needed this hug.

There weren't any photos from the rest of the race. I chatted with a fellow runner mother on the course for the last mile or so - talked ourselves through some short run/walk intervals just to get through it. A quarter mile from the finish I sped up, just wanting to be done. Crossed the line, got my medal, went in for some food, and then sat down (YESSSS SITTING) with Scott & D. 

Was kind of in a haze for the rest of the day, but after an early bedtime (despite rough night of sleep) I felt better. 

And now I can say it: I'm an ultramarathoner. 

This is now my favorite hoodie.