Quest for the Crest 50k

Wow. Where to begin? On May 31st, I ran the Crest for the Quest 50k. . The race was advertised as the hardest 50k out there with close to 12,000 feet of elevation gain, not change, but gain! It was easily the hardest 50k I have ever run and the hardest race mile for mile I have ever done. Like not even remotely close to anything else. Quest was also my first ultra after having hip surgery last June. I signed up several months ago with the idea that it would give me a long term goal to train for. Although my recovery went well, I had zero runs of 4 hours or more, so I really didn't know how my body would respond to running past this mark. Thankfully, I live by the motto of "just wing it" and tried not to doubt myself. Fast forward to race weekend and I was ready to run.

Pre-race:
My dad and I drove to Burnsville on Friday afternoon because he was running the 10k vertical kilometer on Saturday. We had previewed this part of the course back in March which proved to be very helpful in that he knew what to expect for his entire race, and I at least knew what the first part of the 50k was like. Dad and I stayed at Albert's Inn, an awesome little motel only 5 minutes from the race finish and also the site of packet pick up. After getting dinner on Friday, we went back to the motel to rest up. I was thankful to have another day before the 50k to chill.

On Saturday morning, I drove my dad to the shuttle pick up for the 10k where he loaded the bus to the start. The trail head is literally in the middle of nowhere with only 2 parking spots, so you were not allowed to park at the start. The finish is very similar meaning that the shuttles also had to take runners back to where they originally parked. I just went for a shake out run and waited for dad to get back. Weather was awesome, overcast and not too hot. I hoped that it would stay like that for the 50k Sunday despite the fact that there was a 90% chance of rain. Before too long, the shuttles returned, and dad hopped out looking pleased. He said he had a good race but felt like he had run 50k. The 10k course consisted of about a 2.5 mile climb where you gain over 3,000 ft of elevation followed by about 4.5 miles of downhill. The climb is brutal in every sense of the word. Nonstop climbing from the start, the kind of climbing where you are bent over, hands on your knees sucking air. And the last mile requires you to use your hands to pull yourself up because it is so steep. Fortunately, the downhill is much more runnable and allows you to make up quite a bit of time if you don't mind risking a nasty fall while bombing the somewhat technical downhill.

After chatting for a bit with other runners, we headed to lunch and then up to Mt. Mitchell to scout out a trail that dad would need to take to meet me at a crew access point on Sunday. The rest of Sunday was spent relaxing at Albert's and listening to race director Sean Blanton's pre race briefing at packet pickup. Runner's had to board the shuttle at 4:30a.m., so dad and I ate an early dinner and tried to get some rest.

About the Quest for the Crest 50k:
This race is unlike any other in the East in that it has over 11,000 feet of elevation gain. Most of that comes from 3 separate climbs of over 3,000 feet each. The first climb is at the very beginning of the race and is by far the steepest and most technical. You ascend 3,000+ ft in about 2.5 miles and then descend in about 4.5 miles. Runners then go right back up what they just came down to make the second climb of the race. Once at the top, the course follows the Crest Trail for several very technical, rolling miles until you descend 3,000ft down Colbert's Creek Trail. The final climb is on the Buncombe Horse Trail and is the longest of the 3. Oh and Sean, the RD, decided to make things even harder by having runners do an out and back up Big Tom Gap once at the top of Buncombe. This .4 mile spur trail is basically like rock climbing it's so steep. You then have the pleasure of climbing down before continuing on the Buncombe trail for 2.7 miles before making the final descent into Black Mountain campground, the finish line of the race.

Race day:
I won't lie, the 3:40a.m. wake up call was less than desirable, but I was excited about the day ahead. After drinking a cup of coffee and getting my gear ready, dad drove me to the shuttle pick up area which was also the finish of the race. I loaded the bus and rode the 20 or so minutes to the start. The race started at 6a.m., so the sun was just coming up. It was a bit chilly, but I knew that it would feel good once we started running. Sean had us start .7 miles down the road from the trailhead to allow everyone to spread out before hitting the trail. After some final instructions, we gathered at the start and waited for Sean to say "GO". I tried to settle into a steady pace. The road was a constant uphill, so it wasn't exactly an easy warmup. I was thankful when we hit the trail, but that only meant that things got a whole lot steeper! The first mile is old road bed that is somewhat runnable depending on the grade. I alternated running and walking on this section trying to go hard but not completely red line in the early stages of the race. After that first mile, it turns into single track, crazy technical oh my gosh steep single track. At this point, I gave up on trying to run and focused on power hiking as fast as I could. I was thankful that I had done this climb before when my dad and I visited back in March because I at least knew what to expect. Before too long, I reached the top where you intersect with the Crest Trail, take a right, and begin the descent to Bowlen's Creek. It was around this point that I caught up to the 2 women who were in front of me on the climb. We ran most of the downhill together and talked a bit which made the time go much faster.

 This gives you an idea of the steepness of the climb

After descending the 3,000 feet to Bowlen's Creek, runners hit the first aid station. Since it was only mile 7.5 and I was running with Hillary and Rebecca, I decided not to stop at this aid station. I started the race with 40 ounces of fluid in my Camelbak and figured I could make it to the next aid station before needing to refill. Mistake number 1. Hillary, Rebecca, and I turned around the way we came and began climbing the mountain we just descended. After about 2 minutes, Hillary took off and left me in the dust. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it, so I just hoped to make up some time later in the race (that didn't happen). Rebecca and I stayed close for a while before spreading out. I still felt pretty good on this climb and did my best to run most of it. Because this part of the course was an out and back, you got to see all the runners who were either on your way down if they were ahead of you or on your way back if the were behind. It was cool to se the lead guys crushing the climb. The top is the steepest and most technical, so I found myself power hiking the last mile or so. About a mile from the top, a guy was stationed with water for people who needed to fill up, but I again passed on this opportunity. Mistake number 2. Once at the top, we continued on the Crest Trail for 3ish miles to Colbert's Ridge. It was at the top of the climb that I realized I was completely out of water. The next aid station was 8 miles away. I reflected on my decision to skip refilling despite only carrying 40 ounces of fluid. I realized that I was pretty stupid for thinking I could go 18 miles on this much to drink. Nothing I could do about it now, so I just focused on trying to make good time to the next aid station. That 3 miles of Crest Trail was less than easy. The grass was overgrown on both sides of the trail which was more like a 6 inch wide ditch full of big rocks hidden by the grass. Needless to say, you couldn't exactly fly on this part. When it wasn't a grassy ditch, the trail was super rocky like the first climb and had a lot of up and down. This section was also very exposed, and the sun was out which made it pretty hot. I could tell that I was dehydrated as my mouth was completely dry and my legs felt like they were on the verge of cramping. All I could think about was getting got the bottom of Colbert's Creek where there was an aid station. After what seemed like forever, I reached the intersection with Colbert's Ridge which is where runners descend for the second time. Thankfully, there was an EMT stationed there who was kind enough to give me several sips of his water. It tasted like heaven. I turned down the trail with my spirits lifted now that my mouth wasn't so dry that it stuck together. I had run this section when dad and I visited so I again knew what to expect. The first mile or so is like a rock garden, super technical and slick. I went as fast as I could without being totally reckless and made it through to the less rocky part of the trail. From here, you can run fairly consistently at a good clip to the bottom. It seemed longer than when I had done it before, but then again, I was feeling the miles and was very thirsty. I could tell that my quads were already semi-trashed from the 6,000 feet of downhill running we had done thus far.

Views at the top of the climb were spectacular

Coming in to that aid station was a relief. My dad was there, and I immediately told him that I needed to fill up with Gatorade which is what I had been drinking. He went to work refilling my Camelbak while I looked at the food at the aid station table. My stomach had been jacked since the start, so I had not eaten anything in the first 18 miles. Mistake number 3 (they are adding up quickly). I grabbed a PB&J quarter and a cookie and took off down the road. Runners had to run on the pavement for maybe 3/4 of a mile to the Bumcombe trailhead. Shortly after heading down the road, I realized how shot my legs already were. I was definitely at a low point, and it was all I could do to maintain a slow jog. It was somewhat of a relief to hit the trail again, but that relief soon faded when the trail became a rocky creek bed that was very difficult to run on. The first 2 or so miles were a gentle uphill grade, but the technicality made it tough to keep a good pace. Plus I was feeling awful, so this section was more of a jog/hike. Unfortunately, it would only get worse. After the first few miles, the Buncombe trail got steeper and steeper. And steeper. Sean had referred to this part as "switchback hell," which was definitely appropriate. I swear it seemed like they went on forever. I was cussing the Buncombe trail at this point and praying to get to the top. Finally the trail opened up to a grassy area similar to the Crest Trail. It flattened out and was much more runnable. This was a relief, but I knew that I still had the climb up Big Tom Gap. I was still smack dab in the middle of my bonk which lasted the better part of 2 hours. A short time after running along the flat portion of Buncombe, I reached a group of several EMTs who were set up at the intersection of the Big Tom Gap trail. They were extremely kind and offered to get me something to eat and/or drink. However, all I could think about was getting that climb out of the way, so I declined and made the right hand turn to go up. This out and back section was .4 miles one way, and runners were supposed to stamp their bib at the turn around. The way out is straight up, like rock climbing straight up. It was here where I hit the low point of the race. I honestly felt like I was going to pass out and felt very wobbly. My stomach was still jacked, but I knew I needed to take in some sugar, so I forced a GU in, and it actually tasted pretty good. The salted caramel flavor is my new favorite because it tastes like dessert, has elevated electrolytes, and 40mg of caffeine. When I reached top, there was a photographer there who said I looked pretty rough to which I replied "I feel pretty rough". I stamped my bib and turned around to head back down. Several minutes after beginning the descent, I saw Rebecca on her way up. She couldn't have been more than 5 minutes behind me at this point. Seeing her was probably a good thing because it lit a fire in me to get my butt moving. Also, the GU was kicking in, and I was finally coming out of my bonk.

                      Running along a flat stretch of the Buncombe Trail just before the final descent

When I got back down to the intersection with the Buncombe trail, the EMTs again offered to get me some food or water which I again declined because I didn't want to take the time. Mistake number 4. I knew I had 2.3 miles left until I made the turn down the final descent into Black Mountain campground and the finish line. All in all it was about 6.5-7 more miles. However, about 1/2 mile after heading down the trail, I once again ran out of Gatorade. Fortunately, I was feeling a million times better, and the trail was very runnable, so I maintained a solid pace on this part. Before long, I saw my dad who had hiked in from Mt. Mitchell. He gave me all the Gatorade he had left which was about 4 ounces and told me that I was close to the trail that runners took to descend off the mountain. All I had to do was make it 4.5 miles down a rocky descent, and I would be home free. The top portion of the trail was the most technical, but not too bad, and I was smelling the barn big time, so I took some chances and went as fast as I could. As you got further down the trail, it was less technical but still quite rocky in places. My quads were absolutely shot at this point, making my run more like a free fall because I was limited in my ability to slow myself down very quickly. It seemed to take an eternity to reach the bottom of the mountain, but I eventually popped out an a gravel path in the campground. I ran along this for maybe 1/2 mile before seeing a field and the finish line. Words cannot describe how happy I was just to be done running. Sean was there to shake my hand and his incredibly sweet mother saw to it that I got something to drink seeing as how I had been out of Gatorade for the last 5 miles. My legs were already painfully sore, but it was that satisfying sore that comes from knowing you worked hard. My dad had not made it back to the finish yet from Mt. Mitchell, so I plopped my butt down in the field to watch other runners finish.

Post race thoughts:
1. This was the hardest race I have ever done. Period. I have run other 50k races more than 3 hours faster and a 50 mile race in only 10 more minutes than it took to run Quest for the Crest.

2. The climbing was insane, but the downhill is what trashed my quads. I should have practiced running downhill for an extended time.

3. The technicality of the course was also insane. Even on the flatter sections, which were few and far between, it was very technical.

4. The difficulty of the Quest was matched by its beauty. Views on top of the mountain were spectacular. It made it all worthwhile.

5. I absolutely, without a doubt, dropped the ball when it comes to my hydration and nutrition for this race. Simply put, I was careless to the point of stupid regarding hydration. Yes the aid stations were spread out, but there was no excuse for me to run completely out of fluid TWICE for extended periods of time. This was due to my failure to take the time to fill up when I had the opportunity. It definitely came back to haunt me as I believe it contributed to the 2+hour long bonk and thus slowed me down considerably. In a race where I should have consumed at least 4 liters of fluid, I had 2.5. My nutrition was practically nonexistent. Some of this was due to an unhappy stomach the whole time, but I should have just forced myself to try to eat more than I did. For the duration, I consumed one GU, a quarter of a PB&J, and several orange slices. Yes, I know thats bad.

6. The Quest for the Crest was incredibly well put on from start to finish. The logistics of this race were super difficult given the fact that it was so remote and required shuttles to the start. Aid station workers had to hike supplies in over 4 miles and up a mountain on several occasions. Water had to be purified from a mountain spring. You get the idea. Nevertheless, Sean "Run Bum" Blanton did an outstanding job as RD. I have never run a race with better course markings. The finish line was great with plenty of food, and you even had access to showers in the campground.

7. It took me 3 days to be able to walk normally. My quads and calves were very sore, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I look forward to next year and trying to improve upon some of the mistakes I made this year.

8. Thanks to Sean, his parents, all the volunteers, the EMTs, and my dad for being there to crew. Most importantly, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to spend a day in woods exploring the beautiful mountains he created.

Results: http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=30866
http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=30866