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| Camp Morganton aid station - the "turnaround". |
Cruel Jewel is a tough race. (Let's just get that out there.) For the uninitiated, it's a 106-mile trek through the Blue Ridge mountains of northern Georgia. This race is one of the few east-coast Hard Rock qualifiers - meaning it's an ass kicker of a race. From what I saw out on the trail it definitely lives up to it's reputation. My job would be to bring Ryan in from the turnaround at mile 50 to around mile 81, keeping us moving at a decent clip through the early morning hours and into the middle of the day.
Rather than try to provide a blow-by-blow account of our day, I'll just hit a few bullet point observations about my experience in the North Georgia mountains:
-Ryan is a baller. 106 miles in 38 hours over that terrain, in those conditions (sunny and hot during the day, with a major storm rolling in during the second night), simply blew me away. There's no quit in that guy. Huge props to him.
-Ryan has a beautiful, wonderful, supportive family. (Not to mention 2 great dogs.) They're full of love and life, and it was a joy to be around them. He is a blessed man indeed, on top of being one hell of an athlete.
-That course lives up to its reputation as one of the toughest trails in the eastern U.S. Apparently they never got the memo about switchbacks out there - everything is straight up the mountains, then straight back down.
-I could really tell that the climbing I have been doing in my training on the treadmill and in my experience at Athens Big Fork is paying off. Despite the challenge of these rugged climbs and descents, I was able to handle them without any problems at all. Minimal soreness after the race.
-Great aid stations at this race. They were well-stocked, the volunteers were enthusiastic and very helpful, and they had Tailwind! Bonus, bonus, bonus.
-We were out there for around 10 hours together and I was thrilled to have ZERO stomach issues! Anyone who knows me knows this is a big deal. I made it a point in each aid station to take care of Ryan first, then to make sure I had something to eat with some protein in it. What this ended up looking like was I would eat a ham and cheese or turkey and cheese sandwich, a couple pickle slices, a handful of M&M's, and a couple cups of coke. In between aid stations I would sip on some Tailwind. I also had a bottle of plain water to wash down the sweetness of the tailwind. This worked to perfection. I felt strong all day. I kept waiting for something to "go wrong" but nothing ever did. Hallelujah!
-Did I mention that Ryan is a baller?
-The Blue Ridge Mountains are absolutely beautiful. I was struck by how lush, green, and verdant the landscape was. The flora along the trail was stunning. I felt as if I was in Eden itself. We have been given such a beautiful world around us to celebrate and enjoy. It is disheartening that so often we choose to ignore such rudimentary blessings that require us only to walk out our door and open our eyes.
-I need to run this race someday.
-When I was observing the runners at the starting line before the race began, I got the impression that there were a few who were not quite aware of what they were about to take on. Now I don't say that to judge anyone, because you never know how much fight and fire a man or woman has in their heart. But given that almost half of the runners dropped out at some point I think there may have been a little underestimating going on. For instance, if you are going to head out for what is the toughest stretch of the race (the first 12 miles, known affectionately as the "Dragon's Spine") carrying only a plastic handheld water bottle in the heat of midday and no additional gear or support, then I am led to conclude that you might you might be getting in over your head. Just saying.
-If you are driving your car along a road in which it is CLEARLY noted that an activity is taking place, like a running or a biking race or whatever, AND is is dark outside, then slow the F down. We were almost taken out heading out of the mile 50 aid station by some jackhole doing 80 who swerved toward us while we were running along a stretch of road. Idiot.
-31 miles in 10 hours on this course was just what I needed in my lead up to Western States. And doing it with Ryan was an added bonus. He gave me tons of great advice, and I was deeply inspired by his perseverance. He really ran with his head and his heart - he was smart enough to dial it back during the heat of the day, allowing him the energy to surge overnight. The storm that rolled in on the second night derailed his anticipated 36-hour finish, but it was still an amazing effort. For a very select few, ultras are about running the edge, hard and fast. For us mortals it's about using our heads. He did that and was rewarded.
-As much as I enjoyed my time with Ryan, I was equally blessed to get to know the rest of the crew - his wife Jessica, his friend and second pacer Tara, and his parents Cindy and Frank. And of course his son West. (Someone please tell West "Heyyyyyyyy...." from Mr Chris.) I can't say enough about everyone's selflessness. Great group.
-The Cruel Jewel belt buckle is huge.
-That Ryan is a baller. Oh, and I want to run this race someday.
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| The thrill of victory. Photo: Jessica Knapp |
Ryan has composed a great recap of his day that can be found here.
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