Mauna Kea Revisited

Top to Bottom- Mauna Kea from Hilo Bay, the access road, and me getting winded at 13,000 ft and saying "why am I doing this?"

It's been two years since I summitted Hawaii's Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea literally translates as "White Mountain" , and I have had the priviledge of being there during the snow season. Yes, it snows in Hawaii. Located on the Big Island, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the Pacific, standing at 13,796 ft. It is a dormant shield volcano and from the ocean floor to the summit it is the tallest mountain in the world!

The reason why I did the ascent was simple. It's a beautiful place and very few people do the full round circuit hike. I began my morning at sea level and drove an hour and a half to the Mauna Kea visitors center. After only 45 minutes of acclimation I sign the waivers so I can begin my way up the mountain. Running at altitude can be tough, but running at altitude when you began your day at sea level can be just plain brutal.

The gravel road begins at 9,000 ft and winds up the mountain for 9 miles to 13,796 ft. After a few seconds of running, I realize the trail is too steep and I begin a long power hike to the summit. An hour went by, and I guessed I was a few thousand feet into the climb. That was until I passed the 10,000 ft marker a few minutes later. The thinner air was already making the climb seem longer. For a brief second, I had a hard time imagining doing this brutal ascent for nearly four thousand more feet. Flatlander from Virginia+altitude=lung busting effort

As I went further up the mountain the lack of oxygen was clearly slowing me down. I kept moving forward and kept putting one foot in front of the other. I was getting more adjusted to the altitude, but not fast enough to compensate. I passed 11,000 ft, then 12,000. Mauna Kea seemed like it just kept going up. I would get over one massive volcanic hill, and see more on the horizon. My surroundings started off as arrid desert, then slowly transitioned to fine red volcanic sand. I hiked through stinging light rain, sunshine, fog, and whipping winds. Finally, I came to a stretch where I could see the true summit. I saw that I had about a mile to go, but also a very steep climb. This last particular incline is so steep that its combination with the altitude has been known to frequently stall out cars.

As I crested the top I was welcomed by the sight of several space observatories. Mauna Kea has perhaps the clearest skies on the planet and air that has been purified by several thousand miles of ocean. Having never hiked significantly above 6,000 feet before, this felt like the longest nine miles I had ever hiked. However, I was not at the true summit. I ran down into the mountain's culdera, and climbed about 100 feet to the true summit and a small shrine to the fire goddess Pele. Above the clouds I could see the ocean from all 360 degrees. It was a sight straight from a dream. I took a short video, some photos, ate a little, and hurried to get out of the cold. The temperature was 87 degrees in Hilo, 77 at the start of the run, and a windy 37 at the summit.

The run down was so steep my feet felt like they were on fire. As the altitude decreased I could feel my lungs growing stronger and stronger. Soon I was back at the visitor's center to verify my return from the summit. Though it took me 2 hours and 35 minutes to reach the summit, it only took 1 hour and 25 minutes to get back and check back in with the ranger.

All in all, it was a rare, beautiful experience that I will never forget.

Healing and Recovering

It's been five days since MMT and the car accident. If the accident never happened, then I would have probably been running on monday. The only reason my legs would have been fresh enough to run monday is because I only "ran" 52 miles at MMT, and about 25 miles of that was slow walking. However, since the accident DID happen, I have only managed to walk minimally.

Monday and Tuesday were both painful and sleepless days. Monday I finally fell asleep at 6am. Yes, I was up all night and fell asleep the next morning. My legs felt like a five alarm fire and I squirmed around alot in my bed. By the time Tuesday rolled around my internal clock was way off due to having about six hours of total sleep since Friday. On Wednesday I started my first day of work at my new job.

It is now Friday evening. I just got back from the gym and did my first weight lifting workout in over a week. I did not do anything with the legs. My left leg feels perfect. It only suffered some minor abrasions, although I was picking broken glass out of it for several hours after the wreck. My right leg got the worst of it. As if the cuts from the airbag, windshield, and dashboard weren't enough, let's toss a fully grown man on top of it. It looks like Freddy Kreuger's face, and feels like Freddy slashed it with his claws. Almost all of the original layer of skin is gone, and the layers that were scraped off went pretty deep. Wednesday I took the bandages off for good, and the wound has started to scab over. Nice huh? The skin has grown very tight around the wound and has limited the flexibility of my leg. I am hoping that the scar tissue will have more elasticity and I can regain my full range of motion. Other than that there is still a little bit of swelling, although not nearly as much as earlier in the week.

As the days go by I will be able to assess a good starting point for running again. Until today, I have been walking with a noticeable limp. If I sit for a long period of time I have a harder time walking then if I have been up and about for a while. Once I'm on my feet things start to feel better quickly. That being said, it may be another week until I can walk normally. Perhaps after that I may start doing some light eliptical workouts, or swim when the pools open. Honestly, I think it will be two to three more weeks before I consider even a light jog. Thankfully with my new job and the return of some of my best friends Iwill be able to fill my new found time with plenty of fun.

MMT- Never a dull moment

My race:

A nice cool 5:00am start, in which I ran the first 2.4 road miles in 18 minutes to the Buzzard Rock trail head. I ran smooth and well paced for the first 24.7 miles arriving at Habron gap at 9:41am. I was being conservative for the remaining 77 miles, and felt in complete control. The weather was warm, but overcast and generally comortable until about 10am. A friend at an aid station told me that Bryon Powell had picked me for a top ten finish on his popular iRunFar blog. Flattering, but I am glad I didn't know that before the race, because my only goal was to finish.

After leaving Habron, it became very hot on the next long climb. Over the next four hours we would encounter very hot and humid temperatures. By mile 27 my body stopped sweating. I had noticed my bandana and arms were bone dry when they should have been soaked. Many runners ran with empty bottles, and I made sure to refill and soak in the streams. During the long 9.5 miles to Camp Roosevelt I felt nauseus, dizzy, and tired. On the decent down to the Stephen's trail I came across runner #130 (Martin) who was limping badly. He had rolled his ankle pretty good so I decided to stick with him for a bit and keep him company. We had a nice conversation, sometimes an expletive would pop up as he tripped over the rocks. We joked around, and when the trail became less rocky he told me to move on.

The 9.5 miles to Camp Roosevelt took over three hours. The day remained toasty, the horse flies were eating me alive, and I still felt like poop. Entering Gap Creek at mile 39.8 we ecountered our first thunderstorm. The rain brought a welcome cool down, and I had a great second wind on Kerns Mountain. The high point was short lived and I was feeling lousy again all the way to Bird Knob. It was weird how my legs felt fine. I had no blisters, feet felt good, and nothing was really hurting. However, my energy was gone and I couldn't take advantage of the fresh legs. I was drinking a lot, sweating again, and eating well. Apparently it was not enough and my body was not getting the needed energy from the food and liquids (including lots of salt).

The climb up Bird Knob was slow and frustrating. I was averaging two miles per hour, which was slow enough to endanger me at later cut-offs. At the top of Bird Knob the booming rumble of thunder and black blouds rolled closer. Within minutes I was being pelted by heavy rain, wind, and stinging hail. The lightning was getting kind of sketchy and the temperature was actually getting cold.


In a matter of minutes we went from 80's to 60's. The trails turned into streams that were several inches deep. The rain was cold, and my slow walk wasn't enough to stay warm. I had no dry/warm clothes for another 15 miles. The sun was getting lower and I was beginning to shiver from the cold alot. To think that five hours ago I was suffering major dehydration from the heat, and now I was close to hypothermic. At my slow and feeble pace it would take at least five hours to get to my next drop bag. I knew I would not make that long cold and wet. I dropped at 52 miles, and sat in a car for three hours until the aid station closed down.

The Accident: At 1:00am myself, volunteer Harry Smith, and runner Bill Wandel were making our way back to the Skyline Ranch. Harry was driving, it was raining on and off, and the roads were very slick. As we were coming down Fort Valley rd, just five miles from the ranch, our Jeep's right wheels slid off the road. Harry thinks his vision of the road may have been hindered by headlights from a car coming around the turn. With no shoulders on the road, the Jeep took a slanted dive towards a creek bed. We slammed head on with a tree at about 35-40mph. Harry yelled "hold on, we're gonna hit!".

I was half asleep, but fully awake during the seconds before impact. It was a loud crunch, and then everything was over. I had no idea if the jeep was going to flip, slide down to the creek bottom, or hit something. It was a relief to still be conscious, but I felt a burning sensation in my legs, and Bill Wandel(who was in the back seat) was now on my lap. I did not know if mylegs were cut, bruised, or perhaps broken.


The seconds before impact are the scariest, but the minute afterward is hectic when you're trying to figure out what your body looks like in a smoke filled vehicle. The Jeep had filled with powder from the airbags and the odor began to have a suffocating effect with the windows closed. I asked Bill if he was ok, and he said he couldn't move. I was forced to crawl out of the drivers side door, which was now pointing up towards the road. I was worried the Jeep would still flip, or slide down the embankment, but a large rock had been holding it in place. The same rock, however, also prevented us from opening the passenger side door to get to Bill.

After about five minutes we pulled Bill out of the car, and he seemed to be in shock. Bill leaned against the Jeep for ten minutes as we waited to flag down any passing cars. It was a surreal sight standing out in the rainy dark while our Jeep was sitting smashed off the side of the road. The headlights pointed aimlessly through the trees, and the horn sounded a continuous buzz.

Shortly after two women were able to call 911, but it was still about 25-30 minutes after the crash that the fire department and ambulance showed up. Bill was the first to get treated and was placed in the ambulance. EMT's tended to my abrasions and cuts, and brought Bill to the hospital for further review. Bill was not wearing his seat belt, and his head shattered the front windshield. He also hit the dashboard with tremendous force, thus causing some cracked ribs and other internal injuries. We are all hoping his wounds are minimal.

Back to MMT:

Men's race: Karl Meltzer won more than two hours ahead of second. Mike Mason had a ground breaking performance taking 3rd behind Glen Redpath, and Keith Knipling finished a tough day looking strong to take fourth. Todd Walker was having a great race, but got lost and told me he ended up running 105 miles instead. Potential contenders Bradley Mondgold and Jeremy Ramsey did not start due to sickness/injury. Darkhorse pick Nick Pedatella, whom I passed on the way to Habron Gap, dropped due to injury, as well as Karsten Brown.

Women's race: Amy Sproston took first, and challenged Sue Johnston's legendary course record pace early in the day . She was my pick to win, and I called it saying she would finish top ten overall. She finished 10th. Sheryl Wheeler came out of nowhere and made a late push during the night to take second. Robin Meagher held on for 3rd.

Today's MMT saw the greatest number of drops ever, due mostly to the extreme and unpredictable weather. Anybody who finished this race would be qualified to teach a course on toughness and fortitude. Congrats to all finishers. And last, but not least thanks to all the volunteers who spent days in the same rough conditions to help us out.

***Accident update 10:30am 5/18/09***
I heard from Harry Smith this morning, who was the driver in the accident. He said Bill Wandel should be getting out of the Winchester hospital today with minor injuries. Bill is feeling well and his spirits are good. I had a very restless night due to the burning pain in my right leg. I changed out the bandages and took some ibuprofin and fell asleep at 6am. I am feeling much better, but still a bit sleep deprived. Overall, I thank God that no one was seriously hurt. We're all very thankful.

MMT Training Run #2...Lost, and found

MMT 100 Training Academy is sponsored by VHTRC and Mr. Tom Corris

Today was supposed to be a 25 mile jaunt from Camp Roosevelt to Woodstock Tower. Once again I managed to get insanely lost. I am truly an idiot. I brought no turn sheet, never checked the map, and ran the course like it was the Ring and not MMT. I have had it so ingrained in my head that I must always follow orange(the Massanutten Trail blaze) that I will follow no other color.

Today we were supposed to run the MMT and then turn off on a blue blaze at mile 3.5. Well goofy Mike missed the turn and continued another 13.5 miles in the wrong direction! I went up the extremely steep Waterfall Mountain, an inappropriately tough climb on any day, and then proceeded on to the next mountain(Kerns). I had remembered someone telling me that Waterfall Mountain is not part of the MMT course. That's when I knew I was nowhere near where I should be, and that I must have missed a turn way long ago in a galaxy far, far away. The big problem was that with all the back tracking and miscellaneous wandering, I had logged over 17 miles with no food or water. The closest aid, would have been another 11 miles away, and I had no idea how to get there.

So I am stuck on some mountain, Crisman Hollow Road to be exact, freezing my butt off, and I am very lost. I wander up and down the roads and trails and yell for assistance. I see no people, and see no cars. I was getting very worried that I would have to hike 20+ more miles to get back, and risk getting caught in a cold rain shower at night. After about a half hour two hunters drive by. My face is so numb that my words come out all gibberish. After some puzzled looks, I rub my face and get it warm enough to spout out at least one coherent sentence. The guys couldn't offer a ride, but suggested going to the "ranger" station down the road. 15 minutes later another car passes. It is a father and son. The dad seems very hesitant to let me in, but finally offers a ride down to the "ranger" office. The office is closed and I am left off route 211, and the father and son drive off. They were obviously a little out of their comfort zone giving me a lift, but I appreciated it. I knew nobody from the club was going to pass anytime in the next few weeks.

Not too long I managed to get a lift from a nice Latino fellow. His idea was to take me to the New Market police dept and have them gimme a lift back to Woodstock where my car was. The municipal building was closed, and on top of that the nice Latino guy was driving with a suspended license. And to think he was helping me find a police officer? Finally we find an officer parked outside a 7-Eleven(save the jokes for later). However the New Market police cannot offer a ride outside their Jurisdiction. I have no money,no cell phone, and have no phone numbers memorized. Dispatch informs that no one from the VHTRC has reported missing a long haired Asian dude roaming the mountains. Wow? Did they really think it took me over five hours to run 8 miles. I can tell I was really missed ;-)....At long last a Shenandoah County officer agrees to meet the New Market officer at a Sheetz in Mount Jackson. What's with the rendezvous at all the gas stations? Every now and then I would hear over the police radio " we have individual in transit, and we are en route to the transfer location". Man oh man. I felt like Americas most wanted, kinda like Bonnie and Clyde...just with no Bonnie..and no actual crimes. Several looong hours later I arrive at Woodstock tower in my police escort. God knows what a klutz people think I am.

Icy 8 Hour Trail Run

We had about 70 runners at the first annual Icy 8 Hour trail run. It is called "Icy" because it is held in February, and because it was 26 degrees when we started. The course allows for runners to choose either a 4.7 or 8 miles loop, and you can combine loops at any time during the run. The course was rolling hills, fast, and a bit bumpy because of horse tracks. The only thing is that only completed laps count, thus you get no credit for partial laps. This would become a little tricky later in the day when I tried to figure how to maximize my mileage.

Upon starting I recognized a couple fast runners, and figured I could possibly finish well, if I played it smart. Francesca Conte and Russell Gill, both team Montrail runners added some fun to the mix, and my bud Justin Faul who is consistently a strong runner also seemed like a challenger. Mike Huff, a US Marine and fellow VHTRC member, had recently been running very well. Speedsters Scott Buttz and Thad Meyer were also key players. I also figured there would be a few sleepers who would have good races.

My game plan was to run only 4.7 mile loops. I had figured on a good day I could get in 11 loops for 51.7 miles. Pacing was good early on. I chatted it up a bit with a few friends on the first loop, which we ran at an easy effort. I ran right through the aid point at the end of the first loop which created a little separation early. I made sure to look as fresh as possible when I passed other speedy runners in hopes of gaining a little mental edge on them. Even if my overall pace was a 9 minute mile, I wanted them to think I was dropping sub 8's all day. I hit my marathon split at 3:45, and my 50k split in 4:39. I was not really focused on any other runners, because it was impossible to tell how far everyone had run until the end. Several folks were running really fast in the later hours of the race, but I found out they were on relay teams. Frannie Conte looked like the biggest contender since she was always flying when she passed me. It turned out that she stopped at 33.6 miles. Other than Frannie, there were a handful of other folks that still looked really strong.

At about mile 32, I started to slow down a lot, eventually dropping to a 10 minute mile. I knew I wanted to run at least 50 miles, so with two hours left I needed to redo my strategy. I had run 38.6 miles in six hours, so I chose to run one 8 mile loop and one 4.7 mile loop to bring my total to 50.3. I went out on the eight mile loop fast, and was back to running 8 minute miles, but bonked hard towards the end and finished the loop in 70 minutes. I now had fifty two minutes to complete my final 4.7 mile loop. At this time of the day the temperatures had risen to the upper sixties and was feeling quite warm. The ground which was frozen in the morning had become very muddy and slippery. Even with the slushy footing I made a final push to complete my last loop in 49 minutes. Total mileage was 50.3, and my 50 mile split was around 7:53.

A very personal highlight for me was having my parents at the race. They were able to see me come running through the check point after having run 45.6 miles, and then see me again when I finished. It was the first race that they got to see me actively running, and first race they saw me finish. At the awards presentation there were over 30 runners who completed a 50k or more. That is an incredible number, with a few first timers as well. The race director then gave out the awards for 3rd and 2nd place, both had tied for 44.6 miles, but the 2nd place went to the runner that completed it faster. I knew that my 50.3 miles had been good enough for first. The truth is, I had actually already won the race before I even went out on my last loop. Regardless, my parents got to see my first race, and had a chance to see my first ever 1st place finish. Pretty sweet and satisfying! In the end I reminded myself that much faster runners could have completed 55-60 miles, but on any given day who knows who will show up? I was just blessed that on this day, I was able to run just a little bit further. I also think that strategy was almost as important as speed in events like this.

On the whole, I recommend this race series. You get a nice technical shirt, good food, chip timing, and a pretty location at Lake Anna State park. I may have to hit up the 12 hour this fall, but think I will hold off on the 24 hour.

Milkshake at the Marine Corps Marathon

For the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon I dressed up in a Milkshake costume. That's correct, a cup, a lid, and even a straw. The whole shabang! Now why on earth would a person choose to do this you ask? Well, I obviously have no problem with looking like an idiot now and then. I had run the Baltimore Marathon two weeks earlier with my friend Kelly Noonan. We had planned to run Marine Corps together at roughly a 4:15-4:30 pace. Kelly was running as a training run for the JFK 50 miler, and I was gonna go slow to taper for a big 50+ mile trail race the following weekend. Given the slow pace, I figured I could have a little fun and wear a costume during the marathon. I knew it would be different, and it would make things entertaining for the other runners and crowds. So, the night before Marine Corps, there I was at the local costume shop. Milkshake in hand. The hot dog costumes were all sold out, and I really wanted to be a food item of some sort.

Upon meeting the other Reston Runners before the race I decide to reveal my plans. Some folks had no reaction, some laughed their butts off, others probably thought it was just plain stupid. At 7:30 a.m I strap on the costume, and wonder if I can really make it 26.2 miles in this thing. The costume was not very heavy, but it was pretty much a big wind sail. It was made of cheap fabric with no ventilation, and a very unbreathable head piece. With temperatures rising to the mid 60s, I knew hydration was going to be VERY important, as I would be sweating twice as much as normal, with no airflow.

BOOM! At 8am, the starting cannon goes off. Me, Kelly N, Ellen M, and Donna R all pass through start line about a minute after the gun. Cluttered crowds kept the first quarter mile very slow. A person in a Teddy Roosevelt costume was the only other dressed up runner I saw. The "Teddy R" costume was about 8 feet tall, and weighed 40 lbs. I don't know how the guy did it, but I read that he finished the marathon in 6:26. Wow. Anyway, me and Kelly ran together at about 9:15 pace the first few miles. Pretty soon, Kelly was nowhere in sight. With 18,000 marathon runners, I had no chance of finding her. For the next 4-5 miles I ran with Ellen Mannion and Donna Rostant. We were all running about 8:30-9:00 pace. Not too long, I lost sight of both Ellen and Donna, assuming they ran ahead. I decided to try to "catch up" but never saw them again.

All by myself I decided to really have some fun. The streets were literally lined by hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans cheering the runners on. My Milkshake costume was a hit, although I had to explain that it was not a chicken, duck, or Spongebob. Soon I was being greeted by rows of fans sticking their hands out for high fives. I would run by the crowds and yell "I can't hear you, Make some noise!" Seconds later the crowds would burst into loud cheers. I also encouraged the crowds to "get loud for the other runners", and to get ready because "It's milkshake time!" I soaked it all in as much as I could. It was a phenomenal feeling to connect with the onlookers, and be able to make folks smile at my stupidness.

Before I knew it, my 8:30 pace dropped to a 7:00 pace. I must have really been moving through those busy street sections. A milkshake running 7:00 minute miles? At first the crowds loved the sheer silliness of my costume, but later in the day I think they began to appreciate how tough it must have been in that sweltering outfit. But, I kept smiling, and kept running at an oddly brisk pace for someone in a full costume. The entire day continued to be a big party for me. I never tired of waving and smiling to everyone, posing for pictures, and giving kids big high fives. Other runners even thanked me for making the marathon more entertaining for them. Other runners who were struggling in the late miles, managed to squeak a smile at the sight of my milkshake body. That alone made the whole gimmick worthwhile.

At 25 miles I was told that I was on pace to break 3:30. I had no time goal for the marathon, but thought a sub 3:30 would be kinda cool. I just needed to run 1.2 miles in 8:30. I pushed hard down the final flat, and then steep uphill to the finish. The same crowds that had lined the streets earlier must have moved to the finish, and I received a boisterous ovation from everyone. I was still grinning, still giving high fives, and still waving as I crossed the finish in 3:30:45 -- chip time 3:29:39

The Massanutten Trail Ring

Background of The Ring

For those who don't know, the Massanutten Trail is a 71.1 loop trail in the Shenandoah Valley. It travels 35 miles south, and then returns 36 miles back north. Most hikers will break up the trail into a 4-6 day The trail contains some of the steepest climbs, and possibly the rockiest surface of any race in the US. In 2002 a couple members of the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club decided that this set up was perfect for a race. The race was aptly named The Ring for the fact that the trail and mountains create a geographic ring around Fort Valley. There is a 100 mile race called Massanutten Mountain Trails that covers much of this trail, however in The Ring, all easy sections have been removed, and a few tougher climbs added.

I will not lie. This race will test your manhood, and it will take it from you. But, only if you let it. Few people sign up to run the Ring every year, and even fewer people finish it.

Unlike "normal" races this event is a Fat Ass style run. That means you don't pay to enter, the aid you do receive will be limited, no silly t-shirts, no medals, no buckles, and no prizes. This run is simply about being up to the task of finishing. It's all about your personal goals, and no fanfare. The first and last finishers get the same amount of nothing. Just a huge sense of personal achievement, which is priceless.

The 2008 Ring Race Report

7:00am- The race begins. It is an overcast and humid morning of September 6th. Hurricane Hanna has moved up the east coast, and threatens to drop massive amounts of rain on the mid-atlantic states today. It's about 70 degrees outside, and the rain is starting to come down.

Of the 26 runners signed up, a couple decide not to show because of the looming forcast. Still, 24 runners are ready to tackle one of the toughest races east of the Rockies.

Start to 13 miles: The trails are pretty tame so far. Only a few climbs, and very runnable surface. With only one aid station in the first 25 miles, the biggest challenge is carrying all your food and water. With a 70 ounce camel back, 20 oz hand bottle, and food, I was lugging about 8 lbs on my back. Not alot if your hiking, but it took a little getting used to at running speed.

Rain and Wind- it rained for about four hours between 8am-12noon. I recall pretty heavy rain and wind on the ridge tops around 10am. This was about as bad as the weather got, which wasn't nearly the all day drenching we expected. For the most part the rain kept temperatures cool, and the wind didn't effect too much aside from knocking some trees onto the trail. I figured I'd be running in wet clothes and shoes for most of the race, so it didn't bother me at all. The 1.5 inches of rain did create many puddles, and some slippery trails. Think wet leaves on wet loose rocks. A good recipe for disaster.

13-25 miles: I ran this section pretty fast, although I took a wrong turn and ended up running a half mile further than everyone else. I had wondered how other guys had caught up, when I had tried to push the pace. I was 3rd overall into the first aid station at 25 miles, with a group of three just seconds behind. At about 25 miles in, the weather cleared up and remained nice for the rest of the day.

34 miles and Waterfall mountain: This is where the fun really begins. The first 50k are like any other trail race. Some of the rocks are hard to run on, but no there are no really tough climbs. Waterfall mountain changes all that. 900 feet of vertical climb in 0.6 miles makes this one of the steepest climbs anywhere. My heart rate redlined on this section, as it probably took every bit of 20 minutes to do on fresh legs. About 2/3 of the way up, the trail flattens, and you think you're done. No. You still have a few hundred more feet to go. This part will either make you cry for mommy, or laugh to keep from crying. I mostly thought " holy crap, you've got to be kidding me?" It never seemed to end, but ironically it is a pretty short climb, just steep as hell.

When you finally finish climbing lovely Waterfall mountain, you are only halfway done! Some folks tend to drop out of the race at this point, since they realize it is no longer fun. The next 36 miles are tougher than the first 35, and that just doesn't sit well with some people. The truth is you have 5 more peaks to summit, which is around 7,000 more feet of climbing. The downhills also really suck after a while too. Oh, and the sun is going to set soon, so you get to do it all in the dark.

35-40 Miles: I jog into the 35 mile aid station at Crisman Hollow rd. Until now I've been breezing through the aid station in a couple minutes. I decide to take about 10-12 minutes to sit down and take some weight of my feet for a bit. I change socks, eventhough my shoes are still soaked. I'making sure to take in alot of calories at the aid stations from here on out. Next I get to climb Short Mountain, which is not short. The trails along this ridge are runnable, but after rolling my ankle 101 times on the previous ridge, I decide to go slow. The frustrating part of this run is that even on the flat sections, you still can't go fast. You want to run, but it won't help by trying. It took me about 2.5 hours to cover each 8 mile section between aid stations. You really don't realize why it takes people that long until you actually do it yourself.

48-56miles: The night time settled in. I turn on my headlamp, which helps, but I still can't spot every rock out there. My biggest fear at night is that I will take the wrong trail and end up in the middle of nowhere. From here to the finish I will spend 8 more hours in the middle of the mountains alone. By now a couple moren runners drop, and some decide they don't want to run in the dark. As far as the trails, it was actually easier to do the climbs at night since you couldn't really tell how steep the trail was, or how much further you had to go. I decided to have my mp3 player on to prevent me from feeling too isolated. The back side of the mountain was very still. No wind, no noise, no views. Only, thorns and some ghetto looking trail. Upon reaching the ridgeline, I was greeted by what looked like Christmas lights. It was lights from the valley, glittering hues of gold and yellow. It was a pleasant sight, and rather enchanting in the cool night. Above me was a crescent moon and the clearest night sky I have seen in some time.

56-62.5 miles:I arrive at the Woodstock Tower aid station. As I looked at my watch, I noticed that the miles seemed to feel longer and longer. I kept saying to myself "it seems like the next aid station should be getting close?". More and more darkness. More rocks, more thorns, more climbing. It was around 56 miles into the race I started getting sore. My left ankle was starting to swell from rubbing against my shoes. My quads were still good, but my hip flexors were pretty stiff from the climbs. This made lifting my legs kinda tough. I actually had no blisters. Very surprising considering the rocky course, and wet feet. I honestly did not feel like going back out into the dark for another 6 hours. However, I made it this far, and I really wanted to tackle the Ring.

62.5 miles and Signal Knob- leaving the final aid at 63 miles I felt very sore and beat up. I knew that I would have another whole mountain to climb, and a brutal descent down. 8.6 more miles meant atleast 3 hours at my current pace. Gotta keep slugging at it. The climb up to Signal Knob is actually on a fire road. It starts at a rather pedestrian grade, but then decides to kick it up a notch as you near the summit. The last half mile or so are rather steep, but then again it was hard to tell at 2am in the morning. At the summit I took a moment to take in the view of the valley. I turned off my headlamp to soak in the natural ambience. Again, it seemed magical. Thousands of golden lights. For a second you could almost forget the 66 miles it took to get you to that point. But, that's the last enjoyable moment of the race.......

66.6 miles to the Finish- yes 66.6 miles is the exact point where the hellish decent down Signal Knob begins. Coincidence with the numbers? I think not. After the beautiful overlook, the trails decides to become a bunch of jagged rocks again. And then the rocks get bigger,more jagged, and more loose. Lets be honest, almost everyone's feet hurt like heck at this point, and these rocks add insult to injury. The trail is not steep, but it taunts you. I wondered "why the hell did they make THIS part of the official trail?". It wouldn't be fun to even hike on. It was like someone took a truck full of big stupid rocks and decided to dump then directly on the trail. I managed a very entertaining balancing act, trying not to snap an ankle for fall on my face. Every time you thought the trail was clearing up into something managable, it was like....nope,not yet, we still got a few more miles of these rocks you need to do. It felt like it would never end, it was so monotonous. Finally, the trail eased up for the last dowhill mile or so. On this last mile, I strongly debated if I actually enjoyed the race. That notorious final 5 miles, which is heavily documented in the lore of Ring runners, lived up to the hype. Although probably not that bad by itself, it does suck a bit after 67 miles.

71.1 Miles- 4:45 am. technically 72 miles for me since I strayed off the trail several times.

....Well, I must say that I am proud to be the 56th person inducted to the "Fellowship of The Ring". I am also one of the youngest runners to finish, and had a very respectable finish time of 21 hours 45 minutes. This was easily the toughest run I have completed to date. Technically much harder than my 100 mile finish. A day after the run I feel pretty good. The ankle is still a little tender, no blisters, some sore hip flexors, and stiff quads. Going up and down steps isn't quite a cake walk yet, but noticebly better than yesterday. The Ring is everything I hoped it would be. The Ring is a memorable run, a physical test, very mentally challenging, and as rewarding as they get. Great volunteers, event coordinators, and fond new memories.

Mike Bailey- The Ring, inductee Class of 2008