Race: Rocky Raccoon 100

Runner: Alan V

Race Date: 02/02/2019

Location: Huntsville State Park, TX

Result: 36th- in 22hr 19min

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2121133949

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. It was pretty close to home. Last year I think I traveled out of state for all but one.
2. The entire course is runnable and covered. You can run the whole thing, no big climbs or downhills.
3. Seeing some familiar faces and the volunteers. Everyone was super nice and helped me out.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

1. The entire course is runnable. You can outrun yourself early on and be walking a lot. It’s good and bad at the same time.
2. The mud and roots. My feet took a beating from these two. I changed socks on every loop and they would be steaming like crazy. I also kicked roots and cursed.
3. Humidity. It felt like it was about to rain most of the day and night. It did rain a few miles up the road. It only got up to 65 but I did sweat a whole lot. Some people where shivering uncontrollably at night when the temps dropped.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

It’s not rocky like the name says. Petition to change it to Rooty raccoon!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

Finishing…I’ve had trouble finishing a 100 so this one felt good. Also, I kept my stomach together the whole time.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Look out for roots and check the weather. There are some speedsters that usually show up so run at your pace.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Take it easier the first loop to finish better. Also, I changed my shoes the last loop which I shouldn’t have; my Nike kigers were doing so well all day with no issues but I wanted to have dry feet and that led to some nasty blisters.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

It’s fast and rooty. It’s four 25 mile loops so you’ll be able to see your crew a lot and get an idea of how far things are.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Yeah, but it all kinda looks the same.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Yes, most people get hurt by the roots and fall, and you can outrun yourself. There were a few huge mud puddles that were ankle deep.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Yup, Tejas Trails has their shit together and always puts on top notch events.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Yeah there are always a few speedsters every year. Usually the winner is around 12:30-14:00.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Nope, you could sign up last minute and get a hotel with no problem.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Pretty standard stuff you’d expect.

Weather and typical race conditions

You can’t predict Texas weather. It could be hot or cold or both

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

Depending on the weather,

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

People mainly stay at the aid stations.

How’s the Swag?

The shirt is nice. The buckle is cool too.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

5/5. I’ do it again.

Texas weather is unpredictable. It was dry for this race all of about 2 hours. After that – it rained hard, then just sprinkled for 4 hours, rained hard again, sprinkled some more, got foggy, then sprinkled some more. I saw some of the gnarliest falls – from trips and falls. First mile this old guy tripped, broke his glasses, and tore up his elbow. Saw the same guy later in the race do a Charlie Brown fall when Lucy pulls the football away. The Dude’s feet went up over his head, it was awesome – but only because it wasn’t me and he didn’t get terribly hurt…

Race: Rocky Raccoon 100

Runner: Stephen D

Date: 2/3/18

Location: Huntsville, TX

Results: 28:38:5

3 Bests:

1. Texas people are very nice people. And they have their crap together. It made everything really fun and entertaining.  
2. The trails are actually pretty nice trails, they are soft, covered in roots and very runnable.
3. Because you do the loop multiple times –
   1. You know exactly how far you have to go
   2. You know when you are getting close to an aid station
   3. You know when you are getting close to finishing a climb or descent
   4. You know when you are getting close to the finish itself
   5. You can have a planned pace and easily check your pace throughout the race
   6. You actually get a firsthand glimpse into what is happening at the front of the race since they will come flying back by you (multiple times)!
   7. BONUS: if you see a root that looks like a snake – after the 3rd time you are freaked out by it, you might (and I say might – since late in the race you might hallucinate a snake) realize that stupid root you’ve seen 6 times now is NOT really a snake.

Not so much:

1. Texas weather is unpredictable. It was dry for this race all of about 2 hours. After that – it rained hard, then just sprinkled for 4 hours, rained hard again, sprinkled some more, got foggy, then sprinkled some more. I saw some of the gnarliest falls – from trips and falls. First mile this old guy tripped, broke his glasses, and tore up his elbow. Saw the same guy later in the race do a Charlie Brown fall when Lucy pulls the football away. The Dude’s feet went up over his head, it was awesome – but only because it wasn’t me and he didn’t get terribly hurt…
2. The mud or more so, the clay. I personally love wet and environmentally demanding races, but didn’t seem to manage well here. It was so freaking slippery. Water on dirt is fine, unless that dirt is clay. I’d  say 2/3rd of the route we ran this year was covered in clay type dirt and it was very very slippery. So slippery in fact that I tore my calf muscle due to slipping going up a small incline.
3. As I ran the first mile I said to myself – these roots aren’t so bad, then I saw that old guy go down, then in a matter of 20 more minutes watched multiple more people trip all over the place. I got really worried that would be me later in the race. Luckily I was relegated to a crawl with my busted ass calf so didn’t get the opportunity to actually run much past mile 65 but if I had, I am sure the roots would have been calling my name. Tripping sucks, and I saw plenty of bloody knees and elbows to know that I don’t want to trip.

Weirdest thing:

1. There are some seriously impressive people that run these races. It was great to see a very large assortment of people running. There was a 14 year old kid, an 82 year old man, large people, small people etc. Sometimes I would see people that were absolutely crushing the race, and I would continuously ask how the heck they were so fast! At the same time, I know a lot can happen in a hundred and any given day people can have a race of their lives or a tough outing. That is what makes these races interesting. Anyone that has the guts to step out on a race course is simply an awesome person regardless –even when they are faster than me ☺
2. Other thing I saw was people taking naps at aid stations. Hadn’t seen that before, and I wanted to but didn’t.

Highlights

1. Seeing the race develop, it was inspiring to see the leaders come back at me each time on the loops, some of them are very intense
2. Running with my buddy Dan. I had a great time, and they provided the exact amount of motivation I needed to keep me going, without ever going back into the Demon cave (I was in the pain cave from mile 65 on).
3. Running my second 100 miler and completing it as well as getting to see Dan finish his first 100 miler.
4. Having my dad not have to worry about logistics. He knew where to go each time, since it was the same!
5. I did take my lessons learned from my last race and executed them well.
6. Seeing 2 sun rises is fun, but they weren’t true sun rises since it was more cloudy and rainy.

Lessons for next time

1. I think I will plan on having my feet taped before the race ever starts. My pinky toes, my insteps and my heels. For whatever reason I can run 50 milers and 100k’s no problem, but with 100 miles I get blisters. Having your feet taped mid race eats up time.
2. I would have liked to not have pulled my calf. Not sure how to prevent that though… Stupid calf.
   1. The only thing I can think of is not running two 100 mile races within 3-4 months.
3. I feel like I started well, I was perfectly on the pace I wanted to be on. I think I hit 50 miles at almost 11 hours perfectly. If it weren’t for my calf, I was really happy with my performance until that point. Plus I finished, and to me that meant a lot. My dad told me at one point, you can go home and people will say “yeah a torn calf –that sucks, stopping makes sense” or “DANG! You finished 100 miles with a torn calf!?” Not sure if that was stupid or not, but darn it my dad has a way of motivating me to keep going…
4. The other thing is that there are a TON of people that run this race. The first loop was extra crowded because the volume of people. Just be patient, it thins out pretty quick.

Most Important Course specific knowledge

1. Don’t go out too fast unless you are Matt Urbanski. It’s easy to do. Don’t do it.
2. They say the roots come out at night. To hell with that! They are out all day long. All day, all night. They don’t go away. Even when I had been relegated to a walk they were still there, making you look down constantly. Just waiting to take one of your toenails off, or worse take you down to the ground.
3. Keep your attention on the trail, and what I mean by this, is don’t turn your head around to look back and try to keep running. I saw more people trip or slip this way. It is silly and an easy way to get hurt.
4. Fix small issues early. If you have a rock in your shoe. Stop and take it out, don’t let it manifest and cause bigger problems later. I did wear gaiters which I would recommend.
5. If you have Verizon, cell coverage is actually pretty good. My buddy Dan ran with his Garmin and its live tracking feature told my dad and Dan’s parents exactly where we were at all times. That was pretty slick and made things really convenient for them. It was great.
6. This year we did a weird loop that was not the normal course, but the out and back for the 3rd aid station was a turn around point. It only had gels and water, so if you plan on needing more food or calories, pack extra when leaving Damnation.
7. ALWAYS check in with the aid station to make sure your number was captured. There was some drama of someone cheating because their number didn’t get captured. He was actually DQ’d. So just make sure someone gets your number at each aid station and everything is good.

Aesthetics

1. Yes this is sort of a pretty course. It had some nice features like running by a lake. BUT, compare this to something like Whistler Alpine Meadows, then this race is lacking. The big draw is the speed, convenience, and ease of crewing

Difficulty

1. This is not a super easy course for three reasons (they say this is a great beginner 100 miler, and I tend to agree mostly due to the atmosphere this race provides).
   1. There is NOTHING easy about 100 miles. Period. I don’t care if it were bone flat, 100 miles is a long friggin distance!
   2. The unpredicatability of the race
      1. Getting wet, cold, frozen, overheated, dehydrated are all potential issues. It all depends on the weather
   3. The trail
      1. Roots – need I say more. These aren’t your normal roots, these are big ass roots. WA trails have some roots, but the saying that everything is bigger in Texas fully applies here.
      2. The trails were never really conducive to getting some good speed going. There was not really a place where I felt like I could easily get a flow going. There are lots of turns and no real straightaways. If there were, unfortunately they were so muddy we could hardly get anything going on them.

Organized and well run

1. Very well run. Tejas trails has got this race so well-greased, it was amazing, they had so much food, water, drinks, aid station help, and folks providing the most amazing aid it was fantastic!
   1. They even had feet people at multiple aid stations (the main one and damnation) that took good care of my feet.
2. I liked the half-way point aid station Damnation – it was a music party and the folks there were genuinely having fun but being super helpful!

Competition

1. This is a USATF trail 100 mile championship race – or something like that. So it brings with it some speed. Interestingly it doesn’t bring a ton of sponsored runners, but there was still some solid speed out there.
2. I on the other hand was far too back to really care about the competition aspect for myself so it didn’t matter to me. (Other than wanting to know how I am doing)

Logistics

1. It is relatively easy to get to. It’s about 45 minutes from the Houston airport
2. There are no hotels immediately close nearby, so me and my dad (and Dan) stayed at an air bnb within 20 minutes of the race.
3. There is a 5 dollar charge for entry into the park, so on race morning, there is a huge line that builds to get into the park – plan to leave 20 minutes earlier than normal to wait in line. THIS IS DISCUSSED IN THE RACE PACKET BUT PLENTY OF PEOPLE MISSED IT.
4. Drop bags for Damnation were supposed to be dropped off the day before the race at packet pickup. I missed that fact, but it didn’t hinder me much since the aid stations were so good.
5. Drop bags for the main headquarters were dropped by the runner on the morning of, and it was labeled by bib number.
6. There were no trail work requirements or prerequisites to run this race, which made things simple.

Aid Stations

1. Great aid stations.
2. They really were efficient at the aid stations, if you wanted to get in and out, the aid workers were really good about helping folks out. If you wanted to chill and recover, they would help with that too.

Weather and typical race conditions

1. This is what I discussed earlier – it was WET, MUDDY, and mid 50’s, but variable every year.

Gear

1. A vest is good here, but I saw plenty of folks just using a hand held water bottle.
2. A sock change is recommended every loop unless your feet are bullet proof. If you start getting blisters – take care of that stuff early since it will do nothing but get worse as you go along.

Spectators

1. This is not a super spectator friendly course, but I am not really sure what 100 miler is… Your family and friends get to see you at the HQ and that is it. You start and end at the HQ, and you go through it at least 1 time each loop. This race makes sense if your crew has a tendency to get lost, or you want to make it easy on them.
2. The packet says your crew can meet you at other aid stations so long as they walk. My dad actually hiked out to another aid station which was great and was really helpful. His watch said he put in about 40 miles by the end of the day.

Awards

1. Everyone that finished the 100 mi got a nice chrome buckle. If you go sub 24 hours, you get a bigger fancier one that says you did it sub 24.

Overall Score

1. I give this race an 6.5 out of 10.  It was right up my alley in terms of difficulty (from an overall difficulty due to 100 miles) but by the fourth loop I hated the course, I hated the mud and well, I hated my calf especially. Seeing the race happen live was pretty cool and it was inspiring to see the top people going so fast especially in those conditions.  I’d be interested to know what the regular course is like, but really don’t have a desire to go back down there. It was a nice set of trails (when they were dry) and the course was fast, but 100 miles is a long way, and I am looking forward to some more mountains on my next one. On to Cascade Crest!

What aspects of the race did you like the most? I love the loops. The predictability of this race make it really manageable both psychologically and logistically. The weather. We had a perfect day. Chilly in the morning, not humid during the day, and generally overcast. This made for fast running conditions. Positive vibe. There is a good feeling at this race. I’ve been here five out of the past seven years and it’s just a fun place to race. It’s not that Huntsville, TX has anything special I like, but when I’m in the state park at this race, it feels good, both as a racer and as a crew/support person.

Race: Rocky Raccoon 100

Runner: Matt U

Date: 2/4/17

Location: Huntsville, TX

Results – 14:04.08 (3rd place overall)

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

• I love the loops. The predictability of this race make it really manageable both psychologically and logistically.
• The weather. We had a perfect day. Chilly in the morning, not humid during the day, and generally overcast. This made for fast running conditions.
• Positive vibe. There is a good feeling at this race. I’ve been here five out of the past seven years and it’s just a fun place to race. It’s not that Huntsville, TX has anything special I like, but when I’m in the state park at this race, it feels good, both as a racer and as a crew/support person.

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

• We still have to wear this darn ankle chip timing device. It cuts up my skin and was my biggest race “wound” I had to recover from. It’s time for them to catch up with technology advances and get some better timing devices. And while I’m on this topic, given that they have us a wear a timing device, it would be really nice if they had more tracking check points for spectators at home to follow. It’s a small park and it seems reasonable to have more checkpoints than just every 20 miles.

 

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

• I managed this 100 mile race better than any 100 miler I’ve ever run – this was my 10th attempt at the distance. I stayed in control all day, I pushed myself but stayed within my capabilities, and I worked hard all the way until the finish. I had a huge PR and I finished 3rd in the race. I have felt for a long time that I was capable of this and it was so awesome to finally put it all together on race day. I remember a specific spot on my way back to Damnation aid station on loop 5 when a Macklemore song I’d never heard before came up on my mix – Ten Thousand Hours. I got goosebumps and wanted to pump my fists in the air as certain lines totally clicked at that moment with me. The gist of it is that people that do well at their craft do so because they put in the time and they work hard to become what they want. I felt it all coming together out there this year at Rocky and it felt awesome!

 

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

• It’s not flat and there are lots of things to trip over. Train on trails and learn to pick up your feet and maneuver through uneven and rooty trail so that when you’re tired during this race, you don’t kick a root, fall on your face, or tweak something and ruin your race. And while there are no big climbs, it’s rarely flat. There are constant rollers that are runnable (I ran the entire course), but most people will likely need/want to walk at some point, so be ready for this and don’t let it mess up your mental game when the little hills don’t feel so little later on.
• Along the lines of my first point, have a good headlamp so you can see the roots well. I love my Petzl Nao and never felt like I had trouble seeing the rocks and roots. The first 45 minutes is in the dark and there will be dark before the finish so do yourself a favor and make sure you have a comfortable and highly effective headlamp!

 

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

• It’s nearly all in the woods of SE Texas. If that’s your thing then it’s pretty. I don’t run this race for the aesthetics. 🙂

 

Difficulty – is it a tough course

• It’s 100 miles, it’s all runnable, but running for 100 miles is difficult.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

• They’ve got this race down. It was smooth and I had no logistical problems whatsoever.

 

Competition – is there a strong field?

• Fast times. Some years are faster than others. It’s been the USATF national championship race for the past few years so it typically brings at least a few fast folks.

 

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

• I don’t think it sells out. Packet pickup is straightforward. Crewing, aid, drop bags – all that stuff is standard with no weird rules to abide by.  

 

Aid Stations

• I feel really good about how I handled this aspect of my race, and as such, I can’t comment much on the aid stations. I heard others saying how awesome the aid stations and their volunteers were, but I only utilized them for refilling Tailwind at Damnation aid station each loop. I drank most of my calories, but had crew handing me new bottles at all aid stations except Damnation, so I rarely had to stop. I ate my own food, primarily Pringles, along with some Clif Bloks. I had a couple ginger chew candies early on and three gels total on the day, but all of this was from my crew. I also had big hits of Starbucks Coldbrew coffee through the middle three laps which tasted great and gave me some caffeine. My stomach was good all day. At one point I pounded too many calories and had to wait to eat again for longer than normal. My fingers got a little puffy at one point so I backed off on liquids for a bit and ate more Pringles. And on lap 5 when I got to pushing myself harder, I went with gels and Tailwind so as to take less risk with food and stomach issues while I pushed it to the finish. Super happy with how this big logistical piece played out.

 

Pacers –  

I was able to have one for the last 40 miles. My teammate Alan was there for me for the final loop and it was really helpful having him there with me. I told him ahead of time how I work with pacers and what my expectations were and everything went according to plan. We literally said maybe 30 words to each other the entire time, I ran in front of him, and I even kept my headphones in. However, his presence those final 20 miles definitely helped me to stay on my game and to work hard all the way until the end.

 

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

• I wore my Salomon 12L vest (more comfortable than my 5L) – it was nowhere close to fully packed. I wore my Salomon compression shorts, my compression racing shirt, and Nike Wildhorse 3 shoes. Everything went smoothly with gear and I didn’t have to change anything out all day. As always, I recommend practicing with what you’re going to race with and to go with what gets the job done and is most comfortable to you. For me, it’s my tight clothes and my pink compression socks!

 

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends

• Depends on how much they want to move around. They can be at Mile 0, 3, 16, and 20 of each loop if they want to make the effort to move along the main road in the park. They could also just camp out at the start/finish and catch you every 20 miles. And while there aren’t a ton of spectators on the course, there are so many loops and out and back sections that I was always seeing runners and giving and receiving support that it didn’t matter that spectators weren’t overly plentiful.

 

Awards –

• Altra giftcards for some of the top finishers along with some yard art. Belt buckles for all finishers. There was cash for some of the top finishers if they are USATF members.

 

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

• 5 out of 5 stars. I love this race, and I love it all the more now that I nailed a 14:04!

Highlights of your race: I finished. At mile 20 I really, really, really wanted to pull the plug. I was already a big sweaty mess and it was only getting hotter and sunnier and I could feel my stomach starting to revolt what little nutrition I had put into it. When I mentioned it to Matt, he gave me this look that said he wouldn’t even consider it and said, “Nope, you’re not quitting. Get back out there. Walk out of here if you have to, but you’re going to finish.”

The Race: Rocky Raccoon 50

The Runner: Julie U

The Date: 2/11/17

The Location: Huntsville, TX

Results – 9:34:13

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

• The Atmosphere – This is our 5th time at Rocky Raccoon (1st time for the 50 since it’s been on a separate weekend from the 100) and the atmosphere is why we keep coming back (it’s certainly not the weather!). The aid station people are great, the race director and coordinators are great, and it’s a really supportive atmosphere of runners and spectators
• The course – I like loop courses and out and back sections, so some people might hate this. I liked how I could see other runners ahead and behind me, how I could run the first loop and then strategize for the next two loops as to where I could go faster/slower, and it was so easy to remember aid stations and when I’d see my crew
• The aid stations adjusted well to the heat – they had tons of ice on hand (I had them put it down the front and back of my sports bra), lots of cold water, and they would pour the cold water over me any time I asked.

 

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

• The heat – Out of the 5 times we’ve been at Rocky (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017), one out of the 5 years has had great weather (last weekend for Matt’s 100), one had pretty good weather (Matt’s 16:26 in 2015), once was crazy humid (Matt’s DNF in 2014), one had crazy thunderstorms and rain and mud (both my and Matt’s redemption finish in 2012) and one was 19 degrees at night and not much warmer in the day (both my and Matt’s DNF in 2011). The weather is such a gamble that it’s a reason I’m not tempted to return for quite some time.
• 83 degrees with humidity
• Did I mention it was hot?

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race

There are alligators in the park. When we ran the race in 2012 we visited the Nature Center and found out there were 40 adult alligators living in the park at the time, but we were assured that in the winter they hibernated and didn’t come out. Still, with it being 83 degrees outside, the thought crossed my mind that I might see one.

 

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

I finished. At mile 20 I really, really, really wanted to pull the plug. I was already a big sweaty mess and it was only getting hotter and sunnier and I could feel my stomach starting to revolt what little nutrition I had put into it. When I mentioned it to Matt, he gave me this look that said he wouldn’t even consider it and said, “Nope, you’re not quitting. Get back out there. Walk out of here if you have to, but you’re going to finish.” Of course I did just that and let myself walk out of each aid station, drinking Ginger Ale and eating Pringles for about 5-7 minutes before I’d run (shuffle) again, and that’s what got me through.

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

-Be ready for roots, for rollers, and any kind of weather and pick the right clothes and food to accommodate at the last minute

-It’s really helpful to have crew, as crew can be at miles 3, 12, and 16 of each loop, and they only have one road to walk/run/bike on a 2 mile stretch to see you (not supposed to drive because runners cross this road and there’s limited parking). It’s also easy to have drop bags but I love the support of crew and it really motivated me knowing I’d see Matt and Paavo so often

-If you do have crew, it’s nice for them to have at least some chairs to sit on at Dogwood (the start/finish) and Park Road, as there’s not seating (there are benches at Nature Center), and some crews set up pop-up tents at Dogwood (enclosed tents are not allowed), along with plenty of food for the day. It’s a long day for them too and it’s fairly inconvenient to leave the park and go to Huntsville for provisions like coffee and food, so having everything they need for the day is helpful.

 

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

-Tailwind doesn’t work for me. I tried drinking it several times throughout the day and I just couldn’t stand the taste or smell.

-Still need to figure out nutrition. Tailwind didn’t work, only ate 5 blocks the whole time, along with a handful of Pringles and some Ginger Ale. And I puked out everything at mile 43. Had I been able to keep eating in the heat I think I would have been able to have a better time. Then again, the heat contributed to my stomach issues, so who knows.

-I think it’s time to close the chapter on Rocky for a while. We’ve been here 5 out of the last 7 years and as I was running it, I thought, “This is the last time I want to think about Damnation aid station for a long time.” It’s been good but it’s time to move on before coming back again.

 

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

-The course is quite rooty, so be ready to pay close attention and pick up your feet (especially with the first hour in the dark). That being said, there are some nice stretches of long forest roads that are smooth and easy to run on.

-The course was more sandy than I remembered, perhaps because it was so dry (it rained once the whole 2 weeks we were there)

 

Course Description

–0-3 (Dogwood to Nature Center) – Tiny rollers, rooty sections of the course, run on wooden bridges along the water, some important turns to pay attention to

-3-5.7 (Nature Center to Damnation) – Starts with tiny rollers and rooty single track trails, then finishes with a rolling forest road to Damnation aid station (you can see runners ahead of you on this road coming from Damnation to Park Road)

-5.7-9.3 (Damnation to Damnation) – Out and back starting on a dirt forest road and then turning onto a wide single track with some roots that will definitely grab you if you’re not paying attention. Lots of out and back traffic here so I was glad it was wider, and this was a pretty exposed section that got very hot, not much elevation change

-9.3-12.3 (Damnation to Park Road) – Mainly rollers on the forest boundary road for the park. Feels like you can see for miles and sometimes feels never-ending. Turns into more of a single track path for the very last bit into Park Road aid station

-12.3-16.7 (Park Road to Dogwood) – Starts out with single track, not super rooty, then follows power lines for a bit as it rolls, then turns on the same trail as you went out on to Nature Center, along the water, along the wooden bridges, along some of the rooty trails, and up a little hill. The trail then parallels the road and you have two road crossings until the finish (which is the turnaround where you do 2 more loops). Once you actually reach the finish, which I call the “landing strip” you thank your stars that you don’t have to go out for another lap

 

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

Not really, but I’ve also been to UTMB, a course that makes everything else look not as pretty. It is at least all in the park, it’s mostly shaded, nice weather can certainly help, and it’s all trail and/or dirt roads, so no pavement other than the road crossings.

 

Difficulty – is it a tough course

On paper, no. It’s minimal elevation gain, it’s not overly technical, and times are fast. In reality those rollers along the dirt roads can seem endless, the roots can seem downright diabolical, and the weather can really mess with things.

 

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well organized. The new RD (2nd year as RD) did a really great job, aid stations were great (I think Liza Howard was at Damnation and it made my day to have her pour ice in my sports bra because she’s such a badass), and though the RD changed, the supportive atmosphere did not.

 

Competition – is there a strong field?

Not like the 100 brings out. The winners were fast but there wasn’t a deep field (I placed 3rd female, which I’m certainly proud of, but had there been any depth to the field I would have been nowhere near 3rd).

 

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Nope, just sign up online in time. The race used to be on the same day as the 100 but they split them up to accommodate more runners and I don’t believe they sell out anymore.

 

Aid Stations

Full aid stations at 3.1, 5.7, 9.3, 12.3, 16.7 of each loop (3 loops)

Weather and typical race conditions –

All over the place. I believe typical weather is in the 60s for highs and 40s for lows, which is what it was the weekend before, but not our weekend.

 

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

It is a cupless race, so I wore my Solomon vest with a flask and a collapsible cup, the flask for water and tailwind and the cup for Coke and Ginger Ale. Sadly, I dropped my cup somewhere on the third lap (RIP Green Cup) which makes me sad because Matt carried it on UTMB and it’s been one of Paavo’s favorite all-time toys, and it’s his travel bath cup (ok, ok Amazon can fix that)

 

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends

Yes, as they can see you at miles 3, 12, and 16 of each loop. They can see you at other spots, but it takes a little more work to get to them, so check the course map for other spots.

 

Awards –

Top finishers and age groupers get locally made art. I got a huge metal butterfly, along with a $100 gift card for Altra Running gear. Score!

 

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

4 out of 5, with all the important stuff being 5 out of 5, and it’s the people and great atmosphere that have kept us coming back. I’d say the volatility in weather and the fact that I’ve been there so many times and am a bit tired of the course is what’s going to put me on a little Rocky hiatus for a while.