2015 Cloudland Canyon 50 Mile - Cold Day at Cloudland

Run Bum Tours - Cloudland Canyon 50 Miler

Saturday, January 10, 2015 

Gear: Patagonia Air Flow Shirt, Lululemon Surge Tights, Smartwool PhD Graduated Compression Socks, Pearl Izumi Thermal Sleeves, $1 Walmart Special Gloves, Salomon XT Wings Gloves, Salomon Bonatti WP Jacket, Suunto Ambit 2 (HR) Watch, Camelbak Handheld Bottle, Salomon Sense 3 Ultra Shoes, Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem & Extreme Endurolytes, and Petzl NAO Headlamp

Race: What an awesome race... This was my first Run Bum Tours (RBT) race and also one of the my favorite races to date!

This race offers an 11 mile option as well as the 50 miler. The 50 miler starts at 5am while the 11 miler starts at 8am. The 5am start is one of the things that really appealed to me as I've grown to love running in the early morning or anytime after dark. Something about the tunnel vision you get with nothing but your headlamp, sweet single track and the dark.

This was the inaugural year for the race and the Cloudland Canyon State Park was the perfect venue for family, friends and runners to get together for an awesome weekend. For anyone who's never been to the park, they offer some great camping, hiking and some gorgeous views to make some great memories.

This was going to be my fourth 50-miler and I had really grown to love that specific distance. My first 50 hurt so bad I couldn't run for about a month after, my second 50 had me itching to do another and after my third 50 (2014 #LM50) I was hooked! Eight, ten, twelve hours for a 50-miler is about perfect. You can be out on the trail for the majority of the day and still have plenty of time to enjoy the post race fun with friends and family before having to go pass out from exhaustion.

The weather for Saturday's race was going to be VERY cold. Temperatures for the 5am start were supposed to be 14 degrees with a single digit wind-chill. The high was only supposed to reach 30 degrees at the warmest part of the day. So, figuring out appropriate clothing for the race was going to be crucial to having a good day. I watched the weather like a hawk once it got within the 10-day forecast schedule and saw it Saturday's temps bounce all around but never strayed too far from the mid-teens early in the morning and very low-thirty's later in the day. Heck, there was even one point when it looked like it was going to be a chance of snow for Saturday!

I have been doing a lot of early morning runs before work so that my wife can do her runs after I get off work and before it gets dark. So, I've been able to figure out layering a little bit better so that I'm not freezing my tail off 2-miles into the run or stripping off everything I put on. My major dilemma for the race was running with a handheld bottle and pockets full of food or my Salomon S-Lab Pack loaded down with supplies. I prefer the handheld and stuffed pockets, but with temps this cold I knew I needed to wear tights and I hadn't been too successful in the past with being able to carry enough supplies with tights. So... I started looking through all of the clothing in my drawer and found my Lululemon Surge Tights and remembered that they had two large hip pockets and a small rear zip pocket that might be just enough pocket space. The hip pockets didn't have any kind of zipper or flaps but were fairly deep (~6 inches) and figured that might be enough to keep my supplies secure. So, Friday morning before the race I got up early and went for a quick run around the neighborhood with my pockets stuffed full just like race day to see how they did... score! These tights did great! I was able to carry a 7 ounce soft water flask, two packs of GU energy blocks, a whole banana, a baggy full of extra Perpetuem, and some Endurolytes Extreme.

Family & Friends Photo at Falls

 My family, good friend and I decided to make the most of the race and make the weekends into a camping trip at the park. Friday late afternoon we got to the park and all of us got our campers setup and killed a little time before packet pickup that evening. As the afternoon turned to evening more and more runners started showing up around the campground. Apparently crazed runners willing to get up and run 11 or 50 miles in sub-20 degree temps were also willing to brave the cold and camp. We were really "roughing" it in our camper, but hey... I can blame that on the two and four-year old... or at least I tell myself that I'm still tough enough to go out and tent camp in single digit temps if it wasn't for the kids!

Saturday morning we got going around 3:30am and eventually worked our way up to the Group Shelter, aka start/finish area around 4:30am to get checked in and ready to run. I was happily surprised to see that the place was packed! I knew that most trail and ultra runners were tough but kind of figured that the cold temps might deter a bunch from running... but not today. A few minutes before race start all of the 50-milers gathered into the group shelter to get some last minute info from Fast Break and the race director Sean.

Listen up... thanks for coming out... blah blah... follow pink ribbon with black polka dots...blah blah blah... too many turns to count... thanks for coming out... blah blah blah... any questions...

As you can tell I didn't get much out of that probably 15-minute pre-race brief other than make sure I'm following pink ribbon with black polka dots. I figured that was the main thing to remember.

With that, everyone stripped off any extra clothing and walked outside to get started. Standing at the starting line I said a quick prayer for everyone’s safety and wished good luck to my friends.

50 Mile Start

As we took off through the start I quickly jumped out front with one other guy. I noticed he was wearing some super short shorts and I thought either that dude is really stinking fast and/or is going to freeze his tail off! After a quick 3/4-mile run down the road and through the Cloudland Canyon main parking area we jumped onto the trail and immediately started climbing back up behind the Start/Finish area. I didn’t really feel that cold and didn’t think I was running too hard but when I turned to ask the guy behind me a question I realized I was already by myself... Crap!  I must have missed a turn… Nope, there’s a flag.  Oh well, I enjoy running alone and all trail runners understand that running alone is the nature of the beast.  It really doesn’t matter if you’re leading the pack, riding mid-stream somewhere or bringing up the rear, in any trail ultra race you’re going to have some times where you’re running alone.  From behind the start/finish area we continued along the Backcountry Trail over toward Aid #1 where the trail intersected Highway 189.  The trails over to Aid #1 were very runnable, with nice wide smooth trails that made running through the dark effortless.  There were no substantial climbs through this section which made for some fast miles early on.  One of the cool things about this section was that the trail twisted and turned quite a bit in a relatively small area so you could look around and see headlamps bouncing around through woods and really made for a cool experience.  Coming up toward Aid #1 some crazed runner came darting down the trail toward me and I realized it was Sean (race director) coming to ask how everything was going and check on the course markings.  So far so good everything is marked great.  I grabbed a little water in my handheld and kept on rolling. 

Somewhere just before Aid #1 we changed over to the Cloudland Connector Trail (CCT) and would continue along this trail all the way over to the next aid.  This section followed fairly close along a creek with easy rolling climbs and smooth fast trails.  There was nothing bigger than maybe 300 foot climbs and the majority of it was very non-technical.  There were a few sections that got moderately technical for a mile or two and even a couple of short stretches with small boulder fields.  This was a lot of fun and was a nice change of pace from the easy stretches.  Despite following the creek there weren’t any places that required your feet to get wet which was  a huge relief considering the frigid temperatures.  I ran with a Petzl NAO headlamp and have been using it for the past 12-months with no complaints.  Generally I run with the lamp on the “Reactive-Low” setting to maximize battery life but this morning since I knew it would be light within 2.5-3 hours of the start I had that thing on “Reactive-High.”  Man alive!  That light was great!  I could see for days and never had the first problem finding solid footing when ever the trails turned more technical.  As I rolled into Aid #2 was I was looking forward to see my family/crew as this was going to be my chance to see them now at mile 14 and again at mile 26.  The Ascalon Trailhead parking lot it was full of crews and volunteers ready to help so I quickly grabbed by supplies and kept on trucking for fear of getting cold should I stop moving for too long. 

Aid #3 - 5 Points

I was looking forward to running in this section since I've heard good things about these trails. With pockets stuffed full of food and a full bottle I set out clockwise toward Aid #3 at the 5 Points intersection. It was somewhere around 7 miles to the next aid station and it was all a good mix of wide double track trails that climbed and ran along the side of ridge with only a couple 200-250 foot climbs. Somewhere around mile 17 or so my bottle got so frozen that I could no longer get any fluid out of the cap. I was forced to slow to a brisk walk and pull the lid off to drink... I always enjoy slushies but they just aren't as good when it's only 13 degrees outside. About this same time I pulled a Cary and found a good place in the woods to send some an email... Back on the trail a few minutes later I found that stopping for a few minutes in when it's that cold outside was not ideal. I quickly got my finger tips warmed back up... yeah I had some Hot Hands in my gloves and continued on my way. I battled the urge to send more emails for a little while and finally made it to Aid #3 at 21 miles. Coming into this aid station I asked if they had any warm water so I could thaw my bottle cap but no luck. 

Back on the trail I soon found myself running a massive pump track section that was filled with 3-to-8 foot tall mounds that were scattered all over the trail. These mounds were relentless and wound up and down, left and right, back and forth… it was brutal!  It probably only lasted a mile or so, but it felt like an eternity and was by far the most difficult section of the entire race. I couldn't keep a rhythm for anything through here. Finally, I found my way back onto the main trail and turned to run back to the Ascalon Trailhead parking lot and Aid #4. I was thrilled to be back to this aid because I knew I could change out my water bottle and would now have some cross flow traffic. The last 25 miles had been solo running and I was still in a little bit of a low so seeing some friendly faces I knew would give me a boost to get running hard again.  I decided to hit the facilities here since my stomach had been churning again for the past few miles… Cary Long must have put something in my drink…  My crew informed me that at Aid #2, ~12 miles earlier, I had a little over 20 minutes on the second place runner.  I figured I had lost a ton of ground over the last 12 miles with restroom breaks, pump track issues and generally hitting a lull.. So, with no time to waste I grabbed everything I could from my crew and hit the trail again.

This section back to Aid #5, the earlier Aid #1, was all familiar trail back the Highway 189 road crossing.  It was great to have the cross flow traffic of runners.  Encouragement abounded for the next few miles!  I tried my best to cheer everyone I saw and I sincerely appreciate all the words of encouragement I received… if I did not return the favor I apologize.  With an unfrozen bottle I knew that I could keep fighting with the frozen lid for the remainder of the day without suffering through dehydration and not getting enough calories.  So, I found that if I drank from my bottle and then stuffed into my waistband of my tights and pulled my jacket down over the bottle the heat from my back would keep the bottle thawed.  I had tried this earlier around mile 18 or so but once the bottle was frozen it never seemed to get warm enough to thaw.  I rolled into Aid #5, grabbed a banana and kept on moving.  I knew that only a few more miles and I would be back to the start/finish area and see my wife and daughters.

Heading back to the start/finish was again familiar trail, however now I got to enjoy it in the daylight.  About a mile from Aid #5 I saw a familiar face running down the hill toward me.  My buddy Daniel Hamilton, who was racing the 11-miler, was running toward me and I slowed my pace a little to see how his race went.  He looked at me kind of strange and he looked to be a little out of his head…

Me - “How’d the race go?”
Daniel - “I’m in the lead!”

Me - “… Uhhh… What?  The finish is back the other direction”
Daniel - “Do you have any food… I haven’t had anything in awhile”
Me - “… Uhhh… Yeah, I have a banana… wait, I have some GU blocks also… do you want something to drink?”
Daniel - scarfs down a handful of GU blocks…
Me - “ I’m pretty sure you’re going the wrong way, but I also know that you’re only about a mile from the next aid station… you can keep going and ask them what’s going on since I don’t know EXACTLY what the 11-mile course is, but I’m pretty sure you missed something.”
Daniel - still out of it… “I got to keep going… I’m still in the lead”
Me - “Alright, buddy be careful and I’ll talk to you later.”

I felt bad letting him keep going since I knew he was pretty far from the finish area but I also knew he would be at an aid station within a mile or so and running with me was 4-5 miles uphill to the finish area.  I had to stop again for another email… stomach was giving me fits today.  Before I knew it I was coming into Aid #6.  I found my family and friends, grabbed some kisses from my wife and began getting whatever supplies I needed to finish.  They told me that I had at least 30-40 minutes on the next runner.  Apparently the person running in 2nd early on dropped at Aid #4 and the person running in 3rd broke his arm!  I found out later it was in that pump track area… I told you it was brutal! 

Fans at Aid #6

Leaving Aid #6 was the 11-mile course and I was looking forward to this section most of all.  I knew it would be more technical than what we previously ran and also knew that we would be descending into the gorge via the stairs but I like the vert and love technical running.  Sean came out as I was leaving the start/finish area and told me that I would be following the road for the next 3-miles or so around to the far side of the park where I would pick up the trail.  Those roughly 3-miles of road really showed me how heavy my legs felt.  I had racked up quite a few miles and back-to-back races since October and I kind of figured it was only a matter of time until I blew up.  To my surprise, I was still ticking off fast miles through this section and figured I would continue to push.  Around on the other side of the park I jumped onto the West Rim Loop Trail and was immediately rejuvenated.  I welcomed the rocks and roots.  Running quickly through technical tight trails is what draws me to the trails… the more technical the better.  I was drinking and eating a lot more than I usually do this late in a race and was really feeling great.  The next few miles along the WRLT were fantastic.  You make your way out on the edge of the ridge and are treated to some amazing view of the gorge and some fantastic running trails.  These trails are well maintained and the trails wrap all around the beautiful trees and rock features to make the experience that much better.  The WRLT brings runners back around the rim toward the main parking and overlook area of the Cloudland Canyon Park.  Running down across a few really awesome wooden bridges you are running across the water that is making it’s way toward Hemlock and Cherokee Falls.


Coming to the first stair section I knew that I was only a mile or so from the start/finish area but just as I expected there was a course martial directing 50-milers down the stairs and onto the Sitton’s Gulch Trail.  This trail descends into the gorge via more stairs than you care to count.  The stairs are worth the effort because of the beautiful rock and ice formations along this trail… and not to mention the gorgeous waterfalls.




Making my way down the stairs I asked some of the 11-mile runners who were making their way up back up the stairs how far it was to the aid station.  To my surprise there were a few people who glanced a their watches and said it was a couple of miles... Dang, a couple of miles… I was thinking the aid would be pretty close the bottom of the stairs.  Oh well, what was a few more miles.  As I reached the bottom of the stairs I started out the ~2-mile path toward Aid #7.  I had never been this far into the gorge and had been missing out on some beautiful landscape.  

The wide double track followed the creek through beautiful vegetation that surrounded the creek, the gorgeous rock walls and boulder fields that filled the creek.  There were a few icy water crossings that required some finesse to keep your feet dry and to keep you safely on your feet and not on your backside.  Eventually… and it seemed to take a little while, I came up to Aid #7 at the Sitton’s Gulch Trailhead parking lot.  I saw a good friend Michael Scott, grabbed some water and took back off to for the slow steady climb back to those stairs.

My only thought was that I need to make it to the stairs before I saw the next place runner to make sure that I had about a 4-mile lead and then even if I had to death march the stairs all the way to the finish I would be fine.  With my head down and as much energy I had I ran and hiked every step of that trail back to the stairs.  There were only a few short, steep climbs that required hiking.  Cresting a small climb I could see the stairs… no second place runner yet.  

Alright, I would try and make it to the top of the stairs before seeing the next runner.  I ran/jogged a few of the first flights of stairs then turned it into a two-steps at a time ascent.  I figured skipping every other stair would cut the amount of stairs I had to climb in half!  This actually helped and the next thing I knew I was at the top of the stairs and still hadn’t seen anyone.  Thank you God for letting my legs hold out!  I made a sharp left to head around on the Overlook Trail and make the last short climb up to the finish.

Last Set of Stairs

The view around the Overlook Trail was fantastic.  You can see all the way across the gorge to the West Rim Loop Trail that we started on a few miles earlier.  

Overlook Trail

As I made my way up the last climb to the finish I was extremely thankful for another good race.  God really helped me with a lot of nutritional gains in 2014 and I was hoping to continue my good fortune in 2015 and today worked out pretty good.  My stomach was a little screwy for 10-12 miles but overall I was still able to take in a significant amount of food and drink and never once had the urge to throw up, which is always a blessing!  Rounding the corner I could see my family/crew and friends standing around the finish cheering me in.  I was ecstatic for another win but was more grateful for a beautiful course and a safe day in the woods.  

Deming Gray Photography

I grabbed my wife for a much needed kiss and got high fives and hugs from my girls. 

Deming Gray Photography

Gratitude: First I want to thank Jesus Christ for an absolutely beautiful course and thank him for an overall safe day for almost everyone.  This is beautiful country and everyone should get out and enjoy the beauty around them.  Congratulations to all of the racers in the 11 and 50-mile distances. The weather was extreme today and it was a battle of staying warm that was fought everyone throughout the day.  Remember that running in and around gorges and specifically down into flowing creek beds that a lot of these areas seldom get more than a few hours of direct sunlight per day and the cold running water can drop those temperatures even more when running along the creek beds.  Thank you so much to my family and friends for being out there to support me and for making this a family camping trip weekend that I hope everyone will remember for a very long time.  A tremendous thanks goes out to Run Bum Tours, Fast Break and Cloudland Canyon State Park for putting together such an awesome race.  The volunteers, crews, friends, and families are the real warriors in a race like this.  Runners have the ability to stay somewhat warm but the rest of the supporters are out in the same conditions braving the elements trying to help those crazy runners achieve their goals.  Thank you race supporters for your time and your frozen phalanges.  Thank you Rock/Creek for giving me the opportunity to represent your company and all of the great gear… I swear I had it on under all of the other layers!  Thank you Lululemon for letting me be a participant in the League and providing me with some great running tights (Surge Tights).  Last, but not least… I’m thankful that Daniel was picked up… way off course and returned to the finish area were he was still awarded 1st in the 11-miler and I’m sure given plenty of apologies for the course not being altered to show the turn and subsequent 200 foot run to the finish… Daniel just go in an extra 5 mile stroll to make sure his 11-miler was closer to 18!

1st; 7:34:24

Nutrition Plan:

Every Hour - 1 Bottle Perpetuem, 1 Whole Banana, 1/2 Pack of Energy Blocks (GU or Stinger), 1 Extreme Electrolyte Tab, Plain Water

After 26 Miles - Added Chicken Noodle Puree and Coke As Needed

Details: Here is a link to my Strava file for this  race and here is a link to my Suunto Movescount file for this race.  There was a lot of discussion about the actual length of the race and total elevation gain…  My Suunto Ambit 2 came up with 49.1 miles and 5,830 feet of elevation gain.  My Strava file (pulled from the same data) came up with 49.1 miles also but showed an elevation gain of 6,855 feet.  I’ve ran a lot of “known” distances with this watch and generally come up with about 10% short on total distance unless it’s all road.  So, take it for what you want but I would figure that from Start-to-Aid #6 was about 40.5 miles and then the remainder, also the “11-mile” course was an additional 13.5 miles for a grand total of about 54 miles.  Total elevation gain… I don’t know…  Also, my “laps” got a little hosed up but below is a quick table with what I showed for the distances from one aid station to the next on my watch as well as with the 10% adder.

Cloudland Canyon 50 Miler
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Aid Stations (Crew Access)	Suunto Leg Miles	Leg Miles +10%	Total Miles
Start	0	0	0
#1 - Hwy 189	5.7	6.27	6.27
#2 - Ascalon	8.1	8.91	15.18
#3 - Five Points	7.5	8.25	23.43
#4 - Ascalon	2.8	3.08	26.51
#5 - Hwy 189	8.1	8.91	35.42
#6 - Group Shelter	4.7	5.17	40.59
#7 - Sitton's Gulch	8.9	9.79	50.38
Finish	3.3	3.63	54.01

Until the next race,

Nathan Holland
2014 Rock/Creek Race Team