It’s been a while since my last post and a lot has happened since then. I’m going to try to catch up with some posts that I’ve been meaning to write starting with the Barkley Fall Classic race report.

First some context. The Barkley fall classic is supposed to offer a taste of what the full Barkley Marathons is like. The Barkley Marathons is meant to be on the edge of what a human is capable of. It goes through so of the harshest terrain that Tennessee has to offer. The exact details are never released and GPS watches are not allowed but it is said that its about 125 miles long consisting of 5 laps each with around 15k of vertical gain. The Barkley fall classic represents one lap and goes through some of the places that the marathons follows. To quote the creator of this race:

“At the BFC, success is not guaranteed. It might even be considered unlikely. Fully a third of the aspiring entrants will come up with some reason to not be at the line when the starting cigarette is lit. (and who can blame them? at the BFC your very best is not good enough. It takes something a little more than that). More than half of those who have the guts to toe the line will not finish the 50k. The Barkley Fall Classic is not for everyone. If you are only looking to impress your friends, there are a lot of better 50k’s to choose from. You should pick one where you are sure to finish, if you don’t screw up. If you are looking for a chance to find that something extra inside yourself… that something that you do not know for certain is there… the BFC is for you.”

The description that was provided lived up to its name. This was one of the hardest races that I have ever completed. I had some times during the race that were great and everything just went amazingly smoothly and other times where everything was going wrong. That’s the nature of things though you’re going to have tough times but there always a light at the end of the tunnel and I think ultra running, and this race in particular, teaches this to anyone who does it.

As per usual this trip began with a nice 15 hour drive from NH to Tennessee. When we arrived in Tennessee it was around 10 pm and we set up the tents to get some sleep. We had the next day to prep, check out the course, and explore a little of what Tennessee had to offer.

We spent the day exploring the course and checking in for the race. Took a look at rat jaw (one of the more infamous parts of the race) and climbed the first uphill at the beginning of the race. After this we went to look for some food and check out the local distillery where I picked up some moonshine. We then headed to check in for the race. The race gives you a cloth map to bring with you and a compass. My friend Kyle and I sat down to look at the map and see what we were in store for (they change the course every year). As we were looking at the map trying to figure the course we quickly realized that it would be one of the harder configurations that they’ve devised. We spent the rest of the night prepping our drop bags, running vests, and trying to stuff down as many calories as we could.

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Race day had finally arrived and it was filled with anticipation and expectations. We got up a few hours before the race to get a good breakfast in and do get everything we needed to done. Luckily we had stayed in the park so we only had a short drive to the start/finish where everyone was starting to line up. Was looking like it was going to be a beautiful day albeit a hot one in the upper 80’s lower 90’s so hydration would be key.

The starting cigarette was lit and we were off running up the road towards Frozen head state park and the first mountain we would climb; bird mountain. Luckily Kyle and I got ahead of the herd so we didn’t get caught in the bottleneck when the road turned into a single track, no waiting for us which saved valuable time as we were all racing the clock to try and get to the decision point before 12 hours of else be sent down quitters road. As we zigzagged up the mountain following the switchbacks groups started to form and we stuck together for comradery and as a way to pace ourselves. Bird mountain was not an easy climb and definitely was a hard start to the day but there was so much more to come.

Now that we had finished bird mountain we had a long descent that just beat your quads to a pulp down a dirt road and back to the park entrance where we had started the race. From there we started our next climb up Chimney top. One of the harder climbs of the day.

The start of this climb I was feeling pretty good but this is also the point where I started to feel the heat of the day. I was able to hold my position pretty well up until the first steep section then I started to drop back, really feel the race, and fall into more of a rythem. I would be able to keep this up until I reached the decision point where the infamous Lazerus Lake himself would punch my bib showing that I had made it to that point. The parts that would come next would truly test me.

Immediately after leaving the decision point you arrive at some of the more famous parts of the Barkley Marathons named respectively Testicle Spectacle, Meth Lab Hill, and Rat Jaw. Now I don’t know why the are named as they are except for Rat Jaw which is full of briars rumored to feel like rats are biting you as you head up the climb. Quite the feeling as I learn later.

The small group that I ended up with hit Testicle Spectacle pretty early on, with only about 25 people reaching it before us. We start down the slope just as the heat is reaching its peak. To call this a trail would be kind, it just follows a power line cut to a tent at the bottom where we turn around and head back up one of the steepest trail that I’ve run on. It taxes my calves and quads to the point of exhaustion. Returning back to the top I’m lucky enough to grab a salt pill and down some water before heading straight across the road and immediately down Meth Lab Hill. It’s not long after this that I get the worst muscle cramps that I have ever experienced to this day. Lets just say that it involved a lot of screaming and almost falling down the hill. Once that unpleasantness finally subsided I made my way towards the prison and the next aid station.

The interesting part of this race is that is goes through a prison named Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, the one in fact, where James Earl Ray was being held for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Also the place where he attempted and failed to escape. We almost reenact this escape by climbing over the wall of the prison and through a tunnel that goes under the prison. The tunnel was a nice respite from the beating sun and was actually nice and cool compared to above ground helping to reinvigorate my mind and body.

We emerge from this underground haven to the sweltering heat of Tennessee during summer and immediately head up Rat Jaw. Rat Jaw is by far the hardest mile and a half that I have ever put myself through and I knew I was in trouble in the beginning. I could feel that my heart rate was too high for what I was doing. I needed to get it down if I wanted to continue so I took a few minutes to rest and down some liquids. Rat Jaw was a thick jungle of vines and everything was covered in razorblades, there was less of a trail and more of a tunnel that the leaders had formed because it was too thick to stand up in. It took me an hour and a half to go a mile and when I emerged at the top of the climb it was like climbing out of a fog and for some reason I actually felt better aside from the briar slashes that were now covering my body. All that remained was another long climb up bird mountain exiting the race the same way that we entered.

The last climb was grinding and as I made my way up I started seeing other people again but just going my own pace. At that point all I wanted to do was finish the race. As I reached the top I was so relieved it was all down hill from there back to the finish. I wasn’t moving fast at that point but was still running. I crested the hill, took a quick break, and continued on to finish the race in around 11 hr 30 min and in 50th place.

The days heat took its toll on me and I looked like I had gotten in a fight with a cat and lost. After resting and attempting to eat a little (all I ended up eating were pickles) we headed back to the camp. At this point I lost it and threw up everything that I had eaten in the past 2 hours (pickles) bringing an end to a very hard day.

People always ask me why I would put myself through something like this. Its in these situations where I believe we grow the most. Hardship reveals so much about yourself, although these days it can be almost hard to find, and most people try to avoid it outright. I do these types of races because I want to see what I can do mentally and physically. These long races are a perfect way to do that and get outside at the same time. I’m always in searching of that edge, where I am unable to complete a race or push myself so hard that I’m utterly destroyed. I’m not sure that I’ve found it yet but I’m almost there. I constantly trying to improve my training and take what I’ve learned in each race and apply to the next. As I push myself I feel like that edge gets a little further away but I always try to bring it closer.

While I’m talking about racing here I think that it applies to all aspects of life. Especially in these times with the COVID-19 pandemic on everyones minds. The circumstances may put us through hardship but we’ll come out on the other side stronger and with the knowledge of whats really important and how we can improve in the future. Use the time that you have now to improve yourselves and help others if you can. These are definitely tough times. Like all ultramarathons you’ll have troughs and peaks and we’ll hit that peak again.