2019 UWHARRIE 100k

One word to describe this race, “unrelenting”.  Atleast that is how the race director described the race on the website.  Having not ran this race before or the course, I had no idea what to expect from this race.  

Decision to run this race:  I chose to run this race months ago in late spring of 2019 because of the degree of difficulty it portrayed (I like to challenge myself and push myself to the extremes).  I loved the course profile and loved the elevation gain (almost 10,500 total ft gain for the 100k).  I knew this was going to be an extremely challenging 100k but I was up for the challenge😊  Having just completed my first 100k in August 2019 (Katcina Mosa 100k) I knew I had it in me to complete this race.  Katcina 100k has more elevation gain than this race (around 13,500 total ft gain) but I still wanted to go in to Uwharrie 100k completely and totally humble with zero ounce of pride.  I wanted to go in to Uwharrie 100k like I had never completed a 100k before. 

Background about me:  I live 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City so I’m very familiar with the trails in the Wasatch mountains here in the Salt Lake valley.  My training grounds for my ultra races is the trails in Corner Canyon in Draper, which I’ve been training and running on for almost 3 years.  I’ve only been trail running for 4 years and only 10 years total running (road & trail).  Growing up I absolutely hated running!  But what started as a bet from a friend in 2009 that I couldn’t run a mile, turned in to falling in love with road running and eventually falling in love with trail running.  Now I primarily only trail run. 

Day before the race:  The day before the Uwharrie 100k was set to begin, I flew in Charlottle, NC on Friday, October 18, 2019.  My step-mom, Kelly, picked me up from the airport and we immediately headed for Mt Gilead for packet pickup and check-in.  When we got to Mt Gilead, I was surprised by the beauty of the forest!  Wow this felt like God’s country.  I got all checked-in and we headed to the start line to see where it was so we didn’t get lost in the morning driving from Mooresville (good thing we did because we got lost trying to find the start line that evening, LOL!).  When we got home, I made sure I had everything laid out and my crew bag packed😊 

Day of the race:  The day of the race started by getting up at 3:30am.  I prayed over the race, prayed over all the runners, and prayed for all the staff and volunteers!  Then I had my coffee, ate my primal porriage (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free), threw all my gear on, and got on the road by 4:15am (it was 1 hr 20 min drive to Mt. Gilead).  We arrived at the start live at 5:35am, perfect timing!  This gave us time to park, use the restroom, take pictures, and be there for the pre-race briefing (we missed it Friday night due to getting at Mt. Gilead at 6pm).  My dad and step-mom, Tom and Kelly, were planning to be at the race the whole time to crew me for the race!  What an amazing sacrifice for them to be there for me all day at the race.  Their plan was to just meet me at Kelly’s Kitchen aid station and start/finish line aid station for each of the three figure-8 laps.  Well to my surprise my aunt, Debbie, also met me at the start line and stated that she would like to help crew me as well (she didn’t know if she was going to stay the whole race but later on she told me she was having so much fun that she wanted to stay the whole time!), so I had 3 of my amazing family members there willing and ready to help crew me for this race!  I gave my dad & Kelly instructions the night before (and morning of) of what I would like them to do when I come in to the aid stations.  I also briefed my aunt as well😊

Start of the race:  Dan Paige, the race director, gave us our pre-race briefing and we all lined up at the start line ready and waiting with anticipation.  I was hoping to finish this 100k race in under 16 hours, a little faster than my previous 100k of 16:52.  Ultrasignup.com’s computer model thought I was going to finish in 19 hours!  I knew I could finish faster than ultrasignup’s computer model, but I still maintained a completely humble attitude by respecting the trails and mountain terrain because anything and everything can happen in a race and on the trails!  In the same regard though, I wanted to push myself hard from start to finish.  I didn’t want to hold anything back!

At 6am Saturday, October 19, 2019, the Uwharrie 100k (and 100M) was underway.  There were roughly 40ish 100k runners toeing the line and 40ish 100M runners as well.  As we began our first 20.5 mile figure-8 loop on the single-track trail in the dark, we all began filing in single file on the single-track.  I didn’t realize the beginning would be slow going, had I realized this I would’ve jumped ahead to the front so I could start running right from the beginning.  The first 30 minutes or so felt like a slow hike but I reminded myself, “be patient and wait for the time to make your move to the front”.  Once I made my move and broke away from the train of single-file runners, I was finally free to run!

And we’re off!!!

Crossroad Aid Station Lap 1:  The first aid station was called Crossroads aid station, which got it’s name from the intersecting section of the figure-8 loop.  It was 6 miles from the start/finish line.  When I rolled in to Crossroads aid station around 7:20am, I was so surprised and blown away by the amount and variety of food they had available!  They had waffles, bacon, and tons of fruit and assortment of other aid spread across 2 full tables!  I told myself going in to this race, stay on your diet and don’t sway from it.  When that went out the window when I saw the waffles, LOL!  I had to have one and it tasted amazing!  I re-filled my bottles, grabbed a bunch of fruit, and was on the trail again!  My goal for the aid stations was to only spend about 5-8 minutes in each aid station.  I didn’t want to linger or camp out, I wanted to be in and out as quickly as possible, which also meant no sitting down in the later stages of the race if absolutely possible!

The next section was a 5.7 mile section to Kelly’s Kitchen aid station. This was a difficult section with 2 big climbs in it, Sasquatch Summit at mile 7.4 and Hallucination Hill at mile 8.4.

Being from Utah and doing all my training runs here in the mountains, I found these climbs very challenging but not unbearable.  Sasquatch Summit was more boulder climbing than actual hiking, LOL!  Once again, I respected these trails and these mountains! 

Kelly”s Kitchen Aid Station Lap 1: I made it to Kelly’s Kitchen aid station in 2 hours 35 minutes, which put me there at 8:35am. It was such a warm welcome to roll in to that aid station seeing my dad, step-mom, and aunt cheering me on and waiting for me. They were ready to serve my needs immediately! They refilled my water bottles, electrolyte bottle, gave me fruit, and handed me my Organic Sambazon yerbe mate tea energy drink😊 I was in-and-out of that aid station in record time, about 5 minutes!

Crossroads Aid Station Lap 1(again):  I headed back to Crossroads aid station, which was around 4 miles.  I found this section to be the least difficult of the entire course, but this section still had rolling hills to overcome.  Rolled in to Crossroads aid station and got in and got out very quickly, around 5 minutes.

The last section of the first figure-8 loop was miles 15 to 20.5, from Crossroads aid station back to start/finish aid station.  This section had more of the rolling hills and one steep climb, Soul Crusher, around mile 16.  This climb def crushed my soul by lap 3, LOL!

Start/Finish Aid Station Lap 1:I finished that first of three laps in 4 hours 13 minutes and to my surprise Dan told me I was the 100k leader!What???!!!Really???!!!Me the 100k leader???!!!I couldn’t believe it!

I actually finished the first lap faster than what my dad and step-mom anticipated and missed them by about 5 minutes, LOL!  My aunt was waiting for me at the start/finish aid station and seeing her was a breath of fresh air😊 she quickly refilled my bottles and gave me a bunch of fruit.  I ate an avocado/hummus wrap and it tasted amazing.  But during this race I mostly just craved fruit at the aid stations, which I normally only crave in my ultra races.  I asked my aunt for a special request if she could run to the store and buy avocado and apple sauce (I was craving mashed avocado and apple sauce, LOL!).  She said “of course” and said she’ll have it ready for me at Kelly’s Kitchen aid station.  Once again, I was out of the aid station in about 8 minutes!

 Crossroads Aid Station Lap 2:  I hit Crossroads aid station, now mile 26.5, in what I thought was really quick.  This time though I didn’t sway from my diet and stuck to only eating fruit😊 loved the cutup watermelon and oranges!  The volunteers at this aid station (and all the other aid stations) were super attentive and super helpful!  Thank you volunteers for your servant hearts!!!  Got out of that aid station again in only about 5 minutes and I was off to Kelly’s Kitchen again.

 Tripping & Falling:  By the time I was half way in to my 2nd lap, I realized I was tripping and falling over rocks and roots a ton!  Ugh!  When I eventually finished the race I had counted tripping over 2 dozen times and falling another 2 dozen different times!  What this race lacked in long steep climbs, like I’m used to in the ultra races back home in Utah, this race made up with rolling hills AND super technical trails!  The technicality of this course was beyond what I had experienced before in an ultra race!

 Kelly’s Kitchen Aid Station Lap 2:Kelly’s Kitchen aid station came quick again, about mile 32+, and my amazing crew were waiting for me anxiously and cheering me on again. My aunt had my avocado and apple sauce ready for me and I ate the whole avocado and almost half jar of apple sauce, wowza! My dad and step-mom quickly refilled my bottles and necessary supplies. At this point, I was half way finished with the race, woo hoo!

More Falling & Tripping:  The next 9 miles from Kelly’s Kitchen aid station to start/finish aid station I fell and tripped a bunch more times☹ but each time I would fall, I would dust myself off and get right back up and continue pushing myself hard.  Maybe because I was pushing so hard and so fast was the reason why I kept falling, LOL! 

Start/Finish Aid Station Lap 2:I rolled in to start/finish aid station, thus completing my 2nd lap, in lap time of 4 hours 34 minutes and overall time of 8 hours 47 minutes. Here Dan told me that I was still the leader for the 100k!!!

Digging Deep:  With 1 more lap to complete, I knew I had to dig deep and had to keep pushing myself hard.  I drank another Organic Sambazon yerbe mate tea energy drink and ate a bunch of fruit again.  At this point I was told I was still the leader of the 100k and asked the gentleman working the timing booth how far ahead I was of the 2nd place person.  He said about 30 minutes.  After hearing this, I knew I had to keep pushing myself hard!  I hit the trails after only being in the aid station for about 5 minutes.

Crossroads Aid Station Lap 3:  On the way to Crossroads aid station, I tried to remind myself “don’t forget your headlamp and flashlight when you get to Kelly’s Kitchen.”  Crossroads aid station came fast again and I quickly got in and out of that aid station.  I had a feeling the 2nd place person was right on my heels. 

Kelly’s Kitchen Aid Station Lap 3:  When I rolled in to Kelly’s Kitchen aid station for the 3rd time that day I thought for sure the 2nd place person had caught me!!!  I told my family the 2nd place person is here and that I have to get out of this aid station quick.  I repeated the same process I had at all my other aid station stops and was out of the aid station in about 8 minutes.  My family crew was simply amazing!  They were super fast in providing the aid I needed and were extremely encouraging and uplifting!!!  And I managed to get a few pictures with them at the aid stations😊

Crossroads Aid Station Lap 3(again):  On my last trip to Crossroads aid station and start/finish aid station, I realized I totally forgot my headlamp and flashlight with my crew back at Kelly’s Kitchen aid station☹ oh no, how did this happen???  How was I now going to finish the race without a light to guide my way???  By the time I hit Crossroads aid station, it was starting to get dark and I became worried.  But God has a way to always calm our worries and anxieties!  He gently reminded me that he was there with me and that we were going to finish this together😊 He also reminded me I have a flashlight function on my iPhone that I can use to help light my path!  Well thank the Lord that I had my phone hooked up to my portable battery pack and that my iPhone was fully charged!  So after realizing this, my spirit was uplifted and re-energized after leaving Crossroads aid station.

Last 3 Miles:  With 3 miles to go in the race, my surroundings were now fully dark!  While the flashlight on my iPhone did not provide a lot of light, it gave me enough light to keep moving and keep running.  I had to slow up my pace a bit though because it was getting harder and harder to see but I also see that as a blessing in disguise because I didn’t fall or trip at all that last 3 mile stretch😊 AND I totally had a positive spirit because of this seemingly challenge.  One thing I will say is that I had a positive spirit and a smile on my face for almost the entire race!  Every time I rolled in to an aid station I felt a smile on my face and made sure to tell the volunteers thank you for their service!  I was just out there having a ton of fun and tried to encourage everyone I came in contact with.

As I kept moving, I came to miles 59, 60, and 61.  I caught up to a few runners and thought for a moment I could run with them and use their light to help light my path.  But I just kept going as I passed them and told them excellent work, keep up the great job!

Mile 61 Surprise:  When I hit mile 61, something strange happened to me that totally surprised me!  I saw a bright light coming toward my direction on the trail.  I wondered for a moment who is this coming my way with a bright light?!?  To my surprise, it was my 61 year old dad!!!  My dad and step-mom realized I had forgot my headlamp after leaving Kelly’s Kitchen aid station so when they got to the finish line, they were stricken with worry on what to do because they thought I was running in the dark now!  Boldly my dad asked Dan if he could run down the trail to find me and light my path with my headlamp and flashlight, almost like pacing me for the last section.  Dan immediately agreed and told my dad to go find your son and give him light!  So my cool dad found me about mile 61 and ran/paced the last ½ mile with me, where he lit our path together!  We ended up finishing the race together, which was so amazing!

Finish Line:When I finished the 3rd and final lap, I was so surprised to find out that I had actually won the 100k race!!! Wow!!! AND found out that the guy who I thought was the 2nd place guy wasn’t actually the 2nd place guy at all, he was running the 100M, LOL! I finished the 3rd lap in 4 hours 47 minutes with a total finishing time of 13 hours 35 minutes. Dan presented me with the 1st place overall award and took a picture with me, way cool! And to have my dad, step-mom, and aunt at the finish with me (and with me all day!) was simply amazing!

Honorary Mentions:  First and foremost, I give all credit, glory, honor, and praise to my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!!! Without him none of this would’ve been possible!!!  Thank you Jesus!

Secondly, thank you to my amazing crew!I had the most amazing crew with me the whole race that met me at the aid stations and supplied all my needs! I can’t thank them enough for their sacrifice and service to be there for me! I was in-n-out of those aid stations within 5-8 minutes and it’s all because of them-my aunt, my dad, and my step-mom!!!

Thirdly, thank you to all my friends and family who supported me from a far in this race. Special thanks to my amazing wife Tiffany for all her love & support in my training and races, thank you babe! Special thanks to my mom and dad for all their love and support as well! And to all my friends and family giving words of encouragement and showing your support, you all were amazing and all of you played a special part in this great achievement! Love you all!

Highly Recommended Race:This was an amazing race with incredible race directors, super friendly & accommodating volunteers, and amazing aid stations!!!This race probably had the best aid stations I’ve ever seen!I highly highly HIGHLY recommend this race!!! And I hope to run this race again sometime in the future!!!Until then, god bless and godspeed!