Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 55K, Old Fort, North Carolina

Elevation Range: 1486' - 5225' ............ Elevation Gain: 10,473'

March 23, 2024 - As I continue to race into my twilight years I seem to dwell less upon detail and more upon the overwhelming rush of experience in each and every moment of not just a race, but each time I lace up my shoes to commune with the trails. The Black Mountains of North Carolina are dauntingly awesome. I've been there before, more than once. They are too big to take in during a single exposure while gliding over root and rock between a start and a finish. One lifetime is not enough in these mountains. A race is just a teaser to draw you back again and again.

In terms of physical challenge, these old mountains, what remains of the southern Appalachians, require considerable preparation to engage them with any hope of crossing the finish with head held high. Those that join me on these forays have my utmost respect. To run any of these tough mountain races, one must be made of that something special that escapes most of humanity. No where else do I feel as at home than running with my tribe in wild places like this.

I cannot get too serious about any race anymore. I have too much wear and tear to dare expect any kind of exceptional performance again. Showing up just to share the joy and the suffering with those of like mind and like heart is enough. Just let me run and I will be happy with a participation award.

This race is a Brandon Thrower creation - reason enough to sign up. He always puts on a quality show - no frills, just beautiful challenges with wide smiles that keep good memories bouncing around in your noggin for a long time. 55K is a long 50K, but this one proved even a bit further at 35+ miles. No matter. I run until someone says "stop".

Not sleeping the night before the race put a dent in my energy bubble, for sure. Rising at 0230, I got around and drove the two-and-a-half hours to the race venue at Camp Grier, Old Fort, NC. The threatening rain storm that put a dark cloud over the pre-race had mostly moved on, leaving us with a near perfect fiftyish degree misty start. Winds of 20 mph were expected above 5000 feet, so we were all advisedly required to carry extra layers.

These events are still small enough that the starts are friendly with few appearing to be in any sort of hurry. One picks a place in the pack, then gets into queue until the race sorts itself out. The first five miles followed a gravel road mostly before turning up the first climb of the day which would top out at ten miles. Keeping good company with another old guy and woman runner, it took us an hour to reach the first aid station at five miles. Faster than I would have liked. Early in a race it is easy to get distracted by conversation and run a faster tempo. But the ensuing climb would soon nip the early enthusiasm.

I am in shape to climb comfortably, keeping my breathing within an aerobic range, I crawled up above 5000 feet the first time, mostly in queue, covering the next five miles of 3000 vertical feet of straight up climbing in about an hour-and-a-half. Legs get exhausted from climbing so long and so it can be hard to shift down a gear and get back into running form for level and down hill progress. My feet were cramping, perhaps from not drinking enough, so I quickly moved ahead and away from perhaps 15-20 runners in the queue to get my circulation back by striding out and running over the top and down the other side.

After a day of rain, the steep terrain of vertical chutes on the down side was muddy and tenuous. Everyone had to focus each step with sharp deliberation to avoid catastrophe. After the immediate steep downhill over the top most of us were able to find running room on single track trail all the way to the bottom where we picked up a gradually climbing gravel road again to reach the half-way point and then some before climbing again. I changed into some dry clothes and had a shot of caffeine before proceding onward.

The second climb of 2000 feet to cross the Blue Ridge Parkway consisted of countless switchbacks, where you ran some, then you walked some, all the way to the top. As the wind picked up to sharp gusts under a cloudy sky, feels-like tempertures dropped to the point where it was a bit uncomfortable - perhaps in the low thirties. There was no fresh snow on the course, but I did see mountains twenty miles to the west with a fresh white blanket of spring snow.

From the Parkway down it was a fantastic 3000-foot drop, mostly on single track trail with incredible views back down to another gravel road to the last aid station before the finish. From there it was another seven miles to where we could call it a day. My back was tired. I was too warm with extra sweaty layers in the emerging late afternoon sun. No complaints. Just took my time. Spent too much time socializing at the aid stations, and slowed to keep conversation toward the end. Lots of nice people passed by me in the closing miles. All younger, of course. I enjoyed my day thoroughy and found my legs and feet were not sore in the slightest after finishing. Tired, certainly, but there was no pain. After having a beer, I ran comfortably for about a quarter mile back to my car to change into dry clothing while I waited for my drop bag to return.

It was a finish time of 9:51:17 - about what I expected. No surprise, no disappointment. I really didn't race or even run hard. It was just a nice route to share the day with new friends. Guess I'll need to sign up for the 50-mile next time so that my body has a better test!