Cumberland Plateau Stage Race 50K

The Cumberland Plateau Stage Race is a 3 day multi-event race taking place from August 23 - 25, 2019 where runners end up with a total of 58 miles over the 3 day race.  Saturday night Mike and I arrived at East Fork Stables in Jamestown, TN and find a camping spot to throw the tents up so that we can be ready to roll at 5am to get our packets and gear ready for the race start at 6am on Sunday morning.  I had one strategy for this race.  Run hard until I could not.  I decided I was going for broke in this race because I have never pushed my limit.  I truly did not know how long I could run hard and how the outcome would go or if I would even finish the race. 

5:55 am we are standing at the start area and John the race director has us raise our right hand and say a few words together like an oath.  Then we take a pic and line up.  When we take off I immediately move up quickly to the front before the trail starts and funnels everyone down into single file.  I am around 4th place at the start and we run like this for about 1 mile.  We then made it to a field and all I can see is sand everywhere.  Yes... Sand, and even worse its loose sand so your feet just quickly sink into it.  As we are moving through the open field a runner comes from behind and passed all of us at a blistering pace.  I quickly followed him as he made his move around everyone which put me in second place right behind him.

I was running around 8 minute pace through the sand and he was slowly building his lead between us.  I kept my my pace up but it was not enough to keep up with the leader.  For the next several miles I ran by myself through trails and open fields.  As I looked down at my watch it was about to tick over to 1 hour of running and I was just about to finish up my 7th mile.  I was pretty happy with my pace so far.  The trails were nice but the fields were tearing my legs down quickly as the sand  required a lot of effort to keep that pace up.  It was like running on the beach.  Around mile 9 I could hear the runners behind me as they were slowly gaining on me.  As they caught me I ran with them for about 2-3 miles and they slowly started pulling away from me. We chatted for a few minutes about races and their hometown Knoxville, TN which is basically home for me as well.

Around mile 13 I could tell my legs were a little fatigued but I kept pushing forward.  I was quite surprised at the hills on the course as I expected the course to be pretty flat but it had some decent rolling hills but with great mountain views as we run along the top of the plateau.  I was about to make it to the next aid station which was a good feeling as I needed water and some gel packs as I just finished my last Gu.  My focus was just to keep my legs turning over as I knew at some point I would hit the wall so I needed electrolytes and calories to keep moving.  As I ran through more fields I could tell my legs were going to be an issue.

At Mile 22 I found the wall.  I was digging deep in the pain cave from mile 22-24 until this passed.  Its the same in every race.  Why do I do this?  Why did I sign up for the Georgia Death Race?  I need a beer right now.  Who cares if I finish?  I can stop now and walk and still make the cutoff.  I start laughing.  I think to myself am I going to do this in every race!  This is where a runner must not stay for very long.  If you give in now your taking the easy way out.  You must shake it off and move on.  My pace slowed down and I walked for several minutes until I realized what I was doing and snapped out of it.  The hardest thing to do is tell yourself to start running when your legs are exhausted and in pain but when it hurts to run and it hurts to walk.  Just run. This is what I love about endurance runs and especially trail runs.  It challenges you and pulls you out of your comfort zone so that you can see what you are capable of.  Its your choice to stay in the pain cave or decide to pull it together and push on.  I pulled my secret sauce (Fireball) out of my pack and turned it up and chased it down with some water and took off.

A around mile 26 I found the aid station and one of the ladies said there was an out and back with a breathtaking view and then your headed back to this aid station and then to the finish line.  I  took a shot of mountain dew and took off knowing that I could run this quickly and make it back to the aid station.   I made it to the turn around of the out and back and I could not help but stop to have someone take a few pics for me.  The view was amazing.  As I am heading back I can feel the mountain dew wearing off.  My glucose level was bottoming out... I needed more sugar to help me through to the finish.  I made it back to the aid station and took another shot of Mountain Dew and grabbed a handful of Sourpatch Kids Gummies.  Now we are talking.  I think to myself I have hit the jackpot!  I took off knowing that I was almost finished and as I made it to the finish line I saw it was a huge slip and slide and I leaped right in.  As I jumped I felt my calf cramp up so I go sliding grabbing my calf and then my other calf cramps up so now I am laying there with a person on each leg trying to get my calves to stop locking up.  What a way to finish the race.  LOL...  I ran the last 3 miles at roughly a 12 minute pace finished with a time of 5 hours 48 minutes with an overall pace of 11:13.

This was a fun race with beautiful views and loose sand.  It was a difficult to run on the sand but the trails were really good and the race director was great.  I would recommend this race to anyone.  I will plan a future trip to do all 3 days of this stage race.