2016 Hyner Trail Challenge 25K

Getting My Butt Kicked

This is my year to explore trail running. The Hyner Challenge is my first venture into seriously exploring that side of running. Previously I have run both the Ice Age Trail 50K and 50K at Labor Pain, but neither posed quite the challenge of vertical gain that Hyner does. With one of my major goal races this year being the HURL Elkhorn 50K in Montana, I needed something to gauge where I was and give me some insight into what I would face in August. The vertical gain at Hyner kicked my butt. I have a long way to go before I'll be prepared for the Elkhorn 50K.

I drove up the night before. After checking into the motel, I picked up my race packet, then drove up to a local church that was hosting a spaghetti dinner along with many other runners. The church youth group had organized it and they went out of their way to be sure we had everything we wanted. The plate of spaghetti was actually more than I could eat. After dinner I returned to my motel room and laid out everything I needed for the next day. With a 9:00 a.m. start for the 25K, I would have more than enough time in the morning for breakfast at the motel before checking out and driving to the start.

Aside from the usual tossing and turning the night before a race spent in a motel, the morning did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. For one thing I felt a little under the weather, which was emphasized when part of my breakfast reappeared while brushing my teeth. That is not a good sign any morning, much less race day morning. If it had been a local race, I might have decided on a DNS, but having driven all the way there and shelled out money for a motel room, I wasn't about to back out now. The second drawback was at the start before the race. Parking was far enough away that I didn't want to cart a bag all the way to where we could store them while running, and it was cool enough that I didn't want to stand around in shorts and t-shirt for any length of time. After sitting a few minutes in my car, I decided I needed to brave the cool temperature, leave my warm up suit in the car, and walk up to the start. It's a good thing I did because it was about a 15 wait in the port-a-potty line. Did I mention there were almost 1,000 runners in the 25K that narrowed to single track after just over a mile on the road to spread out the field?

After a few introductions the race started with a shout and we headed downhill on a dusty road, up a short slope, then across a bridge over the Susquehanna River. We continued on a road paralleling the river before finally turning onto a single track trail a little over a mile into the race. At that point the entire field back where I was slowed to a walk. The trail was runnable but the congestion was so bad that I had no choice. There wasn't any room to pass, steep slope to the left and sharp drop off toward the river to the right. This continued for close to a mile before we turned up Humble Hill, so named because it humbled you, not because it was a humble, unassuming hill. We climbed about 1300 feet in the next 1.5 miles. The footing was loose dirt and you had to be careful or you would slide back. I lost count of how many times after the fourth I had to stop to rest my quads and catch my breath before finally reaching the top. When I did I stood there dazed and confused before a volunteer pointed me in the right direction to continue. Even this early in the race I realized my expectations for time were far beyond what I was capable of and this would be more a race to survive and finish, than to see how well I could place. I think It took almost an hour to reach the top and we weren't even 4 miles into the race by my Garmin. (By the end my Garmin was off by about a mile.) I think this is where they take off for hang gliding off Hyner Mountain. At any rate the first aid station was there. I drank some Gatorade and continued. That was another mistake that was magnified by my not bothering to bring my belt and water bottles. It wasn't that far between aid stations, but I didn't factor in how much time it would take to cover the distance. I definitely should have drunk more and also should have grabbed something to eat. That came back to bite me, so to speak.

Leaving the aid station we began out descent, steep and rocky, but not as steep as the ascent. There were a few places where it was runnable, but much of it was treacherous. Twice I thought I was going to blow out my knee and have to be carried off the mountain because I slipped and slide with my knee starting to buckle under me. At least with some runners hanging out a little longer at the aid station, the field was beginning to spread out so it didn't look like a conga line. We proceeded down to Reickert Hollow, over a small hill, then reached the second major ascent, am 1100 foot climb over about 2 miles up Johnson Run, not as steep or high as the first climb but long before I reached the top I had serious doubts about being able to make it up the third and last major climb, and had thoughts of dropping out. Progress was measured by how often I stopped to catch my breath and get my heart rate down as well as giving my quads a rest. At least I could see I wasn't the only one moving slowly because I kept seeing the same shoes every so often as we leap frogged up the mountain. I couldn't see high enough to see faces, but the shoes would become very familiar sights. The last section here is aptly name Psycho Path and is also the steepest. Somewhere on this climb when I sat down, I must have looked completely out of it. A group of three runners stopped and insisted over my assurances that I was okay to minister to me with offers of Sports Beans and water. Once again unlooked for I received some much needed help. As it turned out Jim continued at this own pace, but my two self-appointed guardian angels, Lisa and Colleen, ended up as my running, or more accurately walking, companions for the remainder of the race.

I was able to beg a water bottle from one of the volunteers at the aid station. It was a liter bottle, so awkward to carry, but after my experience getting to the aid station, I wasn't going to quibble. I also found some shot blocs to carry with me. Having never tried GU I wanted to avoid that if at all possible because I didn't know how my stomach would react to it. My mind rejected it. By this time the Sports Beans and water were having a very positive effect and I was feeling much better as we left the aid station for another descent down Post Draft to Cleveland Hollow. We were about 9.5 miles into the race and it was already approaching 4 hours. Only one more major climb, but that included S.O.B.

By this time the 50K runners who had started an hour earlier had rejoined the 25K course and periodically we moved aside to let them pass. The run was now consciously a hike for me. As difficult as the first two climbs were, I was walking to conserve all my strength for the final, brutal climb to the last aid station at the top of S.O.B. More and more sections of the trail were muddy as we crossed and recrossed a creek. At times it felt like the course was a creek bed as there were rivulets of water coming down the mountain on the trail. No longer concerned with time, I took more care to cross the creek to keep my feet dry and largely was successful. The 50K runners coming through took the direct route and splashed across taking a direct line.

S.O.B. is just the last stretch on the final 850 foot climb and probably only about 100m, but it's almost vertical. We regrouped at the bottom of that stretch, resting up for the final push to the top. I told Lisa and Colleen to start up and I would follow, taking my time, resting if needed. The biggest challenge on this stretch turned out to be finding stable places to put my feet. More than once I planted my foot only to have the loose soil give way and have to grab anything handy to keep from sliding down. I was saved once by the runner below who grabbed me as I started to slip. I took the climb methodically, looking up to see where there were small trees and rocks securely planted that I could grab for stability. Eventually I scrambled the last few meters to be greeted by Lisa and Colleen who were waiting for me.

We refilled our water bottles, I grabbed more shot blocs, and we continued out of the aid station on a wide grassy path. We even ran a little because the change of pace felt good. It was a little more than 5 hours into the race and we still had more than 4 miles to go, and while mostly downhill and flat, we didn't know how tough the footing would be. It was actually pleasant to be able to relax a little and enjoy the scenery hiking through patches of hemlock and rhododendrons, but the adventures weren't over yet. Trying to pick our way through a muddy section, I did a face plant. I do mean that literally. I slipped, tripped, and dove head first. Once I made a quick assessment to see if I was hurt, I came up with dried leaves, moss, and probably a little mud in my beard and on my face. As hard as I'd hit, I thought for sure I'd also have a bloody nose, but the moss and dried leaves must have cushioned the impact. At least I hadn't fallen in one of the many rocky places where the consequences would have been much worse. That was the last incident on any note. Eventually we reached the road and Lisa and I tried to run in. I wasn't able to stay at her pace for very long, so I started alternating with short walks anticipating the final climb up a short hill to the finish. We crossed back over the bridge, turned down the dusty road, then just as the road started up we turned to the left into the woods for the final push. I walked this hill until I could see the red arch for the finish, then ran that last 40-50 meters in finish just under 6:40, about 2 hours slower than I though I would before I experienced what the course was like. Official time 6:39:49, 832nd of 935 overall, and 32nd of 37 in my age group.

I was not prepared for this race. Even the Mt Joy - Mt Misery lops I had been running were inadequate, so I'm not sure what I'll need to do to get ready for Elkhorn. I could have finished a little faster but I didn't see any point in pushing myself after the 3 big climbs and thought it would be rude to take off and leave Lisa and Colleen behind after they'd been so kind and helpful to get me over the last two ascents and help me up after my face plant. The Rothrock Trail Challenge on June 4th looks appealing and would be similar to Hyner, but that would also require asking for another weekend off from work. I may be better off driving to some of the closer state parks like French Creek and Hickory Run. In any case terrain and vertical gain are not concerns with my next race, the Dawn to Dusk to Dawn 50K on a 400m track on May14th.