A 5 miles race all uphill to the top of Grandfather Mountain is the logical first race after the disaster that was the 2018 Boston Marathon, right? Well for me it was. I was mentally in a bad place after Boston this year. I got the temperature I wanted but not the freezing rain and 30mph headwind that accompanied it. I was trained for a 2:47 I thought and was on pace to run 2:55 in the historically bad conditions until I couldn't anymore and DNFed at 24.5 miles. I may never fully get over that DNF on the biggest stage at my favorite marathon. A marathon where I had run two PRs (2011 and 2014) and came away with a 703 overall finish in the record heat of 2012. It was a race I had always performed well at until this year.
I took a week off after Boston and then built my mileage back up. I looked at some summer races but none excited me. My fire and passion just wasn't there. I wasn't even signed up for The Bear on July 12th this year and in typical Bear fashion the race sold out online in about forty minutes. Luckily, I had an entry into the race through Zap Fitness if I wanted to do it. I think I decided Memorial Day weekend to do The Bear again. I ran my first Bear last year and loved it. It was tough and I had to walk parts during the last 2 miles but so did the overall winner who set a new course record of 30:18. I finished last year in 20th out of 787 in 37:42 and got a coveted mug.
Since The Bear wasn't on my plan until about six weeks out I didn't train for it as long and specifically as I had last year. None the less I trusted my coach Philip Latter, of The Running Syndicate, to get me ready on such short notice. We added more Bear specific workouts which included sets of hill intervals, tempos on hills, and long and easy runs on hills. I did one long run at Moses Cone with my friends Amanda and Matt which included 5 miles straight uphill to the top of the Firetower. I felt better on that than I expected even if we were keeping the pace easy. Phillip told me last year the race was more about overall fitness than being a good uphill runner. I wasn't sure my overall fitness was as high this year going into the Bear as it was last year but having last years course experience was a big bonus.
I took a week off after Boston and then built my mileage back up. I looked at some summer races but none excited me. My fire and passion just wasn't there. I wasn't even signed up for The Bear on July 12th this year and in typical Bear fashion the race sold out online in about forty minutes. Luckily, I had an entry into the race through Zap Fitness if I wanted to do it. I think I decided Memorial Day weekend to do The Bear again. I ran my first Bear last year and loved it. It was tough and I had to walk parts during the last 2 miles but so did the overall winner who set a new course record of 30:18. I finished last year in 20th out of 787 in 37:42 and got a coveted mug.
Since The Bear wasn't on my plan until about six weeks out I didn't train for it as long and specifically as I had last year. None the less I trusted my coach Philip Latter, of The Running Syndicate, to get me ready on such short notice. We added more Bear specific workouts which included sets of hill intervals, tempos on hills, and long and easy runs on hills. I did one long run at Moses Cone with my friends Amanda and Matt which included 5 miles straight uphill to the top of the Firetower. I felt better on that than I expected even if we were keeping the pace easy. Phillip told me last year the race was more about overall fitness than being a good uphill runner. I wasn't sure my overall fitness was as high this year going into the Bear as it was last year but having last years course experience was a big bonus.
Me, Bill Rogers, Kristin My friends Ellen and Torrie joined me for the Bear this year. I mentioned the race to my friends and teammates in the Bull City Track Club, hoping some would be crazy enough to join me this year and those two were the only ones who did. Neither had done the Bear before and I assured them it was going to be brutal and they may even cuss my name during parts of it but it would also be a lot of fun; well as much fun as one can have running up a mountain.
After getting our race packets Kristin and I met Torrie, Ellen, and Ellen's parents for dinner at Lost Province in Boone, NC. When you go there order the wood fired mac and cheese with fire roasted tomatoes and bacon and thank me later! It was a lot of fun hanging out at dinner 24 hours before we could be running The Bear.
After Dinner, Kristin and I got invited to go hear Bill Rogers talk at Zap. I hadn't met him before and was honored to receive and invitation. The talk was entertaining and a good time. I got to meet a long time online friend Melissa and her husband who were there for one of Zap's famous running camps.
After getting our race packets Kristin and I met Torrie, Ellen, and Ellen's parents for dinner at Lost Province in Boone, NC. When you go there order the wood fired mac and cheese with fire roasted tomatoes and bacon and thank me later! It was a lot of fun hanging out at dinner 24 hours before we could be running The Bear.
After Dinner, Kristin and I got invited to go hear Bill Rogers talk at Zap. I hadn't met him before and was honored to receive and invitation. The talk was entertaining and a good time. I got to meet a long time online friend Melissa and her husband who were there for one of Zap's famous running camps.
Grinding out the last 200m Race day finally arrived and I felt good. The tough thing about evening races is waiting around all day for them to start. Luckily we had great hosts in Matt and Amanda and were thoroughly entertained by their boys Owen and Eli, so, the time passed quickly. Amanda, Kristin, and I drove to the race together and got there a little before 6pm. The race started at 7pm. After a dynamic warm-up Amanda and I set off for an easy 3 miles warm-up run. It was warm for the mountains and sunny at race start but there was a dark cloud over the top of Grandfather mountain. Pete Rea was so gracious letting Kristin ride up to the top with the Zap Fitness crew so she could watch us finish.
This was also the first Bear for one of my best friends Anne Wheatly. She's a great runner especially at these tough races. She won the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in 2009 and since has been running ultras and having a lot of success. She won the Table Rock 50K and Shut In Ridge races in 2017 and placed 2oth overall in the 2017 Georgia Death Race just to name a few. I figured it would be a close race between her and Amanda for the win this year. My only goal for this year was to somehow beat my time from last year.
The race started and Amanda and I went out side by side near the front of the pack. The first mile climbs 391 feet and the next two climb 213 and 175 feet. Last year my first three miles were 7:28, 7:45, and 7:15. This year I could feel Amanda and I were going out much faster. We were staying side by side and making our way up the mountain. Once we got settled in we managed to pick some runners off that went out harder than we did. I ran the first three miles this year in 7:16, 7:27, and 7:14. The grade adjusted pace (GAP) on those miles was 5:49, 6:28, and 6:13.
This was also the first Bear for one of my best friends Anne Wheatly. She's a great runner especially at these tough races. She won the Grandfather Mountain Marathon in 2009 and since has been running ultras and having a lot of success. She won the Table Rock 50K and Shut In Ridge races in 2017 and placed 2oth overall in the 2017 Georgia Death Race just to name a few. I figured it would be a close race between her and Amanda for the win this year. My only goal for this year was to somehow beat my time from last year.
The race started and Amanda and I went out side by side near the front of the pack. The first mile climbs 391 feet and the next two climb 213 and 175 feet. Last year my first three miles were 7:28, 7:45, and 7:15. This year I could feel Amanda and I were going out much faster. We were staying side by side and making our way up the mountain. Once we got settled in we managed to pick some runners off that went out harder than we did. I ran the first three miles this year in 7:16, 7:27, and 7:14. The grade adjusted pace (GAP) on those miles was 5:49, 6:28, and 6:13.
Finishing It was a lot of fun having Amanda side by side with me. As we ran through the Highland Games she got a lot of cheers as being the lead female runner. Amanda won the race last year in 38:45. Once you do half a lap around the Highland Games track you have to go up this brutal grass hill to get back onto the pavement that will lead you to the top and the finish. That grass hill always just kicks you in the face. As we neared the hill I could see another Raleigh area runner, Aaron Hale, just ahead of us. Aaron beat me last year by 27 seconds so I wanted to beat him this year.
As much as it hurt I threw a surge down as soon as we came off the grass and hit the pavement again. It was a tough place to make a move but I knew there wouldn't be a lot of passing in the last 2 miles with the 900 feet gain so I had to go now to get by Aaron. As me and Amanda went by him he told me good job or go get it Tyler and I replied thanks and told him to go as well.
I'm not sure when the first time I walked this year was. It might have been around 3.5 miles. I walked about three or four times last year for about thirty of forty seconds each time. I did the same thing this year. I wasn't sure when it happened but Amanda and I got separated a little during the last two miles. I would look back when I was walking to see her running. We traded walking and running back and forth. Parts are so steep you can power hike as fast as you could run. I think we still managed to pass a few more runners during the last two miles and I don't think anyone passed us.
As much as it hurt I threw a surge down as soon as we came off the grass and hit the pavement again. It was a tough place to make a move but I knew there wouldn't be a lot of passing in the last 2 miles with the 900 feet gain so I had to go now to get by Aaron. As me and Amanda went by him he told me good job or go get it Tyler and I replied thanks and told him to go as well.
I'm not sure when the first time I walked this year was. It might have been around 3.5 miles. I walked about three or four times last year for about thirty of forty seconds each time. I did the same thing this year. I wasn't sure when it happened but Amanda and I got separated a little during the last two miles. I would look back when I was walking to see her running. We traded walking and running back and forth. Parts are so steep you can power hike as fast as you could run. I think we still managed to pass a few more runners during the last two miles and I don't think anyone passed us.
Me, Amanda, Matt The cloud deck was thick near the top which obstructed the views. It was a little misting rain too but the cooler temps felt nice. Rounding the last switchback and seeing the crowd on both sides screaming is all the motivation you need to dig deep and grind out that last 250m or so to the finish line. I did one more look back hoping Amanda was close because I thought it would be cool so finish side by side. She was indeed close and we finished just 5 seconds apart. I ran 37:19 to finish 16th overall out of 757. Amanda was 17th overall in 37:24 and Won her second straight Bear! Anne was the third place female in 39:10, good enough for 31st overall. Ellen finished in 153rd in 48:30, good enough to get a Mug in her first Bear. Torrie finished in 332nd in 55:53 with a stress fracture! Yes, you read that right. Torrie ran up Grandfather Mountain with a stress fracture in her foot and actually ran a lot of it and looked good finishing. That was so impressive. It fired her up to come back next year healthy and get a mug.
I would not have guessed I would have beat my time from last year by 23 seconds but I did and it all came in the first three miles thanks to being side by side with Amanda. My last two miles this year were almost exactly the same as last year. Last year I ran 8:49 and 9:52 and this year it was 8:49 and 9:58 proving you can only do much in the last two miles. Amanda improved by an amazing 1:30 from last year! Her husband Matt, did one better, going from 45:24 last year to 40:18 this year. That's just crazy! Amanda said she wants to break 37 next year so I guess we'll be doing the Bear again for a third straight year. I'm not sure where we are going to drop 20 seconds to go under 37:00 next year. The easy answer is to cut out a walk break during the last two miles but the only reason we walked is because we had to. I'm looking forward to the challenge and if anyone can find a way to improve again next year it will be me and Amanda.
I would not have guessed I would have beat my time from last year by 23 seconds but I did and it all came in the first three miles thanks to being side by side with Amanda. My last two miles this year were almost exactly the same as last year. Last year I ran 8:49 and 9:52 and this year it was 8:49 and 9:58 proving you can only do much in the last two miles. Amanda improved by an amazing 1:30 from last year! Her husband Matt, did one better, going from 45:24 last year to 40:18 this year. That's just crazy! Amanda said she wants to break 37 next year so I guess we'll be doing the Bear again for a third straight year. I'm not sure where we are going to drop 20 seconds to go under 37:00 next year. The easy answer is to cut out a walk break during the last two miles but the only reason we walked is because we had to. I'm looking forward to the challenge and if anyone can find a way to improve again next year it will be me and Amanda.
Me and Kristin I'd like to thank everyone at Zap Fitness for their amazing hospitality to me and Kristin while we were there for The Bear. Everyone was so welcoming and we both feel like we got to know the coaches and athletes even better as a result. We are looking forward to more get togethers with the Zap crew.
RSS Feed