Twisted Ankle Trail Marathon 2009

By: Hazel Tapp

Race is held in northern Georgia and we arrived the day before to great rolling hills scenery, but ominous 85 degree humidity and thunderstorms in the distance. By the next morning we were somewhat cooler and headed over for the 9am start mid 60s. The race is located in a gorgeous state park with a huge lake and views of fog shrouded hills around us. Nice facilities meant for a pleasant start for the 300+ runners milling around for the half and full. The race director stood on a picnic table and gave us a welcome and briefing with caveats like “you must jump the running water at the Marble Cave, the bottom is slippery algae you’ll fall” and “thanks to the boys for clearing most of the tree trunks up there since the tornado touched down”. Time for various notes and pep talks to self. This all set the tone for an easy “we’re off” start with no discernable starting line, just the clock. My watch had died on the way over so I just had a normal watch on and quickly discovered there were no mile markers in keeping with the spirit20of the event. I was kind of going by the 9am start and whatever the well spaced aid stations told me about distance, some of it sounded like guessing.

We ran around the lake on level ground through some mud for a couple of miles before heading up through a campground. Within minutes I was delighted to have my first ever race conversation with a fellow marathon maniac (I was wearing the t-shirt). He introduced himself as maniac 716, I said Hi. I guess for next time I need to memorize my maniac number and respond appropriately. From the camp site we turned right and started ascending a steep, rocky, shaded trail. It was hot and humid and I wasn’t alone in slowing to a walk. Jonathon’s advice was clear: walk anything technical and run the rest. It made sense and I didn’t want to kill myself early on. We quickly arrived at Marble caves, a pretty cave and waterfall  and I made a confidence building easy jump over the water. The trail continued with run / walk switchbacks before a rapid increase in steepness forced all the runners I could see ahead and behind to form a single filed line of hard breathing walkers. The pace was determined and I kind of kept up in my slot, grabbing a couple of trees along the way but not really having to use my hands. The incline was enough to keep my heart rate way=2 0up as I plodded on and, just as I was thinking I would need to stand aside, I realized we had got to the top of  the hard bit – “Becky’s Bluff”–  sooner than I anticipated. This was the four mile point and with the steepest of the inclines over I was relieved and beginning to relax.  Marathoners were sent right, halves to the left.

The course became several miles of rolling ups and downs easy to run with gravel paths and trails. I started chatting with runners around me and we past another aid station before a long descent. We started seeing the leaders coming back up from the turnaround at the bottom at about 9 miles. The inclines encouraged speeding and the trail was not too rooty so apart from hurdling the odd log it was easy going down at a fair pace with the Guys really speeding. After the turnaround aid station, I began walk / running back up with the other guys ahead. After the people still coming down had thinned I had my first taste of feeling alone in the woods with the trail. I was amazed at how fast I lost a sense of people around me. I had fleeting glimpses of those ahead of me but I just relaxed into the plodding zoning out of moving along. Eventually, At the 12 mile aid station I met up again with “my crowd” and saw the first of the limpers/ crampers who we briefly encouraged. Again I picked up a steady pace and headed back up past our ascent point to where the halves had originally split off left. Directions were great and the trail well marked. The ridge had occasional valley views and made for relaxed trail enjoyment with plenty of shade. It was hot but I wasn’t running fast enough to suffer. I was mostly alone with the occasional surprising chance to catch up and overtake.  Eventually we broke out into a fire road that was easy to run down and with some ups and downs finally made the second turnaround at mile 18, the famed watermelon stop.

With 8 to go we headed back again walking mostly up hill. There were several back and forth overtaking sessions with some new friends while going up the fire road and going back along the ridge. Some nice chit chat again ensued – it helped as the 20 mile+ pain started to seep in and the miles were stretching. I eventually got left behind and by the start of the single track final descent at mile 22 I was alone and able to pick a pace without pressure from behind. The descent was steep and my legs were shot at this point. I became very focused on going slow and not falling and was not surprised to be caught up by a lone lady as we reached a “mud skiing” portion. We some how got around it and descended to Marble caves and the chance to briefly dip my mud-caked feet into the water. The trail carried on down back through the camp ground and out into the sun around the lake. A trail of easily visible and clearly fatigued slow moving runners marked the way ahead, and it was with the usual last miles desperation that I put one foot in front of the other and tried to believe in an end. Eventually I ran back around the lake, up a hill through some woods and then down to the finish. The finish is a delight: you run across a wooden bridge over the lake with your name announced to the crowd as you run across. Craig, his cousins and our dog were standing right there cheering me on as I finally finished. Thanks Guys. I was amazed at my 5.37 time about an hour ahead of where I had expected based on last years age group winners. I was even more amazed when several minutes later the results guys showed me a printout with first in my age group. OK, you guessed, the field was not huge.

Post Script: Official report today puts me third in my age group. They missed off the second and third placed female overall finishers. This race was truly a memorable and very different marathon experience. I don’t feel any worse physically than from a typical road race as of today the day after. And Jack, I definitely finished with a smile.