Organizer Frank L. advertised this event as a Fat A_ _ Running Event, meaning it was not "a race." There was no entry fee, no awards (but a cool finishers rock), no whinning and no aid would be provided (yea right, those Popsicle were awesome). The Meltdown was an opportunity to run with old and new friends (plus plenty of NC horse flies!) and enjoy the hot and steamy beauty of an NC state park in August.
Going into this event, as a Meltdown rookie, I had no idea of what I was getting myself into. From all the Facebook posts I could tell that this was going to be a tough run and a chance to hang with the Ultra crowd. I knew it was going to be hot/humid and I knew I would have to provide for my own support. But I had no idea how tough the Medoc Mountain State Park course was going to be.
Do you like Hills, Medoc Has Them:
(One of the Medoc Climbs...are we there yet?)
Do you like Roots, Medoc Has Them:
(Medoc Roots...my ankles loved these)
Do you like Rocks, Medoc Has Them:
(Rocks are one thing, ROCKS going up hill...come on Medco)
Do you like Stairs, Medoc Has Them:
(The World Famous Medoc Stair Way To...more pain)
The course at Medoc was a little over 8.6 miles in length and the 50K event (4 laps) would have you completing nearly 35 miles in the heat and humidity of North Carolina. The conditions of the trail and the temperatures made this the toughest trail race I have run. Being a rookie I never had a good feel of what Medco challenge was coming up next, so I never knew when to push it or when to conserve.
(One of the many Medoc Challenges)
But I'll tell ya four laps of this place was all I wanted. Out of 77 starters I placed 7th with a time of 8 hours and 30 minutes. That time is slow compared to my previous 50k PR but knowing the trails I ran over....I'm very happy with my performance.
But the best part of the day was the people. The Medoc crowd and it's organizers Frank and Cameron were GREAT. I was blessed to run with some super people, Paul S, Amanda M, Jon H, and Veronica J. You guys made the day...you kept me going when I needed a push and I hope I made your run a success. Running is about more then the miles, the trails or the conditions....it is about the people!
If You Like Cool Race Bling, Medoc Has That Too:
(This Rock Motivated Me All Day Long)
At one point I told myself this may just be a "One and Done" event for me....now I'm wondering when next years Meltdown will be.
Enjoyed your blog post and it was a pleasure to get to run some of it with you. I agree - it is the people that mean the most. You were a big part in helping me get to the end. But I'll say, I wanted to get me one of those fabulous finishers rocks.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! And congrats on earning a rock! I couldn't even get close this year. Next year.... :-)
ReplyDeleteReally great to finally meet you! Glad you had "fun" at Medoc! We'll look for you next year! Congratulations on a great finish on a tough day!
ReplyDeleteAwesome 30k!! nice, er...rock! :) 7/77 is awesome!! Lucky 7's!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an awesome event. Congrats!
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