Wow, what a weekend! Just completed the 3 Days of Syllamo Ultra Stage Race http://www.3daysofsyllamo.org/. This is three days of running through the Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest. Roughly 95-100 miles of rough, rocky, mountainous single track with as many water crossings and as much climbing as they could find.
The first day was 31 miles (7hrs 12 min), the second day was 50 miles with 12,000 feet total elevation gain and loss (12 hrs 28 min), and the final day was 15 miles (2 hrs 35 min). The first day I veered off course for at least 6 miles. I ended up being lost for about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs total. I finally made my way back to the pack and finished in 7 hrs 12 min, but that ruined any chance of me finishing in the top 10. I ended up finishing 15th overall (22hrs 16 min). It was the toughest course I have ran to date. Especially the 50-mile course. At one point this course went into an area named Birmingham Hollow; some of the locals said, “That was cruel”. This is a 10-mile section that descends around 1,000 ft into the hollow and immediately ascends 1,000 ft up the other side, then turns around and does it again. There were also many hidden rocks and roots under the leaves that still lay on the forest floor from the fall.
But it was also the most beautiful course I have ever run. There were so many majestic views from high atop mountains and along the edges of cliffs. At some points I was a bit scared because the drop off was so dramatic. One wrong step and I was done for. Luckily I never fell to my death, but I did trip once and slammed into a tree that saved me from falling down a steep ravine.
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