Iron Mountain 50 Mi Race Report-
Troy Shellhamer
Sept 1, 2012
The air was thick, oppressive, and as warm as steamy tomato
soup. The same moisture that provides such a beautiful and lush mountainscape
in the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Damascus, Virginia hung in the atmosphere.
It clung to our bodies not allowing even
copious amounts of sweat to cool us.
Saturday September 1st, 2012 was the 7th
running of the Iron Mountain 50; a 50 mile footrace on trails starting and
ending in Damascus, Virginia. The race holds well over 8000’ of elevation gain
over the 50 mile distance, claiming the most vertical gain of any other 50
miler I race each year. It also offers a 30 mile and 16 mile distance. This was
my second running of the race, and I had strong hopes to improve upon my 2nd
place finish from last year.
Damascus has always been a place which has served to shape my life; this year it has already
done so by being the starting point of The Tour De Virginia in which Eric
Grossman, Anne Riddle Lundblad, and I ran from Tennessee to West Virginia, (via
the Appalachian Trail in VA), over the course of 14 days. The journey covered
560 miles crossing every white blaze on the AT and was truly a feat of stamina
and will. We completed the TDV on July 14th and the Iron Mountain 50
was my first race since finishing the Tour. How appropriate it also took place
in Damascus?
Race morning was a social experience. Many friends I’ve made
over the last few years were slated to be racing as well, and likewise, this
Iron Mountain 50 would be one of the most competitive races I’ve raced this
year, but I was feeling great the week prior to the race, mentally and
physically, and was ready to battle.
“Why is everyone so quiet?!” I heard behind me as we
rumbled down the Virginia Creeper trail in the opening miles. Johnny Clemmons
was out front leading the 30 mile race in what was sure to be a new course
record. The usual suspects I’d expected to be fighting for the 50 win were right
there with me; Brad Hinton, Jon Allen, Shaun Pope, and Brian Pickett. For a group of guys who all knew and liked one
another, there was a lot of racing early on and not much talking. We all broke
the ice by talking about what a stupid pace we were running in the opening
miles, and had a good chuckle about it.
Going into this race I had been training differently than
usual, applying the art of mindfulness in my training regime ever since
returning from the TDV. When I felt poorly I backed off and waited to run later
in the day, and when I felt good I pushed hard. I became better at listening to
my body and focused hard on not overtraining but instead tried to always leave
a little extra in the tank. I’m a numbers guy, and I try to focus on heart
rate, etc. This race however, I felt stronger than ever in the week preceding
the event, and I knew I wanted to push the pace from the gun to the finish. I
wasn’t concerned about HR or pacing as much as usual. I wanted to truly test
myself and lay it ALL out there like never before, and most of all, I wanted
the best performance possible regardless of placement. I felt like even though
the race was more stacked with high level competition than in previous years, I
couldn’t care less about what others were doing or who else showed. I was just
focusing on running my own race and staying in my head. It was a great vibe.
Leaving the Straight Branch Aid Station at mile 5 begins the
serious climbing as well as real trail finally in the form of singletrack
exiting the crushed surface of the Va Creeper Trail. I had pushed the opening
pace, but entering the climb Shaun Pope and Brian Pickett surged out in front
and I lost sight of them. I pushed harder than usual but still went at my own
pace, not concerned in the least at the way in which Shaun and Brian had
destroyed the climb. I knew I was running strong on the climb and my pace was
furious enough. My legs still felt better than usual even after the quick
opening 5 miles and my Plantar Fasciitis was only minimally nagging me which it
would do all race.
After climbing a couple thousand feet I came unto the
undulating rolling stretch atop the Iron Mountain massif. I was running with Jon
Allen and we had the chance to catch up on each other’s lives since we last
raced one another at the Umstead 100 in March where he finished a painful 8
minutes ahead of me!
The descents on the Iron Mountain trail are frequent and
technical. I found myself running very well on the downhill sections. Coming
into Skulls Gap aid station at mile 16 I saw Johnny Clemmons heading back up
the climb towards me in the lead of the 30 mile race as expected. (The 30 mile
option just turns around at Skulls Gap and the 50 milers continue onward.) I
was pleased to actually be so close to the 30 mile leader. Exiting the Skulls
Gap Aid Station I had caught up to Shaun Pope, Brad Hinton and Brian Pickett
and lead my pace out of the aid station. After another clockwork speedy bottle
exchange at Skulls Gap from my incredible race crew, Stephanie, I was now
leading the race again at mile 16 and Brad Hinton was in 2nd for the
climb out of Skulls Gap. I was quite relieved to have caught Shaun Pope as I
knew him to be a formidable runner. He’s won Iron Mountain before and holds the
2nd fastest time run on the course. Shaun has already won 2 Ultras
this year and at least 12 others in his impressive career. He’s only 24 years
old and he will continue to only get faster through the years. The usual suspects
as I refer to the group I pinned to be fighting for the win were all together
again momentarily as we entered the mid-stage of the race. I felt comfortable
leading the group up the climb from Skulls Gap and I held my pace as no one was
challenging to take it at that point.
Hurricane Gap aid station found the top 4 still close
together. Brian Pickett had dropped due to knee pain. Jon Allen and Shaun Pope, Brad and I were all swapping places. I had to relinquish my lead to Brad for a very quick
bathroom break and Shaun also passed. I managed to finish my business before
Jon Allen passed me, and caught back up
to Shaun and Brad within minutes for a group entry into Hurricane Gap at mile
22.
Exiting Hurricane Gap runners are blessed with some speed
in the form of running down fire road for several miles. Brad Hinton and I
found ourselves to be running together in the lead towards Rowland Creek inching
ourselves further away from Jon Allen and Shaun Pope. The descent from
Hurricane Gap can be a bit challenging mentally because although it’s nice to
knock out so many miles descending thousands of feet to Rowland Creek, you can
see the top of the mountains getting farther and farther away and you know you
have to climb back up them.
I hit mile 25, the halfway point, in 3 hours 45 minutes running
downhill towards Rowland Creek running shoulder to shoulder with Brad in 1st
and 2nd. Brad was running with authority and wasn’t letting up, but I
decided I felt good and wanted to attack at the beginning of the climb back up
after Rowland Creek aid station. I knew the climb to be a very technical, steep
and challenging one and upon reaching the summit of the climb at mile 32 I knew
that I could gain as much as 10 minutes from an inspired climb. Hopefully it
wouldn’t blow me so hard I would die in the remaining 18 miles as that is still
a long way to go.
I made haste at the Rowland Creek aid station and said a
quick hello to Beth who helped crew the Tour De Virginia last month and was
manning the Rowland aid station. Brad was filling his bottle and I bolted and
treated the climb like the finish of the race was at the top of the mountain
only several miles away. Some horses blocked my path and had to hault
momentarily until the equestrians allowed my passage and I continued my assault
of the climb with fury and purpose. From the first moment I began the climb I
couldn’t see any other runners behind me and I knew I was running stronger than
I had all race and I could gain a big advantage on the climb as long as I could
keep fueling perfectly and maintain pace.
I reached the Hurricane Gap aid station again at mile 32
in first and felt victorious but knew the day would still be long. 18 more
miles in first place and I planned on destroying every cell in my body running
as hard as possible to protect my first place finish. I didn’t slow at the aid
station with the help of Stephanie’s awesome crewing. I swapped bottles on the
fly and she tossed me my ipod as I planned on the remainder of the day being a
feat that would require some musical distraction from the pain and agony I
planned on indulging in! I have actually read clinical studies which show time to fatigue while listening to music can be delayed by as much as 10%!
The climb continues out of Hurricane Gap and I pushed
even harder. I wanted to command the race and run with everything in me, and
that’s what I did. Leading a race for that long, the miles can drag on trying
to protect the placement, but I was running faster than ever for the day from
miles 32 to 39. I punished myself and loved every second. I was focused and in
the zone. The descents were light and airy, floating over the most technical
sections with surefootedness and confidence over ankle trashing rocks and roots
and off kilter trail. My plantar fascia, (foot pain…), screamed at me occasionally and I screamed
back telling it shut up, and I would let it heal after the race. It abided and
didn’t get better or worse.
 |
| Looking like hell! -But feeling better than ever! |
I began to finally lose my focus and all empowering drive
entering the stretch of trail after the Skulls Gap aid station at mile 37.
Those 6 miles between 37 and 43 were my low point for the race and I was paying
for my efforts over the last 10 miles, but I forged on and knew I was in the
home stretch. I pushed on regardless and didn’t slow, but it took every effort
within me. I would glance at my watch and still be pleased with my heart rate
and the power I was able to put down on the trails. I was praying I could
maintain and I knew that as strong as I was running with each step it would
be hard for anyone to gain on me.
I contemplated walking every climb I was faced with, but
ran everything, never slowing once…I knew I had no choice. I wanted to do
this for me, not just to hold placement, but I wanted the fastest time I was
capable of on that day, and yielding to a desire to slow was not in the cards. I
shut my mind off and tried to maintain focus and not tire.
I began to finally pass people who were finishing the 30 mile
race after I exited the forest service road 90 aid station at mile 43 and it
was fuel to my fire. I was trying to yell encouragement to the runners I passed
and it helped me stay upbeat and focused. The heat was getting unbearable and
my head felt like it was swelling and I was overheating, but I pressed on. I
had been fueling and hydrating better than ever and was not about to slow this
late in the game. I finally had some adrenaline surging for the remainder of
the short 7 downhill miles to the finish after the hellish 6 miles from 37-43.
Apparently I narrowly averted a bear another runner completing
the 30 miler had just passed and I flew onward and down towards the finish. I
felt a sharp pain in my foot and knew I had just burst a major blister on my
small 5th toe and didn’t care. The magnetic pull of the finish line
was pulling me home and nothing could stop me.
I wanted to break Shaun Pope’s 2nd fastest
course time if I couldn’t touch Grossman’s course record from last year, and I
used this to fuel a furious pace for the last 3 miles. Several people thought
me to be a tad insane bombing down the treacherous rocky trail at speeds
unknown to me. A lot of people who run the last 3 miles down the technical trail
get similar reactions…
After exiting the Iron Mountain Trail there are several
miles of pavement/Creeper Trail. I began my pursuit of Shaun’s time and
knew it would be close. I pounded the pavement, and then the soft crushed
surface of the Creeper Trail as I tore through Damascus. I knew I had first place
locked but I wanted to best Shaun’s time and I used this to motivate me to dig
deep as I hacked and coughed and pressed on trying to be proud of my finish. It was nice to finish
the race with some fire in me. I rounded the corner off of a pedestrian bridge and
I was now visible to the crowd at the town park in Damascus and heard the cheers.
I had done it. I won the race! (I missed Shaun’s 2010 time by 33 seconds) I was elated.
After getting some fluids in me I cooled off in a perfectly placed river next
to the finish and waited for 2nd place to arrive. My time was 7
hours and 28 minutes. I was pretty excited to have run a negative split for the race.
I got to meet David Horton at the finish whom helped to
create the Ultra community as it exists today. He directs many races and I informed
him of my desire to race the Hellgate 100K this year and so fortunately I have
a spot now solidified.
Running with so many friends out on the course whom I
have met through running is a blast. I love going back to venues which I have
run previously because of the community aspect of the sport. Through the Tour
De Virginia adventure and running so many other races near Virginia I have
gotten to know quite a few great folks and hanging out at the finish isn’t just
something to do because I can’t imagine walking back to the car, it’s that there
is nowhere else I’d rather be than hanging out than shooting the breeze about
racing and running!
Brad Hinton held on strong and finished in 7:52. Jon
Allen was 3rd in 8:03 rounding out the men’s podium.
I’ll be racing with Brad in the Ultra Race of Champions 100K,
(UROC), in 4 weeks which will be more challenging than ever with the stellar
field they have lined up this year. Luckily my gracious wife is the best and
had no problems with me racing in UROC which is billed as the penultimate event
in the sport with a $20K prize purse. UROC takes place only a week and a half
before our first child is due! Next on the docket after baby girl Shellhamer
and UROC is my first Montrail Cup race in the Pinhoti 100 miler on November 3.
Here's the top 10 for the day;
| Place | Time | Bib | First Name | Last Name | Gender | Age | City | State |
| 1 | 7:28:41 | 578 | Troy | Shellhamer | M | 31 | Louisville | KY |
| 2 | 7:52:51 | 540 | Brad | Hinton | M | 36 | Steophens City | VA |
| 3 | 8:03:37 | 502 | Jonathan | Allen | M | 33 | Simpsonville | SC |
| 4 | 8:17:19 | 546 | Brian | Kistner | M | 42 | Florence | SC |
| 5 | 8:46:50 | 568 | Shaun | Pope | M | 23 | Akron | OH |
| 6 | 9:00:13 | 500 | Scott | Adams | M | 44 | Charlottesville | VA |
| 7 | 9:11:34 | 520 | Antonio | Cillo | M | 26 | Triangle | VA |
| 8 | 9:11:47 | 557 | Fletcher | Meadema | M | 24 | Danville | VA |
| 9 | 9:22:53 | 531 | Jason | Flassing | M | 38 | Roanoke | VA |
| 10 | 9:25:31 | 534 | Edward | George | M | 36 | Wilmington | NC |
 |
My tradition after Iron Mtn! Well deserved waffle cone with a double scoop!
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Special THANKS to these GREAT folks!
The UROC 100K this year boasts a plethora of competition even surpassing the smorgasbord of talent accrued last year for the inaugural event. Seeing what newcomers like Nick Clark, Max King, and David Riddle can do on a course which suits their talents will be exciting to witness. This years throwdown arguably holds more talent on one course than any race of ultra distance the country has ever seen. Names like Dave Mackey, Max King, Ian Sharman, Dave James, Jordan McDougal, Sage Canaday, Todd Braje, and many more will be creating mayhem in the pissing contest up front for the $20,000 prize purse. Bryon Powell of www.irunfar.com has put together a comprehensive list of potential podium finishers HERE; and I am proud to say my name was thrown in the mix as a wildcard/darkhorse. 
