Uwharrie Mountain Run 2010 20 Mile

Uwharrie Mountain Run consists of three runs: An 8M, 20M and 40M. I had ran in the 8M run in 2009 and really enjoyed the event and I was determined to run the 20M this year since it would be a good training run for the Umstead Marathon on March 6.


Preparation: On Nov,21 2009 I sprained and strained my left ankle damaging primarily the ATFL and secondarily the CFL ligament so my primary goal was to rehabiliate the ligaments and strenthen the muscles that support and protect my ankle.




I really didnt want to but I did join a gym in December since I was still unable to run on uneven surfaces I would bike,run on the treadmill,ramp up on core excerises ( pull ups,chin ups, dips...)consisting of isometric and plyometric training then climb stairs @ BSOM and climb more stairs.




By January I was now able to run on the treadmill(flat,soft and control surface). Jan. 16th I attempted my first outdoor run of two miles oh yeah baby!! Again on the 23rd another outdoor run of 4 miles hell yeah! Uwharrie look out. And then by the 25th I completed my longest training run a whole 7 miles.


My thoughts were oh shit what did I get myself into 20M in Uwharrie and all my three training runs have been on flat surfaces and my longest run consisted of only seven miles.


Evening before Race Day: I, Ashleigh and Calla arrived in Ashboro around 4:30pm and checked in at Fairfield Inn. I then went to pick up my package, while there I also grabbed a couple of hammer gels and some electrolytes pills.


Night before race preparation:

Check out the weather > rain, rain and rain. This was my major concern was what to wear in the cold and rain. I had a micro fleece vest but if it rains it will absorb rain like a sponge. Fortunately on race day it didn't rain and I decided on the vest, short sleeve and long sleeve technical shirt plus arm warmers and shorts.I'm Good to GO

Race morning preparation:

Shoes I brought with me Brooks Cascadia and my new shoes Adidas Adizero. I knew that the Brooks would perform well in mud or sand but in wet conditions theses shoes are slippery on rock and bridges and would be hazardous to wear them.The Adidas had great grip yet I haven't worn them running outdoors and only wore them when training indoors ( treadmill,stairs,plyometrics...) But for my safety I chose to wear my Adidas. I had a sample of glide that I had left over from Umstead Trail Marathon and decided to make use of this product by rubbing some on the sides of my feet and on my toes to help prevent blisters. I would also wear smart wool socks.


Once dressed I went to eat breakfast at the hotel and decided on oatmeal, banana and a cup of coffee.At 7:00am we leave the hotel and Ashleigh drops me off at the shuttle stop and leaves to go back to the warmth of the hotel. I grabbed a plastic water bottle and placed a few electrolyte pills, lip balm,gloves and a cap in the pockets of my vest. Good to GO!

I arrived 10 minutes before the start and immediately checked in, put my gloves and cap on and headed to the start. No time to warm up or stretch no worries because so my plan anyway was to take it easy.

At the start we were informed that the last 4-5 miles would be ran off the trail and on a gravel road and that for me sounded great since I knew it would be easier on my ankle injury.


Well I started off easy and this time I was going to do the opposite of what I normally do.. run the hills when I can and try not to run hard on the way down since I knew it would be hazardous for my ankle. Once on the hills I ran them slow and focused more of using my calves to help propel me uphill. The downhills were where I had to be careful. Normally I just let gravity pull me down and run them hard yet this time I couldn't risk doing this method. So I had to dig in with my shoes and slow at least 50% and at the stream crossings and water/mud puddles I had to slowly pick my way through careful not to invert my ankle on a hidden root or rock since I still don't have a full range of motion with it.

I arrived at the 8M mark at 1:30 (15 minutes slower than last year) and was feeling quite good and didn't stop to grab anything at the aid station.I did consume one of the electrolyte pills and water that I had brought with me.


While trying to navigate around a puddle I had one of the three Trisports guys from Wilmington to run by carefree in the center and splash me with mud.I would soon pass this guy, one was able to pass me in the end but I knew that I would crush this guy when I'm 100% again.

Finally, I transitioned onto the gravel road and it felt quite good. I didn't have to be as careful and was able to speed up some. It wasn't until the last mile that I had to stop running for about a minute I then started back running and couple of people walking the road towards me said " you only have 300 yards to go...just right up the hill and around the curve" I said "come on now, your kidding right" Well it was true I made it across at 3:34 and hey I good with that.

In the end, I thought this was a great run and well organized with a great group of volunteers.Aid stations were well stocked and located they had them every 3 or 4 miles once past the 8M mark.