Trail Running

8/8/2016

"There's something so universal about that sensation, the way running unites our two most primal impulses: fear and pleasure. We run when we're scared, we run were ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time." -Chris McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Ever Seen

Hello down there LeConte lovers! Got away from the lodge today and trail ran to Myrtle Point and back during the downtime. Beautiful day up here and running definitely rejuvenated the soul. Many of us (Luke, Pnut, Logan, Jess, Tate) on crew enjoy running and have been doing the activity since the beginning of the season. Luke even ran down Alum in 29 minutes a while ago, almost beating the record! P-nut and I are currently trying to train for a half marathon sometime in November after the season comes to a close. Let us know if you would like to run with us!

Currently the temperature is 65.1F with a low last night of 55F. Forecast is calling for slight chance of rain later on in the evening. Oh, I would also like to give a shout and wish Jess a very very Happy 25th Birthday! You all are awesome!
-Justin

Tammy (Tx)

8/8/2016 03:57:23 pm

Well...I wish I could and liked running, but I really can't and don't. Luke running down Alum in 29 minutes kind of makes me cringe after what happened to me a week ago. I was up at an overlook at one of our Highland Lakes, and I was just stepping down, be it backwards, from a granite boulder and my feet got caught on something. I couldn't save myself so I tripped over one big root and my right knee came down on another. After the ER doc scrubbed, scraped, scapeled and picked out dirt and gravel for over an hour she got me fixed up. Stitches in multiple layers. I told her at least I didn't face plant and knock out some teeth. She said me knocking out some teeth would have been alot easier than fixing my knee! When she started she kind of shook her head and chuckled and said I was "missing stuff" from my knee, and I told her that I guess it was back on that big tree root! Lol Needless to say she didn't have much to work with and I've still got some gravel in there down deep. BTW....didn't shed one tear through the whole ordeal, just laughed at how stupid it was! SOOOOO, I will not be hiking/fast walking it down those trails as fast as I used to. Lesson learned. See you in October!

dew

8/10/2016 06:35:07 am

Do not worry,the rocks will come out in about 8 years.Look at the bright side of it .you got to see parts of yourself that you never seen before.You get to tell the story like a war wound,You get to enjoy that scaring and the pain that comes along with well after the wound is healed and find that possibly you hurt more than was obvious.you will discover the walk up top is more difficult,but when you make it to the top,you will enjoy it like you never did before.

Meg W.

8/8/2016 05:22:13 pm

Does the crew still do the Alum Cave Marathon? They did it in '07 when I was there, I was working kitchen that day but I still got a T-shirt made by the lodge chaplain for the race. :)

tgb link

8/8/2016 05:54:19 pm

PTL J.P.will be back.Sure wish I could meet him bet he is nice as John.Some time look bk.when John went down the Mt.down town and can't remember what he did while in town but it was unbelieveable the time,unreal and look when he hike up the Mt.with a sink on his bk.When you are your friends need hiking equipment etc.,pay him a visit in Gatlinburg a big and nice store.HAGD and thanks for info.

Allyson

8/9/2016 07:33:57 am

What? No Walt on the list of crew runners? He used to be a running machine. He would take off after camp, around 11:30, and run out Boulevard to New Found Gap. He would then run down the road to Alum Cave trail and run up to the lodge. He would make it back in time for dinner at 5 pm.

Robert Dowbiggin

8/9/2016 09:35:40 am

Loving the posts! Keep it up!

Heather

8/9/2016 11:07:24 am

I would LOVE to run with y'all! Can we just come up for the day? I'm hoping to grab a cabin next spring in the lottery. Can we just backpack in an camp?

tomk in SC

8/9/2016 12:30:52 pm

Heather, of course you can!
You can't camp, and you'll have to make a reservation at the LeConte shelter, but it is a lot easier than getting a room by playing the annual lottery. Call the National Park Service for more info.

Tammy (Tx)

8/10/2016 10:28:42 am

DEW, sounds like you had a similar experience. Thanks for the encouraging words! Lol Odd thing is that I've had NO pain in that knee and didn't even get my pain medication prescription filled. I have a reservation for several nights up at the lodge in October. I hope my knee doesn't keep me from hiking up. I have "bigger fish to fry" regarding health issues, and I would guess that stinkng mess is what could keep me from making the hike up. Still, every time I read about the crew trail running, all that pops up in my head now are all the roots and rocks along the way! Ha! Have a beautiful day!

Ivy

8/13/2016 10:49:01 am

So, if 29 minutes is not the record, what is!?! And what is the record for going up? And what time of day do you have to do it to keep from being slowed down by a pack of slowpokes like my family?

8/13/2016 01:42:01 pm

The fastest time down is 28 minutes, by a guy who worked up here a few years ago. The fastest time up was done by a guy who used to train for marathons on alum many years ago. His best time was 45 min.

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