Run It Fast®

Arthur Priddy won The Jackal Trail Marathon that was held on June 23, 2012 in Jackson, Tennessee with a time of 3:52:41

Priddy, who earlier this year won the Andrew Jackson Marathon, was able to hold off David Mickelsen who finished in 4:04:36.

The Jackal Trail Marathon Results – 2012

1. Arthur Priddy (Jackson, TN) – 3:52:41
2. David Mickelsen (Brentwood, TN) – 4:04:36
3. Joshua Holmes (Jackson, TN) – 4:32:32
4. Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – 4:34:53
5. Jeff Fugate (Jackson, TN) – 4:38:01
6. Dan Meier (Clarksville, TN) – 4:41:22
7. Nathan Judd (Finger, TN) – 4:41:41
8. Jonathan Harrison (Henderson, TN) – 4:52:26
9. Anthony Ohrey (Henderson, TN) – 4:59:52
10. Wade Anderson (Readyville, TN) – 5:16:41
11. Jonathan Young (Benton, AR) – 5:18:19
12. Sulaiman Seriki (La Vergne, TN) – 5:19:31
13. Todd Shadburn (Jackson, TN) – 5:24:35
14. Clark Bilbrey (Dickson, TN) – 5:31:14
15. Naresh Kumar (India) – 5:38:36
16. Mikki Trujillo (Cookeville, TN) – 6:13:17
17. David Oglesby (Jackson, TN) – 6:20:34

• Brad Box (Jackson, TN) – 4:38:10 (early 5am start)

On Sunday (June 24, 2012), five runners returned to attempt a second day of marathon madness in what was dubbed The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon.

The Backass Jackal was won by Chris Estes who finished the second day of the back-to-back with a time of 4:41:22.

The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon Results -2012

1. Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – 4:41:22
2. Joshua Holmes (Jackson, TN) – 4:52:51
3. Sulaiman Seriki (La Vergne, TN) – 6:02:15
4. Naresh Kumar (India) – 6:26:30
5. Mikki Trujillo (Cookeville, TN) – 6:38:05 (F)

These five runners were joined by four other runners that made up two relay teams during The Backass Jackal.

The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon Relay Team Results – 2012

1. Robin Robbins/Nathan Bass – 4:19:31
2. Daniela Obregon/Ben Pennington – 5:48:10

Congrats and thanks to all of the great runners who came out to make this a wonderful first time event.

Extreme ultra-runner Naresh Kumar came to the United States from his native India two years ago.  Within his first months here he trained for and easily completed a road marathon.

However, he quickly fell off the deep end once he started running in Vibram Five Fingers and found trails. He started doing every ultra he could find in his trusty rubber-toe shoes. He all of a sudden had completed dozens of ultras, including a couple of 10o milers and the Vol State 500K foot race, along with many others.

Then he added extreme cycling, rock climbing, helicopter lessons, and anything he could find to try to satisfy his savage desire for adrenaline and fun.

He then started doing these crazy ultras in Bedrock Sandles.

During this time he became friends with the wicked King of Pain Gary Cantrell, better known in the running community as the sinister Lazarus Lake.  Lake known for covering hundreds of miles in his prime just for the heck of it, solo, is the founder of the Strolling Jim 40 Miler, a cakewalk compared to his other creations – The Barkley (toughest ultra-marathon in the world with 11 finishers since it’s inception years ago) and The Last Annual Vol State 500K which covers a brutally hot and humid Tennessee for 314 miles in July.

Today, I was scrolling my Tweets when I saw one from my good friend Naresh that had him holding a plate of what looked liks soft-serve frozen yogurt from Ryan’s Steakhouse except it wasn’t yogurt…

It was a skinned Rattlesnake that Lazarus was preparing for Naresh to eat.

Below, you will see the blow by blow pictures of the rattler being skinned, deep-fried, and served to Naresh to eat.  The final picture in the series being a medicine bottle, as a souvenir of his decision to dance with the Dr. Kevorkian of ultra-madness – Lazarus Lake in his Bell Buckle, Tennessee kitchen.

Anyone else for some deep-fried rattlesnake?

You can follow Naresh Kumar on Twitter @iamarunr

He is also RIF #2 in Run It Fast – The Club

RIF #2 Naresh Kumar sent over this video earlier this week of a Slinky ‘running’ on a treadmill.

He said it reminded him of struggling along during day four of his Vol State 500K race last year as he zigged and zagged along the roads of Tennessee.

Naresh was quoted during the race as saying, “I keep hoping that a semi will hit me but just bad enough to knock me out of the race…not kill me!”

If Slinky can, you can!!!

The famed Barkley Marathons eat the young and old alike.  The 100-mile race consisting of 5-20 mile loops is considered the toughest race to finish in the world. It is the sick creation of race director Lazarus Lake.

This year was no different with the small exception that three people actually finished the race and Brett Maune (story) set a course record in finishing and winning the brutal race that takes place at Frozen Head State Park.

Above is a look at some of the Barkley swag from Naresh Kumar who competed at the race this year.  Along with the bib # you will see a map of the state park along with book pages. Each runner has to tear a corresponding page out of books places upon the course to prove they made it to those points of the race.  If they lose a page on the way back to race headquarters then they are disqualified.

Like Lake’s Last Annual Vol State 500K race there is no bling or medal for finishing this beast….just pride.

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[Submitted by Run It Fast Member #2 Naresh Kumar. Follow Naresh on Twitter @iamarunr]

“I am addicted to long distance running. Never thought, even in my dreams, that I would run as many ultras as I have in the past two years. Ultra marathon is an awesome sport and I consider myself very lucky and blessed for being able to run so many races and meet so many wonderful people along the way. Some of the races, listed below are life changing experiences, taught me the real meaning of perseverance, to face my demons alone and ultimately making me realize that I can do anything.” – Naresh Kumar

My Favorite Races (In no specific order)

The Last Annual Vol State Road Race 500K: Vol State was a life changing experience. I hated talking about the race after finishing but a few weeks later I could never shut up once I start talking about it. The toughest thing that I have ever done in my whole life. Run, walk, eat, sleep …that’s all I did for 7 days to get to the finish line.

Foot Hills Trail Ultra: A 77 mile trail ultra from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. I joined the FHT mailing list and after listening to countless number of adventure stories from runners who attempted this grueling race, I thought I will give it a try. This race, especially the Laurel Valley section, is the most beautiful and wild trails that I have ever run. Besides I earned the BMF title, and the wallet, by finishing it in 27+ hours.

Art Loeb Trail: The TOUGHEST 50K I have ever run to this date. The RD calls it as adventure run as opposed to calling it a race and he is right. Calling this 50K an adventure run is a joke. It’s practically a 2-3 day hike which was tagged as an adventure run with a 12 hr cut-off. No marked trails after mile 12. Compass and map is a must to navigate the course. Wild and beautiful trail that runs across the mountain ridges offering spectacular views. National Geographic has listed ALT as one of the thirty best North American hikes. My finish time for this 50K. 11:13:32

Big Dog Backyard Ultra: A very unique race with a very unique format. A death march on Big Dog Backyard Trail and the last man standing wins. Run 4.2 miles, start and finish by the hour. Pushed my limits and managed to answer the bell for 11 loops before finally giving in.

Bartram 100: My first 100 mile ultra that I ran and finished within my first year of running. 6.2 mile loop. Run it 16 times for a 100 mile finish. The year I first ran, the weather was miserable. It felt like 18 deg F with heavy winds, pouring rain and sleet. The second year, I shaved off almost 4 hours from my previous years’ time. One of the best 100’s that I have run.

Bloody 11W 100 mi: The highway was once known as “Bloody 11W” because of the frequency of fatal accidents along the route. Why not run 100 miles on the most haunted road in the US. That’s how it all started. Approximately 110 miles from where 11E and 11W splits in Knoxville, TN all the way to the Virginia state line in Bristol. A fatass style event. Beautiful yet brutal course. The longest 34:04:00 of my life. Mark your calendar for the Labor Day weekend. There will be blood. 🙂

Land between the Lakes 50 mi: My most memorable races are the ones where things went wrong at the very beginning and I had to put on the best fight against all odds to get to the finish line. My first 50 mile within 2 months of my running experience. My first race finish where I cried like a baby at the finish line, literally. This race also taught me that “You’re better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can”.

Louisville Lovin The Hills 50K: This was the toughest 50K next to ALT 50K. Hills never end at LLTH 50K and they get steeper and longer by the hour. Also the most muddy race that I have ever run. Came so close to DNF several times. My buddy Trent and I pushed each other in all perseverance to the finish line. A very tough and a challenging course.

Mt Mist 50K: This one’s another one of my favorite 50K. Trail runners never die, they just thin out and it’s so true if you run the Mt Mist. Some of the sections are so steep that you would wish you had some rock climbing experience. The Mt Mist 50K course will literally break you.

Stump Jump 50K: My favorite race among the Rock Creek Series. Wild trails and beautiful course with amazing support. One of the 50K events that I would definitely run every year.

Hinson Lake 24Hr: Tom Gabell puts on the best 24 hr race in the country. The course is the 1.52 mile inner loop that circles the lake. The surface is a soft clay maintained trail through the woods. You will run over 16 small wooden foot bridges including an 300 foot bridge that crosses over the lake. The Volunteers and the RD makes he race the most memorable 24hr endurance run.

Cumberland Trail 50K: Another tough 50K. The race takes you on a challenging, out-and-back route on the rugged New River section of the Cumberland Trail.  This section crosses the high point of the trail, Cross Mountain, at over 3000’.  The climb up Cross Mountain is steep and slow. Another wild wild trail. RD Susan puts on a great race and the best race swag.

Oak Mountain 50K: Heart breaking hills, beautiful waterfalls, different terrain throughout with challenging ups-n-downs, rocky trail sections, crushed-gravel, and trippy rocks, Oak Mountain 50K has got everything a trail runner can ask for.  The finisher beer glass is well worth it and the ham burgers at the end of the race too.

Mt Cheaha 50K: The only time I thought I was going to die was during the last 3 miles of Mt Cheaha course. A race to the top of Alabama, literally.  A point-to-point trail run that finishes in the Cheaha State Park at the summit of Cheaha Mountain. At 2,407 feet this is the highest point in Alabama. Along the run you will experience scenic overlooks, creek crossings, lakes, waterfalls, and hardwood and pine forests.

Destin Beach Ultra: The most beautiful race that you will ever run. A 50K race along the Destin shore. A barefoot runner’s paradise. The race supports for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. My first 50K where I run the entire race barefoot.

Strolling Jim 40 Miler: This 40 Mile Ultra marathon is run entirely on paved roads in Wartrace, TN. The race is challenging, very hilly yet the course is beautiful offering spectacular view of the southern country side.

Run Under The Stars 10Hr: Another great race organized by Steve Durbin. This is a night time run. Run, jog, walk, rest, stop and start as much as you’d like. Really cool swags including a finisher’s Award indicating your total distance. Whether you are trying to race or want to have a party with your running mates, RUTS 10Hr is the perfect race.

Flying Monkey Marathon: As mentioned in the website, The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is meant to be an antidote. It is a marathon that is about running. Running hard. Running over big and memorable and painful rolling hills through dense woods. The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is about the joy and pain of running a unique, and uniquely challenging and a beastly–26.2 mile course in the beautiful and historic Percy Warner Park, nestled among the Middle Tennessee Harpeth Hills. Trent is the funniest and the best RD. The race is so popular that it got filled in under 3 minutes. A race where I got the nick name THE INDIAN MONKEY and I am so proud of it. The one marathon I will run every single year without fail.

Sweet H2O 50K: The moment I saw pictures of runners crossing a raging river holding on to a rope, I signed up to run this awesome 50K. A 50K Ultra in Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs, GA.  Trails with creek crossings in and around the park, following the lovely rapids of Sweetwater Creek, and venturing past Civil War-era textile mill ruins. They had to reroute the course in 2011 due to heavy floods and I didn’t get to cross the raging river but I will definitely be back next year. You will get Very Wet.

Naresh’s Adventure Blog

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Fall Creek Falls Trail 50K that took place on March 17, 2012 in Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee.

I believe the medal/wood was also given to finishers of the FCF Half Marathon that took place at the same time.

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[medal photo submitted by RIF #2 Naresh Kumar. Follow him on Twitter @iamarunr]

When I first got my invite to do Josh’s Jackson Jackass 50K I was very honored that he choose me along with some of the more well known runners this side of TN. Knowing what kind of runner Josh is, I knew this was not going to be an easy run and I was in for a sweet surprise.

Now I love running wooded trails that have rolling hills that make you feel like you are on a roller coaster on foot but I’ve never got to run one with the extra challenges that lay ahead. Since it had rained all morning it made the course super muddy and slippery, so when you came to a downhill you would end up sliding down, and the steep up hills kept making you slide down as muddy footholds gave way. I slipped and fell so many times that after 5 falls I stopped counting. Only one of those falls was painful enough that I felt my right hip go out of place… but the next fall set it right back! Lucky me!

There were many sharp turns that would make your feet skate sideways because the mud was so slushy. One of the many challenging areas had a rope “hand rail” that if you didn’t keep a firm grip you would plummet down into a ravine. I heard one runner actually did end up falling into it, but I think he avoided any great injury.

Funny thing… it was about the 3rd go around that I realized if I just run and stop trying to be so careful, it became much easier. So when going down some of the steeper areas I did so much better and I never fell again after that. I was plagued with stomach issues, and lost some time with that. My legs stayed strong but my bowels made me make far too many stops in the bushes! Without all those extra stops I’m sure I would have finished at least an hour sooner. Several things could have been the cause, so I’ll just have to do some experimenting with long runs.

Every time I completed a loop I was met by Naresh who jotted down times and gave you assistance with anything you needed. He also made sure to give me words of encouragement and motivation before I left to the next round. He is a very encouraging individual!

My last round was mentally the hardest but also the most satisfying knowing that I would finish. Later I would find out that our dear friend Dallas lost his sight during the last loop. This same thing happened to him a few years back during another ultra. He was still able to complete the run which is amazing to no ends. He is author of Falling Forward and his new book, Going Down Slow. I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of his new book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book Falling Forward and I heard that his second book promises to be just as interesting and I can’t to wait to start reading it.

Afterwards several of the runners met at this local restaurant named Coyote Blue and we had some of fanciest looking Mexican food I’ve ever seen. Of course we all looked a little different by then, all cleaned up.

I decided to end my best year of running by trying to attempt two races, separated by over 200 miles, on the same day.

The first race would be a 50K trail/cross country race in the morning with the second race being a road 5K later on that night.

I travelled down to Huntsville, Alabama the night before the Recover from the Holidays 50K to stay the night, catch up with my friend Naresh Kumar (who was running the race as well), and get some grub.

It’s always great spending time with Naresh, trading war stories, and exchanging Vol State 500K horror novels.  It’s truly amazing the 2011 that Naresh had in his Vibrams.  He did several amazing races that many runners will never be brave enough to enter much less finish.

The Recover from the Holidays 50K is a great event that had exploded with runners this year to a near-max of 150.  It’s $15 and features a cool finisher’s medal.  The race is always on the last day of the year, New Year’s Eve.

The RFH course is on a cross country course, which was more trail than XC in my opinion.  It consists of a 1 mile loop to start, followed by 10 three mile loops.  There is an aid/water table at the start finish that you circle every three miles.

The weather was great this year as I quickly shed my long sleeve shirt after the first loop. I felt good early on and went with it. I kept an eye on my overall pace as I continued to run the race one mile at a time using the lap pace on my Garmin set to 1-mile laps. This helps me focus on the mile I’m on and not getting lost in the big picture. It helps me to not throw miles away.

As each loop disappeared into 2011 I remained strong and kept trying to stay consistent without fading.

I ended up having a great race. I had only run a 50K twice before. Each time being the same trail race in Memphis.  My 50K PR was 5:59:59 coming into RFH.  On Saturday I finished the Recover from the Holidays 50K in 4:53:22.  It was a good running day so I was pleased.

After the race, I received my finisher’s medal, grabbed some pizza, changed clothes, and was on the road within 15 minutes.

It took about 3.5 hours to drive the 200 miles back to Tennessee. I didn’t really eat too much on the way as nothing tasted that good. I think I ate half a piece of pizza and a small bag of potato chips.

I made it to my house around 5:20pm. I had time to take a shower and lay down for about 15 minutes. I couldn’t sleep but didn’t feel great at the moment. I felt tired and worn down.  My wife asked me, “Are you sure you should run this race (5K)?”

I still was determined to run the Downtown Dash 5K that night in Jackson.  Jeff Keas was the race director of this race.  He was my youth minister as a teen.  He’s a good friend and one of my running mentors. We have lunch about once a week to talk running, and I really wanted to be at his race to support him and this first year event.

As I left the house I prepped myself mentally to run a 25 minute or slower 5K. I usually run a 5K in 19:45-20:30.  I knew after running 31 miles that morning that I’d be a good bit slower than my usual 5K times.

Nuun, Sport Beans, and a Roctane seemed to be the right combo. That along with seeing many friends before the start of the race seemed to return my system to normal.  I had done much harder running events than tackling a 50K and 5K in the same day, but I actually wanted to perform well at the 5K.  I didn’t want to just show up and jog an easy 3 miles.

The race started at 7pm and the field of nearly 150 runners took off into the cool night air.  I took off as I normally do at a 5K. I was about 1/3 mile into the race when I checked my pace at around 6:40. I wanted to run hard but play it smart. I kept the pedal mostly down throughout the race, but was smart to ease off enough at points as to not pass out and crash into the asphalt.

I was running strong when I got to the 2.5 mile part of the 3.1 mile race. I decided to up the intensity and see how many runners I could catch in the last half-mile.  I was able to track down 4-5 runners before finally reaching the finish line.  I had finished with a time of 21:07 officially and 20:58 according to my Garmin.

I was beyond pleased and excited that the race was over. I hung around for the awards ceremony to applaud some friends I knew had won their age divisions.  I was surprised when my name was called out for having won my age division.  The division wasn’t that deep in runners, but it was a great cap to a wonderful day of running.

It wasn’t my most challenging day of running, but my most successful of 2011. I had PR’d the 50K that morning by 66 minutes and won my age division at the 5K that night by running a 6:49 pace.

I hope all of you had a great 2011 and that you make new goals that you reach in 2012.

I also want to give a big thank you to everyone that supported Run It Fast in 2011 as it really gained speed and a nice following.

Naresh Kumar ran the Foothills Trail 77 Mile Ultra a couple of weeks ago.  He said it was the second hardest race he has ever competed in (and he’s done some nasty ones).

So I asked him for some helpful tips for anyone that might be brave enough to tackle the FHT-77 Miler.

Naresh’s 10 Helpful Tips for the Foothills Trail 77 Miler:

1. Review the FHT site info for instructions, directions, aid drop locations, etc. before attempting the BEAST
2. FHT Trail map and trail guide is a must, hiking GPS would be an added advantage
3. Ensure you are self sufficient before starting the Laurel Valley section
4. Don’t get lost and if you do, don’t panic. Trace back to the nearest trail blazer and start over
5. Ensure to carry enough batteries and GOOD headlamp
6. Respect wildlife, stay cautious!
7. A trail runners heaven, very beautiful trail, enjoy it, every bit of it unless you are trying to set a speed record
8. Crew is a must, at most accessible aid points in case things turn sour. Don’t try to do this solo
9. Be stealthy to avoid nosy park rangers
10. Above all, understand the fact that you are going to be F$%&ED but at the end BMF Wallet is well worth it

Foothills Trail 77 Mile Finisher’s Wallet (NSFW)

Run It Fast contributor/runner extraordinaire Naresh Kumar ran the Foothills Trail 77 Mile Ultra Marathon this past weekend (Nov 26-27, 2011).  He said it was one of the hardest races he has ever done, and Naresh has done some hellacious races.

He said it was 2nd on his list of difficulty only to the Last Annual Vol State 500K, a race in which he which he was the first unaided runner to finish. Read his Vol State 500K race report HERE.

The finisher’s bling from this tough race was the well earned, funny, and slightly offensive wallet you see above.

Five people started this race and only three finished. Naresh was the 2nd to cross the finish line.  Only 20 people have ever finished the FHT 77 Miler.

Naresh needs an appropriate sponsor. Let’s help the ‘Vibram Viking’ fine one!!!

[You can follow Naresh on Twitter @iamarunr]

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More Photos of Naresh and His FHT77-BMF Wallet