The 21st Annual Shuffling of The Bear

I've decided to lift my self-imposed Blogging cessation because I believe this death march to the top of Grandfather Mountain deserves some press.  Nevermind that my rash of ailments began almost to the day of posting my first Blog.  No, it wasn't turning 40 or 20 years of running catching up with me.  It wasn't the lack of stretching or overtraining.  It was the karma that came with blogging about getting faster....and then sharing that with 137 people.  But I've learned, or maybe not, but either way.....this is about The Bear.

Honestly I do enjoy reading running blogs and I often search for race recaps if I've never run a course before or in the case of The Bear, if I just want to know 'how' to most effectively or efficiently run it.  There were a few good reads out there but I didn't really find what I was looking for, so here I am, writing what I was looking for.  Sort of.

For starters, The Bear is advertised as a 5 mile run from Linville, NC to the top of Grandfather Mountain with an elevation gain of 1,541 feet which is about 1/3 of a mile from top to bottom if you were to measure straight up.  The race caps at around 800 runners and with the increasing popularity over the past 20+ years it sells out very quickly.  Registration opens in the spring and I believe it was full within about 20 minutes this year so if you really want to run this you'll need to circle the date on the calendar.

The course actually doesn't measure 5 miles and this year the shirts even refer to the distance as an 8K but the topo map still shows this as 5 miles.  Generally speaking your 10K time should be in the ballpark of your Bear time with the more conditioned runners and better climbers coming closer to that number.  Flat land runners and track guys along with runners that don't incorporate hill training into their preparation (raising my hand now) should expect to run slower than your 10K time.  I'm not talking pace of course but suggesting the time it takes you to run a 10K should be roughly the time it takes you to complete The Bear. 

I hatched this bad idea back in March when I was feeling pretty good about things.  The usual suspects were on board as well so I met up with Knox Tate, Hank Eimer, Eric Meredith, and Joe Haines to make our way up the mountain.  The race starts at 7:00 so we were there with an hour to spare - plenty of time to pick up our packets, sit around doing nothing, and get a decent stretch in.  The pre-race jitters were obvious with 693 of the 750 runners in line for the porta-pot at any given time and a number of runners running aimlessly a good hour before the start.  The daunting climb makes you feel obligated to put extra thought and effort into fueling, hydration, stretching, etc. but really it's an evening race of less than 5 miles so the last thing you want to do is carry a full stomach up the mountain.

The unique thing about The Bear is that there are no age group awards, only the coveted Bear mug.  On the way up we speculated as to what the cutoff time might be for a guy to get get a mug and decided somewhere between 43 and 45 minutes.  A really precise bunch we are.  Afterwards I was able to confirm that the cutoff was 43:38 and the confirmation was in my hands because I was that last guy to get a mug.  The target is for the top 10% of men and women to receive a mug so based on my back of the napkin math I'm guessing they receive about 100 mugs to distribute and allocate roughly 60 to men and 40 to women based on the 800 runners and the mix of men and women runners registered.  In speaking with some women on the way down after the race I would say the last mugs were awarded in the very low 51's for the females.    

The Bear starts at the corner of Highway 105 and 221 running up 221 before turning right towards the Highland Games.  The first 2.5 miles really aren't that bad relatively speaking.  The initial 1/2 mile is fairly steep and sort of a shock to the the system but once you settle in and get a rhythm it's more than manageable.  Just past the 2.5 mile mark you'll hear the Highland Games and begin traversing the gravel roads leading through the infield and around the track.  As if your lungs aren't burning enough be prepared for the carnival atmosphere complete with campfire smoke, bagpipes, and plenty of cheers.  All of which is short lived because what makes The Bear a bear is waiting on the other side.

Actual Bear profile vs. what it feels like

 After climbing a steep grassy hill which I must admit is probably my least favorite part of the race you'll start the steep ascent to the top of Grandfather Mountain.  From here on pace is out the window because you simply can't run it fast - you just have to get up it.  I ran a very hard effort to get to this point in the race but didn't feel the pain and burning I do in the final mile or two of a 10K.  I had decided coming in that I wasn't going to walk just as a point of pride, and I didn't, but I'm also a witness that walking the switchbacks won't slow you down.  From mile 3 through mile 4.71 I watched Hank perfect his Olympic power walk stride through every switchback while I helplessly made up 0 ground as I shuffled along with my choppy steps and arms pumping in an act I still maintain constitutes 'running'.

After a series of switchbacks the road finally opens up so that you get your first view of the top.  On one hand it's a relief to know the end is near but it's also confirmation that you still have several more of those stupid@*s switchbacks left.  I was closing in on 43 minutes and all of a sudden my concern with a mug had taken a backseat to planning my next meal.  I had forgone dinner and even passed on the late afternoon bagel I had planned to try to keep things light which was the right thing to do but it was pushing 8:00 and I was getting hungry.  I would have gladly traded a Bear mug for my orange slices that were at the bottom of the hill.  And I don't mean real orange slices, I mean the good gummy ones covered in sugar...

Knox serving humble pie for breakfast

But I forged ahead along with Eric and Joe helplessly watching Hank effortlessly (note sarcasm) maintain his 10 second lead while Knox sat comfortably at the top of the mountain with his 4th Bear mug in hand.  To my surprise they were still handing out mugs, to guys at that, and I was fortunate enough to get one.  After receiving mine I heard the guy say he was "all out" and oddly enough I felt a little bit guilty.  Not sure why but I felt like there was somebody that probably worked harder or deserved it more and just as I was the last one to get a mug behind me were the first guys that didn't get one.  Such is life I guess.  For any of you curious about pacing my splits were; Mile 1:  8.13  Mile 2: 8.26  Mile 3:  8.12  Mile 4:  10.26  Final 0.71:  8.22 (11.47 / pace).  Realistically it makes sense to try to maintain fairly even splits through mile 3 saving just enough oxygen to make it through the last 1.7 - simple as that, right :)

The Bear is definitely a race that I would recommend running at least once.  There are a lot of quality runners, especially for a race with less than 1,000 runners but there are plenty of folks running just to complete the challenge and enjoy the scenery.  It's a gorgeous run, definitely challenging, and well worth the $35 entry fee which includes a t-shirt, finisher medal, and mugs for the top 10%'ers (roughly).  The weather is a little unpredictable on top of the mountain with gusty winds which turned into a really strong headwind coming up the final hill and it's definitely cooler at the top of the mountain.  There are shuttles waiting at the top to bring the runners back down the mountain but they don't leave until the last runner finishes so you could be up there for a while.  There is also a bag drop so it's a good idea to send up a jacket or something even if it's warm at the start. 

I came out of The Bear unscathed which was really priority one.  I've got about a month and a half of solid training in after taking most of the spring off and it feels good to be running again.  Some days are better than others and I've still got a lot of work to do to pick up where I left off so I'll just keep grinding through this hot and humid summer and hope things start coming together in the fall.  The Blue Ridge Relay is coming up soon and I'm planning to run the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in October but in the meantime I'll probably just continue laying low and watching the rest of you get faster!  Hope to catch up with you soon (literally).