I have done several Dirty Spokes trail races over the past few years but this one (the 50k) I believe is their longest distance on offer and their first Ultra event. There are other 50k's in the state of Georgia but I chose this event to be my first 50k because this is the closest to my home as Fort Yargo State Park is only a 35 to 40 minute drive up 316 for me. Plus being a local family business, I really appreciate how Tim and his family make every single participant feel at home like they're old friends. They are a well run organization and I encourage anybody who wants to take a break from road running/road racing to try a trail adventure experience with the Dirty Spokes family.

There were 3 events laid out for the day: a 5 Miler, a 21k half-marathon, and then the big daddy, the 50k. The 50k consisted of two 13.17 mile loops plus the final 5 mile loop clockwise around the Fort Yargo trails. According to the race results there were roughly 115 50k finishers combining for a total of about 300 participants across the 3 distances.

It had rained the night before so there was plenty of thick mud and coarse Georgia red clay all over the rolling single and double track mountain bike trails. You need decent trail shoes with lots of tread to prevent slipping on the slick double jumps around the course and along the gradient filled, mud strewn narrow paths. I have done other trail races with difficult elevation gains in the past (like the Helen Holiday Half-Marathon) but after the second 13.17 mile loop those small gains make your legs feel like they're mountains. There is a particularly large hill around mile 10 up the powerlines that made most runners walk up that hill. For the 50k-ers we hit this hill twice. Total elevation gain according to my GPS app was 2296 feet over 31 miles.

There were 3 fully-stocked aid stations along the course: 1st at around 3.75 miles, 2nd at 7.50 miles and the next at 11.25 miles. All aid-stations had several coolers of water and powerade/gatorade a slew of snacks like pretzels, pop-tarts, tater chips, PB&J sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, Gu's and a lot more that I can't remember. 50k-ers hit all three aid stations during both 13.17 mile loops and the 3.75 mile aid station on the last 5 mile loop.

They offered a drop-bag tent near the 13.17 and 5 mile course split so that runners can change and access their supplies. I should've taken advantage of this amenity but I went to my car instead which was not too far from this tent. I changed shirts and socks after the first 13.17 mile loop.

Pros:
- The location offers easy parking access, $5 cash parking fee goes directly to GA State Parks
- Plenty of porta-potties for the amount of participants.
- Very friendly volunteers and easy check-in; swag bag includes a nice tri-color long-sleeve tech shirt with a nice aesthetic.
- Rolling, single and double-track course with lots of variation and different terrains to navigate, lots of shade in between trees so you're not too scorched by the sun, elevation change is not too steep; great if you're considering a first trail half or 50k.
- Hand crafted clay medals and a nice finisher mug, also hand crafted with the race distance and logo.
- Post race pizza. The race I believe had bought too much pizza as there were about a dozen untouched pizza boxes left after the race. I took home a box for myself afterwards.

Cons:
- Super fast runners. Being a relative trail newbie I was passed by a lot of trail blazers but I didn't mind moving off the trail to let them pass. This probably slowed me down during the first loop. But most of them were only doing the half-marathon event so by the time the 2nd loop came around I was literally by myself in the woods, which is what I prefer. There was a couple just ahead of me and we were the back of the pack in the 50k, but after the first 13.17 mile loop the lady decided to DNF at the 11.25 mile aid station of the second loop. I felt bad for her and tried to convince her to keep going but sometimes the body is stronger than the mind.
- Course cut-off/time limit. On the website it was advertised that the race would have a 9 hour cut-off; the race would start at 7:30 am and finish at 4:30 pm. However after completing both the 13.17 mile loops I was told by the RD that the cut-off would be at 4:00 pm, 30 minutes shorter. But that didn't bother me and it actually made me pick-up the pace to finish the last 5 mile loop in time and finish the race well under the 8.5 hour cut-off. Nothing like a bit of pressure to trigger a late adrenaline rush to push towards the finish line.

Lessons Learned:
- I definitely over layered. I should've worn shorts and short sleeves. Looking at the weather forecast for that morning it was supposed to be in the low 50's and raining. But as the rain subsided it got warm especially as the body heated up during running. I started out the race in a long sleeve and a thin waterproof shell jacket and long running tights. Big mistake as I ended up sweating way too much and took the layers off only after the first 13.17 mile loop.
- I only had an 11 week training cycle for this race due to wrapping up the NYC marathon and the holidays. In my next 50k I will definitely commit to at least a 16 or even 20 week training cycle and actually train on trails instead of the roads. I believe they're two different beasts as you can't really just "coast" on the trails. It requires your every attention and concentration to place your foot correctly so as not to slip or trip on roots and other obstacles.

Overall: This was my first ever 50k and I am grateful to have survived it and finished. This was also my first ever DFL and being last to cross the finish line, many finishers stayed to cheer me on and give me high fives as I crossed that line at 8 hours, 18 minutes and 5 seconds. I will remember that scene for as long as I live and it was very special to me that alot of these folks took the time to stay and cheer me on. Because of this I will make the commitment at my next trail race to also stay till the very last runner crosses the finish. I feel that it was such a noble act of kindness to do that and I must pay it forward. Massive thank you again to the entire Dirty Spokes team for accommodating this slow runner and I look forward to participating in more and more of your events every year. High Five!!!!!