Book Review "The Summit Seeker" by Vanessa Runs

While most books on running focus on the physical demands and rewards of running, Vanessa Runs new book "The Summit Seeker" delves into the psychological and spiritual side of trail and ultra running and how it has helped her overcome the many challenges in her life.


   From her first 5K to her third 100 mile distance, Vanessa takes your along on her journey. On the way, you will encounter her struggles, adventures and triumphs, and see how running helped transform her life.
  Early in the book Vanessa mentions a quote from her writer friend and race director Shelley Viggiano: "When you finish your first ultra, you are transformed from a weak person to a powerful one. There is nothing in life that feels insurmountable any longer, not once you've willingly wrestled with demons that big. When you know what you are capable of, you can take charge of your life. That's what running ultras did for me."  This passage rang true for me. After running and completing ultras over the past few years I gained strength and confidence. I left my job, which I had held for many years. It was a good source of income, but I had not fully realized how miserable it was making me. Ultra running had given me the strength to see that I was not "trapped".  I could make positive changes and survive. I am in a much better place today because of it.

   The Summit Seeker is  filled with great advice on life and running, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable to read. There are great stories of epic trail runs and the personal insights that come along with them.
  If you are a fellow ultra and trail runner, there will be many moments in the book where you will find yourself smiling and nodding in agreement with the familiarity of the situation Vanessa describes. One of my favorite sections, entitled "On Time and Distance" sums up the ultra distance perfectly:  "Running an ultra is like living an entire lifetime in the span of one day. You go through good times, bad times, happy times, sad times. It's truly a journey and every race changes you. It's an accomplishment that nobody can take away."
  Folks who do not run ultras or trails will also be inspired by the many life lessons contained in "The Summit Seeker" as well!
  So if you are looking for some inspirational running reading this spring or summer, I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of the "The Summit Seeker".  Prop your feet up, grab a drink and settle in for a great read. Just make sure you get your run in first!

"The Summit Seeker" on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Summit-Seeker-Vanessa-Runs/dp/1482502933/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367268218&sr=1-1&keywords=the+summit+seeker


Learn more about Vanessa Runs at:   http://facebook.com/vanessaruns

The Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run Race Report

As I drifted off to sleep the night before Umstead 100, I felt my dog Culliver nudging me as I lay in bed. He wanted to go out. I recall mumbling "not now dude!" before dropping into a hard, dreamless sleep. Upon awakening at 3:30am, I discovered Culliver had left a present for me on the living room rug. I assume he was wishing me luck. Hopefully this was not a sign of things to come!

   I had packed everything the night before, so all I had to do was grab some coffee, eat some toast and head out the door at 4:15am. The drive to Umstead would take about a 1/2 hour. The park gates opened at 4:45am, race start was at 6am. I felt relaxed and ready.
  After several out of town races, Umstead would feel like a family reunion! I not only knew a lot of people in the race, but pretty much everyone who was responsible for putting on the race as well. The week before I had been in Florida helping my buddy Caleb Wilson with his fine event, the Fort Clinch 100. Getting to hang out with Dave James and the folks with Florida Ultra Runners Club was extremely inspirational! For more info on the Fort Clinch 100, check out www.fortclinch100.com

     I got to the park, got my stuff set up at headquarters (AS 1) and chatted with friends. I downed a GenerationUCAN shake and headed outside to the start. Right at 6am my friend Charles West shot off the starting fireworks and we were off!! We would be running in the dark for the first hour or so and I had my Fenix "Mothership" headlamp lighting my way. The plan was to do each 12.5 mile lap (eight in total) in about 3-3.5 hours. I was constantly reminding myself during the days prior to the race to not go out too fast. I ran with my buddy CH for the first two miles or so, until he took off down a hill. I let him go right ahead! As the sun came up I was settling in and felt good. I power walked the hills and ran everything else. It was going to be a great day weather wise and I was looking forward to finally running in some warmer temperatures. I had glanced at my Garmin a few times, but did not pay close attention to it, so I was rather shocked when I finished the first lap in 2 hours, 30 minutes! Way too fast!
  I dropped off my headlamp and chugged a UCAN shake. I found my friend Jennifer Frahm, who had also gone out too fast, and we agreed to run together so we could slow each other down!
Lap 2 was much better, coming in right at the 3 hour mark. Jennifer and I ran/walked more, and talked about our dogs, other ultras, run coaching and other miscellaneous trail talk and the miles ticked off easily. We set off on lap three, agreeing to stick together. We got through AS #2 (7 miles into the lap) and cruised along. We fell in with a few other people and I started to pull ahead of them while Jen stayed back. I finished lap 3 by myself and saw Jen finishing her lap 3 as I was heading out for lap 4. She was having some Gall bladder issues and told me she was going to do lap 4 and drop at 50 miles. I gave her a hug, told her to stay strong and headed out for lap 4. Jennifer would take a break at HQ, then go out and finish 50 miles. That is one tough girl! Anyone else probably would have gone to the ER.
 Lap 4 I would run by myself, with my Sony Walkman W cranking out all my favorite Metal songs. One I kept re-playing over and over was by the late, great Ronnie James Dio entitled "Push". It would also get multiple plays at the end of the race as well!

I was still feeling good at the end of lap 4 and looking forward to picking up my pacer Mika for lap 5. I came into HQ at the fifty mile mark in 11 hours, 30 mins. I knew this pace would not hold up for the next 50 miles.

First 50 done!    Photo by M. Percy

 I was greeted by my friends Mo, Lauren, Liz and my next pacer Amy. It was like having four moms at once! They were great to me, asking me what I needed and helping me get in and out of HQ promptly.

I changed shirts, grabbed a quick snack and some Gatorade, found Mika and we headed out for lap 5. I could now feel a little fatigue from the first 50 miles creeping in. We walked the first mile or so while I ate. We then ran/walked our way through the course, talking and laughing as we went.

Mika and I have logged many a mile together, and it was great to have her there with me as darkness set in.

Mika and I at HQ!

 

 We finished lap 5 in 3.5 hours. It was 9pm, I had 100K under my belt and although I was feeling a wee bit tired, I was confident I could tame this beast. My dear friend Amy was pacing me for lap 6. I had paced Amy for her lap 6 last year. Her feet were a mess at that point, and her inspiring performance and finish was one of the main reasons I wanted to run the race this year. It also helps that we can make each other laugh. A lot. And hard!  Her daughter Kayla tagged along with us for the Airport spur, so I actually had two generations of Surrettes pacing me! Epic!

 I was now incorporating more walking into the running and Amy was great at keeping me going. I had a little "Tokyo Drift" working at this point, and seemed to have a fondness for keeping to the extreme right of the trail. It wasn't long before Amy and I were cackling our way through the lap, singing odd 80's songs, telling insipid "knock knock" jokes and quoting from the video "shit ultra runners say". 

 We rolled back into HQ around 1 am, a four hour lap. 75 miles done. My feet and legs were feeling okay. I had some serious "monkey butt' developing, but I kept marinating my nether region with Desitin and Vaseline. I had been doing great with eating and hydration all day, staying with a UCAN shake each lap, supplementing with a PB&J sandwich now and then to keep the hollowness out of my belly, and consuming a lot of liquids. My friend Liz would be taking over pacing duties for lap 7, then Amy would be back with me for the eighth and final lap.

  We headed out for lap 7. I had Liz call my sister Diane in upstate New York to give her an update. My sister and I always joke about our genetically predisposed ability to worry, a gift from our mother. Even though it was 1am, I knew Diane would like an update. Liz spoke to her and advised I was 75 miles into it, and was still moving well. I walked the entire Airport spur on this lap, and started to run on the gentle downhill slop right after mile two. Liz was awesome! Not only did she pace me, she was also the volunteer pacer coordinator for the race as well! Her organizational skills and her vast knowledge of pro and collegiate sports were a huge asset, along with her pack that contained a spare jacket for me, PB&J sandwiches, napkins, ibuprofen and probably a flare gun as well! Liz kept me rolling through a tough lap. She made sure I kept drinking, and by the end of our lap I was updated on the NCAA tournament and all recent trades in the NFL too!   I rumbled back up the stairs to HQ, got some dap from Liz, got a little Lentil soup and Amy and I set out for the final lap. 5am. 87.5 miles done. Deep breath cowboy, here we go!

  We hit the turn around at the airport spur. They always say "It gets darkest before the dawn", but they never say how f*$%ing cold it gets before the dawn! Amy and I were freezing! I had put on another fleece jacket, had my gloves and beanie on, but couldn't get my hands warm. I also began to feel nauseous.  I did not eat or drink anything for a while, hoping it would pass. Slowly the nausea subsided, then the "Tokyo drift" returned. As we trudged up the long hill at the start of Turkey Creek, dawn began to break. I shut off the "mothership" headlamp. It was good to see daylight again. i was still struggling a bit, but Amy did an awesome job of keeping me motivated and moving. We came through AS 2 for the last time. 5.5 miles left. We marched up the steep hills on the back side of Turkey Creek, looking forward to making that left turn onto Graylyn for the last time and rolling down "Power Line" hill. As we approached the downhill, I turned to Amy and said "okay, let's go" and we proceed to bomb down Power Line at a 9 min/mile pace, passing some guys we had been chasing for the last few miles. That run seemed to jump start my system again. I was warmed back up now and shed my other jacket. I apologized to Amy, put my Walkman W back on and cranked up the Dio song and we began to run again on the downhill slopes around mile 11. 1.5 miles to go. To quote my buddy "Jimbo" Plant: "Any fool can run 1.5 miles!" We made that final right turn that would take us back to HQ for the final time. I was extremely focused on not losing my shit at this point, as we passed the sign saying 1/2 mile to go. I walked a little bit here, wanting to save that last bit of energy to run up the stairs at the finish. Next thing I knew I was bounding up the stairs to the cheers of friends and onlookers! I made it. 100 miles in 26 hours, 55 minutes and 14 seconds.

My buddy Lauren was kind enough to capture the moment on video as well!

 I t was epic to have so many friends there at the finish to greet me! I cannot thank my pacers Mika, Liz and Amy enough for helping me make it through.

With Super Pacer Amy and My Buckle at the finish!

Enjoying a much needed post race cup of coffee!

Gear used: I am somewhat amazed that I ran the entire race in my Saucony Virrata! They held up great and although I had other shoes with me, I never felt the need to change out of them. Thanks to Balega and ProCompression Socks as well for keeping my feet blister free the whole way!

 

Ultimate Direction hand held, Brooks Shorts, Garmin 305, GenerationUCAN and Klean Athlete supplements!

  

What's in your Fitness Closet?

Since I have three daughters, dad doesn't really have a closet. I do have a "workout apparel" room though!
Here is where I keep all workout gear and related stuff.

The Hanging stuff!

2 full milk crates of shirts, shorts etc, plus my faithful gym bag.

The Shelves.

Can't forget the Sports Kilt!

Misc. water bottles

And the shoes! Shoe problem? What shoe problem?

Hydration station.

Some of my fav fuel and supplements!

  

 

Product Review: Saucony Virrata

The timing of the arrival of my new Saucony Virrata could not have been better. I had just recently been asked to participate in a relay run for the Komen Foundation. The relay started in downtown Raleigh, NC and went to Wilmington, NC, a trip of about 132 miles. There were four teams, three people each team. Each team would run six mile increments, rotating through until we arrived in Wilmington, when everyone would run the last mile or so together.
  I had done a short 3 mile treadmill "test" run in the Virrata a few days before and they felt great. They were comfortable right out of the box, and at 6.5 ounces, very light! Even with their light, stripped down design, there was a nice cushion to the shoes and they absorbed the pounding on the treadmill well. The real test would be out on the road!

The relay went incredibly well, and we wound up covering the 132 miles in 23 hours and seven minutes, close to four hours ahead of our predicted time. The Virrata performed amazingly! The were comfortable the whole way. No blisters, discomfort or foot/heel pain whatsoever. I wound up running a total of 32 miles in them over the course of the relay. The advanced cushioning really made a difference as the miles piled up. My knees, hips and legs felt great the whole trip!

23 hours and 132 miles later and still smiling!

Another nice feature of the Virrata is the breathable upper mesh, which not only makes the shoe light, but also allows for quick drying. I had brought my Saucony Guide 6 along as a backup, but I never got out of my Virrata until I got back home!

 

Here is a quick video I made with more details of the shoe:

 

So if you are looking for a lightweight, zero drop shoe with lots of cushion for everyday training, this is the shoe for you! It even made this trail runner feel great being back on the road again!

Race Report: Black Mountain Marathon

Damn you Mo!

Those were the words coursing through my brain at the rainy and 37 degree start of the Black Mountain Marathon. My dear friend Mo had talked me into running this. We were supposed to run it together, but then she signed up for the full Ironman in Louisville. Now her dictator Tri coach had forbidden her to run any of the running races she had signed up for!
 
  So I found myself standing in the mist in the middle of Cherry Street in downtown Black Mountain at 7am. The horn sounded, the race started, and so did the rain. Again. The first several miles were run on the road, and took us into Montreat College, where we would pick up the trail. Montreat College is known as a "Christ Centered" College, which was a good thing, because I would be invoking Christ's name often on this day.
 The climb started once we were on the campus, and at roughly the three mile mark we entered the trail from the Rainbow Trailhead. We ran a nice stretch of single track here, but already there were some rather muddy spots to navigate. I was running with a group of about ten people at a comfortable pace. We were power walking the hills and running the rest at this point.

  The further I went, the muddier it got. We were now out on a wider jeep road, heading to the first aid station at Sourwood Gap, around mile six. I ran into the aid station and refilled my hand held and headed back out. I was starting to slow down and had lost the group I was running with earlier. Between the mud, rocks and water that was now running across the trail in spots, I was basically power walking up the trail at this point. And I was laboring! It was becoming a struggle. I had a gel bottle filled with GenerationUCAN that I chugged, hoping it would provide some energy. I then swallowed about 30 EnergyBits not soon after, and kept trudging along. It was increasingly difficult for me to sustain any kind of rhythm as the trails was now quite churned up by my speedier trail brethren. I schlepped  into the aid station at Pot Cove, around 9.75 miles or so, got a refill, ate some chips and headed up the trail. This aid station was manned by the Black Mountain Fire/Rescue Crews. I guess I still looked okay at this point, since they did not redirect me to an ambulance!
  My main focus now was to get my ass to the marathon turnaround and hopefully get a nice mental boost in the process. I was starting to feel a little better, then around mile 12 or so, there was a nice stretch of snow/ice/slush.

 I was seeing a lot of folks coming back now, and they all said it was only a 1/4 mile 'till the turn around.   It was perhaps the longest *%$#!! 1/4 mile I have ever ran! Finally i reached the turnaround. I poured a GenerationUCAN packet into my water bottle, filled it with Gatorade, changed my hat and gloves and started back down the mountain. 

  It was almost like a switch had been flipped. I started running down the same muddy, rocky, treacherous trail that I had battled the past three hours to get up. My spirits were high and I could feel my legs come back under me. I came through Pot Cove AS, got a refill on the hand held, and kept on going. To my surprise, I was still seeing people on there way up. I was glad to know I was not alone in my struggle to ascend!
  I kept a nice steady pace going, being careful not to get too excited and trying to avoid breaking my ass.  Before I knew it, I was back at Sourwood Gap. Same thing here, hand held refill, some chips and off I went. Momentum was on my side, and I had even managed to pass some folks on my way down. We then came off the trail back onto the road. There was a brutal quad shearing descent coming back into the college that just about used up all the leg I had left! We hit the final aid station at Montreat. 3 miles to go. My assumption was we would be pretty much on road at this point, but  before I knew it we were back on a small trail with a few rolling hills. After surviving all the mud and rocks, it was here where I almost completely ate it on a set of wooden stairs. Thank God for the hand rail. Recovering from that, we wound our way along a greenway, back to the road. We kept turning, and I kept cursing. "Where is the God Damned finish!" was the phrase I believe I kept muttering as I staggered along the streets of Black Mountain. Several people had passed me now, and I did not care.

  Finally! Voices and music! The finish! I could hear someone coming up behind me, and I started my kick. I tore into the Tomahawk Lake parking lot, looking for the finish chute. It was there a very cheerful volunteer directed me to the left. I had forgotten we had to run around the lake to the freakin' finish! I was dead. The dude who was behind me glided past me. I tried to run, but had to walk a bit to regroup. I pulled myself together (once again) and finally crossed the line in 6 hours. 10 minutes and some change.
  Since the start and the finish of the race were in two different locations, I enjoyed a nice cool down walk through the streets of Black Mountain back to my car. I then drove my Mud splattered ass back to the Super8 Motel where I took perhaps one of the greatest showers of my life! When I was finished, the shower looked like I had been panning for gold in it. I then ate an entire Vegan Pizza from the awesome Fresh Pizzeria in town, and promptly passed out after that.    
  Since I had so much fun this year, I will be coming back to run next year. I may even try to get into the 40 mile race.

 Oh yeah, AND I am bringing Mo's ass with me!

Product Review: Klean Athlete Multivitamin and Klean Endurance

Let's face it. There are a zillion supplements out there. Even with careful study, it can be a confusing maze of information to navigate in order to determine what are the right products for you.

  When I received some product to review from Klean Athlete, I was impressed to discover that all their products were NSF Certified for Sport. Everything in their product line is free of yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, sugar or starch. 

  The Klean multivitamin is designed specifically for athletes and contains no filler or excess amounts of Magnesium or Calcium. Comprised of a fruit and vegetable blend, it provides a nice balance of ingredients to help you stay healthy.

 The really nice thing about the Klean Athlete Multivitamin is they are not giant capsules you have to choke down with copious amounts of water! Just two very manageable tablets with meals to aid in absorption is all you need.

My former Multivitamin pack I had to choke down every morning!

The Klean Athlete Multivitamin!

EZ to Take!

 

After taking the Klean Multivitamin for several weeks, I did feel a slight boost in energy levels. Between working at the gym, starting a running club and training for my 100 mile run in April, I am constantly on the go. I also work with children once or twice a week at my gym teaching a "Skills and Drills" program. As everyone is certainly aware, kids are little germ factories, and after high fiving 20 sniffling children at the end of each class, I need all the immune system boost I can get! I am happy to report that I did not catch a cold or the Flu over the past several weeks, while other employees have succumbed.

  

 

Here is a link to the Product label for Klean Multivitamin:

http://kleanathlete.com/wp-content/themes/klean/lib/images/KA201344-60-180cc.pdf

   The other product I received was the Klean Athlete Endurance dietary supplement.

Klean Athlete Endurance is a chewable supplement containing D-ribose, which aids in the production of ATP in the body to help recovery and support energy production.

  These chewable tablets are great for recovery on the go and best of all they taste good!

Gettin' "Klean" after a trail run!

 I used Klean Endurance at the gym between workouts and after long runs to help me recover. I used Endurance after my tough 40 mile trail race which was on a Saturday, and was actually able to go to the gym the next day and teach a spin class! I did find that I was less sore than normal and was able to recover quicker. 

At the finish of the 40 mile trail race!

Teaching Spin class the next day!

 

 Klean Endurance Tablet.

Easy to chew and tastes good too!

For more info on the Klean Endurance Tablets, click on this link:  http://kleanathlete.com/wp-content/themes/klean/lib/images/KA201245.pdf

 

  I would highly recommend both these products for Athletes looking for optimal health and a boost in performance without unnecessary fillers and additives.

For more information on these and other products in the Klean line, visit http://kleanathlete.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

FitFluential LLC compensated me for this campaign. All opinions are my own.

The Uwharrie Mountain 40 Mile Trail Run

  The subtitle for this race report could be "A Tale of two Twenties" due to my sluggish performance on the first half of the run and my resurrection on the second half. more on that in a bit....

  I stayed in Asheboro the night before, about a 1/2 hour away from the race shuttle site. You parked your car there and get shuttled to the start line. I was praying there would not be a delay of the start because it was quite a chilly morning!

After a brief shuttle ride we were deposited at the start area and immediately hovered around the campfire, trying to stay warm. It probably did not help matters any that I was wearing shorts.
We were reluctantly pulled away from the fire and assembled ourselves on the road for the start. We run about 2oo feet on the road and then make a right turn onto the trail where we quickly begin to ascend. Less than a mile in and my nose was already numb, liquid freely flowing from it. I had a make a tactical decision NOT to wear my Garmin, so as not to have all these numbers in my head. Kind of that "Free your mind and you ass will follow" approach. Even without the Garmin, I stayed true to my "go out too fast" routine. Old habits die hard. A few miles in, I warmed up nicely and felt comfortable. But at Uwharrie, comfort is fleeting.

  Realizing my fast start, I pulled it back some and began getting passed by some folks. I'm not sure what mile it was, but my buddy Scott L. came up on my right and we ran a little bit together, a group of about 5 of us, all in line. It was at this slight downhill clay dirt section that I saw Scott slip and land on his ass. Just as I was about to ask Scott "Are you okay?" I did the same damn thing! Although it was not one of my classic face plants, it did knock me out of my rhythm for a bit. Thus began the slow spiral downward.
  Scott and his group pulled away from me, and others started to pass me as well. I kept plugging away, but I was in a bad space mentally. Trying to maintain the intense focus needed to work my way through the rocks, limbs and holes was becoming more and more difficult. Reaching the aid station at mile 14, it felt like it would take an eternity to reach the turnaround at mile 20. At this point, the speedy 20 mile runners, who started an hour later, began passing me. Hearing "On your left" about 20 times in a row did nothing to improve my mood, and a evil little voice inside my head began to whisper "you can stop at 20 miles!"
  In the meantime I was seeing all the people who had made the turnaround and were now already on their way back......Shit.

    Then, in a moment of clarity it hit me. "Dude. Just get your ass in and out at the turnaround. Once you run back out of the Aid station at 20 miles, you're committed!" So that is just what I did. The only things I did was grab a pair of dry socks, get out of my Torins and into the Hokas, slam a Generation UCAN shake and grab my headlamp. Then I got the hell out of there! The combination of the new shoes and fuel, combined with the sound of the bagpipes playing alongside the trail really jump started me mentally. My mind was now free, and my ass soon to follow!
  Now I got to see folks making their way TO the turnaround (40 miler) or finish line (20 milers). I shouted encouragement to all as I trotted down the trail. There is always that great look that the 20 mile folks give you as you pass them on the way out for your additional 20 miles. It is a mixture of awe, respect and pity.  
  At last years race, my friend Mo and I finished up in the dark. Even with our headlamps, the last mile of brutally technical descent  was a nightmare to do after dark. I vowed this year to finish in the daylight, come hell or high water.

Hangin' on for dear life on the 1st half!

Photo by M. Long

I came through the aid station at mile 23 and was starting to build momentum. I was still walking all the hills, but now I was able to run the flats and downhills at a fairly good pace. I was with two other guys at this point, but around mile 25 they were slowing a bit, so I left them and continued running.

 

I did have the presence of mind back at the turnaround to ask someone what time it was. It was 12:09pm for me at the 20 mile mark. Even with the struggles in the first half, that wasn't too bad.

 

  Now I came through the AS at mile 26 feeling good. I got a refill on my hand held and grabbed a couple of Hammer Gels just as a backup. My Generation UCAN was good for about 21/2 hours of fuel, so I would be counting on some gels to get me through the last few miles.I just kept working away at a steady pace, spurred on by the fact that I was counting DOWN the miles now. The next AS, at mile 29, I got a refill of the hand held and a small cup of Mountain Dew. The ascents of the hills were really starting to hurt now, and I could feel my calves and quads tightening with every climb.

At the summit of one of the many climbs!

Photo by M. Long

I was really locked in and focused now, and I had started to catch some people. Another emotional boost was coming through the AS at mile 32. I was in the single digits now. This is the AS where they make sure you have a headlamp if you get there by 4pm or after. There was no sign of the "Headlamp Police" when I got there, so I knew on was ahead of last year's schedule.

    I remember from last year's race that it seemed to take forever to get to the next AS at mile 35. Last year I remember running ahead of Mo, cursing under my breath and waiting at every turn to see the AS at mile 5. It was already starting to get dark at this point for us last year. This year was no different, it took a while to get there. But this year it was daylight and I felt a helluva lot better than last year.  5 miles to go!

    I had collected a few more people along the way, including my friend Mark L. who was battling a stomach issue. Mark is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, so we walked a chatted for a bit. Even if it meant having to finish up a minute or two in the dark, it was time well spent with a good friend. I finally told Mark I was gonna run a little bit, wished him well and headed down the trail. Mark finished up strong, and came into the finish not too long after me.

    I had caught up to one more fellow as we came into the final AS at mile 38. I could see he was struggling a little bit, and he asked one of the volunteers if he would be able to finish in the daylight. The volunteer stated that we had 34 minutes of daylight left. I left out of the AS just in front of this guy, and started my run into the finish. I ran for a bit, then slowed to a walk. To my surprise, this guy was right on my heels! He surged past me, saying I inspired him, then he took off! He killed those last two miles and finished just ahead of me. It was awesome to see! 

 

   I was in the last mile now. The rock and boulder strewn descent that brutalized me and Mo in the dark last year was much more tenable with ambient light. I finally got clear of the rocks and came down a little friendlier section of single track. I could hear them celebrating the arrival of my rejuvenated buddy just in front of me. I made it. In the daylight. Holy shit.

 

Official time: 10:48:58.  One hour and ten minutes faster than last year's time.

 

Finish Line!

Photo by S. Johnstone

There were still friends gathered at the finish line, and it felt great to celebrate together. I changed out of my wet stuff, got some soup and waited for my buddy Mark to finish.

A happy Mark at the finish!

Photo by S. Johnstone

We hung out for a bit, then headed to the shuttle that took us back to our cars. Then began the two hour drive back home. I felt good, and was spurred on further by listening to "Back Porch Music" on NPR. It was a fitting soundtrack to a day spent on the Uwharrie Mountain Trail

Gear Used:

 

Clothing:

Pro Compression Tee and Beanie

Nike Pro Base Layer Turtle neck

Brooks Rouge Shorts

Cycling Windbreaker

Balega and Pro Compression Socks 

Garneau Flex Zone Gloves

Shoes:

Altra Zero Drop Torin (First 20 miles)

Hoka One One Stinson ( Last 20 miles)

Hydration System:

Ultimate Direction Hand Held

Fuel:

Generation UCAN

Hammer Montana Huckleberry Gels

Heed Sports Drink

Mountain Dew

PB&J Sandwiches