West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners
A Mountain State of Running
WV Trilogy Race Report – Tasha Adkins Holland
Race report for the West Virginia Trilogy 50k
The West Virginia Trilogy is a staged race held over three days in the mountains of the highest point in West Virginia. There is a 50k Friday, a 50m Saturday, and a half on Sunday. Dan Lehmann and Adam Casseday are the race directors. Let me be the first to say that they know how to put on a race!
I discovered the Trilogy last year. In fact, it was my second trail race experience and my first 50m attempt. It was also my first time camping alone (and it had been 10 years since I had been in a tent). The first hour there I discovered two things:
1. I had come home
2. I needed to get tougher
The ultra trail running community was where I was meant to be. Camping, woods, rain, mud, starry nights… I loved it all! More importantly, the people could not be beat.
You get home cooked meals with your registration and dessert always follows a healthy dinner. Afterwards, you are responsible for cleaning your own dishes. I LOVE this entire process! The RD’s have created an amazing community where we all eat, clean up, camp, and run together for the weekend.
I registered for the 50m this year, to get redemption from last year’s DNF (pulled a muscle from a fall). Due to my daughter’s homecoming, I was forced to switch to the 50k on Friday. Dan was very supportive and helpful during this time.
The night before the race, I joined several runners at the observatory and we got a complimentary astronomy lesson and a chance to look through a large telescope. The Trilogy is held in the darkest area this side of the Mississippi, so the stargazing was amazing.
The morning of the 50k turned out to be perfect. It was a little chilly, and there was no rain (that would come later in the race). I ran about half of the race with my good friend Marit Janse, and Bill, and Marci Colyer. I was hoping for an 8 1/2 hour finish, but I realized early on that my body was still not loving me from the Barkley Fall Classic.
The race is hard and technical. It’s really rocky. A lot of times it was hard to get a good rhythm going because of the terrain. There are at least 10 stream crossings (several almost knee deep), and multiple hill climbs over a mile long. I lost Marit during the longest climb. I was not quite as fast as my friends as they trudged up the side of the mountain.
For about 16 miles I ran alone. It began pouring the rain and I loved it! There is something special about running through the woods, splashing through the mud and muck that makes me come alive. It rained for a long time, but I was content. I made it to the first cut off with a little over 30 minutes to spare. I downed some hot broth and took off. The next 5 miles were good to me. I used my spare minutes to climb up one of the mile long hills, and I was able to run the ridge. The last 2 plus miles were downhill. The path was narrow and cut into the hill. If you slipped or took a misstep, you were going over the side. I took my chances and flew down it. Yes, I almost took a long tumble over the side about 10 times, but I didn’t fall! This 2 mile stretch of downhill running made it possible for me to catch up with my friends later on for the last 3 miles.
Before catching up to my friends, I have an encounter with a dog. I’m hiking up another hill, and at one point I look up from the path and see a large white dog ahead on the trail. I immediately paused. At first, I thought I was hallucinating. I was out in the middle of nowhere, there should not be a dog here. I shook my head and looked again. He was still there. As I took a cautionary step towards him, his hackles rose and he growled at me. Oh crap, I thought, I’m going to get bit. I looked around for his owner and raised my voice as I talked to him, hoping they would call him off. There was no owner to be found. I then began to talk sweetly to him, calling him to me, as I tried to advance a second time. Once again, hackles and growling. I continued to call to him, assuring him I would not hurt him, and prepared for the bite I knew was coming. He finally came to me. Once he got within a foot of me, he stopped. I held my breath. He whined at me, barked, and then took off running past me. I exhaled with relief. I felt bad that I could not take him out of the woods with me, but I was happy to not have been bitten.
I was really glad when I caught up with my friends! It had been a long, hard day and I was ready to be done. I crossed the finish line in 9:24. It was not the 8:30 I had hoped for, but I was still happy with my performance. I had taken the time to get some wonderful pictures, survived a stand off with a dog, and managed to finish a tough technical course in the rain with over an hour to spare. It was a good day!
I highly suggest this race weekend to all of my running friends. Come join me next year for one (or all) of the races offered. I’ll be there, ready to conquer the 50 mile. It’s a challenging weekend filled with beauty and friendship.
WV Trilogy Race Report – Ashley Dolin
WV Trilogy 2016
Arrived Thursday evening at the Mountain State Institute with Brittany Pauley. We set up camp in the big, open, windy field. Nerves start to kick in after the four hour drive of discussing each of our race plans. The 50k was her first ultra!
After setting up camp we headed over to the main yurt for packet pickup and dinner. Along the way we met Rob from Mt. Airy, NC. Super cool guy who was running all three days.
The main yurt is slowly filling with runners and those who will aid us along with some of their family. I greet all of those I consider my running family with a warm hug, and introduce Brittany to anyone she may be meeting for the first time. After all, we are going to be here all weekend blending in together.
My plan all along after running an achy 30 mile training run a few weeks before Trilogy, was to take the 50k easy, survive the 50 mile by making the cutoff times, and give anything else left of my body to the half.
Up early Friday morning after very little sleep, due to the kite I slept in shaking violently in the wind all night. I had slipped my clothes in the sleeping bag the night before so they’d be warm enough wear in the crisp tent air of the morning. I panicked as I searched the tent for the clothes I knew I laid out the night before, only to finally remember the lump in the bottom of the sleeping bag was them. I accidentally wore the shorts I intended to wear the 50 mile day for the 50k instead. Crawling out of the tent in the dark field I noticed it was warmer than expected and not raining! Brittany packed a Coleman stove, so we fought the wind and made oats. I even had Earl Gray Tea. We made our way to the start to have a pre-race poo. I hollered at the line of port-a-johns, “Brittany, did you warm the seat up for me?”, no reply. I found an empty toilet, made a TP nest, and got settled, only to find out my feet dangled. Now I know what our 4 and 6 year olds feel like when the bench is missing from our bathroom at home.
Lining up at the start with my take it easy plan in the front of my brain, I was excited to see the months of training put to use today, and the two races after. Brittany and I had hit the hills at Kanawha State Forest for months; now was both of our chances to see all that climbing pay off.
Andrew Rhodes blew the big blue horn and we were off! Running a while and meeting a few new people was nice. I met a sweet lady named Dawn from Virginia. Mary Jane and I ran what seemed like a good 10 miles together, even going through the drop bag aid station still chatting. We walked up the first really steep hill and she said, “That one was a real booger!” I love her terminology.
At Judy Springs, I ran solo up top. I’m pretty sure I heard a coyote licking its lips as I ran by. It was pretty dreary up there; no sun, rainy, and super windy. Climbing back down, I met Stacy from D.C. Super nice girl who was racing the Army 10 miler Sunday in her home area. Glad I didn’t take any wrong turns and survived the creek crossings, it was nice to see the aid station again. Dennis, Pete, and Andrew were all great as I went on fighting to keep my happy pace.
Not many miles later, I came to the last aid station where the ladies and gentleman were super-sweet and gave me a warm cheese quesadilla while filling my water pack. Took off from the aid station and had my first experience climbing Cardiac Hill. Mary Beth Strickler had told me about this climb and how you get to finish on it all three days. I walked every bit of it, followed the course markings to the finish downhill, and crossed the line in about 8 ½ hours. Brittany came along after she was saved by some trail running angels from Michigan. Life is good. I congratulated Sarah Bee and Mary Jane then found the land line to call my husband and tell him how the day went for me.
Everyone did a fantastic job Friday. Those who just came up for the 50k or half or both encouraged those of us who chose to run all three races. Saturday morning I built up the mental strength to crawl out of my tent once again, but this time there was a cold solid downpour. Wearing a free poncho I got at a 5k, I knocked on the door of the car where Brittany was asleep and told her to go back to bed since I was going to eat breakfast at the main yurt today. Hot food, yum. I had a bad case of the nerves, so I only stomached a handful of cooked oats with brown sugar while chatting with Krista and James Dick about Cedar Point.
Leaving my poncho inside, I follow the crowd of racers outside to the dark starting line where I pose for a photo with Krista and Sarah Bee. Dan Lehmann hollers “Go!” We are off. Rain is constant in our head lamps so looking up is difficult since all you can see is a solid sheet pouring down. The night before, a group of us decided to loosely hang together all day and make the cutoffs. Joe McQuade, Mary Jane, Sarah Bee,Lorraine Moore, and I for the most part hung together taking turns leading. Once the same came up enough to turn off the headlamps, I found myself on Huckleberry Trail a ways along. I smack my head hard on a hemlock limb after turning sharp on the trail to keep following the blue ribbons.
Heading up what we came down in the Judy Springs area on 50k day, was a little harder today since it was leading to the first cut off at 25 miles. Out and back on Whites Run is a task. I ran behind Charlotte Johnson. At that point I was leading the group we formed the night before since running up hill hurt way less than pounding down. Charlotte and I chatted a bit, laughing at how “downhill” is not what we’d call this trail. My group caught me easily once the real downhill began. We high-fived and cheered every runner who was making their way back up the hill. Krista, on her way back, told us a tale of tater tots at the aid station. My morning oats had long ago burned off and the idea of warm tots made my pace quicken and mouth water. After making our way down the switchbacks and crossing the creek, we made it to the aid station. “We heard you have tots”, I excitedly yell to Joey Jarvis and Charles Belcher. We all get what we need from our drop bags and four of us head out of the aid station with a fist full of tots. I also have a dill pickle spear Charles dug out of the jar for me. “I’ll never look at tater tots the same way again.” I say this to my group and they all laugh. It’s true.
Four of us prepare to go back up Whites Run as Sara Bee comes doan and says she hurts too much and is done. We all tell her “No” and we hurt to. There is also plenty of time to spare for this aid cut off.
Joe McQuade asks me to lead since he claims I am a beast on the hills, and it hurts my legs way less than the declines. Up we climb, I start to break off a bit and see a few more racers heading down to the aid station. Once I’m up top on the rolling section of Whites Run, I get a bit dizzy. I have an emergency sucker tucked away for just such an occasion. It helps! Following the directions on a plate Adam Casseday made is not too much of a task at this point. Lorraine is right with me, so we chat and catch up as we run to the next aid station. I tell her my husband will be at that aid station. I’m excited to see him since we’ve been apart a few days and so much has happened. Descending Hortons Trail, Lorraine takes off saying,“This is it!”She had known the race thanks to prior race years. I arrive at the aid station to find my husband and daughters. Surprise! Now I have to be a mom when I’m finished. I kiss our girls, tell Lorraine’s daughter how strong her mom is, and take my pack from my husband who filled it with Nuun tabs for me. Michael Bee is also at this aid station. He says Sarah kept running. This makes Lorraine and I happy.
After I grab some sugar (Payday and Almond Joy) and a hot cheesy quesadilla, Lorraine and I take off for a three mile climb up Allegheny Trail. Lorraine’s daughter snaps the last photos as we make our way down the gravel road preparing for the last major climb. My watch dies at 10 hours or 37.5 miles. Lorraine and I make it to the top and start a rolling section with some little climbs. I pull her up and on the downhill areas, she leads. I only have the real time on the Timex I wore on my other wrist. My goal was to make the last aid station by 6:30 pm. Then the wind picks up, the rain blows out of every tree, and we just keep running through it all.
After a particularly windy, wet, and sloppy trail section, I look up and see the glorious last aid station. (Lorraine told me later on I had started to sprint.) “Man, am I glad to see you guys!” I yell. “And we’re happy to see you.” Aaron Yocum replies. Michael Bee was there so that meant Sarah was still trucking on. My Timex said it was 6:05 pm. Plenty of time left if I had to walk every bit of the last 3.8 miles. A huge weight was off my chest. We had made every cut off in the worst weather imaginable and Lord willing, we’d see the finish line by 14 hours.
We crossed all four cattle gates in the day light. The cows were almost close enough to pet as we ran from one gate to the next. We saw a tree that had beautiful red leafs as we climbed the fences. Finally we turned our lamps on and pushed out the last bit of the race on a trail lined with trees on both sides, making it even darker. Then there is was: 1 mile to go. Cardiac Hill is a walker at this point and a man named David joined us as we share how happy we are about today’s accomplishments.
Crossing the line is sweet victory. My husband is there and our six year old runs out to take my glow stick. Lorraine and I can finally hug. Brittany is there with tears in her eyes for me. The felling is the ultimate runners high.
I hobble to the main yurt and am greeted warmly by everybody. I lay on the floor with an upset belly as it takes a while to get going. We work out sleeping arrangements since there are four of us now and the tent is soaked. Julie Tisone’s girls made cookies. I am able to stomach half of one. That is what gets me off the floor. With a yurt secured for us and some dinner at least on a plate, I manage to survive the rest of the evening!
It was easier to get up and running Sunday than to lie in the yurt where I slept very little for the third night in a row. At least it was warm and not wind blown.
A man tried to blow Andrew’s blue horn for the start of the half marathon, but to no avail. As we started the race I was tight, but loosened up as the race went on. Also, my quads were super sore, but up hills once again felt way better on my legs than down hill. Eating way more for breakfast than any previous day, I felt energetic as the miles flew by. Mary Jane, Lorraine, and I hung out until we split on the uphill towards the fire tower. I led there and Mary Jane took off at the split in the trail as we crossed the four cattle fences to the finish. Up Cardiac Hill one last time and I actually passed a man who was just doing the half! Crossing the line for the last time was bittersweet. I’m glad to be finish, but sad it was over. Months of training paid off, and a bonus to my finish, I was actually starving and able to eat. Didn’t stay that way long, but nice to load up on hot, salty food. My first Trilogy was eye opening. As I walked to the shower, Joe Tucker asked me how I felt and my reply was, “Like I accomplished something”. I’m grateful for everyone who came out and helped in any way to make this fantastic race possible.
The days following the race involved the dreaded task of unpacking, straightening my bent tent poles, and sleeping 13 hours in a row as soon as we got in the door. Now I know it’s possible to make those cut off times and race back-to-back-to-back days on little sleep. I am anxious to try Trilogy again. I would love for Lorraine’s race plans to cross mine again.
Happy Trails,
Author: Ashley- Female Trilogy Finisher
Highlands Sky 2016 Race Report – Jeff Suvak
Highland Sky 2016!!!!!!!!!!!
May I start by saying that it is a privilege to experience some of the most beautiful country and people in the world! To me, the area is semi secret, I treat this as an invite by local folks to share the incredible treasure that they call home! Thank You!My wife Debbie and I try to make the trip to Seneca Shadows and this area at least once a year and are always blown away by what we discover here.
This year was my second HS40 and 4th ultra overall. My first Ultra ever was the 2012 HS40. Ran that with my daughter Jessica and new friend, John Stout. John wrote a great report of the 2012 experience which is a must read. That race was a first ultra for both of us and a crazy, hey we’ve gotta do something like this! John is running the 2017 and is telling me it’s time to go again!
It all started in 2011 when my daughter Jessica ran a 50k in Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I could not believe that much range could be run in a day! I figured something like that could never be accomplished by me. I was turning 50 and thought, what the…. Time for something crazy. Found out that there was an ultra that circled one of my favorite places, Dolly Sods! A most challenging course in pristine WV forest, perfect! Looked like the perfect event put together by local running legend Dan Lehmann. I thought right! It is the perfect run! The 2012 was something I will never forget! But that is a different story. I must reiterate about trainer #2 that year, thanks again Matt Young for the guidance and patience on how it’s done. Will never forget that trainer run day either!
Fast forward to 2016, prepared better this time. Due to injury, I missed out on my long range training but did get all the hill repeat training in which proved to be beneficial. Nothing in Ohio prepares you for conditions in the Sods, but I must say we do have incredible trails that would surely please and did the best I could with the hills we have.
Race eve arrived, we got to Canaan late and missed the pre race meeting but did get there in time for the pasta which was delicious! The new lodge is first class and was just being built my first time out. Was a bit bummed to miss pre-race, missing out on info and chat with other runners.
That night, no surprise was tough to sleep in anticipation of the next day. Woke up the next morning at 4 raring to go. The view from the 4th floor balcony looking North was amazing with thick fog blanketing low lying areas, high peaks above it, this would be the day my fav running partner Jessica and I would complete another HS40! Was very thankful my wife Debbie would drive us to the start! Thank you!
The starting line was buzzing with energy and happiness, careful check in was being done to account for runners starting! Said hello to a local Ohio runner Jennifer Yaros who did her first HS40. Before you know it, it was go time! Mentally this year I did not worry about a race, just an all day journey through beautiful country! Mile 1and 2, just cruised at a 9 pace, heard all the similar sounds of Red Creek, cheering and neighbors dogs getting riled up by the commotion. Figured it may be some of the same dogs from years past. Amazing to see great looking horses in pasture as we whizzed by.
AS1, stopped for some water and good cheer knowing the big climb is ahead!Over 8 miles to the next aid station.
Was conditioned for the climb, it went well, thrilled to have my daughter Jessica run with me up the big ascent, the conversation melted the miles away. We were surprised by the amount Stinging Nettle on the way up! Heard some runners yelping, luckily Jessica and I never received a good Zap. Summited to the Roaring plains and incredible open highland beauty, conditions were so wet and muddy up there!Would not miss it for the world however! Much of the trail up there was submerged, flowing stream and mud bog. AS2 was very welcome! Much needed drink and food, ate my fill of P and J sandwiches! A favorite!
The next stretch of trail is a tough one! That decent is a killer, perhaps the most remote part of the race, still early on but taxing on the quads! AS3 came as a surprise, an unforgettable climb and pop out to extreme care and much needed nourishment! Always impressed how well the runners and bib numbers are accounted for by the volunteers!
The next stretch of trail is pretty fun, starts off technical then eases to flats, water, wooden bridges and openings. Most of the ascent and climbing is done! The final mile of gravel road to AS4 is fun, the people, cheering and encouragement is energizing and we are half way done!! Drop bags! The most stocked aid station! A good feeling for a runner!
Oh this next stretch, miles of gravel road, you think you can make up time but it seems up hill most of the way! Much tougher than you might think! AS5 could not come soon enough, may I say it was a fun one! Fresh watermelon!! Have never had that at an aid station and wow was that perfect!!Also tried my first salt capsules ever. The volunteers were great.
Finished that dang road to perhaps the highest point of the race! The view there!!! AS6! The final cutoff, still making good time at this point. As always, top class care, got my fill of food and drink in prep of the final half marathon! Unfortunately my training did not go this far and it was time to run on desire.
The next stretch of open hilly grassland is something from a dream, it kept my mind off the exertion. It took some time to get to AS7, a rather awesome stop! Laughs, fun, energy and beer! Jess and I had some and Damn did it taste good! Love that Mountain State brew!! Just what the doctor ordered.
On our way, made it to timberline ski resort and one last climb up a ski run, soon to come was the notorious butt slide, a ligament testing rugged drop back into Canaan. Valley. This is where Jess finally went ahead around mile 34, so thankful to run with her all those miles! She could have easily been an hour ahead at this point but stayed to run with me.Thank you!
Next, the butt slide! Steep!! Tough! Leg burner! Seemed endless then relief, gravel road and mild decent to AS8. Final drink, big encouragement and 4 more miles of road to finish.
Flat hot pavement to finish, a family and kids with a garden hose sprayed me down as I passed by their house! It was great! Welcomed the cooling! Was able to run nearly all the way to finish which I could not do in 2012. One mile to go! Feeling ok! Began to hear cheering before long! Almost done, could see the resort! People saw me coming out of the woods! “Runner coming”! People cheering for me! 100yds to go! Feeling like a rock star! I can see my wife, my daughter and her boyfriend Chris. Cameras, Dan Lehmann and Adam at the finish! The finish! Handshakes and the perfect day! After all the greetings, kind of wandered off for a minute to sit down and let all the emotions spill out without anyone seeing. One can’t explain the incredible feeling after something like this, you must experience it! Pure perfection!
Thank you for such a great event to participate in! The care, organizing and attention to detail are first class! Thank you to all the volunteers! The hospitality makes you feel like you’ve known them forever!!
Author:Jeff Suvak – Cleveland, Ohio
Lucas Warner Race Report 2016
Growing up with the Highlands Sky 40 Mile Trail Run in my back yard, it has grown from a source of bewilderment when I first learned about it as a high school runner, to a source of home county pride and a personal aspiration. Over the last three years running the race, it has been a source of the deepest kind of learning. I regret not having written about my first two times running the race, but to sum them up in nutshells, 2014 HS40 was the most difficult day of my life and the first time I ever experienced true raw emotion. 2015 HS40 can be summed up by my exchange with Joel Wolpert, (an occasional running partner of mine) when I caught up with him around mile 14 shortly before aid station 3. Me: “I was beginning to prepare for a really long lonely day.” Joel: “Me, too.” That dialog resumed in midair several miles later when we hurdled a pack of bear dogs and their owners.
Me: “Bear dogs!” Joel: “And bear humans.”
Right now my hands are shaking and my heart is pounding, but Saturday morning I felt great as I chatted with some of the many new friends I made during the trail maintenance and trainer weekend 2 months earlier. My goal was to finish before the near-solstice sun had a chance to climb above the tree tops. I may have done it if I hadn’t been fooled by the dryness of the clear day and been tempted to speed over the sections of gravely smooth-sailing, water-filled paths of the plateaus that were the punctuating highlights between the boulder gardens, creek crossings and the no-smaller-than-I-remembered mountain climbs. After a great conversation (as usual) with Luke Fleishman on the road, I began a 39 mile solo journey. I was not afraid of running alone for that distance. Even suggesting that’s how I envisioned my next (what I thought would be) 5 hours would leave out the life- and spirit-saving role of the aid station volunteers. I even anticipated the company of the day hikers for whom I held disturbingly hostile feelings toward during the darkest miles of my first HS40 – clean boots, beige sun hats, sunglasses that fold out into tripod camp seats…
I felt conservative throughout the first half of the race with the exception of the smooth patches, wondering to myself if this felt like a record-setting kind of effort. The voice of years past that said, “This is a loooong race.” came to me only as a memory. Slightly more prominent was the voice gaging my thirst and hunger. Even as I came through the aid stations refilling my small honey bear water bottle and quickly grabbing boiled potatoes and melon, I passed up the opportunity to fill an extra cup of water. I had been on the edge of thirst basically since I woke up and this made me feel lean and alert. Even the nettles felt good. The dew that repeatedly soaked half of my body felt too good – I needed to be drinking more. I came through AS2 6 minutes ahead of last year, then 9 minutes ahead of pace, then 7 minutes ahead of last year at the lively AS4. My wife, Katherine filled my bottle with a mixture of water and electrolyte, my mom had cookies, Jeff had a towel and fresh shoes which I passed up this year, and my dad was wondering what was going on (Thanks for going on crazy hikes with me!). I ate a cookie, stuffed the other one in a pocket and put some sea salt in my mouth. I had done this on only one other run as an experiment, but today instead of tasting sweet and welcome, it tasted like salt. I was worried about cramping up after leaving the road across the sky like I did last year, and I was making compounding mistakes.
I had been planning on taking the road section slightly easier than last year with Joel. I got only an extra sip of water at AS5. It was a little after 9am and the sun was still low enough that I was running in the shade. But then all the trees disappeared and the sun began to really take its toll. By Bear Rocks, I had lost all of my lead over last year’s pace and was no longer concerned about that. I was fighting leg cramps. This was not the way I wanted to run. The aid station guys filled my honey bear with water and offered me an iced sponge as I lay there with my shaking legs in the air. I hadn’t made it 200 yards down the rocky trail when my toe caught and I flew forward. I landed completely sprawled out more likely out of exhaustion than because I know how to fall. I was only lightly banged up and scraped, but my water bottle was empty and capless in the bushes. Yet another mistake was not returning to the aid station for more water. Luckily, there were plenty of day hikers in clean boots and beige sun hats who were more than generous with their water, and I ended up getting more water in the next mile than I would have if I hadn’t lost all of mine. The damage of neglect had been done, though and my running slowed. I was extremely dry and beginning to feel extremely bad. I was still running slowly when the lower, inner parts of both my quads seized up. It was sort of flat there and I wasn’t really using them, so I kept running, mildly amused and wondering what would happen. Like any flexed muscle, the lactic acid built up and up until they were on fire for several minutes while I kept moving. I imagine they ran out of energy like the rest of me and I didn’t really have any more trouble out of them after that.
The threat of cramps started to subside but I was in some other unfamiliar trouble. I couldn’t make myself run. I was walking on smooth, packed dirt through the endless meadows. I guessed I was a mile from AS7 and I knew I needed to get there but I couldn’t move any faster and I wasn’t even breathing hard. My head bent over far to my left side and stayed there and a bull’s-eye spot developed in the center of my vision that vibrated in outwardly radiating waves with the jar of every stiff step. After 10 minutes of that, I was really ready for some watermelon at the badass Lehman aid station. I remembered the watermelon from the year before and that was the only thing that kept me moving.
I wish that had been the only thing on my mind. I had also decided that I was going to quit. It wasn’t a matter of pain and discomfort at that point – I was seriously worried about my health. I slowly climbed the long hill to AS7 where I laid down under the table and ate probably more than my share of watermelon and drank some water. I wasn’t going to get up, but Willie and the others helped me. “Let’s ease you back into hydration.” I felt so bad and the spot in my vision was still there when I left. Around the bend, I staggered against a tree and I did quit. I decided to quit not because I had quickly watched my record pace vanish, which would have been a very ego-centric thing to do, but because I was quickly becoming seriously concerned about being able to stand up. I was going to go back to the tent. But I kept walking, head oddly tilted, the hikers now just staring at me instead of a cheery greeting. It would have been a long, unhappy wait at AS7 if I’d turned back but now I was facing 8 miles of really slow walking. I set my sights on a new goal of reaching AS8 and quitting there. As if from an outside vantage point, I judged my lack of shame at this prospect to be evidence that I was in minor emergency mode. I continued like this for 30 minutes. I’d then been walking for about 45 minutes and I began to have convoluted thoughts about pace and speed and how much slower was I really going given the terrain and that everyone was baking under the same sun. Those thoughts coalesced into a clearer picture of all that was taking place during this amazing event and I decided to not give up and to make it to AS8 with the mental intention to finish.
I was glad to have that sorted out, but I still couldn’t take a single running stride. I reached the ski slope and as I climbed, I fully expected to see second place running up behind me. I was almost hoping to see it, to give me real reason to feel as low as I was feeling, to externalize what I had brought on myself with my mistakes. Just as I was entering the trees at the top of Timberline mountain, I began to feel differently. The watermelon was kicking in. I took a few test strides, and after taking the butt slide pretty gently, I was able to stride out. I had the combined feeling of having just run 36 miles and having just walked for an hour. I grabbed a cookie from my mom on my run through AS8, but by a weird twist, I didn’t need anything at that point because I’d pigged out when I was sure that my day was done. As I ran, I was ready to be finished but I was so happy to be where I was.
Thank you, Dan, and Adam and everyone else.
Lucas Warner