75 K

On Saturday I completed my longest run to date. The 40 mile trek turned out to be closer to 50.
I got off to a great start at 6:30 a.m. There is something magical about the forest as the sun comes up. At mile 2 I crossed a stream with pentiful flow. "Good", I thought, "water won't be a problem". But as I climbed in elevation things dried up. I arrived at my planned water refill to find a bone dry creek bed. From this point on water would be the primary objective.

I started rationing Gatorade (I still had about 20 0z and 2 hours to Allen Gap) and things moved along smoothly. At mile 13 I ran into this high altitude peacock (4800 feet). At first he would not budge, then he lead me down the trail, running, for 50 or so feet.

Everything changed at Allen Gap. The first 20.2 miles flew by in 4 hours 10 minutes. I thought I would find water here, but no luck. The nearest gas station was 5 miles away. I ran and hitched, and got a ride after about 1.5 miles. I restocked my Gatorade supply, drank a couple of Cokes and ran back. No one picked me up and I added on another 5 miles. The mountain in the background is Allen Gap. I was expecting the most grueling section to be the climb out of Allen Gap and it was. Little did I know I would already have pounded 6.5 extra miles of uphill road to get to the climb. Back on the trail I experienced my first major bonk.

During said bonk, I put my foot down about 8 inches in front of this rattler. The adrenaline gave me a needed boost.

This exposed ridge line trail features some of the best views I have ever seen from the AT. I was running low on water again and having the most painful abdominal cramps I have experienced. Dehydration and exhaustion were wearing me very thin. The abdominal cramps persisted for an hour or two and made running nearly impossible. I walked all the climbs and stumbled and ran the descents and flats. This run pushed me far past my pain threshold. After mile 32 the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I had no choice. Water was still a major issue and I was rationing again, trying to make 20 oz last 9 miles-not fun in 95 degree weather. As I floundered into a clearing and shelter at mile 40, I was shocked to see a gallon of pure water glinting in the sunlight. No one was around. I called out and found some hippies camping behind the shelter. We worked out a trade and they hooked me up with 64 oz of water and some ibuprofen (I forgot mine). Those last 7 miles would have been pure hell without them.

Beat down. I shot this self portrait at the trail head as the sun started to slide behind the mountains. It took me about 12 hours and 15 minutes to run 47 miles (just under 75 k) including breaks. I am glad I did it, but I hope I never hurt like that again.

getting ready for a big dog

Tomorrow I am going for a long run. It will be the longest run I have ever done, stretching from Devils Fork Gap to Allen Gap (and back) on the Appalachian Trail. The black arrows represent my starting/turn around/finish points. The section is 20.2 miles each way and gains about 7000 feet in elevation. It should take me between 10 and 12 hours. For estimated AT distances check out http://www.ragtag.org/dbatdist.html I am doing this run solo, without support, so I will be carrying everything I need with me. There is a fine line between too much weight and not enough supplies. The crucial gear is below.

1. Safety: Dry conditions have squelched local streams, so water is a big concern. I am bringing 70 oz with me and will have iodine to purify water I get on the run. The forecast is calling for temps in the mid nineties. I will try to drink 15 oz/hour. I am going for an alpine start and will be using my headlamp for the first hour. I will probably hang on to it, but if my pack feels heavy I can ditch it and pick it up on my way back. Lighters and a space blanket come with me anytime I go outdoors. If I become exhausted or my legs cramp up, I will stop and sleep in my space blanket.

2. Calories: I am bringing 2000+ calories with me, but I will burn between 5000 and 10000 depending on speed and terrain. I have been eating honey stingers all summer and can honestly say they are by far the best tasting and healthiest gels on the market. The bars are also an excellent source of energy and nutrition. I will also bring some simple sugar and granola bars for variety. Tonight I will gorge myself on Mexican food and desert to improve the glycogen stores in my liver. Exercise physiologist have studied sports nutrition exhaustively, but it all comes down to one thing-EAT CALORIES.

3. Sun protection/lubricant: No, I am not planning on performing any sex acts on the trail. Vaseline or some other lubricant is indispensable in preventing chafing. Apply liberally to all contact points (skin-skin, skin-fabric). Severe chaffing has caused many people to DNF long events. That is it except some tunes, the camera and 400 or so mg of ibuprofen. I have spent the last three days telling my body that on Saturday it is going to run 40 miles. Hopefully it has been listening!

no water training

This summer has been incredibly bad for kayaking in Tennessee and North Carolina. There was a time that in I would drive around the country and put in on low, low flow runs just to get a fix. I spent years of my life and untold dollars pursuing my love of kayaking. Now, older and (maybe) wiser, I wait for rain. I no longer log 200 plus days a year in my boat, but the paddling I do is high quality. It is worth the wait. In the meantime I run, bike and train. This blog will detail my training on and off the water. These photos are from a 15 mile run I did on Sunday. The Shinbone Creek horse trail goes from Rock Creek Road (Noli put in road) into a traingular swath of wilderness. The trailhead is located at the dirt road that crosess NC 197 at the state line. Park at the AT crossing and take the road that turns right if heading away from Erwin (across from Beauty Spot Rd). The trail twist and turns, eventually leading to the cliffs above Quarter Mile. This view gives a different perspective of the Noli. It shows how remote the gorge would be if it were not for the rr tracks. The first shot is of Flattop Mountain, one of the ridges that forms the gorge. This trail is legal for mtn bikes, hikers and horses. I highly recomend it as a combo paddle/bike/hike day. The views are incredible and I saw a coyote, a bear, wild turkey and several deer.