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Hills and Stadiums 🏟️

Evening Run

FF Trails - Harris Lake!

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Ran with Laura and Martin! We got an early morning start (we left Hillsborough around 5am), and on the drive we were reviewing the route, and someone said, "Hey look! We could set the FKT for the mixed team!" So of course we had to go for it 👀😂💀

We started up the Appalachian Trail to the Three Ridges. It was a moderate climb up to the first summit, and a good challenge up to the second peak, with several good views along the way. We got a little turned around at one point -- we went to an AT shelter rather than turning right to stay on the trail, but we made a little mini loop (fortunately Martin recognized the spot we popped out in) so we ended up with just a little extra. I was pretty convinced in the first two miles I was going to get dropped like a hot potato, but once we got over the second summit it was joyful running downhill 🥰 So good!

We connected onto the Mau-Har Trail (which... apparently with my Southern accent I cannot pronounce that trail name 🤦‍♀️) The Mau-Har Trail is pretty gnarly with several scrambles along the creek and some steep climbs, but then we were back to some lovely downhill running which lasted until the parking lot. Except just before we got to the cars my left ring toe seized up with excruciating pain. I didn't stub it or anything, but apparently all the steep downhill running had beat up my toes pretty badly and I got either a blood blister under the nail or I was somehow scraping the nail in such a way against the front of the shoe that it was making the nail separate from the nail bed.

Fun fact: in medieval times and during the French Revolution the "exquisite" torture of denailing was often used.

Basically, it was sudden and it was agony. I hobbled back to the car, stripped my shoes and socks, but couldn't see anything except a slightly purple toe (my nails are painted and I couldn't see anything, but the nail seared when I touched it). But we still needed to do the nine miles up and down the Priest, so I wrapped the nail tight with a bandaid, put on some fresh socks, restocked, and followed Laura and Martin up the mountain.

Whew. What a climb! Steep, rocky, relentless. My toe was in agony but I was able to wiggle my toes in the toe box and tried to find ways to push off so they wouldn't get banged up. We made it to the top and enjoyed the views from the summit, and all too soon we were off again (hey, we had an FKT to break!)

Laura took off first while I was still putzing around at the summit -- she said Martin and I could catch her on the downhills. Martin was ready to go next, and finally I got my feet moving, but I was dreading it. And sure enough, the excruciating pain going downhill was back. I had to stop a few times, I genuinely wasn't sure I'd be able to run down, but I finally managed to tighten my laces so tight that my feet didn't budge, and I was able to slowly, slowly, slowly gain some momentum. I didn't want to be the reason we missed the FKT, or (if I didn't catch Laura and Martin) I didn't want to make them wait around for me, so as the trail got more and more runnable I sped up more and more -- but with all the time I'd lost I still wasn't convinced I'd catch them again.

I was flying down the trail on tired legs and battered toes, asking hikers if they'd seen two other runners, trying to gauge how far ahead they were. Finally, finally! just as I crossed the big stream crossing in the ravine with less than a mile to the parking lot, I caught sight of them ahead of me on the trail, and powered through with some hard running. I caught them just in time to round out the final three quarters of a mile or so, and then we popped out into the parking lot, and on the count of three stopped our watches together with a victory high five! 🙌

Afterwards we went down to the stream under the big suspension bridge to have some snacks (including birthday muffins that they surprised me with! Thank you!! 🥰🥰🥰) And lots of protein shakes and apple slices/applesauce 😆

So good! What a grand adventure to kick off 34! 🎉

A few other notes for Pinhoti prep:
🔹TIE YOUR DANG SHOES! Stop letting your feet slide around in shoes that are too loose. Your feet are getting WRECKED! #badliz
🔹Yep, can confirm once again: it's colder at elevation. Was too cold on the ridge lines, but too hot in long sleeves in the valleys. Time to break out the gloves. Might be worth doing arm sleeves.
🔹More. Salt. (Liz, you KNOW this!)
🔹Bathroom breaks. Just do it.
🔹If it's funnable, it's runnable.

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