Eventually, I reached Forest Hill, another major checkpoint, after running a grueling, exhausting, difficult tough 62 miles. There, I met my first pacer and friend Chuck, a 50 something-year-old male runner as day turned to night. Now I am in the darkness with nothing but an LED light to navigate the rutted, rocky single switch backs with their unforgiving steep, deathlike, treacherous drop-offs. The night trail was marked with product called glow- sticks hanging from tree limbs. These products give off light, are helpful and they allowed me to keep on the trail and determine where I was going. Luckily, I did not fall, trip or sustain an injury on this hazardous night section of the trail. If I was injured, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere and would more than likely really be in trouble. For the next 18 miles or so, Chuck kept talking to me (I told him I was too tired to talk back to him) and kept feeding me a product called GU. This product had glucose which feed my brain and me. During this night run, I very quickly discovered that my quads and hamstrings hurt .I kept in the present - mindfulness and acknowledged that I was suffering. It was difficult to deny the reality, since I found that I was in discomfort and had difficulty running downhill. In fact, I could not run downhill. So I am now doing a shuffle. Another problem occurred; my electrolyte drink didn’t taste right (improper mix) so I stopped drinking it. Fortunately, I didn’t get into trouble with a sodium or potassium imbalance. We eventually reached Rucky Chucky another checkpoint aid station at 78 miles. Now it was time to get on the scale to get weighed.
To be continued:
Don't forget the Ride & Tie Championship is Saturday.
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