First loop went pretty much according to plan although my feet started barking at me early on the LC trail w/ it's constant up/down & snaking motion. Plenty of roots & rocks on course caused my feet, not used to being in trail shoes or running on trails (last time was in September), to completely break down. Second loop became a mental game to keep focused on relentless forward motion. Once I got to 10k left w/ 2 hours & 45 mins before cutoff I basically power-walked/slow jogged it in.

Well, I would train if I was going to do this again. I hadn't run over 6.3 miles since MCM in October. The race was a last minute decision (I signed up Tuesday night before the race once 3 slots came open) designed to test my mental stamina and toughness. That and the run itself was a chance to spend long hours on my feet, test my fueling/hydration, and just see how I would respond. Given my limited goals, I felt good about finishing. Harbison is a great venue w/ some sneaky tough trails that are fun to run.

See above.


Awesome volunteers who had tons of ultra goodies at the aid stations set up every 5k. Couldn't ask for better support and the trail was marked very well (you'd have to try hard to get lost). I was so slow that by the time I finished most of the post-race party & food was gone but that's ok. I'd give the race 4.5 stars if I could only b/c of that. T-shirt is nice, medal doubles as a bottle opener, and got 2 pint glasses to boot. Highly recommend.