During my last attempt, I set up drop bags and did it alone. This time around, I trained and enlisted support from friends to help pace me. Reece Robinson paced me through 13 miles of the toughest section, Manorville Hills. I then ran 18 miles alone through Flanders and Shinnecock to meet Andrew Drake & Sarah Drake near their home to run 13 miles through Tuckahoe Preserve & North Sea. From there I would pick up Dane Holloway who traveled from NH to pace me 40 miles through the night which would have left me around the 100 mile mark by dawn.
I was feeling great out there and ahead of schedule until close to the halfway point when I got hung up unexpectedly due to a miscommunication (I take responsibility), causing me to stand around with Andy & Sarah for a while. It was tough to recover from there and I eventually called it, but not before a bunch of personal bests and nearly 6 hours faster than my previous attempt at the 85 mile mark. In such long distance efforts, it’s really important to keep the body moving.
Until this project, I hadn’t ever really set a consistent training plan or spent much time on dialing in my nutrition for anything. And knowing how much of an investment pacing can be on others, I try not to ask for that kind of support often. So it was incredible to see how much closer to my potential I was able to get when I added those three factors together, especially pacers. I couldn’t have asked for better people to pace me. They read my planning documents, came prepared, understood the assignment, and were a giant source of support. I’m super grateful and can’t wait to return the favor - I think I owe Dane about five or six by this point :)
Although it would’ve been great to finish, it’s more about the process than the end and any day on trail in nature with cool people is a win. The weather was perfect, birds chirping and spring peepers peeping. What’s better? The Paumanok wins again - for now.
