JFK Preview- Appalachian Trail

I had an interesting day on our little AT section of the race. 13 miles in 5 hrs 15 mins. I was planning on doing a slow 3.5 -4 hr exploring run/hike. I started out great. Then I went up and up and up an incline that seemed to last for ever. I was wiped out. It was at the 3.5-5.5 mile marker of the course that they said was on pavement during the race. I saw a road but I went on the AT at that section. Maybe the road part is easier. I hope. Some of the trail is very runnable. Most is extremely technical. I will have rocks in my dreams for nights. I fell bad once. Thankfully I missed all the rocks. A huge thunderstorm hit the mountain that almost wiped me out. Tree branches were falling everywhere. I got hit in the head by small branches. I finally had to stop and hide next to a big sturdy tree that had few branches on it to wait out the storm. I'm glad I did. There were several big trees that fell on the trail where I was headed. After the storm the trail was pretty much flooded and unrunnable. I slipped and slid on in with a good "time on feet" workout. The trail is beautiful, but I'm just a little nervous about some of the ridiculous rocky sections. That 26 miles on the tow path may be welcomed after all.

Coming off the trail at Weverton (about the 15 mile mark of the JFK50)

In My Mind I'm Going to Carolina

AJ and I drove to Lisa's yesterday. 8 hours! We listened to Pearl Jam (mine), Slipnot and Avenged Sevenfold (AJ's) and The Beatles (any guesses). Reminds me of the time I drove across country with my Dad when I was still a teenager. We listened to Beethoven (Dad's) and The Beatles (mine). He said he actually liked The Beatles if he didn't have to look at them :)



I had a good 9 mile run in Mauldin before we headed up to Charlotte to visit Melanie, Mike and little Zoe.

I've Been Running on the Railraod...

Denver is a great place to run. We visited Boulder and Royal Gorge. Photos are coming. But I did my running on or next to a railroad track north of Denver. Now I'm back in Dc and the weather is hot, hot, hot.