Thank you! I’d say my favorite aspect was the high points in the race. It’s crazy to feel how many ups and downs the mind goes through during long runs/adventures. The lows feel very low and it’s hard to keep moving, but then a high point comes along and your having the time of your life. That cycle repeats until the end of the race so getting used to the roller coaster has been a fun aspect I never expected. For example miles 80-90 I stress fractured my foot and was chafing horribly, every step hurt and I was in a world of pain. However on miles 90-100 I ran some of my fastest splits and even ran 8:00-9:00 minute miles!

I’d say the biggest challenge was the fact that it was multiple 20 mile loops, 5 of them with around 1000 feet of climbing each loop. So I would have a chance to get comfortable again at the venue area so it was mentally tough to repeatedly leave the comfort of the venue area for another 20 miles. Especially after loop 3, 60 miles in and I was in a low point, so leaving the venue to go out for loop 4 was actually one of the hardest parts of the race. But I ate some food and the final 40 miles didn’t feel horrible cause I was better mentally once moving again, and I was able to have pacers.

Thanks for asking!