In & Out

......... is as fast as this run seemed to go from start to finish. A mid-week email jumped things off with an offer to get in a run in Pisgah. So the ball gotta rolling with pretty please honey can I go to the mountains for a run. Please please! That was Wednesday. So plans were made, routes discussed and carpooling situated. It's off to the hills for a quick day trip.

Route for the day: Laurel Mountain TH > Laurel Mtn. > Connector > Pilot Rock > FS 1206 > Pilot Cove > FS 1206 > Laurel Mtn. TH

As I mentioned before this whole run came together quick. A few blinks later I'm heading up Laurel with Cobb, wondering with the day will hold for us. After my past experience at May Mountain Marathon. Good planning of food and fluids would be the deciding factor of the fun factor of this run. Assuming a four hour run ahead of me then asses the damages for another smaller loop. That was the plan.

This run would start on a super positive note. The staring temp was 68*. Making the climb up Laurel a welcomed change of pace. All goes well till along the decent on Pilot Rock something pops me in the right calf. Hoping around "ahh something bit me" looking like some pansy. A bit of investigating as to what it was. Nothing, not-a dang thing. Still I have no idea what hit me. Epipen in hand - do I or do I wait and see. Wait and see.

Find the nearest creek and soak my calf for a few minutes. By the time we got back to FS1206, there was a walnut size knot set up on my calf. Systems check had my stomach beginning to head south a bit. Still having a good time we set in for Pilot Cove. What started as a chill trail it soon tipped up. Then my walk pace set in. With the stomach cramps starting and the end was near. Really!By the time we hit 1206 again to the car was hell. My system was not amused. Walk jog walk some more. Shuffled in around 3:30 with 16+ miles. My run was over. However Cobb had some more training in mind. So he set off on another loop. While I stayed at the car and caught up on some ZZZZZZZZ.