Lisa Migrates Ultras: Appalachian Trail Adventure Solo 50K

Appalachian Trail Adventure Solo 50K

Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap near HWY 40

If you know me you know anything I have to say can become a story. This one starts with a little girl who always got sick in the car, thus growing up really not liking car rides though liking where cars can go.

Chris travels A LOT for his job. He likes it when I go with him which seeing that I don't like car rides I don't do very often. He had an eight day trip to the Carolinas upcoming and once again my answer was "no". So he baited a hook, one with a barb.

He suggested that I run a 50K on the Appalachian Trail and he knew just the location. Well, what is a trail chick to do. So of course the answer switched to YES!

My trail time started at 4:15 AM on the 17 July 2015. I had planned on a 12 hour adventure. Chris has hiked this part of the trail, he thought it would take me longer. He was correct.

This section of trail is very rugged, much uphill, very technical. Extra time is needed when making a plan to do this adventure.

4:15 AM start 17 July 2015

I was very anxious about going out alone, so early in the morning, bears, people, scary things can happen out there. When anxiety got too strong I did push ups. I could distract myself from anxious thinking by reminding myself I had to do push ups and was too tired to want to do them.

I didn't want to talk myself out of this. One has leave their comfort zone in order to grow. Doing brave things grows the "brave muscle".

Follow the white blazes

With signs of the sun rising comes joy, not that it wasn't joyful to be out there anyway.

Sunrise - Smoky Mt National Park - Appalachian Trail

The challenge in running in the dark in the humid south, on trail, being able to see. Glasses fog up because of breath, I can't see without my glasses. It is a challenge, but not one that is going to keep me off the trails. The daylight brings sight!