March 9, 2025

Swammie Shuffle 200 Recap: The Party Pack’s Outer Banks Ultra Adventure

Swammie Shuffle 200 Recap: The Party Pack’s Outer Banks Ultra Adventure
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Season 3

What makes the difference between surviving and thriving during a 200-mile ultra journey? For five back-of-pack runners at the 2025 Swammie Shuffle 200, the answer emerged organically when they formed what they affectionately dubbed "the Party Pack." 

This episode pulls back the curtain on an unforgettable adventure along North Carolina's Outer Banks (#OBX), where the collective energy of the group transformed individual suffering into shared triumph. Richard Gleave hosts fellow Party Pack members Stephanie Fonda, Lisa McFadden, Elizabeth Mohan and Mike Edwards as they recount their experiences tackling this challenging 220-mile journey run from Sandbridge, Virginia to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and back.

The conversation weaves through the unique challenges of winter ultrarunning on the Outer Banks – navigating long beach stretches, timing food stops when most businesses are closed, and dodging traffic on narrow highway shoulders. What emerges is a masterclass in the psychological advantage of group dynamics during extreme endurance events. As Lisa reflects, "I don't race races, I just participate" – a sentiment that perfectly captures the spirit of this back-of-the-pack adventure.

Beyond physical challenges, the group shares surprisingly humorous moments: Mike doing laundry at a KOA in a Hanes t-shirt and undies, Stephanie's excitement at finding what appeared to be $700 (which turned out to be movie prop money), and the collective obsession with securing the elusive Duck Donuts. These light-hearted stories punctuate deeper reflections on why people run such extreme distances, including connections to veterans' causes and personal redemption.

Whether you're contemplating your first ultra or already have hundreds of miles under your belt, this conversation offers invaluable insights into the power of companionship during endurance challenges. Sometimes the magic of ultrarunning happens not at the front of the pack, but among those who choose to journey together, making the impossible feel achievable through shared determination and unexpected friendship.

Swammie Shuffle 200:

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=114996

Cape Fear 24hr:

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=112156

Choose to Endure:
Email:
info@choosetoendure.com

Website:
https://www.choosetoendure.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChoosetoEndure

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/choose_to_endure?utm_source=qr

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552757049526

Chapters

00:53 - Welcome to Choose to Endure

03:09 - Meeting the Party Pack Members

10:42 - Why Choose Swami Shuffle 200?

19:22 - Mental Approaches to Journey Running

29:26 - Best and Worst Days on Course

40:13 - Benefits of Running as a Group

48:37 - Navigating Food and Weather Challenges

57:06 - The Wildlife Preserve Timing Challenge

01:06:23 - Lessons Learned and Trail Songs

01:20:24 - Final Thoughts and Episode Closing

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.300 --> 00:00:01.703
Well, hello and welcome.

00:00:01.703 --> 00:00:05.713
If this is your first time with us, thank you for stopping by.

00:00:05.713 --> 00:00:19.333
You're listening to Choose to Endure, the show dedicated to the non-elite runners, where we share stories, interviews, gear and training tips specific to the tail-end heroes of the Ultra Universe.

00:00:19.333 --> 00:00:21.260
My name's Richard Glebe.

00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:47.159
I have been running ultras now since 2017, and I've taken on and finished numerous ultra distances, all the way up through 220 miles, and I am unashamedly a member of the back of the pack, just like many of you listening out there Now.

00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:57.222
A little over a week ago, you might have seen or heard that I had an incredible experience back running the Swami Shuffle 200, a pretty cool multi-day ultra that really tests the limits.

00:00:57.222 --> 00:01:01.566
But what made this race truly unforgettable for me wasn't just the miles.

00:01:01.566 --> 00:01:04.549
Forgettable for me wasn't just the miles, it was the people.

00:01:04.549 --> 00:01:20.100
And somewhere along the way, the five of us, me included, found each other stuck together and became somehow the self-proclaimed party pack.

00:01:20.100 --> 00:01:28.334
And through the highs, lows, a little bit of sleep deprivation, some laughter, a bit of suffering, we tackled most of the second half of the course as a group.

00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:38.087
So today I am joined by my fellow Party Pack members as we relive some of the craziness, the triumphs and everything in between.

00:01:38.087 --> 00:01:51.307
We're going to chat about the race itself, how we ended up coming together, what kept us moving and the benefits of traveling around as a group doing these kinds of events.

00:01:51.307 --> 00:01:52.468
So buckle up.

00:01:52.468 --> 00:01:54.894
This one is going to be kind of a fun ride.

00:01:54.894 --> 00:01:56.361
Let's jump right in.

00:01:56.361 --> 00:02:03.450
Discover raw, inspiring stories from runners who've been right where you are.

00:02:03.450 --> 00:02:13.432
This is the Choose to Endure Ultra Running Podcast with your host he's English, not Australian, richard Gleave.

00:02:16.661 --> 00:02:24.323
All right, before we get into what went down out there, I think we should start with a quick roll call.

00:02:24.323 --> 00:02:28.943
So we've got the other four members of the party pack here on the call.

00:02:28.943 --> 00:02:33.612
Maybe we kick off with having each of you introduce yourself.

00:02:33.612 --> 00:02:36.889
Maybe say your name quick, ultra running fact, if you've got one.

00:02:36.889 --> 00:02:38.615
Anyone want to go first?

00:02:38.615 --> 00:02:41.181
Otherwise I'm picking like we do at work.

00:02:41.181 --> 00:02:44.088
I'm going left to right on my screen.

00:02:44.088 --> 00:02:50.711
Stephanie, I'm afraid you're first as the last into the group joining the fun here.

00:02:51.454 --> 00:02:56.622
Well, I'm Stephanie Fonda and I started running ultras in 2012.

00:02:56.622 --> 00:03:15.442
And it was kind of by accident because my friend Mark Z we were running the Marine Corps Marathon together and he asked me if I wanted to run Stone Mill 50 miler with him and I said I have no idea what you're talking about right now.

00:03:15.442 --> 00:03:23.123
And he said, well, it's this 50 miler, not too far from home, and it's at that time in 2012,.

00:03:23.123 --> 00:03:31.429
It was $47 to register and he said so it's really good value at less than a dollar a mile and you can drop out anytime.

00:03:31.429 --> 00:03:38.567
So I said, ok, I'll do it, and that was my introduction to Ultra.

00:03:39.890 --> 00:03:45.691
Nice, onwards and upwards from there, and I think am I right in saying this was your first 200, stephanie?

00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:47.141
Yes, I think.

00:03:47.141 --> 00:03:52.212
I think I'm the only person in the group who has not done more than 100 miles before.

00:03:53.360 --> 00:04:01.675
Hold that thought Because I think we definitely want to get your thoughts on that from the rest of the group here how you felt it went on your first 200.

00:04:01.675 --> 00:04:04.270
But let's get everybody else introduced first.

00:04:04.270 --> 00:04:05.598
Who's up next?

00:04:05.598 --> 00:04:06.600
Lisa, you want to go?

00:04:07.322 --> 00:04:09.806
Yes, hey, I am Lisa McFadden.

00:04:09.806 --> 00:04:13.993
My fun fact is well, I actually got two.

00:04:13.993 --> 00:04:23.646
I'm also the race director of Cape Fear 24-Hour Endurance Run, and I always tell people that I do not race races, I just participate.

00:04:23.646 --> 00:04:27.463
I am a participant in all of these races, so that's why.

00:04:27.463 --> 00:04:29.889
I'm in the back of the pack with everybody else.

00:04:30.490 --> 00:04:31.353
Yes, they're not.

00:04:31.353 --> 00:04:32.903
They're not races, they're events.

00:04:32.903 --> 00:04:35.750
We just happen to participate in them.

00:04:35.750 --> 00:04:37.259
Yeah, fantastic, I love that.

00:04:37.259 --> 00:04:40.785
Elizabeth, mike, one of you guys.

00:04:40.785 --> 00:04:46.192
You guys tend to come as a pair, like in a running perspective, I should say.

00:04:46.894 --> 00:04:47.935
Well, I'll go.

00:04:47.935 --> 00:05:03.305
I'm probably the least experienced in the ultra world I started in 2018, but this was my first distance past 50 miles, so I did this race last year Past 50 miles.

00:05:03.766 --> 00:05:06.286
Right, wow, and here's me giving Stephanie a hard time Wow.

00:05:08.201 --> 00:05:11.790
I did it last year with Mike, but I only made it to the turnaround point.

00:05:11.790 --> 00:05:18.290
I did 110 over two and a half days, but this year I was determined to complete it.

00:05:18.290 --> 00:05:22.350
So I have my first 100 coming up in April at Umstead.

00:05:22.350 --> 00:05:27.360
I think Lisa's going to be there, mike's going to be there, mike's going to be there, I think.

00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:28.545
Stephanie, are you going to be there as well?

00:05:29.185 --> 00:05:30.891
I'm going to be there, all right.

00:05:31.822 --> 00:05:33.204
So it'll be a party reunion.

00:05:33.204 --> 00:05:36.906
But that'll actually be my first 100 miler, so yeah.

00:05:36.906 --> 00:05:38.906
So that's my fun fact.

00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:42.403
First official 100 miler Correct.

00:05:42.403 --> 00:05:45.285
If I were you I would still claim you got all the way down to the lighthouse.

00:05:45.285 --> 00:05:46.586
So I mean, that's like what?

00:05:46.586 --> 00:05:48.528
108, 110, something like that.

00:05:48.528 --> 00:05:51.550
So I would claim that one, even though it's unofficial.

00:05:51.550 --> 00:05:54.814
But yeah, that's really wild, brilliant.

00:05:54.814 --> 00:05:56.975
And Mike, you want to give us your quick lowdown.

00:05:57.456 --> 00:05:57.956
Good afternoon.

00:05:57.956 --> 00:06:02.021
My name is Mike Edwards Caveat towards Elizabeth.

00:06:02.021 --> 00:06:05.411
Yes, she dropped out at 108, but then she additionally did what?

00:06:05.411 --> 00:06:07.524
60 miles to keep me company.

00:06:07.524 --> 00:06:14.488
So she took a little day break and then she joined me and she I made the mistake going across the beach.

00:06:14.488 --> 00:06:20.485
I got a little competitive with Dave Moore this was last year so we went out with no.

00:06:20.485 --> 00:06:23.331
I went across the beach with no sleep for the most part.

00:06:23.331 --> 00:06:34.199
We met him at the Hampton Inn and went across, but the initial plan was for us to sleep at the Hampton Inn and get up and Elizabeth would join me for the last 22 miles.

00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:42.149
So in all essence, she would have made a 200-mile run last year, minus 20 miles that I did by myself.

00:06:42.149 --> 00:06:48.603
So everyone other than you, richard, I met Stephanie at Stone Mill in 2012.

00:06:48.603 --> 00:06:49.807
We ran many miles.

00:06:49.927 --> 00:06:53.153
I remember her friend, dr Z, as we call him.

00:06:53.153 --> 00:06:55.704
Uh, dr Z loves females.

00:06:55.704 --> 00:07:00.060
He had a harem of females running with him and Stephanie happened to have one of them.

00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:01.846
Help me out, stephanie.

00:07:01.846 --> 00:07:02.086
You had.

00:07:02.086 --> 00:07:04.552
You had purple hair or green hair back then.

00:07:06.961 --> 00:07:07.963
Uh, it was purple.

00:07:07.963 --> 00:07:11.209
What, yeah, purple, purple and short yeah, very short.

00:07:11.230 --> 00:07:12.252
So here was this little.

00:07:12.252 --> 00:07:18.151
You know we're the same age, but a little punkster running in the woods with purple hair.

00:07:18.151 --> 00:07:21.925
So I met Lisa at HOTS in 2020.

00:07:21.925 --> 00:07:25.750
I want to say so that we did a couple.

00:07:25.750 --> 00:07:31.247
We had a party boss, a party barge, I think they called it, then a handful of us doing that.

00:07:31.247 --> 00:07:33.151
I think we stayed together what?

00:07:33.151 --> 00:07:43.545
Four days, three days, five days, something like that, and then a couple yesterdays ago, two years ago, elizabeth reached out to me and wanted to know.

00:07:43.545 --> 00:07:56.552
The local club that we belong to advertised that I had done in Swami Shuffle and Elizabeth wanted to know more about that and I met her at the coffee shop to show her that, yes, we run along the side of the road, but it's not.

00:07:56.552 --> 00:08:00.360
I'm very comfortable running on the shoulder.

00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:05.971
I know Lisa is because a lot of hots or vol states even smaller shoulders.

00:08:05.971 --> 00:08:14.620
So, um, I understand this big fear of trucks going by blowing your hats off and blast you in the face and all that stuff.

00:08:14.641 --> 00:08:16.485
So I think we should have.

00:08:16.485 --> 00:08:26.233
We should have had a running count of how many times elizabeth's hat either blew off or nearly blew off, you know from the wind or truck or whatever.

00:08:26.233 --> 00:08:31.755
I mean, it was like it was a lot, so you might have to find a tighter hat, elizabeth I don't have to.

00:08:32.037 --> 00:08:40.607
I mean, I gave myself a sore neck on the beach because I had my head angled down so that the wind didn't blow it off and mike asked me later, like why didn't you just take it off?

00:08:40.607 --> 00:08:42.801
And I was like, because my brain wasn't working.

00:08:42.801 --> 00:08:45.250
By that point it didn't occur to me to just take it off.

00:08:45.820 --> 00:08:56.823
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, but well, so I think, mike, that was a good, a good lead in, though, to our sort of first group question, if you will in that, and we've touched on a little bit.

00:08:56.823 --> 00:09:00.152
But like, why did you guys sign up for this race?

00:09:00.152 --> 00:09:08.253
Like, what, what, what drew you to Swami Shuffle 2025 as opposed to other races out there in the first place?

00:09:09.315 --> 00:09:09.595
I'll go.

00:09:09.595 --> 00:09:14.331
I've been wanting to do this race for several years.

00:09:14.331 --> 00:09:16.749
It just does not work out well with my calendar.

00:09:16.749 --> 00:09:35.567
And this is the first year that it did work, and so I was really excited that I was going to actually be able to do it, and I've wanted to do a journey run in a winter month as opposed to something in the summer months which I've normally done, so this was a little bit different for me this time.

00:09:36.250 --> 00:09:45.650
Yeah, now Lisa, you've done Hots and Vol State with any other big journey runs, how did this one compare?

00:09:45.671 --> 00:09:52.368
well, and then I've also done a third circle of hell, and that was 370 miles yeah.

00:09:52.388 --> 00:10:02.466
So this one, you know anything over 100 miles, you know it's going to take multiple days for most normal people.

00:10:02.466 --> 00:10:09.787
And for me this one was different because you had hotels and you knew exactly where you were going to go.

00:10:09.787 --> 00:10:14.143
It was an out and back, so you could kind of divide it up based on that.

00:10:14.143 --> 00:10:21.442
And so for my mind, as Mike has said over this whole journey was it's a beach vacation.

00:10:21.442 --> 00:10:23.866
So that just sort of gets stuck in your mind.

00:10:23.866 --> 00:10:35.691
You're like oh yeah, I've got a hotel to stay in every night, I've got real food to eat and I know where they're at, going and coming back, and I don't have to sleep in a Dollar General parking lot.

00:10:37.663 --> 00:10:38.948
So, that was a bonus.

00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:41.477
That's definitely got to be a bonus, I would imagine.

00:10:41.477 --> 00:10:53.495
Yeah, I do think, though, just mentally, it makes a big difference when you know where your end point is every day and you know you've got some time, I have some downtime there or I'm going to be able to put my feet up or whatever.

00:10:53.495 --> 00:11:02.884
When you know that in advance, I think it makes the day more bearable than if you just set out and said I'm just going to run this whole thing and I'm not going to stop until I need to and I've have no idea where I'm going to stop.

00:11:02.884 --> 00:11:09.634
I think that's more of a challenge than kind of having a defined start finish every day.

00:11:09.634 --> 00:11:11.024
How about the rest of you guys?

00:11:11.024 --> 00:11:20.215
I think, elizabeth, you talked about not finishing last year and you wanted to definitely come back and make sure you righted that wrong, so to speak.

00:11:20.215 --> 00:11:22.946
Was that your main driver for signing up this go around?

00:11:23.748 --> 00:11:25.072
Oh, absolutely, this go around.

00:11:25.072 --> 00:11:32.643
It was, um, my main goal was, was was to complete it.

00:11:32.643 --> 00:11:33.384
But I but I had a preview last year.

00:11:33.384 --> 00:11:34.807
So last year when I signed up, um, I was really ignorant.

00:11:34.807 --> 00:11:36.952
I had no idea what I was signing up for.

00:11:36.952 --> 00:11:42.044
I asked a lot of questions but um, it was.

00:11:42.044 --> 00:11:53.904
It was a really big unknown for me and I learned a lot of where I needed to change things, what I needed to do differently in my training and my preparation, and I'd seen the whole course.

00:11:53.904 --> 00:11:58.072
So, going into it this year I knew I could do it with the right training.

00:11:58.072 --> 00:12:06.133
There was really no unknown and I put the work in with the sole goal of completing it.

00:12:06.133 --> 00:12:08.125
And Mike and I trained a lot.

00:12:08.125 --> 00:12:16.168
I did a lot of road miles this year, whereas coming into this last year it was mostly running trails, so the pounding on the pavement really beat me up.

00:12:17.081 --> 00:12:31.687
So, I spent the last year doing a lot of walking on roads and running on roads, but yeah, I mean, we've been talking about this all year for the last two years because we talked about it the year before last, going into it, and then again this year just what do we need to do to be successful?

00:12:31.687 --> 00:12:32.630
What do I need to do?

00:12:32.630 --> 00:12:33.534
Mike is a machine.

00:12:33.534 --> 00:12:35.302
He just keeps going, he doesn't stop.

00:12:35.302 --> 00:12:38.607
But I'm a moral, I needed more preparation.

00:12:39.168 --> 00:12:56.653
So, um, yeah, that was my goal, just get it done well, we'll get to mike in a minute, but I I am keen to come back to Stephanie, with this being your first 200, right, never mind kind of a journey-style race for a minute, because I think they're quite different to other 200s out there as well.

00:12:56.653 --> 00:13:01.371
So what was it that drew you to sign up for a Swami Shuffle?

00:13:03.020 --> 00:13:03.985
Well, a couple of things.

00:13:03.985 --> 00:13:06.846
One thing is mike he.

00:13:06.846 --> 00:13:15.580
He sent me some beautiful photos from his prior experiences I'm sensing a theme here mike's the glue, that's for sure.

00:13:16.542 --> 00:13:19.184
And you know beautiful sunrises on the beach.

00:13:19.184 --> 00:13:24.792
I was, I was, I was interested in that and the whole beach vacation concept.

00:13:24.792 --> 00:13:27.315
But it was more than that.

00:13:27.315 --> 00:13:30.767
For me, the cause really meant a lot, or means a lot.

00:13:30.767 --> 00:13:37.065
I've been working in military health care and veterans health care for since 2003.

00:13:37.065 --> 00:13:46.155
And so I wanted to I don't know just do something more for that community because it's so important to me.

00:13:46.155 --> 00:13:55.446
And so the cause mattered a lot and because of that I was very moved by the story that underlies the whole event.

00:13:55.446 --> 00:14:17.625
You know the reason for the event the suicide of this young veteran and you know I did cry many times during the event when we encountered veterans, like at a gas station, a veteran approached Lisa and shook her hand and I went to pieces seeing that.

00:14:17.625 --> 00:14:19.188
That really mattered a lot.

00:14:19.188 --> 00:14:21.673
It felt like what we were doing was.

00:14:21.673 --> 00:14:27.153
You know, it was for us, we were having a beach vacation, but it was also meaningful for other people too.

00:14:27.153 --> 00:14:29.347
So that was a driver for me.

00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:37.014
I think it's a fantastic cause and it just adds another dimension to running a journey race of this length.

00:14:37.014 --> 00:14:50.510
When you get to talk to people about the reason why while you're doing it, I think that's really cool and definitely one of the draws for me aside from Mike's beach vacation is the cause.

00:14:50.510 --> 00:15:02.490
I really love that and I've got lots of friends and family who are veterans, and just being able to feel like I'm doing something on behalf of that to raise awareness, however I can, is really awesome.

00:15:02.490 --> 00:15:06.201
But let's not forget Mike, because you've done like what is this?

00:15:06.201 --> 00:15:07.504
Was this your third one?

00:15:08.405 --> 00:15:08.966
is that right?

00:15:09.788 --> 00:15:14.649
fourth one oh my gosh I'm, I'm, totally uh it's totally doing you down for one of these.

00:15:15.090 --> 00:15:18.302
So next year you're back for the thousand mile buckle, right?

00:15:18.543 --> 00:15:22.460
yeah, yeah, I don't think they offer that, but they said something about maybe, a possibly.

00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:24.405
They call it bricks.

00:15:24.405 --> 00:15:30.851
Apparently they can get a brick from the, from the lighthouse that they're going to offer to me, so that might be kind of cool.

00:15:30.871 --> 00:15:33.946
So um, let's walk away with a brick.

00:15:34.466 --> 00:15:38.621
A brick, that's a so does that mean, we're all going back next year, so mike can get his?

00:15:38.642 --> 00:15:39.744
break.

00:15:39.744 --> 00:15:46.095
I told elizabeth I'm gonna say eliz say Elizabeth is my currently, she's my trail, my running wife.

00:15:46.095 --> 00:15:51.272
It's like she was pampered this year with her husband being there and Christina was there.

00:15:51.272 --> 00:15:57.741
It's like, okay, how about if we try to get with you carrying your gear again and, if need be?

00:15:57.741 --> 00:16:02.874
Last year we were just becoming friends and we did not really communicate.

00:16:02.874 --> 00:16:06.049
We were very sensitive on each other's toes, if that makes sense.

00:16:06.049 --> 00:16:15.311
So this year we have a better understanding of what each other's needs are and I did tell her that I was going to stay with her to be successful for her.

00:16:15.311 --> 00:16:17.727
I know Lisa from past experience.

00:16:17.727 --> 00:16:19.386
I see her at Umstead every year.

00:16:19.386 --> 00:16:21.206
I know what she's able to do.

00:16:21.206 --> 00:16:26.152
I know chatting with her while she was doing the third circle of hell.

00:16:26.152 --> 00:16:28.143
She was mentally struggling.

00:16:28.143 --> 00:16:29.826
The weather was not cooperating.

00:16:29.826 --> 00:16:34.525
I can only envision what she had to go through in order to complete that.

00:16:34.525 --> 00:16:42.331
But I know she's one tough cookie and I've known Stephanie since forever, so I know what she's able to do.

00:16:42.331 --> 00:16:43.835
So it's a beach vacation.

00:16:43.855 --> 00:16:44.937
Why so you come a beach vacation?

00:16:44.937 --> 00:16:47.966
Why so you come back four times?

00:16:47.966 --> 00:16:49.907
Why do you keep coming back to this race?

00:16:51.582 --> 00:16:54.110
It is a wonderful cause.

00:16:54.110 --> 00:17:09.103
What these two guys put on the very first one I read about and it was a virtual 200 mile run, and I signed up for this stuff in 2022 is when I signed up for it and I don't remember.

00:17:09.103 --> 00:17:12.571
Maybe there was 22 of us, 18 started, maybe something like that.

00:17:12.571 --> 00:17:16.948
I can't remember what, but I thought I was running 200 miles.

00:17:16.948 --> 00:17:18.692
It did not occur to me.

00:17:18.692 --> 00:17:21.845
Now there's statistics out there, there's blogs out there.

00:17:21.845 --> 00:17:36.288
It's written out there that it's more than 220 miles, but I remember running towards the lighthouse oh, dark hours watching that light working and that light was never this is what I was having.

00:17:36.288 --> 00:17:43.665
By timing it, I was actually competitive and it was at 98 miles and that was nowhere close to two miles away.

00:17:43.665 --> 00:17:53.553
Right, yes, when at the finish line that day that year, I questioned it and they both laughed at me, so it's like okay, so I was the fool.

00:17:54.013 --> 00:17:59.986
So, but the cause per se, right before we got on here, if I can hit you, some statistics.

00:17:59.986 --> 00:18:05.171
Statistics, yes, rollcarorg, a 20-year survey.

00:18:05.171 --> 00:18:18.193
They said 7,057 service people were killed in action Of the 20 years, 30,177 committed suicide of the same time frame.

00:18:18.193 --> 00:18:23.280
So we're talking a lot and in my personal life.

00:18:23.280 --> 00:18:29.066
My daughter has struggled with those thoughts so it resonates very heavily with me.

00:18:29.066 --> 00:18:33.409
So until I can't walk it, I'm going to be John Price.

00:18:33.469 --> 00:18:35.770
And they just pulled the trigger for the tap out.

00:18:35.770 --> 00:18:45.500
But brilliant, yeah.

00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:59.651
So for you guys either first time folks or folks that have done this mileage in this style of run before, or Mike for you that's done a couple of Swamis before how do you, how do you guys mentally approach a race like this?

00:19:01.461 --> 00:19:08.683
This particular one you have to do your homework with, because the unknown is where you're going to stop or where you're going to get aid from.

00:19:08.683 --> 00:19:28.392
I had done it's defunct now but there was a race called Tar Heel Ultra, running basically Corolla up to the state line, turning around and running all the way back down to South Carolina 378 miles in December, and I'm thinking like the Washington DC area.

00:19:28.392 --> 00:19:30.474
Everything is open 24 hours.

00:19:30.474 --> 00:19:34.509
For the most part I did not realize things closed down.

00:19:34.509 --> 00:19:41.493
Things didn't either open during wintertime or things closed down rarely till like four or five o'clock.

00:19:41.493 --> 00:19:45.367
So it took me two tries to get that race done.

00:19:45.367 --> 00:19:51.446
Um, but from this doing swami shuffle, I did homework.

00:19:51.446 --> 00:20:07.005
I shared my homework with, with this, my little group here of what stores were open, what their hours were, what their phone numbers were, what hotels were there, what miles there were, just because I did not want to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

00:20:07.005 --> 00:20:14.050
So, or similar to what your experience last year was, I have no desire to sleep in the bathroom or the post office.

00:20:14.800 --> 00:20:19.160
Yes, Neither of those were particularly appealing, uncomfortable.

00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:19.619
Yes, yeah.

00:20:20.080 --> 00:20:26.712
I mean sleeping on a bathroom floor a la Bob Marizzi, who is the original for doing that, I think.

00:20:26.712 --> 00:20:27.714
So shout out to Bob.

00:20:27.714 --> 00:20:31.691
But yeah that was not my favorite thing to do, I have to say.

00:20:31.691 --> 00:20:35.549
Anybody else have a different mental approach.

00:20:35.549 --> 00:20:39.109
How did you think about finishing this race?

00:20:40.140 --> 00:20:40.400
For me.

00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.962
I kind of break it into chunks.

00:20:42.962 --> 00:20:44.904
Chunks meaning by day.

00:20:45.385 --> 00:21:04.819
My original goal was to try to finish by Thursday afternoon, because my boys had a basketball game on Friday night that I was hoping to get home for, but by Wednesday I'm like, no, it's going to be Friday morning and we're just going to take this easy and then break up the next two days or the last two days.

00:21:04.819 --> 00:21:07.184
We're just going to take this easy and then break up the next two days or the last two days.

00:21:07.184 --> 00:21:11.973
So when I go into these things I think about it by days and number of miles per day that I want to get accomplished.

00:21:11.973 --> 00:21:17.492
I also had Mike's cheat sheet of mileage and what was open and what was available.

00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:36.249
I think it's a good idea to just give folks a rundown, because this is a really interesting journey run because of what what you guys were talking about like it's in the off season in the outer banks of north carolina and it's a 110 miles down to a the cape hatteras lighthouse.

00:21:36.249 --> 00:21:38.272
From sandbridge, virginia.

00:21:38.272 --> 00:21:44.569
You run the first 22 miles on a beach, you pop out in corolla and then you run straight down.

00:21:44.569 --> 00:21:45.090
What is it?

00:21:45.090 --> 00:21:53.133
Nc12, the road basically straight down through a bunch of towns to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

00:21:53.133 --> 00:21:55.568
You turn around and you go right the way back again.

00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:05.019
So I do think the lack of places open to get food and water potentially can be a real challenge.

00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:06.001
Places open to get food and and water potentially can be a real challenge.

00:22:06.001 --> 00:22:12.236
And there are some big stretches, the beach being the first one right out, and then on your way back which is what was that?

00:22:12.236 --> 00:22:16.009
22 miles, I think, right out the gate where there's no, I mean, it's a beach, so there's nothing.

00:22:16.009 --> 00:22:23.240
And then you know the the whole p island, bode island stretch, where there's very little open down there.

00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:28.643
There's one visitor center in the middle of that, but you have to catch it at the right time for it to be open.

00:22:28.643 --> 00:22:35.067
So there's a number of stretches that are fairly challenging to do.

00:22:35.067 --> 00:22:42.628
If you are going solo, if you don't have a crew, if you've got a crew that can move along with you, it's less of a challenge.

00:22:42.749 --> 00:22:48.433
But I think there are a number of people out there me included I like to do this solo.

00:22:48.433 --> 00:22:58.824
I want that experience and that journey, but it is a challenge and you really do have to think about where am I going to stop and what do I need before I carry on.

00:22:58.824 --> 00:23:05.883
Am I prepped for the next, this 22 mile section where I potentially might not have access to anything?

00:23:05.883 --> 00:23:14.449
So I do think it's an interesting and slightly different race from that perspective, just given the time of year and the location as well.

00:23:14.449 --> 00:23:16.454
Stephanie, how about you?

00:23:16.454 --> 00:23:18.560
What were your expectations coming into this?

00:23:18.560 --> 00:23:19.923
How did you like from doing?

00:23:19.923 --> 00:23:26.365
You've done a hundred, if I recall correctly, but this would be your first 200 and first journey race.

00:23:26.365 --> 00:23:31.365
So when you were thinking about this like, like, how did you try to compute?

00:23:32.166 --> 00:23:37.990
Well, I used the cheat sheet that that Mike provided I got to get a copy of this cheat sheet that Mike throws out.

00:23:38.300 --> 00:23:40.429
I think I'm missing out for some reason.

00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:46.972
And I had intended to make notes on it as I was traveling, but I didn't do that.

00:23:46.972 --> 00:23:50.068
There were a couple of unexpected things for me.

00:23:50.068 --> 00:23:53.269
I'm sure everyone will talk about their prep.

00:23:53.269 --> 00:23:55.188
I'm going to talk about the things that surprised me.

00:23:55.188 --> 00:24:01.313
One thing that surprised me and I found unsettling initially, although I think I adapted to it.

00:24:01.313 --> 00:24:05.445
I thought the first section was just fantastic.

00:24:05.445 --> 00:24:10.642
You know, from when we started to Kitty Hawk, I think we stayed.

00:24:10.642 --> 00:24:21.186
I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which was, I think, 47 miles from the start, and all of that was just very doable, very safe from my perspective.

00:24:21.186 --> 00:24:27.428
And then I was very surprised on that second day when I encountered all that highway.

00:24:27.428 --> 00:24:28.752
I'm just not accustomed to that.

00:24:28.752 --> 00:24:36.634
I'm accustomed to trail and the shoulder was decent, but for a trail runner it was unsettling that first day.

00:24:36.634 --> 00:24:38.621
And the bridges were unsettling too.

00:24:38.621 --> 00:24:42.771
And I think I encountered you that day, richard and that helped me a lot yeah.

00:24:44.421 --> 00:25:02.872
Another surprise for me was that I thought that from the KOA in Rodanthe I may be mispronouncing the name of that town, but Rodanthe, rodanthe or something I thought that the round trip to and from the KOA to get around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was actually 60 miles.

00:25:02.872 --> 00:25:09.548
So imagine my delight when I realized I was telling Elizabeth this.

00:25:09.548 --> 00:25:19.402
It was like the first time I've ever had a gift like this when I got to the lighthouse and realized, oh, this day is going to be a lot shorter than I was expecting.

00:25:19.402 --> 00:25:24.753
So that that was pretty fantastic, because I think that was a 48, 48 mile day.

00:25:24.753 --> 00:25:29.450
So my prep was, you know, I tried but it wasn't great.

00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:33.163
I think it would be much better the next time around.

00:25:33.163 --> 00:25:48.766
But obviously I had made some, some mistakes if I didn't realize that, you know, there were these long stretches of highway and that I was going to be spared 12 miles on that day to and from the lighthouse, from the koa.

00:25:48.766 --> 00:25:55.569
So not sure I'm a good person to ask about prep, but that's, that was my experience.

00:25:55.611 --> 00:25:58.804
So well, apparently mike needs to update his spreadsheet for that.

00:25:58.804 --> 00:26:00.409
Uh, for that particular stretch.

00:26:00.429 --> 00:26:01.231
Read it correctly.

00:26:01.231 --> 00:26:02.921
All right, that's what it is.

00:26:02.941 --> 00:26:12.607
Yeah, okay, all right, it's user error, it's well prepared and I will definitely take responsibility for not interpreting that right, but they're.

00:26:12.607 --> 00:26:16.001
They're that section from the koa to the lighthouse.

00:26:16.001 --> 00:26:27.259
You, you do hit some towns, but there's some long stretches there too, you know, not just from Kitty Hawk to the KOA but also from the KOA to the lighthouse.

00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:41.787
And I was running with Jeremy that day for, yeah, all of that day, for, yeah, all of that day, and I was really rattled by the roads that that I encountered the prior day.

00:26:41.787 --> 00:26:46.740
You know just not used to that and also was worried about that being a 60 mile day.

00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:52.672
So when he texted me at one 30 and said I can't sleep, do you want to go?

00:26:52.672 --> 00:26:55.464
I said sure I can, I'll be ready at two 30.

00:26:56.207 --> 00:27:00.180
And that was actually a really cool time to run along that highway.

00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:09.991
It was at 2.30 in the morning because there were no cars and the stars were fantastic, and I think I would do that again if I just wanted to.

00:27:09.991 --> 00:27:15.011
Again, I would do a little bit more of the late night running than I had expected.

00:27:15.011 --> 00:27:19.257
I hadn't planned for that of the late night running than I had expected.

00:27:19.257 --> 00:27:22.099
I hadn't planned for that, and it turned out to be really kind of a high point of the whole event.

00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:25.671
It was just those quiet hours in the middle of the night.

00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:29.023
I love those times, and I did the same.

00:27:29.023 --> 00:27:29.384
Actually.

00:27:29.384 --> 00:27:34.345
I went out from the KOA, I think about 12.30 am, but for the same reason.

00:27:34.345 --> 00:27:39.605
First of all, I wanted out to the sun, but secondly, it's just so quiet and the stars are so pretty down there.

00:27:39.605 --> 00:28:03.208
I will say, though, that the the only things that bombed past me on that stretch were these, uh, waste disposal trucks, so every time they whiz by, you get this waft of air, and then the waste disposal stench came with it, so that wasn't super great, but otherwise, yes, lots of quiet time out on the roads, which was cool, and that's quite a good question actually.

00:28:03.208 --> 00:28:04.806
Let's go around the group.

00:28:04.806 --> 00:28:08.228
Everybody's best day and worst day.

00:28:09.442 --> 00:28:10.948
My best day was the first day.

00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:13.327
It's always the best day yeah.

00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:17.241
And then the worst day is typically always the second day.

00:28:17.241 --> 00:28:31.809
Somewhere between 60 miles and 85 miles, I always my stomach just turns and it typically means I need I need to rest and I really need calories.

00:28:31.809 --> 00:28:35.271
To where we were eating dinner on the second night.

00:28:35.271 --> 00:28:39.753
I felt horrible and all I wanted to do is just take my food and go lay down.

00:28:39.753 --> 00:28:51.046
But by the time I got I left Elizabeth left with me to go to the KOA from the restaurant and by the time I was in there 15, 20 minutes, had a shower.

00:28:51.046 --> 00:28:57.892
I felt so much better and was able to eat and slept pretty good Fantastic much better and was able to eat and slept pretty good.

00:28:57.932 --> 00:28:58.355
Fantastic after that.

00:28:58.355 --> 00:29:08.548
It was my body was just used to being out there and I knew it had, you know, 140 something miles to go yeah, I think sometimes it's just that it's just getting over that hump.

00:29:08.750 --> 00:29:30.424
Once you get past it and your body kind of accepts that, okay, I'm in this and it isn't stopping, it sort of gives up and for want of a better term I'm sure the scientists out there will correct me on that but I do feel like psychologically, that getting over that second day is a big deal in these multi-day races for sure, and just kind of getting into a groove.

00:29:30.424 --> 00:29:32.069
Elizabeth, how about you?

00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:34.144
The first day.

00:29:34.144 --> 00:29:41.042
I mean, I just love the beach, so anytime I can spend time at the beach is magical for me.

00:29:41.042 --> 00:29:45.192
And it was sunny and we hit the tide just right.

00:29:45.192 --> 00:29:55.932
So we were heading out on pretty firm sand and had good company and you're optimistic and everything's going right and you're not tired yet.

00:29:55.932 --> 00:29:57.934
So I just I love those.

00:29:57.934 --> 00:30:00.984
First, those first 20, 20, 22 miles on the beach.

00:30:00.984 --> 00:30:09.990
And then I would say, because I had done this a year prior unsuccessfully, and I knew what to expect.

00:30:09.990 --> 00:30:17.769
I, you know, unlike Stephanie, where you know I can see where that those long stretches on the highway, when you're not expecting that, can really throw you for a loop.

00:30:17.769 --> 00:30:20.748
I was mentally prepared for that, so I knew that was coming.

00:30:20.807 --> 00:30:21.430
Right yeah.

00:30:21.921 --> 00:30:27.154
The third day, going to the lighthouse and back, actually was one of my better days too.

00:30:27.154 --> 00:30:28.136
I felt great.

00:30:28.136 --> 00:30:34.592
I was really surprised at how my body was able to recover overnight.

00:30:34.592 --> 00:30:35.693
So we slept.

00:30:35.693 --> 00:30:50.441
I mean we got up at three or so in the morning, we were out the door sometime around five, but we were getting in early enough that I could take a shower, could relax, could sleep, could eat, could make sure that I was feeling properly.

00:30:50.441 --> 00:30:53.907
My experience was completely different than last year.

00:30:53.907 --> 00:31:00.125
I felt good the whole time and I was really amazed at how my body could recover overnight.

00:31:00.125 --> 00:31:05.041
My nutrition last year, taking care of my feet last year, was completely different.

00:31:05.041 --> 00:31:07.487
So I corrected a lot of my mistakes.

00:31:07.487 --> 00:31:23.733
And so day three, coming back from the lighthouse, I think knowing that I was sort of surpassing where I had gone the year before, knowing that I was sort of surpassing where I had gone the year before and was going farther than I had ever gone, was a real boost to my mood.

00:31:23.733 --> 00:31:25.015
Was that on your?

00:31:25.075 --> 00:31:42.222
mind, elizabeth, along the way, Was it playing on your mind as you got through day two and you're into day three and you know, okay, I'm hitting the same stretch now where I, where I tapped out last year, were you, were you thinking of that as you were going, and was that a driver, or were you just sort of in the moment and doing what you needed to do?

00:31:42.584 --> 00:31:43.607
I think I think both.

00:31:43.607 --> 00:32:01.928
I think it was on my mind I was kind of waiting for the wheels to fall off and they weren't, Whereas last year they they fell off much, much earlier and I was sort of just hanging on for dear life trying to get to that lighthouse, to get a break, and it never happened.

00:32:02.209 --> 00:32:07.727
It was a completely different experience for me, and so I was amazed at what my body could do.

00:32:07.727 --> 00:32:12.546
I was amazed at how well my training was paying off and how good I felt.

00:32:12.546 --> 00:32:25.548
I wasn't expecting to feel as good as I felt, and so going into day three, which Mike kept saying was the hardest Lisa I think mentioned it once or twice like you got to get through day three because, like mentally, like that was my ending point last year.

00:32:25.788 --> 00:32:34.061
So yeah yeah, I think there was a build up for that to get through that and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I was making it out to be prior.

00:32:34.061 --> 00:32:38.612
So going there and leaving the lighthouse, I felt great.

00:32:38.612 --> 00:32:41.165
I felt really good and I was optimistic.

00:32:41.165 --> 00:32:42.767
I knew at that point that I was going to make it.

00:32:42.767 --> 00:32:45.948
There was no doubt in my mind that this year was going to be different for me.

00:32:47.181 --> 00:32:52.148
Yeah, that out and back on our day three, I'm sure for the Zoomy folks out there.

00:32:52.401 --> 00:33:08.670
I don't know what day that was like one and a half, I don't know but our day three, when we're going out from the KOA back to the KOA, I think it's like I don't know 45, 46, I don't know something like that miles, it feels like such a long stretch out and back.

00:33:08.670 --> 00:33:10.105
I don't know how you guys feel.

00:33:10.105 --> 00:33:14.122
That's always for me I had a really good time going out as well.

00:33:14.122 --> 00:33:16.644
That was my best section of the whole race, I would say.

00:33:16.644 --> 00:33:20.366
Going out to the lighthouse from the KOA I was able to run.

00:33:20.366 --> 00:33:24.730
I ran five miles straight on that section which I was absolutely baffled by.

00:33:24.730 --> 00:33:30.797
I couldn't figure out how or why I could run that morning, but I did, and then it all fell off coming back.

00:33:30.797 --> 00:33:42.124
So it was one of my slowest sections coming back from the lighthouse.

00:33:42.124 --> 00:33:43.806
So it sort of evened out over the two legs.

00:33:44.366 --> 00:33:56.605
But it does feel like such a long leg that, especially from Avon back to, for me anyway, from Avon back to where the KOA is in I think it's Waves, might be the town, I don't know, just up north of Salvo, rodanth, yeah, in that area.

00:33:56.605 --> 00:34:06.288
So yeah, just a good day going out, rubbish day coming back, but I think it evened itself out over time.

00:34:06.288 --> 00:34:07.270
Mike, how about you?

00:34:07.270 --> 00:34:12.309
You've done this a couple of times, so like you always seem kind of positive, lisa too.

00:34:12.309 --> 00:34:14.824
I think I told you that, lisa, like, do you have bad days?

00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:25.163
Like you always seem so chipper rich on your way back.

00:34:25.163 --> 00:34:25.603
How long did you?

00:34:25.623 --> 00:34:26.226
spend at the lighthouse?

00:34:26.226 --> 00:34:26.626
Oh, next to nothing.

00:34:26.626 --> 00:34:26.987
Okay, it was cold.

00:34:26.987 --> 00:34:27.389
I I didn't.

00:34:27.389 --> 00:34:28.572
I I hit the, uh, warm restroom there.

00:34:28.572 --> 00:34:33.666
I might have had 10 or 15 minutes in there just warming up, because it was really cold.

00:34:33.666 --> 00:34:40.277
I mean, I don't know what happened that morning, but I felt that was I had to put on my big jacket and everything, but, yeah, not too long.

00:34:40.277 --> 00:34:45.688
I did, though, stop in avon for an hour at the food lion because I hadn't eaten.

00:34:45.688 --> 00:34:50.523
I left at 12 45 that morning and obviously nothing open at all.

00:34:50.523 --> 00:34:58.324
So I went all the way out, 22 miles out, and then all the way back to avon before I could find anything that was remotely open for food.

00:34:58.324 --> 00:35:06.987
So I had to stop there and uh, and and get some something to eat, and I looked fairly disheveled and cold and sort of homeless when I walked in there.

00:35:06.987 --> 00:35:14.291
Um, I had to explain myself to the cashier, yeah, and, and she helped me find some something, rather, but uh, how about.

00:35:14.331 --> 00:35:16.324
So, mike what, what did you have bad days?

00:35:16.385 --> 00:35:20.445
mike what, what, uh, and were they the same as prior years or no, I can't.

00:35:20.445 --> 00:35:24.721
I've had some low moments, similar to you guys.

00:35:24.721 --> 00:35:30.351
I had day three coming back, I can't say the wheels fell off, but they were wobbling.

00:35:30.351 --> 00:36:00.467
I think the discussion I had with we were walking out of the lighthouse and it took us six, six and a half hours to get to the lighthouse and I told Elizabeth it's going to take us about eight hours to get back and that that lit a fire in her ass as she went off to the woods because even walking out, Lisa and I watching her walk past us, like walking out of the state park or the federal, whatever that park is and then she started running.

00:36:00.467 --> 00:36:02.327
It's like holy crap, she's gone.

00:36:02.327 --> 00:36:05.590
So I hadn't even gotten out of the state park.

00:36:06.422 --> 00:36:14.509
You know how that big left-hand turn coming out, coming back down towards Avon, she had already gone around the corner, it's like because Lisa and I couldn't find her.

00:36:14.509 --> 00:36:16.748
It's like, did she stop into the bathroom?

00:36:16.748 --> 00:36:18.947
Did she stop at the drugstore?

00:36:18.947 --> 00:36:20.867
It wasn't until we came around.

00:36:20.867 --> 00:36:22.768
It's like, do I need to call her husband?

00:36:22.768 --> 00:36:26.411
Because her husband wasn't even aware what she had asked him already.

00:36:26.411 --> 00:36:28.364
So on a mission.

00:36:28.686 --> 00:36:29.809
Elizabeth, what was going on?

00:36:30.201 --> 00:36:31.811
She was on a mission to get back.

00:36:32.659 --> 00:36:34.742
I was on a mission to get back, I felt good.

00:36:34.742 --> 00:36:42.733
It was a sunny day, I was feeling good and farther than I'd ever gone, so I just think that that just made my day, so I had extra energy.

00:36:42.733 --> 00:37:03.559
No-transcript.

00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:06.768
It is a strange optical illusion that, but it's very true.

00:37:06.887 --> 00:37:20.626
It doesn't matter which way you go, and it does look like you're going uphill, slightly uphill Journey runs that I know Lisa has done more than I have, but you tend to stay more towards the nighttime just to get out of the heat or get out of the traffic.

00:37:20.626 --> 00:37:23.893
But, as you alluded to, nothing is open.

00:37:23.893 --> 00:37:26.929
So you really like Stephanie.

00:37:26.929 --> 00:37:31.563
She's probably grateful that she had Drew, but that's a risky thing.

00:37:31.563 --> 00:37:41.907
I think there's 7-Eleven and Kitty Hawk that's open 24 hours a day, and then there's one might be in Nags Head, but other than that everything closed down.

00:37:41.907 --> 00:38:00.896
So if you're not crude, you're pretty well carrying everything that you need until the world starts opening up in the morning, and sometimes you expect them to be opening up regular business hours and they are opening up hours later because there's no traffic.

00:38:01.300 --> 00:38:04.530
So last year we were trying to get to the Liberty Gas Station.

00:38:04.530 --> 00:38:29.115
I knew from calling them they were closing at 8, and then that day they decided to close an hour early at 7 because there wasn't enough foot traffic, because there wasn't enough foot traffic, and so I did not have the heart to tell Elizabeth, as we're trying to make it to the KOA on day two, that our rest stop at, and then we were supposed to stop at the restaurant, which was Goodwins, like a mile down the road.

00:38:29.115 --> 00:38:32.137
Both were closed for the season already.

00:38:32.137 --> 00:38:35.248
One was closing early and the other one hadn't opened up for the season yet.

00:38:35.248 --> 00:38:37.588
So I think that took a mental toll.

00:38:37.699 --> 00:38:39.403
And then I didn't have the heart to tell that.

00:38:39.403 --> 00:38:47.092
We walked right past Kim Drake and she had dropped out and I didn't want to tell Elizabeth that hey, she's just taking a little break.

00:38:47.092 --> 00:38:54.170
You know she's going to get going any moment now and I had chatted with her that apparently her knees were really bothering me.

00:38:54.170 --> 00:38:57.726
This was last year that she didn't want to, uh, continue.

00:38:57.726 --> 00:39:06.869
So yeah, I think, uh, I think, as long as you kind of stay positive and keep positive people around you, you have a better fighting chance.

00:39:06.869 --> 00:39:12.268
They, I've always been told day three and more people drop out starting day three.

00:39:12.307 --> 00:39:27.592
So yeah, that's when it all kicks in, when you've been going for so long and and you realize in these kind of races you've still got a way to go yet and it sort of gets a little bit overwhelming and you're already out of calories, you're already hot and sore and stiff and lacking sleep.

00:39:27.612 --> 00:39:32.411
So now I think the koa actually is a great segue into into the next segment.

00:39:32.411 --> 00:39:34.362
Like, when did we all start running together?

00:39:34.362 --> 00:39:38.929
Because it sounds like you guys were already kind of running together on the way down.

00:39:38.929 --> 00:39:46.670
But I know stephanie and I had we shared some miles on day two over the over the p island bridge and coming in.

00:39:46.670 --> 00:39:52.543
When I left the koa on, I'm not even sure what morning it was, was it must have been wednesday morning.

00:39:52.543 --> 00:39:57.893
I I think I left right behind Mike, you and Elizabeth.

00:39:57.893 --> 00:39:59.074
I had no idea.

00:39:59.260 --> 00:40:00.523
Lisa must have gone earlier.

00:40:01.487 --> 00:40:02.731
About 15 minutes.

00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:09.967
Yeah, you guys were like, hey, there's a green dot up there and we're trying to chase and get to Lisa.

00:40:09.967 --> 00:40:14.179
But I have no idea, Stephanie, where were you on the Wednesday morning?

00:40:14.179 --> 00:40:15.646
Were you involved in that?

00:40:16.221 --> 00:40:21.690
I left after you guys, I was fixing Bert the blister.

00:40:22.661 --> 00:40:24.420
Ah, bert, the blister and.

00:40:25.463 --> 00:40:35.530
Mike and Elizabeth had left the KOA and then Mike knew that I was going to hit those bridges and have anxiety, because I definitely did.

00:40:35.530 --> 00:40:40.905
I'm not afraid of heights, I was afraid of just having no egress with those cars whizzing by.

00:40:40.905 --> 00:40:47.264
And so that's when Mike said well, we'll wait for you at the P Island visitor center.

00:40:47.264 --> 00:40:53.963
And that that's when we coalesced as a group, and for me that was actually the best part of the run.

00:40:53.963 --> 00:41:03.880
It wasn't day three, it was when we it was starting at that meeting point at P Island and then all the way to the end Just as a side note, by the way I did.

00:41:04.804 --> 00:41:11.704
I thought I found $700 lying on the side of the road on the way to that visitor center and I picked up all these hundred dollar bills.

00:41:11.704 --> 00:41:17.829
But when I scrutinized them later they said something like for motion picture use only.

00:41:17.829 --> 00:41:22.829
But I had a real rush of excitement in that moment.

00:41:22.829 --> 00:41:42.291
Right after that first bridge, I came off that first bridge, saw this, what appeared to be money on the side of the road, picked it up, which delayed me a few minutes because I was walking through the grass picking up these fake hundred dollar bills and yeah and then I tried it to you guys, and so I think what's?

00:41:42.552 --> 00:41:53.050
what's interesting about that, stephanie, is I don't remember you saying hey, I just found 700 bucks, uh, lying in the road so were you like just sort of keeping it, keeping it dumb at that point you were like.

00:41:53.170 --> 00:41:54.081
I collected my race with this.

00:41:54.081 --> 00:41:54.201
I was.

00:41:54.201 --> 00:41:55.405
I was envisioning a party at that hotel in Corolla.

00:41:55.405 --> 00:41:57.009
You were like I collected my race with this I I was.

00:41:57.009 --> 00:42:11.090
I was envisioning a party at that hotel in corolla, you know, like let's do dinner, I don't know but we don't yeah but when I looked at them closely, that's when I saw the, the writing that said for motion picture use only.

00:42:11.090 --> 00:42:15.706
So I'd had the elation and then the deflation before I saw, you guys.

00:42:16.568 --> 00:42:19.114
So did you like put them back where you found them, or did you put?

00:42:19.114 --> 00:42:20.416
What did you do with the notes?

00:42:20.496 --> 00:42:21.197
I threw them out.

00:42:21.840 --> 00:43:02.820
Yeah, you just chucked them off for the next person to find and have some like have a nice moment there before they also realized that it was fake money, monopoly money yeah, very cool no-transcript.

00:43:03.041 --> 00:43:07.112
Right right at the liberty gas stations where you start talking about, got up behind us.

00:43:07.112 --> 00:43:09.784
I know elizabeth uh and I were.

00:43:09.784 --> 00:43:11.086
We left together.

00:43:11.086 --> 00:43:19.132
I know lisa said that the plan was to leave at five and at 4 45 lisa said that she was heading out to catch up with her.

00:43:19.132 --> 00:43:27.952
But I know Lisa, I'm going to walk and then her walking is running down the street so I knew we couldn't spend too much time dilly-dallying.

00:43:27.952 --> 00:43:30.307
We would never be able to catch up with Lisa.

00:43:30.307 --> 00:43:43.936
And then when doing laundry the night before in the laundry room I met Stephanie's boyfriend, drew, and he said that told me again Stephanie was going to have challenges going over the bridge.

00:43:43.936 --> 00:43:50.273
So that was in the back of my head, saying hey, if she goes out with us, we have to make sure that she stays with us over the bridges.

00:43:50.273 --> 00:43:55.302
So the first bridge is fine because it's dark hours and very few traffic I was more concerned about.

00:43:55.302 --> 00:43:57.951
The second bridge is where she caught up with us.

00:43:58.842 --> 00:44:00.527
The big bridge yeah, the big bridge.

00:44:00.527 --> 00:44:15.632
Mike, do you want to paint us a picture of you doing laundry for a minute, because I think as part of our run, you were definitely quite vivid in your description of yourself doing laundry at the KOA.

00:44:17.360 --> 00:44:25.063
Coming back in from the lighthouse, lisa and I stopped at the Dollar General and I wanted to.

00:44:25.063 --> 00:44:32.880
You know, I run very minimal, so if I have a chance to do laundry, I will do laundry.

00:44:32.880 --> 00:44:37.262
So I bought detergent from the Dollar General, I will do laundry.

00:44:37.262 --> 00:44:54.155
So I bought detergent from the Dollar General and I bought a three-pack of Hanes T-shirts and I took all my clothes off, put my Hanes T-shirt on and proceeded to go down to the laundry room, and that's where I figured at what dark hours no one's going to see me.

00:44:54.155 --> 00:44:56.916
So of course Drew's doing his laundry there too.

00:44:56.916 --> 00:44:58.757
So we did chat about it.

00:44:58.757 --> 00:45:05.706
It wasn't until the next morning, when Stephanie spilt the beans, that he he told her hey, I saw your friend Mike down there.

00:45:05.780 --> 00:45:10.460
He wasn't wearing nothing, so Well, we won't quite go into what.

00:45:10.500 --> 00:45:12.463
Drew was doing down there or what he was wearing.

00:45:12.463 --> 00:45:13.505
He was doing laundry too.

00:45:13.887 --> 00:45:19.067
What a good boyfriend he was so that's how I picture it just somebody doing their laundry.

00:45:19.067 --> 00:45:39.827
But mike you, you did, and I think you know you talked about running, running minimally, I might even have said this to you at some point during the race, but like it seemed like your pack is magic because it never seemed to get any bigger or smaller and you were just like pulling out different outfits from that pack and then suddenly you would appear in a whole different shirt and pants kind of combo and I'm like where the hell is this thing?

00:45:39.827 --> 00:45:42.461
Where, like how do you fit that in your back, in your pack?

00:45:42.461 --> 00:45:44.626
It never seems to get any bigger or smaller.

00:45:44.626 --> 00:45:46.311
Where was all this stuff?

00:45:46.771 --> 00:45:49.063
we kind of alluded in our conversation.

00:45:49.063 --> 00:45:55.802
I I'm very concerned about, uh, sun protection so I always wear like a fishing shirt.

00:45:55.802 --> 00:45:56.865
It's a long sleeve.

00:45:56.865 --> 00:45:58.621
If I get warm I can roll up the sleeves.

00:45:58.621 --> 00:46:00.545
You'll find me.

00:46:00.987 --> 00:46:03.132
I have a convertible pants.

00:46:03.132 --> 00:46:05.021
For the most part I try to keep them on.

00:46:05.021 --> 00:46:06.505
They're super lightweight.

00:46:06.505 --> 00:46:11.780
They're 1980s, they're like bell-bottom but they're super light.

00:46:11.780 --> 00:46:14.724
If they get wet, they dry immediately for the most part.

00:46:14.724 --> 00:46:16.425
If they get wet, they dry immediately for the most part.

00:46:16.425 --> 00:46:22.811
I can probably go 35 degrees before I have to put more insulation on there.

00:46:23.311 --> 00:46:38.827
And then in my pack is really a puffy jacket and a rain suit and then, other than the electronics and the toiletries and the first couple of times, the electronics, each, each, each Kwame shuffle.

00:46:38.827 --> 00:46:39.925
I can't see journey one.

00:46:39.925 --> 00:46:40.547
I get.

00:46:40.547 --> 00:46:45.550
I bring less and less because it's like I carry this brick and I never even used it.

00:46:45.550 --> 00:46:52.150
So next year I'm not going to carry the brick electric brick and it's like there's enough places that we stop along the way that we could.

00:46:52.150 --> 00:46:56.987
I could plug in even if I didn't need to, just to pop off my phone.

00:46:57.047 --> 00:47:08.815
For the most part, as most of them know, I intentionally left my watch at home because I didn't want to be bothered by like, oh, this is going slower than I want it to, or you know, this section is too long.

00:47:08.815 --> 00:47:13.650
It's just okay, we know we need to get to this place in the morning.

00:47:13.650 --> 00:47:17.487
Or, you know, coming off the beach, it's Uncle Ike's Bar and Grill.

00:47:17.487 --> 00:47:23.425
I'm going to have a, you know, crab cake sandwich and a pint of beer, and okay, how long is that going to get us there?

00:47:23.425 --> 00:47:31.704
And then the year before, elizabeth and I and her husband found bonefish which had great chowder.

00:47:31.704 --> 00:47:34.465
So that was in South, south, south Southern Shores.

00:47:34.465 --> 00:47:36.728
So that was in South, South, south Southern Shores.

00:47:36.728 --> 00:47:44.974
I made a point to say, ok, I want to stop and have that, even though on the way back we were surprised with Drew and the Duck Donuts.

00:47:45.594 --> 00:47:50.940
So that was delightful Shout out to Duck Donuts, by the way.

00:47:50.940 --> 00:48:01.675
Well, drew, first for going to Duck Donuts and finding when they were open, because those folks are, it's like a mystery van when Duck donuts is is open they're not open very much, folks, you have to really be on top of that.

00:48:01.675 --> 00:48:07.211
And they make them fresh there and then, which, which I guess is the the thing about duck donuts.

00:48:07.271 --> 00:48:09.043
But I tell you what they were amazing.

00:48:09.063 --> 00:48:16.188
they were even good the second day when we when we were I think it was you and I got to eat those, uh, before got on the beach.

00:48:16.188 --> 00:48:19.226
But duck donuts shout out, great, great donuts.

00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:21.264
I was so disappointed last year.

00:48:21.264 --> 00:48:22.086
That's all I wanted.

00:48:22.086 --> 00:48:23.010
I kept talking about it.

00:48:23.010 --> 00:48:25.307
Poor Mike had to listen to me go on and on about it.

00:48:25.307 --> 00:48:31.545
And so this year, Drew was like my hero, coming in with a duck donut on the second to last day.

00:48:31.545 --> 00:48:38.311
You're right, we would go by so many of them and they were either closed for the season still or we missed the timing.

00:48:38.311 --> 00:48:43.735
And yeah, so that was a huge topic of conversation.

00:48:43.735 --> 00:48:44.317
We're in Duck.

00:48:44.317 --> 00:48:44.996
Where are the donuts?

00:48:45.719 --> 00:48:55.315
It was, and so Duck Donuts, if you're listening out there, duck Donuts, for goodness sake, have some longer opening hours, because we'd really like to eat more donuts, especially while we're doing these races.

00:48:55.315 --> 00:49:00.365
But we struggled mightily, although we did find I'm going to butcher the name.

00:49:00.365 --> 00:49:01.766
Was it Wee Winks?

00:49:01.766 --> 00:49:03.885
Was that the name of the grocery store?

00:49:04.146 --> 00:49:04.608
It was.

00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:06.179
That was a brilliant grocery store.

00:49:06.179 --> 00:49:09.289
Last year when I ran this it was shut every time I went by.

00:49:09.289 --> 00:49:23.375
But that was a fantastic place and I'm sorry to Wee Winks, because I think at least lisa and I went and got refills of soda in that place and I don't think they actually do refills, free refills oh, did you pay?

00:49:23.556 --> 00:49:25.802
oh, then now I feel, terrible because I did not pay.

00:49:25.802 --> 00:49:29.173
I just went and grabbed a refill, so I feel terrible.

00:49:29.173 --> 00:49:34.668
Sorry, we wings, if you're listening, yes, we, we just uh, we abused that that.

00:49:34.668 --> 00:49:38.684
Uh, I think when we rolled in there, it's in Duck, is it not?

00:49:38.684 --> 00:49:39.527
Yes, I think it's in.

00:49:39.527 --> 00:49:39.768
Duck.

00:49:39.768 --> 00:49:41.505
Yes, Wee Wings.

00:49:41.505 --> 00:49:43.387
But, fantastic place to go visit.

00:49:44.380 --> 00:49:50.594
One of the things I learned from Lisa was to call ahead and place your order at a restaurant close to your hotel.

00:49:50.594 --> 00:49:53.626
That was brilliant, because what was that place?

00:49:53.626 --> 00:49:54.668
Called Pelican or something?

00:49:54.668 --> 00:49:55.610
Black Pelican?

00:49:55.831 --> 00:49:56.092
Black.

00:49:56.092 --> 00:49:57.222
Pelican Black.

00:49:57.242 --> 00:49:57.844
Pelican.

00:49:58.264 --> 00:50:00.262
That was the best meal that I ate.

00:50:00.262 --> 00:50:02.748
I think I licked the container.

00:50:02.748 --> 00:50:09.224
I did not call ahead like you did, but I ordered and and then got it after and it was.

00:50:09.224 --> 00:50:10.467
That's just such a great.

00:50:10.467 --> 00:50:12.052
It's just a great strategy.

00:50:12.052 --> 00:50:18.813
You know, pick up your dinner right before you hit the hotel, and that's one of the great things about Suami is that you can do that.

00:50:20.360 --> 00:50:22.829
Yeah, stephanie, you went to Black Pelican as well.

00:50:22.829 --> 00:50:30.474
Lisa has a great story of spilling Black Pelican shrimp and grits all over the floor of the Holiday Inn whilst trying to check in.

00:50:30.474 --> 00:50:39.608
So I'm positive unless they've got some really good rug doctor out there that their check-in area, if you go next year, is probably going to smell of shrimp and grits.

00:50:39.719 --> 00:50:40.461
It was terrible.

00:50:40.461 --> 00:50:45.911
It was all over my shoe and my gaiter and I didn't realize, or I would have washed it out that night before.

00:50:45.911 --> 00:50:53.014
But when I was getting dressed the next morning it stunk so bad but it tasted so good.

00:50:53.014 --> 00:50:54.402
Lovely shrimp and grits coming back.

00:50:55.164 --> 00:51:00.514
I'm sure it tasted great, but the smell of it in the morning might be something more than I really want.

00:51:00.554 --> 00:51:00.916
It was not good.

00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:02.385
Indeed, indeed.

00:51:02.385 --> 00:51:05.271
So we had some fun conversation along the way.

00:51:05.271 --> 00:51:14.853
Were there any other cool or interesting or notable conversation topics that we can share with folks out there that you remember from the journey?

00:51:14.914 --> 00:51:15.614
that we were on.

00:51:15.614 --> 00:51:18.820
I think we all took a time coming back on the beach.

00:51:18.840 --> 00:51:27.045
For me, there's I don't think anything really just jumped out, but I just enjoy getting to know the people everybody in our group.

00:51:27.045 --> 00:51:30.052
Everybody's just so different and so much fun.

00:51:30.052 --> 00:51:36.842
Well, we have different backgrounds, but we're all doing the same crazy stuff, so that that what brings us together well, it was interesting.

00:51:37.001 --> 00:51:43.952
I didn't realize that Mike, elizabeth and Stephanie were all kind of I'm not going to say together, but all knew each other.

00:51:43.952 --> 00:51:44.914
Let's say, shall we?

00:51:44.914 --> 00:51:48.349
And then Lisa, you and Mike knew each other.

00:51:48.349 --> 00:51:52.967
So I'm like, okay, I'm the odd one out here, I got to get to know someone Well you knew Mike from last year though, didn't you?

00:51:57.559 --> 00:51:58.222
I did last year though, didn't you?

00:51:58.222 --> 00:51:59.610
I did mike and elizabeth I I had met last year, uh, along the way.

00:51:59.610 --> 00:52:00.474
So so I did at least know, know those folks.

00:52:00.474 --> 00:52:01.137
But yeah, I would agree it was.

00:52:01.157 --> 00:52:19.447
It was a lot of fun and I think what was really cool was that you know we spend time with with a person and you talk to them for a while and then you know people kind of come back and forth and you'd end up kind of on your own, maybe for a little bit, or you'd switch out naturally, and you'd end up next to somebody else and so then you'd talk to somebody else for a while.

00:52:19.447 --> 00:52:21.900
So I think just the group dynamic like that was great.

00:52:21.900 --> 00:52:46.648
We were all always within you know, a short distance of each other, but there was a lot of sort of in my opinion anyway, there was a lot of sort of back and forth and the opportunity to chat with a whole bunch of different people along the way and and just kind of get to know folks, which for me and others at the back of the pack, I think that's part of the journey, right, it's part of the appeal is just getting to know people and listening to other stories out there.

00:52:46.648 --> 00:52:47.971
True.

00:52:48.291 --> 00:52:51.494
But the one thing that I do want to work on.

00:52:51.494 --> 00:52:52.974
It's what I learned from Elizabeth.

00:52:52.974 --> 00:52:56.838
I really want to learn how to walk as fast as she can.

00:52:56.838 --> 00:52:58.239
It's just amazing.

00:52:58.239 --> 00:53:05.545
I was just I would have to run 50 steps and then walk just to barely keep up with her and I was like I got to keep running.

00:53:05.545 --> 00:53:08.009
I cannot keep up with her walking pace.

00:53:08.009 --> 00:53:11.351
So I have been so impressed with that, With her walking pace, so I have been so impressed with that.

00:53:11.371 --> 00:53:12.934
Yes, there was a day, was it the?

00:53:12.934 --> 00:53:15.900
It was the P Island section, elizabeth when you were like on a tear.

00:53:15.900 --> 00:53:21.550
Yeah, she was, you were gone and I think Did you say at some point Like I was just I needed chicken or something.

00:53:21.550 --> 00:53:27.315
I was like I just want to get to the KFC and get some.

00:53:27.315 --> 00:53:29.679
But you were on a proper tear that day.

00:53:29.679 --> 00:53:31.422
What's behind that?

00:53:32.364 --> 00:53:32.605
Yeah.

00:53:32.605 --> 00:53:37.987
So some of the time, well, I was really cognizant of not holding up the group.

00:53:37.987 --> 00:53:53.692
I know, from the beginning I was with Mike and Lisa and I learned from last year that I needed to take care of my feet a little better and I needed to fuel a little better than I did last year, little better than I did last year.

00:53:53.692 --> 00:54:02.139
And so when I knew that Wamsi, my husband, was going to be up ahead at a certain point, sometimes I would run ahead or I would walk ahead so that I could do what I needed to do, but not hold up the group when they caught up with me.

00:54:02.139 --> 00:54:06.293
So sometimes I was doing that and other times I was just hungry.

00:54:06.293 --> 00:54:07.516
So I was food oriented.

00:54:07.516 --> 00:54:12.164
Like when we were coming into I don't know where we were Nags Head, kitty Hawk, somewhere with the KFC.

00:54:13.929 --> 00:54:14.670
I just had chicken and rice.

00:54:14.690 --> 00:54:16.432
I was just like I'm hungry.

00:54:16.432 --> 00:54:17.353
It's time for lunch.

00:54:17.974 --> 00:54:18.795
It's time to go eat.

00:54:18.795 --> 00:54:20.918
So I think you know, elizabeth.

00:54:20.918 --> 00:54:22.500
You mentioned your husband there, wamsi.

00:54:22.500 --> 00:54:27.945
Fantastic Shout out to Wamsi and to Drew Stephanie's husband, stephanie.

00:54:29.672 --> 00:54:32.338
Boyfriend Significant other.

00:54:32.358 --> 00:54:32.701
Significant other.

00:54:32.701 --> 00:54:34.431
Okay, we'll go with significant other.

00:54:34.431 --> 00:54:44.480
Those guys really helped us out as a group, although I don't think that was initially the plan necessarily, but it ended up being that we'd all because we were all together.

00:54:44.480 --> 00:54:49.739
We all sort of ran into Drew and Wamsley at regular intervals anyway.

00:54:49.739 --> 00:54:55.878
But do you think like this would be a very different race if you were running this purely solo and I think we talked about mike.

00:54:56.038 --> 00:54:57.202
Mike talked about this earlier.

00:54:57.202 --> 00:55:03.431
Like you, you really got to sort of understand where you are and where you're going and what's open along the way.

00:55:03.431 --> 00:55:08.101
I think this would be a massively different race if you were pure solo.

00:55:08.101 --> 00:55:12.695
It would be a completely different experience, I think so.

00:55:12.795 --> 00:55:23.657
So for me last year I mean, wamsi was with us just really the first day coming off the beach, getting into the hotel, and then Mike and I were on our own.

00:55:23.657 --> 00:55:31.916
And again, I'm probably the least experienced here I am the least experienced here, so the miles were enough of a challenge for me.

00:55:31.916 --> 00:55:37.563
All those additional obstacles were really weighing heavy on me.

00:55:37.563 --> 00:55:59.661
We expected places to be open that weren't open, or they weren't open for the season yet, or they closed early, and so I just was unprepared, mentally as well as just with what I was carrying and what I had access to, and I don't feel like I'm at the place in my journey to do this solo.

00:55:59.842 --> 00:56:04.891
And so I told Mike from the beginning he's like we got to do it again, and I said yeah, absolutely, but I'm going to do it.

00:56:04.891 --> 00:56:06.172
I'm going to be spoiled.

00:56:06.172 --> 00:56:08.135
I kept saying that I'm spoiled.

00:56:08.135 --> 00:56:16.585
You know, I want, I want to know that I'm going to have proper food, I want to be able to change out my clothing if I need to.

00:56:16.585 --> 00:56:23.445
I just didn't have the confidence that I could do it unsupported, because I didn't have a great experience last year trying to do it unsupported.

00:56:23.445 --> 00:56:30.672
I felt like getting the proper training and putting in the miles for me at this stage of the game was enough of an accomplishment.

00:56:30.672 --> 00:56:39.360
Maybe down the road I could do something like what Mike does or Lisa does, but for this go-around I really felt like I needed the additional support.

00:56:40.262 --> 00:56:41.663
Yeah, lisa, how about you?

00:56:41.663 --> 00:56:45.106
Because you're kind of a vet of these sorts of races.

00:56:51.050 --> 00:57:10.152
Well, I want to say that I really appreciated Wamsi and Christina, because once I knew we were kind of all staying together and after I had taken out half the crap that I had packed between the KLA and the lighthouse and coming back it was so much nicer and so they allowed me to put my stuff in their car and I never touched that stuff again.

00:57:10.253 --> 00:57:18.260
so that was a lesson I didn't need half the crap that I brought, but I packed my fears because you never know what you're going to need.

00:57:18.260 --> 00:57:33.284
So I packed too many warm clothes and I needed well, I packed too many like pants and shirts and jackets and I really needed some more shorts because it was a lot warmer than I was expecting it to be on certain days.

00:57:34.190 --> 00:57:47.545
Yeah, I just and I think I saw somewhere along the line on my internetting that is it Vol State this year has sort of banned crews for their race.

00:57:47.545 --> 00:57:54.481
So no longer are you able you're not even able to have a crew on on Vol vol state, which is another big journey run that folks out there might have, might have heard of.

00:57:54.481 --> 00:57:59.938
So that in itself I think is really interesting to see how people handle that.

00:57:59.938 --> 00:58:24.923
But yeah, I just think this, this race to me has always stood out because of those issues we talked about earlier, like there's not a lot of stuff open and there's a few sections that are really long for you not to have food and water, or at least the ability to get it if your timing is slightly off, I think this would be a really challenging race to try to do completely solo, under your own steam, so to speak.

00:58:24.923 --> 00:58:26.730
Stephanie, what was your experience?

00:58:26.730 --> 00:58:31.175
You had Drew and God bless Drew, he was trying to sell us hard.

00:58:31.175 --> 00:58:33.237
He went burger crazy on.

00:58:33.237 --> 00:58:34.532
Uh, was it the tuesday?

00:58:34.913 --> 00:58:39.202
yeah coming off the big bridge yeah, monday there you go.

00:58:39.202 --> 00:58:52.574
He was selling those burgers hard and they were some good burgers, I have to say, although I only had the fries, and I think I found out later lisa and I might have been eaten from the same fries, but but yeah like what was it so for?

00:58:52.574 --> 00:58:57.112
For you um is this something you feel like you could have done without drew?

00:58:58.353 --> 00:59:09.157
no, first of all, I probably couldn't have gotten there without drew, because I, you know, I I'm kind of famous for making stupid decisions.

00:59:09.157 --> 00:59:19.092
The week of a race and the Monday before the event, I was dragging my indoor trees around to spray them with neem oil and I dragged him outside and I hurt my back.

00:59:19.092 --> 00:59:23.144
So I was, you know, sitting was extremely painful.

00:59:23.144 --> 00:59:27.115
So I had this kind of strange ride down there, lying down in the back of the car.

00:59:27.115 --> 00:59:34.001
So I probably couldn't have gotten there if he hadn't, if he hadn't chauffeured me down there with me lying in the back of the car.

00:59:34.929 --> 00:59:40.623
Interestingly, I had no problems with my back at all during Swami.

00:59:40.623 --> 00:59:42.838
So I think sitting is the culprit.

00:59:42.838 --> 00:59:49.179
That and dragging trees around, I think for the first time no, I don't know.

00:59:49.179 --> 01:00:08.275
On the one hand, having someone there for you means that you can leave, you know, like you don't have to wait for the, the wagon to come pick you up when you decide that you've had enough, and so that that was kind of in the back of my mind.

01:00:08.275 --> 01:00:11.579
But well, I didn't take that route, obviously.

01:00:12.121 --> 01:00:14.764
um, so it is, it is.

01:00:14.764 --> 01:00:16.992
It is there for you, though, right?

01:00:16.992 --> 01:00:17.253
So?

01:00:17.253 --> 01:00:18.800
It's in your back in the back of your mind.

01:00:18.800 --> 01:00:19.967
I could tap out it's.

01:00:20.027 --> 01:00:41.322
It would be okay, I have drew right here, I could just get in the car and and we could call it quits and we would drive back to wherever right, yeah, I could get to the lighthouse and, in some respects, that's probably more difficult because it because it would be very easy for you to tap out at that point where, if you're a solo and you're halfway to avon, uh, you know, 90 miles into the race, like what am I going to do here?

01:00:41.322 --> 01:00:44.594
Like there's no way for me to go anywhere from from where I'm at.

01:00:44.594 --> 01:00:46.016
So I mean I do think there's a.

01:00:46.478 --> 01:00:53.434
It does seem like a benefit to have somebody following you along, and I think you can set your own timeline with that, like you could say.

01:00:53.434 --> 01:00:58.373
Right, I'm going to wake up at 1 am and I'm going to start even though there's nothing at all open.

01:00:58.373 --> 01:01:19.500
I know that my person is going to be there, shall we say, uh, five miles down the road, so I know I can get food and water, whereas until I sort of morphed into the group, my 1245 set off from the KOA, I knew 100% there was nothing, there was no option to get over.

01:01:19.500 --> 01:01:38.041
If I'm honest, lisa was talking about you bring what you fear, right?

01:01:38.041 --> 01:01:46.364
So you end up packing all this stuff on you because you're not sure when you might be able to next get at some water or food, whatever.

01:01:46.364 --> 01:01:49.070
It is so kind of interesting to run this as a solo.

01:01:49.070 --> 01:01:50.690
Kind of interesting to run this as a solo.

01:01:51.090 --> 01:01:58.634
Eventually, though, we all kind of made our way up back through Nag's Head, having demolished KFC.

01:01:58.634 --> 01:02:01.034
Shout out to KFC and Nag's Head.

01:02:01.034 --> 01:02:07.237
I don't think they've ever had as many people order as much in one shot as we did when we rolled in.

01:02:07.237 --> 01:02:09.617
Did anybody have the Taco Bell?

01:02:09.617 --> 01:02:11.878
Because it's a dual KFC Taco Bell.

01:02:11.878 --> 01:02:14.460
I did, lisa you had.

01:02:14.460 --> 01:02:15.480
How were the tacos?

01:02:15.480 --> 01:02:16.721
They were great.

01:02:16.721 --> 01:02:17.701
Did you take them to go?

01:02:18.041 --> 01:02:21.922
No, I ate a mashed potato bowl and one taco.

01:02:21.922 --> 01:02:26.925
And then I went back and I got two more tacos and a spicy chicken sandwich.

01:02:26.925 --> 01:02:31.346
So I ate all the food except spicy chicken sandwich and I took that with me.

01:02:31.346 --> 01:02:38.688
I was so hungry by the time we got there and that spicy chicken sandwich was probably the best chicken sandwich I've ever eaten in my life.

01:02:38.688 --> 01:02:46.952
But it really hurts when you've got spicy sauce and sunburnt lips, but it was worth it.

01:02:47.472 --> 01:02:50.715
That, I think, is definitely a talking point for anybody considering this race.

01:02:50.715 --> 01:03:05.644
Do not sleep on the lip balm, because my lips, the wind out there is constant and the sun that you're going to get, just my lips were all kinds of chapped and I think I don't think I was the only one out there.

01:03:05.644 --> 01:03:10.208
But, yeah, if you're going to do this race, make sure you take a sunscreen and be lip balm.

01:03:10.208 --> 01:03:13.994
Those two things we're going to are going to see.

01:03:13.994 --> 01:03:15.458
See you, right, and I don't know that I packed enough of that.

01:03:15.458 --> 01:03:22.320
I had to stop at the 7-eleven for some sunscreen, uh, but I even I had lip balm and it, like you, got to have the what do you call it?

01:03:22.320 --> 01:03:25.818
The sun protection spf.

01:03:25.818 --> 01:03:29.429
Yeah, exactly, you got to have that in your uh, in your lip balm as well.

01:03:29.429 --> 01:03:36.478
But, yeah, so you, you pretty much demolished that, lisa, because just up the road then that was your Black Pelican stuff.

01:03:36.478 --> 01:03:37.472
So that wasn't too much.

01:03:38.054 --> 01:03:42.456
After the KFC feast, shall we say that we all had.

01:03:42.456 --> 01:03:44.235
So, yeah, it was a pretty hungry day.

01:03:44.235 --> 01:03:46.614
It was For sure, for sure.

01:03:46.614 --> 01:03:48.416
So we made our way back up.

01:03:48.416 --> 01:03:54.641
We went back through Duck, southern Shores, up through Duck into the Hampton Inn.

01:03:54.641 --> 01:04:27.103
I thought this was a really interesting quirk of this race versus previous races and, mike, you might be able to comment more on this, having done a few of these in the past but this year we were absolutely not allowed to go back through the last six miles of the course on the beach and then off the beach to the finish through the wildlife preserve, the Back Bay Wildlife Preserve, because of permits, and in previous years I don't know if I'm probably doing the race wrong, but we'd sort of skirted around that a little bit.

01:04:28.530 --> 01:04:30.077
They didn't know that we were what it is.

01:04:54.449 --> 01:04:54.590
Correct.

01:04:54.590 --> 01:04:56.876
They didn't know that we were running going to do where how close can we get?

01:04:56.876 --> 01:05:02.210
And the timing challenge of hitting that 6 am or to start the last six miles, or being out of the wildlife preserve and and to the finish before 6 pm ona day.

01:05:02.210 --> 01:05:15.777
I thought that was a really interesting and different mental challenge and I feel like we had a lot of group discussion about this going towards that spot and I wondered how other people approach this.

01:05:15.777 --> 01:05:20.362
But yeah, I, just how did you guys feel about that?

01:05:20.971 --> 01:05:24.260
I was fine as long as we were just going to wait until after it stopped raining.

01:05:24.260 --> 01:05:31.192
I really didn't want to go out there and get all wet and then be in the cold wind at the beach being the cold wind at the beach.

01:05:31.192 --> 01:05:45.103
So once we figured out what time we needed to leave the hotel, and then we just adjusted it based on the weather forecast, so we knew between 12 and 12.30 am we could leave and not get wet.

01:05:45.844 --> 01:05:48.226
And I will tell you my corner, if you're listening.

01:05:48.226 --> 01:05:49.407
We didn't do it this year.

01:05:49.407 --> 01:06:00.139
Thank you very much for last year when you dragged me across the beach in a raging storm and we got soaking wet and freezing cold.

01:06:00.139 --> 01:06:02.086
We made the decision to avoid that this year and I'm very thankful we did.

01:06:02.086 --> 01:06:05.018
That was a much better experience, but I do think it was.

01:06:05.018 --> 01:06:07.025
I think Elizabeth was.

01:06:07.065 --> 01:06:08.289
I sat with yourself and Christina.

01:06:08.289 --> 01:06:09.900
We were just chatting and I was like this is really weird.

01:06:09.900 --> 01:06:13.806
We're just sort of sitting sat with yourself and christina, we were just chatting, and I was like this is really weird.

01:06:13.806 --> 01:06:16.429
We're just sort of sitting waiting for I don't know how long we sat in in the hotel.

01:06:16.429 --> 01:06:20.458
So the hampton inn is about it's kind of the last realistic hotel.

01:06:20.458 --> 01:06:28.072
You've got before the finish line and, for folks listening, it's about 32 miles from there to the finish and the last six of those is through this reserve.

01:06:28.072 --> 01:06:37.818
So you've a bit of mileage to go to get to the wildlife reserve first and then the last six miles to to the finish through it and out the other side.

01:06:37.818 --> 01:06:39.663
So so, yeah, it's just.

01:06:39.802 --> 01:06:40.672
I think I was.

01:06:40.672 --> 01:06:46.416
I think I was with yourself and christina at the time who took over from wamsi as your crew, and we were just saying this is really weird.

01:06:46.416 --> 01:06:52.440
We're just sort of sitting here, I think, because we arrived at the hampton inn uh, miles from the finish, I don't know.

01:06:52.440 --> 01:06:55.226
Two, three, three o'clock, two o'clock in the afternoon.

01:06:55.726 --> 01:06:56.829
Was it earlier than that?

01:06:56.829 --> 01:06:58.150
It was 1.30.

01:06:58.431 --> 01:06:58.952
Yeah.

01:06:58.952 --> 01:07:04.835
And so we were like well, we can't make it, we can't make it by six, we can't make it through the reserve by 6 pm.

01:07:04.835 --> 01:07:14.043
That's not on, so we have to wait now at the hotel in order to be there by 6 am at the earliest right.

01:07:14.043 --> 01:07:15.565
I just thought that was weird.

01:07:15.565 --> 01:07:16.786
We ended up just sitting around.

01:07:17.326 --> 01:07:18.686
So we had two challenges.

01:07:18.686 --> 01:07:25.072
We had the challenge of the reserve being off limits past sunset.

01:07:25.072 --> 01:07:37.418
So had we continued on, we would have A got caught in the rain and B had arrived six hours early and just had to wait on the beach for for the sunrise or more and um.

01:07:37.418 --> 01:07:57.318
So yeah, it was just this weird block of time where we didn't know what to do with ourselves, because had it not been raining, we could have left at nine o'clock and we could have timed it so that we would have arrived at the reserve at sunrise and continued on, but we had the rain to deal with, so it was an unusually long period of time.

01:07:57.489 --> 01:08:09.489
I mean, mike and I went and were alternating between the hot tub and the pool, you know, just trying to kill time, took a rest, tried to take a nap, but it felt weird, it felt like cheating in a way.

01:08:09.489 --> 01:08:18.944
It's like, you know, we're in this, this multi-day race and we're like hanging out at a hotel in the swimming pool and it's like what are we doing?

01:08:19.831 --> 01:08:38.152
I think that's going to be a play for all future races because, uh and I kind of like the element of the previous race I mentioned uh, tar Heel, altar, you had the time that fairies, and if you screwed up on the fairies then you were sitting outside with nowhere to go.

01:08:38.152 --> 01:08:41.400
So I kind of liked this that you have to kind of in the back of your head.

01:08:41.400 --> 01:08:42.143
You got a time.

01:08:42.143 --> 01:08:44.278
You can't just keep going, keep going, keep going.

01:08:44.278 --> 01:08:47.914
You got to stop and say okay, what Nick did?

01:08:47.914 --> 01:08:48.716
Nick Yates did?

01:08:48.716 --> 01:08:54.722
He went to the beach towns up before the state line.

01:08:54.722 --> 01:08:56.605
He was up in that area.

01:08:58.369 --> 01:09:02.274
I can't remember the name of the town, carova Carova.

01:09:02.675 --> 01:09:07.801
But he was saying that he was sleeping on someone's porch, so waiting for 6 am to kick in.

01:09:07.801 --> 01:09:10.243
So just to kill time there.

01:09:10.243 --> 01:09:18.890
I mean, I know it was weird, but I'd rather be in a hotel, in a pool and jacuzzi, than sleeping on someone's porch in the freezing cold waiting for the six o'clock time.

01:09:18.911 --> 01:09:21.676
Yeah, so um for sure.

01:09:21.676 --> 01:09:30.631
That was interesting, though, because I think it clumped a bunch of people together, correct, who were of a similar pace, which didn't happen last year and presumably years before.

01:09:30.631 --> 01:09:32.112
Everybody, everybody just went through.

01:09:32.112 --> 01:09:35.435
As you approached that, you just carried on and you went through.

01:09:35.435 --> 01:09:44.443
But even the faster folks you know, I think Michelle, lisa, katie and others who were up front, they all bunched together at the hotel too and waited.

01:09:44.443 --> 01:09:57.220
So you ended up with these big clumps of people sort of finishing together, where, certainly last year when I ran it, and probably years before, people were just coming in as as and when they as and when they finished it.

01:09:57.260 --> 01:10:04.001
You know a bit more spread out maybe it was unique because you had the beach prior to the reserve.

01:10:04.001 --> 01:10:09.298
So you know, once you entered the beach, there was no place to stop, and that's you know.

01:10:09.298 --> 01:10:12.877
You're 22 miles from when you enter the beach to the finish line.

01:10:12.877 --> 01:10:17.841
So you really have to plan it so that you're not waiting on the beach for hours and hours.

01:10:17.841 --> 01:10:19.695
It's a very unique situation.

01:10:20.398 --> 01:10:21.530
Absolutely so.

01:10:21.530 --> 01:10:38.965
Talking of the finish line, four of us not quite sure what happened to Stephanie, but along the way she was there shortly after us, but four of us crossed the line literally together in our tombstone scenario that we were doing who knows.

01:10:38.965 --> 01:10:42.279
We crossed the line together, which was awesome.

01:10:42.279 --> 01:10:44.157
And then Stephanie I don't think you were that.

01:10:44.157 --> 01:10:46.676
You were only half an hour behind, maybe that?

01:10:47.520 --> 01:10:50.537
if so, I was calling Lisa, asking her where the trail is.

01:10:51.659 --> 01:10:52.122
That's right.

01:10:52.122 --> 01:10:53.430
Where's the blue trail you?

01:10:53.449 --> 01:10:57.320
guys were sitting there at the finish and I was saying I can't find it.

01:10:57.690 --> 01:11:01.100
Oh no, we weren't at the finish yet when you called, we were getting close.

01:11:02.551 --> 01:11:03.877
We were close, but not quite.

01:11:04.369 --> 01:11:07.500
I had tried to plan that, you know, finding that trail.

01:11:07.500 --> 01:11:22.198
I had taken a photo the day we left, but there was snow on the ground that day, so it looked totally different on the way back and I was disoriented and I had a splitting headache at that point, so I just couldn't figure it out.

01:11:22.198 --> 01:11:26.921
So thank you, lisa, for keeping me from going all the way to who knows where on that beach.

01:11:28.131 --> 01:11:41.274
You're welcome, I mean I and so I mentioned and I had mentioned that to josh and james too because I think it seems really easy to pick that trail when you're coming back and I think if you're fully compos mentis it probably is.

01:11:41.274 --> 01:12:00.942
But at that point when you're 218 miles into a 220 mile race, especially if it's, if it happens to be dark which maybe that won't happen again, because it seems like it'll always be light now, given the parameters around the finish but in the dark that trail is really hard to pick out, even though you kind of know where you're going with those posts at the end.

01:12:00.942 --> 01:12:04.579
So yeah, I just wanted so we each finished.

01:12:04.579 --> 01:12:10.479
Are there any big lessons or things you feel like you've learned from finishing that race?

01:12:10.479 --> 01:12:11.381
Now that we're what?

01:12:11.381 --> 01:12:19.692
A week after, and everybody's uh sort of had a little time, lisa's gonna run 18 miles again today, which put us all to shame.

01:12:19.692 --> 01:12:20.795
What is?

01:12:20.795 --> 01:12:24.125
What is a lesson that you've taken away from this race, if any?

01:12:25.149 --> 01:12:31.140
I think I would redo my packing strategy packing yes, my packing strategy.

01:12:31.140 --> 01:12:43.974
I packed a lot of things I never even used, and I would just pack a little differently because I that's interesting lisa because I'll do it um solo, screwed.

01:12:43.974 --> 01:12:45.137
However you want to do it.

01:12:45.137 --> 01:12:51.037
No crew, except for in case people adopt me, like drew and womzy and christina did.

01:12:52.801 --> 01:13:19.253
Yes, other than that, thanks to them if all the stuff that I've got to pack, I would just pack a little differently I just I feel like that's that's pretty interesting, because you're probably, of all of us here, you've done the most of these sort of journey runs and still that overpacking or not overpacking but just packing things you didn't end up using, which is what I did last year, and, like Mike, I packed stuff this year again that I didn't end up using.

01:13:19.253 --> 01:13:22.582
So every year it sort of gets less and less, but I guess it's.

01:13:22.582 --> 01:13:24.713
I guess maybe that's race specific.

01:13:25.014 --> 01:13:32.076
To me it is because where you're going, the temperature, time of year kind of stuff.

01:13:32.417 --> 01:13:35.471
Yeah, yeah, and the temperature changes every time.

01:13:35.471 --> 01:13:39.863
I mean last year, as I was alluding to Mike Horner, and I got absolutely soaking, wet and freezing.

01:13:39.863 --> 01:13:47.304
So I packed, of course, a waterproof jacket this year and carried that for 220 miles without getting it out the backpack once.

01:13:47.304 --> 01:13:54.051
But I was okay with that because I did not want to get wet and soaking and cold again as last go around.

01:13:54.051 --> 01:13:58.975
And then Mike and his magic bag, which stuff disappears in it and it's forever light.

01:13:58.975 --> 01:14:02.496
So I need one of those bags, mike.

01:14:02.496 --> 01:14:08.916
Anyone else got a big lesson or something they've taken away from this that they feel compelled to share?

01:14:09.569 --> 01:14:13.733
One of the nice things the last two years of this race they've been able to get a house that they feel compelled to share.

01:14:13.733 --> 01:14:22.104
One of the nice things the last two years of this race they've been able to get a house walking distance to the start-finish line and that allows the runners to get together before the race.

01:14:22.104 --> 01:14:28.054
And you know, everyone takes a week off because we don't know when we're going to finish, and it allows.

01:14:28.054 --> 01:14:48.784
I know there's some people who, as soon as they finish, they get in their car, they race back home again, but there's a handful of us who, regardless of when we're going to finish, we know we're going to head out Saturday because we've taken the entire week off and it's just nice to be able to talk with other runners and share experiences with it.

01:14:48.784 --> 01:14:55.340
So I'm hoping they can continue getting different houses every year that they put this event on.

01:14:56.532 --> 01:15:02.619
Yeah, that for me is one of the real differences of this race to other races out there.

01:15:02.619 --> 01:15:03.192
I don't know that.

01:15:03.192 --> 01:15:15.826
I've done another race that has sort of a runner house for the week, so that you can arrive in advance, talk to people before you go, get out, do your run, come back and there's still people hanging around at the house.

01:15:15.826 --> 01:15:19.315
Afterwards you can kind of commiserate or celebrate or whatever you need to do.

01:15:20.637 --> 01:15:21.921
It's fantastic.

01:15:21.980 --> 01:15:27.890
It's so, it's so communal, and I and I love the interaction and and just relationship development.

01:15:27.890 --> 01:15:49.414
You get to meet so many interesting people and I love that too, that it's not just us, towards the back of the pack that hang around, that you know there's the michelles and others michelle gray and rick um who are, you know, really good runners, very good runners, but they hang around and they and that house is so close to the finish line that people can come back to the finish line and cheer everybody in.

01:15:49.414 --> 01:15:54.536
I think that that's just from a community standpoint, that can only help that race.

01:15:54.536 --> 01:15:56.756
It's just tremendous.

01:15:58.171 --> 01:15:59.938
I'm hoping they can open up a little bit more.

01:15:59.938 --> 01:16:09.479
I understand the concept of keeping everything 22, and I know they opened it up a little bit more this year, so we'll have to figure out what they're going to do next year.

01:16:11.190 --> 01:16:11.532
Indeed?

01:16:11.532 --> 01:16:21.801
Let's hope so, because I really wish, and part of me was guilty this year of signing up again, because I was like I really want other people to experience this race because it's really cool.

01:16:21.801 --> 01:16:24.759
But then I thought, no, I didn't sign up originally.

01:16:24.759 --> 01:16:32.122
I got FOMO when everybody else was signing up and then I was like, oh shoot, I'm going gonna have to put my name on uh, just to have it on there, you know.

01:16:32.402 --> 01:17:08.904
But uh, yeah, I really would like more people to experience this race because I think it's for a terrific cause, as we know, but also it's a terrific race to do and there's a lot of that community feel to it, which I, which I think is terrific as well I think it's better than uh the communities that uh the other journey walks or journey runs do and I can't place my hand on it, but I think everyone tends because maybe it's the colder months or maybe it's more isolated you tend to be more aware of people around you and make sure that everyone is around you, that everyone's doing okay.

01:17:09.525 --> 01:17:16.832
Absolutely, yeah, yeah, everyone's doing okay.

01:17:16.832 --> 01:17:17.694
So, absolutely so, yeah, yeah, okay.

01:17:17.694 --> 01:17:23.192
So one of the things we like to do here on the show, we do like to encourage any guest that comes on to choose a song to add to the free spotify.

01:17:23.192 --> 01:17:26.420
Choose to enjoy playlist, the running playlist that's out there.

01:17:26.420 --> 01:17:33.940
Typically it's something family friendly to lift you up or motivate or just sort of keep you moving while you're out on the trail.

01:17:33.940 --> 01:17:36.466
Now I did throw that out to you guys.

01:17:36.466 --> 01:17:49.212
Um, maybe we'll go around the table real quick and so what song did each of you pick and maybe why did that song resonate particularly with you?

01:17:49.212 --> 01:17:57.131
Mike, I'm gonna start with you, because I think you sent in about 15 songs, so pick one If you really think?

01:17:57.171 --> 01:17:59.157
about this specific race.

01:17:59.157 --> 01:18:01.863
Every single song applies to this race.

01:18:01.863 --> 01:18:03.896
But the sun rises.

01:18:03.896 --> 01:18:07.837
The last day we all stopped, got our phones out.

01:18:07.837 --> 01:18:14.230
We watched the sun come up, so here comes the sun by the Beatles, brilliant song.

01:18:14.230 --> 01:18:17.537
Phones out, we watched the sun come up, so here comes the sun by the beatles, brilliant song.

01:18:17.537 --> 01:18:19.619
So I obviously that a beautiful day, other than the snow in the beginning.

01:18:19.619 --> 01:18:22.711
Every day, weather-wise, was a beautiful day.

01:18:22.711 --> 01:18:27.221
Yes, we had our highs and lows, but weather-wise we were not in the rain.

01:18:27.221 --> 01:18:33.400
Yeah, it was a little windy here and there, but uh, every day for runners it was perfect.

01:18:34.403 --> 01:18:49.126
It was, and I don't know if you guys saw, but I think, running along the beach both ways I saw dolphins only feet off the shore, which was incredibly cool to watch the dolphins a pod of dolphins kind of go along with us, really cool.

01:18:49.126 --> 01:18:55.760
We saw horses coming and going and the horses, yeah, I didn't see them last year, so very, very nice.

01:18:55.760 --> 01:18:59.029
So here comes the sun, the beatles we'll get that one on there.

01:18:59.029 --> 01:19:01.134
Yeah, elizabeth, how about you?

01:19:01.134 --> 01:19:02.796
Did you pick a song?

01:19:03.497 --> 01:19:14.257
I'm a huge indigo girls fan and mike knows this, so I just I played a lot of indigo girls and and whenever Mike would ask me, he's like, is it closer to fine yet?

01:19:14.257 --> 01:19:18.442
Is it closer to fine yet, which is one of their major songs that most people know?

01:19:18.442 --> 01:19:23.947
So one time he asked me and it actually was that song was playing, so I would say that's my song.

01:19:24.590 --> 01:19:26.657
Closer to Fine Indigo Girls.

01:19:26.657 --> 01:19:28.393
Yeah, I don't know that.

01:19:28.393 --> 01:19:29.256
I'm familiar with it.

01:19:29.256 --> 01:19:30.179
I'm very lame.

01:19:30.179 --> 01:19:36.661
You're going to have to check it out, so for me music stopped in about 1992.

01:19:36.720 --> 01:19:37.301
This is before that.

01:19:37.922 --> 01:19:39.024
Yeah, I know, oh, is it?

01:19:39.024 --> 01:19:48.021
Oh well, I'm definitely going to have to go find that song and listen to it and see what we can do, but in the meantime, I'm going to add it to the Spotify playlist so that others can enjoy it.

01:19:54.170 --> 01:19:55.233
Stephanie, what was your song that you picked?

01:19:55.233 --> 01:19:55.814
Well, I had, uh, I didn't.

01:19:55.814 --> 01:20:02.012
I didn't actually listen to music at all on this journey, um by choice, or just that's how it played out by choice, you normally listen to music.

01:20:02.012 --> 01:20:14.442
I I will listen to music if it's like at night and 100, and I need a little boost or I'm at the end or something, but I was just really engrossed in Dodging cars.

01:20:14.442 --> 01:20:16.055
Yeah, dodging cars?

01:20:16.270 --> 01:20:26.801
Yeah, definitely that, but just the experience, you know, looking at the scenery and I don't know, but I did listen to Imagine Dragons Take Me to the Beach leading up to the event.

01:20:26.801 --> 01:20:32.176
I think that's who does the songs and I love, I really love a song from the early 80s.

01:20:32.176 --> 01:20:34.524
I think it's who does the songs and I love, I really love song from the early eighties.

01:20:34.524 --> 01:20:35.587
I think it's Frankie Smith.

01:20:35.587 --> 01:20:37.314
It's double Dutch bus, yeah.

01:20:39.949 --> 01:20:42.917
So you send me that, you send me the YouTube link for that.

01:20:43.078 --> 01:20:44.822
And I was like what is this?

01:20:45.493 --> 01:20:48.456
I've never heard this before, but it was a very fun video.

01:20:48.777 --> 01:20:49.579
Yeah, I love that.

01:20:49.579 --> 01:20:54.818
And then somebody sent me a video during the event when I shared it with some people.

01:20:54.818 --> 01:20:56.234
Lisa, I think you saw it.

01:20:56.234 --> 01:20:57.177
I think you saw it.

01:20:57.177 --> 01:21:07.496
It's this guy dancing shirtless, with a helmet on and glasses and he's feeding his pig and it's what was the song Born to be Alive.

01:21:07.496 --> 01:21:10.869
That was in my brain.

01:21:10.949 --> 01:21:28.884
It's like a brain worm through a lot of the the latter part of the event born to be alive folks, when you do a 200 mile and it's a journey run at some point you too will look at your phone and see a guy with a helmet on no shirt dancing with a pig and go.

01:21:28.884 --> 01:21:29.850
You know what that's it.

01:21:29.951 --> 01:21:35.300
That's the song he's doing it for me, parent in the background in this video, sitting on his chicken.

01:21:36.421 --> 01:21:40.314
It's a great if you if you don't get to that point, you haven't run hard enough.

01:21:40.314 --> 01:21:42.137
I think in a in a 200.

01:21:42.137 --> 01:21:44.371
So what are we going with with stephanie?

01:21:44.371 --> 01:21:45.432
Are we going with?

01:21:45.432 --> 01:21:47.537
Um, what's your choice?

01:21:47.537 --> 01:21:48.078
What's your choice?

01:21:48.078 --> 01:21:49.622
To add to the to the list?

01:21:49.762 --> 01:22:11.724
oh gosh, um, I've got my fingers crossed that it's not the pig shirtless guy okay, we'll go with uh, we'll go with um double dutch bus, that's, you said, family friendly and that, yes, absolutely yeah, well, if they have it on spotify, I will happily put that on there, and lisa looks like she knows that song so she may be dancing along.

01:22:12.707 --> 01:22:15.014
Yes, exactly, it was a fun video too.

01:22:15.054 --> 01:22:17.902
I don't know if you've ever seen the video, but that's a good video too.

01:22:19.434 --> 01:22:24.488
Yeah, it's a fun youtube video, um for sure, and so, lisa, what was, what was your pick?

01:22:24.488 --> 01:22:25.690
What would you like to share?

01:22:26.032 --> 01:22:30.483
like stephanie, I didn't listen to music during the at all, during this whole race.

01:22:30.483 --> 01:22:36.381
It's either I'm talking to somebody or, you know, I'm fine with being in my own head for a long time too.

01:22:36.381 --> 01:22:41.556
So there's a lot of stuff that I can get worked on, work stuff and planning stuff.

01:22:41.556 --> 01:22:51.122
But my song is by Miley Cyrus, the Climb, because it's really not about getting to the finish, it's always about the journey.

01:22:51.122 --> 01:22:53.516
So that's why I like the song the Climb.

01:22:54.259 --> 01:22:54.579
Brilliant.

01:22:54.579 --> 01:22:59.542
I don't know that I've heard that one and I didn't have a chance to listen to it prior to coming on air here.

01:22:59.542 --> 01:23:00.694
So I'm definitely going to look.

01:23:00.694 --> 01:23:09.536
I'm going to hide it from my wife and son that I'm looking for a Miley Cyrus song, but I am going to go look it up on Spotify just to see what it sounds like.

01:23:09.536 --> 01:23:11.177
But it's probably good.

01:23:11.198 --> 01:23:14.743
If you're picking it, I'm sure it's great, especially with that message behind it.

01:23:14.743 --> 01:23:16.565
Absolutely Good job.

01:23:16.565 --> 01:23:19.372
Well, this has been an absolute blast.

01:23:19.372 --> 01:23:25.003
Huge thanks to all of you for taking the time to relive our crazy journey with me.

01:23:25.003 --> 01:23:37.250
I think it's one thing to finish a race like Swami the 200 miler, but it's something else entirely when you get to share it with some amazing people like yourselves.

01:23:37.250 --> 01:23:39.878
So thank you very much to all the listeners out there.

01:23:39.878 --> 01:23:56.435
If you are grinding through miles, struggling in the back of the pack or wondering if you too can take on something particularly crazy, let this be proof that sometimes the best experiences come when you deliberately choose to run with others.

01:23:56.435 --> 01:24:09.573
I think, if I'm not mistaken, the sign up for the 2026 Swami shuffle opens on April the 1st, which is a great yeah, great day for the race uh, for the race to open up signing.

01:24:09.592 --> 01:24:11.538
I wonder if they thought of that and did that deliberately.

01:24:11.538 --> 01:24:15.497
But either way, I'm pretty sure it opens on April the 1st.

01:24:15.497 --> 01:24:29.238
So make sure, if you're listening, you head over to Ultra Sign Up and get your name in the hat as one of those 22, or maybe 30 if they're opening, expanding it up again and be on the lookout for it.

01:24:29.238 --> 01:24:38.041
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01:24:38.041 --> 01:24:44.239
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01:24:44.239 --> 01:24:46.717
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01:24:47.029 --> 01:24:59.381
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01:24:59.381 --> 01:25:06.483
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01:25:06.483 --> 01:25:16.965
I absolutely love hearing from you guys, whether it's just to say hello, suggest a topic or even share your story so that we can talk about it on air here.

01:25:16.965 --> 01:25:20.699
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01:25:20.699 --> 01:25:24.037
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01:25:24.037 --> 01:25:31.372
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01:25:31.372 --> 01:25:32.939
This is the Party Pack.

01:25:32.939 --> 01:25:39.079
Check it out, run long, run strong and keep choosing to endure as a group.