I won’t let the suspense build too much here.

I fucking did it.

100 miles.

Took me a little over twenty five and a half hours. And during every single one of those minutes I was so purely happy to be doing what I was doing. I could not have asked for a better outcome, a better crew, better weather, a better weekend, or a better result. Honestly this might be one of the top three experiences of my life.

Katie, Evan, Cordelia and I rolled into packet pickup at Sweetbay Brewing in Abingdon, Virginia around 7:30 Thursday evening, the night before the race. It’s a cute little Appalachian style brewery and there was live music echoing around. By then the crowds of runners had dwindled, making pickup a breeze. We met Sam and Emily there and the gang all got to timidly know each other. My crew consisted of three different groups of friends who had never met each other until this weekend but I had no doubt that they would mesh.
I left them to pick up my bib and swag. For this particular event, the race perks were absolutely the best I’ve ever received. They give you a year specific wildly designed skateboard deck, a quality hat, a fantastic race shirt, some patches, a small bag, and even the pacers get a cool unicorn-rainbow themed bib.

We picked up some pizza for the crew and retreated to the Airbnb in Damascus. I could tell nerves were really kicking in and I struggled to try to eat my pre-planned dinner of coconut rice and grilled pineapple with tofu dish. This was my version of the pre-race meal that I had in Sisters before the 50 miler and fell in love with it and figured it would bring me good luck. I bored the team with a powerpoint I had made going over the race details and crew locations. I also rummaged through my run bag, showing them where everything was and what the contents included. I had definitely more than I ended up using but it felt good to be prepared.

It wasn’t until I was talking about how I use Tailwind powder that Katie replied, “so we just pour that in like one of your water bladders, right?”. And it was like a bucket of cold water had just been poured on my head. I instantly had a very detailed image of where my two water bladders were located and that was back in Asheville, in my room, in a small Trader Joe’s bag. Definitely not here with us in Damascus. I felt myself go into a little wallow pit for a second, quietly angry at myself for forgetting such an stupidly important item.

The guys must have realized how panicked I was becoming and the swooped into solution mode, coming up with a temporary plan for me to use Emily’s camelback bladder for water and Katie’s spare 500mL bladder for my tailwind. Katie’s bladder fit my vest but the top was so skinny that the elastic didn’t hold it in snuggly. Emily’s water bladder would work but it was definitely a little clunky and I’m not used to carrying weight on my back like that. But the makeshift solution would work and the guys would hit up the outfitters store when they opened the next morning at 9 and would bring the right fitting bladders to me at the mile 20 crew point.

I said goodnight to the guys and tried to get some sleep but it was absolutely impossible. It felt like I was hyped up on caffeine. I just could not make myself sleep, even though I could tell I was exhausted. I truly don’t think I slept more than an hour the whole night.

I “woke up” at 5:30ish and made myself a little breakfast sandwich and tried to eat some of my overnight oats. I did manage to eat a banana and some coffee but solid food was tough. We drove to the starting line at Abingdon’s “The Meadows” sports complex and I can’t even recall what I even said to Emily and Sam along the way. My brain was just so wrecked and I was incredibly worried about my lack of sleep and food consumption. I asked Sam a few days later if I seemed nervous and she agreed that I absolutely seemed worried and that she was worried for me, which is endearing to me because I thought I was fooling everyone that I was doing okay.

*In this moment, they have no idea what they’re in for.*

We listened to a great little motivational speech from the race director, Jason Greene, and took a selfie. Next thing you know, the race starts and I am jogging along the sidewalk and onto the Virginia Creeper Trail.

It was foggy, humid and a little eerie out there, with most of the runners just jogging along in complete concentrated silence. The trail is tightly packed gravel and for the first section it follows along a river, making for a beautiful little southeastern style stroll. I felt pretty good, just happy to be moving, but I was also still in like shock mode that I was actually doing this thing. I could tell I had a little bit of imposter syndrome but I just tried really hard to embrace my surroundings and focus on my run/walk strategy.

*You can see the oversized Camelback bladder solution here. It worked but oh my was that a bit of change up.*

I would run for .8 miles and then would walk “with a purpose” for .2, and then repeat. I had a goal of trying to stay around a 12:30 mile/min pace for the first twenty miles and just focused on staying consistent until I met my crew at the Damascus aid station at mile 17. I purposely chose to not use my headphones for the first repeat so that I could really get a feel for the course experience.

The course mostly was in what I refer to as a “tunnel”, meaning surrounded by tree overgrowth with a few passes of cliff walls and numerous train trestle crossings. Then it opened up to what I called “the farm” with a beautiful ridgeline view and some unimpressed cows monitoring our progress. Then it went back into tunnel mode before popping out along a main road for a little while before passing a beautiful red train caboose, signifying the Damascus town park.

This is where I saw my crew for the first time, at mile 17, but I decided to knock out the little 2 mile out and back before stopping on the second pass. I felt strong and having them cheer me on was a huge mental boost.

After the turn around, I returned back to my crew and this is where they had their first experience trying to give me what I needed. This was their first time crewing for anyone and they did a great job, trying their best to make sure I applied sunscreen, had all the food I needed, and putting my fuel in my pack. They also had my two brand new water bladders so I gladly traded out my makeshift water pouches and got back to my normalcy. They also surprised me with a little banner!

Cordelia asked if they needed to come to the other two aid stations or if I was okay by myself for the 17 mile return trip to Abingdon. I felt so strong and positive that I told them I would meet them there and then I headed off.

For this stretch, I popped my headphones on and just cruised. I kept the same 0.8/0.2 pattern and just focused on watching my watch for these increments, not really trying to focus on pace all that much or total distance. The return trip is a slight uphill but it’s so gradual that I barely noticed it. I did hit a little low point around mile 30 when I passed through the farm patch. It was exposed and I was feeling a little fatigued. I think I just kind of got in a negative head space for a second and self doubt started creeping in. Once I entered the tunnel, shaded, section again, those feelings shifted and I was able to return to a more positive place with the thought of seeing my crew in five miles leading me forward.

I rounded the soccer field at Abingdon and passed my crew cheering me on in the parking lot, noticing that Dana had arrived, the last of my running pacers. They had really outdone themselves by creating a poster that cracked me up. After passing the timing mat further down the complex and returning back to them, I sat down for the first time at 35 miles. Sam helped change my socks, Emily sunscreened me, and Evan and Katie focused on handing me foods, refilling my pack with fuel and taking my trash. I drank a glass of chocolate milk, an item that the crew could not stop commenting on, noting how weird of a craving I was having for it. I then took a few bites of my Publix sub and sucked down some ice cold water. I also let myself have a little taste of Dr. Pepper as a treat before heading out again.

The trip back to Damascus a little blurry in my memory. The only thing that stood out was a fellow runner pointed to the sky by the farm section and shouted towards me, “hey! I think that’s a bald eagle! How cool?”. I also had switched from Tailwind in one of my bladders to LMNT and I was LOVING the change. I had gotten a little burnt out on Tailwind and the LMNT was such a perfect change up, and tasted delicious.

I started having trouble jogging for the full 0.8 miles, noticing my pace was slow and the effort was feeling difficult, so I changed the plan up to run for 0.4 miles, then walk for 0.1. That way I wasn’t sacrificing time but was giving myself more frequent walk breaks. I did pass the infamous Pepsi vending machine for the second time, this time stopping to take a picture of the creepy doll and the Fireball mini bottles in the vending area. I thought about taking one for later as a memento but the thought of bending over and dilly-dadling longer didn’t sound appealing enough.

Once I hit Damascus, my crew had grown to 9 strong with the addition of Mo, Corrine and Danny. This was mile 52 and I had successfully improved my 50 miler PR to 11:30ish and this was the furthest I had ever run. Having such a deep fan club and riding the positive success put me in a really good place. I know I consumed some food but I can’t remember anything specifically except for some yogurt. The guys evolution of crewing was impressive. They were like a machine, tending to everything while not being on top of each other.

*Mile 52 with the whole gang! Katie’s next to me, super stoked for her chance to get to run with me.*

I stood up and gleefully started walking with Katie, my first pacer of the evening and one of my best friends. I asked her to keep track of the 0.4 run/0.1 walk pattern and we were off. We entered a beautiful sunset stretch and both marveled at the course, the sky, the surroundings, and just general excitement of getting to run together. This leg was supposed to have been Jordan’s, but they unfortunately were battling an injury and weren’t able to make the trip. Katie had picked up this leg on top of her duties later in the evening and I was so grateful to be running with someone instead of being sucked into my own thoughts.

*Leaving Damascus with Katie and a beautiful sunset to the lead the way.*

We made it to the race official Alvarado aid station, night time fully involved by this point. This aid station walks though a cute little barn and I grabbed a pirogie while Katie pursued through the offerings. I thought she was behind me as I exited and was making my way up towards the timing mat before I realized she wasn’t following me. I shouted her name and then went back to the barn where she was standing there, looking adorably confused and lost. We both started laughing as she had no idea where I had went, assuming I was taking a bathroom break. I joked that I needed a leash for her and we continued on our way, both holding pirogies.

We very soon after hit the Alvarado crew station and this particular stop might be one of my favorite highlights of the whole race. This aid station is in a church parking lot and the first pass through earlier in the day they had been blasting prayer music. This was the case again but if you could imagine, it was close to nine at night and the church sign is beaming “This is a place of grace, you are welcome here” right over my crew, which consists of six queer people, if you include myself. These guys were so amped to see me and made numerous jokes about the music while welcoming Katie and myself into the station. They had oranges and grapes that I munched on quickly before departing with Dana as my next pacer.

*(It’s hard to see but Sam and Mo are sitting under the sign, awaiting our return).*

We spent the next hour and half joking about Dana’s comically dying headlamp, talking about work, and discussing Dana’s side gig as a virtual running coach. Dana is the most experienced runner of the group, having attempted a 100 miler herself. She really pushed me during this stretch, keeping the .4/.1 pattern and really hauling during the run sections. I believe this stretch was one of the fastest I ran since the beginning of the race and I appreciated the coach-ness vibe.

We quickly rolled up the Wautaga crew point were I dropped of Dana and picked up Evan, who was decked out in glow sticks and a light rope, as well as a cotton Carolina Panthers t-shirt. Evan, although extremely athletic and capable, is not a fan of running. Her stretch with me was only 3.7 miles and she didn’t even have a watch to keep track of pace. I welcomed the change after the rigidness of the stretch with Dana and we casually jog/walked at my comfort level back to Abingdon. As we rounded the corner, the eventual race winner, a woman, came around us, running fast as hell. Evan and I were floored as this woman had pretty much lapped me and was now running in to a race finish of 15:42!

My crew were incredible, again, this time incorporating some acrobatics into their cheers. I know I changed socks but as for what I ate or did, I have very little memory, letting the crew take care of me. I do recall Mo jogging to the aid station to get me a cup of miso broth which I took to go. Dana’s had bought another set of bladders for me on her way to the race so they ended up refilling those and making for a quicker and easier change out instead of dealing with my old ones. It was really nice to have cold water as a change out every time.

*Mile 66 at Abingdon. Sam taking on the sock responsibilities like a trooper.*

I picked up Emily, who also opted for a nice light rope adornment, and we made our way forward. Emily had a longer stretch, closer to 10 miles so we passed Wautuga without stopping. I met Emily in college so she is one of my oldest friends but the run gave her a chance to fill me in on her life as we hadn’t seen each other in almost three years. She also did a fantastic job keeping the .4/.1 pattern, running very strong herself. I could tell my brain was starting to kind of get mushy and I apologized for staying quiet and not responding much. She reminded me to eat and stretch my arms and we continued through the next miles without any issues.

We made it back to Alvarado and I swapped out Emily for Dana again. It was pretty late in the evening, and I could tell Sam and Mo were pretty exhausted when we arrived but they perked up and did their best to insist that I ate some pizza and ensured I had everything I needed.

I think I ate a banana while Dana and I moved forward and reached the Alvarado official aid station barn soon after and I forced myself to pick up a quesadilla. I knew this stretch back to Damascus was going to be tough as not only was I pushing in to the 70+ mile mark as well as late night, I also knew that it would be the last push until I finally could get to Damascus and focus on turning around and getting to the finish line. Dana rose to the occasion and absolutely crushed her responsibility in this tough pass. She kept my mind positive, really focused on my pace and running strength, and made it a point to insist I eat. She noted that I was having trouble hitting the 0.4 run, with my walk portion appearing stronger and faster than the run itself so she recommended we try running for four minutes and walking for two. We tried this for a bit before modifying it to run for three minutes, walk for two and that seemed to be the sweet spot for me. I could tell it was just long enough run time before I couldn’t take it anymore, and the the walk portion felt like a relief and long enough that I could actually make some strong forward progress while still recovering.

I reached the red caboose in Damascus and my war-ridden pack of crazy crew members were all there, which bought me so much joy and gratitude. Dana and I went forward the half mile or so to the turn around and the official Damascus aid station. We stopped in and I brought a cup of ramen out with me, which I greedily downed. I was telling Dana how stoked I was to be starting on the last stretch of the repeating course when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right pinky toe.

I knew it was the problem spot for a blister and I just crossed my fingers that it was as simple as just the KT tape falling off. The pain was pretty severe and I had to physically hobble to the crew spot, I’m sure making everyone nervous in the process. I sat down and took my sock off to inspect the damage. Unfortunately the KT tape was still intact, leading me to discover that the toe had formed a gnarly blister and then had popped. I cleaned off my feet the best I could and applied some neosporan before retaping the spot and popped an Advil. I applied some feet specific anti-chaffing balm and put my shoes back on. This aid station stop was my longest mile time at 33 minutes total, but it needed to be done. I also had some chocolate milk and attempted to eat a burrito but that was so unappealing that later, after trying to still chew it a quarter mile down the trail, I had to just spit the whole thing out.

*The crew nervously watching me tend to my blister. Dana, with the headlamp on to the left, got me to this mile 84 spot like a champ. This photo was taken at 3:30 in the morning.*

Katie accompanied me again for this last stretch back to Abingdon. I took my first few steps and realized that it was going to be tough. The pain was pretty bad and both walking and running was uncomfortable. However, I think I must have just mentally willed that damn toe into submission because after a little bit of time, I was able to start jogging normally again.

I’m sure Katie was more than relieved and I don’t want to speak for her but during this last stretch, I could kind of feel that she was so nervous for me, and herself probably, to get us through this as we were so close to the finish line.

Katie did a perfect job keeping to the three minute jog, two minute walk, and letting me have maybe two or three “extended walk breaks” when I was trying to eat something or just couldn’t keep up and needed an additional breather. I hit a rough spot along the way here as I realized I was actually really hungry but the fruit crusher packs that had been working for almost 22 hours were suddenly incredibly unappealing. I tried to look for a GU in my pack and panicked when I realized I didn’t have one. This was on me as I insisted at the last aid station refill that I “was over GUs”, which was true at the time but now I desperately needed one. And to make matters worse, I went to check my watch and was stunned to discover that it had died. I thought I would be more upset but I just lazily told Katie with only a hint of sadness instead of a meltdown.

I was feeling pretty unhappy during this stretch but next thing you know, we were at the Alvarado official station and Katie loaded up two cups with refied beans and tomato soup. Crazy food items, I know, but I managed to eat a good bit of both and they hit the spot. The aid station also had a setup of a bunch of shots of Fireball and I eyed one curiously. Part of me wanted to take one as it is me and Gen’s favorite liquor and I thought maybe it would help dull the pain a little but I also was super worried about throwing it up, especially since I knew I needed to get the beans and tomato soup down first. Katie was eyeing the shots as well and I insisted she take one for me, which she did and we both considered it a well deserved celebration of the insanity that we were currently in.

*Photo taken at 5:24 am!*

We then hit up the Alvarado crew station and searched for our guys but didn’t see them. Katie said they were almost there so I took the opportunity to use the bathroom. Once I got out, Cordelia, Evan and Emily rolled up and I restocked a few GUs, snacked on some items, including a sip of Celsius to help wake me up, and also swapped my watch out for my good ole’ trusty Forerunner 245. I’m so thankful these guys came to this aid station as this was a last minute plan switch based on Dana’s recommendation. I originally didn’t have anyone scheduled to be here in hopes that they could get some sleep and that I believed Katie and I could handle the last stretch alone. But these guys happily volunteered to swing by for us, just in case, and it ended up being the right call as it helped break up the section and gave me a chance to refuel and re-tech.

I don’t really remember the last section between Abingdon and Watauga with Katie, it kind of flew by with me just focusing on her telling me when to walk and when to run. I gave her a little crap through it, accusing her of shortening the walks and lengthening the runs but I, of course, knew it was just fatigue talking.

When I saw a bend up ahead and a few cars parked, signaling that we hit Watauga, I was both so sad to have Katie leave me but also was mentally elated to know I only had 3.7 miles left and that there was no doubt or question that I was going to finish. It was around the 24 hour mark by this point and I was shocked at how well I was doing time wise. I had been so close to hitting that sub 24 goal but I truly don’t think I could have shaved off an hour and half anywhere else to allow me the cushion to finish that last 3.7 miles in time. But I knew I had close to six hours until the race cutoff and the relief of knowing I could walk the entire last bit if I needed to and still finish with plenty of time was incredibly satisfying.

I took another swig of chocolate milk and celsius while Cordelia blasted my neck with Icy Hot, laughing at the accidentally getting it in both of our mouths in the process somehow. I couldn’t help but just smile and reveled in the moment with the crew, which included Katie, Sam, Mo, Emily, Cordelia and Evan (I think? I sincerely apologize if I missed the correct personnel for each of the aid stations after mile 52, my brain really cannot specifically recall). They were also just so excited and I could tell that they were celebrating as much as I was. I set off to do this last stretch alone, as planned, and I was so motivated and pumped that I even jogged for a long time. I saw the crew’s car drive away, them honking and waving at me as they raced to the finish line.

After the excitement wore off, I kind of just hit a wall and had to walk, which was totally fine. I also took this time to really soak it all in. I admired the river on my right, the leaves on the ground, the trail itself, and just how I was feeling. Then a small fawn appeared in front of me, scurrying away with his family up the hill. I could not help but find tears coming to my eyes with how beautiful that moment was.

I also realized my phone had died and so I knew I was truly alone. Later, Gen told me she had tried calling me during this stretch and that’s one of my only regrets was not charging my phone so that she and I could have talked a little during the end. Although, I bet if I would have spoken to her, I would have just balled. I did get a little emotional just thinking about how proud I was of myself and how grateful I was to my squad for enduring through the evening as well as how thankful I was for Gen’s support of my goal over the past year but I snapped out of it as I approached the finish line. There were a handful of runners out on their casual Saturday morning run and they all passed me with smiles and congrats.

I rounded the corner of the turn back to the stadium and was greeted by Emily, who was on Kenny look out detail, and a huge smile crossed her face. She yelled in excitement and then ran back to the crew so that they could meet me at the finish line.

Along the way, someone, I think Cordelia?, held a phone out to me and I realized it was Gen FaceTiming. I stopped to say hi to her for a second before continuing my sad little jog shuffle to the finish. My guys were all there with posters and a 100 balloon and chanting “Kenny! Kenny! Kenny!” I crossed and gave the race director, Jason, a hug as he was decked out in his glitter filled beared, before greeting my guys in celebration. The race volunteer then gave me my coveted buckle medal and I held it up for photos.

*My coworkers couldn’t believe I was doing this but were kind enough to sign my poster.*

*Sam Mo and Dana greeting me at the finish.*

*Evan, and Dana in the background, celebrating my finish!*

We made our way back to their crew home base by their cars and we all sat down in utter accomplishment and exhaustion. I took my shirt, shoes, and socks off, elated to have them off my body after more than 25 hours and let Evan work on cutting the KT tape off my toes. Katie passed me, and everyone else, a beer and we all cracked them open at 8:30 in the morning.

*Evan working hard on my toes as I’m cheersing Katie.*

We spent maybe twenty minutes just smiling and recapping the evening. I thoroughly thanked everyone, punctuated by stopping to cheer fellow finishers along their way to the finish line. I also assessed my body, thankful that really the only issue was my blisters, which were numerous, and my right ankle and foot was a bit swollen. My fingers also hurt and I realized they were also all swollen as well.

I could tell exhaustion was starting to take over so they carted me back to the Airbnb, saying goodby to Corinne and Danny. I hobbled my sore ass to the shower and tried my best to gently expose myself to the hot water, trying not to hit any hotspots too aggressively. I then was able to make it to my bed, hugging Dana goodbye in the process.

Sleep was not easy. My body could not get comfortable. Every position I changed in to took work and then it would evolve into pain every two minutes or so, forcing me to reposition again. I was able to get some moments of sleep but I eventually woke up around noon and felt a strong need to get up and move. I walked, well wobbled, into the kitchen and the house was completely silent. I discovered every single one of my crew was taking a well deserved nap and I took advantage of the silence by going outside and giving Gen a call. A few tears were shed over how proud she was of me and how much I missed her and how bummed I was that she wasn’t here. But then it started to rain so I made my way back inside and retreated back to my bed.

I didn’t have the mental energy to text or read but I also couldn’t fall back asleep so I put on Silence of the Lambs, which when I told my friends later they all couldn’t believe that that is what I chose to help wind down. Half an hour later I heard someone leave the house, with Mo sending a heartfelt goodbye text. And then I sensed more movement in the kitchen so I went to check it out. Katie and Evan were awake so I joined them in their huge room, laying right back down in their bed. Soon after, Sam, Emily and Cordelia joined us and we had a wonderful hang out session, all of us just filled with utter exhausted happiness.

The rain intensified outside and we moved to the living room, opening both screened in doors as wide as possible so we could admire the storm. This was the anniversary of Hurricane Helene and so it felt a little deserving that the storm held out until I finished.

Cordelia and Evan were kind enough to cook us a family meal of spaghetti and Cesear salad, one of my favorite all time traditions, as none of us were up for going anywhere.

I chose Nyad as a movie for us to watch, keeping with my Jodie Foster theme, and we all enjoyed admiring the parallels and differences between her incredible Cuba to Florida open ocean swim and my race. After the movie, Evan and Emily kindly worked on treating my blisters, and I could then tell just how exhausted I was. I told the guys I needed to crash, saying bye to Emily as she was flying out early the next morning, and I thankfully was able to sleep for a solid ten hours. I only woke up one time during the night, covered in beads of sweat, just like the situation after my 50 miler in Oregon. But thankfully, this only happened once.

I woke up first, feeling surpinsgly good recovery wise, and prepared coffee and biscuits for everyone and made myself breakfast. Sam was a trooper and took on the role of tidying up and packing everything as I half heartedly tried to help. I was sore but feeling pretty strong. Walking was really only difficult because of my blisters more so than my muscles.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The drive back to Asheville was absolutely beautiful with a blue, crisp, fall day as backdrop to a winding drive along a river. Once I was home and relieved my in laws from their dog sitting duties, I ended up having a few hours to myself so I enjoyed a meal on my porch, just having some self reflection. Later that evening, Cordelia and I had a little celebration and recovery tour, stopping at sushi for lunch, Sauna House for a recovery sauna/cold plunge experience, then grabbing a drink at one of my favorite bars in town, before picking up ramen to enjoy at home while watching Flight Plan, another Jodie Foster movie.

It’s Wednesday now and the past few days have been spent celebrating with the remaining crew of Katie, Evan and Sam, hitting up a few breweries in town. It’s been an absolutely incredible past few days and I am actually closing this post out by needing to head to the airport to finally pick up Gen.

The whole experience was phenomenal and I’m so proud of how I did. I could not have asked for a better crew, with every single one of them bringing something to the table that I needed to successfully finish. There is absolutely no way I could have done this without them. I’m stoked with how we dealt with setbacks and how I managed to push through negative head space moments. I’m glad I was able to take care of my body through the day and night so that it could do me a solid by getting me across the finish. Part of me keeps secretly wanting to google some other 100 miles for the future because the experience was so positive and smooth, but the other part of me wants to embrace the extra time I’m getting back in my life and take it from there.

I can’t believe I did it.

100 miles.

Post 100 Mile Feels

Setbacks - Unfortunately Only Two Weeks to Go Until the 100