(This post has a few graphic images. You’ll probably all want to look anyways being trail runners, but just be warned!)

Last weekend I sporadically and rather impulsively joined about 20 members of the VHTRC for the Boyer’s Furnace 40 miler on the MMT trail down in Virginia. The plan was to run 50k of the course as a nice long run, as I finalize my prep for Rocky Raccoon.

Got up at 4:15 on Sunday morning to leave for the race, wearing my trusty Hardrocks (can’t wait to get my new Hardrock ’08 version in a couple of days!) and plenty of warm layers. Our small group assembled, and we set out. I took off up the first climb…. and by “took off” I mean barely jogged and by “climb” I mean freaking huge mountain. The first few miles were slow as I slogged the 2,300 feet of elevation half asleep with what felt like imminent nausea. But the VHTRC’ers are chipper people, and after some nice conversations along the trail I started feeling better and picked it up

Next, well, let’s just say I called it out when I said I was gonna get schooled up on the MMT  - epic fail! Around mile 6.5 along the Eastern Ridgeline, I zoned out and swiftly tripped on a rock. Or maybe a stump. Or a small land mine. I was down in a ball screaming for help with what looked through my spandex like a dislocated knee (I guess it was just a swollen ball of flesh).

Within a few minutes a group of good people had run up the trail behind me and completely stopped their run to help me out. This compassionate and collected group of people stuck with me during the 2 hour climb down the mountain, going totally out of their way to keep me warm, safe, and as comfortable as possible. There were even two nurses among the runners! (And a vet, I was in good hands haha). We made it to the bottom where the EMTs met us and took me for a nice little ride to the ER. I’m pretty sure they thought I was crazy because I kept asking if I could run my 100 miler in a month, haha.

Check out the cut, the knee, and the scar!