Starting on Friday 9 October I ran the AT through Shenandoah from the Rockfish Gap to VA 522. I did this run unsupported. The run was great but early miscalculations in water collection and food consumption set me up for a long night of discomfort and dehydration. I carried all food and supplies for the run in my running vest and pulled water from natural sources. My vest weighed 15 lbs full. I kept my 1.5-liter bladder full, one full flask on my front for tailwind, and one full flask packed in reserve. I told my wife that this run was epic but also a greek tragedy. During the course of 29 hours, I was able to experience all the highs and lows of running (physical and mental) that I've ever experienced in my 20 years of running. Despite all that, this was an amazing run that I will always remember but probably never do again.
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One last thing I should have mentioned. I set my Garmin to Ultra-Trac mode to extend the battery life. Unfortunately, Ultra-Trac mode is not that great at keeping accurate mileage. While I ran 110 miles per the map, my Garmin said I did 131.8.