FKT: Charles Nersinger - Cape Cod Traverse (MA) - 2020-10-10

Route variation
one way
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Self-supported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
13h 11m 25s
GPS track(s)
Report

A warm and crazy-windy day.  The headwind in PTown was bananas!  Started at 3:20 under the Sagamore Bridge.  The early sections are realitvely easy and fun.  6A is beautiful through Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, and Brewster.  After a resupply at the CVS in Brewster, it was onto the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Future runners take note, the section on the CCRT is mostly uphill so don't let your splits get in your head (I did).  By the time I got onto Route 6 I was able to resupply at the Shell station and make a lot of the time back on the long, rolling hills.  As I turned back onto 6A near Truro, the wind really kicked up (25 mph off the water).  Luckily it was a cross wind.  Unlikely it was full of sand, but at least I got a nice exfoliation from it.  Next came Commercial St in PTown which was hoppin' with people so it felt a like a game of Frogger.  It was motivating being around actual human beings and not cars, though.  Then came the PTown Causeway.  ~1 mile across some uneven boulders with aforementioned cross wind.  By that time it was gusting to 40 mph and I almost took a bath on several occasions.  Finally I got off the jetty and had to run ~3 more miles on the sand.  The way out was a breeze (literally) with the wind at my back and the way back was some of the worst running I've ever done.  Straight into the wind, on sand. I've never been so happy to stop my watch.  105km (65.22 miles) on the books. Exhausted and elated, I had to make the trek back over the Causeway to my car (tired, cold, and wet).  This route is absolutely beautiful but many of the roads are narrow with no shoulder so you have to keep your wits about you the entire time.  Keep an eye on your weather and be aware that the beginning and end can be very different.  Good luck and if you attempt this, feel free to reach out to me on Strava if you'd like any advice.