On Monday, 10/28 at 6:01am I set out to run the Arizona Trail from the Utah boarder. I knew this would be the hardest thing I had ever done, and that it would challenge me in all the ways. It did, and it was so much harder than I ever could have possibly imagined. I also knew I would be embarking on an epic adventure and that it would be one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It was, and it was so much more enjoyable than I thought was possible. Being with the land from sunrise to sunset and through the night with the moon growing fuller and fuller as I went along was amazing. And the beauty of the different ecosystems, plants, and wildlife kept me company along the way. On Thursday, 11/14 at 4:07am I reached the Mexico boarder and finished the Arizona Trail.
My body held up really well for most of the journey. I dealt with the aches and pains in my feet, knees, hips, and back that come from running and hiking this kind of volume for days on end. Throughout the first week I felt my pain threshold adapting to a new normal. By the second week, I felt physical adaptations setting in and my body getting used to the volume. I was able to run much of the flat and downhill sections and I hiked the climbs. In the final three days my left Achilles became increasingly more painful and swollen. Running became too painful and I switched to hiking only from there until the end. Mentally there were a lot more ups and downs. As I got more and more into the trail, the fatigue and exhaustion began to add up. At night, by body ached so bad I wasn’t able to sleep well. I averaged very little sleep and one of the most challenging parts of this experience was having to move forward with that level of sleep deprivation. I started having hallucinations around day 8 and every once in a while I would doze off while running. I went through some deep emotional lows and wonderful highs throughout the whole thing.
This effort was not a solo experience. I did not do this alone and I couldn’t have achieved the FKT without the love and support of the people who helped me. I had the most incredible group of humans crewing and pacing me. My crew took care of all camp logistics, meals, gear set up, physical therapy, and emotional support. The crew was able to resupply along the way. I had 12 different pacers (including the crew members) throughout the journey and didn’t run a single section alone. The most enjoyable part of this experience was being able to share it.