I set the initial men's unsupported FKT for the American Tobacco Trail out-and-back in 2023. I went out a little hard on that run, and faded a lot at the end as I suffered, so I’ve wanted ever since to go back and try for a smoother run and see what kind of time I could pull. I tried again later in 2023 but my body wasn’t up for it that day and I came up 30 minutes behind the record. So I've been waiting for everything to line up just right for another go at it, and recently I felt it was time. I've been training for Umstead 100 and feeling strong, having set a PR 50 miler in Umstead just a few weeks earlier than this run. The weather was looking nice for a mid-February run, so I went for it.
This run was much smoother than my prior ATT out-and-back attempts. I encountered no real difficulties or struggles. I set out from the southern terminus at 8am with a crisp upper 30’s temp, and cruised along the whole way without any disruptions besides traffic, water stops, and pee breaks. It reached the upper 60s by the end and felt wonderful all day, keeping me energized and never uncomfortable. I ran the whole way - no walk breaks.
I stopped for water refills at the fountain in Solite Park (18 miles) and the bathroom sink in Herndon Park (32 miles). I was carrying 2L water capacity in .5L flasks in my vest which covered those gaps adequately in these temps.
Unsurprisingly I got stopped by traffic for several minutes at the various street crossings from Southpoint Mall to Downtown, but that was always going to be part of the deal. Stay safe out there and wait for the walk sign!
My run was a comfortable endurance effort the whole way, in high zone 1 and low zone 2, with a slight increase in intensity in the back half as I pushed a little bit more to not leave anything in the tank. My out-and-back splits came out to exactly the same pace.
Those final few miles were a mental challenge as I started watching the .25 mile signs sllllooooowwwwllllyyy tick away, but mostly I remained excited and happy with my performance the whole way.
At last I crossed that little wiggly corner, gave the 22 mile marker a thumbs up, and cheered for myself as I crossed the finish line to an audience of one cyclist coming out the bathroom. I’d beaten my time by 24 minutes and change, which feels solid to me. The fact that I kept a steady consistent pace the whole way and didn't suffer is really my biggest victory and shows how far my ultra running has come in the last two years.
I had planned all along to keep going for another 5½ miles after completing the out-and-back to nab a 50 mile PR. That was not an exciting idea in that moment of being done with the FKT, but I wouldn't let myself off the hook so close to another big achievement. I put my head down and got it done, by running back up the trail 2 miles and change past the US64 tunnel, then turning back to count down those endless few miles once more. And I did it - I pulled a 50 mile PR by 38 minutes and change. Feels good!
My Strava activity covers the full 50 miles, so it reads longer than this FKT route. As evidence of the FKT time, I've included a photo of my watch when I crossed the FKT finish line, and a screenshot of a Strava crop showing that time and distance puts me exactly back at the finish line at the trailhead parking lot.
Along the way on my run I ate:
- 1L homemade endurance smoothie
- Homemade electrolyte drink mix in my water
- Mac n cheese
- Mashed potatoes
- Oreos
- Homemade apple cinnamon oat cakes
- Sun chips
Nom nom!
I still believe I can run this route faster, but it will take some serious toughness to turn up the intensity even further and hold on the whole way. Maybe I'll give it another shot one day but for now I'm pretty satisfied.
I hope someone will take a crack at this beautiful ATT out-and-back route unsupported and go for my time! You can do it!!