I started at Will Rogers State Park just before 3am on Saturday, December 19, 2020. It was not my intention to do this run on nearly the shortest day of the year, but sometimes the adventure chooses you!
My husband, Reggie, met me along the route for safety. Our first checkpoint was at Deadhorse Trailhead in Topanga where I used the water fountain to fill my bottles. All systems go. Next was at Lois Ewen Overlook. My SPOT had stopped tracking for part of that section, I assume due to the tree cover and deep canyon. When I popped out and all was well, I was so glad that Reggie was there to let me know that it had stopped tracking. I reset it and went on my way. Our next meetup was Kanan/Newton Canyon. I had stashed water and a Coke here and thankfully both were still there. Feeling recharged, I headed for my second water drop at Mishe Mokwa. This section was challenging as it was surprisingly warm and it's so exposed here. I was thankful for the low sun so there were more opportunities for shade. My second resupply was also intact and I took a bit more time here to recover (never stopped for longer than 10 mins I don't think). I was treated to an amazing sunset and then moon/"Christmas star" sky scene was incredible. I powered to the finish at Ray Miller, trying to be as steady as I could and going as fast as my aching body would allow.
I ran solo for the entire day which is a new experience for me too!
Overall super happy with my effort and how the day came together.