After leaving my car at Fisherman’s Lot, a friend drove me to Pen Mar. I left the state line at 6:31 am.
I didn't feel that great starting out and the rocks were wet and slick but l intended to complete the route no matter the time, so I committed to holding steady.
It worked out very well! I breezed through the first 19 miles despite the wet trail in 3:16 and managed the longer upcoming climbs pretty well. My nutrition game was pretty on point. I passed the Washington Monument by 4 hours in and made my way to Gapland park by a few minutes after 5 hours. I passed into WV and Harper's Ferry at 7:20 minutes.
By now I was hot and tired with the weather reaching into the mid 60s and I had limited salt left on me to take in. I struggled hard up the climb out of Harper's Ferry as I tried to politely get around all the people enjoying the weather.
I dragged myself across the bridge at a 9:20 pace and then climbed up towards Louden Heights at a dismal crawl pushing myself to try and find some extra motivation... and then I did, as the trail smoothed out I found a jog and 1 mile later I passed a man hiking the opposite direction and I asked if he’d seen the state line sign and said, “yup just 400 miles back.”
There is was, the WV/VA sign on the tree, I hesitated to stop but then realized I was in fact finished.
08:22:39