My first two railroad trails FKTs in 2020 were unsupported. The K & P Trail - the third one of that year - was supported. The longer distance and remoteness of the route required a pacer and crew. But I finished it feeling like I "cheated". There is something pure about doing something so epic under your own power and resources. Last year's attempt was just that - self-supported. However that day I was not ready - I was still recovering from an earlier 100M. And my workload and volunteer work gave me little time to rest. It was a struggle from the beginning and by 130 km I could not go any further.
Fast forward to this year. Two months before the run - I wanted to finish this route. This time I reached out to the Russell Run Club for support. A support system that was not present in 2020. I knew revisiting the route would be tough mentally. And I wanted to complete it in a solid time. I held my breath and reached out to the group. I was floored by the offers of support.
In the days leading up to the event - those who could participate talked amongst themself and started coordinating using the documents and spreadsheet I created. All I had to do was show up and run. They paced me through the majority of the route (I had only 45 solo km). They kept me accountable making sure my walk breaks were just enough to freshen the legs. They took over crewing duties from my husband. Knowing I'd be seeing them every 10 to 15 km and that they were watching every step I was taking on my GPS tracker motivated me to push through the fatigue, discomfort and pain.
Early on my pacer and I discussed my surprise at how many people were willing to support. Yes, they kept me fed, cooled, motivated and so on. But realized I gave them the gift of being part of an adventure - witnessing the hard work and perseverance and playing an important role in this event.