I told myself I’d just see how I felt that day and do my best to improve my previous time when I ran this same race in 2020. Apparently, I felt like suffering a bit.

For a refresher or for those of you not aware of what the Shakori 40 is, it’s a 40-mile race around the Shakori Hills Community Art Center. 10 laps of a 4-mile cross-country trail that weaves throughout the large wooded property. Repetitive but fun and engaging.

I ran The Final Countdown this year, and it was an awesome challenge. The Ultra Running Guys have created something special here, and I’m glad I got to experience it for myself.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this!” Callie exclaimed as we approached mile 2 of the Run The Quay 5K. It was her first race, and she was doing an amazing job, especially for a 6-year-old. But before we jump to the final mile of this experience, we should probably start from where it began.

This year's strategy was to go out a bit faster in the beginning, trying to take advantage of the rolling gravel hills during the first 5-6 miles before getting onto the singletrack. Often in races, especially hillier trail races, I'll try to conserve early and pace accordingly, trying to save as much as possible for the later miles. But not this course, as it gets more difficult and technical as the miles go on.