Days 35,36,37 - 1,345', 0', 4,461'.

Saturday was a day off of running and a great day on with the family getting haircuts, going trail running, getting an icecream and then a rare special day at the toy store.

However, today, OUCH! The assult on Mt. Pisgah I intended to do turned into an early morning self burial. I was ok for the first 2,500', but then suffered dearly on the last 2,000'. I can confidently say this epic run is a little out of my league right now. I merely survived something that I'm not quite fit for yet. It's sort of like getting into the ring with Mike Tyson, it'd be quick and brutal. But if he came into my home wanting to do harm and survival was at stake - well he might leave with one less ear and singing in the castratti section of an Italian choir.

I made the 30 minute drive up to the Mt. Pisgah parking lot at 5,000' where I did a series of out&backs from the 3 trails at the parking area. The 1st trail is 4 miles and starts with a .5 mile, 300' ascent, then goes down 2,000' in 3.5 miles - turn around and come back up for a total of 2,300' of vertical. The 2nd trail is the last 2 miles of the Shut-In Ridge Trail Race. This also starts with a .3 mile 300' climb, then goes down 1,150' in 1.7 miles, turn around and come back up, which is how the 17.8 mile race actually ends, for a total of 1,450'. It was coming up this brutal climb where I had decided to call it quits and not do the 3rd out/back. But, after a Coke and a banana I felt a little better, not really, but the sugar rush gave me a false sense of strength and I headed out for the 3rd and final climb that summits Mt. Pisgah. This is a 1.5 mile trail, the first .5 mile is flat and then it's a 1 mile, 750' climb to the top. I hiked all of this final mile. The descent was worse! If I were racing I would have felt a little like this guy...

This was a 15 mile run/hike with 4,500' of up and down and an average ascent of 11.36%. This would be like running up and down Mt. Washington except this route has 5 different ascent portions instead of 1 like Mt. W. I expect that I would have an easier time going up/down Mt. W than the run I did today. Well, I'll get to see in mid August when I'll be spending a week in the White Mountains!

59,445' up and 90,555 to go.