2014 Grindstone 100 Race Report - Second Chances
The 2014 Grindstone 100 was the nearest I've come to dropping out of an ultra. This was my second Grindstone finish, a good deal slower than the first--technically speaking a really bad race, but by far and way my most satisfying ultra. By the end, I was relieved, grateful and more than a bit astonished to have finished at all. Over the edge With a 6 PM start time, the first 12 hours of Grindstone are run in darkness. This year added a few soaking showers and some fog on the high ridges. The darkness was appallingly total. There were no views of stars or the moon this year. If you turned your headlamp off, you could not see your own hand held in front of your face. It's an experience we never get in the suburbs of DC: real night, inky black and everywhere. The conditions weren't so bad for running though, the rain no more than an occasional bother requiring a little more care on the technical terrain. ...