Running for More Than Miles: Wes at Old Fort Strong Endurance Fest

Brought to you by AntiFragile Physical Therapy

"There has seldom been a time I’ve looked a year out at a race or event.  Such was not the case with the 2nd Annual Old Fort Strong Endurance Fest.  I could expound on the positive experience this event has been for me personally, the running community, and Western North Carolina since Camp Grier, Tanawha Adventures, and Pisgah Productions put their heads together in October of 2024 to bring this event to fruition.  

Last year, were were in the thick of recovering from Hurricane Helene - Camp Grier had generations, a camp set up, washing machines, showers - it was truly a beacon for the community of Old Fort.  People who love Western North Carolina, both from up close and around the world, had a question: “How can we help?”  And out of the clear needs in the community of Old Fort, NC, and the clear desire for people who love these mountains to help, this event was born.  What madman would overlap a 6, 12, and 24-hour race with runners AND cyclists crossing the finish line simultaneously?  

These madmen - Brandon Thrower and Eric Wever - are two guys who have been pushing athletes to the edge of capacity in WNC for years.  This race became a vessel for helping a hurting community, and this event and matching grants, and donations have exceeded two million dollars in funds directly supporting dozens of members of the Old Fort community to fix, build, or repay the cost of housing in the last 15 months. 

To be a part of this as a pacer in 2024 for my friend Anne George (see video of her experience),  as  member of the Camp Grier board of directors supporting the work of the staff and volunteers, and this years a participant and fundraiser (Hey - I was second highest fundraiser thanks to all y’all, and would have been #1 if not for the generosity of the Chapel Hill trailheads (https://www.trailheads.org/) throwing in a huge donation for their runner at the last minute!) 

We even printed some Sweet BOCO running trucker hats to support our fundraising effort - we sold SO MANY of them, and all proceeds went to the Old Fort Strong Event.  

So I’ve been tracking the long slow miles this fall - it felt like a solitary effort a lot of the time - though I did see some friends to chat with along the way (troll picture).   I built up to around a 4-hour run in November, feeling pretty comfortable that grit could keep me moving for the last 2 hours.  

I showed up early Saturday morning - probably too early as it was cold and overcast.  I glanced longingly at the Sauna Haus portable Sauna trailer, but got back to the business of setting up my tent.  As the plan was to complete 7-8 3.6-mile laps, my strategy was to keep moving, run the flats and downhills, and not stop moving.  Electrolytes and ~20 oz of fluid per lap, and then for an even this long just nosh on the delightful snacks provided by the aid stations.  M&Ms, peanut butter pretzels, PB&J sammiches (no crusts!)?  Don’t mind if I do.  I can fuel on that for a long time.  

So many friends, clients, and acquaintances were milling around the start line in both biking and running events, and everything from 3 to 6 to 12 hours (the event coordinator's consensus was let’s make this a one-day event after 2024 overnights in December, while workable for the participant, are pretty rough on the spectators).  It was around 40 degrees at start time, and maybe touched the upper 40s in the middle of the day with the sun opting not to make an appearance until around sunset (see pic on @robredding or @tanawha_adventures ig).  

The Mountain Running Company Crew was out in force volunteering, and thanks to friends Kris & Ariane for snagging a few pics.  As I’d been doing long steady state training, I of course started running at a 7:25/mile pace with all the other runners.  Down the camp road and a right onto Copper Ridge, which, if you’ve never done it, is basically straight up the mountain.  Plan: If I’m not going to run it on the 4th lap, don’t run it on the first lap. From there, the trail rolls along the ridge, past Lower Heartbreak Ridge Trail, and back into camp, finishing with another stout climb before cruising back to the finish.  

First lap? 40 minutes.  2nd lap?  38 minutes.  Then Kyle Judkins, DO, the volunteer medical director, decided to be a “roving medical director” as he joined me for a few laps, as my time per lap crept up to 43, then 46 minutes.  I realized that perhaps I had been running parts I should have been walking.  This is a bit of a theme for me in my racing history, but hey - I was having a great time!  More M&Ms and potato chips!  And one of my favorite pieces of endurance racing is the camaraderie- finding a stranger and chatting about who-knows-what for who-knows-how-long as you just keep moving through the woods together.  There is something innately human about cruising on two feet in a group through fallen leaves, up and down the trail as it rolls along the ridgeline.  

After Dr. J returned to his warm clothes and increasingly attractive folding camp chair, I just locked myself in to keep moving for the last 3 hours.  I was going to be tough to complete another four laps in that time frame, so I was able to back off the pace a little and enjoy myself.  Just kidding, I was getting tired.  And so it was as predicted, that I spent the last two hours gritting my teeth and grinding for the last couple laps - thanks Lezifor joining me on the last lap - suffering is always better with company - and letting me know about “Bigger than the Trail” and her practice with Root Therapy (something like that - look it up) where runners realize that the mental health benefit of running can be as big as the physical (and as a physical therapist, I can get behind this!).  

As I cruised in at the end of my last lap, my upper back was crampy from carrying a handheld bottle (who would have guessed this was the only really buggy part, except for a cramping arch on my right foot?), and a great spectator and volunteer group was out there to cheer everyone through.  

First move after finishing?  Half a beer and some pretzels.  Second move? Jump into the camp lake.  Third move?  Get out of the lake really quickly cause it was cold, then hop back in.

And last?  Join the other six-hour racers in that portable sauna I was talking about earlier.  We all conspired, talked about northern Michigan in the summer and college basketball, and that we should all go in to buy a sauna trailer (if we could just come up with a working business plan).  

And then I sat back, chatted with other racers, friends, had some barbecue (and that other half a beer).  It was just a beautiful moment of community as the sunset painted the sky with swathes of pink and blue, as the temperature started to fall for those folks still out circling the camp for the 12-hour event.  

I’m so grateful I can do hard things to support this amazing community with wonderful people." - Wes

Anne George was who Wes paced in last year's event, to learn more about her story - check out this video!