Catawba Run Around

I don't know how many times we've said we need to plan a trip to go up and run around McAfee's Knob. Heck it's even on the AT license plate for my home state and I pay extra to display it on the back of my car every year and I've never even been there!  So when Sophie sent the link to the Catawba Run Around I thought it best to go ahead and take that run off the to do list, but!!!! the weekend after Mitchell??? was I really going to feel like running a 50K the weekend after Mitchell?? A 50K where some of the finishing times for fast runners were over 8 hrs!! sounds like a horrible idea right? how i made it sound like a good idea in my head...the times must be slow because they were just lolly gagging and taking pictures and enjoying the views.... It will be a fun leisurely run with some great folks and we will get that awesome shot on top of McAfee's that we've always dreamed of...it's such a great group.....and dinner at the homeplace afterwards will be icing on the cake.....




What I hadn't planned on was getting sick the week after Mitchell. Tuesday afternoon the sneezing started, then the itchy watery eyes, nasal congestion, fever, and tiredness. I started immediately trying to fight it with hot tang/russian tea (ricks cold remedy), emergenC, vitamins, zicam, mucinex, whatever I could get my hands on. Friday I was still feeling it but decided to go along even if I decided not to run I could maybe just help with aid or do a short hike? I met Rick and "Dr. Doug" and around 6pm and we made it to the hotel around 8:30. Just to add to the frustration, on the way up I began to cough and when I laid down to bed it just got worse. Luckily Rick had some cough drops, but I just worried I would keep them up all night and that it was an even worse decision to run. "Dr. Doug" assured me Saturday morning that running would be the best Medicine so with his approval I geared up and hoped for the best. Long story short, I survived and it probably was the best medicine. While running I was worried that I had made a mistake. Being wet and at times cold and exposed to the wind a lot, my throat started giving me trouble. There were so many times I wanted to talk and joke but it just wouldn't come out. As soon as I stopped running (sucking wind), got dry cloths on and out of the wind things immediately improved. It was a long tough day but we had a blast. Rick, Jenny, Doug Sullivan, Snipper and I spent the entire day together frolicking in the fog. We were disappointed that we didn't get the fantastic views that drew us to the run in the first place, but we'll keep coming back if nothing else for another opportunity to spend a wonderful day in the woods. one day we'll just get lucky and get that McAfee's knob shot we have always dreamed of :)

View all

Get your own