Before:
The plan was simple. Mike would follow me out to Uwharrie where we would get to check out the mountain bike trails. After a late lunch, he would head home as I went for a run at Morrow Mountain State Park. Then I would check in at the Uwharrie 100-miler, set up camp, and work an aid station from midnight to 8 AM on Sunday. This simple plan did not stand a chance.

Starting out, Mike got injured during a Thursday evening ride. Not one to waste a trip to Uwharrie, I decided to forge ahead with my plan and ride it alone. While I was a bit nervous about going it alone on a new trail, I knew that there would be enough riders and people around if something catastrophic happened to me. As I become a more proficient rider, I know that I’ll get more comfortable with riding alone. Especially in places with limited cell phone reception.

Before I left, I remembered that I knew a runner from Wilmington who was planning on running the 100-miler. I reached out to another Wilmington runner, Mailyn, to ask her about it. She told me that Milt would be running and his wife Diane would be volunteering at the same aid station as me, just an earlier shift. She then decided that she and Rina would bring their kids for a first time camping experience.

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