67- Cruel Jewel, Vagus Nerves, and Parking Lot Felonies

Our weekend started with promise, a conservative plan, good weather, and even a rattlesnake encounter, because Georgia likes to add side quests. Then my race turned sideways when post-viral vagus nerve issues made swallowing, drinking, fueling, and generally existing like a normal mammal impossible. What looked like stomach trouble was actually a neurological throat-and-body revolt, complete with choking, puking, and the deeply glamorous experience of trying not to become a full-body disaster on the side of the road. Ultra running: it’s basically wellness, if wellness hated you.

After the DNF, instead of disappearing into the Airbnb to sulk like a reasonable person with Wi-Fi and emotional boundaries, Jon and I jumped into crew mode, helping friends, supporting runners, and staying in the race community even after my own race was over.

Then we take a hard left into one of the great endangered species of ultra running: crew people with spatial awareness. We get into people parking over white lines, trucks blocking access, nervous drivers, one aggressively awful tailgater, and why race volunteers should not have to teach adults how roads work. If your crew setup requires state troopers, a tow truck, and a community meeting, congratulations, you are now the aid station hazard.