No video. No photos. No stops.
Just me, the trail, and a young couple I decided were not going to pass me.
April 11 wasn't about documenting. It was about proving something to myself.
Before the Hike
I'd done two solid weeks at Umstead. March 25 proved I could come back. April 1 proved I could be consistent. Now April 11 was about testing speed and endurance together.
Company Mill Trail is different from my previous two. It's longer, more elevation, and it's the full trail - not a loop combination or a short version. This is the real thing. 6.2 miles. 728 feet of elevation. Real trail, real effort.
I arrived at the trailhead and immediately saw a young couple gearing up. They looked fit, confident, probably planning a casual day hike. I made a decision: they were not going to pass me.
Not out of ego, exactly. But out of something deeper - a need to prove that I'm not the guy who collapsed five years ago. I'm the guy who owns the trail now. I'm stronger, smarter, faster.
Let's go.
What I Carried
- Durston Kakwa 55 - ultralight and ready
- Altra trail runners - lightweight and responsive
- 2-liter hydration pack - enough water, nothing extra
- Quick energy bars - fuel, not a meal
- Minimal extras: no camera, no video, just essentials
Pack Weight: ~7 lbs (stripped down)
On the Trail
I took off hard. Not recklessly hard, but with purpose. A pace I could sustain for the distance, but fast enough to set immediate separation.
The first mile of Company Mill climbing steeply, and I hit it with intention. My legs responded. My heart rate climbed into the 130s - high, but controlled. Breathing hard but rhythmic. This is what fitness feels like.
By mile 1.5, I'd already put distance between myself and the young couple. They were back there somewhere, probably wondering how a 255-pound guy just disappeared up the trail.
The middle section of Company Mill gets more technical. Roots, rocks, tighter switchbacks. I didn't slow down. I adapted. Lighter feet, quicker cadence, letting momentum carry me where raw power wouldn't work. This is the lesson of consistent training - your body knows how to move efficiently when it's not panicking.
Mile 4 hit me with a moment of truth: the elevation starts adding up, the pace has been relentless, and any normal person would be thinking about slowing down. I thought about it for maybe five seconds. Then I pushed harder instead.
My heart rate topped out at 145 somewhere in there, and I held it. Not sprinting. Not dying. Just a strong, sustainable effort that proved my cardiovascular system has adapted dramatically from five years ago.
The final mile is where the real satisfaction happens. My legs are tired, I can feel them, but they're not breaking down. They're not quitting. They're just tired from work, which is different. The descent that follows is where I actually started enjoying myself again - technical enough to demand attention, fast enough to feel like flying.
I came off the trail in just over 2 hours and 10 minutes. 6.2 miles. 728 feet of elevation. No stops. No bonks. No moments of doubt.
The young couple came out about 15 minutes later.
Victory.
Gear Performance
Stripping my pack down to 7 lbs made a difference. Every extra pound matters when you're running a pace like this. The Altras were perfect for the technical sections - I could feel the ground and respond quickly.
Hydration was minimal: I drank about 1.5 liters over 2 hours and 10 minutes. That's conservative but worked perfectly for a moderate-length effort with no extreme heat. My electrolyte strategy from May 2021 is still locked in.
No camera meant no cognitive load. I could just exist in the effort, in the moment, in the pure physicality of moving fast and far.
Post-Hike Reflection
This hike was about more than just mileage or pace. It was about psychological dominance.
Five years ago, I was struggling on these trails. I was afraid of them. I didn't understand my body or my limitations or how to work with them instead of against them.
Today, I moved through 6.2 miles of real terrain at a legitimate pace and felt strong at the end. More than that - I proved I could beat someone younger and fitter to the trailhead just through consistency and determination.
That matters. That's the story I needed to experience, not just read about.
Company Mill Trail got dominated. Next week: back to Sycamore for 7.6 miles. Then the 9-mile warm-up. Then the 11-mile reckoning.
Umstead, I'm coming for you.