This is the story of my first ever DNF — and wow, did it come with a plot twist (and a few acrobatics).
At the Stone Cat 50 Miler, my brain told me to turn around before I even started… and maybe I should’ve listened 😅
The first loop was absolute chaos: pitch black trails, leaves hiding every rock and root, and me falling five times (including twice on my head) and rolling my ankle seven times — all in the first 13.4 miles.
But here’s the thing: my endurance was solid, my gear was flawless (shoutout to the Puma Deviate 2s and my Salomon Sense Pro 10 vest), and I didn’t quit. I made the right call when my body was banged up and the cutoff was slipping away.
DNFs aren’t failures — they’re part of the story. And this one taught me more about grit, humility, and why I should probably invest in a headlamp upgrade.
🎥 In this episode, I break down:
What went wrong (and what went really wrong)
The moment I knew I had to stop
Why I’m still proud of this race
What I’m doing differently next time
Because sometimes the hardest runs are the ones that teach you the most.
👟 Gear I used:
Shoes: Puma Deviate 2
Vest: Salomon Sense Pro 10
💬 Have you ever had a DNF or a race that didn’t go as planned? Drop your story in the comments — let’s normalize the tough days too.
#ultrarunning #stonecatultra #DNFstory #runnahpodcast #trailrunning