YHC heard about the Crazy Train, and thought it’d be fun to try it with rucks, during the evening.. hence, the Night Train. We put the word out via Slack, Twitters, Raleigh Area Ruckers Facebook, and various other COT-based means of communication. Seven ruckers and three runners answered the call.
Goal
Board the #76 Piedmont at 6:08pm in Cary, ride to Raleigh, and get rucking by 6:30. YHC estimated a 17min/mi overall pace, and after some advanced mathematics, determined that meant about a 4-hour trip. Plenty of time to make it to the finish line at Bond Brothers and enjoy a frosty malted beverage.
Execution
We of course assumed the train would be late, but by 5:00 everything was looking good. It wasn’t until we got to the station that the 20-some minute delay was posted. No worries, we’ll still be off by 7. That 20 minutes would’ve been better spent at Pharmacy, but that’s OK. Next time.
We stepped off from just outside the beautiful new Union Station at 6:53. The sights and sounds of DTR on a Friday evening surrounded us as we made our way on Hillsborough. We resisted the temptation to pre-2ndF at Crank Arm, opting to press on to the goal.
Our first time hack was to get on and off of Meredith campus by sundown, and we made that handily, crossing the 440 bridge with plenty of daylight left. It may not work out so well in another few months, but for now, no worries.
We made a couple of stops for foot care, but kept a decent pace while moving. Not quite the 17/mi average I’d estimated, but workable for the time being.
We slowed a bit coming through Umstead, having had one PAX decide that 7.5mi was more than plenty for one evening. YHC had been offered a support crew ahead of time, but didn’t quite know how we’d use them. Perhaps next time we’ll schedule a rally point near Whiplash for those who only want to do about half the distance.
We plugged along, had a conversation with a friendly ranger, and hit the hills of Harrison. We started to wonder what time last call was, and found our forces split into a few groups in order to maximize success (read: everyone enjoying a cold beverage at the end).
With the scout elements arriving just before 11:30 and securing said beverages, and others not far behind, we reached our objective and enjoyed some fine 2ndF. We closed the place down, and went our separate ways after naming FNG Horatio (he works for the state crime lab.) Welcome!
Track: https://www.strava.com/activities/1702753016 Pics: https://www.instagram.com/ruckcarpex/