Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada

I'm back for another retroactive Storification of a running event. On August 20-21 I was at the Kimberley Mountain Resort for the Black Spur Ultra. This is a 108km race on and around the ski resort. Our team of 5 tackled the race in just over 16 hours. It was an amazing test of fitness, strength, luck and determination.

The fun part for me was learning a few days before that I would be running 2 legs, instead of 1. It was fun!

Here's the story!

Good morning from beautiful Kimberley, BC. pic.twitter.com/SBi2EocfYO

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

We're here for another series of live-tweets from a crazy #running event.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

This years event is the @BlackSpurUltra.
6 legs. 108km.
5 (remaining) healthy team members.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

I just learned that even though I'm in #BC, we're still on Mountain Time. #TheMoreYouKnow pic.twitter.com/xf6005X9HI

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Every leg starts and finishes on this hill...
😁 pic.twitter.com/YZNTjWFXPx

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Also, it's a full moon for my night leg!
👍🏻👀💥💯 pic.twitter.com/WRi8JNRuos

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

And this is the part where I get overwhelmed by how fit all these runners are.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Solo runners are legit crazy/amazing

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Team www.slow photo! pic.twitter.com/npib9DIrBq

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

And they're off! @BlackSpurUltra has begun!! pic.twitter.com/hYTSOk0f09

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

That shirtless guy sprinted up the mountain
😳

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Got the best new running accessory for this race! #baby pic.twitter.com/9tnjrX2C6n

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Our pal Darren who is running 108km just finished the first leg! #blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/3ISyqFTxT8

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

LEG 1 DONE!
Way to go Drajs!!! #blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/KwE1KvzOlQ

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

I'be been eating carbs for 3 days straight. #blackspurultra

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Not stopping yer! #carbs pic.twitter.com/IjwtgQwYCT

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Got distracted. Walking in the Platzl of Kimberley pic.twitter.com/pgIhhWm3J8

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Leg 2 in the books!! Nice work Michelle!!!#blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/eSaZfVrIaK

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Nerves are coming on strong now! I'm pretty afraid of this run. #blackspurultra

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Here's what I'm doing tonight. Legs 5 & 6 (pink and yellow). #blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/RUCP4wQoma

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Leg 3 down! Blair gave it a "very hard."#blacks purports pic.twitter.com/KKsXgyOZrj

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

(Pretty sure I goofed this hashtag....)

Brent is on the course and I'm on deck....
😁😁😁#blackspurultra

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Also I'm at the bar
😎 pic.twitter.com/33ySHo9q16

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Don't worry. I've got a pretty good idea where he is. #blackspurultra #livetracking pic.twitter.com/kRcXjX3qZE

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/fO6KsmPiN3

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 20, 2016

I need to proof read better.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

#blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/btfdqsKLdk

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

The @thehipdotcom is playing in the background. I wanna to go now!!!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

~15 mins to start time.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

*go time
(I was excited)

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Switchbacks for days! pic.twitter.com/4baEg5T9GC

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Still climbing pic.twitter.com/LEA7jq2ZJq

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Passed the check point

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

pic.twitter.com/t6SEdmKzVS

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

pic.twitter.com/lB065x1zW3

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

How are there so many switchbacks?

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Leg 5 done! Came into TA with The Hip playing Ahead By A Century. That's a lifelong memory

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Now for the darkness! pic.twitter.com/FqKehiMl03

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Leg 6 has been mostly just muscle cramps so far

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Haven't seen another person for 70 minutes now

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Checkpoint!!! Home stretch now

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I saw people!!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I'm eating beef jerky. Matching up a hill. Pitch black outside.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Now my friend the moon is out pic.twitter.com/Cl81cBeWQh

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

30k done. Officially not fun anymore. Cramps are bad.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

*big climb

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I CAN ZEE PEOPLE!!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Check that. I can see lights. Il really running drunk.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Going to get that medal!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

DONE!!!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

5 hours 21 minutes
4000 vertical feet
37.7km
1 medal #finished #blackspurultra pic.twitter.com/EEMFFXUwtV

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Dear god that was hard

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

My legs started cramping on the first km of the 6th leg. Never got them back. Only got worse.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

By the end I couldn't run uphill without causing a dual leg seizure.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I hit the wall at 30km too. Just for good measure.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

And the secondhand of leg 6 was all uphill.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I still feel quite ill.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

But I just had a magical bath. #twitterafterdark pic.twitter.com/GYWwTDx4zl

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Unfortunately during that bath, I discovered how many blisters are on my feet. #aLOT

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Also, running at night is kind of terrifying.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

At one point, I'm running along in the dark and I hear people screaming in the distance.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

No idea what's going on, but I'm on high alert.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

I get around the corner, only to find that the rest of my team is waiting for me at the checkpoint.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Then I felt much better. Until the next hill and my struggles to eat food.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

With hindsight, I should've just run one leg, or trained better. 😁#nexttime

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Anyways, I'm going to try to sleep now (hahahaha).
Thanks for following along on the adventure!

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

(Well, actually 5 medals. We all got one)

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Here's a Blair Witch-esque video of the finish. #WhereTheHellIsTheFinishLine #runningdrunk pic.twitter.com/Kvheqv8d6n

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Looks like I'll be wearing flip flops today 😜

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

Best part of the morning so far? I feel kinda human again

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016

That can happen on long races. Also, I STRONGLY advise against anyone doing long races.

— Gibby Davis (@gibbydavis) August 21, 2016