My First DNF at the Stone Cat 50 Miler: Bruised, Battered, But Still Proud

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