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Light in the Dark
When I think back to the times in my life Iāve been in the most blissful state of happiness, itās been directly correlated with movement, whether it is on a dance floor, up on a stage, or out on one of those brilliant runs where you feel you could go on forever. In those moments […]
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The Show Must Go On!
The world will keep spinning with or without you so you might as well jump onboard. This little phrase popped up in my head this morning as I was getting ready for the day. My work load is growing and growing, and Iām finding my days packed to the brim with little compromises being made […]
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A Horrifying Opportunity for Growth
The neighborsā footsteps up above. The rigorous flute scales from the practice room next door. My cat, Bo, singing (yowling) at 2am. The conversation next to me in the coffee shop. The squealing brakes of the train rushing into the station. The distant sound of cars racing down the interstate, heard from even the remotest […]
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I See Trees of Green
Last spring I began exploring the idea of a new creative project. I purchased a Go Pro camera and started experimenting with making little videos of my run adventures. It was mostly out of pure, silly fun and curiosity more than anything. Not long after, my world turned upside down. It was the end of […]
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Where I Call Home
āAt the end of the day, it isnāt where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere Iām going and never have been before.ā ā Warsan Shire Itās been two months since I left Portland, the place I called home for thirteen years. I spent the interim in the Green Mountains of Vermont in pursuit of […]
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Long Trail: A New Approach – Day 7
Day 7 – Sunday 7/17/2022 Bear Hollow Shelter (218.3) to Northern Terminus / Canadian Border (272.0) 53.5 miles / 16,909 ft gain / 14,918 ft loss 2.6 mph Start: 11:28pm (Saturday 7/16) Finish: 8:12pm (Sunday 7/17) Elapsed: 20h 43m I woke up to my vibrating phone alarm, bzz-bzz-bzz-bzzzzzz. Bzz-bzz-bzz-bzzzzzz. I had chosen the “Beethoven’s 5th” setting which […]
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Long Trail: A New Approach – Day 6
Day 6 – Saturday 7/16/22 Duxbury Road Trailhead (181.9) to Bear Hollow Shelter (218.3) 36.4 miles / 11,263 ft gain / 10,079 ft loss 2.3 mph Start: 3:04am Finish: 6:38pm Elapsed: 15h 34m When I left the trailhead this morning, my pack was as heavy as it had ever been. I knew water would be […]
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Long Trail: A New Approach – Day 5
Day 5 – Friday 7/15/2022 Emily Proctor Shelter (141.2) to Duxbury Road Trailhead (181.9) 40.7 miles / 11,276 ft gain / 12,869 ft loss 2.3 mph Start: 2:50am Finish: 8:29pm Elapsed: 17h 39m Since I had stopped so early yesterday evening, I got an extra early start today to allow enough time to get to […]
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Long Trail: A New Approach – Day 4
Day 4 – Thursday 7/14/2022 US-4 (104.5) to Emily Proctor Shelter (141.2) 36.7 miles / 9,810 ft gain / 7,762 loss 2.6 mph Start: 4:36am Finish: 6:38pm Elapsed: 14h 02m I took my time getting ready in the morning so I could reorganize my pack, separate my food into different bags for each day since […]
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Long Trail: A New Approach – Day 3
Day 3 – Wednesday 7/13/2022 Peru Peak Shelter (64.5) to US-4 (104.5) 40.0 miles / 8,155 ft gain / 8,878 ft loss 2.7 mph Start: 3:52am Finish: 6:43pm Elapsed: 14 hrs 51 min This day was tougher than expected. I felt pretty sleepy in the morning, even after taking some caffeinated Spring Energy gels and […]
Who is Mercury?
Liz Derstine, trail name āMercuryā, is a distance runner, endurance hiker, writer, and musician residing in Boston, MA. She holds fastest known times for women on the Appalachian Trail (supported, northbound), Long Trail (self-supported), and Pinhoti Trail (self-supported).
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Mercury on the Run 