From Runners World for New Balance, Liz “Mercury” Anjos stopped on the Appalachian Trail. She had just reached the northern terminus on Mount Katahdin in Maine, having completed a goal she had dreamed about for the last five years.
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While she’s been captivated by the Appalachian Trail since she was young, Anjos, who ran cross country at Greeneville College, mostly sticks to road racing. But in 2015 when Scott Jurek broke the AT record, she started thinking more seriously about going for the record for the 2,190 miles stretching from Georgia to Maine, most recently set by Anjos completed the. Ben & Jerrys Cherry Garcia Jennifer Pharr Davis’ 2011 record, which still stands as the women’s record, of 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes.
“Before 2015, my only experience with multi-day hikes was when I was a kid,” Anjos told Runner’s World. “It took years of planning, and it wasn’t until summer of 2019 that I started to get out for more multi-day efforts like days on sections of the Appalachian Trail or a six-day hike in November.”
Anjos, who gave herself the nickname “Mercury” after the wing-footed greek god and a classical piece by Gustav Holtz, decided to pick a year (2020) and give the record a shot. She was coached and mentored by Warren Doyle, who has hiked the trail 18 times and set the first official speed record in 1973. He also would crew her the entire way from Georgia to Maine.
Running in the Cold Hellgate 100K last December, and continued to put in some long days on the trail through the coronavirus pandemic, which almost forced her to cancel her attempt because of trail closures.
But on July 7, she got to the Georgia trailhead, after consuming a McDonald’s Big Mac. With that last meal, she set out at midnight from Springer Mountain, flying out of the gate with a 69-mile first day.
“I know 69 miles sounds crazy, but I promise it was part of the strategy,” Anjos said. “If I wanted the overall record, I knew I had to put in big days early on like Karel did later on. So, why not put in some big miles while I’m fresh, right off the bat?”
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She didn’t panic. Unable to run, she covered 50-plus miles in about 20-hour days, leaving only two to three hours for sleep. This worked for a while, but it wasn’t sustainable.
“Maybe day 18 was when I was coming out of the Shenandoah Mountains averaging 50 miles a day mostly walking,” she said. “My left side was feeling worse, and I ended up stopping after 12 miles. It was time to rest and reevaluate my goals.”
Anjos considered new goals from going under 50 days to under 54 days, which would beat Heather Anderson’s self-supported women’s record). When she realized that the overall record was out of reach, she weighed if she should even continue on.
“That was the psychological and physical low point,” Anjos said. “The next day I did maybe 20 miles, and I still felt bad. We knew 46 days was out of the question, so Warren mapped out a few plans for other accomplishments.”
Once Anjos readjusted her goals and set much more manageable mileage days, she crushed her way through Maryland, West Virginia, and her home state of Pennsylvania. By the time she entered New Jersey, her shin splints finally stopped hurting, and she moved smoothly through there and New York, running and eating her way through each terrain.
“Mostly, I ate 350- to 400-calorie protein shakes at road crossings for easy calories,” she said. “Otherwise, I had boxed pastries, glazed danishes, basic sandwiches and wraps, candy, junk food, chops, and the one I loved the most was people would bring me McDonald’s milkshakes. I always looked forward to those and pints of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia.”
This had her on pace for under 50 days until she reached the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where the terrain was much more technical than she had previously experienced. It slowed her down to the point where she wasn’t hitting her mileage. After two days there, it was time to reassess her goals once again.
The Gear That Got Liz Anjos Through the AT
I brought multiple pairs and wore them every day. I used the side pockets for my GPS tracker, phone, snacks, etc. They were very useful.
Not a day or night went by without wearing my cap. It protected my face from the sun and kept rain out of my eyes.
Altra Women’s Lone Peak 4.5
One of my big toes ballooned almost to the size of a golf ball in the last few days of the hike. They were my only shoes that had a toe box wide enough to accommodate.
I hiked through the Tropical Storm Isaias, and my only saving grace was the garbage liner I wore like a vest underneath, tucked into my waistband, and armholes cut out. It kept my core warm and dry.
Lowering her mileage through that range, she chose to go for under 52 days. This would be tough. When she cleared New Hampshire, she had the goal in sight, but with days to go, she knew she’d need to push one day in order to not suffer entirely the last two days.
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On August 25, her 35th birthday, Anjos put in her longest day yet: 22 hours covering 44.7 miles. This left about 70 miles for her final two-day push—completed with a big toe that had swelled to the size of a golf ball.
“I had the whole last part to myself,” Anjos said. “It was really windy until the final climb. I could hardly believe I was there at the end. I thought I would cry or be emotional, but I wasn’t. This ambitious plan turned out to be a problem early on. On day three, Anjos developed? Am I touching this sign. I just reflected on this trail from Georgia to here.”
After a few selfies, Anjos descended to the campground where Doyle was waiting with a big hug. She rested for a bit before book ending her trip with McDonald’s, this time opting for a Double Quarter Pounder.
Nearly a week removed from the trail, she’s been “luxuriating,” keeping her feet up and not moving much at her parent’s home near Philadelphia. On Friday, September 4, she begins her journey home—first going to David Horton’s home in Georgia, until Doyle picks her up there and takes her back to her car in Tennessee. Then, she’ll spend a week driving back to Portland, Oregon.
She said it’ll give her plenty of time to reflect on her hike, and also think about the future.
“I don’t know if I have another long trail in me,” she said. “I know I’ll treasure this experience forever. I may do the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and I qualified for the We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back as my first 100K, so I think I’ll put my name in the lottery for that.”
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
