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C&O Canal 100 Mile 2013 Race Report The inaugural run of the C&O Canal 100 Mile Run was held on April 27-28, 2013.  After many months of preparation and training, race morning was finally here. We arrived at Camp Manidokan, in Knoxville, Maryland a little after 6 am. We brought some tents and folding chairs so that we would have a “camp” to hang out at in case anyone wanted to stay here overnight on Saturday night while I was running.  Some runners actually slept over on Friday night, but I felt like I’d rather be in the comfort of my own bed on the night before the race, and just leave early to get to the starting line on time.  We live about an hour away from Knoxville, MD, so we left home at 5 am. For those that wanted to camp, you could drive your car up to the top of the hill, near the covered shelter that was acting as race headquarters.Those just parking were lined up by parking volunteers down by the road (Harpers Ferry Road). As soon as we arrived, I went over to the race HQ to sign my waiver and pick up my […]

New York City Marathon Some things in life come easily, and some don’t. Filed under the “don’t” category, would be my ability to come out successful in the New York City Marathon lottery process. Fortunately for me, the process was set up such that if lottery hopefuls miss getting picked three years in a row, they’d get guaranteed entry the 4th year. Note, they have since done away with this 4th year guarantee, but I was fortunate enough to be a part of that program. Another note: I was actually fortunate to NOT to get picked in 2012, as that one was cancelled in the final hours due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. And so, 2013 was the magical year that I got to run in the NYC Marathon. To say that I was excited about this event would be an understatement.  It was hard (and still is) not to get all choked up when reflecting on the journey that brought me to the NYCM starting line. Especially considering that this was me only one month prior to the race: Rocky Terrain-1   Jenny-0 Somewhere in there is a patella. Because sometimes **** happens, I was forced to […]

Sep 15, 2014 I completed an Ironman 70.3 yesterday.  What an experience!  I got so much positive feedback from it that I thought I’d write a little bit about it for anyone who is truly interested. This story starts a few years ago, actually, when I decided to do my first triathlon.  To make a long story short, in that first triathlon I almost died during the swim, kicked ass on the bike, and then took two wrong turns in the run and was disqualified. That was an Olympic distance triathlon: 1 mile ocean swim followed by a 25 mile bike ride followed by a 6 mile run.  The Ironman 70.3 I did yesterday was more than double that. Also, until yesterday, I had never: swam more than 1 mile biked more than 42 miles ran more than 12 miles (without stopping) So yesterday, I swam 1.2 miles in the ocean, biked 56 miles, and ran a half marathon (13 miles).  Personal records as far as distance in all three disciplines. —– I had a tentative goal going in to the race.  I wanted to finish around 5 hours.  It was a very lofty goal, but my training was going […]

This is my race report for the 2014 Georgia Jewel 100 mile race. This was my first 100 and the race I chose to hold that title for me proved to be a VERY tough one indeed. First, let me give a very brief overview of the course as described on the Georgia Jewel Website. “This rugged course on North West Georgia’s Pinhoti Trail will escort you across five scenic mountains and along the narrow crests of several ridges of the Chattahoochee National Forest. This mostly single track trail is technically rocky and rooty but is well maintained by our friends at NWGA SORBA. There are several stream crossings to be experienced during the race. The lowest elevation on the course is 770 feet and the highest elevation of 1788 feet will reveal the views from the top of Dug Mountain. Because of the out and back nature of the course, runners will both climb 16,053 feet and descend 16,053 feet during the 100 mile distance. The course consists of roughly 70 miles of single track trail, 21.5 miles of jeep road and 8.5 miles of paved road. Tenacity will allow you a final downhill finish to a unique award […]

Race Date: January 17-18, 2015 Well this is way past due, but since this was such a momentous accomplishment for me, I thought I better write this up. Better late than never. I had tried to get into the 2014 Hawaii Ultra Running Team (HURT) 100 Trail Run, not really knowing much about it at the time, other than it was to be in Hawaii in January. I figured it would be a good way to get some vacation time in paradise while Washington DC was freezing. I didn’t get picked in the lottery that year, and after reading more about the race, I was somewhat relieved that I wasn’t selected. However, the next year, I decided to try for the lottery again, not seriously feeling that I would get selected. On the evening of the lottery selection, I had my iPad at the dinner table and was checking the progress of the lottery when I saw my name printed on the screen.  I thought, hmm, okay are those names of people that applied? Is there a glitch? After rubbing my eyes and double-checking, I turned to my wife and with no expression, said “I got selected for HURT”. I […]

It was cold in Alcoa, Tennessee that January day. Really cold for a Georgia girl; fourteen degrees to be exact. I was bundled up tightly in my heavy WeatherEdge jacket, old thermal gloves, and layers of sweats, but nothing could ease the bite of the windchill. I pulled my jacket up a little higher over my mouth, and I breathed in and out to feel some kind of warmth…Man, it’s freezing. I glanced over at my husband, Dan, who was staring back at me….Thumbs up… a reminder that being cold was the least of my worries that day. I was standing outside of a local middle school, under a huge banner, surrounded by people of all shapes and sizes with one common goal— to finish an ultra. The Pistol Ultra. And the gun was about to signal the start of another 100 mile journey for me. Another life lesson I would never forget… Starting Over If you have followed my blog for awhile, you will likely remember the last story I wrote about a 100 mile race, Ancient Oaks in 2012. If you haven’t read it, a quick recap would be that I decided I needed a break from hundreds. […]

The Dirty German 50k is held in Pennypack Park which is located in the heart of Philadelphia. The race is great for anyone new to Ultrarunning. It is relatively flat and not very technical which makes it optimal for anyone thinking about giving Ultrarunning a try. The race itself consists of two 15.5 mile loops. I highly recommend this race for anyone wanting to give Ultrarunning a try.

“The World’s Hardest 50K” …. this is what was promised by race director Sean “Run Bum” Blanton. These 4 words intrigued me. They called to me. They made me question if I had what it took to tackle such beast. And, of course, I now had to find out. I could start on the morning of the race itself, but as everyone who has ever tackled the seemingly impossible knows, the story starts LONG before that. I’ll take it back a good ways to the first of the year. To mark the new year I had run the Pistol 100 miler in Alcoa, TN. This was a race that was both amazing and yet not so amazing on many levels. It was amazing in that the race was absolutely top notch, with fantastic staff, aid and course. I achieved several PR’s at the race including 50k, 50 mile and my 100 mile. What made it not so amazing is the fact that I pushed myself past my breaking point. After reaching my 50 mile PR, I became slightly injured which led to me taking it easy which then led to my body attempting to shut down on me. But being […]

The Leadup: Seven weeks prior to this race I race the Laurel Highlands 70 Miler and that was a grueling 14.5 hours. That race left me with completely toasted, trembling legs and a seemingly perpetual recovery ahead. I learned about the Altra Coventry Woods 6 Hour from the store owner and Race Director Don Morrisson. I was at the store because I was having issues with my first pair of Hokas (Challenger ATR). The cheap insole wasn’t doing anything and toward the back of my arch was bruised because it kept landing on the giant rubber walls that surround your foot. It’s a strange shoe. Anway, Done gave me a pair of insoles for free and the shoes actually ended up working out for me. The Coventry 6-Hour sounded like an interesting race to follow Laurel Highlands and it would presumably keep me in race shape for my fall A-Race, Blues Cruise 50k. There was a 3-hour option, but whenever there are different lengths of races going on at the same event, the longer ones tend to me the more fun and competitive. For the seven weeks between races, I felt pretty beat up. I wasn’t fully recovered, but I […]

I had always wanted to run an Ultra.  I have been a runner for almost 30 years.  I worked a schedule that did not allow for regular training.  Over the years I would enter a race ever now and again.  Anywhere from 10 to 26 miles.  But the ultra always had its charm.  Finally I made the decision to run one in 2015.  A friend and I decided we would motivate each other toward this goal.  We chose to run the Blue Cruise 50k.  My work schedule changed and allowed me weekends off for regular long runs.  I met some very patient and knowledgeable ultra runners who always invited me along to train.  Even though these runners were far superior athletes.  I learned a lot from them and worked hard.  By race day I felt more prepared then I have ever been in the past.  I had logged half a dozen 20+ milers.  I learned one of the secrets in training from the seasoned trail vets, elevation.  I had logged over 60,000 feet of climbing in those months of training and it was the difference in my opinion. Race day came.  I wore my vest with one 20 ounce bottle.  I […]

This wasn’t my fastest 5K ever, but it was my 2nd fastest (22:21, official time)

Sunday, October 18, 2015 At Long Last Sixty five and sunny is what smacked my face when I got off the plane after a red-eye from Seattle to Cleveland. Is it really October? That was my initial question. Oftentimes Ohio is mid 40’s, snowing, or just plain out miserable. I couldn’t believe that this was going to be the weather that I was going to have for the duration of my stay in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I flew home to take on the 7th annual Oil Creek 100 in Titusville, PA. The course is known to be rocky, technical, and difficult overall. It boasts an impressive 17.6k feet of climbing during the duration of the race. Challenge accepted. I in an odd way enjoy technical courses, particularly if climbing is involved. Ever since moving to WA, my climbing technique has improved drastically. As odd as it may sound my mentality going into this race wasn’t that of a “a race,” but more of an experience. Trees and fall foliage are impressive this time of year in the Midwest. I have heard rumors how beautiful the course would be. This, along with proximity to family, is what brought me home. Before heading […]

I wasn’t planning on running this race, since I just did the Marine Corps Marathon the previous weekend, but Yuriko wanted to do the 5k, and so of course I had to run, too. And I couldn’t just do the 5K when there was a 10 mile option. After last Sunday’s marathon, I took the whole week off, and so this was my first time lacing up my Brooks since Washington. I felt more or less recovered and ready to go. The weather was nice and cool—mid 50s, overcast. I was planning on running 8 minute miles, which is a tad slower than my best 10k pace. Goal time was 1:20. I ate some toast with peanut butter when I woke up at 7 and drank a 5 Hour Energy. Walked Kima at 7:30; headed to the race with Yuriko at 8:00. The race, organized by the Pagoda Pacers (of which I’m a proud, new member) started right on time at 9:00am. (The 5k started at 9:10.) I had heard that the course was flat, but I guess I didn’t completely believe that, since the area surrounding Oley has a lot of rolling hills. But the rumor was true—a very […]

This past Saturday, November 7, 2015 was my 7th half marathon. After a couple 50K races and a few 50 mile or more attempts, I pretty much wrote off road racing for a couple reason, none of which I go into here. However; the difference for me is that this race was my first race, regardless of distance, since June 2014. We did the Palmetto 200 earlier this year, but that is a team event and we were far from racing. From June 2014 through the first couple months of 2015 I was dealing with small nagging injuries that kept my mileage to a minimum. After that, I spent most of the time working with Jenny, who just so happens to be my favorite yoga instructor, and Elise, our friend and owner of the gym we go to, to gain some flexibility back in my steel-plate hamstrings. After finally getting flexible enough to start working out and regularly running again, I set my eyes back on doing ultras by immediately signing up for the Blind Pig 100 in April 2016. Shortly after that, Jenny said she was considering running the Lexington Half Marathon on November 14th. My gears started turning […]

The Leadup After my first Boston Marathon, I took a week completely off. This is something I force myself to do. After that week I had exactly 6 weeks, including any kind of taper, to prepare for Cayuga 50. I use the FIRST method for road marathon training which is three key workouts, all pretty hard, and everything else is just recovery miles if any. I averaged only 35 miles a week and maybe 3.5-6 hours of running time each week. That’s far from what I need for a 50 mile race, especially one as tough as Cayuga. I was in killer shape, for sure, but it was 5 months before Boston since I had run for longer than 2:37. There’s a gear you just don’t have without regular runs of 3, 4 and 5+ hours. And believe me, I want to do well at Cayuga. It was my first REAL 50 mile race back in 2014 and I was unprepared and went out way too hard. I suffered a lot in the last 12 miles and finished in 9:22. Much worse than I am capable of, even then. Cayuga is the USATF 50 Mile Trail National Championship with decent prize money […]

Prologue This is my first race report of the year, but it wasn’t my first race of the year. I was just a little too busy in the spring to find the time to write about all the fun I had at the Chilly Cheeks 7 Mile Trail Run (which is so close to home I can see my house from one section of the course) or the Naked Bavarian Trail Marathon (shaving 31 minutes off my super-slow 2015 time) or the 7 Sisters Trail Race (which was was so steep, muddy, and rocky that it was pretty much entirely unrunnable–yet I still had a great time). I heard about Cayuga from my friend Michael Heimes, who ran the 50-mile race in 2014, loved the course, and was eager to return and outperform his earlier effort. I was interested because I knew the area well from my graduate school days in nearby Binghamton. I had hiked and swam in Treman and Buttermilk Falls State Parks, knew how “gorgeous/gorges” they were, and thought it would be great to run a race there. I also have friends in the area, whom I rarely see, and would love to reconnect with. The only problem […]

Why Pikes Peak For a long time, I’ve wanted to take a vacation in the Rockies. The Appalachians can’t really compare in terms of size and drama, and as a mountain lover, I knew I was long overdue for some real mountains. As I’ve gotten into trail running over the past few years, and started learning about many of the challenging events out west, my excitement to take a trip out there grew. I learned about the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon from Trail Runner magazine, and I thought the Ascent sounded like a first great “real mountain” race. The distance was only 13 miles, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a DNF, as I probably would have if I had tried to make my first high-altitude race an ultra. But even though the distance was mild, the course was pretty extreme: 7,700 feet of climbing up one of America’s most famous mountains, with a finish line above 14,000 feet. I had no idea what 14,000 feet would feel like. Hell, I had never really run much above 2,000 feet. When I registered for the event (which sells out quickly), I didn’t realize that the Marathon (held the following day) […]

This was my first 10k and first organized run after a couple years off. The location was fun. Right downtown at Waterfront so there was a great festival air with about 25 breweries representing plus other local stuff. For visitors, it’s in a kind of ‘touristy’ area close to Voodoo, Saturday Market, Food Carts, etc. Parking was kind of a pain but whatever. The race course goes up and over the Freemont Bridge which you cannot walk over normally. Since I drive on it daily it a treat to do it on foot. Once up in NoPo the course snakes around which was kind of annoying but I guess they have to get the distance in somehow. The dubstep didgeridoo duo over here was cool, but likely hipsters keeping the party going from the night prior and not associated with the event at all. The course ended over Hawthore Bridge for a quick downhill ending. The T shirt was actually wearable and I got like 2.5 beers worth of tickets. Why not an even 2 or 3?  I paced with a buddy at the beginning before leaving him behind so the time probably suffered a couple minutes. I’d do this one again. Terrapin […]

A 5-pack of runners from Reading, PA headed out to the western part of our state this summer to compete in the Laurel Highlands Ultras. Michael Heimes and Kyle Gery were registered for the main event–a 70.5 mile race along the entirety of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT)–while the rest of us (Matt Hottenstein, Steve Vida, and myself) were ready to attempt the more humble 50k. Both races are point-to-point and begin at the start of the LHHT in Ohiopyle, PA, by the waters of the raging Youghiougheny River. (Hottenstein told me how to pronounce that, but I can’t remember.) The 50k ends a bit north of the Seven Springs Ski Resort, while the 70-miler ends north of Johnstown, PA. There happened to be a Jehovah’s Witness convention going on in Johnstown, but Kyle was able to sweet talk the folks at the local EconoLodge into booking 2 rooms for us. (Steve wondered what the hotel housekeeping staff might have imagined we were up to: 5 guys, 2 rooms, multiple jars of Vaseline). Walking-distance from the EconoLodge was a Holiday Inn where the pre-race dinner and registration took place the evening before the race. The food was pretty good, […]

Finger Lakes 50’s! I signed up for this on January 1st as soon as it opened, knowing it has a reputation for selling out quick. It has a limited field entry for 250 runners and this is for the 25k, 50k, and 50 miler options. The race itself is popular and established, so it sold out in 3-1/2 hours. The plan when signing up was to do the 50k, but I also knew you could make the decision to move up to the 50 miler the day of, and during the race. The prelude: My spring races were the Naked Bavarian 20 miler (which went well) , The HAT50K ( which I rolled my ankle and had to drop @ 18miles) and my confidence builder race, the Dirty German 50K. DG was a downpour with lots of mud. Many runners dropped but I toughed it out to finish in 5:55. Way above my goal of sub 5 but the conditions didn’t help so it was a great mental victory just to finish. The course: This consists of 16.5 mile loops. 1 for 25, 2 for 50k and 3 for 50mile plus 1/2 mile baby loop. You go through single track, […]

3/31/2018 – Ran this Easter themed race with my dog Boone. He was extremely excited for it, and did a great job maintaining pace and not causing any problems. There were many dogs there, and the race director encourages a dog-friendly environment. The Lititz Fire Company offers a delicious omelette made to order before your eyes at the finish, which was the highlight for me AND Boone. He got his own! The course is fairly flat, with smooth, easy inclines in the first half as well as downhills for most of the second half. The final 1/4 mile is a little tricky. There are two tight turns before the finish in front of the fire hall, and walkers can become an issue. They start at the same time, but only go out for two miles, so some are occupying valuable racing lanes on the final sprint. I wish they had a divided finish to keep them to one side or the other. despite that minor complaint, I loved the run, and it was organized well. The longsleeve shirt was nice, and the Sauders eggs for awards were delicious!

Lucked out getting into this race on my first try! Had a big PR goal for this distance, and the course was a good one to go for it! Blossoms were out, and so were the big names on hand, including Meb, an Altra athlete I follow – Tyler McCandless from Easton, and Olympic Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, who I met at the expo and raced shoulder to shoulder at mile 4. She was 30 seconds behind me at the finish! I thought the expo was one of the best I’ve ever seen, with a lot of great gear and fun interactive booths. The open floor plan was terrific for catching portions of different speakers throughout the day. Autograph sessions were awesome too. The race day was well organized, volunteers were excellent, and results were up quickly. My wife loved the tracking app, and said it was the best she’d ever used. I wish the photos were included in the rather high registration price, but what can you do. Their were some runners complaining about that there was no medal included (available for additional cost), and the cheap cotton shirts weren’t impressive (also available to upgrade $$$), but just running […]

Cup Noodles is the nectar of the gods. Admittedly, my taste buds may have been affected by the 50 miles run over the previous 10 hours. However, the McDonald’s bacon smokehouse burger was afforded no such transformation. Saturday, November 17th I toed the line for the Stone Mill 50 Miler and my longest run yet. My training had been great including Catherines 50k and Big Schloss 50k with VHTRC, Iron Mountain 30, and the CATs Pounding Creek Marathon. Pounding Creek turned out to be  whose muddy trails were the perfect training for SM50. As with most races, I set three goals going in: Primary Goal: Finish – always my primary goal for a distance PR Secondary Goal: Sub 10-hour finish – should be achievable on a good day Stretch Goal: Sub 9-hour – I figured this would take perfect run/perfect conditions   Clearly, these goals did not take into consideration the our first winter storm of the season and the trails were a crazy, muddy mess. My feet were wet within the first few miles and stayed that way the whole day. The first half was just about finding a comfortable pace and knocking out the miles. Before I knew […]

After a ton of training but low expectations in a stacked field, I finished in 4th place and had a great JFK 50 Mile Debut.

Hellgate 100K++ 12/14/19 “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” –Frederick Douglas Every year of the Hellgate 100K, prior to the race, registered runners are presented with race shirts, as is common in running races as a memorial or marketing piece for the event. The Hellgate shirts are not common though. They include snazzy, almost ridiculous colors that not many people would wear in public. On the front of the shirt, to capture the challenges that a race named “Hellgate” must present, is a logo of a person running through a fiery gate at the bottom of a flaming mountain. And there is always a quote underneath that logo along the lines of facing pain and overcoming obstacles. This year’s quote was that of Mr. Frederick Douglas. The Hellgate race is extremely challenging, and although I have not yet encountered any flaming gates of hell, every year’s race has been unique in the struggles that it presented to me and the other runners. As if a race that begins at 12:01 am on the second Saturday of December is not enough cause for concern and some question about the runners’ sanity levels, we also traverse mountains with over […]

After several years of gaining experience and cultivating endurance, 2020 sprouted an exciting crop of anticipated goals and experiences…until COVID-19 scorched the earth. I had an exciting running line-up scheduled this spring culminating in my first 100 miler: Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 (MMT100). I knew it would be hard, but I had been building up for a few years and I knew I would be ready. In a matter of weeks, all of those races were taken from me. While my life doesn’t revolve around running, endurance running has definitely become one of the structural pillars. It has become a constant; a piece of who I am that has carried me through some pretty high highs and a couple very low lows. Along with MMT100, the VHTRC Chocolate Bunny (a nighttime mountain marathon) was also cancelled. This would have been my second running of the Chocolate Bunny. The first was last year on 4/20/2019, the day after my niece (Norah) died from an infection. So, as we approached the one-year anniversary of Norah’s passing, I was not ready to entirely give up either of these runs and I decided to run my own 100 mile race on the anniversary weekend. […]

So #IMLP2021 actually started in Couer d’Alene about a month before.  My plan was to use structured training right up to IM Couer d’Alene and then use some of the fitness gains from that race to carry me to IM Lake Placid.  For reasons still mysterious to me, I was not able to complete IMCDA and so in terms of training I just sort of made it up as I went along for those last few weeks.  I did do a bit of hill climbing rides but I can honestly say I was super tapered going into this race. The Swim: So all I can say here is that it was exactly what I expected.  It was a full contact swim with lots of zig-zaggers, sighting boobers, and pace over-estimators.  I am not a fast swimmer but if you are faster than me you really should have learned to sight by now.  Pretty much the same exact experience as 3 years ago with the exception that from the start I was really focused on staying in my comfort zone.  Just really really comfortable in my breathing and exertion level.  Much like Couer d’Alene I was surprised to be in the […]

Photo from mile 19, making the push up the long climb to Fort Peabody, the high point of the Ouray 100 course at 13,340 feet. Photo credit Eszter Horanyi.   The Ouray 100 Endurance Run had long been a dream of mine, since about 8 years ago when I first started looking at doing a 100 mile running event. Back then I remember seeing an article for the Ouray 100 in Trail Runner Magazine and thinking this run must be the toughest hundred-miler out there, and while I was far from ready to do something like that at the time, someday I would be able to make an attempt at it. Pretty much every year since then I’ve been motivated by signing up for and training for a tough 100 mile run, each year upping the difficulty. But it wasn’t until this year when my friend Jeff suggested I finally do Ouray, and that he thought I was ready, that I dared sign up. Signing up for this event scared me which ensured my training was solid and that I was fit for the event. Several months of 3-5 hour sessions running 100 foot hill repeats, as well as strength […]