Running
Last year’s racing season opened with a dirty wake-up. But I’m ecstatic about its start this year, with a strong finish at yesterday’s Colorado Marathon: My time of 2:44:42 (6:16 minutes/mile pace) was faster than my goal of high-2:40’s Race execution was textbook: running partner Steve Clark and I were relaxed and steady through about Mile…
The end of my 2015 ultra running season was originally scheduled to happen in the Marin Headlands with The North Face 50-Mile Championships, as it did last year. The course’s extensive butter-smooth jeep roads and trails aren’t my top choice, but the event is excellently managed and it attracts the sport’s top talent. But instead, I jumped on…
Did anyone predict this result? I’m doubtful, given my running resume compared to the deep and talented field at the 2015 Run Rabbit Run 100. To know how it happened, read on. I won’t apologize for it being a long post — I wrote it mostly for me and for family members and close friends who couldn’t…
That I’m already talking about a “next time” is a good indication that I was pleased with my Run Rabbit Run 100 performance and that my recovery has been relatively mild. I have no specific plans yet, but I think it’s apparent that I do relatively better in races that are longer and have more…
Later this week, once I’m more fully recovered, I’ll post more detailed content from Run Rabbit Run 100. For now, a few quick comments and some easily shareable content: My finish time of 20 hours, 12 minutes was in line with my expectations, based on how I have historically performed against the 2014 winner, Rob Krar. In…
The starting pistol for the Run Rabbit Run 100 fires at noon on Friday. For the next 20 +/- hours I’ll be running and hiking through the mountains surrounding Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The course’s 40,000+ vertical feet of change won’t be easy, especially at elevations up to 10,500 feet. This is my first 100-mile race…
Last Saturday I kicked off my ultra racing season with the Dirty 30 in nearby Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Unofficially, the 31.8-mile course has 7,800 vertical feet of gain, with elevations ranging from 7,750 to 9,500 feet. For me, this race was a perfect season-opener. It was conveniently local. The late-May date guaranteed at…
The starting line of last weekend’s The North Face 50 Mile Championship was a who’s-who of the ultra running scene, primarily domestic but with some international flavor, too. Some of the faces I knew from Boulder or past industry events like Galen Burrell, Sage Canady, Dave Mackey, and Jorge Maravilla. But others I knew only…
It almost certainly will not be another four years until I race again. But overtime my recollection of The North Face 50 Mile Championship will change: I’ll forget the finer details, and my reflections will be influenced by future developments and conversations. So my race report is meant to be as instructive to me as…
The two weeks before a big race can be challenging in the enforced inactivity. Between mid-October and mid-November I ran about 14 hours per week on average, but during my taper for The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championship this weekend I’m running less than half that, creating a lot of free time. However, I have found it…