running, life and living the dream

It is crazy to me how time can fly by and yet stand still at moments. Circles. Running 1.05 mile circles is how I decided to end 2016. It’s also how I started 2017. Almost 4 days removed from my 24-hour timed race    Across the Years , I am still on cloud 9. What A Rush. No cliff hangers here. I met my goal of running my 1 st sub 24 hour 100-mile race! My cheeks are a bit sore from smiling. I’m hobbling around a bit, but it does hurt oh so good.  My 2nd 100 mile buckle. 1st sub 24 hour The day before the race, I meditated and envisioned myself on the run. I repeated “I will not stop moving, I will not stop moving. No Pain no rain will stop me.” I knew ATY would be cold, but in checking the weather, I was bummed to find out that rain was in the forecast. Being under prepared for weather cost me dearly while attempting my first Zane Grey 50 miler. I have vowed to never let weather stop me again. I over packed, two rain coats, pretty much all my...

Running into the fish hatchery, My wife directing me to my gear.  Or was she telling me to finish my laundry? Normally I'm dying with anticipation to get a blog out soon as a race or big run is over, but I have been so mentally and physically exhausted; finishing the Zane Grey 50 miler this year was a dream come true.   I had obsessed about this race since 2012 the first time I witnessed it first hand while crewing for my good friends, Tim and Giles.   I registered for 2013 race as soon as registration opened.  Unfortunately a few weekends before the race, tragedy hit my family, as my father-in-law suffered a massive heart attack.  He was taking off life support and was buried on the day of the 2013 race.  I vowed to run the 2014 race in his honor.  I DNF'd that race, I made a huge mistake of underestimating warnings of a huge storm, causing the race to be cut short at mile 33. That day my race ended at mile 18, Washington Park. ...

This had to be the most epic Ultra-Marathon I have ever been involved in; the elite participant field was stacked, scenery to die for, not to mention the hype and excitement surrounding The Montrail Ultra Cup  .   I had no shot finishing in the top two, a guaranteed ticket to Western States.   The BC100k is a point to point race starting in Spring Valley, AZ and finishes near New River. I kept my race week nerves on ice until Thursday, packet pick up, and the screening of the Hal Koerner and Mike Wolfes fastest know time (fkt) on the John Muir Trail.   From the moment I woke up on Friday, I was bouncing off the walls.   I was trying hard to not be overly annoying to my wife, who was days away from her first ever half marathon.   The weekend was set. When we arrived to Mayer High school, in Spring Valley Arizona, Tim, Giles, Cristain, Brian and I sat in the car silent for a few minutes.   Finally the silence was broken and we beg...