It's 2026!

(Apologies for the atrocious formatting. There were supposed to be lines and indents, but in the final version, Blogger jumbled it all up) Greetings! I'm still here. It looks like my last post was from May of 2025 and I've had a busy running schedule since then. Not sure why the last post now has 1,000+ views. AI? Robots? I had planned to get back into running regularly, but this winter has been crummy for running and I've been feeling super lazy on days I've had no excuse to not run. I even got a great deal on two pairs of my first carbon running shoes, a pair of Nike Alpha Fly 2's and a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro 4's. I figured testing these out would motivate me some, but I have yet to run a step in either pair. That said, here are some highlights from the past 9 months between blog posts. 1. Murderkill Ultras - This was my friend, Jon's, second ultra event and now my second ultra in Delaware 2. Three Sisters Marathon - This was an inaugural event in the booming metropolis of Danville, VA. Difficult course (marathon wise), hot weather, not very scenic, but overall an okayish event. The volunteer support was amazing. 3. Greensprings 24 Hour - This was a spur the moment race. I ended up doing 68.6 miles, which isn't much for a 24 hour event, but it was still the most I have done since 2019. 4. Richmond Marathon - This was my 12th Richmond Marathon and 3rd year running with my buddy, Jon. Our goal was to go as slow as possible and finish under the 7 hour time limit. Well, we finished in 6:59:35 and were officially the last place finishers. I'd call that a success! 5. Angela Ivory 50k - I can't believe I did another race in Delaware, but I did. My official finish time of 10:01 (yes ten hours) now gives me 50k finish times that end in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. So, as of this writing, I am now sitting at 190 ultra/marathons. I have at least 4-5 races this spring and will likely reach 200 this upcoming fall. Stay posted! -Mike

Countdown to 200

Howdy folks! I'm still here and I'm still running! Much to my surprise it looks like a few people still drop by this old blog of mine. Sorry, I haven't posted in a while, but I'm thinking about starting back up again. That said, I've still been running about 4-5 races per year, though I've ramped up my participation recently, including three ultras in the month of April. I run very little these days and have basically been run/walking most of my utlras. I don't mind as I have really enjoyed the slower pace, the many friendly conversations, and literally being able to stop and smell the roses. I'm still doing strength training and have kept my weight down, which has allowed me to maintain a higher volume of event participation and to run a little faster when I feel the need for "speed". My marathon/ultra grand total now stands at 180, despite only doing one ultra and one marathon in 2022. I ended 2024 with a full race schedule and went into 2025 with a similar plan. If I stay healthy, it would be fair to assume I will end 2025 with around 185 marathons/ultras and will hit 200 within the next two years. Of course, if my body is feeling really good and the motivation is there, I might hit 200 within 2026 at the ripe age of 45. Man. 45. It still feels weird to read that as 30, 25, and the college years still feel relatively recent. But, a lot of life has happened since then. It also feels surreal looking at the ages of some of my running colleagues from entrants lists from 20 years ago when they were in their 40's and 50's and now realizing some are in their 80's, or no longer with us. It's also strange seeing many of their race results come to a complete halt 10-15 years ago. Time. As Rocky Balboa once said. It's undefeated. Even at my age, I'm coming to terms with focusing on aging gracefully, but far from riding off into the sunset. Here are a few photos from recent years up until this past April.

4th Annual Grindstone 100 Predictions!

*Last updated 10/4/11 (weather forcast-sunny highs in the mid 70's, lows in the 40's) Ladies and gentleman! Here come the 2011 Grindstone 100 predictions.This will be my third set of predictions for Grindstone, so here's to hoping they are the best. 23,000 ft of climb. Over 100 miles of varying terrain. Quirky fall weather. Who's ready? Karl Meltzer still owns the course record of 18:46. I'm sure he could have run much faster, sub 18 perhaps, but he was never challenged in the race, having won by over 2.5 hours. The men's field is deep, but as always expect a few drops here and there. I'm sure to miss a few folks, but here are who I think are the key players. Neal Gorman: Grand Slam record holder is no longer an up and comer in the sport of ultras. He is already there. This summer alone he has been 2nd at Massanutten (19:40), 1st at Old Dominion(16:16 with 20 minute detour), and 3rd at the oxygen deprived Leadville(17:48). Predict Neal for the win in 19:15 Andy Jones Wilkins: *update- AJW will not be running* Keith Knipling: Tons of experience in the VA mountains. He's the TWOT 100 record holder, which overlaps a large section of the Grindstone course, and he's been a contender in this race before. Predict 22:30 Frank Gonzalez: He's been a running machine this year and is fresh off a course record win at Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness (7:16). Frank the tank is my sleeper for the top 3, and I think he'll be in around 22 hours. James Brennan: Ran well at his only two 100's (Vermont in 19:19 and Rocky Raccoon in17:34). James seems to always be in the hunt. I suspect he'll be in the top 10 and cracking the sub 24 barrier. Jordan Chang: 1st 100? Jordan is a fast youngster who could make things fun. It'll be interesting to see how his road speed plays out in the mountains. Prediction??? Matt Hart: solid coach and runner. Don't know much about Matt, but he will probably be a top 5 contender. Predict 22:45 Jason Lantz: Lots of 100 mile experience. Another guy who can run sub 24 on pretty much any course, even when he has a "bad" day. 2 time Old Dominion champ (in the hot years). Predict a 22:30, and a top 5 Patrick McGlade: fast youngster who already has an impresive resume of wins, and a cross country run to boot. DNF'ed in '09, ran for fun in '10. Depending on whether he is running for fun, or competitive, he could be in the mix. Capable of 22-23 hours, or better. Craig Thornley: Has finished WS consistently in 18-20 hours. Lots of experience on the west coast, and ultras in general. I suspect he'll challenge for a top 5. Predict 22:45 Mario Raymond: Another very seasoned runner, who's been running well the past few years. He has broken 24 at Grindstone before, and I'd expect the same. Predict 23 hours, or better, and a top 8 David Ploskonka: Had an inspiring and gutsy "return from the dead" performance at MMT. Dave is fast, and pacing will make or break his race. Predict 23:59, or better if he stays on course David Ruttum: '10 Old Dominion winner. He's run well at Grindstone before. Predict a top 6 22:15 Sleepers in the men's race. Potential sub 24 and top 10: Yosuke Murase- 2011 grand slammer has really come into his own as an ultrarunner the past couple years. Tom Syre is a fast youngster, though I think this is his first 100? Aaron Mulder is another consistent runner who could sneak into the top 10. Thad Meyer has done well in 24 hour races and Matt Bugin is yet another speedy 50k and 50 mile guy in the mix. I've been informed that Jason Wiley is one to watch as well, and is a strong late race runner Age Group: look for Mike Campbell to set an age group course record. The guy seriously proves aging does not mean slowing down. Women's race: ?? Grindstone has historically had very, very few woman. Not sure why the draw isn't there. Not really sure on the contenders, though I suspect Alyssa Wildeboer may be the fastest. Zsuzanna Carlson and Kerry Owens have a lot of experience, and could round out the top 3 women. *update- Sophie Speidel informs me Katherine Dowson is one to watch. She was the 2009 Bear 100 winner and Bighorn 50 winner. Per Zsuzanna Carlson, Deb livingston is another speedy one, though it appears much of her success, and wins, have been at the trail marathon and 50k distance. Alicia Hudelson has the women's Superior Hiking Trail record, covering 205 miles in 4 days and 15 hours. Rebecca Phalen- solid local runner. Not sure what she's been up to recently, but in previous years she's done well. The women's race thickens!

The Future of Course Records: Part 2

In 2012, I first wrote about the future of ultramarathon course records. Just nine years later several of my predictions came true, including breaking 22:30 at Hardrock, sub 14:30 at Western States, and a sub 5:30 at the JFK 50. At the time, I had in mind the names of runners who I thought could break these records, and while some did, they were ultimately lowered more by someone else. Many of the current records, if mentioned a decade ago, would have been shrugged off as silly impossible notions. However, here we are and in another decade, I believe these times will continue to drop, even more so if lucrative prize money and incentives continue to draw faster talent. And trust me, much faster talent is out there, it just needs the proper financial motivation to venture into ultras. Currently, few would debate that Jim Walmsley is the best all around ultrarunner in the US, and yet his marathon personal best is a 2:15. Maybe on a good day and faster course, Jim runs a 2:13, which is certainly blazing fast, until you consider that recently 40 Japanese runners broke 2:10....all on in the same race on the same day. If you factor in the global running community, you literally have hundreds of runners who are faster marathoners than Jim, which means they mostly all have the potential to break his course records and others. The key word here is potential, which you will see a lot. No, not every 2:10, or even 2:05, marathoner is capable of running fast over 50-100+ miles, or on technical mountain terrain, but it's a great starting point for lowering those times. The reality is all our super fast ultra legends and course records, on an international scale, aren't as great as we thought. Mathematically, if someone can run 5 minutes faster than you for 26.2 miles, then over double the distance, with relatively similar pacing and training, they should be able to double that time gap to 10 minutes. In essence, a 2:10 marathoner has the potential to run 10 minutes faster than Mr. Walmsley over 52.4 miles, or about 9.5 minutes over 50 miles. That means all those sub 2:10 marathoners have the potential of lowering the 50 mile world record of 4:50 to the very minimum 4:41:30. That figure drops closer to 4:30, when you figure in the potential for sub 2:05 marathoners. Now, while this is all cute daydreaming, I do believe if you put the money out there, maybe in the $100,000+ range, or $1M just for fun conversation, I see EVERY ultra record getting destroyed. So, here are my new predictions for what the fastest marathoners on earth have the potential to do if they specifically trained for their ultra course and distance for, let's say, a year, the financial incentive was there, and weather conditions are ideal. I say Western States, in a cool year like 2012, would see times around 13:30. The JFK 50 would be sub 5 hours, the 100 mile world record could go under 10 hours, 20 hours for Hardrock, 5:45 for 100k, and 4:25 for 50 miles, and sub 2:30 for 50k. So, while these will likely never happen because of lack of money, I do think in the real world, within the next decade, we'll see a 13:45 at Western States, sub 5:15 at JFK, a sub 6 hour 100k.

Hampton 24 Hour Run for Cancer

A bit late on this, but here's my quick recap from the Hampton 24 Hour Run for Cancer. The 2020 event was postponed to November, but I opted to run a smaller race that day because vaccines hadn't rolled out and my parents are high risk. But, alas, April 2021 things were looking brighter and with a fully vaccinated family I decided to attend my 4th Hampton 24 hour.

Although certainly not back to our old normal, this race was the most normal feeling, thus far, in the pandemic. While we still had temperature checks, a staggered wave start, and masks were still worn, for the first time in a long time there were hugs and hand shakes. Having only run several times in the previous two months, there was absolutely no distance goals set for the day, other than to collect my 112th ultra distance. My starting wave began at 7:35am and I was content to run the first 15 miles as a long workout. It was my first run over 4 miles since running Holiday Lake ten weeks earlier. I then made it a point to catch up with a few old friends of mine and clicked off the hours and miles.

As the day carried on, the cool spring rain came, and also some very sore legs and feet. The lack of running is apparent to me every day, but after 41 miles and ten hours, my body wasn't having any more of it, and I was more than content with that. As in person running events gradually start coming back, for me it will be more about celebrating the people that makes the running community what it is, and the fact that we are finally together again doing what we love.

The Difference a Year Makes

Yesterday was Easter Sunday for my family. It's both easy and hard to believe it's been over a year now since the pandemic started. However, although we are still far from our "old normal" we are in a drastically better place, covid wise, than we were at this point last year. Easter of last year covid-19 had just started appearing in the state of Virginia and everything, for the most part, was in complete lockdown. I drove down from Charlottesville, brought my own food, and a lawn chair to socially distance from my entire family. Everything felt so fragile as I methodically sanitized every surface in my vehicle and made sure my parents had their appropriate stock pile of impossible to find hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes. We sat in my parent's front yard, six feet apart, and tried our best to make a typical annual family gathering feel as normal as possible. We did an easter egg hunt for my nephew as my very pregnant sister watched from a distance, but even such a benign activity carried some degree of constant stress. Were the plastic eggs clean? Was my nephew getting too close to my dad? Was the basket sanitized? Nothing could just be a moment of simple unencumbered joy. In our separate little pods, we talked, we ate, and then a few hours later said our goodbyes. No handshakes, no hugs, and certainly no kisses. Just an exchange of "I love you's"....from at least six feet away.

This year, Easter looked a lot different, and we had a new member of the family there as well, my 11 month old niece. It was a drastically different picture, all four grandparents, fully vaccinated, gathered indoors to enjoy an Easter brunch together. We spent the morning playing with the kids, catching up, spending time in the sun, and finding those magical Easter eggs. After such a crazy 2020, this was the first holiday that truly felt normal. I don't think any of us took it for granted, and I suspect we will be equally as grateful for the time spent together for future gatherings. I hope the rest of the world lives in the moment and is able to reflect back on the gift of in person interaction, though like many things, I suspect some will return to taking it for granted. For now, I am just happy that our family time together looks like this.

Covid-19 Antibody Test Results

Seven months ago I experienced what felt like 36 hours of mild flu like symptoms, for which I later tested positive for covid-19. Given all the chaotic information/misinformation out there, I wasn't 100% sure that I actually had covid, though most signs pointed to yes. So, I decided the best way to confirm all this was to take an antibody test. Of course, even then, I had heard antibodies may be gone within as little as three months, so testing negative would keep things fairly inconclusive. At my appointment my lab technician had asked me about my covid experience, and believe it or not, she claimed that most likely I just had the regular flu (due to the mild symptoms), and "they" created a false positive result. I had no idea why the lab tech was telling me this, but it added to the numerous doubts I have had about literally everything surrounding this pandemic, and I am by no means a conspiracy theorist. As such, the lab tech said she wouldn't be suprised if I didn't have antibodies and it wouldn't be the first time a patient that tested positive for covid, also tested negative for antibodies. Seriously? Anyway, we did a simple blood draw and I was told my results would be ready within 48 hours. And here they are....

Well, well, well. After seven months, look who still has covid antibodies....I guess that confirms I definitely had covid last year, and that I my circumstances and results were not a product of a rigged testing system. At least, not my results. Interestingly, recovered covid patients are widely being told their antibodies will be gone after 3 months, apparently, so they choose to get vaccinated. I will likely still get my vaccine, long after everyone else does, but I urge those recovered to get antibody tests so we can learn the true numbers. I really don't understand why antibody testing, which was free with my health coverage, is not something being suggested to people. Anyway, in five months I plan to get another test done to see if I still have antibodies one year post covid. Despite my immunity, for the greater peace of mind, I will still mask up, disinfect, socially distance, and choose safer social options. It's the least I can do for others. As always, be safe everyone. We're getting through this!

Holiday Lake 50k 2021 - Ice, Ice, Baby

Some of my fondest ultra memories aren't when the weather and running conditions are the best, but when they are the worst. While it can certainly be pleasant to breeze through a race on a sunny 60 degree day, something about grunting through challenging race conditions always made an ultra feel just a little more ultra. It felt old school. And surprisingly, I had fun. Maybe it's the same reason a good beer tastes so much better after a 50 miler, than a 5k is the fact that we did so much more to earn that quenched thirst. Holiday Lake 2021, covid edition, was no exception. There was freezing rain nearly the entire time, my body was glittered with chunks of ice from my head to my feet, the trails were muddy (understatement of the year), and some of the more exposed wind blown parts of the course were close to unrunnable as the entire surface had become a single sheet of ice. While that sounds terrible, there was a beauty in it. The trees, adorned in ice, glistened and bowed like acknowledging the royal family. The forests were a mix of the greys and brown of the trees, leaves, and mud, along with the white of winter. Every now and then you'd hear the crackle of a branch collapsing under the weight of the ice and crashing to the ground. It was a reminder of why I had spent so much of the past two decades out in nature, and out on trails like these on days like this. I woke up at 2:30am. It was the earliest I can recall for anything in a very long time. It took almost two hours to cautiously drive 78 miles to the race from Richmond, though the roads turned out to be mostly in good shape, aside from a few back roads closer to the race. The race itself was much smaller than anticipated, thanks to the forcast changing the minds of almost half the registered entrants. My 6:34am starting wave only had a dozen or so runners. The rest of the day was VERY socially distanced with moments when I couldn't see another human in front of me, or behind. I was slow, walked way too much, and plodded along as much as expected from someone who only runs 10 miles per week tops. But, I kept moving. The cold is a great motivator for relentless forward progress, especially during the moments when you can't feel your feet, hands, or face. My finish time was my slowest Holiday Lake ever, and nearly the same time as my 50 mile PR, but all things considered in these most unique times, I was just happy to be at an organized, non virtual running event. I do miss the jovial banter and miles of story telling and catching up with old friends, but hopefully, the time for that is on a not too far off horizon. Lastly, a special thank you for all the volunteers who spents hours in the freezing cold to support us. Last weekend I was on the flip side as the volunteer, and I can tell you, in inclimate weather, it's always tougher on the volunteers.

Holiday Lake 2021 - Ultra number 111. I have now surpassed over 10,000 km of exclusively ultra race mileage and have run at least one ultra for 18 straight years.

Marathon/Ultra Number 150 - Staunton 6 Hour

This past Saturday, November 7th, I reached another milestone number in my running career. I completed my 150th marathon, or longer, running event. It was also my 110th ultramarathon. I had reached marathon/ultra number 100 back in October 2014, which doesn't seem that long ago, but surprisingly now already six years ago. Since then, my participation in events, especially ultras, has certainly slowed down (probably to a healthy degree). As for ultra/marathon number 150, it was a welcome catharsis and just what myself and 56 other runners needed on a cool autumn morning. It was my first official running event since the pandemic started, and it provided a brief moment of our old "normal". It's been a long time, but it was exciting to get up before sunrise, do a chilly packet pickup in the dark and dart off into a day, or six hours, of running. Come to think of it, I hadn't run an ultra in the month of November since 2011, mostly because my Novembers were my Richmond Marathon pace leading months, but not this year. The photo below is the start of the Staunton 6 Hour with 56 others. I'm the blurry one on the far right (masks were worn just before the official start). Photo credit Staunton Road Runners.

So, let's be clear, I don't run much these days, so I knew several things right off the bat. I wasn't going to contend for a win and running for six hours was going to hurt. Nowadays, I run about 10 miles per week, consisiting of several runs of 3-5 miles, and an additional 10-15 miles of hiking. The rest of my time is focused on strength training, where the 7-8 lbs of muscle I've gained since June does nothing to help my running. Good, now I have all my petty excuses covered. That said, I expected far worse. The six hour course was repeats of a 1.34 mile loop that had one moderate hill section, some moderate downhill, and some flat around Gypsy Hill park in Staunton, VA. Despite living in the Shenandoah Valley for a decade, it was actually my first time visiting the park. The first 13.1 miles went by in 1:48, and then I hit the marathon mark in 3:52. My legs started feeling like bricks by mile 10, so it was my little ultra shuffle from there to the finish. 50k went by in 4:45, followed by an in-race announcement that Joe Biden had become President, and then I wrapped up my 37.5 miles in just under 5:54. For perspective on running fitness, when I ran my 100k personal best in 2015, I was at 42.5 miles at the six hour mark and still had 20 miles to go. All in all it was a good day with beautiful sunny weather rising into the low 70's. It was certainly nice to catch up with some old running friends and also reunite with some others I had not seen in years, including one that was running the 6 hour as her first marathon. 150 marathon/ultra stats: Age at the time of reaching 150 was 39 years and 139 days. Since my first ultra on November 20, 2004, at age 23, it took 15 years and 352 days to reach 150. About 50 of those were run between 2008 and 2010.

Recovering from Covid-19 and Looking Back

(Apologies, blogger won't let me space out paragrpahs) Yes, you read that correctly, I am now one of the 26+ million world wide that is officially recovered from covid-19. I would have documented my experience as it happened, but felt like I wanted it fully out of the way before sharing the story. In short, I was one of the lucky ones and experienced very mild symptoms, which were basically low level flu symptoms. This included a slight fever topping out at 101 degrees and some minor chills. All symptoms were gone within roughly 36 hours, and by the time my positive covid test came back four days after the onset of symptoms, I had already been symptom free for three days. I'm actually very glad to trust my gut and get tested, even when already feeling better, as I would have likely dismissed the short lived symptoms as a fluke cold and gone about my life as normal and visiting friends and family. I self isolated until getting my results and then quarentined until 10 days after my symptoms were gone, for a total quarentine of 12 days, just to be safe. I'm surprisingly thankful for a positive result, as I know there have been false negatives, and at least I had some closure on what I was experiencing. After, and during, my quarentine myself and the health department did a thorough contact tracing with people I had been in proximity to the past few weeks, including my one roomate. Thankfully, everyone eventually tested negative, and over two months later are still negative. I can attribute much of this to taking serious precautions during my quarentine, especially with a housemate I share a kitchen, fridge, sink, and laundry with. This included wearing a mask when leaving my bedroom, wearing latex gloves, and regularly sanitizing exposed surface areas for two weeks. The sanitation practices continue til this day. The toughest part of the whole journey wasn't the 24 hours of symptoms, but the fear that friends and family had about when it would truly be safe to be around me again. Thankfully, science has shown how safe I am to be around and I've now visited with family with nobody getting sick. The other thing was that during quarentine I watched a lot of videos of other people's experiences and none were very good. Many were healthier looking people my age, but who dealt with weeks, if not months of fatigue, low blood oxygen saturation and other long term symptoms. Because of that, there was always this little voice in my head that wondered if things were going to get worse any given day and that this couldn't possibly be it. And, yet, my only "long term" symptom was loss of smell and taste, both of which came back after two weeks. My running and strength training feel no different now, than before, with strength actually being slightly better post covid. That said, if anything is going to get people to engage in healthy lifestyles, knowing that it could drastically improve your covid expierence, should you get it, should be one of them. Anyway, below is some of what I journaled during my brief covid experience over two months ago, and I hope it provides a sense of ease and relief that while this virus can be fatal, for many, it's no different than my experience, or a complete non experience at all. Be safe, get tested, and take care! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final week of July, 2020. About two weeks ago my family had a bout with what turned out to be a random viral cold. Within a 48 hour period several family members reported fevers, with the longest duration being about three days. Of course, in this day in age you can't be too careful, so of course covid-19 tests were taken and all thankfully came back negative.

Flash forward one week, and after a weekend of feeling great, I woke up on Monday morning with a fever of 101.3 (a newer thermometer read 101.0). And yes, those are Christmas themed pajamas #workingfromhome.

Well, that was a bit of a shock, and it's tough to say if this was the same cold that went around my family, as seven days had already passed before being exposed to it. It should also be noted, my immune system has always been pretty strong and I really can't recall ever getting sick or getting the flu. My immune system is what allowed me to NEVER miss a day of school from kindergarten to my high school graduation. Then again, I am now pushing 40, so let's not pretend I have that teen and college aged immunity anymore.

As Monday progressed, the fever stayed at 101, occasionally dropping every few hours. Other flu like symptoms were starting to pop up, including minor aches and pains combined with random chills, but again, not that unlike the flu.

But, alas, in this day in age, you can't be too careful, so I called Sentara Health Care and scheduled a virtual doctor's visit. After a five minute briefing, the nurse practitioner said I had enough symptoms to be approved for a drive up covid-19 test the next morning, something I was not eligible for when my family got sick, since I had no symptoms.

Recently, when a family member got their covid test, it was self administered and they only had to stick a swab an inch into their nose. I had seen and heard the "horror" stories of the long swabs being shoved all the way back into people's nasal cavities for testing, and was relieved that mine probably wouldn't be like that.

Wrong.

So, of course my covid-19 test turned out to be the dreaded nasopharyngeal swab. Admittedly, I had always been a little curious as to how this experience was, so part of me was really interested in getting to do this myself. I pulled up to a small Sentara parking lot, mask on, and called inside to check in. Within about five minutes a nurse comes out in full upper body covering with several 4-5 inch long swabs that look like mini pipe cleaners. In this particular test they have to swab both nostrils, so I get to have double the fun.

Some people suggest closing your eyes and holding your breath during the test. My curiosity got the best of me and I watched as this swab slowly disappeared into places in my face that I never knew existed. I wondered. Can they see my thoughts? Once fully inserted, the nurse spins the swab causing a burning sensation similar to when you accidentally breath water in through your nose. Some people's instincts can kick in and although this didn't happen to me, you might find yourself wanting to jerk your head away. Anyway, the second nostril was the same as the first. Immediately after the test I started sneezing, which is one of the reasons they hand you tissues before the test, and because in some cases it can cause a nose bleed. For those wondering about the long swab test, it certainly isn't pleasant, but rather uncomfortable. I also think getting a nurse with good experience probably makes a big difference. That said, a big thank you to all the medical staff for providing and performing these tests, and really putting themselves in harms way to make our community safer.

I will say, I was impressed with the ease of the process. It took only 15 hours between the virtual doctor's visit and the actual drive up test. It should take 3-5 days for results, and I am to quarantine completely until then. While, I hope that the result is negative, I do feel like a positive test could provide more educationally. As someone who is very diligent about wearing face coverings and sanitizing, it would make me wonder all that more where my best practices fell short. I really don't go out much, but the places I do are mainly grocery stores and the gym, again both places I take a lot of precautions.

The gym is the place that concerns me the most. You have a lot of people in a small condensed indoor space breathing hard, sweating, and not required to wear face coverings while actively working out. Despite a generally strong culture around sanitizing and wiping down equipment before and after use, I can't help but think of the things people still never wipe down. The biggest culprits are usually the free weights, but in retrospect, it's the actual weight plates that people use on the Smith machines that I can tell you NEVER get cleaned. I can't imagine the number of times I've touched those and incidentally touched my face, or wiped off sweat.

Well, I guess we'll know in a few days. And please stay safe, because quarantining is boring as crap and I'm tired of eating Hot Pockets.

Update: Wednesday morning, temp is already down to normal. All flu like symptoms are gone. I do, however, have a noticeable loss in my sense of smell and taste. I can smell about 10-20% of what I think things should smell like. This is a tell taled sign of covid, so my gut is thinking that I do have it, and my pharmacist sister strongly agrees. I'm not sure how much I would even trust a negative test result at this point. To be continued......

A Marathon on a Parking Deck

Sometimes it’s the little things that become big things just by igniting a spark.

You've probably read some of the stories and seen some of the videos. Someone running a marathon on their back deck, training on a 20 foot long balcony, running endless laps on a small rooftop or climbing the equivalent of Mt. Everest on a small flight of stairs. Despite the ways some of the world has shut down, runners and humans are finding ways to keep doing what they are doing and in the midst of a pandemic, discovering a new dimension of mental fortitude.

I consider myself lucky to still be able to run many places that I enjoy. My gym may be closed, but the trails and mountains are near.

However, as an act of solidarity, I felt the need to put myself in the shoes of those less fortunate that none the less are still pressing on. One. Step. At a time. I've had the idea of running a marathon on the upper level of my work's parking deck for several weeks now. It was important to incorporate UVA in some capacity into the run, so using our parking deck as a venue added a brief, but familiar place for those that came to watch. The parking deck was large enough for the laps to not be too cruel on my joints, but repetitive enough to still be a decent mental hurdle. Each lap was exactly 0.12 miles, just enough to be comfortable, and the abundance of space allowed for safe social distancing, should people come to watch. I actually bailed on the idea the previous weekend, but forced myself to inform my coworkers five days before this particular run to establish some accountability.

In reality, it was just an informal invitation that if the dozen or so members of my work team got bored enough, they could come watch me run circles, 219 of them to be exact, and leave whenever they got tired of the monotony. There wasn't much pomp and circumstance to it. I honestly figured there would be mild interest, but before I knew it the thought of getting out of the house, seeing coworkers for the first time in five weeks and doing something together, became the most exciting thing people had done in weeks.

(Just about to start. 52 degrees, rain tapering off)

“Race” morning finally arrived and I decided to have some fun and made a custom race bib. Afterall, you've got to make it official, right? I decided to go with the number 2420, which is the street address to our building. Coincidentally, it also represents the two classes at UVA most influenced by covid-19, the incoming class of ’24 and the graduating class of ’20. How about that unintentional symbolism for you?

So, I’ll keep the recap short. I started my run at 9:57am on April 18, 2020. It had just stopped raining and the parking deck was wet with several small puddles that I had to navigate around. 2 miles into the run my supervisor arrived and was the first one to cheer me on. Throughout the morning additional coworkers came with their children, spouses, with signs, snacks and goodies. The sun came out, the wind began gusting, but the energy was starting to grow. Familiar faces seeing familiar faces, and even with mouth coverings, you could still make out the huge smiles. People got to catching up, sharing their quarantine stories, and then that turned into singing, then dancing, then pure laughter.

(My coworker, Elizabeth, with sign her daughter made for me)

(passing by my aid station, aka car)

I had completed 5k, then 10k, then 10 miles, then halfway done. What I had planned to do as a casual 9:00 minute pace quickly derailed with the extra energy and enthusiasm brought on by my UVA family. The pace dropped to below 8:00 and then held steady in the 7:40’s for the next 20+ miles. It was suprisingly easy, it was conversational, and most importantly, it was fun. At mile 18.4, my coworker's husband, David, joined me, and despite hitting a few of those small “walls” and fighting a 25 mph gust around every turn, that last hour breezed by quicker than any final hour of a marathon. By now, I had memorized every slight change in camber of the parking deck, every drain, every little crack, that one pebble in the South West corner, that one puddle that still hadn't dried yet. With the end in sight, my pacer and I talked about doing a kick to end the run strong, so when my gps ticked over to 25.2, with one mile to go, I started to press a little harder. With music blasting from the car of our marathon “DJ”, I got a little boost of energy and knocked out a 6:50 final mile. My coworkers even put together a finish line, so despite the fact it was just a made up event, it’ll go down in my history books as a marathon finish. Believe it, or not, that last mile of 6:50 was the fastest final mile I have ever run during a marathon, despite being 14 minutes off my personal best. Still, who can’t stop and smile at running a spur the moment 3:21 marathon of the top of a parking deck.

(about to run through the finish line my coworkers, Diane and Erin, made)

When it was all said and done, the day had very little to do about marathons and running. It was about not allowing the challenges in the current world stop you from doing the things you enjoy and despite all the social distancing barriers, we can still come together as a community to rally behind a unified cause. I believe that cause was less about cheering on a guy running laps around a parking deck and more about being in all of this together. My supervisor and teammates all agreed that our three hours together on a random sunny Saturday was the most fun they have had since this all began five weeks ago. That, in itself, was worth more than any official marathon medal.

As the days went by, the story took off. That spark grew. I’m glad people felt inspired and that in a time of such uncertainty and fear, that I could do something small for the betterment of morale, to make people smile, and provide the momentary comfort of our old normal. I’m nobody special, and that’s proof that anyone can be a bright spot in seemingly dark times.

(the run was shared on UVA President James Ryan's Facebook page)

Lest we forget. I’m just a regular dude that sometimes runs and shamelessy eats Taco Bell and Digiorno pizza. UVA is the home of many heroes during these times. They include the University leadership, medical staff, doctors, surgeons, nurses, engineers designing 3-D PPE, our donors, our medical students, first responders, facilities management, fellow Virginia Medical Reserve Corps members, and countless others.

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars” – Martin Luther King Jr. (Mountaintop speech, 1968)

COVID-19 and The Spring Running Season

Like many of you reading, my spring running plans (and possibly summer) were completely turned upside down by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Virginia now has 49 known cases and now my place of work, the University of Virginia, has reported it's first known case. This March and April I had hoped to complete my 149th and 150th marathon and longer events, but it does appear that the time for reaching those milestones will have to wait.

That said, I am not upset. Yes, I am dissapointed that I will not get to run some of my favorite trail races, many of which I have waited 6-10 years to run again. Yes, I will miss seeing and reconnecting with old friends in the running community after much time away. Yes, like many of you, I have lost non-refundable entree fees due to cancellations.

But, let's keep all of this in healthy perspective. I support ALL of the cancellations and tough decisions made by race directors and local officials. I understand the logisitics of putting on races and the overhead costs that can't be returned to paying runners. Our running events are, in fact, first world luxuries and if not running, or not getting refunds is the worst of our problems, I will gladly take it. We should all strive to continue to support our loyal and hard working race staff, continue to take the proper precautions, and to use this time to strenghten our communities. Be calm. Be caring. Be compassionate.

Now, more than ever, is the time to continue running and be outside. Nobody has cancelled your ability to enjoy nature and even enjoy the same trails you could have run on race day. This is the time to remember that we don't always need to pay an entry fee to experience something of value from enjoying our hobbies in a less formal context. Without the rustling of hundreds of runners sifting along a singletrack trail, maybe you'll notice something new, or remember something you have forgotten. Perhaps just the simplicity of the sound of your breath juxtoposed with the barren late winter branches crackling together in the breeze. Maybe you'll notice wild flowers blooming that were still merely green buds on your run several days ago. Enjoy the silence and allow yourself to listen. Take time to look up, look down, look within, and see what you may have been missing.

Get outside. Get outside with your family and friends (with intelligent social distancing when needed). Get back to loving what you do in the absence of a finisher's medal, placement, official time or social media race post to share with your audience.

Be kind to those who had to make tough decisions for the betterment of socities well being, and yours.

We'll hit the trails together when the time is right. On the plus side, this fall running season will have the most options ever. Considering it a blessing rather than curse that it may interfere with your preplanned fall race schedule. Also, how cool is it that you might be able to run the same race six months apart, instead of having to wait a year to run it again?

Be smart and be safe. And again, be kind.

Has it Really Been 3 Years?

Yes, you read that correctly. My last post was over three long years ago. That said, since I am no longer on any form of social media, I'm pretty sure the viewership of this blog is pretty close to non existent. That's a big change from the glory days of Lost in the Woods Running, which was somewhere between 2009 and 2014. But, alas, life has a tendancy to throw us curve balls, and for me, right at the moment when I thought I was nearing the pinnacle of my running "career".

Flashback to three years ago. Ah yes, it was 2017, and 2017 was going to be a huge year! I had been in a groove since the fall of 2014 and the momentum was going strong. 4 ultra wins, a marathon win, a 100k state record, a 2nd place trail marathon and my first BQ.

I had qualified, again, for the legendary Spartathlon ultramarathon and I actually was selected to represent team USA. A dream come true!

Lastly, on the heals of a 77 mile 12 hour run, I was going to attempt to qualify for the US men's 24 hour team by running at least 140 miles in a 24 hour race.

....Oh, but did I mention those life curve balls? My 2017 curve was more like one of those cartoon baseball games where the pitcher throws a zig zagging, swirling, spinning curve that defies the logic of science.

That's when my running started to come to a halt, and over things I literally could not control.

But, I made my efforts here and there, so I was able to fake the funk through 2017.

September 2017 - I completed a casual 64.63 miles at the Hinson Lake 24 hour. It was one lap more than my previous year.

October 2017- I won a small, but unique road marathon, the Cary Firehouse Tour Marathon. Marathon win number 2.

October 2017- This was the beginning of the end. I "ran" the Medoc Trail Marathon the day after confirming my significant other had been cheating on me. This coupled with family health issues all bubbled up to a disapointing run/hike. It was nearly three hours slower than my 2nd place time from the previous year.

Then came the one year away from racing, and pretty much away from running completely. It wasn't planned or predictable. I made a poor job choice that seemed wise at the time, a very poor relationship choice(taking back the cheating ex and having history repeat itself), and I found myself pulled away from running and the running community by things I had placed a false value on, as well as things that truly did take priority over running.

My weekly mileage became non-existent and over a four month span from late 2017 into the spring of 2018, I literally did not run a step or even go to the gym. I gained 13 lbs, and none of it was muscle. I was roughly 10% body fat and a lean 150 lbs when I qualified for Boston in October of 2015. Although others said they didn't notice a difference, I could see and feel it all too well. I was 163lbs and over 15-16% body fat for the first time since my sophomore year of college. I realized if all that could happen in just 4 months, what would happen within a year? A 40lb weight gain? 50!? I didn't want to find out.

It wasn't until May that I cowboyed up and committed to getting back into shape. It was now or never. I hit the gym hard and the muscle came back quick. I went from barely being able to bench 175 lbs for one repetition (my pr is 260 from college) to repping 185 for five reps within six weeks. The running, however, was a bit different. I was getting in the mileage, but the speed didn't seem to come back. I remembered when I was running a brisk 8-10+ miles every day from 2010 through 2016, and now I was lumbering through 2-3 mile runs at a 10:00 pace. I couldn't even run my marathon pr pace for ONE mile. It was tough, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. My ego hurt more than my legs, and at times I didn't even want to enter any races, and although I have never been super fast, I was still embarassed of how slow I had gotten in such a "short" period of time.

(The Bell Buckle Summer)

It's funny how just a few months in the right place can change a trajectory.

(fire side evening with the Cantrells)

Remember that poor job choice I mentioned above? Well, I got laid off after three short months. At the time it sucked. I was living off a lousy $600 a month in unemployment, applying for work, trying to find someone to takeover a lease, but it turned out to be more a blessing than a curse. I got my apartment subleased and spent the summer of 2018 in Bell Buckle, TN. I spent some time with a family you may have heard of if you've ever heard of the Barkley marathons. I got back the hunger to run regularly, to run far, though the speed still hadn't come back. Although some of the people and relationships revolving around my Bell Buckle Summer have since moved along in their own directions, I still look back at it with fondness as the place that brought me back from the year away from ultras.

The Comeback.

September 2018- A Race for the Ages. My first race in nearly one year. My 2nd year running ARFTA. 115 miles. The most I've ever done in a running event. Some running, but also a lot of walking in the intense TN summer heat.

October 2018- High Bridge 50k. 4:22. Pleasantly surprised considering my typical weekday mileage was still in the 20-30 range, but again this was a pancake flat course.

November 2018- Paced the 4:00 hour group at the Richmond Marathon. Achieved the most consistent segment splits of any pace group. It was my 4th year pace leading there.

January 2019- Tideland 24 Hour. 63+ miles. Learned I could still run 50 miles in 9 hours on trails.

January 2019- Frostbite 15k. Finished in 1:11. Better than expected, but the 7:27 pace was still slower than my marathon pr pace and very close to my trail 50k pr pace.

February 2019- Colonial Half. Ran the entire event with a friend. Our 1:51 felt pretty easy, even on a cold and icy day, so that was a good sign.

March 2019- Dogwood 12 Hour. 58.65 miles. 1st overall. It was nice to finally win an ultra again, but truthfully, this was not even close to a competitive event. The 2nd and 3rd place runners were 14 and 17 miles back.

April 2019- Hampton 24 Hour Run for Cancer. 56.25 miles. This was almost entirely social to catch up with old friends. It was my 3rd running.

May 2019- Bust the Banks Half. 1:57. This was a nice challenging trail half that was part of Dominion Riverrock weekend in my home city of RVA. Definitely a reminder of my lack of running fitness, but at least I broke 2 hours.

September 2019- A Race for the Ages. 122 miles. New event PR, but my legs were toast only 20 miles in.

September 2019- Pepsi 10k. A local Charlottesville 10k. Legs were recovered from ARFTA 12 days earlier, but still felt slow, though fresh. Finished in 46:54. That said, even without ARFTA, I doubt my lack of speed would have let me break 46 minutes.

October 2019- High Bridge 50k. 4:36. Ran without a gps. The 8:51 overall pace felt fairly comfortable and I never walked. I could have definitely dipped under 4:30 if I knew what pace I was running, but likely would not have reached my 4:22 from the previous year (which was still 24 minutes slower than my 50k trail pr).

November 2019- The Richmond Marathon t-rex. Yes, I ran the entire FULL marathon in an inflatable t-rex costume. Logistically and physically very demanding, but worth it. My time of 4:15:03 was nearly two hours faster than the only other recorded full marathon run in the same costume.

(photo credit: Richmond Times Dispatch)

(photo credit: Richmond Times Dispatch)

February 2020- Icy 8 Hour Trail Run. Every year I've run this event, I have run less than the previous year. In 2009, I won the innaugural event with 50.3 miles. I ran 48.9 miles in 2012 for 2nd place and then 47.5 in 2013 for 4th. This year my small victory was just that I showed up and completed at least a 50k. I ran a controlled 28.5 miles in 4:50 followed by walking a final 4.7 mile cool down loop to finish 32.9 miles in 6:10. I volunteered in 2019, but it was nice to come back as a participant for the first time in seven years. I also become the first person to have run this event in three different decades.

February 2020- Sugar Hollow Bridges 10k. Signed up the day before and regretted it the moment I showed up. 30 degrees with a wind chill in the low 20's and light snow drifting over the Crozet mountains. My A goal was to break 46 minutes, which would have been nearly a minute faster than my 10k six months ago. My B goal was to break 45 minutes, which I hadn't done in three years, which seemed like a long shot. The end result was a pleasantly surprising 43:45. The course is a gradual uphill 5k, turning around with a gradual downhill 5k. Thanks to a fairly controlled first 5k, I left enough in the tank to really hit the downhill with a decent effort. While this was still well off a 10k pr, it was 30 seconds per mile faster than my last 10k (7:03 pace vs 7:33).

What's next?

Qulifying for Boston 2022. I BQ'ed in 2015, only to miss the acceptance cut-off by 6 seconds. I've now waited five years, and you bet your ass I've been itching to give a BQ another attempt. After a long layoff, I finally think my running fitness is turning in the right direction for it to be a possibility this fall. The one catch, five years ago my qualifying time was a 3:10 and now it is.....still....a 3:10 since the BAA once again lowered the standards two years ago. On the bright side, if I go sub 3:10, there is, knock on wood, a 100% of getting entry in Boston, as opposed to maybe getting in with a time 2:03 under the qualifying mark.

But, while I am already working to get that sub 3:10 leg speed back, I am doing several spring ultras to build up my core endurance. This spring will mark a long awaited return to trail and mountain ultras after really only doing flatter loop styled fixed time events much of the past three years. I will also be closing in on my 150th marathon, or longer, event with the Terrapin Mountain50k being number 149 and the Bull Run 50 miler being the big number 150. Bull Run being number 150 is fitting, since a Virginia Happy Trails event was also where my 50th marathon/ultra took place in July 2010. After that, I will likely cap off April by returning to the Promise Land 50k. Perhaps with the residual build up of endurance from the spring races, I may attempt a summer 100 miler (though not Old Dominion as it falls on my parent's 50th anniversary) before turning exclusively to fall marathon training in late July or August.

Well, whew! That was the quick recap of the long three year gap between posts, but I am hoping to be back semi-regularly with not as fast as before race reports, but reports none the less.

Happy trails and happy running in 2020.

-Mike Bailey

First Sub 4

Well, I finally ran my first sub 4 hour trail 50k. 3:58 to be exact. It probably could have happened a lot sooner, and definitely on a paved course (I've split 4:10 for 50k during a paved 100k), but I have never run a faster 50k trail race before.

I decided the Frosty 50k in Winston-Salem was an ideal event to finally go for the sub 4 goal. I was also using the race as a starting point to gauge my fitness goals for the rest of 2017. January can be a weird time of year for me to figure out what kind of shape I am in because my running tends to taper off heavily around the holidays. My fitness seemed decent enough through the fall and I capped off 2016 with a solid 12 hour run, but my speed work had been lacking. I had also only logged about 25 miles per week of running since Christmas and a quicker 50k is a much different beast than running for 12 hours. Lastly, I went into the Frosty 50k about 5 lbs heavier due to plentiful holiday feasting and an increase in strength training, which is great, but not necessarily for running.

(Courtesy of Shannon Johnstone)

Not much to report on my race. The Frosty 50k course is fast, but still contained some rolling hills around Lake Salem and wet packed dirt from rain the day before. Temps were in the low 50's and muggy, but good for running. The 50k's four 7.75 mile loops made the overall pacing strategy fairly easy, since all I needed to do was make sure each loop was completed in under one hour. I basically ran it like a trail marathon with 5 miles tacked on. Loop 1 was probably a bit fast, loop 2 was right on goal pace, loop 3 had a 1 minute gear swap pit stop, loop 4 saw a marathon split of 3:18 but was plagued by bad stomach issues the last two miles. If I could have just maintained the 7:45's I was running for miles 30 and 31, I would have had a 3:55-3:56 finish, but the final two miles ended up taking 19 minutes. Thankfully, the stomach issues had little impact on placement, other than one spot, and no impact on making the top 3.

On a funny side note, I had totally forgotten that there was a 25k race also going on. I was admittedly a bit baffled by the number of people that magically disappeared after the second lap, but was also happy to find out I was well ahead of the 25th or 30th place I thought I was in.

(Courtesy of Robert Hill Photography & Twin City Track Club)

I think my lack of any regular training runs in the 15-20 mile range was really noticeable after mile 20. Legs got pretty heavy and pace dropped off a bit, but still in the high 7:40's. I think with more ideal training and continued speed work, I could average sub 7:30 pace for the 50k, which would bring me into the 3:52 range for this kind of course, or even 3:40's for a road 50k. For now, I'm just happy to knock out another PR and check off another ultra running goal.

Nutcracker 12 Hour Recap

I decided to jot down a few thoughts and notes from my final event of the year, the Nutcracker 12 hour run in Erwin, NC. Figured I'd do it now before I forget the details of this fun little event. This is mostly for my sake and trying to plan ahead for future longer ultra events and also to remember what I did right and what I can improve.

Training: None. I did my base mileage of 40-50 miles per week and signed up a few weeks before the race.

Goals: I based my tentative goals on a run I did in April. Basically, in April, I had decided to run the daylight portion of a 24 hour race that had similar smooth trails as Nutcracker. There I ran 71.25 miles in 11:10. Adjusting for a slight fade, I figured over 12 hours I could do another 5 miles. However, given the lack of training mileage, I honestly wasn't sure how feasible that goal was. In short, I figured somewhere between 75 and 80 miles was doable.

The race: My strategy was to start pretty slow and gradually speed up. The course consisted of a 5 mile out and back on the Dunn Erwin rail trail for a total of 10 miles per lap. The course had about a half dozen road crossing in each direction and near sunset we started half mile out and backs for a 1 mile lap. The starting temperature was a brisk 22 degrees at 7:00am, but allowed for a beautiful golden sunrise over frosted fields and neighborhoods. The daytime highs were in the low 40's, sunny with a slight breeze, and then dipping back down to 30 when the sun set.

(Running with the one and only Santa at the start. Photo courtesy of ROAM Ultras)

Miles 1-10: These were my warm up miles at an easy 9:17 pace. It was nice chatting with a few runners as I settled into the pace I hoped to hold for a half a day. By the end of the first 10 miles quite a few folks were infront of me, with some already ahead by a mile gap.

Miles 10-20: I continued to hold pace and resisted the urge to speed up, despite the fact the lead runner now had nearly a 2 mile lead. My mantra was to be patient and experience told me that slow and steady is the key to success in 12 and 24 hour events. 20 miles completed in just under 3 hours. Only 9 more hours to go.

Miles 20-30: With temps now in the upper 30's, I ditched my heavier jacket for a light running vest. During this stretch I figured I would gradually start speeding up a few seconds per mile just as other runners would be starting fatigue. I reached my marathon split in 3:53. Not too fast, but also not too slow. The runners ahead of me start coming back. 30 miles complete in 4:27.

Miles 30-40: Holding at a low 8:50's pace, I hit my 50k split in 4:36. I pass the lead runner around mile 37 and complete 40 miles in 5:51. Time wise, we're not even halfway done....

Miles 40-50: Nothing too impressive, just a bunch of nine minute miles, but in this kind of event, nine minute miles are good enough to spread things out. 50 miles complete in 7:25.

Miles 50-60: Fatigue starting to kick in and the legs are feeling a bit heavy. 9:00 pace starts slipping to 9:15 and 9:30, but overall it's not too bad given the cold. 60 miles complete in 9:00. 3 hours to go.

Miles 60-70: I finally get to switch to the one mile laps, which allows me to see the other runners on a more frequent basis. It's a much needed energy boost to see some familiar faces a bit more often. I reach my 100k split in 9:23. It's a half hour slower than my PR, but with over two and a half hours to go, I think it's right where I need to be. The cool darkness settles in and now there are 70 miles completed in 10:45. Mathematically, I had already won the race, but I really wanted to run as close to the full 12 hours as I could.

Miles 70-77: My legs are definitely feeling tired, but the night has brought a surprising boost of energy. With temps now back in the low 30's I switch back into my heavier jacket from the morning. Dang, the zipper somehow broke and I spend several costly minutes trying to fix it. The course is dark, but dozens of steadfast runners are still out there hammering away in the cold. The moon above sets aglow the earth below and the twinkle of local Christmas lights remind me how quaint and friendly this little town of Erwin has been today. Time check, 45 minutes to go. Looks like my zipper malfunction may have cost me the time to run an extra mile and I will have to settle for four more laps. 77 miles completed in 11:55.

Nutrition: 3,000 calories. Mostly Tailwind, 4 gels, a few handfuls of pretzels, gel blocks (bad idea in the cold), 1 ginger cookie
Gear: Hoka One One Clifton 1, North Face Torpedo Pants, long sleeve Nike compression shirt, Marmot Stride Jacket, Pear Izumi wind vest, Injinji mini crew socks

Afterthoughts: I was pleasantly surprised how well my legs felt given my relatively low running mileage. I think if I had been a little more confident early on, I could have gone a little faster for the first 50 miles and still had plenty in the tank for later. In addition, on a slightly warmer day, with a better training base, I could realistically foresee getting 80 miles on this course. Also, as a pleasant surprise, I found out that one of the Spartathlon qualifiers is completing 120k at a 12 hour race. 120k equals 74.4 miles, so my 77 miles actually requalified me for Spartathlon, which is nice because my qualifier from 2015 expires this year.


Anyway, in case anyone from the event reads this, thanks to all the volunteers and to Roam Ultras for this fun seasonal event.



Happy Holidays!

Wrapping up 2016

It's strange to think that it has been fall for several months now and another autumn running season is nearing a close. With temperatures still in the 70's, and even 80's, there have been times it hasn't felt like fall at all and yet here we are three weeks removed from Halloween and one week from Thanksgiving.

I remember how I used to wait excitedly all year for the fall running season to do my favorite races; the JFK 50, Mountain Masochist and the Marine Corps Marathon. However, with the price increases and politics of JFK, the price increase of Masochist and not being able to train in the mountains, and the logistical craziness and crowds of Marine Corps, I haven't had the desire to do any of the big three races that were typically the defining highlights of my year.

Things do change. My move to central NC has given me the wonderful opportunity to try many new events, but I've also realized I've been running much more than I had planned. The mileage and lack of any real training finally caught up to me in late October and forced an executive decision to pull back on several races in order to relax and rest my body. I also realized that in a two month span from September through late October I was essentially running an ultra or marathon every other week, or every third week. And though most of these races were done as casual efforts, there was no denying that doing an "easy" 103 miles at A Race for the Ages, followed by "only" 63 easy miles Hinson Lake taxed my legs more than I thought. Flashbacks to 2008 and 2009 when I severely over raced and hurt the potential of doing better at bigger goal races.

The misleading crux, and albeit also a pleasant surprise, came when I got 2nd place overall at the Medoc Trail Marathon, again on minimal recovery time. Granted, the field is typically not competitive, but I did run a 7 minute PR for the event, despite running an extra 3 minutes off course. This, of course, gave me the false confidence to proceed with the idea of trying to run a BQ at the fast downhill Peak to Creek marathon. Well, this is where I learned that a 4th straight race on minimal recovery, while running only 45 miles per week, was going to seriously backfire. Needless to say, I had all the signs of poor recovery and fitness that was okay, but not great. Quads were sore early, glutes were sore early, and typically comfortable marathon pace was far too laborious. I fought through it, slogging into the halfway mark in 1:33:40, but conceded at mile 15 that this was just going to have to be a pretty day in the mountains. No 3:05, no BQ, just a 3:19 long training run. I also had to remind myself how crazy it is that several years ago I would have only dreamed about running a 3:19, and now I was considering it a epic failure from a performance stand point.

Thankfully, the fall running season did not end on that sour note and I successfully paced a very strategically accurate 3:45 pace group for the 3rd straight year at the Richmond Marathon. We came in at 3:44:58, and for the second time were the closest pace group to goal time. Now time to rest up and maybe get in some actual training sans interruption by over racing. Who knows, there might even be a semi secret goal race in December I plan to run. But, who knows?

Just Missed Boston

By 6 seconds....

First world problems I know, but still a tough pill to swallow. I worked my butt off to get my first ever Boston qualifier a year ago. I ran a 3:07:57, which was 2:03 under my qualifying mark of 3:10. I admittedly did not think that would be enough, given that it required 2:28 under the previous year to get in. However, as fewer qualifiers came in, the statistics showed my time might very likely get me into the 2017 race.

I was about 99% certain going into the big notification day that I would be receiving an e-mail from the Boston Athletic Association congratulating me on my acceptance into the 2017 Boston Marathon. I instead, however, sat with a sinking feeling in my gut as I glanced at the message "All those who ran 2 minutes and 9 seconds under their qualifying time were accepted." Crushing...6 seconds. That's a big hill, a mile into a headwind, a few slow water stops, a few high fives, a missed workout, who knows. Not sure where I could have shaved the time, but I'm trying not to second guess. I ran as well as I could on a fast course in ideal fall weather. No complaints there.

It's the waiting that sucks. I had waited 11 months to apply to Boston, and now I wait yet another year to do it all over again. Back to train for yet another BQ in hopes that I can lower my time again and secure a spot. The reality is needing to run at least 3 minutes under the BQ time, and 5+ under for essentially a guaranteed spot. But, my talent is on the bubble. It's what makes it so much work just to get a BQ, no less a time a few minutes faster. It has literally taken years, if not an entire decade, to go from running a 5 hour marathon, to a 4 hour, to 3:33, a 3:10, and finally a BQ. But, the improvement margins are getting smaller and harder to achieve and I am getting older.

I admit, not running Boston was much easier to accept when I was a 4 hour marathoner or even 3:30 marathoner. I wasn't close enough to entertain the notion of running Boston for it to bother me. But, now that it's in reach, it's like getting a faint grasp of that starting line, online to get pushed back again. It tough being on the fringe, but rest assured when I finally do get into Boston, it will mean that much more knowing I didn't get it easy.

And worse case scenario, my BQ goes up to a 3:15 in five years, but only time will tell. Another good year of health and running is hardly a certainty these days. A heartfelt congrats to everyone on the other side of the looking glass that got in, and especially to those that got in by mere seconds. Here's to Boston 2018.

Running Against Cancer 10 Years Later

(2006 Rockingham County Relay for Life)

In 2006, I had been running for just over three years and running ultras for 18 months. As a long time supporter of the American Cancer Society and their Relay for Life events I found it fitting that my first true run dedicated to fighting cancer would be at their 2006 Rockingham County Relay for Life.

At the time, I had lost two grandmothers to cancer, one in 1994 and the other in 2005. I promised myself I would attempt to run 70 miles during the one night event, which would represent 10 miles for every month my grandmothers fought cancer. In short, it was a tough, but incredibly inspirational night of reflection and community support. I met a lot of people, made some new friends, and a few hours after sunrise I completed my 70th mile. It was by far the longest I had ever run and it took 13 hours and 35 minutes to complete, which included walking most of the final 5 hours. My body and feet were beat up for at least a week, but for a cause that made it all worth it. And even though it was a run, it was definitely not about running. That's a motto I would revisit a decade later.

In 2008, I stumbled upon George Nelson's Hampton 24 Hour Run for Cancer and wanted to test myself with the challenge of running for 24 straight hours. In short, I failed, and failed miserably at that. I ran for just over four hours and walked another eight for a grand total of 52.5 miles in 12:15. I didn't even match my mileage from the Relay for Life two years earlier. It was a rough humbling day of stomach issues and learning from a lot of rookie mistakes. Little did I know, but it would be a long 8 years until my next run at Sandy Bottom.

Enter 2016. Exactly 10 years after my 70 mile Relay for Life run from 2006.

(Photo credit Dean Wewetzer)

To be honest, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to be at the 2016 24 Hour Run for Cancer. On top of that, the previous few months of "training" had consisted of modest 40 miles per week of running and 10-15 miles of hiking. Hardly enough to make a solid attempt at a 24 hour run, no less something like an ultra or even marathon. Given that, I decided to make a short term goal of running 71 miles, which would eclipse the 70 I had run 10 years earlier. The additional one mile would be in memory of my grandfather who passed away from cancer in 2008, ironically only four months after my first failed visit to the Hampton 24 Hour Run.

Needless to say the run was a pleasant surprise and it felt great to finally to put in some bigger miles again. It was my longest run in three years and strangely felt quite effortless and relaxed the entire time. I started out fairly slow and gradually picked up the pace to the point where my last 10 miles were the fastest of the day. At three hours in, I don't even think I was in the top 15 runners, but apparently by the time I had completed my 71.25 miles in 11:09 I had climbed to second place by a fairly large margin. Not that any of that was important, but it was nice to finish a run that had a lot of personal meaning feeling incredibly strong.

As far as performance, not that it was about that, but this may have been the best I have ever paced a run. I ran my first 31 miles in 5:00 and my final 31 miles in 4:42. My 50 mile split was 8:00 and my 100k split was 9:49. I also ran a 3:56 marathon split after mile 45, which was a total surprise, but proved that starting very slow really does pay significant dividends. In fact, my projected 100 mile time would have been somewhere between 16:40 and 17:00, which would have been a massive PR, though I still feel Like I was under trained to go for such an attempt. However, I think with a more appropriate training I may have figured out the best way to pace for flatter, longer races.

That said, it was great to spend some time on the trails with friends and run again for a the cause of fighting cancer. Cancer and running have had been almost synonymous and is one of the reasons I had run and survived some of my earliest ultras. I also think that I might be ready to test myself to run the entire 24 hours at the Run for Cancer and see what I can really do. I realize that yes running 71.25 miles was a solid run, but I also know I didn't come close to testing my body and mind the way it would have to run an additional 13 hours like many others did. In addition, though I have "run" for over 24 hours several times, there is something very different and mental about running as much as you can within the fixed time frame of a single day. That is something to think about.