Moab Red Hot 55k

The Moab Red Hot 55k is entirely on a jeep road. There are occasions where said "road" is incredibly steep and/or technical (because that's what jeepers love), and about 25% of this course is on sandstone. If your raison d'etre is twisty, turny, woodsy singletrack, you might want to pass this one by. That said, sections of this course are stunning! There's nothing quite like running on top of a sandstone shelf that drops off into space on one side. Or running on the Slickrock Trail. I think the main reason I continue to race ultras is just to see new places that I would otherwise never explore so this was a welcome change of scenery.

Here I am after finishing, still practicing keeping my eyes open when someone takes my picture. Obviously, 55 years of practice is not enough.

Orcas Island 50k

4th time's the charm!

I have been knocking on the door of six hours at the Rainshadow Running Orcas Island 50k for some time and finally managed to get there. I was not the fittest I have ever been but we had a super day and my pacing definitely is much better than it used to be so today really was a case of (my more) experience(d) (self) triumphing over (my more) youth(ful) (self).

Metabolic test at Real Rehab Sports + Physical Therapy

Nerds love numbers! And when it comes to training/nutrition/gear/bike fit I am a huge nerd.

In the past, I have performed a VO2 Max test and when I heard about this Metabolic test from my friend Aaron Ostrovsky it sounded really interesting. Seems many of my friends like to geek out on the same stuff that I do (go figure...) so after learning about this, I had to do it too. What is a Metabolic test? According to Real Rehab where I had the test, "Active Metabolic Profile Testing provides insight into your efficiency in utilizing fat stores as energy during exercise."

Remember when every coach and sports nutritionist only ever talked about carbs? Well in case you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, using fat as fuel and optimizing your bodies ability to metabolize fat is all the rage now. Not to mention Paleo, Keto, etc., etc.

If nothing else, you get some cool pictures when you do one of these tests.

pacing Lucca at the Seattle Marathon

Wow! For three reasons.

1. 2018 is the SEVENTH time I have run the Seattle Marathon with Lucca.
2. Somehow I frequently manage to injure myself several weeks prior to this event so end up running a marathon essentially "off the couch". Ouch.
3. Lucca doesn't seem to be slowing down so this isn't getting any easier!

Thankfully (surprisingly?) I managed to get the job done and not so surprisingly Lucca keeps logging Boston (and New York, etc.) qualifying times. Way to go Lucca!

Moran Constitutional Relay

Way back in 2015 I got invited by some friends to participate in the Ragnar Northwest Passage relay race. It was a blast! So when I heard about the Moran Constitutional Relay, I immediately plagiarized the Ragnar team name (Whistle Tips) and invited those same friends. #doneanddone

running through The Enchantments

Believe the hype!

I have been trying to do this run for years. Twice I got turned away because of forest fires and once because of an injury. I guess the fourth time is the charm. I'm SO glad to have made it out here.

Pine To Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run

In this distorted, niche community of ultra running that I sometimes get lost in, people have started to say things like, "100 miles is not that far." Well it is. And although you can have a very rewarding time running (and walking) 100 miles, and although #type2fun is still mostly fun (thanks to the human brain's amazing ability to selectively save the good stuff while discarding much of the bad), for most people it takes (lots of) training, support, and a few years to get it right. I'm here to tell you that I am most people. I ran the Pine To Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run for the first time in 2016 and did not have a great day. I've wanted to come back and get it right ever since. #doneanddone


[Photo credit Ben McKinley.]

Thanks to Hal Koerner and Rogue Valley Runners for putting on an epic event.

pacing Dave VanMiller at the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run

Sometimes (read: usually) it's not about me.

This weekend I had the chance to pace my friend Dave VanMiller at the Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run and it was awesome! More to the point, Dave was awesome!

Pacific Crest Trail - Section J (Stevens to Snoqualmie)

I have had Section J (Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass) of the Pacific Crest Trail on my long list for years. Funny how things can suddenly come together.

Turns out my friend Bryan Estes has wanted to run this too. Bryan has hiked this section, and various portions of it, numerous times but he has never done it in one push. We had been talking about this since we both ran the Seattle Stairway Foot Tour in June so when his calendar opened up a few days ago, and I was free too, I jumped at the chance. Did it fit in perfectly with my training and racing calendar? No, but when opportunities come along you need to grab them. You also need to keep your racing in perspective - I do this for fun and fun is exactly what I hoped this run would be about. Fun and adventure.

White River 50 Mile Endurance Run

Finally. It seems like all of my friends have run the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run multiple times. Without a doubt, this is one of the most iconic events in the Pacific Northwest and it always attracts an elite field but it has not fit into my calendar so far... until this year. Better late than never. #worththewait

Here I am full of naive optimism at the start.