Double the run, Double the fun.

Alabama - Delano Park 12 Hour

2012-05-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Since I have been absolutely the most lazy blogger ever, I have decided to bullet point my race.

Arrived at 11 p.m. the night before the race.
Rented Vehicle
Drove straight to Decatur
Went wrong way two or three times
Got to Decatur with an hour and a half before the race
Woke up in time for the race
Headed to the Park
Found a good spot to park
Prepared to get ready
Forgot Shorts
Went to Walmart
Could only find x-large sized shorts
Went back couldn't find a spot, parked on the other side.
Got out started the race.
Got super bad sun burn.
Immediately drove back to Knoxville
Daylight savings time plus lost an hour going from central to eastern time.
Slept at the motel 6
Missed my flight
Had to buy a new flight
Only option to fly into LAX
tried to charge battery the best I could.
Phone died
Ride got upset
He went to wrong airport
Tried to rent vehicle, none available
Tried to get a shared ride
Got ride back...

2012-03-13T18:03:00.001-07:00

With three months since my last update, attached is my newest map for the states.

Hawaii - Hilo to Volcano 50k

2012-01-27T10:11:00.005-08:00

Running a marathon in a state that you've never been to can be taxing logistically. I tend to over analyze and prepare. In this case, I met my match but came up short. On thursday morning I sat up and looked at the time. Today was the vacation of my life, because I would be flying to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. For most people this would be a relaxing vacation, without life's stresses and worries. For those who know me, it is not about relaxing that brings me to these locations. I travel because it is the journey and the sights. Each state holds a memory, and a position in my heart. However sappy that may seem, it is true.

I arrived in LAX in plenty of time to catch my flight. I just bided my time and eventually the moment to take off arrived. It was just after noon that I arrived in Kailua-Kona. I was excited and nervous. This was paradise and I wasn't sure how I would handle it. I picked up the rental vehicle and headed to get food. Now the correct action when getting food in a strange place shouldn't be to sink your teeth into fast food. That just what I did though, as I headed towards the K-Mart for a little bit of Detroit (Little Caesars.) I went for a short drive up the coast, but after this I headed to the Hostel where I would be spending the night. I spent the night at the Pineapple Park Hostel which was located near Captain Cook. There I watched the sun go down over the pacific.

The next morning, I awoke early to get a head start on the tourist aspect of the "Big Island." As I waited for the showers to open, I searched the must see locations on the island. I marked off 7 or 8 locations and determined to see them all. While many of the locations were north, my favorite locations seemed to be south near the Puna area. The first area I decided to see was the Pu'uhonua O Honaunau national historical park.

I drove south towards Pu'uhonua O Honaunau and was witness to a Hawaiian style sunrise. With the sun peaking over the Pacific, I entered the state area. I was stumped when I reached the entrance gate with no guard. I paused a while to see if anyone would approach my vehicle. After a while I gave up and accepted the free entrance to the park. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, since I didn't exactly understand reason for the park's existence (Later I learned that it was a former religious site.) I exited my vehicle and entered the information area. Entering this facility, there were Hawaiian hand made sculptures, and native creation folklore explained through speakers in the ceiling. I descended a ramp that lead down to a closed off beach. There were signs warning of sacred grounds and to stay on the path. The state had done an amazing job replicating and/or restoring the buildings on the facility. The highlight of the area, was a roped off area where rare sea turtles are known to nest.

After nearly an hour and a half at the Historic site, I left for the next destination. Next I chose to tour the green beaches of south point. The road to south point was a long drive through the rural coastal areas on Mamalahoa Highway. Dotting the road south were local fruit stands and tiny friendly diners. Finally making the turn on South Point road I proceeded toward the beach. I was not aware at any point, that the road would become as rough and bumpy as it became. The condition of the road degraded to gravel as I approached the parking lot that I would be leaving for my trek from. I finally parked in the lot and headed on foot towards the green sand beach.

I left the safety of my rental vehicle and headed towards what I believed to be the direction of the green sand. My short progress was halted by a few locals who asked if I was in need of a ride to the beach. The individuals seemed sketchy, so I opted against the ride. I descended a long hill leading to a beach which would connect up to the path to the green sand. Nearly ten minutes into the walk, I was stopped again. This time I was stopped by a good Samaritan asking if I needed water. I kindly refused and continued walking. After a long grueling, rock hopping adventurous walk, I made it to the green sand beach described on the internet.

I approached the beach from an elevated cliff like point above. I slowly inched my way down the steep grade that lead to the beach. I could see the sheen of the beach from above, but I had to take a closer look. I neared the bottom and witnessed for myself the beauty of the sand. This beach was a once in a lifetime experience.

After nearly an hour walk each direction and another hour at the beach, I departed and headed back to the highway. I stopped briefly at the true south point, which marks the most southern point in the United States. There wasn't much to see there, so I headed back and decided to head north again past Kona on Hi-19 to Hilo.

On the long drive around the north side of the Big Island, I underestimated the drive and lost too much daylight to do too much sight seeing. With the tiny bit of daylight remaining, I decided to head to a beach mostly popular with locals called Kua Bay beach. The beach was busy, but not crowded and I had a great time moving with the tall waves that rolled towards the shore. Another hour or so was spent at this beautiful beach, and I decided to travel on.

The rest of the drive to Hilo was spent without so much as a rest stop and a couple of hours later I finally reached the eastern side of the island. Hilo is a modern tourist city, with tiny tourist souvenir shops lining the corners. I drove over a few streets and located the local Walmart. I walked through the aisles, and procured the makings for a dinner. My reservations for the night were supposed to be at the McKenzie state park on the southern side of the east shore. With the time spent sight seeing all day, I wasn't prepared for yet another drive. Therefore with much consideration, I made the decision to sleep in my rental vehicle, in the store parking lot.

With less than comfortable arrangements I made my best effort to sleep. I awoke to the sound of my phone's alarm and made my way to Coconut Island Park. Coconut Island Park was located east of the city along the coast and happened to be the starting location for the 2012 Hilo to Volcano 50k. I arrived in the darkness of 5 a.m and waited for the runners to show up. I witnessed early starting runners both showing up and leaving. I dressed out, and mentally prepared for the race. I chose to wait to register for the ultra and instead show up day of the race to register. This decision turned out to be a terrible one. I had to wait nearly two hours for the race director and staff to arrive.

At 6:45 a.m the race director and staff arrived and set up their table. I paid the entrance fee, grabbed a bib number, and gained approval to begin. The race consisted of a point to point course from Coconut Island Park, Hilo to Cooper Center, Volcano. The race was an open course with runners forced to run on the sidewalks and shoulder of the roads encountered. The run consisted of constant mild ascent seemingly from beginning to end. Each runner was required to have a crew team to assist with the unavailability of aid stations. Even at the beginning I was unprepared for what lied ahead.

I began the race and immediately met two local women who were starting early as well. They had babysitters and were starting early in order to finish early. I chatted with them for the first few miles as I was without a headlamp and it was dark. Eventually the sun began to rise over the horizon and I began to slow down. Initially, I knew that the race was not going to be easy, but I doubted it was difficult.

The race transitioned from the city of Hilo to the suburb city of Volcano. Early on in the race, the sky was clear, but as the race progressed there were intermittent showers. Progressing slowly from mile to mile, the most difficult part of the race was the combination of sun, elevation, and lack of support. Without adequate sleep, the race proved to magnify the increasingly ascending road. I plodded along and the miles slowly passed. Every few miles there came a relay exchange point, which improved morale, and kept spirits high with the cheering and bustling nature. Through neighboring towns the course wound, and up and up the road continued.

At mile 20 I found myself with dehydration looming and nearly nothing left in my "tank." I had failed to adequately prepare for a scenario like this. I began to contemplate asking runners at the next exchange point for any support they could provide. I approached the next exchange point looking completely defeated and I was asked if I needed anything by a relay runner. I replied that I needed water, and/or food. With open arms I was given Cytomax drink mix, a whole water bottle and energy chews.

With much gratefulness I thanked them and continued. They next few miles became somewhat easier and I slowly continued. Reaching the last few miles before the turn towards the community center and finish I was greeted by a phone call by my Girlfriend. She was concerned and wanted to hear about everything. I was hesitant to tell her everything, but I did clue her into my physical situation, and I could tell she might have been worried.

Because of the sluggish nature of my run, I was easily passed by a majority of the runners in the race. I was almost certain that I was in last place, when behind me I heard a voice that drew my attention. Behind me there was a woman who seemed to be in a similar physical condition that I was and we ran together for a mile or so until the turn.

As I approached the turn, I could hear the roar of the finish line but I knew that would be short lived since I would be running right past the finish and down to the turn around. Off to the right I began to see the center with the finishers and the feeling of seeing the finish line invigorated my mental state. I continued down through rolling hills in a secluded neighborhood to eventually the turn around.

After making the turn around I used all of the physical capacity I could muster and headed straight back to the finish line. Twice as quickly as I made it to the turn around I made it to the finish line. There were only a few runners left and the finish line was all but torn down and stowed. The timing team was still there and it was sweet to finish this grueling race. As I looked for a place to sit down, I was forced to realize that my flight to Maui would be difficult to make, since I would be looking for a ride back to the starting line from either a local or another runner. Luckily there was a runner that I had met earlier in the race that recognized me and offered to take me back to my car. I thanked him and his family for their kindness and they brought me the half an hour drive back to my car. On the way, the gentleman and I discussed all of my questions about the Hawaiian islands. I finally arrived back to the parking lot at the Coconut Island park and thanked the gentleman again for his hospitality.

As I departed the park, I couldn't help but marvel at the massive banyan trees that lined the drive out. I had mapped out the drive from Hilo to Kona's airport with the quickest route possible. I decided to use route 200, and rush as fast as possible. Taking nearly the entire trip at 60+ miles per hour I arrived at the rental car facility, dropped off the rental car and proceeded to wait for the shuttle. I had nearly 25 minutes to check my bags, and get to the airplane. I hadn't anticipated that the rental shuttle would take 10 minutes to arrive. Entering the shuttle and only 15 minutes until take off, I quickly disembarked the shuttle in hopes of a miracle. No such miracle was on tap for the day.

I walked up to the airline kiosk, I was the ninth person in line... By the time I approached the desk to gather my tickets it was already after takeoff. I looked for an alternative, was was blessed with another flight that took off promptly an hour later. An hour later, still dirty and dingy, I embark on my flight from Kona to Honolulu, and then to Maui.

After a quick layover I land in Maui, and prepared to make reservations for the night. I was appalled to learn that the cheapest hotel/motel in Maui was 390$. After gasping for breath, I forewent booking a hotel/motel and moved on to booking a rental car. I secured a decent rental car deal, and caught a shuttle to pick up the rental car.

After arriving at the rental car facility and procuring a set of keys, I set out to explore my new surroundings. The highest priority for my newly acquainted settings was to find a hot shower. Unfortunately this was not to be, since the time was late. I thought that I stumbled into a possibility of a shower when I located a 24 hour fitness, but It wasn't open! I settled for a nights rest in the car, and I would start fresh the next morning. Still gross from the previous race day, I decided to wait for the 24 hour fitness to open. Finally around 5 a.m. I went into the location and obtained a guest pass which allowed access for my much needed shower.

I had originally signed up for the Maui Oceanfront Marathon, but after repeated attempts to contact the Marathon organizers I had failed to do so, and was out of a hundred dollars as a result on race day. As the sun rose on Maui I decided to explore the island. I was intrigued by the high class lifestyle on Maui in comparison to the much more native population of the big island. One goal of my trip to Hawaii was to immerse myself in what I believe to be the cultural aspect of the islands. Around noon I booked a luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort a resort on the northwestern part of the island. The luau did not begin until later, so much of the time was spent sightseeing in the area. The time for the show arrived and I enjoyed an amazing sunset luau filled with native Polynesian dancers and full buffet. The highlight of the show as the fire dancing. The show ended and I drove back to Pukalani. I spent the night in my vehicle and drew out the plans for my last day on the islands.

I awoke on the last day of my nearly week long trip to the Hawaiian islands. As the sun rose over the island, I decided to start early and take in the last hours I had. Many of the resources I used had point my course to what is considered by many to be the most beautiful drives in the world. This voyage is commonly referred to as the road to Hana. The trip takes all day and is filled with beautiful cliff views, bountiful wet rainforests and raging waterfalls. During the trip I made my way through the stunning red sand beaches of Koki, and the St. Gabriel's church of the 1800's.

As night fell, I made my way back to Kahului and made preparations for leaving. Before I knew it I was on the plane preparing to head back to the contiguous 48.

Another race done, another state done.

Check back soon for another race report.

One Epic Run: Spartanburg, South Carolina

2012-01-15T19:13:00.001-08:00

It has been over a month since my last race, and I have had the best intentions of updating the blog with the stories of my December race. After my university let school out for the winter break, I decided to take a detour on the way back home. A month earlier I had learned of a great run in Spartanburg, South Carolina simply called One Epic Run My plane left Orange County early, heading for Atlanta. Upon landing in Atlanta, I watched the sunset from the dashboard of my rental car. Four hours later I entered the small suburb of Charlotte. Spartanburg, South Carolina has a small but warm southern charm. I would have loved to spend more time in the area, but most of my time was spent on the race course. I awoke on Saturday and slowly prepared myself for the race at hand. The race didn't begin until 9 A.M. so I had plenty of time to plan.
I spent Friday night at the Motel 6, which was nearly half an hour from the race starting line. I arrived to the course with nearly half an hour left until the start of the race. As I arrived there I noticed there was a handful of people at the starting line. I would later figure out this was the race briefing. I quickly parked my vehicle and prepared to pick up my race bib. I made my way back to my vehicle, and prepared myself for the journey. One Epic Run was a 24 Hour, so I had plenty of time to relax and take in the atmosphere.
The race started out frigid, but soon warmed up as the day progressed. I began the race at the back of the pack and finished up there. The race consisted of 3 mile loops. With a run as you go type policy. The race course was a challenging one with mild climbs and rocky somewhat technical terrain.

Starting in the back of the race has it's advantages. One of those advantages is that the most interesting people thrive there. Starting the race I met ultra veterans Gene Bruckert and Terri Hayes. They had planned only for a 50 kilometer finish, but I had larger goals in mind. I began with three steady loops with the ultra veterans before lapping them and catching up with them again. While the two of them were running a little bit slow, I couldn't help but enjoy their company. After nearly nine laps with in their company I decided to depart and run faster. I ran by myself for a while and got into a rhythm. The miles ticked away, as the daylight seemed to hold. As I would pass by the timing/aid station every lap I would have one of the volunteers time my lap. For the first 12 laps my times were consistently under an hour.

Eventually, the once mildly annoying and technical terrain became rough and unsettling difficult. Occasionally I passed Gene and Terri but for the most part it became a solo endeavor. That is until I bumped into Bo and Amanda on the 14th lap who were going at a pretty good speed towards a 50 mile goal. The sun was just setting as I met the two of them. As the sun was setting the temperature dropped considerably leaving me without many options. As I left for the 15th lap I stopped by the rental car to pick up any cold weather clothes that I could summon.
I quickly caught up with the two of them and we headed out into the darkness. The three of us made conversation and the next few laps were made quite easily as a result. Soon they both finished and I was alone yet again and the darkness took its toll and my mind and body took a hold in a negative way.
As I started my 18th lap the course which only hours before which consisted of hills, became the rocky mountains. My digestive system which was an engine hours before was degraded into a heap of mush. I grinded out a few difficult laps and I couldn't muster the discipline to enter into another cold grueling lap, ending the night with only 57 miles.

Dissappointed, yet content I walked towards my vehicle to sleep off the pain which I endured over 18 full hours. After a few hours of rest I left the warmth of the rental vehicle to clean up, and slowly make my way to the airport. Later that day I would spend time at various locations, finally making my way back to Atlanta and the Hartsfield International Airport.

39 States Completed 11 Left.
Stay Tuned for the next race(s)taking place January 21st and January 22nd from Big Island/ Maui, Hawaii.

Oklahoma - Route 66 Marathon (Post 4.)

2011-11-26T18:09:00.001-08:00

Upon finishing the White River Marathon I took group photos with Larry Macon, Jim Simpson, and Al Emma. After that was over we boarded a van and headed back to the Cotter school a mile away. There was soup and warm rolls served at the school and showers facilities were provided as well. After showering I waddled back to my rental car and began the drive back to Tulsa. The drive was nearly as arduous as the last time and involved a detour of sorts when I headed 25 miles north past the Missouri state line. I eventually arrived in Tulsa around midnight and headed to the Studio 6 where I was spending the night. I watched some television and researched the race, eventually retiring for the night. I awoke the next morning, dressed and drove to the finish area outlined on the race website. The website mentioned that there would be shuttles that would take you to the starting area. Arriving at the starting line around 7:15 A.M I was amazing to see how many people had already arrived. As I rounded the corner there was a VIP staging tent near the starting line. I was surprised by the great concession the race had provided in their treatment of the Marathon Maniacs. While waiting for the race to begin most of the Marathon Maniacs gathered to take photos and greet one another. The special tent had a number of port-a-potties set aside for the sole use of the club. After a short while speaking with those who I remembered from the day before, I headed to the starting corral. Because of my time mentioned during registration, the race had placed me into the corral C. The weather on race day was a chilly windy 40 degrees, the weather would never warm up. As I stood and shivered the clock drew ever nearer to the start time. It felt like ages before the gun went off, but it eventually did and we were off. The crowd crept forward and after a while began to jog. The first mile flew by and so did the second and third and fourth. As I moved through the pack I kept in mind that I would eventually run out of energy and submit to walking. This didn't change the fact that I felt good, and I wanted to go fast. Moving through the crowd I waved hello to the Marathon Maniacs that I saw. This race drew all types of runners and this was no exception for the Marathon Maniacs. As the race course proceeded on, the runners witnessed both sides of the city; the urban and the suburban. At mile 13 I stopped to chat with an older Maniac and share stories. I could tell that he was having a hard time, and I wanted to provide encouragement. The Maniac told me that he had participated in a marathon the previous day as well, and was very sore. While I would have loved to stay and chat, the 5 hour pace group passed by, and I wanted to maintain that pace as long as possible. Soon the 5 hour group had passed and I tried the best I could to maintain a pace that was faster than the previous day. Eventually I found myself at the Center of the Universe Detour. I still am not completely sure what it is all about. On I went back onto the course and I met up with another Marathon Maniac. I talked with him for a while and again said goodbye as I continued on. I could feel myself slowing down, but it is bound to happen with the pounding I placed on my body the day before. I slogged another mile or two before I met up with another Marathon Maniac. He was a local named Thomas Gibson. We talked and shared stories, and while the miles added up they were sure made easier by the conversation. I eventually reached the last mile, and produced a kick that surprised even me. Upon reaching the finish line I was greeted by a space blanket and a medal. I proceeded on through to the finish line tent where there was an assortment of beverages, pizza and bagels. From there I went to the VIP area set aside for Marathon Maniacs and 50 States members. In this tent there was a vast selection of food and deserts. I sat at a table and rested from the race took in food and chatted with others. Upon reaching my car I realized I didn't have much time and prepared to leave.

Arkansas - White River Marathon (Part 3.)

2011-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

I awoke Friday morning prepared to take on another double weekend. This time I was off to Tulsa, Oklahoma to begin the sequence of weekend events. I attended around 15 minutes of my Friday morning class and headed back to my dorm room to wake my roommate. Soon I was off to the airport awaiting my flight. I was to be laying over in Salt Lake City before heading to Tulsa. I arrived in Tulsa just before 5 P.M. and grabbed my bags and headed to the rental car facility. Many airports don't have room for their rental car facilities and dedicate separate buildings sometimes miles from the airport (Houston,Billings,Las Vegas). Tulsa had the rental car facility conveniently placed on site. I easily grabbed my vehicle and headed toward downtown Tulsa. After a bit of confusion I realized that any street metered parking is free after 5 P.M. and on the weekends. I located a spot and walked to the Tulsa Convention Center. The event expo was well put together with adequate time for anyone to pick-up their packet relieving the crowds. I walked in and picked up my race packet and t-shirt. Without hesitation I walked back to my vehicle and headed out of town.
Every indication from the GPS unit and Google maps pointed to highway 412 as the main route to Mountain Home, Arkansas. The trip to Mountain Home consisted of one part freeway and two parts county road. Around the state line the highway 412 had a toll. While the toll was only 2.50$ it expected exact change. I pose this question to anyone reading, who has 2.50$ exactly in the car? Maybe some people, but not someone traveling from out of state that is for sure. I digress, the road began to narrow and eventually began traveling through local communities slowing the speed to as little as 25 mph in some areas. Never the less, eventually I arrived in Mountain Home, Arkansas. I soon found my hotel and checked in. I watched a bit of television before dissolving into a sleeping beast.
I awoke at 5:15 A.M. Saturday morning to the sounds of the room's heater rumbling away. Although it had been working all night the room was freezing cold. I rolled out of bed and lumbered to the shower. Soon I was dressed and ready to head to the race site. Although the marathon didn't start until 7 A.M I hadn't picked up my race number. I drove up to the cotter county school and headed across the parking lot to the building. Within minutes I was back in the rental car with the packet in my hand. Without much else to do I slept for another 25 minutes until it was about time for the race to begin. Rounding 7 A.M I exited my vehicle and headed to the starting line.
Before long the command was given to start, and the crowd was off. While I had not run in weeks I could tell my muscles had not fully recovered from the beating taken three weeks prior. I started off fast catching runner after runner, I finally found a pace which I felt comfortable with. I located three marathon maniacs and I began talking with them. The race consisted of two out and back sections each around 6.5 miles out and 6.5 miles back. While talking with these three gentleman we easily turned around and headed back. After a while I needed to use the restroom so I bid well wishes and stopped to use a port-a-potty. I was soon back on the course and ready to head back to the start/finish area to begin the second loop. On the way I met up with a local Springfield, Missouri based runner. We chatted about races, and we connected over running the Blue Springs 50/50. While I was worse for the wear I kept my thoughts positive and made it back to the starting area. I crossed the finishing area and looped around, and back out again for the continuation into my second lap.
With a sense of accomplishment running through my veins, my excitement grew. I hurried off and before I knew it I was at the first mile of my second lap. Upon reaching this milestone I came across a runner, at first I thought he was a Marathon Maniac but as I grew closer it turned out that he wasn't. I drew closer and spoke with him. It turned out he was much more interesting than I had previously imagined. His name was Al Emma and he was Mel Brooks doppelganger. I was so intrigued by this fellow that I almost completely forgot, I was running a marathon. Al is 71 years old and running 40 marathons in one year. Al had done century rides in all 50 states and the Canadian Providences. We even talked of religion and politics. Throughout this race I had occasionally seen Larry Macon and Jim Simpson walking or running by (they took an early start) and it was my goal to catch up with them eventually. As we neared the last few miles of the race I could see Larry and Jim off in the distance. Al and I pressed in and on the final mile we caught them. We all finished together in 5 hours and 26 minutes.

Missouri - Blue Springs 50K (Part 2.)

2011-11-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

Upon returning to Kansas City I immediately headed downtown. Although I frequently choose to participate in running races outside of larger cities, occasionally I appreciate visiting large cities. After shopping at Country Club Plaza downtown Kansas City, I retired to the hotel in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Before falling asleep I began to concoct the plans for the next morning. The race start was surprisingly difficult to locate. The confusion behind finding the start of the race was partially due to planning difficulties. I found out later that the race failed to gain the proper permits to operate and as such would be hosted as a "training session" of sorts. I arrived race morning at 6 A.M. only to find no organization at all. I soon realized that the race starting location was somewhere nearby, but this clearly wasn't it. I used my mobile phone to visit the website and noticed that I wasn't at the location that they had suggested. I quickly realized my mistake and found the starting location. I parked my car and headed to where the mass of people were located around. Sure enough this was the place to in a sense "register" but not technically. I was given a number and I placed that onto my race belt. Around 7 A.M. the race began, and while initially sore from the race the previous day I felt completely at ease. The race course for the 50 Kilometer portion is run to the north end of the trail then coming back through the start/finish line and then proceeding to the southern end of the trail and back. The race had evenly distributed aid stations furnished with typical ultra fare.

The race started out well with the sun just peeking over the horizon as the runners darted off. After running to my rental car to drop off my jacket the runners took off. I was not the only straggler and I soon found myself talking with a local. She was only doing the half marathon, and had to get back to take her son to a doctors appointment. After running with her for a couple miles I couldn't keep up and I bid her farewell. I soon found myself in the midst of many who started on time. After a few miles I needed to begin a run walk system. This system worked well throughout the race. As I continued on the miles ticked away one after another. Occasionally aid stations popped up and provided many nutritious treats such as oranges and bananas. At one such aid station early in the race I spoke to one runner who took off moments before I did, and while he only seemed to run a bit faster than I had been I was unable to catch up. Throughout the remainder of the race I made it a goal to catch up to him, and while I never did it kept my mind focused on a goal. Under an overpass, around and up the Little Blue Trace Trail.
Eventually I reached the north end of the trail and headed back towards the starting area. Upon which I used this convenience to replace my shirt and grab my camera for a photo opportunity. In a somewhat surprising manner this turned out to be my most competitive section of the run. Throughout this race I was stricken with the beauty of Missouri and the colors of fall, which is one thing California can't provide. As I made my way down the trail I began to increase the pace of my run to walk ratio. Mile after mile I would take encouragement from passing other runners. As I reached the first aid station the volunteer informed me of the additional out and back portion I would need to take. I descended a small hill and met up with a runner wearing Vibram five fingers. I made small talk with him for a while and he informed me that he was having trouble keeping down his water. I dispensed a little bit of wisdom and continued on. I soon reached the end of the trail. Due to a bit of confusion I continued forward into a corn field.

I soon suspected something was wrong and turned around, and headed around a half of a mile or so back to the course. I worked as hard as I could to return to my position and eventually caught up to the gentleman with the stomach issues. I soon reached the aid station where I needed to add the distance with an out and back section. I made an out and back and returned to the aid station. There I consumed some fruit and a cookie and prepared to make my way back to the finish line. I took off and moving as fast as possible managed to get to the finish. While I am not sure my exact time because of the circumstances, but I suspect I finished around 6 hours and 52 minutes or so. After finishing I made my way to the YMCA where I utilized the facilities and headed to the airport.

Kansas - McKenzie Marathon (Part 1.)

2011-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

After a long silence I reappear with new tales in running. Where do I begin? The last month has been an amazing yet hectic episode. It seems as though the time which I would dedicate to writing on this blog has been overcome with the stacks and stacks of exams and papers. That's the life of a college student... On October 28 I awoke, dressed and acted as though I was attending class. A quarter of the way through, after attendance was taken I headed back to my dorm. I quickly packed, awoke my roommate and asked for a ride to the airport. The roommate obliged and slowly lumbered toward his vehicle. I threw my bags in and said thanks and left.
I arrived in Kansas City late at 8 P.M. Without incident I grabbed my rental car from Budget and headed out to Salina, Kansas. After about a four hour drive I arrived in Salina and made reservations at a local motel (the name escapes me.) Before heading to bed I made an attempt to locate the park which is hosting the race. After about 45 minutes searching the web I found somewhat conclusive proof where the park might be. The next morning I arrived early to Bill Burke sports complex in the heart of Salina, Kansas. There was around 30-40 attending on race morning.

I wasn't sure who was a part of the marathon and who was part of the relay. It didn't really matter because I wasn't really at this race to win it. Without any registration or bib number the competitors lined up. 8 A.M rolled around and the countdown began.
Soon all of the competitors were off, and headed off into the distance. I managed to stay back and contain my enthusiasm. While I usually begin chatting with people almost immediately there was little to no communication. I stayed in the middle of the pack but it was strangely silent.

The course was somewhat flat as we progressed down the parking lot and ascended a few feet onto a levee type narrow trail. It soon occurred to me that I might be dealing with a mix of trail and road, which is uncommon for marathons.

After a short stint on the levee trail, the course descended onto a grassy area which winded behind a number of sports fields, and eventually reaching a junction with a paved flat trail which ran parallel to a soccer field. The paved trail lead eventually lead out away from the sports complex; nearly a mile after the start the course lead back to another levee. Again the course departed from the levee and descended, turned right and went out and came back. Upon reaching the intersection again the course turned right and headed to the outside of another stretch of park belonging to the same park which the race began from. After rounding the outside of the park the course ran straight and back to the levee trail. Upon reaching the trail the course headed right and straight for an out and back eventually leading back to the paved trail at mile 5. The course then rounded the bend and headed left around a baseball field eventually reaching the pavilion where the race began. Since the race course consisted of 6 1/2 mile loops the race was run four times.

The first lap of the course was met with quite a bit of exhilaration. The lap progressed quite quickly and I found myself finishing the first lap with many of those in the relay portion of the marathon. I was met with cheering as I crossed the finish line, but no one captured my time. I asked a couple of individuals whom I need to inform to start another lap. While mildly confused I began another loop. The second lap was met with solitary running. I began implementing walking quickly into my second lap. I felt good, but felt as though the aid was only for relay members as I passed empty aid stations and lonely intersections where volunteers had been minutes before. I continued on and witnessed three runners arriving in the opposite direction. Witnessing others out on the course gave me hope that this race wasn't going to be as lonely as I had imagined. I finished my second lap and began my third lap. Now I realized that I was alone. Did the others finish? What was going to happen now? Would the race stay open? Was I going to finish? I slowly moseyed into the finish of my third lap. The only presence I witnessed as I crossed the line to finish the third lap was the race director Christina Humphrey. I posed the question "Can I still finish?" She responded yes. I began the third lap, Christina manned the aid stations and followed me. Slowly I made my way from mile 1 to mile 2, mile 3, mile 4, mile 5. As I crossed over the last aid station a gentleman who had been manning the aid station all day mentioned "Congratulations." I quickly snapped back responding with "what for?" "You won the marathon," he said. I laughed and kindly thanked him and descended for the last mile of the race. I finished, 5 hours and 12 minutes later thus winning the most unorthodox marathon I have ever been a part of. Upon traveling back to Kansas City I stopped over in Topeka for a few hours.

New updated map.

2011-11-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

During the last month I have been busy traveling the country marking off one state after the other over this weekend I will have the opportunity to write about each one.

2011-10-31T09:52:00.001-07:00

I have a million things to do this week, but I just completed a marathon and a 50k this weekend just thought I'd share my new map.

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have a million things to do this week, but I just completed a marathon and a 50k this weekend just thought I'd share my new map.

2011-09-30T20:51:00.001-07:00

Billings Marathon / Bismarck Marathon Double Weekend

2011-09-30T17:41:00.001-07:00

Here I am two weeks later posting my race report. My journey began on Friday with a ten AM flight to Billings, Montana. I partially attended my eight AM flight before skipping out and heading to the airport. With a seemingly endless layover in Salt Lake City I landed in Billings. With a change from Pacific time to Mountain time to Central time and back I was constantly left confused about the current time. After landing in the tiny Billings airport I meandered down a staircase towards the baggage claim. In a matter of minutes I had my bags in my hands and I was ready to leave. As I looked at my watch it wasn't time to retrieve my rental car yet and I waited. To avoid embarrassment I checked my credit card balance. I was dismayed to learn that my balance had not cleared from the payment I made the day prior. I called the credit card company to verify this and to avoid disaster. The receptionist raised my credit limit to one thousand dollars. After this I walked over and retrieved my rental car. There were a few minor nuisances but I will discuss them as they come into play.
Immediately upon exiting the airport I drove through the downtown and onto the freeway. After a six and half hour drive I arrived into Bismarck, North Dakota. I arrived into Bismarck at a little past midnight and drove through the sleepy streets to the Budget Inn Express Bismarck. The motel was run down and dingy, the parking lot was gravel, but I wasn't one to complain. I needed sleep and it didn't matter where. I went through my routine and went to bed. I set my alarm for 4 AM. I hadn't done my homework to find the starting area but it wasn't difficult to find.
I arrived on a chilly Saturday morning at the starting area for the Bismarck Marathon. Parking was ample I parked only feet from the starting area. On arrival it was five thirty and the volunteers were barely arriving. Soon six o'clock arrived and I ventured to the tent set up on the grass near the starting line. A kindly volunteer motioned me over and asked for my name. I picked up my race number and headed back to my rental car. I tried to shut my eyes and garner a few more sheep. Before I even realized it the announcer began calling from the PA system. I listened as he began to rattle off amusing observations. I pinned my race number to my shirt and I hurried off to begin my prerace rituals. Seven fifteen arrived and I headed towards the crowds of people beginning to line up for the start. I wasn't anxious or in any hurry to begin the race, so I stayed to the side of the crowds line up on the path. A countdown began and the crowds were off.

I kept my pace slow, often walking at times to keep from over exerting myself. As I often do I began to mingle with those around me. I often have noticed how time seems to fly by when you occupy your mind. I met a few locals and complained about the weather. The landscape was a suburban one with many homes and offices scattered about. There were obvious signs of flooding near all water prone areas. The marathon was a thirteen mile loop done twice.

Around miles four and eight there were musicians entertaining those on the course. Businesses blasted music from their building meant for the athletes. The first 7 miles flew by as I sauntered through the first part of the course. Between mile 7 and 8 I saw a couple familiar faces. It was Larry Macon and Jim Simpson. I hadn't seen either one of them in months, and it was nice to have a sense of familiarity so far from home. We chatted and exchanged stories about past feats and future goals. Soon I said goodbye to them and continued on. I finished my first loop and continued on to the next one. I was impressed by the level of volunteerism in the community.

At every turn it seemed that there were volunteers directing even the last runners through confusing turns. My body was tired but I continued on. Eventually finishing in roughly 4:46 minutes. I was greatly impressed by my time.
I read the week prior to leaving for this adventure that there would be arrangements with the YMCA for showers to be available for the out of town runners. I showered, and ate. I have made it a personal quest to explore a state when visiting. Since I was in the state capitol I seized the opportunity to visit the state capitol buildings. I had read the history surrounding the skyscraper of a capitol building. I explored the capitol building a while. Then I spent a while in the state oriented museum full of amazing artifacts not only relating to state history but world history. The museum featured bones from many prehistoric dinosaurs, and turn of the century and native american artifacts. Around three thirty I left Bismarck and headed back towards Montana. The sun was setting as I made my way back to Billings and I admired the landscape. I have always known that I would enjoy that area of the country but I had never been able to truly imagine the beauty. I arrived in Billings around nine thirty and made reservations at the Motel 6. This scenario was very confusing because there are two Motel 6's across the street from each other. After a bit of confusion I checked in and immediately headed to bed. I awoke the next morning at 5:30 AM. I needed to hurry because I was across town from the race and I had a bus to catch.

The Billings Governors Cup Marathon has an interesting dynamic in that it travels in one direction. With a couple wrong turns I made it to the Billings Senior High School where a bus was waiting to take runners to the other end of the course. The bus traveled to the outskirts of the Billings suburbs to a city called Molt. The adventure so far had not taken me to a place like this, a very rugged rural place surrounded by mountainous terrain. The starting line of the marathon was at the Molt community center, a place so rural it didn't even have a sewage system. The race began at 7 AM under cold and windy conditions. The first few miles were filled with sore muscles and thoughts about cutoff times. The first five miles were an out and back before the course decides to travel straight out and back to Billings.

This race became a noticeable progression from the rocky mountainous terrain of Molt to the suburban paradise of Billings. The water stations of the Billings Marathon were fewer but just as active as those in the day prior. As the marathon wore on I began to catch up to other runners. I may win this thing I mentioned jokingly to myself. The Billings Marathon was about persistence. From mile thirteen to the finish I used a method that

I often employ. I walk 100 steps and then run 100 steps or more depending on the need. Reaching the last mile I felt the desire to finish up this race and this adventure in the right fashion. I reached the last half mile and a crux. I approached an intersection with a sign that states that the road is closed. There wasn't a volunteer and I didn't hear a loudspeaker. Should I take go straight or take the right route? I decided to head straight. That was the wrong decision. I headed about a half mile down the road to another intersection where there was yet again no volunteer or arrows. As I peer back I notice a few different runners heading the other direction. I headed back completely dismayed. I turned left reaching the intersection and onto the high school track. I had been one turn from the finish... I finished. My time was 5:28:07.

Although I was disappointed about the snafu near the finish, I was glad to finish. Upon finishing I asked about the possibility of showering and the consensus was to go to the YMCA. Yet again I showered at the YMCA. Upon departing the building I asked the attendant what the best local place around Billings was. She consulted with another attendant and he didn't seem to know. Evidently Billings Montana doesn't operate on Sundays. I ended up going to Burger King. I spent another hour or so walking around the downtown area. Before I knew it, it was time to return my rental car and head back to the airport. Another two races down. 16 more states left in my quest.

Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race

2011-06-26T17:54:00.001-07:00

This is a week past due but I felt that my life wouldn't be complete without a review. Although i'm fairly certain that I don't entertain much of an audience for my race reports, but I digress. On Thursday June 16th I left Michigan yet again to pursue another piece of the quest for all 50 states. This time I was off to Chattanooga Tennessee. According to the race director Chattanooga boasts the most trail heads of any city in the United States. After a mostly smooth ten and a half hour drive I arrived on the outskirts of Chattanooga. I checked in and tried to gather myself. I had planned throughout the weekend to proactively study for the exam that followed the week after the race, this was not to be. I quickly fell asleep after a quick session of Google maps followed by a full course meal. Friday morning quickly arrived and I gathered prepared myself and all my things, and made my way to my car. I quickly made my way to the race area and arranged my things for the first 18 mile stage.

Stage One: 18 Miles / Raccoon Mountain
After preparing all of my things and checking with the race staff I counted down until the race start. Before long all of the runners began to congregate around the starting area and I made my way to the back as usual and waited. We were soon off onto the first stage. Most runners seemed to hammering down hard but I was apprehensive choosing instead to intentionally slow down and not go out too hard. This proved beneficial. The first half of the race flew by, the terrain consisted of rolling hills, which is tame according to my standards. After the half way point I decided to slow my run to a walk. Before long I caught up to a fellow runner who identified himself as Mike and his son, who I was able to get to know throughout the series. Mike and I casually made our way through the last half of the race to finish in 3 hours and 52 minutes.

Stage Two: 22 Miles / Lookout Mountain
Another night went by and I found myself at another starting line in quite a different location than the previous day (one of the largest challenges of this race.) I checked in with the race staff again, grabbed another bib number and pinned it on. I meandered to the starting area and waited. Yet again the participants gathered around the starting area anticipating the race director's call to start. Once again the start was announced and we were off. After a mile of flat packed dirt, I questioned aloud whether the race was going to increase the difficulty, and as I turned the corner I ate the words I had spoken. Immediately I came upon a section that could barely be described as switchbacks. Back and forth I went up the side of this hill at one point grabbing the rope provided for support to balance while climbing still further. Eventually the top was reached and straight back flat for a while and then down a small hill to further flat running. Near the start of the second day I was fortunate enough to meet Mike from the previous day and we were able to talk and exchange thoughts about the trail. As we progressed past the hill and down the hill Mike twisted his ankle, although I felt terrible about leaving him I felt that I needed to finish even if he wouldn't (although he ended up pulling it together and finishing that day.) Up and down the hills seemed larger on day two and fatigued although small, loomed over me. After a while my run became a run/walk and I progressed the best I could over the terrain. After a while the large loop was complete 15.5 miles down 6.5 miles to go. At the end of the first loop my run/walk became mainly walk and seldom run. Although I could have run I decided it would help me on the third day since I was easily going to make my time cut-off for the second day. Towards the end of the final 6.5 miles I approached a couple of other familiar faces that I had seen the first day. We exchanged kind words and a few conversation pieces and I began to run with them. Before I knew it I was descending down the first large climb and I could tell I was reaching the end. With an extra piece of trail between the finish of the second day and the descending of the hill completed it and I finished in 4 hours and 41 minutes.

Stage Three: Signal Mountain
After another night of rest and relaxation I made it to the start of the last and final day. I had been told throughout the race that each day was going to be harder than the last. I blew it off thinking that I had to see it for myself. I can agree with whoever told me that. I grabbed my bib number, stretched and prepared for the last and final day. It didn't take much to tell that everyone was ready to get started. Minutes passed and the runners began to lineup. The race director briefed the field just as the days previous. Soon the word was given to start the race. The trail immediately descended and there were rolling hills. I was breathing a sigh of relief thinking to myself that it the race goes on like this that it would be a piece of cake. The rolling hills continued until after a few miles the trail began to descend. Farther and farther we descended until I began to feel as if a climb like this would be detrimental to any effort that I would have to beat the previous day. Finally we reached a point that flattened out. We crossed a small foot bridge and ascended stairs that lead to an aid station. This meant that we had reached the 3 and a half mile mark. Unfortunately this also meant that the next aid station would be another six miles away. This was not comforting but I remembered the relentless forward progress idea. With a little bit of run/walk and a game of tag with a few participants I made it to the 9.5 mile aid station. The mere two miles between this aid station and the next would nearly end my race. I quickly moved through the aid station and knew that it would be a small portion of time that I would see the next aid station. This idea kept me going for a while in which time I caught up with a few fellow runners. We casually talked and joked about the race. As we neared a hilly section I began to have trouble catching my breath. This was not much of a problem until I reached the hill I needed to climb to reach the mile 11.5 aid station. That's when it happened I was out of breath and I could not manage to catch it. I was clutching my chest. I managed to continue pushing my way up the stairs, with the feeling that I couldn't breathe. I was so queasy and I felt like I was going to collapse. I walked over to the aid station now with my breath caught but feeling ever more uneasy. The amazing aid station personnel took amazing care of me, providing a cold towel and popsicles. I told them of my uneasy stomach and they provided me with a glass of Pepsi, and ginger gum. I sat feeling this way for almost a half an hour before I felt in the condition to move on. This next section would be easier than the last and I was able to regain much of my vigor. The rest of my race consisted of much persistent walking and minimal running. As I moved on I through the rest of the course I never forget the feeling that I had and knew that any wrong move could result in the duplication of those symptoms. I crawled a long way back physically and mentally from that hole I was in. Eventually I finished the section and crossed the finish line. Although I was far beyond the time allowed for this segment I was impressed with my ability to transcend the depths of my anguish arrive on the other side prepared to do what it takes to finish. I finished in 6 hours and 35 minutes.

Updated Race Map

2011-06-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

2011-06-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Run Under the Stars 10 Hour

2011-06-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, I awoke around 9 A.M and started my routine. The only difference was that in an hour I would be embarking on a ten hour long trip to Paducah, Kentucky. Ten o'clock rolled around and I had finished packing, I was ready to go. Off I went onto the interstates and state routes that would take me through to the unknown. I had been to Kentucky before on family vacations but never by myself and especially to small towns in seemingly the edge of nowhere. Because the race started on Saturday night I felt like I had enough time to explore the big city. I had done some research and identified the major hot spots and must-sees in Louisville. Although my timing was bad I still was able to see the Muhammad Ali museum and Churchill Downs from the outside looking in. I was impressed by the architecture in Louisville. For every facet of Louisville's impressive bustling skyline, there was also classic architecture from decades and centuries prior. I am told that because of the strong historical pride of the city. It began to rain after about an hour downtown and I decided to return to my hotel. I spent the rest of the night talking on the phone and watching television. The next day I awoke and began to prepare to leave check-out was at eleven o'clock and I had a couple of hours. I took a swim in the pool, finished packing and getting ready and headed out. I headed towards the interstate and headed south. The trip lasted roughly four hours and I made it to Paducah. The city of Paducah has about twenty four thousand residents which is the largest city in McCracken county. It lies in the south western most portion of the state of Kentucky. Upon arrival I had a few hours to waste, so I headed to the Kentucky Oaks mall. The mall was not very large by my standards, but it hosted a few reputable anchor stores. I spent an hour perusing the retail stores. After some time I located a Chick-Fil-A and had lunch. After my musings at the mall I wasted some time at the local Walmart. Eventually five o'clock rolled around and I headed to Luther Carson park to check in for registration. I was disappointed when I suddenly figured out that I was in central time. I decided to head back to Walmart to figure out what to do until race time. I spent an hour or so on the phone and another hour perusing the establishment. Eventually seven o'clock came around and I decided to head back to the park. Luther Carson park is horse racing stables and track. The surface for the track was dirt, but because it was inherently a horse racing track so it was flat without a cant. It was far from the elegance of Churchill Downs but shared the same basic design. As I pulled in the second time I parked on the outside of the track near spectator bleachers. Next to the bleachers was a betting stand where I could pick up my race swag (lightweight hat, drawstring bag, bib belt, and wicking T-shirt)and bib number. Before I knew it it was 7:30. With a half an hour to the race I changed into my race outfit and began to prepare. The race consisted of a half mile loop repeated for the entirety of the ten hours. About ten minutes from the start most of the eager participants lined up and waited for the time to start. I decided to join them and was swept into conversation with multiple marathon maniacs. Before I realized it the race director held a brief race preparatory talk and we were sent off. I came into the race with no expectations but was immediately dreaming of the possibilities that this race held. Around and around again I traveled through the half mile course. I started out fast but immediately found myself hurting from the heat of the day. The day had been steady at about 95 degrees. The night however was cool and was conducive to running. There were ongoing threats of rain but only few drops ever manifested. After only a few laps, I clicked into a rhythm two laps running to one lap walking. Although my feet hurt, and my knees were bothering me I consistently stuck to my plans and persevered. I finished my race in 7 hours 25 minutes and 53 seconds. This is 31.5 miles, and 63 laps. Thanks to everyone in the race who kept me sane throughout the morning hours.

New Map

2011-05-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Orchard Macomb 50 Mile

2011-05-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

After going back and forth on the idea of this race I decided to run it. The Orchard Macomb 50 mile runs the entire length of the aptly named trail. The race descends down with a small connector and heads back for a full 50 miles. The trail itself is a blacktop rails to trail. The organizer decided that the field should meet in the parking lot of Richmond High School at 11:30 and walk to where the race was starting at the nearby trail head. The weatherman had called for thunderstorms, and honestly I didn't like the prospect of running through a thunderstorm, but I went to the start anyhow and met up with some of the participants. Most were excited and laughed off the prospect of inclement weather. I decided to make the best of it and just bundle up. The race was advertised as mostly a Fat-Ass type event, meaning that it was self supported. According to the race director, there was supposed to be a roving aid station that would meet the participants at miles 12, 18, and 25. I would only see the aid station once. Due to the last minute idea to run this race I didn't have nearly the essentials for a race like this.
The race brief was held at the Richmond High School parking lot, and soon we walked together to the trail head across the street. We counted down together as a group until midnight. Off we all went into the darkness of the Orchard Macomb trail. The stronger runners took off and were only seen once more on the way back. The rest of the field laughed and joked around as the rain started falling. I had forgotten to bring a headlamp and was forced to use a hand held flashlight instead. This choice of lighting became a problem only as the field surged ahead and I was left alone on the trail. I soon became alone under the now open sky filled with thunder and lightning. I rushed ahead to find cover as the trees would clear to open fields. The quarter of the race moved fairly quickly even while plagued with digestive issues. The first four miles were paved with blacktop but the next ten miles were groomed gravel trails. In the midst of the downpour I had liked the blacktop and cursed the gravel trails. The darkness played tricks on my mind as I moved through the puddles and mild muddy areas. In the shroud of darkness I was unable to find any semblance of markings designating miles, so I was forced to aimlessly run in hopes of finding something designating the end of the trail.
The rain soon died down to a steady fall. Eventually I made it back onto the blacktop and miles later greeted the first runner making their way back. An hour later I found myself beneath arches designating the end of the trail. I was exhausted but I knew I had another mile and a half to run until the turn around. I was greeted some time later by the race director he hadn't been that far ahead, but he seemed much livelier than I did. I mentioned to him how I hadn't seen the roving aid station and I needed aid. He made a phone call and the aid station waited for me at the turn around. I kept moving and soon found the aid station.
I had finally found the aid station, and the crew at the aid station was apologetic. I told them that it was not a big deal and that I had some food in my fanny pack. They were relieved and were ready to take me back to the start. I told them that I had every expectation of running/walking back to the starting line. They were quite surprised, because most of the field had dropped out. I filled my bottles, ate a few salted potatoes, and headed back.
I felt strong for the first few miles, as the light began to seep over the horizon, but the strength began to fade seemingly as soon as it had arrived. At some point the rain had stopped, but for how long? I was exhausted and the lack of aid, the weather, my body, and everything else began to weigh on me. My mile times began to suffer, and the lack of any GPS type device that would give me anything but the full mile played with me mentally. Slowly but surely I counted down the miles 18, 17, 16, 15, etc. I used landmarks as sources of motivation. The blacktop moved back to gravel trail and my footing became less organized. The mile markings that I was relying on were agonizingly slow and painful. I audibly shouted at every one of the poles listing the distance; at times I even yelled words i'm ashamed of.
After miles and miles of painful chafing and muscle soreness I had reached the final few miles of the trail. My pace quickened and I used an app on my iphone to calculate the distance. With this confidence I began to alternate between 100 steps of "running" and 100 steps of walking. This worked and I soon had knocked out one mile, then two and then three. With only a half mile left I could see the finish. I began to run as fast as I could to the end of the trail. Although the fastest I could manage was a trot I made it to the finish, and then ran to the parking lot where my car was parked. I was done, finally. My time was 13 hours and 7 minutes. Although my time was not what I was expecting, it was my time and I owned it.

Race Planning Updates

2011-05-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

I have added some races to my lineup for the upcoming months. Some of you know that I have decided to spend the summer at home in Michigan. This happened for a number of reasons both educational and financial. None the less I have added three races for the upcoming months. This weekend I have decided to participate in the Macomb Orchard 50 Mile in Richmond, Michigan. This is just a "Fat Ass" style event. Next month I have decided to cross off both Kentucky and Tennessee with back to back week events. The week of June 11th and 12th I am running the Run Under the Stars 10 hour in Paducah, Kentucky. The next week I am running the Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race in Chattanooga, Tennessee. All of these races look fun and I look forward to meeting each one head on.

Utah - Red Mountains 50K

2011-04-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

Good Friday
Left at Noon
Arrived at 6:05 P.M
Spent the night at some shady motel
Woke at 4 A.M
Drove to Unity Park
Got stopped by the cop for speeding
Made the bus to the start in the nick of time
Made it to the start by 6 A.M
Started the race
Super windy and cold
Went off course because some guy sabotaged the course
Temperatures rose
Made it to the 12 mile aid station
Began running on the road
Struggled to keep my pace
Finished in 6 hours 33 minutes
Hopped into the car
Drove back to Costa Mesa
Arrived at 8 P.M

Oregon - Peterson Ridge Rumble 40 Mile

2011-04-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

The Northwest is one area of the country I have enjoyed. In January I was able to race in Washington. After class on Friday, I caught a ride to the airport where I picked up a rental car. This was the first time I had traveled over ten hours to a race, but I felt like the price was cheaper to drive.
Off I went straight to Oregon. I didn't even stop for gas from Costa Mesa to Sacramento. After some twelve hours of driving I decided to stop for the night in Oregon. The motel was in Klamath Falls, and wasn't anything spectacular, but who can complain spending 35 dollars per night. I woke up on Saturday full of vigor, and ready to seize the day. Leaving town I was taken in complete awe at the sight of Lake Klamath.

After recovering from this distraction I drove another three hours into Bend. The city of Bend is a very lively somewhat small town in the middle of the state. I drove into town with little direction. I parked in the quaint downtown shopping district. I was surprised to learn that the packet pick-up was at the Footzone store only one hundred yards from where I parked (Talk about convenient.) I walked over and picked up my race bib and goodies.

I booked a motel, and I waited for the three o'clock check-in time. After wandering around Bend for an hour or so I headed over and set up camp. I spent the evening relaxing and watching television. Exhausted from the whole endeavorer I retired to bed around ten. With a forty-five minute drive before me, I awoke around four o'clock. I showered, dressed and headed out. Sisters, Oregon is a small suburb of Bend. The race was designed to start at the Sisters Middle School. With a little confusion I found the middle school. The day before I had "read" on the website that the race started at 6 A.M In actuality the race started at 8 A.M. This blunder allowed me to start an hour early. With a little bit of patience the time for the early starters arrived. There were a surprising amount of early starters. With a small pep talk the race director Sean Meissner let us loose.
The first few miles of jeep roads flew by quickly. I didn't feel strong those first few miles but I pushed as fast as I could. The terrain of the race quickly changed. The fifth mile filtered us onto single track trails. After a few miles of this I found my rhythm. I wasn't speeding through the course but I was astounded by the folks who blazed through each section. Many of the aid stations were three miles apart but a couple of them were nearly six miles apart. The first fifteen miles passed somewhat worry free. The terrain was moderate rolling hills, but not unbearable. The overwhelmingly breathtaking views constantly had my eyes set on the peaks in the distance.

As the race reached the halfway point I continued to get exhausted. My frustration could have easily been mistaken for anger. The miles slowly ticked by and my body began to express it's distaste towards my objective. Soon enough I reached twenty-five miles and I began to focus on the scenery and let the uphills and downhills come and go. I have no idea when exactly it happened, but the twenty milers slipped back onto the course and began showing up. Almost as soon as they did, they filtered back out and straight to the finish. The forty milers still had around 10 miles to go. Most of the next few miles were flat, with a few climbs but nothing extremely tough. With only four miles left there were a few tough spots, but nothing extreme. I entered the last aid station and joked with the volunteers. I am not sure exactly how the anticipation showed but I took off and ran with the finish in mind. In most cases what I was doing could not be construed as running, but I felt like I was flying over those uphills and descents. With only a couple miles left I was passed a couple more times, and just tailed one of them into the finish. I had made it under the cut-off. That was exciting because my continual slowing made tracking a specific speed difficult. None the less it felt good to know that I made it under the cut-off. I finished in 8 hours and 38 some odd minutes. Good enough for state 29.

Bataan Death March Marathon

2011-03-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

After class on Friday I caught a ride to Los Angeles International Airport. After a couple of easy hours waiting in the terminal I caught my flight to Albuquerque. I landed, checked out my rental car and made my way out to the hotel where I was staying. The next day I woke up and headed toward White Sands Missile Range where the race was held. On the way I stopped at a rest area. I was struck by the beauty of the desert.

I continued on down interstate 25 towards La Cruces. I decided to turn off the interstate and head east toward the north end of the missile base. White Sands Missile Range is extremely large at over 100 miles in length. This turned out to be a terrible decision because evidently you can't enter the range at the north end. A somewhat friendly yet cautious guard turned me away and I headed towards the southern end from the outside. I had two possible routes, the faster less scenic route, and the more scenic slower route. I had time to spend sight seeing, so I opted for the later. I almost went to Roswell, but I hated the idea of spending more money on gas. I finally made my way to the Alamogordo gate, I realized that since I had failed to print out the pass that the race had e-mailed me, I had to return to the guard station where I could be provided with a vehicle pass. I made my way into the base and to the community center where the packet pick-up was being held. I was expecting a line but not to the extent which was present.

I overheard from people behind me that there were over six thousand people participating in the march and marathon. That was astounding to me, considering the location. None the less I waited in line for an hour and a half before reaching the front of the line. Everything seemed to be run in an orderly fashion not unlike the military. During the early part of the race packet pick-up a race volunteer mentioned that if I was to be staying off of the installation I would have to reach the gate at 4 AM. That sounded mildly unpleasant to me. It was soon after that I decided to camp in my rental car. I attended a prerace pasta dinner and decided to find a good place to park my car for the night. I decided to park at the barracks and prepare for the night. With an almost unbearably I endured the night and awoke at 4:30 AM to the sound of my alarm. I dressed and drove to the Frontier Club, which housed the pasta dinner the night before. There were already hundreds of people idling around waiting for the start. I prepared everything and packed away loose items in the rental car before heading off into the almost encampment. A half an hour before the race began the sounds of bagpipes rang over the entire crowd. I had to see what this was about. There was a troop of bagpipe players, I found that mildly interesting. Soon the race briefing started and there was a role call for the survivors and those who passed on, then then a flyover from the nearby Holloman Air Force Base.

Then over the PA system there was a call to head towards the starting line. The organization was a little lacking considering the race organizers put together a listing of who goes first and who goes second. Never the less everyone moved together in a large clump through the starting chute. The first couple miles were overcrowded, and the terrain was smooth. I passed hundreds of marchers, I never once lost respect for anyone of them marching 26 miles in uniform with boots and all. However we were continually moving towards the less crowded open desert. After 3 or 4 miles on pavement we headed off towards the trail. I moved along quite quickly however tough the hills and sand of the trail. I was increasingly becoming tired, but I decided to push myself and hope for the best. I failed to bring any salt and I hoped that the race had decided to take that into consideration. The race had started cold but as the race progressed the desert began to show itself. I took off my jacket long ago and had it wrapped around my waist. Before I knew it I had reached 13 miles. My race was counting down. I was heading up a long hill when I heard a familiar voice, it was a fellow 50 state runner Steve Hughes. We met up and seemed to have the same objective, merely to finish. We went on and talked about past experiences and our future goals. Time seemed to fly by and we talked and laughed. Soon we both became somewhat in need of walking time. We decided to walk and run off and on for a while. Finally we reached the last mile and a half. I had plenty of energy and I was ready to sprint into the finish. I said my farewell and we departed. I took off as fast as I could and moved towards the finish feverishly checking my watch. Before I even realized it I turned a corner and was greeted by a few spectators telling me that the finish was around one more corner. I moved faster than before, and turned the corner. I sprinted into the finish. The clock read 5 hours and 56 minutes.

I'm back

2011-03-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a few months shy of a year since i've updated this blog. It sure has been a shame.

Peak 50 mile

2010-06-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

Now I understand that I may be a few days late in posting my experience with with race but better late then never. I worked all day Friday and was released around 1 P.M. I had an opportunity to head home before my 6:30 P.M flight.
I grabbed what I needed and headed out on my journey to Burlington. I had a layover in Philadelphia, and landed Burlington just after 10:30. After working with the rental car agent for about a half an hour I grabbed my rental car. I soon realized I had forgotten my GPS... All the same I used my phone to guide me.
I arrived in Pittsfield a few minutes after 1 A.M. and tried my best to get my bearings straight before calling it a night. I spent what seemed like minutes in the car before hearing my alarm I had set go off. 4:45 already...
I changed out of my clothes and put on my running clothes. The rain had already been coming down for an hour or two and was not looking forward to it.
I put the car in drive and headed toward the Amee Farms Barn to pick up my race packet. I had no trouble finding it and was ready to get on with it.
I nervously paced and collected myself. Soon enough the race brief was held. I barely paid attention as I scanned the runners gathered. Seconds later we were brought across the street to where he planned on starting the race.
There was a count down and we were off into the dawn. I knew after starting the race on a hill there wasn't much hope for a flat race. Soon the pack of runners who had scaled the hill were spreading out. I tried my hardest not to go out fast, but I have a natural excitement at the start of a race pushing me on.
I did not look at my watch until someone had asked me around mile 6. I still felt fresh and excited. Although there were more hills than I expected.
Although the miles went by agonizingly slow I felt decent mentally and gradually waned physically. Eventually on a bushwhacking section I came upon a decently good spirited pair Cherrie and Phil. Little would I know I would be playing tag with them for the majority of the race.
Little by little the miles ticked by and I would constantly run out of food, water or both. Surprisingly few aid stations had food.
Around 8 P.M I ran into an aid station at mile 47. I received a back rub and a kingly treatment. I soon felt better and decided to finish the race up. So at the highest speed manageable I tore through the course before nightfall.
Night finally fell and I was forced to bring out my headlamp. I carefully began to sleuth through the woods looking for clues that I was heading in the right direction. Back and forth I wound around the hills towards the finish line.
After heading upwards towards the finish I became slightly confused when I completely lost any form of marking. The trail had gone cold... What do I do now? I began yelling out of sheer frustration and began to head toward the direction I felt the trail was naturally leading... Nothing. After an hour or two of back and forth searching I didn't find any defining clues. I decided at this point it was too risky to head in any direction I could not be sure of, so I sat down. I thought for a moment what the best course of action would be, I came up with the idea that I could just wait for either someone to come by or the sun to rise. It became less about the race and more about finding my way to my car. Eventually after sleeping a short while, I heard voices in the distance. I quickly began yelling... I'm here I'm here. They quickly shouted back and I moved towards their voices. Soon enough I saw them, I was saved. Andy Weinberg approached me hugged me and asked me if I was okay. I told him I was and he asked me what to do now. I told him I still wanted to finish and that I would run if he showed me the way. He obliged and we took off, and asked me about how far I had been and I showed him. Supposedly I was actually following the right way for a while when I was doubtful I was heading in the right direction. I finally went around a corner and there it opened up! I was there, I was at the finish. I was very relieved, and there was plenty of people overjoyed to see me. I sat down and was flooded by people waiting to talk about what I had encountered. I told them about not being sure of where I was going and deciding to stay where I was. I took in some food and birthday cake. I showered up and decided to head straight to the airport. I slept a couple of times getting there and almost missed my plane. I finally made it back to Baltimore around Noon. Trail running/ Ultra Running is an adventure... Thanks to everyone who was involved in finding me and making me feel better when I made it back.