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Volunteers wanted for Tick Counts
Bird counters, pika monitors, and sea turtle patrols—move over! Volunteers are now being recruited to count ticks! Governmental agencies, universities, conservation groups, and public health administrations have been growing alarmed over the increase of tick populations. “We know tick populations are ballooning like our federal deficit,” said Rex Rezults of the US Department of Agriculture.…
Read MoreMarin Ultra Challenge 50K–Trail running where it all started!
Towering redwoods, stunning coastal headlands, sprawling ocean beaches, and open rolling verdant hills, California’s Marin County is an exceptionally beautiful place. Located just north of San Francisco and connected to the city by the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, Marin’s natural landscapes form quite a contrasting background to the city by the bay. More than half…
Read MoreWoolley Runs 50K– Returning to Where this Team Potato Runner First Sprouted
I remember welcoming the new decade with excitement and a little bit of trepidation. Would the 2020s roar like the 1920s? News of a potential pandemic was giving me a little anxiety. But trying to remain optimistic, this was the year that I decided to return to ultra-running after a long hiatus (blame work and…
Read MoreWhat Happens in Vegas might be something to share! Red Rock Canyon Marathon
With its 2700 feet of elevation gain over two long sustained climbs, I knew that the Red Rock Canyon Marathon was not going to be one of my faster races. Plus, the course is out-and-back, which I generally shun preferring non-repeating loops instead. The field is small, and when it comes to road marathons I…
Read MoreHitting One Hundred on Mount Hood
Running the Hood Hundred I thought my days of distance running and hiking hard were over when I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) four years ago. I could barely turn my neck, my arms and shoulders ached, and it was difficult to bend over or lift my legs. At age 59, depression set in…
Read MoreFeeling the Heat!- Smith Rock Classic 50K
Be careful what you wish for! After running Eastern Washington’s Badger Mountain 50 mile in pouring rain with 30 mph winds, Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon in 50 degrees and rain, and then a marathon training run on Northwestern Washington’s Whitehorse Trail in monsoonal downpours—I turned to my running partner with exasperation and exclaimed, “I’d rather…
Read MoreState Senator Introduces Bill to make Enchantment Lakes Less Enchanting
Frustrated over the proliferation of social media posts fueling an explosion of users to this beautiful but ecologically fragile area, Washington State Senator Noam Moore Krauding has introduced a bill aimed at reducing trail usage by making the Enchantment Lakes less enchanting. His bill calls for renaming landmarks in the extremely popular area with names…
Read MoreCarry On My Wayward Son! Kansas Rails-to-Trails Extravaganza 50 mile Ultra-Run
The East and West Coasts have primarily been my stomping grounds. When I committed to run a marathon or ultra-run in all 50 states my main intention was that it would get me to a lot of places I probably wouldn’t have gone to otherwise. And my intention was to actually see and experience those…
Read MoreA Hot, Humid and Hilly Homecoming! The Mad Marathon
I left Vermont in April of 1989 and headed west to Washington State not knowing where my life would lead me. It was a woman that led me to the Green Mountain state—and it was because of her I left it. Our seven years together had a few highlights. But it was mostly a dysfunctional,…
Read MoreRomano’s battle with PMR Featured in Seattle Times
In February of 2021 I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), an auto-immune disease. I am determined to put it into remission and keep living an active lifestyle including hiking more than 2,000 miles a year and participating in 50K trail running events. Terry Wood of the Seattle Times wrote a feature on how I…
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