Running
An Ultra Successful 2025
While I tallied just under 2200 miles of hiking and running for the year—not one of my higher mileage years, 2025 was one of my best years ever when it came to ultra-running. I had an incredible year completing the following races: 2 marathons: Cowtown, Fort Worth Texas Flying Pig, Cincinnati, Ohio two 50Ks: …
Read MoreThe Opposite of Orlando — Wild Florida 50K
I love Florida! Love visiting—have been since I was a teen growing up on the East Coast. But my trips to Florida don’t include Orlando and its alternative realty entertainment complexes. I don’t go to overdeveloped beaches lined with high rise condos either. And I don’t golf. I go to Florida to embrace its incredible…
Read MoreA Golden Opportunity and Stage Debut – The Golden Ultra
“What do you cover?” asked Andy Brown, Communication Manager of Tourism Golden. “Hiking, history, paddling, conservation—and running—especially marathons and ultras,” I replied as we got acquainted at a writer’s conference two years ago. “Well, I’ve got an event for you,” Andy responded. “Have you heard of the Golden Ultra? It’s a challenging three day staged…
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 MoreAll’s Good in the Hood! — Wy’east Wonder 50 Mile Race
Oregon’s Mount Hood is indeed a majestic sight to behold. At 11,249 feet, it’s the state’s highest summit and 4th highest among the Cascades volcanoes. It was at Hood four years ago that I fell in love with ultra-running. I flirted with it back in 2011, training for and running my first 50K and soon…
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 MoreGoing Hog Wild in Cincinnati – The Flying Pig Marathon
“Good job piggies!”and “Go pigs!” exclaimed a myriad of folks lining the streets as I along with more than 4,000 other determined runners plodded down the streets of Cincinnati. Anywhere else but in this city in southern Ohio on this day would those cheers be considered rude and offensive. But not here on this day.…
Read MoreA Badger of Honor — The Badger Mountain 50 Mile Challenge Run
Eastern Washington’s Badger Mountain 50 Mile Challenge Run was never a race I planned on doing! The course is tough and the weather can be a doozy! But, I heard great things about the race director Jason Reathaford and his tireless volunteers. I knew that this race raised money for the Friends of Badger Mountain, the…
Read MoreSteak and Potatoes — The Cowtown Marathon
Even with more than one million residents making it the 11th largest city in the country, Fort Worth Texas retains much of its cattle rearing past. A sprawling city affectionately referred to as Cowtown, Fort Worth has also retained many of its historic art deco buildings and its stockyards, now a national historic district. The…
Read MoreDirtbag Inspiration at the San Diego 50 Mile Run
Another 50 mile run done! As the evening light faded away I crossed the finish line of the San Diego 50 to the cheers of a wonderfully supportive crew of volunteers, race staff and fellow runners. I collected my finisher’s medal, posed for some pictures and then greeted some of my fellow finishers; some folks…
Read More