Ultra marathons
The 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 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 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 MoreMore than 2100 miles!
2024 was an excellent year for me on the trail despite having a lower mileage year than usual. Not sure how that happened—but I did manage to tally more than 2100 running and hiking miles for the year. But despite the lower overall mileage, I had many big mileage days as I continue to ramp…
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 MoreBaker Lake 50K
Running through a landscape of past explosions with an implosion of new ultra-runners! I’ve longed wanted to run the Baker Lake 50K, but every year on race weekend I was committed to being someplace else! But this year my calendar finally allowed me to sign up—and sign up I did! The race has been going…
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