In a break of tradition, I decided not to do a full race report for HURT. It is a beautiful event with a warm and vibrant community. However, a course with 5 laps that each contain loops and out-and-backs within the jungle rainforest may not make for exciting reading. There were roots, there were rocks, I went up steep climbs, I went down steep descents. Overall, it went well, and I was happy to finish in 11th place in 27 hours.
Read More2023 was another amazing year in this crazy sport.
At the start of the year, I set the out-and-back FKT on the Bull Run trail and was pumped to hit a 7min PR and finish in 3rd place at the Terrapin 50K.
Read MoreI’ve become quite fond of the Aosta Valley over the years. Since Tor des Geants last year, a little part of it has stayed with me. When looking for a pre-UTMB training race while in Chamonix, I was excited to find the Vertical Trail Courmayeur 60K. Not unlike Tor, it looked rugged and tough with 36 miles, 15500 feet of climbing, and lots of time spent up over 9,000 feet. Was it too challenging of a course to be optimal training for UTMB? Most definitely. But it would also be a whole lot of fun.
Read MoreMy intent for 2023 was to try some new races, and that left me looking for a 100-mile race in April / May with 20,000+ feet of vertical. The new 100-mile distance at Canyons was an intriguing option, featuring 24,000 feet of climbing, a taste of the Western States Trail, and a 4,000 foot net uphill course.
Read MoreTerrapin Mountain 50K is one of my favorite races, and I returned this year for the fourth time in a row. Last year I felt fit leading in the race, executed perfectly, and managed to finish in 4:51, a PR and 2nd place. It seemed like a stretch to beat last years’ time, but I was excited to give it a go.
I intentionally was more aggressive on the first climb. Usually, I sit back and steadily move up the field throughout the race, but I had to take a bit of a risk if I wanted a shot to improve on last year.
Read MoreThe race was starting to seem impossible. I had reached the point where the only question was how badly you wanted it. On the way up the climb out of town, I gave Jen a call. She had landed on her flight over to Geneva and was en route to see me and join Christophe in crewing. This was a huge boost, and I couldn’t wait to see her in 22 miles.
Read MoreI dubbed the Donnas to Gressoney section “the thunderdome”. 35 miles with 20,000 feet of climbing across the most wild and rugged part of the course. At this point you have done around the equivalent of UTMB (100 miles with 35,000 feet of climbing) and have 120 miles and ~50,000 feet of climbing remaining. Wait, what? This was so far beyond what I had ever done. I just had to shut off my brain and exist in a world of moving, eating, and occasionally sleeping.
Read MoreThis is a much-feared section of the course. In a little over 50km, you cover 16,000 feet of climbing with some seriously high altitude. There are 3 major mountain passes, with the third one at 3,300m (almost 11,000 feet). You push through the night on this section, and most people report feeling terrible at Cogne. My primary goal was to manage this section well and arrive at Cogne actually feeling good. That would be a tall task, but it was a good mindset going in.
Read MoreThis was the moment. The dragon had arrived, and it was FIERCE. People say that you start the Tor in a counter-clockwise direction, and a dragon starts clockwise. At some point, you will face your dragon. Will you make it through or will the dragon take you down? I called Jen and Christophe and told them I was done – I couldn’t go on. I asked them to meet me where the trail hits the road into town. My right leg hurt so much, and I didn’t know if I could hobble through town to the aid station. They approached in the night, without headlamps even but with warmth and encouragement. Decisions had to be made.
Read MoreMost years the Virginia Happy Trail Running Club gets a crew together for a destination race, and this year the club decided on the Bighorn Trail Runs in Wyoming. It was only 6 weeks after Hellbender, but I was overdue to join the “blue train” and signed up for the 100 without thinking too hard about it. With my attention on Hellbender and Tor des Geants this year, planning was light and expectations were modest, but I was excited to explore some amazing mountains and spend time with good friends.
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