I was planning to use the Viaduct 100M race last weekend as the primary training stimulus leading into Eastern States, however the race ended up being cancelled due to downed trees on the course. I think I’ve gotten faster at the hundred mile distance this year due to all the hundreds that I’ve been running…
Sigh. Here We Go Again
I was putting the finishing touches on my latest post (“2025 Viaduct 100M Preview”) when the email hit my inbox: Race Cancelled. Apparently, the region got hit with some nasty storms and there’s a bunch of trees down on the course plus most of the area is still without power. This is now the third…
US Lifetime Ultra Mileage Rank #787
If you’re interested in looking up someone’s ultra running history, there’s a couple different places you can go. Ultrasignup has been my primary source over the years. It may not have every single race, but it’s got the vast majority of them. Well, as long as we’re talking US races since it doesn’t have much…
Making It Up As I Go Along
A decade of experience and a massive base of running mileage (28,000+ miles) is an awesome thing. When I started out, I had 20 week training plans. There were build weeks, workouts, long runs, deload weeks, and even some back-to-back long runs thrown in for good measure. As my miles started stacking up, the mental…
It’s June. . . But ES100 Is Coming
What motivates you to train for ultras? How do you get out of bed before light when it’s raining outside? What forces you to do add that second (or third) workout to your weekly schedule? Or the extra repeat when your lungs are shot and your legs completely fried? The back-to-back long runs? How do…
How The Heck Did I Just Do That?
I’ve gotten pretty consistent at the hundred mile distance over the past couple years. I am now able to head into races with solid pacing plans and can execute a race without making too many mistakes. And those that I do make are modest and don’t materially impact my finishing times. This consistency has kept…
More Miles Last One Standing Race Report
More Miles is a backyard ultra located at Camp Monidokan in Knoxville, MD. If you’ve run C&O Canal 100, same place but different course. Instead of the towpath, you run a 4.16 miles loop around the camp every hour with the winner being the runner who completes the most number of loops (or yards) and…
More Miles Last One Standing Preview
Next up is More Miles Last One Standing in Knoxville, MD. The race is structured as a backyard ultra where you run a 4.16 miles loop every hour with the winner being the runner who completes the most number of loops (or yards) and is the last man standing. The odd mileage is to let…
Upping My Volunteer Game
So I’ve participated in quite a few ultras over the decade plus that I’ve been in the sport. Sixty five to be exact. At first, it was easy to take for granted the amount of effort required to put on these events. Far too easy. You show up to a race, get your bib and…
Walking As The Ultimate Long Ultra Cheat Code
It’s been a while since I wrote about walking in ultras so I thought this would be a good time to revisit the topic. The stats from my last race showed that I walked for 38 hours and ran for 19 hours. I’m obviously moving faster while running so maybe about half the distance was…