Tussey Mountainback is a fifty mile loop through several state parks outside State College, PA. Several years ago they added a 50K option and this was the second year for the 100 mile event. The race starts at 6:30 pm with four overnight 12.7 mile loops before doing the big 50 mile loop with everyone…
End Of The Road 13.1M Race Report
End Of The Road Half Marathon is held on an abandoned section of the PA Turnpike. Its defining characteristic is that you travel through a pair of tunnels twice during the out-and-back course. And these are long tunnels, too. You’re underground for about 5 miles total during the race, which is why all runners need…
Hainesport 48 Hour Race Report
Hainesport Endurance Run is held in the Hainesport Township Park on a 0.9913 mile paved path and includes 12 Hour, 24 Hour, 48 Hour, 100 Mile, and relay options. The event has grown steadily over the past couple years and hosted over 200 participants this year across the various races. The course is lit overnight…
Hainesport 48 Hour Preview
This race was a late addition to my schedule. My primary October race is Tussey mOUTaiNBACK 100 mile in 2 weeks, however I noticed on Facebook a month ago that they can cancel the race if less than 10 people were signed up for it. Well, there were only 4 of us signed up at…
Jack Of All Ultras (Master Of None)
At a very basic level, my goal with this hobby is to be good at running long distances. Initially, this was defined as merely finishing a given distance (50K, 50M, 100M, etc.). After I finished several races, time goals became a way to determine whether I was any good at this. I quickly exited the…
Virgil Crest 100 Mile Race Report
When I got into ultras a decade ago, Virgil Crest was one of the first hundreds that I read about and wanted to run. With 22,000 feet of elevation gain/loss though, it was a race I was going to have to work up to. Unfortunately, by the time I felt I was ready to give…
Virgil Crest 100M Preview
It’s only been 4 weeks since ES100, so obviously it’s time to run another race. When I started looking at ultras back in 2013/2014, Virgil Crest was one of the first hundreds that I read about. It had a certain cachet about it due to the elevation gain/loss and overall toughness. This was not an…
Running Through A Cyclical Low
Daily running is not a steady state affair. If only. Some days are better than others (stupid rain). Some weeks are better than others (stupid work obligations). And some months. . . This has been one of those months for me. Coming out of Eastern States, I was back to 100% physically within about 10…
I Could If I Wanted To
I mean, that’s the excuse, right? Sure I could do X. Anybody could do X. I just don’t want to. This is something we learn at a young age as a way to push back against our shortcomings. It’s also a nice lie we tell ourselves to boost our self esteem. It’s not that I…
How To Process A 100 Mile Attempt/Finish
First off, it was your race and your result so you’re allowed to feel however you want about it. If you’re happy, great. It’s fine to be disappointed. And extremely freaking frustrated can explain a couple dozen of my ultra results. Don’t let other people tell you how you should feel. Acceptance is step one.…