Below are my splits from the NJ Ultra. I didn’t have any targets heading into the race and pretty just ran what felt comfortable. Or as comfortable as possible. I ran fairly even splits for the first three hours until the heat started taking a toll on me. I’m a little surprised not to see…
NJ Ultra Festival 100 Miler Race Report
Warning! The NJ Ultra course/setup as currently constructed at the Princeton Blairstown Center is exceptionally challenging. I would definitely not recommend this as someone’s first 100 miler or anyone looking for an easy buckle. Here’s a short list of what makes this race so difficult: Highly technical trails. While no worse than many other races…
NJ Ultra Festival 100 Preview
. . . and then there were only five days left. It’s been eight long months since my last 100 miler and I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back at it the entire time. When you wait for something for so long it’s almost surreal when the moment finally arrives. Eight months slowly…
We’re All Qualified To Be Here
I stumbled upon this video about running 100 miles and thought it did a great job of capturing the physical and emotional toll of running the distance. It’s about two guys who have been doing ultras for a couple years and decide to step up to the 100 mile distance. The first third is about…
2017 Year in Review
I’m more of a looking forward type of person than someone who dwells on the past. That’s probably why I posted my 2018 schedule before I got around to how I think this year went. But if you’re going to grow and improve, then you need to review and critique your performances. I came into the…
Moments in Time: 2017 Old Dominion 100
It’s sometime around 11pm and I’m tired. My hopes and dreams of buckling the OD100 (no belt buckles for finishes over 24 hours) have just been shattered by the recently completed climb up and over Sherman’s Gap. I’m low on calories and desperately looking for the next aid station, Veach East*. My headlamp dimly lights…
It’s Not You, It’s Me
Dear 100-Miler, Dude, we are absolutely crushing it this year. My first two sub-24 hour finishes to start things off followed by an enjoyable ES100 finish. I wouldn’t quite say I feel comfortable with our relationship, but I’m definitely becoming more comfortable. When things are going well, there’s a tendency to do one of two…
Who Finished 2017 ES100?
When I pulled together the information for my demographics post, it was primarily to see who would be able to finish. I had some ideas about who would be better able to finish this race and I have to say I’m a little surprised at how wrong I was on several many all of them.…
2017 Eastern States 100 Race Report
Easier doesn’t mean easy. The cooler temperatures just about doubled the finisher rate (59% vs. 34%), however it didn’t feel that much easier that last year. The website has an overly detailed course description, however it does a poor job of adequately explaining how difficult the trails are (i.e. there are exactly 3 runnable sections…
2017 Eastern States 100 Preview
I’m in the front row of a roller coaster heading up the first climb. This isn’t one of those newfangled metal constructions though, but an old school one. I can hear the wood creaking as we gain altitude and . . . yes, I think the track is even swaying a bit in the breeze. …