It starts with a hectic week – teaching, meetings, then a rush to the airport, delayed flights, and landing in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 1:00 am in the morning on Friday, checking into an airport hotel, desperate for a few hours of rest before the endeavor ahead. The story is not new; rather, it’s a depiction of the typical pre-race scenario…
Category: Ultra Running
Smart Bottle is a Smart Choice for Hydration
Living and training in South Florida and competing in ultramarathons across the nation, hydration is always an issue for me. There are repercussions attached to drinking too much water, and too little, as many of us learn. Typically, water intake and electrolyte balance is something that most of us—athletes and weekend warriors alike—manage by feel and a bit of guess…
Ultrarunning Tips that have helped me weather the journey both on and off the race course
The miles are the miles. They don’t get shorter, but if we don’t fixate on them, they pass quicker. Remember that you are never running 100 miles; you are running small, sustainable sections from aid station to aid station. When you begin to fall apart and struggle, the email you forgot to send at work, the item you need to…
The Metamorphosis – Badwater 135 – July 2016
I’ve always been fascinated by the behind the scenes aspect of life. We show up at races full of smiles, good cheer, and nervous excitement. What is not visible is the endless hours, weeks, and months of training that propels us to the start lines; the endless coordinating and organizing, check lists, packing, and logistics that commence long before race…
100 Miles In and Around New York (by foot)
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to trek through New York City, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and return back to New York City in 30 hours or under, following a scenic route that visits tons of key sites with check-ins at volunteer-run aid stations to replenish on food and water, The Great New York 100 Mile Running…
Badwater Cape Fear 2016 – All In
It was my third time making the journey out to Bald Head Island, North Carolina, to take part in Badwater Cape Fear 51.4 mile race. Traveling from south Florida, the trek includes two flights, a car ride, a ferry, then a tram that delivers you to your rented million-dollar weekend home. Is it worth it? Absolutely! There is something old…
Ancient Oaks: The Good, The Bad, and The Close of 2015
For me, ultra-running is not about belonging to a group, or about acquiring belt buckles. It is not about my undying love for running, or any desire to win a race. Most days running is my salvation; some days it’s not. But each time I am out there, on the road, on the trail, on a bridge, I learn something.…
Javelina Jundred 100 – 2015
What draws so many of us to Javelina Jundred 100 mile/100K trail race each year? For starters, McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona hosts trails that are just the right blend of climbs and descents to keep runners engaged and moving – not to mention the picturesque landscape. The course, which mainly consists of the Pemberton Trail, is…
Why We All Need to Get Grittier
Grit is one of those words that we toss around and use synonymously with bravery, courage, tenacity, perseverance, resolution, and so on. And it is all of those things, but I would venture to say that grit spans beyond the typical definitions: it is a mindset. A choice. A decision on how you pursue and tackle each and every aspect…
National Endurance Sports Summit (NESS) 2015
While it’s easy to convince ourselves that only super humans can climb the Seven Summits and complete Badwater Quads (584 miles back and forth from Badwater Basin to the summit of Mount Whitney), the endurance athletes we met at the 2nd annual National Endurance Sports Summit (NESS), hosted by Team U at Princeton University, reminded us that when one has…