Contact Dave James

Public Speaker / Elite Athlete / Coach

Contact Dave James for information on his public speaking engagements, event appearances, or private coaching at rundavejames@yahoo.com

 

Tonto Trail

In the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018 I ran a handful of marathon distance runs west on the Tonto Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. Since those runs Amy and I have taken up backpacking.

Hike Smart, solo hiking is tough, find a friend to hike with you. It is safer and more fun.

Amy doesn’t trust my memory of trails as a runner. Apparently my reconnaissance with a couple handheld water bottles has been subpar so I decided to put fifty pounds on my back and recce a portion of an ancient Native American trade route I had run before.

GCC funded this shade structure at Tipoff!

Amy and I are lucky to get to live and work on the South Rim of the Canyon within the National Park. The Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official non profit partner of the park and our employer. Our supervisors think a healthy work life balance is important and encourage us to take time off to explore our backyard and educate ourselves.

Amy whistling down South Kaibab Trail!

Monday morning the road out to New Hance Trail was closed so I got an extra day to rest and pack. In retrospect it was just as well to get a forced delay to my hike since this trip was my first solo back pack trip in the Grand Canyon. Tuesday we got a late start and were further delayed by icy roads. Amy dropped me at the trailhead with a kiss. Our plan was to meet in three days at Tipoff on the South Kaibab Trail.

277 River Miles, Grand Canyon National Park is a puzzle

There was a little snow on the trail so I wore my Yak Trax. No human tracks were on New Hance Trail but I knew the route well from having been up and down it a couple times. The lion paw tracks on the trail made for some heightened awareness. New Hance Trail is a fairly technical route built in the late 1800s by Captain John Hance to prospect for minerals and bring early tourists into the canyon. I was quickly below the snow and ice. Temperature on top at 11am was 21F.

Winter is the Canyon’s loveliest season

The last humans I would see for a couple days were a few duos finishing up the Escalante Route. Amy and I backpacked that epic route last December. I reached the bottom of Red Canyon by early afternoon. I filled some water bottles from a perineal spring and checked in with Amy via our Garmin mini In Reach. I hiked down the creek bed to the Colorado River and had a snack.

Boucher Rapid, the furthest downriver I have been to date

Tonto trail officially begins or ends at Hance Rapid. I hiked along the beach and up above the river. I made good time to the first side canyon but since there was no water I decided to hike on the Hance Creek so that I would have abundant water. I arrived before dark but had to set up camp in the dark. I checked in with Amy, had some hot chocolate and soup and tucked into bed. Even at 3500 feet elevation the low temperature was around freezing. I slept under a giant Cottonwood tree that had already shed its foliage for the winter.

Sunset inner canyon can be amazing!

Wednesday morning I treated some water and took my time getting on the trail. I enjoyed my coffee and soup by the creek and when the sun hit my camp around eleven am I began my hike west. Tonto Trail has a very easy grade but is exposed in places. The Tonto Platform is a geological wonder above the inner granite gorge of the Colorado River. When you are hauling water with a fairly heavy pack the perception of being on the edge can be unnerving.

Granite walls of the inner gorge represent billions of years of geological history!

The entire Tonto Trail is about a hundred miles long. Most of the vegetation are tiny sagebrush bushes and cactus. In places you can hear and see the mighty Colorado River. Wednesday, instead of sticking to Tonto solely, I decided to see if I could make it up the “double D” steep route past Page / Miner’s Spring onto Horseshoe Mesa, and down the “difficult” trail to the recently burned Cottonwood Creek. I had been on these sections before with water bottles and knew they were technical. I had some scary moments with the weight on my back, but I kept a low center of gravity and got through it.

Tonto Trail has epic views, but is not for those scared of the perception of exposure

In December of 2017 I had run down Grandview Trail, west on Tonto Trail, and up South Kaibab Trail on a beautiful sunny day. Erosion doesn’t happen in a couple years at the canyon on the scale of the eastern arm of Grapevine Canyon. The Sky Terrain Map I use does have a “difficult” marking but I had no memory of this exposure. Bighorn sheep poop was my only saving grace. Knowing another mammal had walked this trail gave me some confidence. By the time I reached the western arm of the head of Grapevine Creek I called it a day and set up a cold camp around four pm. It was dark by six pm and below freezing. I found a couple water pockets down the slot canyon and filled my empty bottles before bed. I slept cold in a 22F bag in a three season North Face tent.

Creeks inside the canyon are the lifeblood of animals and plants

My goal for Thursday was the western boundary of my permit at Cremation Creek. I knew I had a big day so I woke early and boiled the ice my water had become. Soup and coffee never tasted so good. I had to break ice to fill my bottles in Lone Tree Canyon, but the herd of a dozen sheep bedded down in the middle of the trail as I came across the bend was the highlight of my solo trip. Just as the familiar “red & whites” of South Kaibab came into view the big horns got up and ran a little but stayed close enough to inspect me. It felt like they were welcoming me back to civilization. I made camp by two pm and explored down Cremation Canyon as the sun set on Zoaraster Temple. It felt good to run a little sans my heavy pack. Later that night when a lost hiker came by looking for help and I saw the stars I thought of our dog Zoey. Friday, in just a few hours, Amy and I would meet at the new GCC funded shade structure.

Helicoptered in, this GCC funded shade structure will capture rainwater from the roof at Tipoff on South Kaibab Trail

Friday morning I slept in and bid farewell to the lost hiker. On the couple mile hike to meet Amy I came across a herd of mule deer bucking antlers. Amy came whistling down the trail right on time as I sipped coffee. We spent a mellow couple nights at the bottom capped off with a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch ahead of a grand hike home. Bumping into another local on our hike out made for a fun finish to my five nights below the rim. I am lucky to have retired from competitive ultra marathon running into such a beautiful and special place. A special thank you to the Grand Canyon Conservancy for the time off work to have this experience, and a very special back country ranger for helping with the permit process.

The Black Bridge Plaque newly installed riverside

Dakota West’s Deerfield Trail

Custer Trails Campground at Deerfield Lake Recreation Area.  My finish line!

The Black Hills National Forrest has an incredible network of trails.  In the last month since moving to Keystone to work at Mount Rushmore for the non profit History Association I’ve had the chance to run and hike a bunch of them in South Dakota and Wyoming.

One of the newer trails is #40, the Deerfield Trail.  Established in 1992, the National Forest Service and Volunteer Groups have maintained 23 miles of pure trail running bliss.  While my favorite local trails are literally in our backyard in the Black Elk Wilderness I wanted to take on a little challenge that ended at a camp site with a lake view my better half didn’t mind waiting for me at.

We woke up at 4:30am to have breakfast and be on the road by first light.  Since my girlfriend Amy was dropping me off and proceeding to the finish we took a longer route so she was familiar with the dirt forest service roads which have a county road number also and makes map reading a challenge sometimes.

Small town USA! Rochford was a railroad town and is now a stop on the Mickelson Rail to Trail path.

I hit the trail around 7:30am from the Deer Creek Trailhead.  It was clear, sunny, and 34 degrees Fahrenheit.  Amy bid me a good run, reminding me to enjoy myself.  I forgot I was retired and told her I’d probably see her by noon.  The direction I was traveling was a net gain of about 2,000 feet from 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level.  Yes, South Dakota has hills!  The total vertical gain for the entire trail in the direction I ran was 4,000 feet of formitable climbs and 2,000 feet of quad busting decent.

The initial climb up from the Deer Creek Trailhead to the junction of Centennial Trail #89 quickly woke me up.  After I left the shared trail section I had to negotiate some downed trees but was rewarded with a ridgeline view of two mule deer to my left prancing and two white tailed deer to my right running.  The steepest descent of my day was down 1,000 feet to Pactola Resevoir before mile 3!

Kudos to the Black Hikls National Forrest Service for marking the trail appropriately!  The deer footprints are very fitting.

After a creek crossing by Jenny Gulch and another little climb I was rewarded with amazing views of Pactola to the east with birds flying overhead and chirping encouraging me along through the meadow.  At the edge of Silver City the trail joins the paved road into the tiny town for a short bit before traveling down a dirt road along Rapid Creek.

This section is flat following an old road and railroad bed.  There are about 3 concrete bridges circa 1965, 1962, and 1961 over Rapid Creek after the parking lot for the walk-in fishing access.  Schist Canyon walls towered above me as I continued upstream crossing a couple wooden pedestrian bridges.  This three mile stretch is known for cross country skiing in winter.  Every so often the sun would shine down over the canyon walls on the water helping make a motion picture with the soundtrack provided by the rushing water.  Birds continued to serenade me.  Geese and ducks took advantage of the grassy patches and slower moving sections of water.  Goose Pasture Draw no doubt takes its name from these waterfowl.  

After five miles of criss-crossing Rapid Creek on beautiful wooden bridges I came to the confluence of Castle Creek and Slate Creek where they become Rapid Creek.  I followed the muddy horse trail up Slate Creek.  Here the foot bridges were washed out or overgrown so I was mainly following the horse tracks.  This section would be difficult to mountain bike.  

Perhaps my favorite part of the day was running up to Flanagan’s Cabin.  This old wooden structure is miles from any developed road at the bottom of Spaw Gulch and without a doubt visited by more deer than humans.  

After the cabin, Deerfield Trail continues up Slate Creek for another five miles along an old Forest Service Road closed to motor vehicle traffic in 1999 to protect the fragile meadow ecosystem.  There are still some old brick line fords.  

The only section where I was confused enough to stop was along this route when the trail markings diverted me up a steep hill.  Since horse traffic doesn’t use this section and the beetel kill had left lots of ponderosa pine trees down across the trail, it wasn’t until I came across an old slate staircase that I knew where to proceed.

After a dozen newly installed narrow plank bridge crossings and another old cabin it stared to heat up.  There were some old mine shafts along Slate Creek.  I had started the run with two 24 ounce hand-held Ultimate Direction bottles and an INOV8 backpack with two more.  At the top of a steep climb up from Slate Creek I stopped to enjoy the view and swap empty bottles for full ones and put a couple Camelback Electrolyte dissolveable discs in one.  

This section of trail in the Mystic Ranger District was hot and dry with mostly Ponderosa Pines with a few quaking aspens mixed in.  I was happy to start the descent down Lind Gulch along Forest Service Road 245 to the Mickelson Trail.  I took a Power Bar double caffinated cappuccino flavored gel as I opened up my stride on this fast downhill.

The tunnel along this shared trail section brought some much needed shade and coolness.  I put a couple iodine tabs in one bottle and refilled from a stream near the Mystic / Daugherty Gulch Trailhead.  The climb up past Whitetail Gulch along Crooked Creek was tough for me. Numerous times I soaked my Run Steep Get High Trucker Hat in cold running water.  Evidence of logging and an active mine were the highlights of this section. 

By the time Deerfield Trail #40 intersected Forest Service Road 443 I was toast!  I kept moving forward thinking I was back in Flagstaff.  The single-track descent into the creek bed near Slate Prarie was amazing as were the open fields near Signal Knob at 6,200 feet above sea level.

By the time I reached my water stash near the Kinney Canyon Trailhead I was out of water.  I hid my pack and old white INOV8 Team racing singlet behind a tree.  I refilled two hand held bottles and chugged the remaining pint of water from my hidden glass growler.  Left in just a pair of UVU grey shorts I tucked my National Geographic Map #751 Black Hills North into a front pocket and took off into Deerfield Recreation Area.  

This section was around 6,000 feet above sea level and a cool breeze cut the sun’s intense rays against my skin.  Running without a pack sans singlet down to the junction of the Deerfield Lake Loop Trail #40L gave me hope of a finish.  I don’t run with a watch or GPS but knew I was twenty plus miles and four hours in based on my body’s feedback.  

Castle Creek begins below Deerfield Dam. It has been restored to it’s pre Dam chanel curves allowing for trout and waterfowl to thrive here again.

Crossing the grass bridge over Castle Creek with the giant earthen Deerfield Lake Dam in view gave me enough motivation to attack the final climb up to Reynolds Prarie.  I was treated to a wildflower covered tall grass open hilly field where Pronghorn roam!  The 2 miles to Custer Trailhead sign is a typical old wooden government one that rounds to the nearest whole number.  NatGeo shows 2.4 miles.

Final climb to Reynolds Prarie & Custer Trails Trailhead Campground.

At this point I was ready to be finished running.  Two weeks earlier I had run this loop in reverse so I knew I was close.  The high prairies are an ecosystem I haven’t run in much.  I am fascinated by these tall grass areas.  Reynolds Prarie is a trail runner’s dream.  Soft dirt!  As I coasted down the Forest Service Road into camp with Deerfield Lake behind Zoey, our Great Dane, and Amy, the wiser and better half, I was so happy to sit down and untie my Scott Trail Sneakers.  

It only took me a cold soak in the lake and two hours to recover enough to pop a cold can of Spearfish’s Crow Peak IPA, set up our tent, and grill some Johnsonville Chedder Sausages.  Although I didn’t race anyone it felt good to set a goal and accomplish it.  Amy said I finished around 1pm so I was only an hour off my race day effort.  She has been a great support for me the last couple years as I retired from competitive running.  Zoey, Amy, and I maintain a blog about our adventures we invite you to visit. #tinyhomegiantdog 
Run Strong!  

Buckle up! Where the last year ran off to, & how I plan to catch it:

Last year at this time I was in what I thought was a really good place as an athlete.  A return to Silverton, Colorado (site of a 2011 marathon win) and an easy win at the Alpine Loop 50k gave me confidence coming off a huge block of training.  I was fit & running big miles in the San Francisco Peaks above Flagstaff doing what I loved with a great partner in Amy supporting my dreams.  But things don’t always go as scripted.  Overall 2015 was a huge disappointment as a runner for me with races not going as planned at the Ultra Trail World Tour’s Vibram Hong Kong 100k, at Salzburg’s Mozart 100k in Austria, at Aravaipa Running’s Golden Ticket Black Canyon 100k, at US Skyrunning Series’ Ultra Adventures’ Tushars 93k & (most devastating personally ) 50 miles into the $10,000 Run Rabbit Run 100 miler.  I shook it off as best I could, and after a great week running with Old Glory for Team RWB from Utah to Colorado & another fun time at trail running camp in the hill country of Texas fatigue hit hard.  I crashed and burned bad.  I tried to just hide it.

I was still in good enough shape to easily win another low key 50k in Arizona last fall near course record pace after volunteering with course marking and race set up for an old friend, but that was the end of chasing fast times and course records.   A combination of sciatic pain, over training, & stress led me to retire last December from competitive running and accept a role as Event Manager for a company that allowed me to stay connected to our sport with a little bit of income that is not dependent on placing on top of podiums at races.  Initially I thrived as my five year commitment seemed like a dream come true.  I was painting the podium for others to run for, but with less time to run and lack of motivation to train I burned out, started eating unhealthy, not sleeping good, drinking more, and have put weight back on and now find myself out of sorts without any athletic or new life goals.

 

Initially I told myself I would gut out the busy winter and spring and refresh my outlook in the mountains over the summer.  There have been incredible moments, with friends atop summits and watching others achieve their race goals due in part to my hard work, where I have felt a little like the old athlete I once was, but I haven’t been able to string together enough good days to out number the bad ones and get out of my current rut.  I long for that fire and zest I once had.  Six months is a long time to feel like this for me so last week as I watched Olympic athletes chase goals for themselves and country & endurance runners complete super human mileages at the Silverton 1000 Multiday Run I decided I was going to try to take my life back.  I made a schedule around my work hours to earn my first 100 mile buckle in a long time and I am heading back home to my east coast roots to reconnect with family and friends for a little bit now.  Stay tuned because although my fastest times might be behind me I plan to continue to enjoy life while continuing to help and inspire others.  We all have ups and downs in life, and I think it’s important to be honest and not hide when the going gets tough.  I look forward to whatever the future has in store!  Keep running strong folks!

 

 

 

 

 

UTWT – Ultra Trail World Tour analysis

Source: UTWT – Ultra Trail World Tour analysis

Spring 2015 Recap:

 Vibrations from a tiny prop Austrian Airlines plane over Vienna with views of green forests and farmland remind me of my European heritage.  I am back in Salzburg for my third run of the classic Mozart 100.  I won the premier edition in 2012 and struggled through sciatica last year to barely finish in memory of my father.   Northern Arizona is now very much home but my heart is filled with joy to be here in the land of the Sound of Music.  Despite the two red eyes this weekend I feel awake and alive and excited to pin a bib and race Saturday on the scenic course where I first won a race in Europe. Minutes before my transcontinental journey began Friday I was running and marking the Big Pine / Blackout course in Fort Tuthill Park for Aravaipa Running.  I am so proud of the folks back home who ran, especially Amy, my Arizona adventure pal!  Lunch with my mom and sister in Manhattan after a stroll down Times Square was a nice break in between long overnight flights.  I have big expectations for myself Saturday here in Salzburgland, but before the race I plan to wear my leitherhosen with pride and emurse myself in authentic Bavarian culture.   

 Silence here doesn’t indicate the excitement this Spring has brought in America.  After disappointment in Hong Kong I impatiently tried to race again to soon, but since the lion roared in early March Amy and I have been exploring the Southwest’s mountains & lakes, and scouting the Arizona Trail. In April finishing with a beer in Hurricane, Utah a “Donald Duck” ran second to my old housemate, who looks a lot like Goofy, at the Sand Hollow Marathon.  Orchards and canyons at Lee’s Ferry were explored.  Red Rocks in Sedona were hiked.  Snow covered mountains were traversed.  Rattlesnakes were hurdled, a mountain lion was spotted, and deer, antelope, and elk have been raced.  I even almost ran into a big horn sheep!  We paddle boarded on Lake Havasu & kyacked on Lake Powell.    

 Vegas couldn’t handle us during the Final Four and we have visited most of the old mining towns from Utah to California along the Colorado River.  Fishing has produced the same results those gold prosecutors had, but love has been found!  Most exciting is the giant dog house on wheels that Zoey, the Great Dane now owns!  Camping takes on an entirely new meaning.  Two of the marathons I ran this season were epic Grand Canyon South Rim to River journeys, and I carried Old Glory 26.2 for Team RWB at the Buffalo Marathon after a public speaking debut at the expo opening for the legendary Bart Yasso, Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray, and former New York Road Runners CEO / President Mary Wittenberg.     Summer Solstice will coincide with my trio of Mozart 100 finishes and I plan to make the third time a charm.  With views of snow on the Alps and a loop around crystal clear lake before a 1000AD castle finale how could it not be?!  Follow my race and adventures on Instagram & Twitter at @rundavejames and on my Facebook athlete page, Dave James.  

 A short 13 minute documentary produced by Peter Zander entitled “Dave Runs” has been submitted to film festivals and is available for preview via the motion page at this link.  On a sad note, my old training partner, and on most mornings after Jen died, the reason I got out of bed, Buddy went were all good dogs go a few weeks back, heaven.  He lived a great life and will be missed.  

 

Sunshine, Snow, & Sand

The groundhog predicts another six weeks of winter, but I have ran the last two days back home in Flagstaff sans shirt, so I am not sold on the Pennsylvania rodent’s attempt to take up meteorology.

She is the size of a pony, but gentle at heart.

Since Asia, my recovery and workouts have been going very well so on the biggest betting weekend of the year I decided to roll the dice on myself and gamble on my fitness in Texas.

I came away with a sore back but confidence that 2015 will be a comeback year for me as an athlete.  The almost effortless and pain-free 20 mile loop at Joe & Joyce’s Rocky Raccoon I ran in 2:25 and change was head over heels an improvement from a year previous for me even if the weather was ideal.  I didn’t have to tape my ankle!  Although some NCAA Division One stud blew me up by dropping some sub 6 minute-hurdle over an armadillo-trail miles on me, I came away from the weekend pleasantly optimistic and very excited to race again.

Honored to represent Team RWB & Vitargo Nutrition

The weekend before, Amy, her giant puppy, and I ventured down from the Ponderosa Pines and snow to help at Aravaipa Running‘s Coldwater Rumble.  The drive to the Pedersen aid station under the sacred Maracopia Mountain in Esterlla Mountain Regional Park near Goodyear, Arizona was bumpy, sandy, and fun.  We set up camp for the night to the sounds of coyotes and the company of ring cats.  We didn’t sleep much;  after a few hours of work, the cowbell employed by the graveyard shift to encourage the amazing runners grew ever louder. However, the Great Dane spent her first night ever in a tent.

Maracopia County’s Esterlla Regional Park borders the sacred Native American peak where the mountain gets its name.

That last Sunday morning in January, as the last handful of endurance athletes were approaching, I left the ladies to fend for themselves in the desert and got a nice hard run in on the same trails where I won the 50K in 2011, days after moving to the Grand Canyon State.  In 2013 I also won the 50 miler.  Someday soon I think it will be just fitting to win the Hundred.  What was really cool is the same 65 year old runner ran both Coldwater and Rocky, and I got to work an aid station in Texas on an overnight shift with his wife this past Sunday morning.

Amy is finishing up her hours to extend her Massage Therapy license into Arizona and nursing me back to health in her spare time.

This week, in Costa Rica, is also one of the events that molded my competitive racing career.  While two consecutive wins in my last two attempts proved enough for me, I am happy some other elites are getting to experience the costal rain forest and mountains.  You can follow Ian Corless from Talk Ultra as he covers the stage race.  Speaking of Ians from England, Sharman’s win in Texas was very impressive to say the least!

Pura Vida

As to what’s next for me, I have my eyes on the entrants list for the Montrail Ultra Cup‘s Black Canyon race as my next race back to health and fitness.  I hope there will be a solid regional, if not national field, as before I travel abroad to race again I would like to get a solid run in under my belt close to home.   A special thanks to Vitargo Nutrition for allowing me to spend a quick 36 hours in Texas at the USATF National Championship event I am proud to have won twice.  Big shout out to Nicole and Paul, fellow RWB Eagles on their Championships!

Amy flying down from 11,400 feet on the soft snow

It was amazing to see so many Team RWB folks running, crewing, & volunteering.  We encourage everyone that reads this to give back in some way, shape, or form to this community.  Thank you.

Vitargo

Beautiful Suffering in a Coastal Jungle

Beautiful Tropical Views

The Asian island of Hong Kong has a rich history of culture.  The Hong Kong 100 presented by Vibram has established itself as the first major trail ultra marathon of each year with its partnership with Ultra Trail World Tour.  The race takes place in the New Territories on some of the most scenic “urban trails” and single-track I have ever run on.  The course is diverse; juggling road running, concrete paths in jungle, stone steps that would make any mason proud, and some steep rocky coastal volcanic trail.

Vibram has been a sponsor since the start of the HK100

I was slated to race the 2014 edition of the Vibram Hong Kong 100 as part of the inaugural race on the UTWT but a week before the race I wasn’t walking pain free so the idea of forty hours on an airplane in a week before and after a run was not appealing.  I bowed out of the race, but this year I was fit and my training was going great, albeit mostly at high elevation on soft snow.  I arrived in Hong Kong the Thursday before the race rested and excited.  The room key the hotel gave me didn’t work so I had to wake up my roommate Sondre, who would go on to run an incredible race.  I laced up my Montrail Fluid Flex’s and had a nice shake-out run on the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s infield and up above the sky scrappers of Hong Kong Island.  Think Manhattan with Mountains!

Early on Running Strong (photo courtesy of Daniel Chung)

Thursday afternoon Sondre and I had a bland Chinese food meal at a local eatery in the Causeway Bay neighborhood, but that night Bryon from irunfar.com joined us and we had an incredible Thai dinner.  Jet lag caught up to me and my full belly and I retired to sleep like a rockstar while my roommate went down to listen to the French W A A (sorry could not find a link online to the 3 guys) team speak at packet pickup at Racing the Planet.  I made an effort to sleep in on Friday morning but was awake early, as my body was 15 hours behind and my circadian rhythms were all out of whack.

lots of steep ascents and descents (Lloyd Belcher’s image)

Friday was a mellow day spent resting in the hotel room.  Saturday morning we had to catch a bus at 0530 to get us to the start two hours early, so we sat around and waited.  Culturally, I experienced my first toilet sans seat which was unique to say the least.  By 0730 I was warmed up, loose and ready to run, so I made my way to the elite start coral.  I was excited and because everything was running smoothly, I got to chat with race directors Steve and Janet and pose for pictures with local athletes.  The countdown was in a language I did not understand and at 0800 local we were off on a flat road section headed toward the trail.  I knew the course was back-loaded with hills, so when we hit the single track I kept the leaders in view but held back.

Hurting on Concrete (photo from Billy Lung’s Facebook)

By the first water stop the leaders had pulled away on a flat paved road section in between what looked to be water reservoirs, but I felt good with my pace and was running in the top 15.  My first shock was the short stone steps down to the beach shortly after getting refilled on water.  They were so steep and there were so many of them.  The human brain is programed to run steps one at a time and I had not been training to bypass that reaction to patterns so I lost tons of time.

ridge trails had views of the ocean on both sides (Daniel Chung / danielccn2004@yahoo.com.hk)

My race blew up when after a steep climb we hit another downhill section with steps and a long steep concrete path.  A bunch of runners passed me, but I remained calm, enjoying my time on the next beach running with the guys from Nepal.

Sand Running (Alexis Berg / Grand Trail)

By the second or third place for snacks and water I was shocked to hear that we were running in 20th place about ten minutes back.  The Canadian runner in front of me was happy with that news, but I wasn’t, as my lower left back and left ankle were starting to bother me.  I kept on for some time, finally sitting down around 65K for some soup as I began to catch a chill and really have trouble with my stride.

Pre-Race Excitement (Alexis Berg / Grand Trail)

I met so many great folks on the trail and volunteers at the water stops.  I cannot begin to mention them all here and I was fighting through so much pain that I apologize if I forgot to properly thank and acknowledge everyone.  I wish I would have kept on going but I was not prepared for night running save my mandatory gear items and was advised it would be much harder to get me off course after dark.  What Janet and Steve have done with the Hong Kong 100 is incredible and I was truly honored to be invited back.  I race to do my best, but I also race against my competition, so in my heart I knew it was time to heed the advice of the aid station captain and medics and hand in bib 17.

A painful, but amazing day

I am back home in the cold snowy Northern Arizona winter, still unsure of what day it is and when I am supposed to sleep.  The great staff at HYPO2 has already taped my ankle and given me a back-to-basics rehab routine.  My loving girlfriend, Amy, has not only put up with me being up all night but taken the time to massage my injured muscles.  Asia was an incredible experience, and until I properly wake up from this jet lag, it will continue to feel like a dream.  Just not one that came true.  Stay tuned for my next adventure here.  Thank you to the incredible sponsors and for all for your support.

Cathay Pacific made a long flight as enjoyable as possible

‘Merica

Monarch Pass

Can two months on the road traveling across the United States of America with Old Glory for Team Red, White, & Blue change a person?

Enriching Lives with a World Champion!

The tremendous honor of leading a project where one single American Flag would be carried on foot from the Pacific Ocean to the White House was bestowed upon me by the founder and chairman of the board of this incredible Veterans’ service organization a couple weeks after my father was laid to rest with a full military service.

above 100F in the shade in California!

 

The chance to honor my dad’s memory and the legacy of his parents who both served in World War Two and connecting with veterans across the United States of America was perhaps the greatest single honor I was ever given. I had no idea when I landed in California this Relay would also prove to be one of the most challenging periods of my life.

Leaving the Rockies with A Purple Heart Marine

 

Every day was an adventure. The mission started with early mornings, hot days, and late nights. My body was called upon more than I ever imagined to simply carry Old Glory across California. I withdrew from UTMB with an injury and a week into this Old Glory Coast to Coast Relay I found myself in a tub of ice screaming with sciatic pain. I kept telling myself, it’s only a 5K! Repeat. My teammates were looking to me for motivation so I had to remain strong and just suck up the pain.

Eagle Nation stepped up and folks came to help us move Old Glory across America’s loneliest Highway in Nevada. High desert sunrises dominated the second week as we moved into the majestic Utah landscapes. Wind, hail, rain, and sun exposure made for long days but our RePatriot American Flag continued her journey East. After two weeks of high mileage my body was tired but my mind was sharp and focused on the task at hand.

Finish of a Day in Utah!

 

Folks from around the country came to help us move Old Glory into Colorado. We missed the fires in California by a day and were a day behind the snow storm that blanketed the San Juan Mountains. Teamwork brought us over the Colorado River and up Monarch Pass over the Continental Divide. The run off the Rockies onto the Great Plains was bittersweet and hail, lightening, and high winds continued to make our journey a challenge.

Crossing the Colorado River with Old Glory on a Monday morning!

 

In the heartland of our amazing country people started to show up ready to run and my body was given some time to heal. Somewhere in Kansas after a storm it occurred to me we would finish this project, but the mental and physical effects of a month of incredible stress on my mind and body took their toll.

Texans carrying Old Glory on the Great Plains of Kansas with a Floridian!

Logistics proved to be a challenge as we moved east. More runners meant more interaction with awesome folks looking to honor Old Glory and what she meant to them, but it also meant more time on the road each day.

Sometimes I had to move Old Glory fast in the $16 Walmart Starters!

 

In Missouri I stopped taking care of my body along the Katy Trail, and after we crossed the Mississippi River I was physically sick. Pre-dawn alarms seemed to come earlier ever day, and as the day light shortened the stress of finishing high miles before dark increased. America is where they farm corn but the history along the roads was amazing and the local people so friendly as we crossed into Illinois and Kentucky.

Crossing the Mississippi River into the home of Popeye with Team RWB Fort Lenoard Wood, Missouri!

 

The Land of Lincoln was coined the “home of the penny” in one of my Facebook videos and I was now on a diet of coffee and Day Quill followed by NyQuil and whatever local brewery I could find before bed each night. Kentucky was beautiful as the autumn colors changed before our eyes on the trees. Unbridled spirit came to mind as the horses along the road would try to Run with Old Glory.

My niece, our youngest Flag Bearer!

 

Our couple days in Indiana were special to me as my Uncle, a Navy Veteran, came out to join us to retire the colors one afternoon. As we moved up the Ohio River into the Buckeye State the leaves had fallen and children and factory workers no longer lined our route. Snow was falling as Old Glory headed north towards West Virginia. The Great Allegheny Passage was a welcome change to asphalt and vehicular traffic and when we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Maryland the historic C & O canal picked up as we pushed east towards Washington DC.

Guess what I dressed up as on Halloween?!

 

Many times along this journey I thought of the men and woman who have served to keep us free, but I also thought of the settlers that centuries ago traveled the country west on a very similar route to Old Glory’s path. When we reached our finish I was overcome with pride and joy, but above all an incredible sense of duty and honor had been fulfilled inside of me. When I watched Team RWB’s Executive Director, who I shared a week with in Kansas, carry Old Glory into the White House on Veterans Day it hit me like a ton of bricks. Mission Accomplished! When I woke from my marathon nap I had this sense that I had just dreamed of this beautiful piece of cloth woven with red, white, and blue that I had just lead across the entire United States of America from sea to shinning sea.

Old Glory in the White House with the VP on Veterans Day!

 

Listening to Mr. Woodward introduce Team RWB before the Boss came on stage at the Concert for Valor brought the last decade of my life full circle. I remember meeting Bob back in NY after his injuries and having grown up listening to the music of Springsteen. I felt I was part of something much larger than I had ever imagined 13 months earlier when on the Bear Mountain Bridge headed back to West Point at sunrise after a run in the dark I was asked to lead the Old Glory Coast to Coast Relay.

Uncle Larry, a US Navy Veteran with Old Glory

So, yes, two months on the road traveling with Old Glory across the United States of America for Team Red, White and Blue did change my life in a positive way. The great Americans I met who helped this epic journey have inspired me to continue to follow my dreams. Looking back now, I especially enjoyed the early mornings where I had the honor to describe what Old Glory means to me. I am gracious to the men and women like my grandparents, father, uncle, and cousin whose service allowed me to freely wear “USA” on my vest when I represent this great country in athletic competition abroad. I am tired sure, but I am blessed by the work of veterans of the United States Armed Forces! America!

 

Post Old Glory Cost to Coast Relay Celebration in DC

Team RWB

Mozart’s Myth

Salzburg’s Hohensalzburg Fortress is the largest and best preserved citadel in all of Europe. The Castle towers over Austria’s lush green, farm filled landscape and old cobblestone streets where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756. If these city walls could talk they would tell tales as far back as 1077 when construction began. Perched high above the Salzach River the view for kilometers around is dominated by this royal mythical structure giving us insight into past Bavarian culture.

Perhaps more famous in western culture is the song a nun named Maria sang in the movie the Sound of Music which was filmed in the countryside where the Mozart 100 course tours. The hills were indeed alive with the sound of music and some bizarre looks from locals when I won the premier edition of the race in 2012 sans top.

Mozart 100 / Salzburg Running Festival is the brainchild of managing director Josef Mayerhofer and his ultra marathon & European Speed Golf Champion friend Michael Fried. The two developed the idea on a flight back from the Rain Forrest Run in Costa Rica where we first met in 2011. Their goal was to showcase the beauty of the Austrian countryside filled with deep lakes and mountains that mark the eastern edge of the alps while including the rich culture and history of old town Salzburg. They also ambitiously sought to create a world class competitive race with an international field of ultra marathoners. With the help of an incredible staff including Elisabeth Mayerhofer, Josef Gruber, and Claudia Kolussi the Mozart 100 is now very much on the international map of the endurance sports community.

With runners from 33 nations represented the 3rd edition on June 22nd 2014 went off without a hitch to the sound of Mozart’s classical music played by a symphony of violinists. Registration for the 4th edition of the Mozart 100 / Salzburg Running Festival scheduled for Mid June 2015 will open in September 2014. Expect nothing less than a marketing campaign the likes of my next European race, UTMB, with an event next Summer Solstice that will be sure to leave a lasting impression on the hearts of all Nordic walkers and runners. Thankfully the course is manageable enough that participants’ soles will heal but their souls will forever be changed in a positive way.

The 2014 edition included a 100 kilometer race, a scenic 55 kilometer run around Fuschl Lake, a 25 km trek from the lake to Mozartplatz, multiple relays, and a new City Trail Run presented by Smart Car with a distance of around 11 kilometers. The 2015 edition promises to included a distance for every participant of any ability.

My decision to return to the 2014 Mozart 100 as a competitor was solidified in late 2013 when my father passed away. He was not only a big fan of classical music but enjoyed hearing the stories about my first European win at the pinnacle of my career in 2012 at the Salzburg Running Festival. As an international businessman in his prime my pops worked for the French & Japanese. Dad instilled a respect and love of experiencing different cultures in us from an early age.

My left sciatica nerve was over firing neurochemical synapses via my spinothalamic tract throughout the 2014 Mozart 100. The biomechanical impact caused an imbalance in my stride. As my right leg over compensated it became clear I was not going to regain my title in Salzburg. I wanted to quit so badly at the turn in Residenzplatz. I day dreamed of curling up in my hotel room bed and watching the World Cup, anything excepting continuing the journey causing the stabbing pain in my lower back. I gazed to the statue of Mozart. I knew my dad would want me to finish the task at hand. How bad could a few more hours in the Bavarian countryside really be on a perfect cool, sunny day which started summer? I channeled my memory back to Mozartplatz on another pleasant summer afternoon as I pressed on. 1400 hours on June 23rd 2012, finishers tape broken, a smile on my face, a giant beer stein handed to me to hoist in victory.

It got dismal for me as a competitor especially as I would pass aid stations where folks recognized me from my previous win. It was very emotional and physically difficult for me to finish the Mozart 100 this year. I enjoyed the new trek that included two tough climbs and quad pounding descents of the Salzburg city mountain Kapuzinerberg. I endured the anguish and did not stop to overlook the Alps during the race from the top as I had enjoyed earlier in the week as I reckied the course. Time and place were inconsequential to me as anything less than a win was a huge personal disappointment. I had failed, but I finished collapsing on the church square where ages ago bodies had been buried.

I didn’t feel much better than a corpse when the gracious champion of the 2013 and now 2014 Mozart 100, Csaba Nemeth from Hungary, approached me with kind words of inquiry into my condition the morning after the race in our hotel before his family joined him for breakfast. My first proper 100K finish of the calendar year yet I had to toy with myself mentally dealing away any thoughts of racing again in the last marathon of the trek. It is ironic that perhaps my greatest athletic achievement and most embarrassing moment as a runner are now one in the same geographical local, on the cobblestones between Mozartplatz and the Cathedral.

Pre race at Mozart 100 was again a phenomenal experience. From the airport pickup thanks to Salzburg Airport & Mercedes, to a beer overlooking the lake thanks to Stiegl, to a tour of an island castle thanks to Michael & Salzburgland.com, to the elite athlete dinner in the beer gardens, to the press conference thanks to Austrian television ORF, and newspapers Salzburger Nachrichten and Kronon Zeitung, to being called on stage at the race briefing session thanks to Austrian Bussiness Lawyers & Wilheim Muller, I was treated like a returning king to his empire.

Post race was amazing thanks to Duracell’s funny bunny costumes, some proper draught pilsner, and an amazing race staff. Stories were shared like those of a 12 year old who trekked the 25K with her father and the gentleman who was running for a children’s charity donating a euro per kilometer which the race matched. New friends from across Austria, Europe, and the world were made. Old friendships, like the Czech Republic’s Daniel who toed the line with me at the 2011 IAU World Trail Championship in my first European race, were rekindled. The award ceremony was again professional and first class with music, medals, & roses. It was bittersweet to not make the overall podium but I was excited for local star Andreas Pfandlbauer and new Mozart 100 Champion Maria Vrajic of Kroatia. The Bad Ischl baker and 24 Hour World Championship competitor, Andreas and I shared a hug on the age group podium as I was introduced in a mixture of German and English by an enthusiastic DJ. It was an honor to share time with Salameh Al Aqra, the Jordanian running legend who won the 2012 Marathon Des Sables, as well as my old friends from Kenya who swept the 25 km race podium.

After the race stage was taken down, sponsor banners put into storage, the promotional vehicles returned, press releases written, and a good nights rest had following a traditional meal of schnitzel it was refreshing to return to the small lakeside village of Mondsee with the race management.
As we soaked in the chilly lake my muscles healing as much as my soul I started to relax again. I will always have a special place in my heart for the Mozart 100 and hope to return someday soon to see the growth of the event.

Josef was born in the village of Mondaee in the province of Salzburg. On my last morning in the rain after we ran the golf course for my first run back Josef took me to pay my respect to his family’s burial place. His parents and brother are laid to rest in a catholic cemetery that reminds me of my families’ in Poland. Josef, his wife, and son holiday at the bed and breakfast his family has owned for generations. Bedrooms are themed in one single color; Pink, Orange, Green, and Blue. The logistical offices of the Salzburg Running Festival take up the ground floor now. I took a lot of pride in the success of my dear friends much the way I imagine they were excited for my premier win just two years prior.

Claudia served as my very beautiful and extremely knowledgable tour guide up Schafberg Mountain where we overlooked the lakes and alps after a strenuous vertical kilometer hike up. The Cog train down the hill to Wolfgansee was a bumpy ride on the coal powered, steam driven engine but the views were amazing. A “boat” taxi on the lake took us to St. Gilgen where Mozart’s sister had her house. I got to meet Josef’s uncle in his traditional attire of lederhosen. The women in dirndl, the smell of the farms, the sounds of the birds singing, the cows mooing, the church bells ringing, there are so many memories from Austria that will forever remain in my heart as I return home.

There is a mystery and myth to this region where time seems to stand still or just move slower. When you walk through the narrow passageways in Salzburg or along the open footpaths between the farm villages you just feel as if Mozart is leading you somewhere very mystical and special. If he were alive today there is no doubt the legendary composer would dedicate a piece of music to the world class Mozart 100 in his hometown.

Running in the New Year!

2013 is just a memory now, my dad is in heaven, and my divorce almost final. I am back in the San Francisco Peaks I love so much here in Flagstaff happy about what 2014 has to offer. While I could go on about the disappointment I am feeling as an invited runner writing this as my flight for the Hong Kong Vibram 100K leaves without me I will instead focus on the positives that lie ahead in my journey. I was so excited and honored to be asked to race at the inaugural Ultra Trail World Tour event in Asia that I didn’t read my Polar t shirt and “listen to my body“. I pushed too hard, too much, too fast and I broke.

Ice, hydrotherapy, massage, stretching, cross training, yoga, core work, medical care, anti inflammatory herbs, a healthier plant based diet sans alcohol, and lots of rest are in my immediate future as I nurse my body back in line with my soul’s desire to race trail ultras competitively again. My left leg will heal and I will take joy in following races on my original schedule like this past Saturday’s USATF 100K Trail National Championships presented by Montrail and Tejas Trails in Texas’ Cowboy Hill Country. A weekend around runners and friends at Bandera taught me I don’t have to always race to win and try to set records to stay connected to our sport. Helping Joe give out medals, cheering others on, filing up Liza’s water bottle, serving as a safety runner for Meghan, and a solo sunrise hobble hike to clear the final miles of the course markings have left me grateful to be alive and moving. Both my feet are equally sore and I love it! Problem is my left ankle is the size of a grapefruit so I don’t have my speed or stability to move in the biomechanicaly efficient manner I enjoy most.

At the first day of Aravaipa Running’s Across The Years after an all night journey from LA’s Operation Jack Marathon and a ride from Connecticut on Christmas Eve on Santa’s Sleigh my left leg gave out. I am not sure when the exact moment I over did it was but when we got home to Flagstaff I could not walk. That next morning I hobbled to town to watch football and breath in the fresh mountain air thinking of my friends looping the course at Camelback Ranch. Their determination was contagious and I was excited to run real mountains again.

I was sad because after nearly a year on the road I was home but unable to run. I slept a lot, like double digit hours of solid REM sleep. When I woke that Monday morning I still had no ability to put any pressure on the medial portion of my left foot. I hobbled back to ATY to do a lap with Anthony Culpepper of Western Circle Hike fame on day three of his six day journey before I met some old classmates from medical school to diagnosis my foot issue and catch up on our adventures over some medicinal beverages.

New Year’s Eve took me back across the country to Florida for fresh mango guacamole and fireworks over the Gulf of Mexico. We hiked a little in the Everglades but I still had zero ability to stand straight. After a magical night sleeping on the beach under the stars we ran the Lovers Key trails. I was able to run a little but not fast and decided to bird watch instead of chase Danielle and risk further injury. After a Florida State Park Ranger led Eco Hike and a visit to see some baby gators we soaked in the warm gulf salt water. I was moving as fast as the Tortoises we saw but I was happy to be in motion! Danielle especially enjoy when I splashed her with the warm salt water but I am not sure why she ran away with a mean look on her face. Maybe it was a seagull or sand piper attack?

January second was another day of rest and ice as I prepared to crew Danielle for her second ultra. She took me to Yoga but my entire left leg had zero ability to adduct or lift from a supine position. The look of concern on the instructors face was priceless as I had to use my ram to move my leg into place at times. Somehow by compensating for my ankle and foot pain I had managed to pull my left gracialis muscle in my hamstring compartment. Fitting that I was in Florida as I felt older than the population around me. I even started asking the silver foxes for advice about geriatric care. I felt like I was in the body of a hundred year old.

I took another easy day in the pool and hot tub on Friday before we drove up to the Tampa Races’ Croom Zoom. I wanted to race fast and show off my skill as a trail runner in front of Danielle but instead I took photos and videos and could barely even walk. I lost her keys but after rummaging through her car I found them in the grass. Danielle set a ninety minute personal best for the 50K which I attribute entirely to her new coach. Well, ok maybe just a little kudos to her amazing guts and determination, but certainly not to her fueling strategy of Dr. Pepper and Twizzlers. Danielle runs with such pure joy and enjoyment for being on the trails that even I am learning about the correct way to run from her. She is like a child out there! Never shy or quiet you could always hear her before you saw her run into the aid stations. It was great to meet some Team RWB members from Orlando and Tampa too running the 25K.

The next day I was able to hike a bit and take some more photos as Zemola ran the River, Roots and Ruts Trail Half Marathon in the same park where we first met. Danielle ran great giving it her all and dropping her blood sugar from the point where I got a kiss on the lips at mile five to a punch in the chest at mile thirteen. She forgave me though for provoking her with the video camera in her face by letting me massage her beautiful feet, vomit, later that evening as we watched football after mass.

I tried to jog on the beach Monday but could barely walk so I limped back across the bridge for more ice and hot tube therapy. Tuesday the weather cooled into the 40s with sun and a breeze so I bundled up in tights and took to the trails at Prairie Pines. I never thought I would run in tights in Florida but ninety slow minutes later I had jogged my way back into the land of the trail runners Wednesday’s run with Caloosahatchee Trail Ultra RD Justin Radley on pavement over the bridges was pure agony.

I took a zero on Thursday as I flew to Austin and jogged a little Friday morning but didn’t feel good. Steve Moore and I took to the trails of Bandera for an afternoon run which extended a few miles in a successful search party mission for some lost children’s mile participants. Saturday morning I decided to see how fast the left leg could go and was disappointed to find it had no fast gear as Erik pulled away from me minutes into his 25K win. I iced up and took some vitamin I so by noon I was able to serve as Meghan’s safety runner for about a marathon into the Last Chance Aid Station where I sent her on her way with five hilly miles to go for the win. John Sharp graciously shared a beer with me.

The running community is part of my family now. Most of my near and dear friends are runners or connected to athletics somehow. I am blessed and grateful for the support they give me and love to give it back at races I don’t run. As I post this I will hobble over to the track this evening to cheer on Team Run Flagstaff. I will pray tonight that the invitation for Hong Kong might someday be extended again if I can get healthy and strong enough again to perform at the levels that first peaked other’s interest in my ability as a runner.

Watching Meghan run for the overall win Saturday from thirty feet behind at all times in accordance with USATF safety runner guidelines proves to me that age is just a number and I am confident that God willing after a little tender loving care and laughter with Gary at home in the mountains I will be back stronger and hungrier than ever to race fast again. Yesterday as Gary patiently jogged along next to me for two hours on a beautiful sunny warm day we saw Elk and ran through piles of snow and mud I realized that having good friends is my greatest gift in life. Happy and Healthy 2014! Keep Running Strong! #CoachDJ

Operation Jack Marathon on Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles, California; a Holiday Tradition to raise awareness about Autism

In 2011 I was closing out what to me was my best year as an Ultrarunner although I received more headlines and press in 2009 when Ultrarunner Magazine voted me 4th in their Ultra Runner of the Year Voting. Rachel and I found a puppy sitter for Manny after a fun Christmas Eve at her boss’ house in Scottsdale. We slept in, took a family jog and drove the five hours to Manhattan Beach to celebrate our first Christmas without snow. I won the Operation Jack Marathon on December 26th, 2011 in a still standing course record time.

I returned in 2012 taking the pace out with my lead biker at sub six minute miles before I blew up and lost bad. As much as I wanted a repeat of my 2011 race performance I woke up on December 26th with a fever, sore throat, inflamed ankle, and painful lower back. If it was race day for anything else besides the Operation Jack Marathon or a Team USA appearance at a World Championship I would have just gone back to bed. I knew as I drank my coffee and ate Jake Rome’s banana that I wasn’t going to break my own course record and would struggle just to finish.

An attorney from Iowa in Vibram Five Fingers took out the pace fast but it felt easy to me as the 2013 Operation Jack Half Marathon Champion ran with us. At the first turn, a little over four miles in, I felt lightheaded so I took some water and calories. I kept the two guys ahead of me in view and took it down a notch so I could cheer on the other oncoming runners. The course is designed so that you are almost always running against other athletes. I knew it was going to heat up and I normally would red line from the start given a hot forecast but I made a conscious decision to try to enjoy the view of the mountains and Pacific Ocean.

I held second place for the marathon through the half when a young kid surprised me and kept running! I was sure he was a half marathon runner but to his credit he ran a very smart race holding back at the start to finish strong. I ran the second half with him in view but just had no killer instinct in me to push hard for a second place finish as I knew by the 18 mile mark I wasn’t catching the Iowa attorney.

I struggled with the heat as it pushed eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Running into the sun and the final turn I noticed the guy in fourth was closing on me. He caught me with two tenths of a mile to go and I was able to surge a bit to hold him off a little but I just didn’t care that much given the physical pain I was in with my back and ankle causing an altered stride. Jerry Garcia passed me for the final podium spot with one tenth of a mile to go and won our age division. He also ran a smart race.

As I mature as a runner I am coming to grips a bit with loss. 2013 has been a year filled with loss in my life so it was fitting after two fourth place off the podium finishes as a member of Team USA at World Championships I finish fourth at Operation Jack Marathon. The pain hurts a lot worst when I lose. After I finished I collapsed. I have never collapsed after a race in such agony but I feel physical ailments are connected to mental stress. Losing my dad and closing out the divorce with Rachel in 2013 were landmarks in my life I am processing through healthy outlets like running.

I am super excited for the close of 2013 as I will be helping set up for Aravaipa Running’s Across the Years in Phoenix, before a trip up to Flagstaff to get some fresh mountain air. I am even more pumped up to end 2013 and begin 2014 on one of my favorite beaches in America with one of my favorite people as I run a trail 5K at Lovers Key State Park on the Gulf Coast in Florida.

Thank you to all who support my running goals and Happy New Year! If my back and ankle heal quick enough I will likely toe the line again at the USATF 100K Trail Championships in Bandera, Texas on January 11th where in 2011 I won the Silver behind my Vitargo Teammate Dave Mackey.

For any of you that wish to donate to Operation Jack, a matching pledge of $5 USD will be added to your donation at this link by a gracious anonymous supporter. My fundraising page will be open through the end of the year if you are in the holiday spirit. Autism is a spectrum disease that impacts the lives of many families. What Sam is doing through his running to raise funds for awareness and research is an absolutely inspiring project named after his son Jack who is afflicted with Autism. Sam ran 61 marathons in 2010 with his last that year being the first Operation Jack Marathon. Here is an awesome short video clip recapping his 2010 project.

Running for the win on Florida’s Toughest Trails

6am alarm rings and I try to crawl back under the covers on a chilly cold morning in New York. The temperature is in the teens but the sun is rising bright as I lace up my sneakers for a quick run before my flight to Florida’s Gulf Coast for a week of warmth and reflection.

Christmas is coming fast. The white powder that coats the leaves in the woods and green grass in the backyard adds to the excitement for my nieces. Tights replace shorts. Ski gloves warm the fingers. The frosty air is fresh and crisp. The crunch of the snow under foot is pleasantly relaxing.

Co Race Director Justin Radley of Gulf Coast Ultra Runners LLC met me at the airport hours later after the bright sun hid itself behind the salt water to the west of the Fort Myers. Watching a sunset from a jet is an incredible experience.

I hadn’t seen Justin since Fort Clinch. We had a nice meal at a cozy place with a fire and called it an early night. The next morning I dropped Justin at work and ran in the fog at Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva in Lee County, Florida. As the sky cleared I found myself along the Caloosahatchee River that drains the sunshine state’s largest freshwater lake into the Gulf of Mexico. The clay that makes up the mountain bike trails we would race on came from dredging.

Late afternoon the sun broke through I caught another run in the gorgeous neighborhoods of Gateway. Birds were chirping, flowers were in full bloom, and golfers were out. I found it hard to believe a day earlier I was shoveling snow so I could run.

Taco Thursday prepared by Jill was delicious. I hit the sack early again trying to get good rest for Saturday’s race. Friday we marked the trails and I strategically placed a ceramic panther I found on the Far East trail that scared me for some fun on Saturday. Friday afternoon we got the aid station supplies together, had some pasta and salad with Caleb & Brad, got awards from Fit2Run and made it in time to the Fort Myers Brewery for an IPA.

Friday night I boiled the potatoes and peeled the eggs before I took a pre race nap. Saturday morning I awoke tired with a sore throat but excited to run and work on my tan. The forecast was hot and humid but I was confident I could run about four hours without that much effort for the win.

Wrong! The 50K would be three 11 plus mile loops to ensure maximum runner enjoyment for happy runners like Danielle Zemola and an overkill of suffer fest for non heat acclimated northern cocky runners like myself.

I took an early and commanding lead with what Brad told me was a sub six minute opening mile through the winding bike trails in the open meadow as the sun rose to the east. I would grow that lead to near twenty minutes later in the race so the win was never in doubt. On the first loop I pushed hard. I skipped aid stations the way I skipped a proper breakfast. I wanted to run through fatigue to train my body to adapt for early 2014 races. I saw bunnies, raccoons, deer, and the panther.

When I finished the first loop through tunnels of overgrown swamp vegetation and Florida Oak Forests Justin told me I was 1:19. My split would be the fastest of the day for any runner in the ultra or 25K version but I felt like I had just ran a sub 1:07 effort. Trouble! Not heat adapted. I purposely ran lap two in a lower gear taking fluid in but the motor would not cool. I was overheating.

The twisty turns of the mountain bike trails required a lot of gear shifting but did not allow for much consistent running at a low RPM. The flat fast straight sections that on the first lap that I was able to increase my lead on became a red lining nightmare on lap two. The end of my second lap was so miserable that I even debated putting a white shirt on to shield myself from the sun and help cool my core. Instead I put a handful of ice down my pants and yelled to the camera guy that Florida should be for beaches not running.

I blew up bad but was able to keep moving albeit slow. The final lap took about as long as the lap Justin and I did when we marked the course Friday. At the end of the Far East the recon I had was that my comfortable lead was down to less than five minuets with about five miles to got. I stopped being a good for nothing lazy bastard and got up on my toes a little to win the internal boxing match in my head. As I sang the Scripts’ Be a Champion to myself I held on for the win by only a minute although I never saw the guy chasing me.

Second wasn’t Brad like we all assumed but a local ironman triathlete who obviously had the endurance and heat acclimation to close strong on me. When I finished I collapsed. I was not happy with my first win since March. The winless streak was over but I had run miserable. I raced well but I wasn’t really even relieved. The initial feelings I felt were of disappointment, doubt, and embarrassment. I was invited to Florida to showcase my talents as a runner but I barely won with a pedestrian time.

After the race and some icing of my sore left ankle and back I cheered in the rest of the finishers. There were a bunch of first time ultra trail runners that ran some impressive races. The aid station folks were incredible and the cold beverages and pizza at the finish hit the spot. I did get over my self pity and laugh at the Prestige Running Club International singlets motto on the backs “Boats & Hoes.” At sunset after the last finisher crossed the line I jogged out a bit to help Justin clean up the course markings.

Later that night the post race party took us to BurgerQue for a brew and a really fun Ho-Liday party at a house that was decorated like the North Pole. After some Blueberry moonshine my mood brightened even more. Sunday’s run was a bit slow and painful for my head but after a nap and some football we celebrated a successful race over fortune cookies and Dogfish 90 minute IPA.

Monday I ran the loop in reverse as a victory loop and to clean up whatever garbage was left which wasn’t much thanks to some very responsible runners. I did some children’s store Christmas shopping Monday afternoon before I put my toes in the sand at Fort Myers Beach. The reflection on my barefoot beach run was good for my soul and the tortoise I helped jump a curb became a new friend of mine. A quick dip in the Gulf was refreshing as I shelled a bit for some souvenirs.

The coastal birds were singing and the pelicans were hungry diving for fish. I thought of my Dad and Jen who I visited the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva many times with. I smiled through the tears thinking of them together walking the beaches of heaven searching for seashells together looking down on me.

Monday night I joined in on a full moon group trail run at the marsh in Leigh with Danielle. We continued our celebration of her first ultra at World of Beer with her friends playing Trivia enjoying fried pickles and a giant pretzel. In keeping with the Brewery theme we watched Drinking Buddies with Justin and Jill after.

Tuesday Justin and I did some recon at Prarie Pines Preserve where I saw a family of wild pigs. After a pool fight with a gator I joined Danielle for a run on the beach under the full moon with the sand pipers chasing her. We had and a greasy pizza after in a cozy Chicago Style Beachfront Pub. Wednesday morning after a week on my last Florida run I fell hard thinking of the cold ice I was returning to. Christmas with my family will be fun and I am excited to race in 2014. I hope to return to racing with a passion that I had in my younger years!

Home for the Holidays

A nasty chest cold at JFK, tooth pain that resulted in a root canal in Costa Rica for La Ruta Run, & now a DNS (Did not Start) in San Francisco for TNF50 due to a bad ankle I twisted covering UTMB for iRunFar.com and sprained again the other day.

2013 will not go down in the record books for me as a successful racing year, but I am grateful for the people and places I have visited and encountered. Two Team USA appearances, in retrospect, in Poland & Wales were an incredible honor even if scoring fourth, first non medal / podium team, at both still resonates in my soul and soles.

Yesterday afternoon the sun was shinning and the weather was warm in Connecticut. I suggested to my sister a family hike with her three kids, golden retriever, and her husband. I was tired and a bit bummed out that I would not get to race healthy and injury free in California with all my friends.

As we were hiking up to the waterfall my nieces began to run, to trail run! They were laughing and smiling! The joy was contagious!

Kate, the smallest of the twin three years olds, fell a few times but got up and laughed it off. She was trying her best to keep up with her big sister Emma who was running with me. Sara was following behind with her parents hollering “trail marker” at ever blaze on the Michael Ciaiola Conservation Putnam Country nature trail in Patterson, New York.. When we reached the waterfalls the frozen ice from earlier in the week had melted off leaving a glistening turn around point. Emma rock hopped across to the other side with her dad and I carried Kate over. Sara and her mom feasted on animal crackers.

Old Buddy boy was with us too. He went for a swim. I tied my fluorescent yellow Achilles NYC Marathon Guide shirt to his collar to make him visible to potential lost hunters. Buddy has been in Chrissy & Nick’s family since the beginning. He was a puppy destined for a life as a nursing home service dog at the Jewish Home for the Elderly when I took him for his first trail run. I lost him that day on the trails of Fairfield, Connecticut’s Mohegan Lake. Hours later I would find him across the lake playing with a pack of dogs but happy to return to run more miles with me. Run we did! Buddy would become my main training partner until late 2009 when I left Connecticut for Medical School on St. Kitts.

Buddy’s first newspaper appearance wasn’t in the article with me in December of 2008 but with Nick in 2005. Buddy taught me how to properly run trails by living in the moment responding to the environment before us. The day after his first newspaper appearance Buddy went back out on that ice to retrieve Nick’s sneaker from the bottom of the lake. Now that is loyalty! We managed to avoid another Fairfield Fire Department rescue by having Buddy swim back toward the stream that fed the lake. Buddy, Nick, and Chrissy continue to be among my best friends. They helped me get through a lot of emotional baggage when Jennifer passed away. I am #soblessed to get to spend time with their family now.

Some mornings the simple act of lacing up my sneakers to run Buddy was all I could manage as I processed my grief. 2005 was a year I hardly remember. I ran and worked. I worked and ran.

Without running I don’t think I would have survived. Peter Zander will tell this story in his film soon. I thought it was important to open my soul to him so people would know that obstacles in life are temporary.

Yesterday, Emma would run as hard as she could trying to surge ahead until she was out of breath. She looked back at me and said: “I need a little break uncle Davey.” I told her I could relate 🙂 Within days of her birth in 2008 I signed my letter of intent to return to finish my degree and run for The University of Bridgeport’s Purple Knights’ Cross Country Team. That decision would be my break from a career I didn’t envision for myself long term and mark the moment of my breakout as a runner.

I am super excited to get to go participate in my good friend’s trail running festival next weekend in sunny warm south west Florida but I will be training for my early 2014 races these next few weeks in the area I was raised on the NY / CT boarder. I love to share my passion for and experience with trail running with others so please if you are around let’s get together either here or South West Florida and run a little. No distance is to short for me and no pace is to slow.

My sister and I ran this morning in heavy fog along Candlewood Lake laughing about the fun times we had line dancing with Team RWB the other night and remembering my father’s love for Christmas lights.

Earlier this week I got to share a couple pleasantly refreshing runs with an old friend who dates back to my Shenorock Shore Club days.

As we ran through the Blackrock section of Bridgeport ducking bullets and listening to the seagulls on the Long Island Sound overlooking Seaside Park I got excited for my return to Connecticut in 2015.

I love the holidays and I am thankful for my incredible family, great sponsors, and wonderful friends that have made this wild ride possible. Run Strong!

Lost in Dublin, or are we in Tuscany now?

“Pack the bags, the taxi will be here in five minutes!”. Half noon at the Best Western Dublin and our RyanAir flight to Pisa / Florence boards in minutes as our jolly laughing taxi driver blows through a red light in front of a police station racing us to the airport.

“Calm down.” “You are doing great.” “We are going to make it.”. I thought I was talking to myself like I do in workouts and when I race, but Lost Worlds Racing Media Director & Athlete Coordinator Erik Lundstrom laughs at me in the cab saying my self talk was audible as we were rushing to pack. Tim remembers hearing me mutter: “relax. stay calm. do the right thing.”

What had started as a leisurely morning in overcast rainy Dublin had turned into the Lost Worlds “Race to the Gate!”. With three heavy bags and slippery dress shoes Gate 102 at Dublin Airport seemed like it would never appear. With sweat dripping from my head, and my heart pounding I raced to the gate just minuets before Erik, himself a 2:47 marathoner, and Lost Worlds Racing Founder Tim Holstrom who can always hold his own on trail runs in the hour range with me. Erik and Tim had to explain to the Irish security personal that race medals were not a threat and could be carried on so I did have a little head start. I smiled at the RyanAir gate attendant and said “top o’ the morning to you, did I make it?” She laughed and asked me how many Guiness I had last night. I told her I didn’t count as she checked us in and allowed us to board the flight a few minuets after the scheduled departure time. We made it! Next stop: Lost Worlds Racing Tuscany Crossing!

What makes The Lost Worlds Racing Series stand out as special for me are the experiences like this afternoon. Culture, laughter, and friendships for life. I first met Tim before the 2nd Coastal Challenge Rain Forest Run as I was looking for an adventure to push my body and satisfy my soul. Almost a decade and half a dozen Coastal Challenges later Tim and I departed the Trumbull Marriott on that April Tuesday after noon for a journey into the “lost worlds” of Europe. For years Tim and I would run the Trumbull trails on and off as I would visit my sister, finish college, and visit my nieces. We had always dreamed of the day when we would plunge into a great adventure together and now here we were driving down the Merritt Parkway leaving the comforts of home and family behind to follow our dreams and passions.

Tim had picked Dublin as the base of operations for Lost Worlds Racing for these three weeks as the next weekend’s race was in Northern Ireland and the week after in Sweden.

We flew a red eye cross Atlantic flight to Dublin and Wednesday morning we loaded over 300 pounds of luggage and gear into our hotel room. Erik was delayed in Chicago and his 24 hour adventure from Minnesota to London wouldn’t put him into Dublin until late afternoon so Tim and I laced up our sneakers to hit the streets of Dublin. We found a beautiful public green space we circled and as we were heading up a driveway to what we thought was a church Irish security personnel informed us that we were trespassing on a “military instillation.” Whoops! Lost Worlds! We finished our run with an out and back along the Royal Canal.

After showers we headed out to Fagan’s Pub for some lunch. Tim had Cider, carrots, chef carved beef, & roasters. I decided for the liquid lunch of vegetable soup and a Guinness. Fagan’s is a beautiful traditional Irish pub circa 1907 with copper air ducts, gorgeous polished wooden bars, plush couches, and pictures of stars, dignitaries, and Irish art on it’s walls. President Clinton had a pint here in 2000!

After lunch we decided to get some work done over another beverage before we headed back to the hotel. Tim sorted gear for his races and I took a nap. I woke as Eric arrived a few hours later refreshed and cured of any lingering jet lag. It was raining so I went to the lobby for a coffee. I was admiring the pictures of decades worth if Irish Football Team photos when the owner and her blonde sister pointed out their father with pride in a 1960s era team shot. The hotel has been in the family for years only recently taking on the Best Western umbrella. Their Irish hospitality made me feel right at home.

After a walk in the rain to loosen my legs and to buy some groceries Eric woke and Tim returned from his business meeting downtown. We decided to head out for a meal. In keeping with our Lost Worlds theme we apparently lost track of time as we caught up and watched the Champion’s League football semi final match. Real Madrid lost. When we tried to order Fish and Chips our waitress Aisling told us the kitchen closed at 9pm as she grinned with her Irish eyes smiling but we could have another round of drinks. She was a good sales person for a young religion and music education major from a small farm town. After we finished our beverages and bid Aisling farewell we headed out to grab a bite to eat before bed. Walking to dinner Eric proudly announced to an Irish lad that asked that we were from “The United States of America.”. The guy chuckled and said he figured that.

Eric and Tim were asleep when I started and ended my workout so I went for coffee and a late breakfast. I ran down to the Port O’ Dublin and along the water past the Royal Dublin Golf Club’s Links. I explored the jetty rock hopping slippery surfaces and strides out on the soft sandy beach before I looped back through the cozy neighborhoods of Dublin past the Rugby stadium and universities.

When I got out of the shower the guys were awake and Erik told me Tim was checking our options since our flight left in 40 minutes! We were on code red! Apparently Erik and I had neglected to check our email and Tim saw the 1305 and interpreted it at a 3pm flight or looked at the car rental time, return flight time, or arrival time because when we went to bed we thought we could sleep in, and enjoy a leisurely morning in Dublin.

Our 24 Hours O’ Dublin were a fun adventure and great way to start the Lost Worlds Racing tour. Laughter, culture, and good friends coupled with the most amazing views of the snow covered Alps from the Boeing 737-800 series window seat I lucked out with have made this trip start with nothing but fun & great memories!

My niece, Emma, is four and wants to be an explorer like Dora. I think she also might get some of that sense of adventure from her Godfather and the post cards I send her from my trips. I am very blessed to get to run in so many amazing places with such awesome people. Stay tuned for more from Europe and the Lost Worlds!

Pura Vida! La Ruta Run

As an aging runner I am blessed to still be invited to run in some amazing places. There is no location in this world that is more near and dear to my heart than Costa Rica. My first trip to experience the “pure life” was in the depths of mourning the passing of my fiancée. Finishing my first Coastal Challenge made me feel alive again so I returned again & again for the nature but more so for the culture and people. In 2009 with Scott Jurek chasing me I had a break through as a runner. I lost to Javier but gave each stage my all. On that trip I met Roman, a race director of the historic La Ruta Mountain Bike Race.

I returned to Costa Rica in 2011 fit and on a mission. I beat Javier each day setting new stage records as I won my first Rain Forest Run. Earlier this year I made another journey to Costa Rica to train for Fuego y Aqua 100K and jumped in TCC last minute to successfully defend my title. After months of disappointing racing in Europe due to injury, and an autumn spent with my family remembering the seasons of my father’s life I accepted Roman’s invitation because the tropics heal me.

Four in the morning the iPad alarm rings. I awake thinking to myself: “where am I? Am I racing today?” I am very blessed that my life is incredible right now. I travel. I run. Sometimes it takes a moment to realize that I am in fact living a dream when I wake up though. After an incredibly inspiring four days in West Texas on the Neuces River at Camp Eagle with Team Red, White, & Blue for a Trail Running Camp I got to spend a relaxing evening with the Howard Family. Pizza and a Disney movie were a great way to decompress. I even helped Liza & Elliot’s son build his log cabin.

Two bumpy flights and a crazy taxi ride through the streets of San Jose left me tired but the moment we arrived at the Institute of Mexico for the press conference and photography exhibit opening I was immediately pumped up even before I had the delicious uplifting Costa Rican coffee. Cultures mixed as the Taramarahas shared their music and dances with us. The ceremony closed with a indigenous Talamachian Costa Rican sharing his culture with us all through song and dance.

A quick run in a park was followed by an delicious traditional meal. Sunset was magical. I slept well. I woke refreshed and excited. My apologies to Mike, my roommate from iRunFar.com, for snoring a bit. Sunrise in San Jose is early but beautiful. I ran around downtown a bit before a “desayuno typical” of gallo pinto, plantains, and tortillas.

Wednesday was off to a great start but I needed to get my teeth looked at so I had to duck out of a tour of Cartago, Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles, and the Valle de Orosi and Cachí. The dentist did great work on my teeth and I was able to get a little run in around San Jose’s California de Norte neighborhood before sharing a treintaycinco microbrew with my ultra running buddy Daniel.

Novicane and cerveza made for a great nights sleep at Kap’s Place Hotel although I was told I snored a bit. I was up at dawn Thursday to get in some miles before breakfast. Running in downtown San Jose isn’t exactly a trail runner’s paradise but I found a park with a track to do some speed before the “speed” dealers were out selling their goods. After breakfast I had to skip out on another group day trip to visit the dentist again to address the other cavities. Later that evening after another city run my friends came by to take us out. It rained hard as November marks the end of the rainy season but there was nothing but blue skies Friday morning when I awoke 24 hours before La Ruta Run.

La Ruta Run ends at a Hacienda in the middle of coffee plantations called El Rodeo. We had a traditional lunch of rice, beans, salsa, avacado, and tortillas on our way to Jaco Beach. The Tarhamarians were fascinated by the horses on the ranch. The road infrastructure has vastly improved in the last decade since my first trip down so the trip to the Pacific village of Jaco was relatively easy.

A stop at a fruit stand yielded a refreshing coconut water from a freshly machete cut potassium rich nectar of the gods filled sphere. The Taramarhams got to enjoy the luscious Tico fruit Tammarando for the first time and the Sandia, watermelon, was awesome! I thought of my teammate from our 2009 JFK 50 mile team win, the fruitarian, as I stuffed my face full of fresh juicy fruit.

We finally made it to the beach in time for me to get in a quick run, dip in the Pacific Ocean, and a sunset Imperial while the Tarramarahs did beach Yoga with Maine based instructor Charlotte. Jaco Beach is very built up for Tico standards but for most in our group this was their first time seeing, hearing, smelling, and soaking their hirachas in salt water & waves.

After sunset our group met some Ticos for dinner before heading to bed early for the 0330 wake up. It was really exciting to get to see a transplanted Bostonian, now a Tica, before her first 100K. Event day, after my siesta, I got to run from 47K to 53K with Katyln before her boyfriend took over to pace her in for the 100K win. Another race day highlight was the prerace hug with the 2013 Leadville tenth place finisher and mi amigo, Javier Montero. Nick Clark and I ran under Javier’s course record at Fuego y Aqua. La Ruta Run had aqua on course but it was muy caliente!

I debated even starting the race because of the tooth pain I experienced again the night before the race that kept me up but I wasn’t going to skip a chance to share some miles con mi amigos in paradise! The 0530 start was delayed to almost 0600 “Tico Time” so the Tarramaras could bless the run with music and incense. We went out fast so we could get in some quality miles before the sun was overhead and roasting us on the mostly exposed dirt road course.

My favorite section was right before and right after the first aid station. Slippery wet hilly double tract that was rutted out from rain run off and the mountain bike riders. Javier decided to hold back on the trail section and not run fast with me as I blew past mi Tarramara amigos who were slipping and sliding in their hirachas.

There was one twenty one year old Tarramara in hirachas who I could not catch on the trails though. He was able to hold his lead on me and did go on to win the 50K. I think he will rival Miguel Lara soon. This guy has wheels!

It was ten in the morning when I got to check point dos and the humidity over my four hour run had zapped me. I took time in each water crossing to cool my body by submerging myself not realizing there had been a boa constrictor sighting at the La Ruta mountain bike race. Race Director Roman comforted me when I went back to run a little with him telling me that anacondas are not poisonous so there was no need to worry 🙂

I try to keep negative thoughts from my head when I run but the monotony of the dirt roads caused me to drift into mourning my father. He loved his gardens and everywhere I looked there was a rainbow of flora. I shed some tears and talked to him a bit wishing his heaven provided him with a healthy body so he could tend to his tropical gardens. Days later at Chirrapo I would have a complete lacimal gland malfunction on a magical run when I ran through a field of colorful impatiens, my dad’s favorite flower.

When I mentioned the course was boring to the race staff I meant really that trail running provides me with an in the moment experience whereas long flat dirt roads let my mind drift to the tough memories. The scenery was beautiful as there was an early mirador looking out to the Pacific Ocean we hit just as the sun rose over a mountain. I am grateful to have experienced the most rugged parts of Costa Rica off the beaten path through The Coastal Challenge and my favorite place in the country is Cerro Chirripo, the highest peak in the happiest country in the world.

The 100k podium were all Taramarian runners & 4th was my Tico amigo Javier. Katelyn won the women’s 100K and another transplanted American, Casey, won the ladies 50K. I got to spend some time with La Ruta’s Female Mountain Bike Race Female Champion, Monique Pua, who was the first female to 50K. It turned out she won the only Mountain Bike race I ever witnessed on a training run in Prescott, Arizona. We got to run a couple miles Monday morning together in San Jose. Many props to her on her longest run ever as she trains for the Adventure Racing World Champions in December in Costa Rica on Roman’s La Ruta Land Rover team. Fifty two humid kilometers left my feet looking like I had just been for a long swim.

A ton of respect also goes out to the Canadian duo of Melissa and Jon for being the last official finishers of the 100K & Christian Lesko who unofficially finished in 17:45 with a broken wrist! They came in well after dark with Melissa showing serious signs of heat exhaustion at the 52K mark mid afternoon. The EMT in me wanted to advise them to stop but the ultra runner in me iced her down, gave her some red bull, and sent her on her way.

Sunday morning I ran a bit in San Jose before a big breakfast and a visit to the local Iglesia for mass. The church was one of the oldest Catholic Churches in San Jose and was beautifully decorated with flowers and stained glass. I cried a bit as I thought of my father’s spirituality but was able to stay for the entire service. I didn’t understand much as the priest spoke fast but to me faith is deeper than mere language.

After church we visited the central square of San Jose with the Tarhamarians for an art festival. We walked by Tico paintings, sculptures, dancing, music, board games, hula hoopers, and families picnicking & enjoying the beautiful breeze on a Sunday afternoon in the park.

As I bid farewell to the group to go run Cerro Chirripo I felt truly blessed and incredibly grateful to Roman and everyone associated with La Ruta Run and La Ruta de Los Conquistadors Mountain Bike Race for making this amazing trip back to Costa Rica possible. Pura Vida! Roman, his family, and all the Ticos involved in this cultural running experience have worked so hard to blend cultures whose members value running and see it as an artistic expression of their heritage. La Ruta Run is schedule to return to Costa Rica in December 2014 for what promises to be an even more incredible experience. If you are interested in finding out more information about La Ruta Run please visit http://www.adventurerace.com or email Roman at rurbina@adventurerace.com

Running a Giant with a Hero

I am a two time USATF 100 Mile National Champion and three time selected member of the USA National Team that competes in the World Long Distance Mountain Running & IAU World Trail Championships.   I have run a lot but I realized as I ran with Team RWB’s Eric B along Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland I was going to be the one learning.

Liza Howard, Jason Bryant, Allison Bryant, and Joe Pursuits invited me to Camp Eagle in Texas last Veteran’s Day weekend to help mentor a trail running camp. I was recovering from plantar fasaciatis, fighting to try and save a marriage that was crumbling, and cramming for midterms in medical school.  Typical to my personality with so much on my plate at the time I immediately accepted another obligation not knowing how Team RWB was about to change my life.

I met Eric B at that camp along with almost 100 other veterans.  It was an amazingly humbling experience to get to share my passion and love of trail running with the group while trying to impart on them some ideas and skills for their own training and path to recovery from various issues like PTSD and depression.

Eric struck me as incredibly resilient as he completed the obstacle course that Sunday afternoon in 2012. I will never forget his work ethic and passion on that course.  You see Eric only has one leg now.  A below the knee amputee from an accident while he was serving his country in 2006. Eric has defied the odds and on that Saturday evening in Ireland I was honored to accompany him on the final section of Team RWB’s win in the Lost Worlds Racing’s Causeway Crossing 100K relay win.

Months earlier I had introduced Lost Worlds Racing’s Tim Holstrom to Team RWB’s founder Mike Erwin and was pleasantly excited that they had reached a deal to allow Team RWB to send over a relay team to the Causeway Crossing of which Eric and his teammates: Jessica, James, and Tony would be a part.  All four were alumni of the Team RWB Trail Running Camp I volunteered at so I was excited to reconnect.

I had run the 37 mile version of the first 50K of the 100K earlier in the morning when Eric asked if I wanted to join him to see the rest of the course.  My back was tight and my leg was hurting and 37 miles on about 40 ounces of water even on a cool day did not put me in a happy mood especially when I had to run the last 18 miles with no water or calories.  Pound cake is awesome but when it is the only offering of calories or electrolytes in a race I get skeptical.

A freak snow storm that had killed livestock and left the bogs in the early stages an almost impassable mess had forced a race morning reroute of the course onto tarmac.  I had attended the race briefing the night before laughing at the almost comical disorganization the organizers portrayed in trying to let racers know the actual start times and locations and shuttle schedules.  The technical director had advised trail shoes and mentioned deep, muddy, bogs.  I was familiar with ” Irish Trails” from my race for Team USA at the 2011 IAU World Trail Championships so I decided to go with the bulkier INOV8 Trail Roc 245s we debuted last summer at Trans Rockies Run when I ran for INOV8. A great trail shoe but after a opening mile of soft trails chasing a local fast guy we hit paved road that would become the theme of the first 37 miles of the 50k 😉

I smiled for a few photos for Tim and Talk Ultra’s Ian Corless and ate some poundcake.  I was using this race as a long run in preparation for Sky Running‘s Ultra Series’ Rhonda del Cims in Andora’s Pyrenees mountains so fast road running was not high on my training plan that day.  The local, Johnny S. kicked my butt early as he floated away.  I had partook of a few too many pints the evening before at the pub thinking I might sleep in for the 1pm 50K start but when the 4am alarm went off I saw a sleep deprived long run with a massive hangover as a character building opportunity for Andorra so I got on the bus for the 100K 6am start.

With no water or bathroom facilities at the start I almost missed the beginning of the race searching for a tree.  I only had a few sips of water left in my Ultimate Direction bottle so I was already in the hole as my liver’s ADH enzymes were working overtime to process the Guinness in my blood.

At the 15 mile aid station at 15K (notice the theme here) I got some pound cake but skipped water as a spectator had just given me a small plastic bottle.  A few miles later I was pleasantly surprised to jog along to find more pound cake and water not knowing that would be the last feed station for eighteen miles.  The course had beautiful sections through forests, unfortunately we didn’t get to run very many.  My favorite part of the starting section was the snow covered bog I got to maneuver across. I would never catch Johnny as he had a full crew supporting him with a little more race appropriate nutrition.  He would run an incredibly impressive 8:37 for his debut 100K. Race organizers did a good job realizing the mistake in the length so they shortened the second half for the 100K runners.

After I laughed with Tim and Erik and the irony of the first 38 miles I bundled up, feasted on…. Wait….. You guessed it…. Pound cake… and went to see the physio to work on my left leg.  I have limited range of motion in my left leg when it gets cold due to sciatica and the bright sunny morning had given way to a windy chilly mess of a day.

I don’t say no to running with a hero.  Eric and the Team RWB crew are inspirational to me to I took some vitamin “I” and caught the shuttle with him to the 25K start line.  We didn’t get to start at 1530 with the others as we had to wait for Tony’s third leg to finish.  Jessica’s first 25K had been long and James’ second leg was slow due to bog crossings and a chill he caught when the weather changed.

When Eric and I stepped off at 1730 we had 25K and a goal of finishing before dark.  Eric ran strong from the start.  A week earlier he wasn’t even able to walk in his prosthetic so a realistic finishing time of seven hours was our actual goal time.

Eric was happy to get to see Giant’s Causeway and tourists were cheering him on. It was a touching scene.  He maneuvered down the paved bus road well, stopped to do a handstand in front of the volcanic remains, and worked hard to get back up the steep stairs to the rim trail.  The guy was on a mission.

Eric had to stop a few times to adjust his leg. I kept encouraging him to keep warm as the wind was strong.  We could see sheep grazing the steep slopes below as we made our way along the cliffs.  Half Moon Bay was amazing to see from above, and the waterfalls into the North Channel were spectacular!  Eric took photos with Tony’s camera and we made great time to the feed station and where told we had six miles to go.  Eric ate and drank but was getting tired as he was entering a new distance for him. He told me Ian, the local technical race director and course designer said he was the first amputee to attempt any of his races.

I got nervous when Eric’s legs started to cramp encouraging him to keep moving to stay warm.  We hit a section of very rocky slippery shoreline which Eric negotiated well.  The deep sandy beach was tough for him although he moved well on the hard packed sand.  The tide was rolling in and it was getting darker.  We hit a section of seaweed where Eric’s Team RWB teammate James was waiting to accompany him in.  it got dark and we got Eric’s headlight fired up.

Eric’s prosthetic was becoming to rub his leg raw and cause a massive blister.  He had to stop a few times to relieve the pain and pressure.  It took all I had not to offer him help beyond my encouragement and some medical words of wisdom on pain being a temporary electrochemical impulse carried up our Spinothalamic Tract’s militated neurons.

Ian met us as we made it to the paved section after the beach.  James and him walked ahead for a bit as Eric made his final climb to the grass pasture.  In the pasture Eric was tired and mentioned phantom pain in his missing limb.  He asked me to take his pack so he could try to run.  One foot in front of the other he carried on telling me of his degree and research in engineering, an internship he had secure for the summer, and why this 25K was so important to him and his teammates.

Eric ran in the last part of the 100K covering his 25K which for him was the longest distance he had covered at the time. Eric wasn’t at Team RWB Trail Running Camp this past weekend as he allowed other veterans to participate and learn about trails. Eric and I keep in touch via Facebook. He has been a guest on Ian Corless’ Talk Ultra program and is active in lifting and Crossfit. To be a small part of his teams success was in incredible experience. To get to experience the beauty of the Causeway Coast and Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland was magical. Lost Worlds Racing does an excellent job providing its participants with a mix of local culture and race experience throughout Europe and in the future the entire world.

Running with a King to honor and serve those who keep us free!

It is not often you can lace up your sneakers and run side by side with a World Champion but at Team RWB’s Trail Running Camp veterans who have attended the first two years have had that opportunity. Last Veterans Day weekend Camp Directors, Liza Howard, Joe P. , & Jason and Allison Bryant pulled in an all star line up of elite runners to mentor the RWB veterans. World 24 Hour Running Champion and American Record Holder Mike Morton, himself a veteran, headlined the group. The inaugural camp was a tremendous success as this video portrays. How would the 2013 camp live up to the expectations? Well they brought in a King!

There are only a handful of runners in this world that I am in awe of. Sure there are a bunch more that have, can, and will beat me but in 2010 when I was in the lead of the USATF 50K National Championships in Bend, Oregon I met the true King of the trails as he powered past me up a hill in his kingdom. Max King was the first to reach the finish of the Flagline 50K that day but he didn’t cross the line to claim a National Championship. He waited. A race volunteer had realized how much trail fun Eric Skaggs, myself, and my former INOV8 teammate Yassine Diboun , were having and accidentally sent us out for some extra miles. Max knew the correct route and ran that course but he would not cross the line first. He knew Eric beat him so he waited. Max is a King with a big heart. When Max and Sage Canaday signed on to help as mentors for RWB’s http://trailrunningcamp.org I knew big things were happening! They both skipped the USATF 50K Trail National Championships, their speciality, to serve the veterans.

Sunday afternoon as the groups headed into their respective seminars, Max, Sage, and I went out for a run. Mentors Jason Schlarb and Dominic Grossman didn’t join us as we all ran with the elites women that morning. Zach Bitter had to leave camp early and Jason Bryant had other obligations. Matt Hart and Paul Terranova were not to be found either so I found myself with two of the World’s best MUT (Mountain, Ultra, Trail Runners). I tried to hide my nervous excitement as we began our run. I don’t run with my Polar much but Max activated his GPS Polar as Sage finished his banana. An easy run for them is a borderline tempo workout for me. We ran and talked. To run with the future legends of our sport is humbling, but very fun. Less than 48 hours previous after arriving at Camp Eagle I had the chance to run with another up and coming superstar, Zach. Zach just lost his USATF 50 Mile Road National Championship to Salomon’s Matt Flatherty a month ago but followed it up with one of the fast 50 Mile times ever in Chicago only thirteen days later! Zach and I discussed our interest in chasing a fast hundred mile time in the near future.

There are numerous other fun stories from this weekend I can tell about my interaction with the other elites at the camp but the true heros are the men and women who we were there to serve who served our country. Men and women like Roy P. himself a veteran and the other 100 Team RWB members. The weekend was incredible. It was an inspiration. An honor. Fun. It was also hard emotional work leading numerous runs a day with a picture of my father, a Navy veteran, in my pocket. Group C Leader and my good friend from Arizona Jay Danek had lost his father a few years back but had used that loss to jump start his life into a healthy inspiration for others. Now a best selling author, Jay knew I needed a hug and some “alone me” time during the weekend to properly mourn my father’s passing.

The Unicorn and AC100 Champion Dominic Grossman had also recently lost his dad but neither one of us talked about it to each other until he boarded the bus Monday and we hugged. Dom adding the phrase we will both join Jay in living our lives by now: ” honor the memory.”

The weekend had so many other fun times on the trails, in the kids camp style mess halls, and by the camp fire. Meredith Terranova oversaw a healthy hearty menu the kept the close to 200 participants fueled. Sunday’s evening obstacle course again proved to be the highlight of fun and laughter. I again kept the waters of the Neuces River at Camp Eagle safe as I served as a lifeguard.

The men and women who attended the camp were not all veterans. Some like my good buddy Kino from NYC represent the excitement of trail running community RWB was looking to involve it’s veterans in. Others like my good amigo Todd, himself a Navy vet, from Seattle were there to support, learn, and follow a passion for the outdoors. From San Francisco, to Fort Hood, to Nebraska, to West Point, Danbury, and Phoenix over 27 chapters of RWB’s sixty nation wide were represented!

As I found out a month ago when my father died and ten years ago when I lost my fiancée we won’t live forever but there are things we can do in this world that will carry on long past our time here. Team RWB Trail Running Camp will be one of those endeavors that I will forever be proud to be associated with as I move on to my future adventures.

As I board another flight for Costa Rica’s La Ruta and my own race Saturday I truly am inspired, honored, and nervous to say that I will probably not be at Team RWB Trail Running Camp in 2014. Liza Howard and her crew will replace me with another worthy mentor as I have been challenged by founder Team RWB Mike Erwin to help take part in another mission to serve our nation’s veterans. I am going to call on all of you who read this to help support us next year as we undertake RWB’s journey to move one American flag from Coast to Coast. It might be joining us for a mile if you live on the course, it might be spreading the word if you are far away, or it might be running through the night with me sometimes so that we can reach the most veterans in the time we have. As we carry the stars and strips from sea to shining sea in the Old Glory Coast to Coast Relay we are going to spread the mission of RWB throughout this amazing country that our Veterans have kept free for us.

Life in the Fast Lane; East Coast Marathon, Memories, & Mourning

As I jogged through Central Park on a dark and cold ING NYC Marathon morning it occurred to me that perhaps the last time I was in a similar position in Manhattan was over a dozen years ago when I was almost a hundred pounds heavier. My first race was New Years Eve 2000 when my sister and I rang in 2001 with thousands of other New Yorkers at New York Road Runners’ Midnight Run. It was so cold that night the sparkling cider on course froze! I had no idea at the time that ten months later my second marathon would be the incredibly emotional post 9-11 NYC let alone that a decade later I would win my first USATF 100 Mile National Championship.

October was a bizarre month for my family, me, and my running. It was bittersweet to be back on the East Coast with my family. We celebrated the marriage of my cousin Becky only to put my father on hospice and mourn his passing a couple weeks later. I ran but I wasn’t able to race. I am familiar with loss and death. Losing my father though was different because he was around since as long as I can remember. He nicknamed me the “Champ” when my head, not the ego I have now, was so big the obgyns had to use forceps to pull me out. The most painful part wasn’t my own grief but having to watch my sisters lose daddy and my mother lose her husband.

I skipped UROC: Ultra Race of Champions to spend time with my father. I ran every day, sometimes twice. I needed the runs. Barefoot speed sessions on the high school soccer field across from my father’s nursing home and exploring the trails of Tarrrywilde manor in Danbury allowed me to be happy and present for my father and sisters. My dad and I listened to Reggae music and Ian Corless’ Talk Ultra program. Memories of those weeks are precious as the beautiful autumn weather cooperated with our pizza picnics so my nieces could enjoy time with Papa Ed. I will always remember my dad as the ambitious happy father who hiked into the Grand Canyon with me as a kid with no plan as to how hard the hike up would be. When his blood sugar dropped I had to run ahead to get him some orange juice and candy bars.

The irony that I was running at the moment, 8:01 am, my father took his last breath isn’t lost on me. I didn’t know at the time as I was only at mile 9 of West Virginia’s Freedom Run Marathon. The federal government shutdown forced Mark and his crew to modify their course. The double out and back run was not as historic or scenic as the course where I won my 2010 Road Runner’s Club of America West Virginia State Marathon Championship but it did allow runners to support each other. Wardian won and I ran solid at a pace I planned to use the next weekend in Pennsylvania at the USATF (USA Track & Field) 50 Mile Road National Championship. After a week of services and tears though I could not bring myself to race Tussey Mountainback. Instead of lacing up my flats and trying to better my 2010 silver medal 5:52 performance on a faster course I supported my family and watched my niece sing her first song in choir at church, this little light of mine. I am glad I decided to sit out. Family comes first.

The week leading up to the Marine Corps Marathon was refreshing but also emotionally draining. Peter Zander’s film crew picked me up for shooting pre dawn. Experiencing the behind the scene making of an artistic driven piece of my experiences through a cinematographer’s eye was emotional. Visiting the places Jen and I called home with a camera following me around was strange but I feel Peter’s story will inspire. Allowing him access to my soul and memories though was exhausting emotionally as the wall I build up through running was torn down. To Peter’s credit his professionalism shown through as he confirmed my availability in the midst of our mourning.

Working with Team Red, White, & Blue was also a healing process for me after my father’s death. After clearing out my father’s room at the nursing home I got to run with members of the CT chapter and a few days later participate in a Row-a-thon. The chance to cheer runners on in our Nation’s capital was a huge motivation. Having marines on the course handing out water and thanking us for running was very special. The morning after as I jogged through Georgetown I teared up a bit. I remembered how my dad and I traveled together looking at colleges when I was seventeen ultimately deciding on College Park. My father was a rock for me in my early years of my life. He was a role model to me the way he balanced family and career. “It ain’t fair you died to young” are the words of a country song that resonates in my heart.

A visit to the Arlington National Cemetery to pay my respects to my father’s parents was followed by a tour of the Under Armour headquarters on Baltimore’s Harbor with Gabe, my Team USA teammate from 2011 & 2013. After a late lunch where I tasted some delicious pumpkin beers we headed up to the lake in Pennsylvania. A good nights rest in the peace and quiet of the country at the lake house was followed by a chilly morning run on the frost covered trails and dirt roads. An afternoon with my nieces picking out their pumpkins for Halloween ended a great weekend a very special friend, my Barbie Doll 🙂

When an alarm goes off at three in the morning something big is happening. I have run enough races and done enough shift work in my life to almost be tuned out to the early mornings, but when the chance to run with Team RWB’s founder arises you can’t help but be fired up. Ten pre dawn miles out and back over the Bear Mountain Bridge from West Point was a great way to start the day. We talked about Team RWB’s growth and mission to enrich the lives of America’s veterans through healthy physical and social activity. Trail Running Camp in Texas and the Old Glory Coast to Coast Relay were also topics as Mike Erwin’s contagious energy pumped me up enough to go visit and wake my sister before her classes. Later that night a very long day came to an end as we paid our respects to my sister’s best friend’s father who also passed on. After as I shared a drink with my best friend Ray I realized how lucky and blessed I am to have such supportive friends and such an amazingly loving family.

Over a dozen years ago my baby sister, Cynthia, would wait for me on runs when I was overweight and out of shape. Both her and Jen were big reasons and inspirations I decided to take the necessary measures to improve my health at twenty two. The ING New York City Marathon week was amazing as always but maybe even more so because of Hurricane Sandy and the tragedy at the Boston Marathon in April. Thanks to Achilles International mand New York Road Runner’s Athletes with Disabilities program I had the chance to guide blind Chilean runner Christian on his tour of the big apple. The most memorable parts of my time with Christian wasn’t his incredible race day performance but the pre race perpetration. The guy can flat out run too as he dropped solid 6 min miles effortlessly through Brooklyn & Queens.

The expo was packed as I stopped by the Hoka One One and Polar Heart Rate Monitors booths. Dinner with Christian and his guides at the Achilles function was an incredible experience. Saturday morning came early as retired Marine Tim McCall gave me a ride back into Manhattan to join Team RWB NYC as the NYRR partnership was announced. Saturday afternoon my niece has another bouncy castle birthday fiesta, and by Saturday night as I tucked into bed for another three in the morning alarm I felt like I had already run the marathon.

I am off traveling again on what promises to be yet another epic adventure to Texas and Costa Rica for La Ruta. Two months on the east coast with my family and old friends was an experience and a journey in its own right. As I board another flight I wonder if my roots and the leaves from the trees here in the tri state area will bring me home for good? I am not sure if it is time to slow down my life in the fast lane but I know I will be back in time for the turkey and stuffing, and a certain special five year old has talked me into helping her open Santa’s presents after Christmas.

Back to Bridgeport

“UB!…. YOU KNOW!” is the Purple Knight motto. In 2009 because of the trust of my coach, Mike Ruane, I had the chance to serve as captain of the University of Bridgeport Cross Country Team. Coach Mike and I connected right off the bat in late 2008 when I inquired about the possibility of finishing my undergraduate degree in Connecticut’s largest city. My niece was born and my sister and brother in law asked me to be Emma’s godfather. Staying close to home was of the utmost importance to me when I was choosing which NCAA Division Two Program, to run for.

Today I had the pleasure and honor of returning to address and cheer on the current Purple Knight Cross Country Team. My father is dying so I guess reflection on my runs these days is normal and healthy. I dug out his Purple University of Bridgeport Dad T-shirt this afternoon and headed over to Hop Brook Lake where I met my old coach. In 2009 we raced a technical eight kilometer course where we had to jump the access fence on top of the Army Corp of Engineers’ Dam. Today the athletes from Bridgeport, Albertus, and Post only had to navigate a 5 K but I warned the guys it would hurt. Shorter races for me always do because you need to push the intensity.

Coach Mike asked me to say a few words to the team before they toed the line. He introduced me as a two time USATF National Champion and three time member of Team USA. Hearing him introduce me like that in front of the next generation of Purple Knights gave me a huge sense of pride. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he spoke about how together we had taken an offseason basketball fitness program into a legit running team. In 2009 we had Brian from Kenya, Rich and Vinny from Long Island, Omar of Latin descent from the baseball team, Elie from Egypt, Nico of Eastern Europe descent from the swim team, Jamal and Patrick from the basketball team, and Richie from Jamica. Today’s team was just as diverse but intensely connected. I told the guys to follow whatever passion they had in life and dream big. I shared with them the lessons they learn as part of a team will far outweigh any classroom knowledge their professors will teach them after they get out of school. I thanked Coach for the chance he took on me, and I told the guys to Run Strong!

2009

The teams ran great and fast. The UB Ladies Purple Knights won led by a freshman from NJ who won outright. Post beat the UB men’s team but individually the UB men took both second and sixth despite one of their best runners missing the meet for class.

After the guys finished I congratulated everyone and bid Coach Mike farewell. I am sure our paths will cross again someday soon. As I laced up my sneakers close to four years after I raced the trails the sun was setting. I thought of my father’s pain and suffering. I am grateful he taught me the value of hard work and dedication. My muscles are sore as my miles are increasing and my pace per mile is decreasing. I told my father this morning I am going to do something big for him athletically in his honor but he might not be around to hear me tell him the stories. I teared up this morning on my run as I thought of dedicating an undertaking to him after he passes on.

My sister explained to my niece, who will be five this month, that Papa Ed is sick and that the doctors cannot fix him. I am coming to grips with that fact myself as I run my miles in solitude. The leaves are changing here in the northeast as my daddy is entering the autumn of his time here on earth.

In 2009 everything that could go right athletically and academically for me did. I was accepted into medical school. I ran some fast hundreds. I dated a lawyer and an adventure journalist. I got a college degree. I worked for Donald Trump and didn’t get “fired.” I won some races. I was honored with endorsement deals from sponsors and voted 4th in Ultrarunning Magazine’s Ultrarunner of the Year Award.

The University of Bridgeport was a special time in my life. My senior year of college was perhaps the best year of my life thanks to people like Coach Mike. The diversity of Bridgeport prepared me tremendously for my travels and adventures in life. I am truly grateful to the school, my friends, and my family. I love you pops. U.B…. YOU KNOW!

Off to Run Free Soon…

Day two of hospice, palliative, end of life care in place for my father. Not much has changed yet in reality everything has. My dad has been sick for a long time now. More than half my life. Until yesterday morning I guess I thought the way ever son does about his father, that he would live forever. My dad always being present for the “wins and losses” in life has been a given. He will be gone soon. I am not sure how I am processing that. There will be no more transfusions, no more trips to the er or hospital, and no more ability for the marvels of modern medicine to save him.

As a medical student and EMT I know the truth of those facts means he won’t live much longer. Hospice is in place now to allow my father to pass with dignity. The advances of technology and pharmaceuticals in health care don’t always allow for that process. My classmates from medical school will not be able to provide care for him.

As a runner and son I know I again need to lace up my sneakers and get outside so that I can continue to support my family by being the strong, happy, and “filled with hopes and dreams” oldest son. However as I typed the email to Gil and Francesca today about my decision to skip UROC this weekend I realized those qualities I own are a little harder to find these days beneath the tears. The rocks, roots, and dirt on the trails are a bit more difficult to see with an over active lacrimal gland above each eye.

Life goes on. It always does. Maybe for my father he will soon to able to lace up his old football cleats and run alongside me. I would like to believe that he will be at peace soon in a way that we were when we used to run QB / receiver patterns when I was a child.