Change

C- Contemplate life. Concentrate on the present.
H- Happiness. Humility.
A- Answers. Adjustment. Alertness.
N- New life.
G- Gratitude. Grace.
E- Energy.

2012 is the year of change for me. Currently I am going through some significant changes in my life. The joy of running has given me ample time and thought to digest my situation and gain some clarity.

Life had become mundane. On its most basic level: eat, sleep, work, run, be with people. I needed more. I needed to get out of my comfort zone and routine. I needed to learn and try new things. I needed to lose myself in order to find more.

Two weeks ago I joined the National Guard. A choice that will guide me for the next eight years. Many friends and family have asked, "Why?" In no specific order I answer: to serve my country/community, to be part of a team, to experience a different culture, to learn a new trade, to honor my grandparents and other relatives that have served, to find new purpose, to earn extra income, and to improve the number of push-ups I can do.

In July I ship out to basic training for 10 weeks. Originally I had planned on running Salida and Zane Grey before Western States. With the change came another change; my race schedule. With various weekend trainings before BT I am looking at Cheyenne Mtn 50K and Quad Rock 50M. States will be a race to celebrate; marking the transition into a new phase of life. After boot camp and once I get some miles under my belt I want to jump into 1-2 more races before years end.

I have been grateful for the support from family, friends, and the folks at Montrail and Mountain Hardwear during this time of shaking things up! With all the change running has been great to process and stabilize each day. When the voice of change began to whisper, three things I learned: Answer it. Let go. Move forward.

2011 Review, Genesis 2012

Welcome to 2012. A New Year, a new beginning. Here's what my last year of running consisted of:

Miles: 3386.5 Per week: 65.1 Per day: 9.27 Per run: 11.1
Time: 525:40 Per day: 1.4 Per run: 1.7
304 days of running, 61 days off

Jan: 411.3 mi, 0 days off. Feb: 319.4 mi, 0 days off. Mar: 337.1 mi, 3 days off. Q1: 1067.8 mi, 3 days off
Notes: Ran half of my races for 2011 in the first 3 months of the year- 4 5K's, 1 4M, 1 10K, 1 50K+
Motivation for running was at an all time high. I started running with the Montrail Team. I was unemployed at the time which led to running during the best times of the day on my favorite trails for however long I wanted to go. As cool as it sounds it is not sustainable and was a stressful time during the job search. Running was an outlet and stress relief. I must have been REALLY stressed in January; I raced 4 times and ran the most miles I ever have in a month. Megan and I moved back to Fort Collins from Gunnison to add to the many changes kicking off 2011.

Apr: 347.6 mi, 2 days off. May: 327.2 mi, 4 days off. Jun: 239.2 mi, 7 days off. Q2: 914 mi, 13 days off
Notes: I ran great at American River and awesome at Collegiate Peaks. Coincidentally, I peaked at CP. I have never run with such rhythm and ease during a race like I did at CP. Going into Pocatello I was fried and fatigued and ground out a finish. I tried to rest and recover as best I could before States. I was having an ok race when the unexpected led to a DNF. The short of it: poison oak/ivy won round 1 by KO. Humility before honor.

Jul: 274 mi, 4 days off. Aug: 293 mi, 9 days off. Sep: 96.2 mi, 21 days off. Q3: 663.2 mi, 34 days off
Notes: July and August were my favorite months of running. I got back to my roots and what brought me to this sport in the first place; running high peaks with friends. Loved it. These outings led to and inspired me to run Longs as fast as I could. Leadville was my redemption race for the year. I got the 100 mile monkey off my back and didn't come completely unglued during the last 30 miles. Steamboat was run on grit. I was beat up going in and beat down after. More than half of September's mileage was run through the toughest conditions I've ever raced in; thanks for the company Geoff.

Oct: 213.3 mi, 4 days off. Nov: 275.3 mi, 2 days off. Dec: 252.9 mi, 5 days off. Q4: 741.5 mi, 11 days off
Notes: Worked out most of the accumulated Old Man issues after a long season of fun running and racing. Great company and culminating long run at Chubby Cheeks. Tuesday night track and tempeh sessions begin alongside Thursday night tempeh and non Towers weeks.

Races: 14. 1 win. 1 CR. 7 podiums. 455 race miles. $1031.25 in entry fees.

Peaks: FC Area- Round Mtn: 4, Crosier Mtn: 2, Grey Rock: 2, Horsetooth: 9, Arthur's Rock: 27, Towers Rd: 11
RMNP- Longs: 2, Alice, Chiefs Head, McHenry's
Indian Peaks/Boulder- Sanitas, Sawtooth, Algonquin, Buchanan, Audubon: 2, Notabon, Pawnee, Toll, Paiute
Other 13ers- Matterhorn, Mascot, West Elk Peak Almost- Point 12,964
Other 14ers- Redcloud, Sunshine, Handies, Wetterhorn, Uncompahgre, Yale

Strength: 6,830 Pushups. 14,420 Crunches/Core. 2066 Pullups.

2012 News: Ran the New Year's Day 5K in 17:25 taking home the Bronze. Felt good to dust off the 5K legs. Not bad for January. Michael Jackson took the Gold with Towers Sam Malmberg earning Silver even after racing New Year's Eve as well!

Last but not least: Many people had a good chuckle when I told them my New Year's Resolution was to START drinking. Well it is official. I am fully resolved for 2012. After 367 days I tasted that sweet nectar once again. Once the track workout was complete Brian, Grant, and I toasted with a Longs Peak Raspberry Wheat. Here's to a happy and healthy New Year!

Competitive Eating and Ultrarunning

Lately a few of us in Fort Collins have been running and sharing many tempeh burgers together at Avo's. Amongst our many conversations is that of competitive eating. For some strange reason I've been intrigued, mortified, and brought to my knees in laughter when watching people take on eating challenges. Over the last few years I've enjoyed hearing the stories of Fast Ed and Team CRUD in action. When you mix fast running and eating a lot of food the results yield comedy.

Our inaugural event began modestly with the Saltine Challenge. It appears terribly easy but has left the largest egos wishing for a larger salivary gland. Results below:

Burch-DNF
Clark-DNF
Jones-DNF
Marks-DNF
Stefanovic-DNF

After being consumed by the jaws of defeat we got serious. To achieve glory one must think, train, and apply that body of work to a given task. Stefanovic began breaking breaking it down through the laws of engineering. Marks began to channel his inner eater. Jones began experimenting with hydration levels. Clark gave up; stymied by weak salivary gland output. I simply instigated and encouraged the team to achieve greatness.

Once the rigorous training period was complete we learned a few things. 1. Get hydrated! All cells need the max amount of water to allow full salivary gland functioning. 2. Two saltines at a time. The buddy system is tried and true. No lonely crackers for this challenge. 3. Look at the others around the table. Do you trust them? If you bite off more than you can chew who can provide CPR or the Heimlich?

The data was tallied and on his second attempt a victor emerged. I'm proud to announce that my taller, faster, curly haired younger brother took the crown! As I write this he is currently preparing to shock the world by dethroning the current champ and CR holder at the upcoming VBM in December. He's been studying tape and learning tips from Joey "The Jaws" Chestnut.

My best guess is that ultrarunning and competitive eating have a lot more in common in their collective communities than most of us might think. Ultrarunners don't bat an eyelash when discussing the latest 100 mile race they completed while eavesdroppers appear slightly shocked. It has to be eerily similar when a competitive eater talks strategy after putting down 77 pieces of pizza in 10 minutes. With Thanksgiving around the corner take the time to eat and be merry. Don't fret- with Chubby Cheeks sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas there's ample opportunity to regain that pre-Holiday figure. Time to eat and run!

Steamboat Survivor

Photo: Jesse Malman

Photo: Dylan Bowman

"The mountains win again." John Popper of Blues Traveler sang about the truth that most of us forgot at this years Run Rabbit Run Steamboat 50. The size of any ego can be crushed in the blink of an eye in the mountain environment...tread lightly, and remember your coat! Crazy, epic weather that hits the fan tends to be the nightmare of most race directors I've spoken with. Then add to the equation that this weather is nuking above 10,000 feet and doesn't care if you're prepared or not. It cannot be harnessed, tamed, or caged; it voraciously yells, "Winter is coming!"

I had the audacity to run this race in shorts, shirt, arm warmers, and gloves...and I thought I had overdressed for the day. The night before I debated on going with a singlet and shorts. Thanks to the sage advice from my mother and friends I chose to bundle up. This decision probably saved my race. The minimal ounces that covered my arms and hands were worth their weight in gold! The forecast called for temps in the 40's-60's with a 50% chance of scattered showers throughout the day. I need to mention this forecast was for Steamboat proper- not the mountains high above Steamboat!

Last Saturday was the toughest conditions I've raced in. In 2009 I shivered my way through the memorable Lake City 50 blizzard. The difference was the rain and huge wind gusts at Steamboat. Snow is much more tolerable than rain that soaks you to the bone. I like to go light and fast- especially in races- and I definitely walked the hypothermic line- allowing my big toe to spill across that muddy line ever so slightly at times. This was one to remember. A job well done to RD Fred Abramowitz and his INCREDIBLE volunteers who thoroughly treated many a hypothermic runner last Saturday. Adversity tests character. Huge congratulations to each finisher that got it done! Good call to each runner who knew when to say when...there's always another race. Thanks to all the volunteers, spectators, and runners who selflessly gave articles of clothing to others to make sure everyone remained safe. This was a testament to the quality of people who participate in this sport.

To the race... I knew coming into this one that I needed REST. I knew I didn't have the A Game or the B Game. I knew it was gonna hurt- it did. I knew I was gonna ache- I did. I knew it was going to be a grind- it was...more than I expected. I just wanted to race with what I had and let the cards fall where they may. So why race? I asked myself this question many times before toeing the line. The answer was not an epiphany or a revelation. It was simple. I wanted to have a fun weekend in the mountains of Steamboat with Megan, my mom, friends, and I really like the singletrack section of this race. And running is all about streaks so I had to make it 5 for 5 at Run Rabbit Run.

The race opens with a 3500 foot climb over 6 miles. It was a muddy start with the worst of it closest to the Start/Finish line. I ran steady on this and watched Horsecow, Bonnet, Zeke, El Jefe, and Fanselow glide above me. Towards the top my friend and training partner and master of all things baked joined me for some brief conversation and then cruised by. Once I hit the summit I got really excited for the upcoming 15 miles of posh singletrack. When you know your day is going to be a grind you gotta run to your strengths. With this said I let gravity take hold of me as I simply leaned forward and let the legs spin down the trail. Running downhill, especially on singletrack is just SO fun to me. A few minutes later I found myself in 1st. I had to see what the legs had in them. It was one of those days as I felt like I was at mile 70 in a 100 miler when it was mile 9. Uh-oh!

Zeke and I ran together for a few miles before the AS at 13. At one point I slipped and fell because of the banana peel mud- Zeke was right there to help me get back on my feet. Right before the aid I could hear El Jefe closing the gap on Zeke and I. At the 13 AS I was a bit surprised when they asked to see my identification. After a moment of hesitation the light bulb came on and I proceeded to pull out my wallet with the requisite License to Grind. After inspection they let me continue...minutes after Zeke and El Jefe were waived through. At first I thought it was my beard that got me held up at the checkpoint for random inspection...how did El Jefe sneak through? He's got a beard...must of been the curly hair.

That's the thing when you're grinding. You know you're moving less than ideal but it's discouraging as the runners in front of you get further and further ahead until out of sight. At about 15 Fanselow and I ran a few miles together which made it clip along. Through Dumont at 22 I moved into 3rd with a no hassle transition at the checkpoint. However, Fanselow was stopped for wearing some unidentifiable upper body accoutrements. Once he explained it was for a Braveheart reenactment they let him go- with chants of "Wallace, Wallace!" echoing through the trees.

Photo: Dylan Bowman

Soon thereafter Bill passed me again and we made our way up to the base of the Rabbit Ears. At the turn Zeke and El Jefe were a few minutes up and they slid down the mud glissade highway on the return trip to Dumont. I scratched the ears and then began the 1st aching descent of the day. By this point the legs were deep fried lead- the heavy of heavies. On the way down I could hear Bonnet catching up and Bill getting smaller and smaller out in front of me. At the aid I thought about grabbing my Geist vest on a number of occasions but decided to go without it because it was only sprinkling and I didn't want to get too hot.

This is where the fun begins. About 5 minutes later it started raining. Hard. I wonder how long this will last- it's probably just passing by- I can handle an hour or two in the rain- the sun will be out before I know it. (Insert awesome foresight comment here.) A few minutes later I saw Geoff running towards me with a few other runners who were headed to Dumont. He had camped out the night before and was getting in a pre UROC training run. It was unexpected and fun to see him so we started down the trail catching up a bit talking about the mountains, running, racing and other fun pursuits. During this time Bonnet and I began leapfrogging each other. I was defenseless at this point- One Gear McGee making his way down the trail. My legs were pretty gone. I showed Geoff this as I caught a toe and Supermanned into some mud. Aerobically it was a walk in the park. The pace was so casual I could easily converse with James and Geoff. The legs were cooked. Around 35 James stopped to pee and the hypothermia hit him in less than a minute. It was really cold.

Everything on me was soaked. Then the winds picked up. The trail began to resemble a stream. Everytime my foot splashed in the water I felt a wave of cold ascend up my leg to the top of my head. Stopping meant immediate hypothermia. My forehead was so cold it was perma brain freeze. My intellectual capacity went down a few notches and the reptilian brain took over. Just keep moving...just keep moving. At the 37 AS I filled my bottle, grabbed a few chews and was shivering pretty good in only 10 seconds of not running. Geoff and I got out of there! At this point we decided that staying together would be the smart thing to do in the interest of safety. It was great to have the company- sometimes it's easier to suffer with others.

Every now and then I would let out a few guttural man noises hoping these yells and angry bursts would warm me. They did not. The interesting thing is they gave me a sense of control over the situation. If I could yell out I knew I was fighting and alive- not giving in to the wet cold fog that was trying to envelope me. I began looking forward to the climbs. During these moments I could generate a smidgen of heat with the increased effort. On numerous occasions we felt like it was letting up and that the sun was just around the corner. "Come on sun!" was my battle cry. Our hopes would be up for a minute and then it would start nuking harder. More rain. Bigger wind gusts. And wait- there's now sleet and snow! Terrific. My favorite part was running through the open meadows with a 30MPH headwind hitting me full on while the rain poured. Mile 41 seemed to be the weather climax of wind, snow, and rain that effortlessly swirled through us.

Once we hit the top I knew I was home free. Six miles and a 3500 foot descent on a cruiser dirt road was all that separated me from hot pizza and a hot shower. Game on! Over the past few years this descent has taken me between :38-:42 minutes depending on how hard I'm pushing. This year was just shy of 1 hour! Needless to say I hurt. I ached. My left hamstring was really pissed at me. It was pathetic. And I was warming up! Over the course of the descent it warmed up 10-15 degrees as we neared 7000 feet. I was beginning to feel "normal" again. Despite moving like OMB I was thrilled that the end was near. It was awesome sharing some unique trail time with Geoff.

The finish line crowd started yelling at us to run faster. They saw one guy gimping his way in while the other was non-chalantly jogging just behind him. This was for the last spot at States! Were they gonna tie? Before the chute Geoff peeled off as I finished in what I thought was 4th place. "Who dropped?" I then learned that the hypothermia hit Bill around mile 37. The weather got the best of us today. The mountains win again.

After putting down a few piping pieces of pizza I made my way to the hotel to take the longest hottest shower ever. Amen.

Thoughts on Steamboat

L to R: McHenry's and Arrowhead

L to R: Longs, Pagoda, Chiefs Head, Spearhead (center)

Looking down on the Arrowhead Arete

Steamboat is a special race for me in many ways. Back in 2008 it was the site of my first ultra win. It was a well earned W as Clark, Trapp, and myself went through the AS shoulder to shoulder at mile 37. Clark surged around 39- I thought he was gone- but he came back to me and I leapfrogged him around mile 42, grunted up the last climb, bombed the final 3000 foot descent and finished with a smile and some aching legs.

Steamboat is also a time to remember. During the inaugural run in 2007 I met Matt Morrill and Jenna Gruben. Jenna and I were the back to back winners in 2008 and 2009. I can vivdly remember the picture of Matt embracing Jenna at the finish line which made the paper the following morning celebrating her win and the couples upcoming trip to Nepal. Tragically, Jenna was not able to run in the physical form last year. It is her spirit which now resides over the course and reminds us to enjoy these beautiful trails and remember what is truly important.

I love Colorado trail running in the fall. It's a time to embrace the beauty of the high country before the snow drops and creates another majestic setting. This season is Colorado Soul Running time for me. All I want to do is run peaks, watch the leaves change, hear natures song, and feel the crisp air on my face. Despite the engaged senses I still forget how special the Colorado mountains are. Last Sunday all I wanted to do was stay on the summit and let the views speak to me about life. I've been up Glacier Gorge a half dozen times or so and it still continues to impress me.

Since Leadville my body has been needing major rest. I had a left knee and hamstring issue that eventually worked itself out. At one point I seriously considered not starting this one. I've gone back and forth with myself about smelling the wildflowers on this one and racing/grinding it out. I needed a test run to gauge my confidence to start. McHenry's gave me the confidence to start- how fast I run will be the big question. This one will be on base fitness. Since Leadville I've logged 59.4 miles in 10 runs. My long run was 12.2 miles. I've gone on 6 bike rides ranging from :50-1:40. I went on 2 hikes adding up to 14 miles. This is where I'm at. Saturday will be fun despite the outcome. This post may affect the odds :)

Leadville 2011: Proud of a PR

First some pics.
This year at Leadville was another stepping stone for me. 100 milers are not my best distance by any means as most of you know. Because of this I have time and time again signed up for another one with the hopes of improving and learning from the beast. Throughout my trials and tribulations the beast has knocked me down, laughed at me, spit me out, and kicked dirt in my face. Each time in frustration I got up, said, "Never Again!" and then promptly gave the beast another $300. to kick my butt for another round. I am here to say that I beat the beast in this round and the saga will continue...There is a sense of satisfaction when a goal comes to fruition. It is even sweeter when it takes many attempts and failures for it to be realized. Running a strong second 50 had eluded me for 5 years and 7 different 100 mile races. Here's the beating I endured for the first 7 rounds:

Round 1: Leadville 2007- 28:18, Went out in 10, back in 18, walked the last 30, survived my first 100!
Round 2: Leadville 2008- 26:58, Went out in 9, back in 18, walked the last 30 (injury), never again!
Round 3: Hardrock 2009- DNF 42M, Nothing in the legs, chose not to walk 58 miles for 30+ hours
Round 4: Leadville 2009- 20:51, Went out in 8:30, back in 12:30, HUGE improvement, know I can do better for future races.
Round 5: Grand Mesa 2010- 23:26, 1st 50=8, 2nd 50=15.5, 5-7 bonus miles, epic, walked at least 20.
Round 6: Ozark Trail 2010- 21:49, 1st 50=8, 2nd 50= 14, didn't eat enough first half, fell off the wagon
Round 7: Western States 2011- DNF 70M, Severe poison oak/ivy reaction constricting airway, so random!

Round 8: Leadville 2011- 18:35, Went out in 8, back in 10:35, not bad, still room to improve :) Long overdue!
Round 8 was different. I finally gave the beast a taste of his own medicine. In the epic battle of Ryan vs. The Beast the 8th round goes to Ryan! TMI: In a weird way I feel like this post is turning into a Man vs. Food episode...Adam Richman and I have so much in common!

Drove up to Leadville Friday morning with Doug and took care of all the mandatory meetings and checkin. Pitched the tents and cooked dinner at Dooper's pad. Crawled into the sleeping bag around 9PM and slept between the storms until 3AM. At 4 we were running. It started off like a training run with the boys. Crackin' jokes, catching up, and endearingly teasing Callahan, Parr, and Bowman. I asked DC if his baby daughter had been starting out with bottles of Ultragen. Without skipping a beat he calmly said, "No, but she really likes the Optagen." I knew it was going to be a fun day.

Through Mayqueen there was a train of 7 with Arnstein and Brooks a few minutes up. Coming into Fish Hatchery it was Arnstein, Parr, Bowman, Sandes, and myself. Arnstein gapped the rest of us on the road while I eventually caught back up to the other 3 on the singletrack before Twin Lakes. Leaving Twin Lakes it was shoulder to shoulder with Parr and D-Bow with Sandes right behind us. Once we hit Hope Pass Parr and Sandes surged while Dylan and I hiked at a steady clip. Once we hit the Winfield road Parr and D-Bow slightly separated from me. Coming into Winfield Sandes was on his way out with Arnstein a few minutes back. Somewhere along the road Parr pulled over and I came into Winfield after Bowman in just under 8 hours. The return trip over Hope was hot and slow for me. The leaders were moving well while Parr was steadily catching me on the climb. Shortly after the Hopeless AS Parr passed me as I took in some extra fuel. On the descent I surprisingly passed Arnstein who had lost some time on the rocky downhill.

Back at Twin Lakes I took more time to refuel while Arnstein went through with a quick transition. Twin Lakes was encouraging as I got to see my family for the second time and pick up my friend and pacer Bryan Goding for the last 40 miles. By now I was sick of sugar. This has happened to me at other 100's- I simply get to the point where anything sweet becomes despised. The plan now was to eat the nonsweet options at the AS and TRY to stomach enough sweet death to get me to the next AS in one piece. BG and I got into rhythm and steadily started moving down the trail. Miles 65-75 were definitely my low of the race. Ironically I passed Arnstein while running down some smooth buffed out singletrack before we hit the road that would lead to the Halfpipe AS. When I got to Halfpipe I had my doubts- it felt like so many other Leadville moments. Mile 70 and I feel like crap. I began wondering how many miles of the last 30 I would be walking. Mile 70 is one of the biggest mental hurdles for me in a 100. I will be having a decent go and then get hammered. At the AS I sat down and began to refuel. Lots of watermelon, lots of potato soup, some oatmeal. I really was hoping for mashed potatoes but Hopeless was the one and only chance. During my feed Arnstein came through with Gorman seconds back. Gorman was licking his chops as he devoured all the roadkill he ran over.

After the feed I began walking. Solids take longer to hit the blood stream- once they did I started to trot and then jog and then run. At this point I was trying to avoid another 100 mile blowup. BG kept encouraging me to eat, drink, and care for myself. With each 5 calorie hit of Gu I would nearly vomit. It was the last thing I wanted to do but knew I had to. Get the cals down the hatch! It was a nauseous cycle but worked to get me into the next AS.

At Fish Hatch my spirit came back. Coming into the aid I got to see Doop, and Meg, and Scott, and then three women jumping up and down chanting, Burch! Burch! Burch! Was I hallucinating? As I drew closer I identified the one in the middle being Liz Drum. The other two were bundled up enough identification was impossible. I got into the AS and was greeted by my family. Fueled up, geared up, and was on my way. Upon exiting Fish Hatch Duncan was coming in.

A few miles up Powerline he made the pass climbing steady and strong. I asked him if this was going to be like our 2007 Moab Red Hot race where we constantly leapfrogged each other. He mentioned something about my propensity for downhill running. At the top of the pass I showed BG where I proposed to Megan. Special memories. In 2008 I was at the same spot at midnight! Such a different perspective seeing it in the light. BG and I kept motoring and came into Mayqueen feeling strong and ready to put this race to bed.

I eased off the emotional thinking and logically thought, "Stop and eat, you will run out of gas if you don't. I then saw DC exit once he heard me enter Mayqueen. The drama around Turquoise was starting to unfold! After a few cups of soup I rallied BG and we began the ending. Once we hit the singletrack we donned the headlamps. 15 minutes later Jeff Browning blew past me like I was standing still. This was the work of a Professional Closer- really cool to see firsthand. 30 minutes later I saw headlamps in front of me, as I neared it turned out to be DC. I encouraged him and moved forward. 15 minutes later I saw more headlamps. Really surprised when I saw it was Parr. Wished him the best and kept on. During our time around the lake it was all about the present moment. Don't worry what's ahead or what's behind- run simply in the moment. With the Zen Master by my side all I had to do was put one foot in front of the other. BG was my own Mr. Meyogi. "Ryan san, don't worry about the lights and cheering at Tabor, focus only on your breath and the step in front of you." Needless to say we had some good laughs in the present moment. A few times I focused a little too hard on the step in front of me as I would catch a toe and nearly yardsail into the lake. Thankfully my sensai said it was because of my core training that I remained upright.

Another cool experience was hearing all the cheers as we ran by all the campsites. By the time I finished other Leadvilles all these people were sleeping. Really cool to have all this positive energy hit me after 90+ miles of running. As we descended baby powerline I saw a headlamp. "Who is that?" I inquired. "Jeff's pacer" was the solemn response. Jeff was running well to say the least! After the flats we came upon the Boulevard. One last climb and I'd be home. Awesome to run 90% of this. BG would turn off his lamp and look backwards just in case we encountered some stealth boulevard creepers. At mile 97 I knew I had to eat one last time. I so wanted to run the tank out but knew better. I got a Blok down and almost lost it. For the last 37 miles I had been walking the puke line ever so close. Thought it was going to happen right then and there. Nada tostada. I kept moving feeling terrible. Soon after I saw the lights and the finish. I saw the clock- wanted to go sub 18:36 because 18:35 looks so much sexier. Ramped up the intensity, thanked BG for a great time, and put the head down until I crossed the line in 18:35:42.

Immediately upon finishing I doubled over while some photographer took picture upon picture of me bent over at the waist looking at the ground with a wry and pale pre puke smile on my face. The extra push at the end did me in. I managed to walk over to the scale for my final weigh in and then into the food tent. I felt horrible but knew I needed to eat and start the recovery. I spoke with Browning a few minutes with my face white as a ghost. I tried a sip of soup. Tasted terrible. Told everyone I was going to the med tent.

Once in the med tent I sat down on a cot and told them I was about to puke. They handed me a bowl. Staring at the yellow plastic I began to spin. Finally it began. I started dry heaving from the depths of my soul. Heave after heave and nothing was coming out. Thought I was having an oral alien birth. Finally, the one sip of soup I had came out. Felt so much better! It was kind of pathetic the low volume I put out. Was really hoping for some large projectile foreign object to emerge. It was out and I felt great. The eyes stopped watering and I decided to get in the sleeping bag and lay in the cot for awhile. 40 some minutes later Parr came to the tent and hopped into his own sleeping bag and cot next to mine. His wife took a picture of the two of us all cozy in the med tent. Can't wait to see it! Priceless...

Ultrarunning is inherently a selfish endeavor. With that said I need to thank a number of people for their support, encouragement, time, money, and understanding that brought me through this race and the time to train.

THANK YOU: Megan, Mom, Dad, Bridgett, Nate, Bryan, Doug, Kir, Chris, Jan, Damby, Scott, Liz, Bill, and any others I'm forgetting in this moment. Really grateful for the friendship in each of you.

SHOUT OUTS: D-BOW, super impressive! Keep doing what you're doing, really fun to watch your progression. Doug, another PR...you are a runner you know!? Aaron Marks and Brendan Trimboli- this is only the beginning, enjoy the journey.

Up and down: The account of recent summits, ridges, and valleys

The East Face of Mount Alice

The sunlight shows the way on Alice's Hourglass Ridge

Summit of Chiefs Head with Longs, Meeker and Pagoda behind me

Looking down at Blue Lake from Mt. Toll

On the East Ridge of Pawnee Peak

Megan glissading during the descent of Bill Weber Peak


Life has its shares of ups and downs. Lately I've encountered both in my personal life and running. When I'm going through a tough time, running in the mountains has brought stability, perspective, and the necessary processing to face the challenges that cross my path. Recently I've had the opportunity to explore some new peaks in RMNP and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I am constantly refreshed, inspired, and leveled by the mountain beauty that calls out to be explored. Life is better above the trees; growth occurs when I apply what I've seen and learned on the mountain and take that knowledge and experience to the valley.

July 27: Longs Peak (14,255) Keyhole Route, 3:41, 2:01 ascent. Recon mission to check if and how much snow in the trough. Totally clear, going to give the FKT of 3:35 a shot in the near future.

July 30: 1. Sawtooth Mtn (12,304) 2. Algonquin (12,574) 3. Buchanan Peak aka Bill Weber Peak (12,391) Started at Middle St. Vrain TH, ascended Buchanan Pass, up Sawtooth, ridge to Algonquin, ridge to Bill Weber, descend to Red Deer Lake (3 sweet glissades!), Buchanan Pass Trail.

August 1: 1. Mt. Notabon (12,706) 2. Mt. Audubon (13,223) Started at Mitchell Lake TH. Out and back via Mt. Audubon Trail.

August 3: 1. Pawnee Peak (12,943) 2. Mount Toll (12,979) Started at Long Lake TH. Up Pawnee Pass Trail, ridge to Pawnee Peak, ridge to Mount Toll, descend to Blue Lake, Mitchell Lake Trail to TH, brief paved section to Long Lake TH.

August 5: 1. Mount Alice (13,310) 2. Chiefs Head Peak (13,579) Started at Wild Basin TH. Up to Thunder Lake, ascend Boulder/Grand Pass, ridge to Alice, descend Hourglass Ridge, ridge up to Chiefs Head, descend back to the Chiefs Head/Alice col, cross country down to Thunder Lake, back to Wild Basin.

August 6: 1. Mascot Peak (13,435) 2. Mount Yale (14,196) Started at Avalanche Gulch TH. Up Avalanche Gulch, up Yale's east ridge, descend ridge to saddle and up Mascot Peak's north ridge, up to summit, back to Yale's east ridge, summit, descend to Denny Creek TH, road back to Avalanche Gulch TH.