California Dreamin’
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 Posted in Story | No Comments »Well all the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray. I've been for a run, on a winters day. I'll be safe and warm, since I'm livin' north (way north) of LA, Cali Dreamin' on such a winter's day. Marcy ...
Respect For Shackelton
Sunday, January 10th, 2010 Posted in Story | 1 Comment »I "ran" - a better description is trudged - the annual G.A.C. FatAss 50K yesterday in Topsfield, MA. A 10K loop course that runs through scenic and serene Bradley-Palmer State Park, this edition was more challenging than most due to ...
Here We Go Again
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 Posted in Story | No Comments »If you have luck, embrace it, for it is fleeting Embrace I shall - and try to spread it around a little too. The short version is..... I was selected from the Western States 100 lottery and will be given another crack at ...
A Burning Desire To See If The Wheels Still Work
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »After Western I was beginning to wonder whether the wheels on the Diesel's chassis still had enough in them for a 100 miler. Sure, we can take day excursions up and down the hills on 50Ks and 50 milers. But ...
Diesel Derailed
Sunday, June 28th, 2009 Posted in Story | 6 Comments »I'm sitting here in Tahoe at 6am Sunday morning outside on our deck, pondering just what went wrong. This one in particular is going to take a while to process and come to grips with. There's still 5 hours to ...
Good Omen
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 Posted in Story | 1 Comment »Thanks to Audi and their new ad campaign. They're educating the world to a fact watchers of this blog have known all along - that a clean DIESEL is a good diesel. I plan to be doing my part on Saturday ...
Here We Go
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »My Polar watch/HR Monitor has a feature where you can program a message above the time that counts down to an event. My watch say, "3 WESTERN" - gulp. Lift off to see the sun again (how long has it been ...
Grandma, Western and the Armstrongs
Saturday, June 20th, 2009 Posted in Story | No Comments »Comparing this little romp through the woods I have scheduled for next Saturday to man's first step onto the moon courtesy of Neil Armstrong is like comparing a peck on the cheek from Grandma to your first real kiss. But ...
Hades, Halle and Tweet
Friday, June 12th, 2009 Posted in Story | No Comments »Our race numbers for Western were issued and mine is 171. Now the number 17 is apparently a pretty symbolic prime number with all sorts of religious and zodiac symbolism - at least according to some fairly whacked out web sites ...
Does the Gain Justify the Pain?
Friday, June 12th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »Training marches on. Am I nuts, or just a piece of sirloin? I'm in taper mode physically while I ramp up my mental preparation. I feel like a piece of meat being prepared for tenderizing. I'm thinking I should be rubbing ...
Vermont’s One And Only Roller Coaster
Sunday, May 31st, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »The great state of Vermont is famous for many features - the Green Mountains, maple syrup, bark-chewing, granola-chomping residents, corn mazes, of course Vermont Teddy Bears (couldn't pass up the opportunity for a product plug) and manure. But what one ...
What Goes Down, Will Come Up….Eventually!
Sunday, May 31st, 2009 Posted in Story | No Comments »After a month, the cone of silence has been lifted. My Achilles heel injury occurred on April 19th and since then, I've been experiencing my first true test of the thesis we grow wiser with age. 15 years ago I ...
Bette Davis Eyes, Johnny Drama Calfs
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »She'll tease you She'll unease you Just to please you She's got Bette Davis eyes Kim Carnes might have been referring to the Western trail when she groaned out this classic in 1981. But we're not talking eyes today, we're talking calfs - ...
DRB - Dirt Running in Boston
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 Posted in Story | No Comments »Actually, it's Don't Run Boston 50K - the 13th annual running of the Trail Animals Running Club's "alternative" to running the infamous marathon which runs the day after on Patriot's Day in Massachusetts. The DRB was conceived in 1996 when ...
Agony Of Da Feet Update!!
Monday, April 13th, 2009 Posted in Story | 2 Comments »As promised, and due to overwhelming demand and interest (you know who you are...."you" in the singular sense), here is the latest on my horrible, cruddy, gross, neglected ultra feet, post Tour de Western. To the left is Exhibit A, ...
Satisfaction
Sunday, April 5th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »With all due respect to Mick and the Stones, I can get satisfaction. It came in the form of Tour de Western - three spectacular weeks spend running the trails of the Western States and book ended by the Way ...
Week 2- Tour de Western
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »So the weather broke really fast - we went from snow squalls and 1.5 feet at 5,000' elevation to summer-like temps in the high 60s and 70s two days later - ah, Northern Cali - we love it! Notice the ...
Running From….And Into The Snow
Monday, March 23rd, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »Well I planned my Tour dee Western trip to Northern California to train on the Western course and get away from the snow upon which I've been running since November. The sight of seeing dirt under my feet on my ...
Tour DEE Western - Week 1
Friday, March 20th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »The Tour de Western ( pronounced "DEE" as Bob Roll of Tour de France broadcasting fame would say) got off to a great start - 80+ miles so far and counting - and quality miles they are!! The Way Too Cool ...
Very Cool
Friday, March 20th, 2009 Posted in Story, Training | No Comments »This past Thursday I began my West Coast swing to train on the Western course. I'll be in Auburn, California, staying, working and playing at my good friends the Edwards' home. They live 5 minutes from the trails and have ...