Single track savage

Well, I fell way short of my goal for this weekend’s race.  I had a great big goal of 140 miles and ended up quitting at 118 miles. The weather this year at the Aslinger 12/24 hour race was very tough!  Earlier this week I watched the weather bounce around from 10% to 20% to 30% to 20% to 40% in a roller coaster of emotions.  A few days before the race the forecast looked awesome with 40-50 degree temps, light wind of 4-7 mph and a 10-20% chance of rain.  The day before it was clear we were in trouble.  We got there a little after 6pm to unload and set up my spot. I paid some extra money for a very awesome VIP spot.  Marcy helped me strategically placed my coolers, clothes, electronics, changing tent, and nutrition.  We had cups with a concoction of Ucan, chia seed, coconut oil, and almond milk with an option of homemade chicken bone broth. We had a few minutes after setup to chat with some friends and fellow runners from around the area and fa...

The Aslinger 24-hour Endurance Race is almost here!  I have been focused on this race for months and have great big hairy audacious goals. Each day it gets closer the excitement builds.   I know some folks get nervous about racing, but I absolutely love it and can’t wait. April will bring another highly anticipated experience at the Boston Marathon, but I don't have much planned after that. I definitely had some setbacks in my training with pretty bad shin splints after my December 100 miler, but I am getting over them and feeling pretty good. Savage Doug took a new training strategy and slowed down a bit, which has really helped my body recover and heal.  Don't get me wrong though, my running partners won't have me lazily jogging around.  Training has included pacing Marcy for 30 miles in her 100 miler the fist of January, then running with Kelpe on his birthday for over 30 miles in the snow mid-January, ...

It has been a great and fun year. I think I should explain a few things though for those who don’t know me really well.  My wife Marcy says that I can take the fun out of anything.  I have come to realize that I find hard work to be fun.  I really enjoy misery, difficulty and suckedness. The other thing that tends to happen is the hijacking of a fun hobby and taking it to the most extreme level.  She likes to make out that this is a bad thing, but truth be known I think it might take the people in my life to new and awesome places that they wouldn’t get to without my influence.  I am currently writing this as I crew Marcy on another 100 miler…..hmmmmmmmmm That brings me to the title Single Track Savage.  This represents a few of the things I identify with.  Single track is of course a reference to running trails.  There is just something about the freedom of running on a trail and being in the woods.  This is something deep in who I am...

My single track mind led me on another adventure this past weekend We headed down to Louisiana for some running, swamps, alligators, great food, and lots of fun.  I looked at course elevations, you tube videos, and weather reports regularly. It was not a big race, but had some serious folks there.  The weather was absolutely beautiful with a start around 40 degrees and the sun peaking up over the horizon.  I took off a little fast as usual and realized I was running with the winner from last year, Ed Melancon, and ultra stud Kelly Agnew who has also won the race.  I went into this race with a goal around 18 hours, but had no idea what the course would be like.  They apparently put all the hills and roots in Louisiana around lake Chicot...maybe it wasn't that bad, but it was definitely tougher than I expected! It wasn't long and Ed pulled away and Kelly dropped back some leaving me to my thoughts and IPod until my wife Marcy joined me for the last 20 miles....