Category: Race Reports

I’ve journaled about my runs from 5K to ultramarathons. Some with shoes, some without shoes, and some in costume just because.

Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon: My first barefoot 26.2

November 19, 2012By y2kemo

Two runners post marathon — *My sister and I post marathon*

If you’re bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things, you don’t have enough goals.
Lou Holtz

At the beginning of the year I set a handful of running goals: run a 5K a month; set a new marathon PR; and run a barefoot half and full marathon. Up until this past weekend I’ve knocked out 10 of 12 5Ks via Anywhere5K, set a marathon PR in Chicago (3:31:25), and ran a barefoot half in Indianapolis.

Since the NYC Marathon fell through, I decided to make Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon my first barefoot marathon. As an added bonus, my sister was going to run with me, and I was going to help pace her to a new PR.

Army Ten-Miler: A barefoot warmup for the NYC Marathon

October 24, 2012By y2kemo

The Army Ten-Miler (ATM) is one of my favorite races to run. But don’t take my word for it. Registration for the ATM opened to the public on May 15 at midnight. Within 9 hours all 30,000 spots were filled.

Put on by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, the race starts and finishes at the Pentagon, passing by DC landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building.

I ran the race in 2006 (1:13:05) and again in 2011 (1:17:29). This year, because the NYC marathon is just 2 weeks after the ATM, I decided to hold back a little and use the race as a barefoot warmup.

Race Report: The 2012 Chicago Marathon

October 10, 2012By y2kemo

I’ve lived in a handful of places. Not quite as many places as I have been, man, but enough to provide a goal of running a marathon in each location. My first knocked out Kansas City, MO. Second put a check next to High Point, NC. And this past Sunday I drew the line through Chicago after finishing the 35th Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The road to the finish line started off rocky after a bit of miscalculation. For whatever reason I had it in my head that my 20-week training schedule started in July. In late June I got to thinking about the marathon, backed up 20 weeks, and realized I was off by about 6 weeks.

Sure, I was logging about 20-25 miles a week, but I needed to be running 35-40 miles a week. So, I created a new training plan that spanned 92 days and 471 miles, and started July 7.

Blue Ridge Relay 2012: Break out your best poop jokes

September 11, 2012By y2kemo

team of runners at the finish line — BRR2012 Team GO FAR

Last year I joined Team Lost Soles to run the 2011 Blue Ridge Relay; a 208-mile race that starts in Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia and ends in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.

In the course of a year we lost six “soles” from the 2011 team (RIP), but we gained 6 new ones for the 2012 GOFAR team (RIP soon). If you subtract 6 from 12 you’ll see that half the team was willing to give the BRR the benefit of the doubt.

BRR 2012 Team GOFAR consisted of runners ranging in age (36 to more than 36) and experiences (marathon to triathalon to ultramarathon). We pushed through the heat, humidity, and occasional downpours. We braved each others’ body odor and never-ending supply of poop jokes.

We did it all in a mere 31 hours 32 minutes and 32 seconds.

My First Barefoot Half Marathon

May 9, 20122 commentsBy y2kemo

Earlier this year I set out to accomplish two running goals: a barefoot half marathon and a barefoot full marathon. I started training on 2/13 with a target of 212.5 miles. 12 weeks later I logged 260 miles (104 barefoot). Here’s how the Indy Mini-Marathon went…

Running an #Anywhere5K is a blast!

March 4, 2012By y2kemo

In the 20+ years I’ve been running today marked the third time I’ve run a race without being anywhere near my fellow runners. The concept is called virtual running. The race I ran is called an #Anywhere5K.

What makes this particular race special is that together with a few friends we organized, promoted, and hosted the race. We invited the world and about 40 showed. From New York to California. From the Australia to the Philippines to Lithuania to Singapore to the UK. Runners really did run the Inaugural #Anywhere5K from wherever they were.

2012 Massacre Marathon Race Report: When running is a team sport

February 13, 2012By y2kemo

runner passing the baton — Taking the handoff from Jim.

A few weeks ago a friend posted a link to a marathon relay at a local park. It was to be a marathon like no other. The first lap is 2.2 miles then 15 laps of 1.6 miles.

For those willing to go it alone the race is a Boston Qualifier, but the majority of the race is comprised of two and four person teams, and every team has a category, including age, weight, and co-ed.

After a five-mile Saturday trail run I asked my buddy, Jim, if he wanted to team up and run the beast. He responded with, “Sure, why not?” Why not indeed. The winter has been mild, averaging 45 degrees in the past 6 weeks. My legs felt good. And I’ve been dying to run 1.6 mile intervals.

The Grinch, a sleigh, and a barefoot 5K

December 11, 2011By y2kemo

Ah the holidays. Christmas trees, lighted houses, and the annual Reindeer Romp 5K. Each year hundreds of people gather in Jamestown, NC to freeze their aces off while running 3.1 miles. It’s a welcome event. Not only for the camaraderie, but for the costumes as well.

Two years ago I braved sub-freezing temperatures, and ran the race dressed as a present. This year, I wanted to run in the cold as a cold-hearted character—the Grinch. In order to do so I was gonna need a sled, an antler, and a costume.

Run at the Rock: 7 Miles of Trails

December 5, 2011By y2kemo

crossing the finish line at the Run at the Rock

What started out as a simple 5K in May 2005 turned into 10Ks, half marathons, and trail races by the fall. I ran a local trail series. Ran a couple 10Ks. And when I heard about the Run at the Rock 7mi/14mi race at Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC, I cleared my calendar. After all, I’d been getting in the miles and figured I only needed to throw in some mud and hills for good measure. Right? Right.

In ’05, I crossed the finish line at 53:20 (7:47 pace) coming in 20 out of 186. The following year, after recovering from a calf injury, I finished 35 out of 254 in a time of 56:09. Five years later, sporting Vibram KomodoSports, a few extra pounds, and a bit of facial hair, I decided it was time to give the race another go.

I finished the 2011 OBX Marathon

November 16, 2011By y2kemo

I rolled out of bed at 5:20AM, took care of business, and spent 10 minutes battling my contacts only to discover that I was fumbling with my wife’s (sorry for throwing them away, honey). Eventually the rest of the family awoke and readied, and we were out the door ~630AM; en route for the drop off point 10 miles away in Kitty Hawk.