Run. Hike. Poop.

Race Report: Army Ten-Miler 2015

October 13, 2015By y2kemo

This past weekend I ran the Army Ten-Miler (ATM), a 10-mile road race in Washington, D.C. that starts and finishes at the Pentagon, passing by landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, and the Capitol Building.

Since the inaugural race in 1985 the ATM has grown from 1,379 finishers to 26,069 finishers in 2015. Nearly 375,000 runners have participated since the race began, and only one man, 65-year-old U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Lew Goldberg, has run every Army Ten-Miler since 1985.

Since 2006, I’ve run the race four times. I ran the race with shoes in 2006 (1:13:05) and without shoes in 2011 (1:17:29) and 2012 (1:12:06), and in Vibrams for the 2013 race (1:11:50). This year, for my fifth running, I went with a pair of Brooks Pure Flow.

Race Report: Doggettville 12 and Kenny Rogers

September 21, 2015By y2kemo

dville12-running — Running with SuperChad as we approach the start/finish line

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’d like to run a 1-mile loop for 12 hours” then Doggettville 12 is the relay and ultra race for you. Whether you convince yourself or five of your friends to run in circles for the duration you’re sure to enjoy this well-organized and very challenging run.

The course is a mile long and transitions from paved road to gravel to grass to pine needles to gravel to grass before turning back to gravel as you cross the start/finish line. There are just enough downhills and uphills to trick your brain into thinking 12 hours won’t be so bad. And there is more than enough support from the organizers to make you believe you can do it.

Just remember that 12 hours, in the day, means Ra will most likely be calling the shots from 11AM to 4PM.

Blue Ridge Relay 2015: Elevation Gain is Overrated

September 15, 20151 commentBy y2kemo

The Blue Ridge Relay (BRR) is a 208ish-mile running relay from Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia to downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The relay hosts 180 teams of 4 to 12 people who run a total of 36 legs ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 miles per leg over the course of a day and a half.

This year marked my fourth time running the BRR with Team GOFAR. It would have been my fifth, but I missed last year due to an “unexcused absence” (I had shoulder surgery). Lucky for me, there aren’t many people in the area who want to endure two days in a van with sweaty runners and their equally odorous belongings.

Backpacking the Apple Orchards Falls Loop

September 7, 2015By y2kemo

My buddy, Coop, was a couple of months from joining the brotherhood of fatherhood. To celebrate (and because it’d probably be a while before we’d be able to go out again) we plotted a course for Apple Orchards Falls; a destination that would keep him close to home, but far enough away from civilization.

Race Report: The Pickle Run 30K from HP to GSO

August 3, 2015By y2kemo

The Pickle Run is a 30K course that follows the Bicentennial Greenway from a Fleet Feet store in High Point, NC to another store in neighboring Greensboro, NC. Runners can put together a relay team of two or four, or they can go solo. My buddy John and I went with the latter option, made our $25 donation, and showed up at the HP store on a cool August Saturday morning.

National Anthem, some instructions, and a countdown prefaced a cheerful start to the fun run.

Right in the feels, Pluto

July 16, 2015By y2kemo

What’s your running MPG?

June 2, 2015By y2kemo

Mmmm. Running mpg.

Happy Earth Day

April 22, 2015By y2kemo

Hills and F-Bombs: My 2015 Pilot Mountain Payback Race Report

March 31, 2015By y2kemo

Last fall I had shoulder surgery, forcing me to take a month off from running and bail on three races: Blue Ridge Relay, Army Ten Miler, and NYC Marathon. I was totally bummed and vowed to get back in shape in time to run the Pilot Mountain Payback trail marathon the following year.

An ultra, a physical, a cardiologist, and some lube

March 11, 2015By y2kemo

After dabbling in 5Ks in the late 90s, I finally got hooked in 2005. From there, my running addiction took off. The 5K became 5 miles, then 6.2 miles, 10, 13.1, and eventually in 2007 I put away my first 26.2. A couple years ago, my friend, John, suggested I run a 40 miler.

A few more long runs and John eventually sold me on the idea. Now the trick was selling the idea to my wife. If I recall correctly, the conversation went something like:

ME: Hey, you know how I run?
WIFE: Yeah.
ME: So, yeah, well, I was thinking about running a run where I have to run a lot. Far. Where I run far.
WIFE: OK.
ME: Well, it’s not a lot. Just like 40 miles. It’s nothing really. Basically a long 5K. I’d have to train, but between now and then, there’d be plenty of time. Wow, the weather is gorgeous! Have you ever seen such a nice day? Is that a hummingbird? OMG, that is a hummingbird! Did you know that hummingbirds are…

My filibustering continued until my wife became distracted (annoyed) and left the conversation. A few weeks later she made it clear to me that she had in fact been paying attention and told me to get a physical. I agreed, passed my physical, and ran the 40 miler in the fall.