For the last 2 days, from the moment I got back to my car, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this run. I've been thinking a

I first learned about the Hills to Sea trail a few weeks ago through the awesome local trail running group I've become involved with since moving to Maine, Trail Runners of Midcoast Maine. The route goes from Unity, ME at the west side to Belfast, ME on the east side and covers some 47 miles of trail by running across over 60 privately owned lands. The trail opened in fall of 2016 after completion of the last section. After doing some asking around, I heard that two others ha

This post originally appears on Obstacle Racing Media website. So you’ve done some OCR’s or some road racing and now you’re ready to step up to the long game. Now what? As a qualifier for the US Men’s 24 hour team (143 miles in 24 hours) and 14-time race winner, I’ve learned a few things along the way. First and most important question: WHY? Every athlete has their own, very personal, "why" they train and race. What is yours? Is it to push yourself mentally and physically? Is

Running sucks. Some days more than others, but in general, when you think about it. Running sucks. We put our bodies through hell, lose sleep, deal with injuries, upset stomachs, lost toenails, and more! For what? So we can spend hundreds of dollars on sneakers, gadgets, and race fees? Yeah, pretty much...but why? Why do we do it? We all know why. It is because RUNNING IS AWESOME! It is because in those fleeting moments when everything is clicking and our bodies are flying th

This is something I've asked myself many times in the past few months before and after registering for the race and something I've been asked at least as many times by other inquiring minds. It seems like a simple enough question on the surface, but the honest answer goes deeper than that. First, what is the Vol-State 500k? From the race website: "The Vol-State is not just another ultra-marathon. It is much more than that. The Vol-State is a journey, an adventure, and an expl

I awkwardly walked past the front desk of the mega-gym as I hesitantly pointed to the physical therapy office in the corner of the building not knowing if I needed to check in or if it was okay to just keep going. I didn't know exactly what was in store for the next 45 minutes, I only knew I had heard good things about Active Release Technique from friends and other runners, but this would be my first experience. Active Release Technique (ART) is defined as "a soft tissue met

John Muir once wrote: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” I don't think there is any better way to express how I feel while running through the mountains not worrying about what issues lie below the trees. Those can be dealt with later. This was my 4th trip up

(Post republished from previous blog www.ironzoom.com) 19 days! In the last 19 days I’ve done 24 runs which covered 169 total miles; the majority of which were done on the Boston Marathon course. I’ve also added in some lifting and a few swims to break things up. Even though it was not intentional or deliberate this is by FAR the most days I’ve ever went in a row without a rest day. During this time my “rest days” typically consisted of 35 minute recovery paced runs. During

(Post republished from previous blog www.ironzoom.com) I’ve been meaning to sit and write about one of the worst runs I can remember ever doing for a few weeks now since it happened; but apparently “life” got in the way… A few weeks ago my training plan called for a 90 minute zone 1 run on Thursday then a 120 minute run on Friday which included a 45 minute zone 2 push to finish it off. No big deal…or so I thought. I went out Thursday night and banged out the 90 minute run wit

(Post republished from previous blog www.ironzoom.com) I personally find that it is best for my personal life and training schedule to do my long runs during the week and a medium length run during the weekend sometime. This helps to get in a few more miles, as well as makes some extra time for some biking/swimming (or drinking) on the weekends; whichever the case may be. However, it does mean that I find myself going to bed about 9pm on Wednesday nights, and waking around 4a