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

If there were any two completely opposite races in my schedule this summer it was definitely the 50 mile Lake Waramaug and two weeks later the Ultra Race of Champions 100k. Here are those tales... Jack Briston Lake Waramaug 50 miler - April 29 I've looked at this race in past years and the course and the photos, as well as the speed of the course are always tempting. This year I went for it. The race was supposed to be a quick road 50 as a tune-up for the UROC 100k a couple o

Friends, beers, running, and rain made these 52 miles some of the best I've ever run!

"Get to the top of the hill, then run as fast as you can the rest of the way and I'll stay right behind you." I said to Woo as we approached mile 53 (ish) of the 62 mile race. A few miles earlier, I had run into the last aid station and she and my brother-in-law, Mike, asked where the other pacer I was running with was. I said I wasn't sure but I thought I lost him a few miles earlier. Woo asked "do you think I can keep up" and without much thought I gave a quick "probably no

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man." - Benjamin Franklin New Year, new you? Or something like that? Either way, I'm trying to focus on looking ahead more-so than continuing to dwell on the major races that didn't go how I wanted them to. Time to move on, learn from those mistakes, and find myself a better man in the process. 2018 started off with a new diet and a lingering injury. I've been battling so

For all the unpleasantness and disappointment I took away from the state of Tennessee last month, I experienced an equal or greater amount of kindness and support along my (shorter than planned) journey. This kindness is one of the things that people rave about for the Volstate 500k. The local residents and families who exhibit this kindness are often referred to as "road angels" and they are held in very high regard among those familiar with the 500 kilometer race. These roa

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

I lay here, on the side of State Highway 22 somewhere between Huntingdon and Clarksburg, TN in a little dead end driveway along a fenced in animal pen around 1am, not even 24 hours into the famed Last Annual Vol State 500k Road Race. I type in the phone number for Jan, the driver of the "meat wagon" to signal my intent to quit the race. Then I deleted the numbers from my screen and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, as I lay here, on the hard/rocky drive I hear a noise behi

"You're just not there yet." These words were uttered to me by a very close friend the day after my soul-crushing disappointment of a race this past weekend. I'm not sure if those are the hardest or the easiest words to hear in this case. On one hand, maybe it's true. Maybe I'm just not yet capable of running 150 miles in under 24 hours. If that's the truth, then that's easy. I just keep running more and running harder and I'll teach my body to get there. Sure, I wanted to be