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    The Black Canyon 100K has been on my bucket list for a couple of years now, so I decided to go for it. This would be my first ultra in Arizona and since it takes place in February, I would avoid that challenging desert heat...or so I thought. I arrived at the Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City, AZ on Friday morning. The cafe was the location of the race packet pickup and race expo. If you prefer a race video, please heads on over to my YouTube channel for a full video race recap.
    My good buddy Nick and his friend Ted from Atlanta had also signed up for this event, which is one of the largest ultras in the country. The 100K distance features three waves with 300+ runners each for a total of nearly 1000 starters. While it is a net downhill point to point course, it is by no means an easy race. It's not the just over 6000' of elevation gain that challenge runners, but rather the technical terrain and fully exposed course for the entire 62 miles that makes this course deceivingly difficult. Thankfully, I had no time goals other than to enjoy the journey and earn another bucket list race finish.
    Race packet pickup was a fairly efficient process and though the lines were long, runners were moved through very quickly, so there was plenty of time for me to explore the expo and spend a few bucks on Black Canyon race swag. After a quick stop at the famous pie shop, Nick, Ted and I parted ways and while they headed to a hotel in Phoenix, I drove to the Bumble Bee Ranch that along with hosting one of the major Black Canyon Ultra aid stations also offered runners very cheap camping for race weekend. It was still the afternoon when I arrived at my campsite at the ranch, so plenty of time to freshen up, lay out my race kit and fix a quick and simple pre-race dinner.
    Although runners had to utilize a race shuttle to be taken to the race start, I was still able to "sleep in". My alarm went off at 4;30AM and shortly after 5AM I was on the road to the the race shuttle pickup location at a large outlet mall just north of Phoenix. From here, runners would be taken to the race start at Mayer High School in Spring Valley for the three wave race start at 7AM, 7:30AM and 8AM, respectively.
    Nick, Ted and I managed to board the same shuttle as we also happened to be in the same wave 2. After some slight delays, we finally made it to the race start location. We had just 2 minutes after arriving and dropping off our finish line drop bags before the start signal for wave 2 was given. It was a beautiful but crisp morning in Arizona with race start temperatures even lower than in Phoenix proper due to Spring Valley's higher altitude location at around 4,000 feet. Our wave started on time and while some runners struggled to make it to the start line on time, none of them were at a disadvantage as both the start and finish times for each runner relied on chip times rather than gun time.
    Nick, Ted and I lined up somewhere in the middle of our wave and I settled into a very easy pace once we took off. I had finally come off yet another bout with COVID just a week prior to the race and new to finish was to win. My goal was to conserve energy for the later and more challenging stage of this race. The Black Canyon race course is very fast for the first 25 miles with the most challenging terrain featured on the second half of the course. 
    Full disclosure, one drawback of an ultra with nearly 1000 runners on mostly single track trail is the extensive conga lines that would form in the process. Of course, this is only a factor for runners like myself, who didn't take off in a full sprint from the start:-) Nick and I would run together for much of the early miles before I would eventually lose track of him. Ted had taken off at a faster pace than both of us and I would not see him again until mile 20 at Bumble Bee Aid station. We would see each other a couple more times before i lost track of him again.
    I felt great for the first 20 miles, moving well and not having any issues whatsoever. I rolled through the first aid station Antelope Mesa at mile 8 without stopping as I carried enough fluids and nutrition for the early miles. 13 mile in, at the Hidden Treasure aid station I finally refilled my bottles and ate some watermelon. I continued to roll as we still had some nice downhill sections ahead before making it to mile 20 at Bumble Bee Ranch. I arrived at Bumble Bee still feeling great. However, as soon as I left the aid station, my stomach turned south. 
    Initially, I suspected it was something I drank at the aid station, but I realized that it would be impossible for my system to be affected that quickly. I'm still not sure what caused it, but it was the first time in more than 10 years that I had to deal with any severe stomach issues. Unfortunately, this issue did not resolve itself and by the time I arrived at the Black Canyon City aid station at mile 37, I required a stop at the portajohn. While the medical staff at this aid station did not have any Imodium to help me remedy my "situation", a fellow runner and good samaritan was kind enough to help me out. 
    Nick had caught up to me again on the last climb leading into the Black Canyon City aid station and he was kind enough to wait on me while i addressed my issues. We headed back out together, refocussed and determined to get our finisher awards. At this point, Nock had far more energy than I did, so I was happy to have him lead the way. He kept us moving at a solid pace that I would otherwise not have maintained. By mile 50, darkness had fallen and as we arrived at the Table Mesa aid station, we finally saw Ted again. He had had his own struggles with his stomach and nausea. After we filled our bellies to get ready for the longest stretch between aid stations, we left Table Mesa together to tackle the final half marathon distance.
    We continued to make good progress as Nick continues tos et the pace. In fact, Ted and I had to call him back a few times as he was more than capable of dropping us at this point. Nick kept us honest and we even managed to pass more than just a few people over these final miles. Rolling into Doe Spring aid station at mile 59, I finally felt much better. Great timing, too, as Nick was finally starting the fade a little bit. It was finally time for me to set the pace for a bit to take us hoke for the last 5k. Ted took some extra time here to let his stomach settle, while Nick and I continued in an effort not to get too cold from standing still in the cool evening air. 
    I could hear the noise of the finish line in the distance and I had to hold Nick back from an all out sprint to get done. When I finally crossed the finish line of the Black Canyon 100K, I was both relieved and excited to have finished this deceivingly difficult 100K. It wasn't one of my better performances by any means, but i certainly enjoyed it much more than some other faster events of mine.
    My sincere thanks to the entire Aravaipa crew, from the race director to the team of volunteers, for making this such a memorable, scenic and well organized experience for all runners. I can't wait to toe the line at another Aravaipa event.















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    The Forgotten Florida 100. I was registered to run this race last year, but then I got injured. The resulting lack of training had me drop to the 40 mile distance. Further thought had me withdraw from the event entirely to try another year. Enter 2023 and I was ready to give it a go, not well prepared, but well enough to finish, or so I hoped. Please click here for a full race video along with comments on gear and nutrition I used.

    After short flight to Orlando, Florida and a struggle to pick up my rental car at the airport, I finally arrived at the Tosohatchee WMA to pick up my race packet with time to spare. The race packet included a cool trucker hat, a commemorative pint glass and a race sticker. Hey, I'm a sucker for a good race sticker;-) Runners also received free pre race bib photos. I posed for my free pic and jumped into my rental car to make the 45 minute drive to Orlando to find my AirBnB before getting a proper preface meal.
    After dinner at a local plant based restaurant I headed back to my AirBnB before packing my race pack and laying out my running kit for the next day. It would be an early morning with a race shuttle to the start and I wanted to get as much sleep as possible.

    My alarm was scheduled to go off at 4AM, but by 3:30AM I was up and getting ready to go with enough time to stop for a cup of coffee along the way. RD Sean Blanton had arranged for 3 travel coaches to pick us up at the 100/50 mile finish line and to shuttle us to the race start at a trailhead at Little Big Econ State Forest.

    Runners gathered at a large clearing at the trailhead and RD Sean shared last minute instructions before sending us off with a short countdown and leading us across the field and onto single track trail. The race had officially begun.
    On the shuttle ride to the start, I sat next to Jason Brock and we reminisced about the Shippey 100 Miler in Missouri we had just run 3 weeks earlier. We both didn't quite have the performances we had wished for, so we decided to take it easy early on in the Forgotten Florida 100 to ensure we'd have some legs left for a push later in the race. The Forgotten Florida 100 is a nearly pancake flat course, so it is imperative to insert regular walk breaks to preserve your energy. Jason and I ended up running and suffering the entire race together. This was only the second time ever I had managed to run an entire 100 mile distance with another runner. The first time was the 2011 Rocky Raccoon 100, my first 100 mile finish, where my buddy Richard Trice was nice enough top drag my battered body around the remaining two 20 mile loops after a furious first 60 miles. I would eventually learn to start slower, well, sometimes anyway.
    As we covered the first few miles of the race, I was struck by the unusual terrain. Palm trees and lush green forests all around us. Lots of palm trees...and weeping willows. It was magical. Being used to do mostly mountain ultras, this was an entirely new experience. 
    But it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. There were some water crossings and mud, lots of shoe sucking mud. Aptly named sections like "Devil's Swamp" made progress particularly slow and difficult in some places. For the most part, however, the terrain was both stunning and runnable. 
    The first 50 miles consisted of a point to point course that did feature a couple of loops and an out & back section before taking runners to the halfway point and finish line for the 50 milers. The second half of the course was an out & back with a small lollipop loop on the out section.
    Jason and I stuck to our plan to start slow. This definitely preserved my energy levels, but unfortunately, it did not prevent my "demise". While Jason struggled a bit with the unexpected heat of the day, I fared a bit better, until nightfall, that is. My feet had begun to deteriorate after mile 40, causing me to make a shoe, sock and gaiter change at mile 50. While that alleviated the issues, it did not eliminate them. After a couple more water crossings, the trench foot caused by my constantly wet feet had created severe hotspots under both feet. In fact, they were so bad I was certain they were full blown blisters. This caused me to walk a lot more than intended, a whole lot more. Unfortunately, these excessive walk stretches caused other issues. Eventually, I came to the realization that running hurt less than walking, so when the new day finally broke, I had some renewed energy to finish out this adventure.  
    The expected sub 24 hour finish had long gone out the window, but Jason and I agreed that we should at least attempt to limit our time "out there" as much as possible. So we decided to get to the finish in under 27 hours. We had over 80 miles under our belt and after barely running what was clearly runnable terrain during the night, it was time for me to get my @$$ moving. The night section contained a very runnable 15 mile section where I could barely muster a shuffle. When I say runnable, I mean a packed down dirt road that was so even and flat in fact that we were able to turn off our headlamps and run my the full moonlight alone.
    As Jason and I covered the final 15 miles to the finish, it became clear that we would make it. The stoke level was high, but the energy levels were low:-) One final turn off the single track trail and onto the double track WMA dirt road and we had just a short 1.5 miles to go, giving us time to reminisce about the race that was. We crossed the finish line in 26 hours 47 minutes and 57 seconds. After a couple of high fives and collecting my buckle, it as time to leave for a hot shower and a nap. 
    Thanks to RD Sean for creating such a scenic course and thanks to the crew of volunteers that provided all the support a runner could wish for, especially us solo runners without crew. Thank you!








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    Crossing the boardwalk/bridge on Old Railroad Bed Trail 
    At the heels of my latest 100 mile finish in MO two weeks ago, it was time once again to put on my trail shoes and get ready to earn my twelfth finish at the 29th edition of the Mountain Mist 50K, a race that is quite literally in my backyard and has a special place in my heart. It was my second ultra ever in 2009 and has become my favorite ultra of all time, which means something considering that I've finished 150 ultra marathons and started even more:-)
    Making my way through the Stonecuts
    My good friend Tobias had flown in from Utah to run his first southeastern ultra and to hang out for the weekend. He couldn't have timed it better as the weather conditions had probably been the best in years. Temps ranged from the low 30s at the start to the mid 50s by the end of the race. The course had some pretty muddy sections, but other than that, the course was in great shape. My buddy Sean and I had been out on the course earlier in the week to clear more than 20 trees off the trail. Thankfully, the thunderstorms that followed didn't create new trail obstructions.
    Crossing the Mountain Mist 50K finish line for the 12th time. PC 
    Toby and I arrived at the Monte Sano lodge, the staging area for the race, an hour prior to the race start. The lodge was already buzzing with excitement for the day to come. Nearly 500 runners packed the lodge and huddled at the two fireplaces and around tables. The Mountain Mist 50K has been the trail running family reunion of the southeast for many years, at least for me and I know of a few others that feel the same. The race started unceremoniously with the usual musket blast, startling some of us who expected a countdown or something. GPS watch buttons were pressed hurriedly as runners quickly took off to jockey for position as they tackled the 31 miles with 4500 feet of elevation gain. 
    Not one of my fastest or slowest times, but well over an hour slower than my PR for this race.
    I started the race as I always do, trying to gauge my current fitness level and lining up behind the first few lines of runners in the front of the field accordingly. As per usual, I took off too fast, but I settled into a sustainable pace by mile 5. I ran straight through the first aid station at O'Shaugnessy Point and continued to run with a small group of runners. as we headed towards the Stonecuts. I won't give a play by play of the course as I've done so in my previous race reports about this race, but there were a couple of significant changes to this year's course. This year, runners went straight down the closed Bankhead Parkway from the start line at a the lodge before entering the Mountain Mist trail. This provided about 1.5 miles of wide road for the field of runners to thin out before entering the single track trail. In addition, runners ran a newly added trail extension just before arranging at the third aid station at Oak Park. The final change was a recently completed trail reroute above the infamous Waterline trail section. 
    Many miles and beers have been shared with these guys.
    My race went pretty well through the first 20 miles, when a rock decided to get in the way of my left foot causing me to take flight and wondering what bone I would break once I landed. Thankfully, I landed on the single hand bottle I was carrying. I exploded on impact sending both its fluids and the top of the bottle flying across the trail. I lay there for a minute gathering my thoughts and thanking my stars for not having broken anything. I was definitely startled and walked for a bit before starting to run again at a severely throttled pace. I'm not sure if it was still mental or physical exhaustion, but about a mile later I could tell that my race had taken a turn for the worse. Runners started to pass me as I was slowly hiking up the Waterline Trail. This continued for much of the next 2 miles all the way through the second to last aid station of the race. a sub 5:30 finish time pace had quickly turned into "I have plenty of time to walk it in" pace. However, after feeling sorry for myself as I hiked down Natural Well Trail a quick look at my watch suggested that I could at least break 6 hours, if, and only if I started to run the flats and descents. I started shuffling, finally stemming the flood of runners that had started to pass me in drives as I walked up Waterline Trail. 
    Many 5AM morning runs and trail beers with these guys.
    By the time I arrived at the final aid station at the rest shelter, Josh and his crew of volunteers greeted me with a smile and a cold beer. As I checked my watch, I decided to decline the beer. I had just about 20 minutes to break 6 hours and as tempting as an ice-cold beer was, it would have to wait until after the race. Post race bars are the best and this was no exception. I crossed the finish line in 5 hours and 57 minutes, happy to have collected my 12th finish on the way to 20 finishes, which is another huge milestone for many Mountain Misters. 
    The second annual Throwdown (at the Mist) was won by the Chattanooga crew. Pictured here are half of the 50 runners from Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham and Huntsville. PC Pete Schreiner @schreinertrailphotography
    I was also co-hosting the second "Throwndown at the Mist". Huntsville had won the first competition in 2019 before Covid put a pause on any additional events, until this year. This competition within the competition had been cooked up by my buddy Yong Kim from Nashville with the initial event consisting of teams from Nashville, Chattanooga and Huntsville. I was one of the original Huntsville team captains and team members. Our 2019 team was fortunate to feature none other than Dewayne Satterfield an ultra running legend and 25 time Mountain Mist finisher and an all around incredibly kind human who left us much too soon. Dewayne still inspires may of us to give it our all as we toe the line at the Mist and make our way through its gnarly but beautiful course. 

    This year also featured teams from Atlanta and Birmingham in addition to the OG teams. Chattanooga came prepared and did not allow for any doubt about the outcome of the day. At the end, they took first, second, third and fourth place overall plus another top ten finisher to take the overall thrown win in dominant fashion. No matter the result, everyone left the event with a big smile on their face. I know I'm already looking forward to next year. Who's with me?!?
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    Race Calendar

    • Canyons Endurance Runs 100M (Auburn, CA) - April 28, 2023
    • Massanutten Mountain Trails 100M (Fort Valley, VA) - May 20, 2023
    • Summer Spine 268M (The Pennine Way, UK) - June 18-25, 2023
    • Cascade Crest 100M (Easton, WA) - July 21, 2023
    • Crazy Mountain 100M (Lennep, MT) - July 29, 2023
    • Tor des Geants 330K (Courmayeur, Italy) - September 10-16, 2023
    • Grindstone 100M (Swoope, VA) - September 22, 2023
    • Puerto Vallarta Mexico by UTMB Nakawe 50K (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) - November 4, 2023
    • Pine Mountain 40M (Pine Mountain, GA) - December 3, 2023

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