I think the only reasonable way to make yourself sign up for a 100 mile race is to do it in a moment full of impulse, peer pressure, and some sort of other life high. A bold declaration of “f*ck it” helps too. Or at least, that was my experience. When I signed up for the Bear 100 back in late 2021, it took all of these things to make me finally pull the trigger.
I’ve been a runner and a climber for pretty much all of my adult life. Over the past few years I have discovered the joy of combining the two together. What began with an eye opening first 50k at the 2018 Dirty 30 quickly evolved into a slew of follow up races, long mountain running days, and many, many hours on the trails. By my count, I had run a marathon or longer 19 times before doing the Bear. So, in many ways, I definitely felt like I was ready. But 100 miles sure felt different. Because it is. Keep Reading….
It took me 4 ultras and around 5 years to realize that running just isn’t for me anymore. So I spent the rest of the summer of 2021 searching for a road bike. Not the most ideal time in history to be browsing the used bike market, but I wasn’t really in much of a hurry. One day after casually scrolling through Craigslist, I found a fleet of Lemonds on sale up in Loveland. At first, I thought it was a scam given there were so many available under $1,000. But I decided to give it a shot and made the voyage up north to check out a few in my size. I’ve always rode Treks growing up so I figured Lemond would ride similar. Plus they are classics with some sex appeal. The outfitter was “I Know a Guy Bicycles” and he runs his refurbished bike shop out of his garage. I tested out a 2006 Lemond “Alpe d’huez” and it fit like a glove so to speak. To be honest, I didn’t have much to compare to at the time, as I had been riding a steel REI urban commuter I had bought 10 years before, so I didn’t have anywhere to go but up. Keep reading…
For the past several years I’ve been working through a progression of mountain races, from marathon distance up to 100K, with the long-term goal in mind of giving a 100-miler a shot. And I figured if I were to invest all the time and effort necessary to run a 100-miler, I might as well pick a really cool one, even if it meant having to wait a few years to get in. Turns out I didn’t have to look very far from home, nor was it all that difficult to land on the High Lonesome 100 in the southern-Sawatch range. Keep reading…
Late-June in Colorado. With the spring snowpack all but melted out, green landscapes blanketing much of the state, and our days just barely starting to get shorter again, it was time to head down to Lake City for another run at the San Juan Solstice 50 this past Saturday. The SJS is about as time-honored a race as you’ll find in Colorado. This was the event’s 24th year and I’ve now been fortunate enough to participate the last four times it’s been held. Keep reading…
