Headed back to the Javlina Junderd one more time.

Hi all

The past year has seen some ups and downs for me as far as ultra running has gone.  One year ago, I after competing 4 loops of the Javelina Jundered I dropped out at the 100k point.  They awarded be the 100k buckle which was ok but not what I was after.  Unfortunately, I developed GI problems again and after attempting to recuperate for many hours I decided that continuing on would not be worth it.  On retrospect, I believe that the main problem I am having with my stomach is going out at the start of the race faster then I am capable of sustaining especially during the daytime when temperatures climb and overheating because an issue as well.

Kodiak 100 - Back 50K - Big Bear Lake, CA

Sep 25, 2015

Overall:7 GP:7

7:31:00

Me at the start of one of my better days.  This 50k went well - no GI problems and I paced myself well and was able to catch and pass a least a dozen runners in the second half of this race - always a good feeling. 

I experienced the same problems during the Blackcanyon 100k in Arizona last Febuary which has prompted me to radically change my diet and training.  I have changed to a low carb diet in an attempted to become fat adapted and not have to rely on carbs and glucose for energy.  I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research on the subject and what have discovered so far has been fascinating, surprising and exciting. 

Here are a few of the resources that I recommend.

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney.

Keto Clarity, Eric C. Westman, MD, Jimmy Moore

Eat Fat and Get Thin, by Mark Hyman

Primal Endurance: Escape Chronic Cardio and Carbohydrate Dependency, and Become a Fat-Burning Beast!, by Mark Sisson, Brad Kearns

Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance , by Christopher McDougall

Metabolic Efficiency Training: Teaching the Body to Burn More Fat, By Bob Sheebohar

This are the benefits that I have discovered so far on my journey towards nutritional ketosis.

1. Constant energy flow though-out the day.  When I wake up in the morning I feel immediately feel awake and alert and that feeling continues throughout the day.  I don't have that mid afternoon crash use to require some strong coffee and snacks to carry on.  In the evening I don't feel sluggish or sleepy either until it's time to go to bed.

2. I have never had trouble falling asleep before and I still don't but now I feel that I sleep deeper and longer.  I use to never be able to sleep more than 7 hours but now I can easily sleep 8 or more hours if I wish.  Or I can get up and get going if I want.  The choice seems to be mine now and my body is not holding me back.  

3. Less inflammation and soreness after a long run.  I can now also easily run 5 - 6 hours without eating anything substantial before the run or taking ion any extra calories durring the run.

4.  My mental sharpness has improve.  I feel much more alert and it is much easier communicating with students as I teach the class.  I am very sure that this extra sharpness is improving my teaching.

5. Appetite control - This diet as enable me to eat far less calories than I normally would have especially on days when I don't train much.  In the past if I didn't tun for 2 or 3 days I would have notice my weight going up several pound.  That doesn't happen and more.  A couple of days ago I even had no trouble completing a 24 fast.  I stopped eating at 6:00am on day before work.  I was able to run my classes all day with no problems and went out for a 1 hour run in the afternoon.  Through the day, evening , night and next morning I never felt any hunger pains.  It didn't really take any will power and the follwoing morning I could have even contine=ued the fast if I wanted too.

6.  Less desire to drink alcohol and when I do dring I want to stop after just 1 dring.

Zion 100 - 100 Miler - Virgin, UT - DNF

Apr 10, 2015 My GI problems started around 8:pm and never got better.  Unfortunately, I ended this run at the 81 mile mark.

 

 

 

     So far this diet which is becoming a lifestyle has been nothing but awesome.  I am really looking forward to Javelina Jundred in just 1 week now.  Unfortunately because I have stupid non-running accident this summer I really tore my left hamstring badly and I haven't been able to get in nearly as many miles in training as I would have liked to.  My training load has only been half of what I think it should have been.  Hopefully my endeavor into becoming fat adapted will serve to give me a successful GI free run.

 

Black Canyon Ultras - 60K - Mayer, AZ

Feb 13, 2016

Overall:9 GP:4

7:03:33

Age: 46

Rank: 77.08%

My Sister Dawn had a spectacular run here on a hot day.  She started 1 hour behind me and caught me at about the 40 km mark.  It was fun running with her for a few kilometers and  I got a chance to take a couple of pictures before she took off ahead of me.

Black Canyon Ultras - 100K - Mayer, AZ

Feb 13, 2016

Overall:174 GP:135

18:41:08

Age: 53

Rank: 42.14%

I finished this one but it wasn't pretty.  I stopped for about 2 hours at the 60k mark.  It was a hot day and my stomack would not cooperate again.  I did manage to get going again but probably walked 90% of the last 20 miles.   

Gunhild Swanson's epic 2015 Western States 100 finish!!

Javelina Jundred in 2 days

Tommorow morning I head to run the Javelina 100 that starts Saturday in AZ.  We make approximately 6 1/2 loops of a 16 mile course though the desert (I would like to get done in less than 24 hours but we'll see.) Last year I got sick in the middle of this one so if all I do is avoid that I will be happy.Here is a link to the course map. http://aravaiparunning.com/network/javelinajundred/the-course/

 

There will be live updates on the runners and a web cam where you can see some of the action:http://www.aravaiparunning.com/ultracast-results/

 

I will also be carrying a Satellite tracking device where you can see my progress: 

Greg's Running Adventures: The Top of New Mexico

Greg's Running Adventures: The Top of New Mexico

Meanderings: Part 2: Metabolic Efficiency: Friend and Certainly...

Meanderings: Part 2: Metabolic Efficiency: Friend and Certainly...: This is a follow-on post to my colleague’s post from last week. If you haven’t read it, please check it out here . Having worked with Bob an...

Spring Mountain 115 - May 23, 2:00am to May 24 sometime ...

Hi. I just wanted to let you all know that my 100 mile run through the Spring Mountains is still on for next Saturday. I have fixed the table below with my approximate schedule that I had posted above which was a little confusing. Anyone is welcome to come out and run all or part of it with me or just to cheer me on a bit if you are in the neighborhood. I will have my SPOT tracker with me too so you can get a better idea of where I am throughout the day.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=06g4gh8zLyKrdhzW3MlLMPY5B9nm1dRD9

The first time is the elapsed time and the second is an approximate time of day give or take an hour or so the further out I get.

Approximate Time schedule / aid station mileage :
Mile 20:  water/aid: 4:00:00 elapsed time         6:00am - sat.
Mile 32:   water/aid: 6:35:00    elapsed time     8:35am - sat.

Mile 45:  water/aid 8:47:00 -    elapsed time      10:47 am - sat.

Mile 60   water/aid 12:59:00 -    elapsed time      3:00 pm - sat

Mile 76 water/aid 17:01:00.      elapsed time.          7:01PM - sat

Mile 80 water/aid - camping supplies - 18:01 elapsed time 8:01PM - sat

Mile 90 water/aid - camping supplies - 20:44 -elapsed time.  10:44PM - sat

Mile 100 water/aid -  - 23:28 -    elapsed time.       1:28 am -sun

Mile 115 water/aid -  - 27:52 -elapsed time.          5:28 am -sun

Spring Mountain 115 (solo run)

As a lot of you know, 2 weeks ago I DNF'd at the Zion 100 so now I am in the planning stages of what I am calling my redeption run. On Sat. May 23, I'll be starting a run in Goodspings, Nevada and wind my way around the Spring mountains for 100 plus miles until I come out the otherside down Bonanza Trail into Coal Creek. If anyone is interested in joining me for all or any part of this let me know by messaging me and I will send you more details

Approximate Time schedule / aid station mileage :
Mile 20:  water/aid: 4:00:00 - 6:00am - sat.
Mile 32:   water/aid: 6:35:00 - 8:35am - sat.
Mile 42: water/aid 8:47:00 - 10:47 am - sat.
Mile 60   water/aid 12:59:00 - 3:00 pm - sat
Mile 76 water/aid 17:01 - 7:01PM - sat
Mile 80 water/aid - camping supplies - 18:01 - 8:01PM - sat
Mile 90 water/aid - camping supplies - 20:44 - 10:44PM - sat
Mile 100 water/aid -  - 23:28 - 1:28 am -sun
Mile 115 water/aid -  - 27:52 - 5:28 am -sun

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/702579901/

Zion 100 starts tommorow

The Zion 100 starts tomorrow Friday, April 10 at 6 AM from Virgin Utah. It runs up and down the canyons just outside of Zion national Park on similar rugged terrain.

I'll be bib#214 https://ultrasignup.com/live/live.htm?dtid=17755

 I will not pass the first checkpoint at 35 miles until at least 1:30pm tomorrow.

Then I will have my spot tracker with me too.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=06g4gh8zLyKrdhzW3MlLMPY5B9nm1dRD9

2015 Zion 100

I'll be running the 2015 Zion 100 mile ultra in a little less then to weeks now; it starts Friday morning on April 10 at 6:00am.  Here is a google map flyover of the race on Youtube. Training for this race has been going real well. I've recovered from any injuries I had last year using eccentric hip flexor and groin strengthening exercises that I developed myself.  I will post them sometime soon. 

Competition: Latin from cum petere - to compete with

In the March issue of my favorite magazine of late, "Ultrarunning," Gary Cantell has an article titled "Complete" where he nicely defends our sport of ultra running  from those who say we are not competitive. Some I suppose see ultra running as not much more than a pack of long distance jogs/hikers and mistake our camaraderie for a lack of competitiveness which somehow makes us a lesser sport. After reading Gary's article I remembered that I had once heard that the word compete comes from a Latin root that gives the modern definition of the word compete an entirely different spin which nicely illustrates the spirit of ultrarunning competition.  So I wrote a letter to the editor about this and I'm hoping it gets published. Here is that letter.

Hello Editors

Re: response to Gary Cantrell's article "Compete" 

It is true that the modern definition of competition is to "strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same" but if one takes a look at the Latin roots of the word compete one comes away with a very different sense of the word that aligns very nicely with the spirit of our chosen sport. The word compete comes from the Latin phrase cum petere. The Latin word cum means "to seek" and petere means "together". The meaning of the Latin phrase cum petere is to compete together which brings a completely different flavor then competing against. When we compete together we are seeking to conquer goals together, we are jointly striving to find out what is possible.  How far can we run, how quickly can we cover varying and challenging terrain, and what can we learn about ourselves and the human experience in the process. In this spirit of competing with other we still celebrate the victor for he or she is the one who has done it the best and has inspired us all. But what about those who came second, third and further on done the list? They are also important in the competition because they are the ones who in a sense pushed the victor to achieve those heights. Rather than feeling a sense of superiority the victor should feel gratitude towards those who followed and pushed him to the top.  This happens all the time in ultra events when we see finishers remain at the  line to cheer those who come in after them.  In the ultra community we celebrate all competitors even those last few finishers and the dnf's too - we admire their courage to finish or even start something of incredible difficulty and to endure unbelievable pain that most others could not even imagine is possible.  So, to those in other sports who say we are not competitive, let them. Maybe the real truth is that they cannot even imagine how competitive we are because they don't know the deeper meaning of competing with others.

Red Rock 50k - Jan. 3, Fat Ass run

The leaders 1 mile from the start heading up the Calico Hills trail.

A bunch of us got together again this year on the first Saturday of January to run the Red Rock 50 K Fat Ass. The fat ass means that it was just a bunch of people, whoever wanted to, showing up for the run and running it.  It is not technically an organized run so there was no entry fee and very little support. We were fortunate again this year to have the father of one the runners go out with a truck and some water to the White Rock loop where we were able to fill our water bottles each time we passed.

It turned out to be a great day for a run with no wind and clear blue sunny skies over the gorgeous Red Rock scenery we were about to run through and enjoy that day.  Temperatures at the 8 AM start were in the mid 30s and it warmed up to the mid 50s. There were about 20 of us who started that morning and of those about a half dozen finished the entire 50 K. I was the last one to finish the 50 K in seven hours 32 minutes.  The race started at the entry gate and headed up the Calico Hills trail until we reached the White Rock loop where we then made two loops, one clockwise and one counterclockwise; then, finally returning down the same trails. It's a very challenging demanding course because there is a total of 5600 feet of elevation gain and loss and many of the trails are very rocky and technical. 

I felt exhilarated after this run as I manage all the race elements very well and I could've kept running quite a bit more that day if I had or wanted to. Even though it was a fairly chilly day, I drank twice as much as I normally do on a run and still I felt I was  barely hydrated.  I fueled primarily on dried bananas and figs again and this time whenever my stomach felt a little bloated I slowed the pace to allow my system to absorb the nutrients and water. I had strained my psosas, groin and hip flexor muscles on my left side badly during the Zion 100 last April and they flared up again after the Javelina 100 last November.  They didn't bother me before or after this run however, indicating that the physical therapy that I've been doing  for the past two month have been effective. I'll have to post some video of the eccentric hip flexor/psosas muscle exercises that I've been doing.

Feeling ready for a great running and racing season in 2015!

The Javalina Jundred Race Report - Nov. 1, 2014

Mid-afternoon at the end of loop 3 - 48 miles

      It was a sunny warm 90F afternoon when Amy and I arrived with all our camping gear at the start line and campsite of the Javelina Jundred.  I felt well prepared for this race having put in many training miles on trails similar to the ones out here, and I was not hampered by any injuries. There was nothing at all to foreshadow the long grueling night that I had ahead of me. The Javelina Jundred is a 100 mile trail race in McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, AZ which is just to the northeast of the Phoenix metropolitan region http://aravaiparunning.com/network/javelinajundred/the-course/ .  Our plan was to set up our tent, stow all the camping and race gear inside and then head down to the race headquarters to pick up my number and get something to eat.  It was a bit warm, but fortunately a cooling trend was forecast for the next day when the race was to start with a high in the low 70’s which was a huge relief to all the runners who had been anticipating and preparing for a very hot and dry race.  Last February I ran some of the other regional parks in the desert hills that surround the Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale area with my sister Dawn and her husband Marcel.  We had a great time running the gentle slopes though the desert past all the giant saguaros which is what promoted me to sign up for this race.  Marcel was also flying in that afternoon and I was greatly looking forward to seeing him and have him pace me though the second half of the race.

      That afternoon the campsite seemed like a buzzing beehive of activity as all the runners and their crews were setting up and getting ready. As the tents popped up, the site even started to take on the appearance of a honeycombed beehive.   It was almost impossible to drive a stake into the desert floor which felt like concrete but we were able to borrow a hammer from a neighbor and get the job done.  We had a big comfortable tent that we could stand up in and had brought along a lounge chair and umbrella for my crew, Amy, to relax in and get some magazine reading done as I made my loops around the course the following day.  Each loop was 16 miles in length and we would have to complete 6 ½ of them which made 100 miles.  Hal Koerner holds the course record finishing in 13 hours 47 min. and 46 sec in 2011 http://runitfast.com/2011/11/12/hal-koerner-crushes-javelina-jundred-100-miler-course-record-results/ . I would be nowhere near that time but maybe a 24 hour finish was possible and I could get myself one of those under 24 hour finisher buckles.   The start/finish line at 1800 ft. was at the low point of the course which made its way gently up 8 miles of sand and rock desert trails with little to no shade to 2,480 ft.  At the top of the course was an aid station with a medical tent that I would be spending part of the night in. In addition, there was one more aid station on each side of the loop.  Those three aid stations along with the main one at the start/finish line where Amy was waiting to help crew me, refilling my bottles and getting me everything I needed for each loop were plenty for the 16 mile loop. Each aid station was extremely well organized and I am very thankful to the all volunteers whose energy and enthusiasm never diminished though the following day and night and gave us all a huge boast each time we ran though.

Posing with one of the Talamahara runners who would be competing the next day.

         We got the campsite setup, number picked up, ate at Subway, picked up a few last minute supplies from the grocery store for the next day and night and were back at camp by 8 PM and ready to settle in for the night.  The night air was calm and comfortable and I was able to get some good sleep before the race 6:00am race start the next morning.  That evening I heated up some premade whole wheat noodles I had brought along and in the morning I made myself some breakfast cereal from a 7 grain mix I buy in bulk from our grocery store.  It was still dark when the starting gun set us off and I said good-bye to Amy as she cheered me on; 290 of us would finish the 100 mile challenge while 221 would not. http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=27560

6:00AM - 0 miles

 

      The beginning of any ultra is a festive affair as everyone is pacing themselves at a relaxed, very comfortable and conservative pace that they hope they will be able to sustain until the end.  It is a good time to talk to other runners and joke around a bit.  One runner from Penticton, B.C., Canada who was running draped in a Canadian flag commented on the gloves I was wearing.  I told him that I wear those fingerless cycling gloves to protect my hands during falls that I was so susceptible too on these trails.  He replied that he seldom fell and could probably count the number of times he tripped during a run on three fingers.  Just 5 minutes later he did actually take a tumbler over a smooth patch of trail after the sun had already come up for no apparent reason.  He looked very shocked as he got up right away and continued on and we all had a good laugh over the timing of this spill.

      The first three loops sailed by uneventfully and I hoped that I hadn’t started out too fast as I was making very good time.  However, I didn’t feel that I working too hard and although I wasn’t wearing a heart rate monitor I felt that I was keeping everything in check.  I was fueling primarily with dehydrated bananas and figs and hydrating with water and EFS electrolyte.  I chose EFS because of the calcium in its ingredients which helps me prevent cramping for which I also carry Tums.  Amy didn’t expect to see me so soon on the first loop which I completed in 2 hr. 45 min.  I wasn’t wasting any time in the aid stations either enjoying  thinking about what I needed before I came in and preparing for it so I could fly in and out as fast as possible.  Amy already had 2 bottles of EFS prepared for me so I grabbed those and a couple more bags of bananas and figs dropped off my headlamp that I wouldn’t be needing until the evening and just kept rolling.  I ran right past several aid stations that day when I didn’t need anything.

     The next two loops were repeats of the first although I was gradually slowing down as is to be expected.  I finished the second loop in 3 hr. 15 min and the third in 3 hr. and 35 min.  By the end of the third loop it was 3:30 PM and I had already completed 48 miles most of it under the daytime sun with no shade except my cap and I was looking forward to nightfall.  I was still moving along smoothly, enjoying the race and wasn’t suffering any substantial aches or pains yet.  I did notice that I wasn’t consuming all of my food that I had divided out for each loop.  I was trying to take in about 300 calories per hour and I was probably doing about half of that.  I just couldn’t seem to put down anymore and although I wasn’t having and stomach distress yet, in retrospect this should have alerted me that it would have been good to slow down a bit. Slowing down would have allowed more blood to go to my digestive system and would have helped me out later in the run.

     As I made my way towards my drop bag on loop three I first saw Amy but no Marcel so I asked her where he was.  She pointed behind her to the right and I saw him coming towards me all dressed and ready to go.  I checked with a race official and he informed me that Marcel could join me at this point as it would be dark before we finished the next loop.  We took off together and Marcel told me of a very unfortunate incident that occurred.  Just minutes before I came in a dog belonging to one of the spectators had attacked and knocked down a runner.  Marcel helped to get the dog off but the runner could not continue and was taken to the hospital.  How anyone could be so ignorant to bring a dog like this to such an event is beyond us. 

     With this sad news behind us the next loop went by pretty much as the first three except I had someone to talk to this time.  It was fun running with Marcel and we quickly finished the third loop in about 4 hours as day turned into night.  Things were still looking good for an under 24 hour finish; I had finished 62 miles or 100k in 12 hours and 50 minutes which was a personal record for me.  However, this was all to change before too long.

Coming in on loop 6 with Marcel

We were a little over two miles away from the aid station at the top of the course and not talking much anymore, heading uphill at a conservative run/walk pace when I called out to Marcel that I needed to stop for a bit.  I felt that I needed to throw up and I did.  I hoped that this would only be a short set back and that I would start feeling better now so we continued on.  However, four minutes later I needed to stop again and this time I also throw up a full stomach load of liquid.  Apparently my stomach wasn’t even absorbing water anymore.  Marcel indicated that if I needed to I could lay down a bit to rest which I did for about 10 minutes.  I got up and we started moving again but this pattern of stop, throw-up, lie down and rest continued all the way up the hill until we reached the aid station.  It took me a little over 2 hours to cover this section of the course and if it hadn’t been for Marcel staying with me I would have been surely pulled out.  Runners passing by asked if I was OK and Marcel explained what was happening as he waited shivering in his shorts in the cold night air.  He had not expected that we would be stopping so much didn’t dress for the cold.  I felt bad and grateful for what he was doing for me especially when I had to stop the last time.  We could see the lights of the aid station and here the noise of the music they were playing just over a hill less than 200 yards away but I couldn’t even make that without stopping one more time.

     I finally made it into the medical tent at that aid station and crawled up into a cot and pulled a blanket over myself.  The only thing I could do now was get some rest and hope that my body would recover enough to finish the race.  We were 70 miles into it with a little more than marathon to go.  I was still way under the cut-off times but things were not looking very good as I still could not eat or drink anything.  I was just lying there feeling miserable as I heard other runners speak about their stories as they moved in and out of the tent.  Most of the stories were about blisters or exhaustion like mine.  We were there almost 2 hours and we were informed that there would be another shuttle to take runners who dropped out leaving in 5 minutes and I had resigned myself to get on that one.  It just didn’t look like it was going to happen.  Then I overheard Marcel talking to a runner about my plight and he suggested that I try some Coke-cola.   He explained that I needed to first get some glucose into my stomach and brain and then the rest of my digestive system would respond.  I asked Marcel to get me some and immediately after taking it I started to feel better.  I asked for some chicken soup that they had and I was able to eat that too.   At this point I felt that I was back in this thing and I told Marcel that I was going to try to run back down to the start.  After hydrating a bit more we headed out and I felt like a brand new man with almost as much energy as I started with in the morning; I was excited now. 

     We bounded down that hill passing runner after run though the midnight hours averaging a very brisk 10 min/mi pace -  fast for me anyways at that point.  When we finally finished the fifth loop, I knew that I would be able to finish the entire run.  I was still incredulously holding on to the belief that I could finish in less than 24 hours but I obviously wasn’t thinking very clearly yet.  Luckily I had Marcel with me who cautioned me to slow down and pace myself as we still had 20 plus miles to run.  I followed Marcel’s lead as we ran/walked into the morning.

     Morning came as we made our way down the backside of the sixth loop.  This section was downhill with quite a few rocky sections and although these rocks posed no difficulty in the early parts of the race they were really starting to take the joy out of things right now.  And so began what Marcel and I would call the “Death March.”  I couldn’t easily pick my feet up over these rocks anymore and I had resorted to walking through this section rather than risking a fall.  The sun had just risen on the horizon and we were filled with hope as we could see the next aid station in the distance.  We kept plodding toward it, both of our feet seriously hurting with each footfall, but somehow that aid station did not appear to get any closer.  Have you heard the expression that “a watch pot never boils?”  This was like that except our feet were boiling and our spirits were dropping.  Marcel remarked that it actually hurt more to walk then to run.  I gave him a very strange look but decided to try it and indeed my feet did hurt less.  I kept on running risking tripping over some rocks which did not happen.  When we got to that aid station we lingered a bit and then finished the last two miles of loop 6 slowly, ever so slowly jogging or should I say hobbling along at a 13 to 15 min per mile pace. 

      Amy was there at the end of the sixth loop and she thought that we might be finished.  She had slept (or at least tried to as there was a lot of noise throughout the night coming from the start/finish area) though the night and missed all the news of our misfortune.  It was sure good to see her there again. Marcel and I rested a few minutes this time, I changed my shoes and he changed some socks before we took off for the last half loop.  The last eight miles went by about the same as the previous eight.  I tried to run as much as I could and walked when I needed to and endured the pain all the way.  Two miles from the finish I told Marcel that I didn’t think I would experience any of that finisher’s euphoria this time and would probably just limp across the line.  Then we were only one mile away and I saw a couple of runners ahead.  I told Marcel that we were going to catch those guys and I took off again.  I did pass both of them and kept on running at that point to the finish line.  I saw Amy waiting and I grabbed her hand as we crossed the line and rejoiced.

9:30 am the next morning - rounding the final bend to the finish

I finished in 27:17:27 so I didn’t break the 24 hour mark.  Yet I am still very satisfied with finishing this run and overcoming the urge to quite during that rough spell in the middle of the night.  The aid workers at the medical tent were phenomenal and very encouraging.  They didn’t want me to quite either and I could hear it in their voices.  I also need to thank Marcel one more time for pacing me through the night – it wouldn’t have happened without him and he says that we are blood brothers now by the “Death March.”  And thanks again to Amy for not only supporting me as my crew at the aid station but also supporting me and keeping an eye on me as I headed out for all those long training runs.

Celebrating the finish with Amy and Marcel