I was feeling really good going into this race. Very nervous, but good. This would be my first race of the year, my first race after a few months of living and training at higher elevation. I was anxious to see how my racing would change, if I would feel different. I remember thinking when I ran Leadville in 2012, “someday I want to be able to run UP mountains” I was frustrated because all of my uphill “running” in the mountains reduced me to a slow hike. I could not…

You may want to skip to the last paragraph to get the title, but as usual, I write about what led me to it....so here goes...

Welcome to Tuba City Arizona. Just settling in with fam and dogs and getting going with running again. It’s been a long 8 week or so break from running due to health issues and a huge family move from Northeast  Oklahoma (green country) to the high desert about 5,000ft or…

“What I've written seems a little bit too neat, it feels a little sloppier on the inside”....Those were my words when I asked coach to look at my blog post before I posted it. And that really sums up how I feel about some awareness that’s coming around. I’ve never asked anyone to look at my blogs before I post them. I don’t want to change my words based on someone else’s opinion. I see blogs as thoughts, not right or wrong, but a demonstration of where one is at a given point…

The greatest gift we can give to this world....and ultimately ourselves is....our self, the unfiltered, unshielded plain and simple, fully in the moment, in the person in front of us, self. Not the yeaterday, tomorrow or 5 minutes from now, but in the moment self. Strangely, running ultra races has taught me…

The past few blogs have not been about mountain running, but mountain running has taught me how to approach this life climb. Yesterday I went under anesthesia to biopsy my bladder. I’ve had some post running blood in my urine, prompting the evaluation that led to finding a couple of spots on my bladder.

I think about how I would have approached and dealt with this 3 years ago, before running changed my whole way of thinking. The world is bigger and I am much smaller. Life and our…

Pumpkin Holler 50k is a rolling gravel course that follows the Illinois river, farms and the hills of Cherokee County, Ok. That would be my race today. It’s the end of the season for me. It’s been a packed spring/summer with amazing races in places I’ve never seen before. It’s also been a…

For some reason today felt like the first run since The Rut. It wasn’t. I’ve been running most days since the race, but I don't remember feeling much when I ran after the Rut. Maybe circumstance, my mother-in-law dying, maybe fatigue, or likely both, but today was the first day I EXPERIENCED my run. I felt alive and aware again. And I felt a deep connection with nature. I don't know that you can experience it through my ramblings, but I wish you could feel it. ...It is…

"Flagstaff Skyrace final is in 4 days. I won't be there. I will be here with my family as we help my mother-in-law pass this life. I made the final decision this morning, and I have a sense of relief"...I started that entry on 9/30/14, I didn't know how much time she had left. We lost her that night. I can't really put my feelings into words. Everything kinda came to a screeching halt.  We knew it was coming,  but it still felt sudden. It's also hard for me to realize the race series is over…

as usual, it is 3:30 am post race and after several hours of trying to sleep I have given up. Small fits of sleep interrupted by dreams of rocks, roots, amazing views, the sudden catch of a toe and the sense of falling, then jerking wide awake. These post race dreams used to frighten and frustrate me, now they simply cause a sigh and sometimes a giggle reminding me of the crazy adventure I just laid out. I saw views from places that most never dare venture, and even fewer do on…

I got the opportunity to visit Tuba City, Arizona this week. Met some wonderful folks at the Tuba City Hospital. Tuba city is on the Navajo reservation, about 70 miles northeast of Flagstaff. After visiting the hospital, I drove around town, trying to plot out the next morning's run. Not much to the town, but more than many rez towns I have been to. I couldn't…

Well, I’m halfway there….2 races down in the US Skyrunning Ultra Series and 2 to go. I am amazed at how far I’ve come physically, mentally, spiritually... and how much further I am going to get the opportunity to go in just one summer. Besides running, life has taken a few twists and turns as well, as it does. Right now a little summer cold has me slowed down, giving me a moment or two to either get really irritated about it...or instead, eat some chicken soup in front of the…

I was nervous about how this race would go. I’ve been at altitude for over a week now, but am only 1 week post Speedgoat...32 miles with 11,500 feet of climbing...and descending. I was actually surprised at how good my legs were feeling within a few days. Tuesday, I summited Mt Elbert, adding another 4500ft of climbing in 4.5 miles.

Climbing and summiting Mt. Elbert, at 14,500ft solo was a deeply personal experience. I don’t even know if I could…