A Tribute to a Band of Brothers

I’ve written three different versions of this blog post and have yet to capture the raw emotion that I felt the entire weekend and suppressed for four days, until I spoke to Annie tonight at length for the first time.  So I’ll potentially post subsequent versions, but there are really not enough words, adjectives and emotional context to capture everything.

The first night, Thursday was warm with fellowship, like so many times in the past at Hood to Coast as we come together to celebrate running together and living life together each year.  I saw faces I’ve not seen for over a year and in some cases even longer, nothing compares to direct human contact, Facebook and email are great, but in person is the humanity we all know and crave.

Friday was filled with preparation, anxiety, anticipation, more fellowship and a sense of peace that I am among people I care about and admire.  I was asked to give grace at dinner Friday and while I was taken off guard and jumbled words at the dinner table struggling to put feelings I had into words, I was simply grateful for the presence of these people around the table and the others breaking bread a few miles away.

Saturday brought a solemn reminder of the bond we all share as Randy read a passage from Shakespeare to start off the race.  The entire team and crew gathered round as he read his passage and I was moved immeasurably by the words he spoke and the togetherness I felt.  We witnessed heroic efforts all day long in the searing heat across treacherous terrain, terrain these fellows hadn’t experienced in their life.  The stories from the trails as each member arrived at the aid stations, built overwhelming pride and admiration for their efforts, courage, self discovery and renewal.  They would all be rewarded in their own way come Sunday.  Pamela confirmed for me, what I already knew about her, she is a strong woman with unbounded enthusiasm and a heart of solid gold.  I made a personal discovery of my own; I really like fixing people, attending to their medical needs.  I fixed a lot of feet and that felt good, I think I’ve found my second calling and could very easily see myself as an EMT after my career in software.

Saturday, late afternoon, I took up the charge with Steve, pacing him the last 50 miles and was already in deep admiration for all that he had already accomplished.  The entire team had peered into the abyss of their soul to find resolve in continuing on, I was fresh and ready to contribute in any way possible to get him home.  I found myself giggling at times, when we were consumed by a deluge of rain, hail and lightening as the sun found the horizon on Saturday night.  Those compact ponchos came in handy for sure, but I was transported back to childhood and all the times I had explored the wooded meadows and hills around the various homes I occupied growing up, only this time I was with another brother, someone that I had shared so many memories with and was now creating endurable more on this soulful journey.  We survived, we persevered, we found hope and support in Pamela at every aid station.  Running at night is like nothing you’ve ever experienced.  There’s just you and the headlamp and your runner and his, the silence is deafening.  The path, the journey is peppered with unwavering obstacles that must be overcome and we moved among the sounds of the night like ghosts and in some instances a bit more human with every stub of the toe on a stump or rock.  As Saturday turned into Sunday, the light began filling the sky and I was giggling again as we crossed the creek five times using ropes as we plunged waist deep into the frigid, yet refreshing water.

Sunday morning brought joy and jubilation as we entered the second to last manned aid station.  We sat by the fire, conversed with friends, changed clothes, filled our bellies and undertook the last part of the journey.  The journey isn’t so much about that finish line when you’re talking about a 100 mile race, yet more so about how much your physical body is willing to listen to your mind.  All throughout the night I was witness to a man pushing beyond his physical limits to complete his journey, for that I am grateful.  Steve is in a word “driven” and will push himself beyond all physical restrictions to achieve whatever is in front of him.  His body gave him everything and more.  He had overcome so much to even be at the starting line of this race, I was humbled in so many ways.  Steve never wavered, at each aid station he thanked volunteers, calmly asked me to perform minor surgery on his blisters, kissed his wife and set out again and again.  I’ve never seen such resilience, determination and enthusiasm.  I learned a lot from him this weekend.  In fact I learned a lot from all the runners Paul, Randy, Scott, Todd, Seth and Barry.

Tears welled as I left him to run ahead after nearly 90 miles, I was running to the next manned aid station without him to get support.  I saw in his eyes the desire and the will, but sometimes our physical being is too human, too fragile to meet our mental and emotional capacity.  I ran as hard as I could to get there, remembering all that we had conquered together through the night, knowing that this would not be the last time.  Steve is unstoppable in so many ways, professionally and personally.  He is force to be reckoned with on any level.  This race did not do anything more than further shape that fortitude and resilience.

As I read this, I am still not capturing all the emotions I felt throughout the weekend, I just don’t have the words or the prose to fully communicate the impact this had on me, my life, my relationships, my friendships and my upcoming race at Leadville.  What I can say is that if they can make it to Leadville, I’d like to have them there to bring me back to this experience.  As I will remember it on my own, their presence will undoubtedly be a huge benefit to the experience.

In the end the AD4AP team raised over $90,000 in a few short months, conquered and endured on their own terms, feats they’d never done before.  Bless you, you Band of Brothers.

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” – William Barclay

7 Summit Salute - Boulder Skyline Traverse

The AD4AP Team is in taper mode for the upcoming BH100.  Pacing charts are fully scrutinized and developed, nutrition plans are made, gear list complete...now they wait.  There's something about an impending race that starts the adrenaline flowing and the anticipation of "what will be" the day of the race.  These guys have battled through a tough winter to prepare for a grueling course, nothing like any of them have seen to date.

There is trepidation but that is far outweighed by the camaraderie of this group of runners and the fervent courage these fellows posses.  I am honored to partake in their soulful journey to the finish line.  I am reminded of the movie "Dead Poets Society" where near the beginning of the film, Robin Williams whispers to the boys, "Carpe Diem", seize the day, and I know this band of merry compadres will in fact, do just that.

To the team of runners:  The air will be crisp, the sunlight cresting over the eastern horizon, tingling in the muscles, warmth in knowledge, you'll know you are not alone in this journey and today is a good day to run.  Remember your preparation, your fellow runners, your love of running and bask in the glory of climbing the first hill and descending the last.  Patience is, yes, a virtue.  Remember the visualizations you used to spur a completion of a long training run and how you felt.  Cherish the rush.  Observe the scenery, as it will be vivid beyond detail you will have felt before.  Finish strong.


As a tribute to those who ran this weekend and are running next weekend attempting new endeavors, I did the same on Saturday with a first run of "most" of the Boulder Skyline Traverse (sans Sanitas, as that is the mountain where I've rolled my foot twice).  I completed a seven summit salute for over 6,700 ft elevation gain over 20 miles.  I was on tired legs from long miles earlier in the week, but the weather was perfect, so I said what the hell.
This week was a milestone for me as well, after two weeks of nursing a bad foot, I ran almost 98 miles (97.99) with a 30, 20, 20 and some in between over the course of six days.  After finishing 20 today, I feel like I've passed over a marker of some kind...I'll have to wait and see how the next week goes, but I do feel the tide has shifted into a territory I am unfamiliar with in this lifetime, yet today I did feel like I've been here before, over 10 years ago. The tingling in my muscles, the unexpected surges, the smiles and enthusiasm.  Pain seemed to stop existing and only feel as a passing twinge...alter stride and continue on.

This weekend, my cousin and Stephen finished San Juan Solstice on their own own terms, I'm impressed with both of them.  Andy beat his goal and I am proud of the effort it took.  Another friend, Bob Africa crushed a 50 mile course in Wyoming, finishing 3rd.  I'll be with him at Leadville, but probably only at the start, he's an animal.
This is all about celebrating life.  Where are you and what are you doing to celebrate your gifts?  Yes, one thing I am celebrating this weekend is running, but there are countless other things we all can celebrate...a relationship, a child, another gift we've been given, whatever that may be for you.  I am grateful for my wife, Annie.  I am grateful for my family and my friends.  I am grateful for my job.  I am grateful that on any given weekend, I can escape to these mountains and find myself again and again.  What are you grateful for in your life?  Celebrate that and celebrate it often.  I am off in a three days to make the trek to my compadres running the BH100...I can not wait.  I am seeking awe inspiring courage and amazing feats of self renewal and discovery, they will find it, for sure.  Through their discovery, I will find the courage to continue on and finish the Leadville 100 in August.  I am blessed to have such a good group of guys in my life.

The weekend ended with a cleansing from the gods, the sky filled with thunder, lightening and rain.  Fortunately, we got all the yard done, the run complete and were able to enjoy under cover.  I love the smell of rain.


"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." - Neil from DPS, quoting Henry David Thoreau

Live Bolder, Run Boulder Baby!

Training was pretty consistent up till about two weeks ago when I rolled my right ankle.  Memorial Day weekend brought many good memories.  Matt and Jenny joined us along with Kyle, Celeste and Cole as well as a whole host of other friends and family.  We had a great weekend with all of them, culminating on Monday, Memorial Day, participating in the Bolder Boulder 10k.  The weather held and for the first time in a long time, I got to run with my brother.

Here we are at the finish line in the CU Boulder stadium.  Way back in 1996 when I decided to run my first marathon, the Twin Cities, Matt was still in college.  I flew in from Charlotte and stayed with him at the dorm.  He and my Mom were awesome that day, I got to see them a few times throughout the race and I certainly needed them.  After the race Matt said he wanted to do a marathon too.   We had the chance to do it again in the Twin Cities and then again in Charlotte a few years later.  Running means a lot to me for a myriad of reasons and I've always cherished the moments I've had with Matt doing marathons or the Hood to Coast relay in Oregon.  I like to run with him, I have fun and get to feel like a big brother again, even though we are now adults (most of the time).  The BB10k was especially important to me since it had been so long since we'd run together.  The feeling of camaraderie, togetherness, achievement and love were so overwhelming for me.  It's part of why I run and why I enjoy running with friends.  We had a bonus too, Annie and our friend Katy jumped in and ran a significant portion of the race with us.  So we all decided to have a little fun along the way.  Our friends Ashley and Eric play in a band, The Goonies and as with every BB10k, there are bands strewn along the course for entertainment and motivation.


Here we are singing "Take on Me" by A-ha, The Goonies are AWESOME fun and it was tremendous to see them so close to the finish.

Looking ahead, I'm still recovering from rolling my foot a second time last week, but things are looking up, Molly Bockmann a good friend and massage therapist worked her magic on my legs yesterday and things seem to be firing again.

In two short weeks I'll be joining a merry band of friends and runners in South Dakota for the Black Hills 100.   We've all run Hood to Coast together for a number of years now and I'm very impressed with this most recent adventure.  They all teamed up with some other runner friends and are raising funds for Admission Possible, a non-profit that helps students gain admission and graduate from college.  Their team name is AD4AP, All Day for Admission Possible.  To donate to this worthy cause and support a bunch of crazy guys from the Mid West who've been training since last year, through one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record, go to this link: Donate to AD 4 AP.  As much as I would like to be running with them, my previous ailments and injuries precluded me from being ready for this historic event, so I am crewing for Steve Byrnes with his wife Pamela.  You might recognize that name from a previous post, a year and half ago, Steve ran 40 miles for his 40th birthday.  I'm excited to see these guys finish and celebrate a good run with them.

I've been speaking with my cousin Andrew, who I ran into while racing in Fruita and he's helping me get ready for the Leadville 100 on August 21st.  He'll also be pacing me to the finish line, for which I am indebted to him, particularly given his amazing race schedule this year.  He's already run the Fruita 50 and the Jemez 50 and is teed up to crush the San Jaun Solstice 50, a grueling endeavor with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain on some of the most rugged terrain in the Rocky Mountains.  But he's not done after that, he'll do the Silver Rush 50 and then the Bear 100 later in the summer...not to mention the possibility of getting a shot at the Hard Rock 100 in July, arguably the hardest 100 mile race in the world.  Stephen Price will also be running SJS, so I wish them both success in the race.

To the right is the elevation profile for SJS, absolutely insane!  It's been great reconnecting with Andrew and I look forward to August and finishing Leadville.


“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” - James Dean

Desert RATS Trail Running Festival: A Multiplicity of Discovery

I've been pretty evasive when asked the question, "So...are you going to do a race soon?"  I can now let the cat out of the bag. In March after a couple of good weekends of fun, long runs in the hills above Boulder, I signed up for my comeback 50 miler in Fruita, CO about 5 hours west of Boulder on the Western Slope of the Rockies.  I figured it was a safe bet, given there is a 25 mile run at the same time, so if I needed to, I could bail and not suffer the indignity of a DNF for the 50.  While the pragmatist in me said 6 weeks of training wasn't enough, I'd had a good 5 weeks of cross training prior, so I went for the 50 miler registration. The past month and half have been good to my body and I was feeling healthy, invigorated and very anxious to return to Fruita.


Stephen Price, a good friend and runner who I've noted in a previous post was running the 25 miler in preparation for a big 50 miler later this year, the San Juan Solstice, not for the faint of heart, blizzards occur on a regular basis in June and the elevation gain is, shall we say "sick".  It goes without saying I meet fun, new friends when I hang with Stephen and this weekend was no exception.  


We all converged on the La Quinta Inn (Race HQ) on Friday, had a great dinner at a local and famous pizzeria called the Hot Tomato, hit the grocery store and headed to sleep or so we thought.  I don't think any of us really slept all that much, I finally got out of bed around 3am and started the pre-race ritual after just a couple of hours.


The high temperature for the day was to be near 70 degrees, but at 6:30am it was around 40 degrees, great running weather.  We had high cirrus clouds to shield the sun for the first 13 miles or so, which offered a little relief for what was to come later.  However, around mile 15 I took a nasty spill (worse than any I've taken running), I got up and repeated for 15 minutes to myself, "Shake it off".  I was pretty bloody overall, my left elbow, thigh and hip were gashed severely, but dirty and I couldn't tell if I needed stitches or not.  I was in the middle of nowhere and about 3 miles past the last aid station, so I just kept running.  The adrenaline from the fall, worked in my favor, I picked up the pace, which was good since I had a 10 minute transition at the turn around (the course is two loops, clockwise and then counterclockwise).  I rolled in, swapped shoes, Stephen helped fill the bladder from my backpack, checked in with the race official, got the okay from the medic that I wasn't going to bleed to death on the course and headed out.  I was now out for round two and the sun was blazing by this point.

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The course is set along the Kokopelli Trail, a famous mountain biking route between Fruita and Moab and surprisingly hilly.  
The many trails branching off Kokopelli are known for extreme single track and treacherous cliff drop-offs. It's in the desert, there is no shade, but it is majestic nonetheless, running along the mesas that feed down to the valley where the Colorado River roars. It's amazing, the first and last six miles provide vistas over almost the entire course, you can see the bikers and runners, but they are mere specs against the back drop.

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Stephen finished 12th overall and 13 minutes faster than his goal.  In fact, Deb and Jaclyn, my other compadres for this race also crushed their goals, both placing in their age groups.

The second half of the race was nothing short of spiritual.  I had reached that distance beyond which I had trained at; mileage and time that is still somewhat unfamiliar as I've only ever completed two other 50 milers.  Of course, it wouldn't be a 50 mile race for me if I didn't puke, so around mile 35 a beetle flew into my throat and I proceeded to extricate it, but then followed with a few other additional expels I wasn't planning.  It's not easy to lose your lunch while running at the same time while not getting it all over yourself, but I managed to stay clean.  

I relished every moment, took in the views, enjoyed the very supportive and courteous mountain bikers I saw along the way.  I enjoyed everything I could from the aid stations, including 3 slices of pizza at mile 37.  As in most races of this distance, you are alone more than not, the solitude gives you time to think.  I thought about Annie and all that we'd been through with my recovery, how wonderful it is to have her as my partner in life.  How supportive she's been through this recovery and how if it weren't for her advice in January, I probably wouldn't have been prepared to undertake this adventure.  And I ran on.


At the top of the second to last descent to the last aid station, I saw a familiar car, it was Deb's, so I knew she and Stephen would be waiting for me and I'd only have roughly 6 more miles to go.  They were great, we had some laughs and I said, "hell, I can hang out for another 10 minutes"...they said go.  I think I was delirious at that point, so I headed up the last climb and began rejoicing.  Even if I walked the entire way, I'd still finish, which was really all I wanted.  But I'd run to plan up to this point, felt really good, the best I'd felt at 44 miles ever and I just let it go. I got lost in myself, the terrain, the jubilation.  I would never have to worry again whether or not I was going to be able to run ultras, I had arrived.  At the top of the last climb I could see the finish line off in the distance and I took a sigh of relief.  I descended to the fire road and noticed I was pushing up against my goal so I picked it up slightly, but only enough and then as I grew closer, tears swelled and I just started motoring faster and faster until I crossed.  Stephen was there as I collapsed to the ground on my knees fighting back tears and I just asked for my beer, please.


I had run in 9:51, 9 minutes under my goal and placed 17th overall, the winner ran in 7:38 if you can believe that.  There were 80 or so who started and only 38 of us who finished, it was a hot, hot day and I've never been so happy to finish in the middle of the pack. 

Here's where the multiplicity of discovery comes in. I discovered, yes, I will be able to run Leadville this year after all and it wasn't a mistake to sign up.  I discovered new and cool friends, always a bonus.  Most interestingly of all though, I discovered that I share a passion for running with someone else in my family.  Serendipity, fate, luck, God's will...whatever you want to call it, is an amazing thing, I am in awe how life works sometimes.

Stephen and I arrived at the awards ceremony, it was crowded, we sat in two different rows, I was sitting next to a young girl and her father.  When they started announcing the 50 miler finishers and they got to "Andrew Wooten" the father sitting one seat over from me stood up and I had an "ah-ha" moment then they announced "John Duda" he quickly recognized my name as I had his and in equal astonishment whipped around to see who it was and we instantly made the connection, this all happened in a matter of seconds.  Andrew is my mother's nephew and we are first cousins.  We embraced, accepted our finisher plagues, but stood staring at each other in amazement.  We'd not seen each other since we were young and only briefly talked on the phone in 2005 when our grandfather had passed.  I got to meet his daughter "Annie" and we hung out after the ceremony for a bit, catching up on how the two of us ended up at the same place at the same time.  There is more, we were all at the same pizzeria on Friday night, sitting one table away.  Andrew passed me on the first loop, I asked him (not knowing who he was obviously), "Hey man, are you running the 25 or the 50?"  He said the 50 and I thought, he's strong, I'll not be seeing him again.  But as in all ultras there is a lot of back and forth.  Particularly at the aid stations and I saw Andrew once more and we exchanged some encouraging words and ran on.


This weekend was truly something I'd not expected on so many levels.  I had no idea I'd feel this good and finish strong, I didn't know I'd swallow a bug and lose my lunch and I certainly didn't expect to run into a family member that shares the same passion for running as I do. It was great capping this weekend off running into Andrew and meeting his daughter Annie as well.


My injuries will heal and we'll see what's next on the docket leading up to Leadville in August.

HOKA (Hoh - Ca) ONE ONE "Time to Fly over Earth"

Training is progressing.  I did my first track workout in almost two years last week with Stephen and ran in a 5k race. Lately, I've received a few inquiries regarding shoes.  I've been primarily running in two different pairs: NorthFace and HOKA ONE ONE.  Given my recent struggles with tendinitis in my right foot, I've also added Sole insoles for support.  The NorthFace are more akin to a stabilizing shoe while the HOKA is more of a neutral shoe.  A friend of ours wrote a great review in Runner's World (http://gear.runnersworld.com/2010/06/what-the-hoka.html).  Lisa really knows her stuff.  

Here to the right, you can see the IMMENSE EVA platform in this picture.  The HOKA shoes take awhile to break in, the upper is very stiff (I'm still having issue with right foot and the edge of the upper digging in just below my ankle - but that is very specific to "me").  Particularly on the downhills, the upper will dig into your foot though because you literally "fly" over terrain with barely a touch.  You do have to be aware that you are running with a 3" platform and you'll need to raise your stride to hurdle common obstacles or risk biting the dust (as I have a few times). I went with a half size larger than my regular shoe size due to the toe box and my feet sliding forward and crunching my toes.  Other than those three things, I love running in these shoes.  My only concern is the large EVA platform and the degradation over many miles of training.  The company that makes the HOKA say the longevity of the sole is better than other pure EVA soles and that Karl Metzler, a professional Ultrarunner has put over 600 miles on a pair, but I'm still going to use my own experience to gauge whether I ultimately will ever race in the HOKA.  I will leave you with this, when you start running in them, it does make you feel like it's "Time to Fly over Earth"!

I was in Del Mar, CA this past week, the irony was so thick...it was almost exactly a year ago I had the PICC line removed from my vein, the antibiotics stopped and the WoundVAC came off. So what did I do...I went for run on the beach I walked many times on with Annie, carrying my fanny pack and "man purse".  It was a solemn experience while also a rejoicing event, I was grateful for the opportunity to end a chapter with a successful exaltation to the lady of the sea.

"The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do."
-- Walter Bagehot

And then there were two!

HELLO !!!  What a crazy week, I wasn't too sure about the recovery from last weekend's extravaganza, but Thursday's run felt pretty good and I rested Friday to be ready for the weekend.  Stephen Price joined me Saturday, I've not had a running partner consistently for the last few months, so I was happy Stephen was with me, I've run more miles with Stephen than anyone else in my life...seriously.  That's pretty cool, if you stop to think about it.  I've only known Stephen for the last 10 years of my life.

Saturday we ran north then east and more or less covered the same route as last Saturday, except slightly faster with a little less distance and elevation.


Here Stephen and I are at the Eagle Trail Head and to the far right of this photo you can see the smoldering Left Hand Canyon fire which is now over 60% contained and evacuation orders have been lifted as of 5pm Saturday.  

Check out this link for more details: (http://www.dailycamera.com/lefthandfire/ci_17598733).  We hope this summer isn't a repeat of last summer, we've had a couple of fires in the last year that were a bit too close for comfort.  We had a fire in September that was the worst in terms of damage, then any other fire in the state of Colorado.

Stephen is a Rocky Mountain Rescue volunteer, he's participated in 100s of rescues and recoveries.  I admire his dedication to this organization and the commitment of Stephen and his colleagues to safety in our intrepid mountains near and around Boulder.  Someday I'd like to join them.  If you'd like to support them, please visit this link (http://www.rockymountainrescue.org/index.php) and donate.


In addition to a great run with Stephen, Annie returned Saturday. I'm so happy to have her home after 11 days in NOLA and FL visiting family. We had a normal Sunday with a return to the YOGA studio, Sunday brunch and an easy afternoon, ah joy!


"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham

"I danced among deer in the golden rod laden foothills, it was glorious!"

Yesterday, the deer didn't follow me this high (picture to left), roughly 6,400 or 1k above Boulder, nothing to sneeze at, just fun.  I love the views, the peacefulness, the silence.  The views are majestic at worst, breathtaking at best!  I'm always amazed when I come out for run that within a 7 mile radius of my house I have so much to play on down low and up high. I'm not kidding, my eastern most point was roughly 7 miles, my northern point was no more than 6 miles and my southern point was the house itself.  I love where I live, I am grateful and thankful.

 I'm making my way back and loving every minute of it.  I'm not really sure how I managed this weekend, but I did.  I just went with the flow and let my legs take me where they wanted to go.  

The picture to the right is off the Hogback trail, Sunday I went south and searched out other playgrounds in the distance. 

 So for me Sunday arrived and I was out the door again for another run.  Yesterday I went north, more mild grades and elevation.  Today I drove south to Chautauqua and ran from there.  What was suppose to be an easy out and back turned into an exploration of the soul.

The Mesa trail was warm and the sun was still shining, that would soon all change.  After running south along the Mesa trail, I ascended Shadow Canyon fully expecting snow, ice and poor conditions.  I was pleasantly surprised.  In fact most of the trails I was on this weekend were fairly clear and passable with caution.

Here, atop South Boulder Peak (8,549 ft), I found a lot of snow from the top of Shadow to the peak.  Yak-Trax or some form of traction would have been nice, as well as some warmer clothes.  The temperature dropped significantly during the ascent and I was woefully under dressed in shorts, long sleeve shirt and vest.

You can't ascend South Boulder and not also climb Bear Peak on your way either to Green Mountain or the West Ridge for a trip home.

There is this one derelict, stripped to the bone tree near the summit of Bear (8,461 ft), this tree represents all things good about perseverance or it's just a dead tree that has yet to decompose, choose your story.

From here I descended the West Ridge and connected with Bear Canyon and then onward to Chautauqua on the Mesa trail once more.  Needless to say, I'm beat, but feel good.  It's been a joyous return to the trails this weekend, more than I could have asked for from my body, I'm humbly grateful.

Contemplate this if you question anything,"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”