2008 Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run
April 5 , 2008 6:00am
Registration now open !! - click here
Race Cap: 250
Current registrations: 110 as of 8/31/07 8:30pm
Don't wait !!
Registration opened this morning for this one, my fave of faves. About lunchtime, I got e-mail from race director Blake Norwood saying not to fiddle around because he had about 100 entrants in the first six hours! So I leaped into the 21st century and entered via Active.com, which is awesome.
Cracked me completely up that this race may actually fill all 250 slots in a day or two. My first year there, 1996, We had 77 starters and 38 finishers. I entered the night before the race.
Who would have ever imagined this?
August 31, 2007
August 6, 2007
Time to go a little crazy maybe?
Last week long runs were 2 hrs. Monday, 2 hrs. Tuesday, 2h10 Thursday and 3h08 Friday (AWESOME Appalachian Trail run in Afton Mountain area with Sophie!!!), soooo .... I am thinking that maybe I may kick things up a notch during August and continue this M/Tu/Th/F long run thing. Would be good prep for my Two Loops of Wild Oak assault in mid-October.
The 2h20m of 9/1 went pretty smoothly this morning. Given that this is my first day back at work after my first real vacation in ?? years, maybe it's just an after-glow thing. Then again, maybe not. Guess we'll see, huh?
The 2h20m of 9/1 went pretty smoothly this morning. Given that this is my first day back at work after my first real vacation in ?? years, maybe it's just an after-glow thing. Then again, maybe not. Guess we'll see, huh?
August 5, 2007
That next corner
So I'm on my third long run in four days during last week's vaycay in Greensboro, N.C., when it happens.
I round a turn on a paved bike path during the steamy morning when I see this little sweat-drenched kid running with the most determined look on his face, completely lost in his own world of effort. I'm guessing 7 or 8, about the same age as our Ben. Close behind, on a mountain bike, and ever-watchful comes his dad. Neither seems to notice me as we pass.
About 15 minutes later I come to the end of the path, then decide to do a bit of exploring through the ritzy subdivision by hopping out on the street. Up a short steep hill I go, then turn around to walk down when my watch beeps to signal a walk break.
As I'm walking down, up comes the kid. This time I get a better look and notice the slightly out-of-kilter gait and then the Special Olympics T-shirt. Still lost in the effort but starting to fade a bit on the pace, up the hill he heads. This time, I clap a couple times and give him a "good job, dude; relax and drive those arms on this hill."
The smile I got and the quiet fist pump from his dad gave me goosebumps. Such vast thanks from such a simple act. Then I spent the final 40 minutes of the run awash in gratitude for how easy my life is and how fortunate I am to have all the blessings that I have.
I had planned on driving into downtown Greensboro to run that morning, but at the last minute changed my mind. Sometimes, the best lesson you could hope for is just around that next corner.
I round a turn on a paved bike path during the steamy morning when I see this little sweat-drenched kid running with the most determined look on his face, completely lost in his own world of effort. I'm guessing 7 or 8, about the same age as our Ben. Close behind, on a mountain bike, and ever-watchful comes his dad. Neither seems to notice me as we pass.
About 15 minutes later I come to the end of the path, then decide to do a bit of exploring through the ritzy subdivision by hopping out on the street. Up a short steep hill I go, then turn around to walk down when my watch beeps to signal a walk break.
As I'm walking down, up comes the kid. This time I get a better look and notice the slightly out-of-kilter gait and then the Special Olympics T-shirt. Still lost in the effort but starting to fade a bit on the pace, up the hill he heads. This time, I clap a couple times and give him a "good job, dude; relax and drive those arms on this hill."
The smile I got and the quiet fist pump from his dad gave me goosebumps. Such vast thanks from such a simple act. Then I spent the final 40 minutes of the run awash in gratitude for how easy my life is and how fortunate I am to have all the blessings that I have.
I had planned on driving into downtown Greensboro to run that morning, but at the last minute changed my mind. Sometimes, the best lesson you could hope for is just around that next corner.
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