If there’s one guarantee about running an ultramarathon, it’s that the unexpected will happen. It’s just a question of what and when. It’s part of the odd appeal of running for crazy long distances in remote places. Safe, urban cattle-drive marathons? No, thank you. And so I was back in the Arizona desert this weekend …
Tag: desert
Grandmaster of Disaster
After running the Grandmaster 100K last month in the Arizona desert, I now share one characteristic with legendary ultrarunner Jim Walmsley, who has now twice set the course record at the Western States 100. No, I did not win Western States. I haven’t even tried to qualify for it (yet). But we do indeed share …
Catch That Sunrise
My feet flew as I barreled down the singletrack, trying to keep an eye on the runners ahead while dodging rocks and roots and stepping on slippery leaves. I’d never run this trail before, it was still a bit dark, and I was fully focused on trying not to become a casualty. Finally we reached …
50 Miles in the Desert: A Grand(master) Adventure
IT WAS A PHOTO FINISH. If only there had been a camera at the finish line. Chris and I descended a sandy slope onto the road and charged toward the finish straight ahead. After fifty miles on rugged, rocky desert trails, we found the strength to sprint, and over those last hundred yards we continued …
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