Life, Trail Running, and Birthdays

When I left the house yesterday morning for a 20-mile trail run, it was cold and windy, raining, still dark out, and God only knew what shape the trail was going to be in. I’m guessing not many people would choose to begin their birthday this way. But I’m an ultrarunner, and thus certifiably bonkers, …

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Loup Garou Two: Recovery and Guilt

I’ve heard some people experience a letdown after completing an ultra. There’s even a name for it: Post-Race Letdown, or PRLD. There’s no consensus on why, but one reason may come from an attitude that you trained hard for a goal, you achieved it, now what? And sometimes there are also feelings of guilt during …

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Swamps, Werewolves, and 60 Miles: My Loup Garou birthday run recap

I could have stayed home for my 60th birthday last week, eating pizza and chocolate cake like a sensible person. But if you’re an ultramarathon runner, your mindset has diverged from what other people call sensible. You think a milestone birthday should be celebrated with a challenge, preferably one with lots of pointless suffering in …

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Kettle 100: Sights and Sounds

THE KETTLE MORAINE 100 WAS LAST WEEK and I'm still having trouble believing that a) it's over, and b) I finished it. At least I think I did; I might still be out there hallucinating. (More on that next time.) I'm putting together a more detailed account, but right now I'd like to share some of …

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