My Golden Ultra, "65 Ultras for 65 years of age"

 Yesterday I finished my 65th Ultra in the Colossal Vail 55K race.  I just so happened also to be 65 years of age too!  Pretty cool.  I signed up for this race at the last minute and figured it will be a good "ultra" training run for my upcoming Oracle Rumble 55k I'm doing next month.  The weather was just perfect for running too!

I finished this race in a little over 9 hours which for me, was harder this time because I wasn't as prepared as I usually am before a race, and the race was particulary rocky in quite a few places.  This led to my feet getting super tired of hitting rocks.  I managed to fall on the trail a few times, and even in a small creek bed trying to jump over!  Oh well, I chalk it up to being overly tired - no biggie.  I also had to pick out a few cactus needles embedded into my elbow, but again, no biggie.

The course was mainly an out and back type - entirely run on the Arizona Trail just down south of Tucson.  The course got a little long for me especially because we couldn't use any sort of headphones or ear buds.  I did manage to get in behind a great group of runners going my speed who were talking the whole time, so that got my mind off what I doing.

Overall, a great day was had.  Lori and Sunny met me 4 miles from the end at an aid station and at the very end too!  That was so well appreciated!  Thank you Lori!!!  A barbecued pork sandwich and some pizza  and beers ended the night at home and I was asleep soon thereafter! 

 Thank you all of course for your support!

 $100.00 Donated to the Shiley Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center 12/11/22

Here are some pictures!

Stagecoach 55K (#64 Ultra) now done!

Hey all!  Wow, what a great day in Flagstaff to run the Flagstaff to Grand 55K Ultra for the 4th time in a row!  On Saturday, September 17, I finished 34 miles on primarily the Arizona Trail in 8 hours and 22 minutes.  A perfect day to run!  I'm very blessed to be able to do these crazy runs!  I'm just so glad I'm doing it for the right cause!

 A spectacular day all around with Lori and Sunny greeting me at the 21 mile aid station and at the end!  I talked with quite a few people in the first half of the run - had a brief calf seizure around 10 miles but managed to work through it.  I brought my old iPod with me and from 21 miles to almost around the end, I listened to some great music I hadn't heard for a LONG while!  That was just super!

This year brought no rain so the last 5 miles this year was a lot easier than last year!  I was so thankful for that!  I felt pretty good the last 5 miles too and managed to pass at least 5-6 people!  It was actually one of my best times in this race!

The beer afterward and a great 34th Anniversary meal Lori and I had that night was really special too.  Wow, what a day!  I slept like a baby!  Thanks everyone again for the support!

$100.00 Donated to the Shiley Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research on 9/21/22

 

 

 

#63rd Ultra now completed!

 Hi folks!  I thought I'd squeeze in another ultra while the weather was still (kind of) (relatively) not too hot!  Anyway, while we were in Prescott for another week after being in CA. I felt good, so I did the same route I did a month ago on the circle trail and ended at our home!  I had a great first half of the run and had some real nice strong breezes in my face which cooled me off.  The day gradually got hot near 85 and that sun was wicked hot.  I hiked, walked, and jogged for the last 8 miles or so - all on familiar territory.

I had great tunes and podcasts to listen to the whole way which kept my mind active.  I actually got to meet Michael Versteeg on the trail about half way through my run of 30 miles.  Michael won last years 260 mile Cocodona trail race in Arizona, so it was great finally meeting him!  We talked for a bit and he seemed really cool and easy to talk with.  

Lori and Sunny met me again at the 15 mile mark and I had my sandwich and chips and changed out my water bottles with cold new ones.  What a relief that was.  I met another runner guy who was bombing up Wolverton mountain on the same trail I was on.  He not only ran another 1-2 miles up the mountain, turned around and ran down - then past me up around 3 miles later!  He was going really fast down the trail which to me way to dangerous to go that fast on this very rocky terrain.  Oh well!

The run took me about the same time as the last run I did on this course which was around 8 1/2 hours.  I got in the tub real soon and was soon refreshed with a couple of nice cold beers.  Starting at 6:30 am or so, I got in around 3 pm.  It was nice to be back at that time for sure.

Thanks again you all for the support!

Looking north towards Prescott

Towards Thumb Butte

Our house in down there somewhere 13 miles away

Back side of Thumb Butte about 10 miles in

Granite Mountain 5 miles in

$100.00 Donated to the Shirley Marcos Alzheimer's Research Center on 6/16/22

#62 Ultra - Prescott Circle Trail 50K!

 Hi you all again!

On May 29th I did another 30 miler while we were up in Prescott - why not, I felt good!  The weather was nice and cool as well - unlike the one I just did in San Diego 2 weeks ago.  I felt great and strong for about half the time and slowly ran out of steam and hiked, walked, and jogged it in.  Still, I did run just over 8 hours which is just standard for me.

As usual, Lori and Sunny met me half way at the 15 mile mark of the Prescott Circle trail which was off of Copper Basin road.  I was refreshed with an egg sandwich, chips, plenty of water, and a diet coke.  I start this run from the Katahn trailhead -using the Circle trail all the way around Prescott and finish the run at my home.  A great run with half the time in the shade of the pine trees - which now is essential because it is going to be hot in the west this summer.

I met some guys on the trail who had walked all the way from Chicago and Prescott was their final destination!  I was amazed by that!  We had a nice conversation.

Lori and Sunny met me about 1/2 mile from home and ran in with me.  What a treat!  Thanks Lori!

I soon was in the tub with a beer in my hand.  Another Ultra finished!

$100.00 donated to the Shirley Marcos Disease Research Center for Alzheimer's on May 30th, 2022.

"Run to the Border" Ultra #61

 Hi you all!

On May 14th I ran to the Mexican border with my bud BJ - totally on the PCT trail!  We started 30 miles north of the border and ran south to touch the border in Campo, Ca.  What an awesome run this was!  Starting at 4:00 am and finishing after 12:00 pm we completed the run right when it was starting to get really hot!  Wow, it was hot for about 1/2 the run, but we had plenty of stashed water along the route.  Lori and Sunny even met us near Campo and gave us even more water and food.  From there, we only had 2 1/2 miles to go so we finished in fine form.  Thank you again Lori!!!

Getting up at 2:00 am, this was the earliest start I have ever done in an Ultra, but I'm sure glad we did start at that time because it was sure hot!  We started at the PCT Kitchen Creek trailhead and went south.  We saw damn near 30 through hikers, but no other runners the entire time.  Some 15 miles in we came across some unused small plastic bottles of cinnamon whiskey and so BJ and I split half of one, just for the hell of it.  That really woke us up for sure!

I'm so glad I finally ran another part of the PCT and finally to the border!  Now I know what the dumb new border wall looks like.  What an embarrassment.  Anyway, such a great day of running with my best running bud ever!  

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and support!  Take care.

$100.00 donated on 5/21/22 to the Shirley Marcos Disease Research.

#60th Ultra Marathon Completed!!!

 Hi again!  Well, I'm now 60% finished with my task of completing 100 Ultras by the time I'm 100!  It feels very rewarding and I want to thank everyone who's helped me with this task so far!  I appreciate all the help - physically and mentally!

Yesterday I just went out and accomplished 30 miles on basically the 50 Year trail in Tucson.  I did a couple "out and backs" sort of speak - using my car as an aid station to stash extra water and food.  I did the run in approximately 8 hours 22 minutes.  I got super tired around 22 miles but for the next 8, I actually felt stronger as I went!  I had a lovely day - all day - beautiful weather near 70 degrees too.  Lori and the dog came out to greet me at the finish which was so wonderful.  Thank you Lori so much!!!

As soon as we all got home I took a shower and headed for the hot tub which was so super!  This feels so good after all day on the trail!  Loved it!

Here are some pics of the area where I was running!  So wonderful!

Thank you all for the support.

$100.00 donated to the Shirley Marcos Alzheimer's Research Center on 2/28/22.

Now, #59 Done!

 I decided just about 2 weeks after Oracle Rumble to do another Ultra on my own just only 30 minutes from my home.  I mean, what the heck, I feel good, had adequate rest, and still had that need to do another one!  It turned out to be a really nice run.  I took my time, it was really an easy layout for me at the Tortolita Reserve just west of us in the Tucson area.  I ran in the beautiful Saguaros all day on a fabulous nice and sandy but firm trail.  I did three loops of 9.5 miles and called it good for my latest ultra!

I listened to some great music and pod casts most of the day and ran into some really nice people who actually got off their bikes and talked with me for a short bit.   One lady even called me "a bad ass" - yeah!  I'll take that!

I did the run in 7 hours 18 minutes and at about 4:30 that day I was in the hot tub soaking my aching legs and left knee.  The knee starting hurting around 15 miles in, but I just "ran when I could, walked and hiked when I should".  That's now my standard for running ultras!

Here's some pictures of the great bluebird day!  Thanks for the support!

$100.00 Donated to the Shirley Marcos Disease Center on 2/12/22

Oracle Rumble 50K (#58 Ultra!)

 On Saturday 1/29/22 I managed to scrape by running this 32 mile race up in Oracle, AZ.  It was quite the cool and windy day - especially up in the higher mountains.  But overall, we had the wind and sun in our face the whole day.  I finished with an overall time of 8:50 - a bit slow compared to previous races due to the terrain.  It ran entirely on the AZ Trail which was great and well marked.  My left knee starting hurting again around half way during the race so I had to run/walk the rest of the way in.  

I managed to keep my mind off of the knee by trying to talk to many of the runners around me going the same pace.  I loved that aspect of running these crazy races.  My friend BJ ran too.  We didn't really run together until the last part of the race where we finished together which was fun.  There was around 4500 ft. of gain in the race - but it felt like about 9000 ft. when I finished!

Lori and Sunny met me at around 27 miles into the race at an aid station - giving me a lot of love and support.  This was so appreciative!.  Within an hour or so we decided to go home, have a burger and a beer - then go in the hot tub we now have in our home.  Oh, what a great feeling!  Totally great.  After that I immediately went into bed and went to never never land.

Thank you all for the support as usual!

$100.00 Donated to the Shirley Marcos Alzheimer's Research Center 1/30/22