Trail Dad Running Reports

So on came week 2 of the  Chuck Norris Challenge ! If you missed the event description and the write up of week 1, see my previous post: Chuck Norris Challenge (Part 1) . A big part of why I did this event was the pure challenge of it. I've run further in one day. In fact, I've run longer distances regularly in the past two months or so. I've run multi-day, stage race style events. But never had I raced for so many days straight at the kind of speed that would be required. The challenge intrigued me. Despite the intrigue of the challenge, I was also nervous about injury. The distances didn't phase me, but the stress from the intensity was something my body wouldn't be used to. How would my body react to the stress on my muscles, tendons, joints, bones? I certainly didn't want to get injured. But as week 1 turned into week 2, the fatigue mounted, and these concerns started to feature more prominently in my thoughts. It is from this backdrop that I b

How often do/did you race? Once a week? Once a month? How about every day? For two weeks? Welcome to the Chuck Norris Challenge ! I don't know exactly how this event was dreamed up (or why) but with all of the race cancellations and amidst the plethora of virtual events that have popped up, this one stood out. THE CONCEPT The concept was one of speed and durability. For two weeks, race against your watch every day. It was like a daily time trial. No pausing the watch. The Distance Week one: Monday-Sunday with this progression: 5K/10K/15K/20K/25K/30K/35K. Week two: Monday-Sunday, laddering down from 35K. The Rules Each day, after completing the distance, your time was entered into a spread sheet with made two calculations: Adjust for age and gender. Assign points based on adjusted time 1st place = 1 point; 2nd place = 2 points, etc. That adjusted time is where it got interesting. Times were purposefully adjusted based on half marathon data set

At this point, pretty much every runner I know has been affected by COVID-19. Many of us have had races cancelled or postponed. More of us are running solo more often, and when we meet, we don’t run quite as close together as we once did. I know of people who, under community decree, can’t go out and have run marathons in their backyards. Some have actually been quarantined. And that’s just the running. I communicate with runners who do race timing. Now out of work. I know many who are small business owners teetering on the brink, trying to navigate the new reality. My wife is (was) a flight attendant, now out of work for at least six months, so we’re on one income. ...as long as my jobs lasts. We’re all trying to cope. Me? There were so many great races that I couldn’t do due to family constraints. The two events I could do were busts. I had to drop out of ABF Trail Marathon after my wife’s trips were rescheduled and my kids came down with the flu. Prairie Spirit 100M has b

I consider myself a trail runner, first and foremost. The end of 2018 and first half of 2019 really seemed to support that narrative, with Run Your Can Off , Back 40 Trail Run , Bandera 100K (at Camp Eagle), Ozark Highlands Endurance Run 50K , 3 Days of Syllamo , and Mt. Magazine Trail Run . It was fun times. Maybe the best of times, aside from injuries sustained in falls. Since then, though I run trails regularly, I haven't really raced or competed on any. There were the 51 miles of  The Eliminator  last August, run on flat rails-to-trails that I can't really count as a trail competition. Then in September there was Crest Fest , during which I put in 100K of paved loops up, down, and around Mt. Sequoyah. After that was Arkansas Traveller 100M  in October, some of which was on legit single track, but most of which was on jeep roads and such. Off road and in the woods, but not the trail I love. Yesterday I threw down in my last key workout befor e Athens Big Fork Trail Ma

This was my 100-mile debut. I had what I thought were ambitious but obtainable goals. Namely, finishing under 20 hours. But I was going to be happy with 22. I didn't know how ambitious to be. I mean, I'd never run 100 miles before. Was it better to be cautious? Hopefully optimistic? I arrived Friday afternoon for weigh in and to pick up race materials. After the pre-race meeting, with the excellent advice, "Don't be a dumbass!" (too late), I met NWA friends (Cassie, Lisa, Lauren, Mark, and Josiah) for dinner and headed back to my hotel to shower, prep, and sleep. (Photographer: Cassie Brown ) The race started off well enough. It was dark and cool, paved and downhill. I was moving a bit faster than I had planned, but friends (past AT finishers) told me that I should try to position myself toward the front before arriving at the single track, so I wasn't too concerned. Eventually we moved off the pavement and onto a dirt road: much more my style.