Tag: vermont50

This is what we do: The Vermont 50

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  “Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond what we thought we could do. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” ~ Pattie Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian Race morning… We stayed in a hotel that smelled of cigarettes and flatulence. The cigarettes were from the people who had the room before us. The flatulence, well, I guess we have to own up to that. John and I joked as we fell off to sleep, “At the starting line, people are …

The first time finish line

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I’m addicted to the first time. You know: The first marathon. The first triathlon. The first 50k. The first ironman. And, this weekend, my first 50-miler: The Vermont 50. Crossing the finish line of any race is exhilarating. The feeling of accomplishment, of achieving a goal that you’ve set and steadfastly worked toward. Only you made it happen for yourself. Of course, finishing feels wonderful no matter how many times you’ve done that race before. But, hold up a minute. When you cross the finish line of your first attempt at a new event, the feeling is absolutely and overwhelmingly …

Stumpy’s Marathon: A 10 year old’s birthday party

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In the process of training for the impending Vermont 50, John and I have completed several organized trail races. There are definite advantages to entering races, even if you are just doing the race as a training day. For example, the excitement of a race day along with running in a completely new place can help break up the monotony of training. I just love the feeling of waking up on a race day morning, and the excitement of wondering what’s around the next bend in the trail. Another key advantage is aid station support, which means you don’t have …

My bucket list isn’t getting any shorter…

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Despite the fact that I have been systematically checking things off my bucket list (marathon, ultra, Ironman, and so on), it continues to grow. The newest addition? Thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. The latest desire is a result of a training run that John and I took last weekend along 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, the bucket list is a little bit like knowledge: the more you know, the more you realize you want to know. The more we do, the more we realize we want to do. We had traveled to Vermont seeking a training weekend in preparation …

My secret trail

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I cross the street, tuck into a partially hidden trail that snakes behind the neighborhood houses, and vanish from the asphalt running world. Fallen tree branches criss-cross the first few meters of this particular trail, which starts just a few tenths of a mile down the street from my house. I hop-skip over some of the limbs, while others require more careful navigation. The branches snap under my feet. Sometimes, when I land in just the right way, they ricochet upwards, and smack my legs. I relish the feeling. My legs are alive, moving, feeling part of the natural world. …

Moments of perfection

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My grandfather died last Thursday, just a day before his 89th birthday. A kind, caring family man, my grandfather lived his almost-89 years to their fullest. His life and actions serve as a model for the life well-lived. At his memorial service on Monday, my cousin Deb told a story about my grandfather’s craftsmanship. My grandfather, Buddy as everyone called him, was installing an air conditioning unit, with the help of his brother. Buddy measured and measured, and then cut a hole in the wall for the unit. Despite his brother’s doubt that the appliance would fit, my grandfather was …