Category Archives: Advocacy

In Memory of 9/11

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Last September I made a trip to the Middle East for a very special race. The event was not filled with grueling mountain climbs nor one that traveled picturesque single track trails for a hundred miles, but it was just as meaningful and memorable as any event I have run in my career.

Major Davy Godfrey contacted me in June 2010 to participate in an event he was organizing to commemorate September 11th and Wounded Warriors. At the time, I was disappointed that it wasn’t going to fit in with my travel and racing schedule already planned in Europe. It only took me a day to realize that I needed to make this fit into my schedule no matter what.

I wanted to show support for all the men and women who had spent years on deployment in the Middle East and the sacrifices they had made. I also knew of the many wounded and fallen soldiers and the incredible loss endured by family and friends.

I found myself on a plane headed to Kuwait City and Camp Arifjan on a USO tour. Each day I visited two to three camps, some in remote areas near the Iraq border and others on the coast where the Kuwait Naval base was located.

Signing autographs at Camp Burien


Giving a slideshow at Camp Arifjan


Sharing pictures of training and racing at Kuwait Naval Base


Sharing and listening to stories from the soldiers at Camp Virginia


This gear makes UTMB and Badwater seem like cakewalks!


Behind the wheel of a transporter vehicle that is used to haul equipment out of Iraq


Colonel Donnie Walker gives a pre-race memorial address


5:00am race start, over 1,600 strong including high ranking generals such as Gen Dowd


Sunrise finish line sprint on the Camp Arifjan track


MSG Herron and CPT Olson race to the finish


Running in with the final finisher as the sun gets ready to crank the temp up to 120 degrees by afternoon!


Top finishers of the 9.11K. Check out the prizes they won. Better than the awards at ultras!


Signing the 9/11 Memorial Poster

I would like to send a big thank you to Maj. Davy Godfrey, Maj. Larry Seward, Col. Donnie Walker, USO, commanders of the First Sustainment Brigade, and all those that made my USO Tour an unforgettable experience. A special thanks to all those soldiers who shared some time with me or ran a few footsteps.

Maj. Davey Godfrey put on a memorable event. Thank you to for your efforts and to all the amazing volunteers!

Major Davey Godfrey and I on a farewell Kuwait run. At 7:00am it was already 100 degrees!


Maj. Larry Seward an avid ultramarathoner, played a major role in making the 9-11 Run happen.

I’ve raced all over the world and these were some of the toughest runners I have met. For all those stationed overseas or in the States, thank you for your service. Keep running and walking those miles safely wherever you might be. I look forward to seeing you back home on the trails and roads soon!

To read more about the event and my experience see articles in Army Times and Running Times.

Photo Credits: 1st Sustainment Brigade, Maj. Larry Seward

“Tribute to the Trails” wall calendar

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For those of you who haven’t yet heard or have been procrastinating your purchase of a 2008 wall calendar, Glenn Tachiyama launched a great project a few years ago. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for our Washington Trails Association (WTA), which plays a pivotal role in trail building, preservation, and maintenance, Glenn launched the calendar project, in which all proceeds from sales are directly donated to WTA. This is an organization I do a lot of trail work with which does amazing work throughout the state of Washington. Continue reading →

Ryan Shay Memorial Fund

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The 2008 US Olympic Team Trials for the men’s marathon will be remembered for record performances and one of the most competitive fields in decades. It captured the hearts and minds of distance running fans and energized the spirit of distance running. Along with the triumphs on November 3, a day of celebration, tragedy struck with the death of Ryan Shay. My heartfelt condolences go out to Ryan’s family and all those whose lives were touched by this incredible athlete and human being.

My friend, Ian Torrence, got to briefly know Ryan and trained with his wife, Alicia, while he lived in Flagstaff. He recently notified me of the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund set up by the Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University. Continue reading →

A trip to the farmer’s market

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This past Sunday, I loaded up my bicycle with at least 50 pounds of local, organic food. Not in ownership of a car, this is nothing unusual, although these are special occasions when I have to be creative about using the panniers, rack, and a backpack.

Not more than a mile from my Seattle apartment is the Broadway Farmer’s Market where I bought ten pounds of pinto beans from one of my favorite growers. In the Yakima Valley, Alvarez Farms grows peppers, tomatotillos, onions, garlic, peanuts, beans, and much more. They tell me next week they’ll have two other varieties of beans which I also plan to stock up on. Their fresh beans I’ve bought in years past, but wished I’d done so in larger quantities as the freshness is like nothing else! Continue reading →

Auburn Edurance Expo 2007

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Last weekend I made a trip down to Auburn, CA for the Endurance Capital Expo. It had been almost a year and half since I had been down in Western States Trail country and a few years since I attended the first Endurance Capital celebration.

This year’s event was an indoor expo at the Auburn Fairgrounds, producing a great community vibe and featuring local organizations like the Cool Bicycle Club and the Western States Trail Foundation. Also present were area businesses catering to endurance enthusiasts including Auburn Running Company. Clinics and presentations were provided by Auburn heroes including legendary Tevis Cup rider Potato Richardson, Tevis Cup rider and “father” of the Western States Endurance Run, Gordy Ainsleigh, and five-time Western States Endurance Run champion, Tim Tweitmeyer, among others. I also spoke about my recent wins at the Hardrock 100 and Spartathlon and answered questions from an excited crowd of endurance enthusiasts. Continue reading →

My 2007 Spartathlon race report

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The award ceremonies are over and most runners are back home following another successful running of an event we’ve come to know as Spartathlon. This year’s event was extra special being the twenty-fifth anniversary. But it was also an emotional one due to the disaster of forest fires that just a few weeks earlier brought enormous devastation to Greece, including the Peloponnese Peninsula where the race runs through. Nearly 500,000 acres were burned and the fires took 65 lives. Although the affect of the fires was felt by the runners and event organizers, the spirit and celebration of the race was alive and well. I’d like to make special note to the German runners who raised 10,000 euro for aid relief as well as point to a link on Daily Frappe with more information and links to numerous ways of helping.

BubbleShare: Share photos – Halloween contest

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How safe is your sunscreen?

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I came across a great resource recently. Skin Deep is a safety guide by Environmental Working Group. They are a small nonprofit formed to test and rate the safety of cosmetics and many items we use for personal care. “Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety”, “Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.”

On their site, you may look up the safety of a specific ingredient, product, or brand. You can also view by category, such as “skin care” or “baby care.” You will receive ratings of 0-2 for low hazard, 3-6 for moderate hazard, or 7-10 for high hazard. You may also take a further look at why this product is rated as it is. Continue reading →