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

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.

This year’s calendar was prepared by Glenn and Wendy Wheeler-Jacobs. Thank you both so much for your efforts! For those of you still in need of a 2008 calendar or for a trail loving friend, I’m told there are still some copies available. You don’t have to be a Northwest trail runner to enjoy the images, as many of the photos are from trails outside the area. For a peek at the images, click here. You can order the calender online from Zombie Runner or Pacific Coast Trail Runs, or check with your local running specialty shop.

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. If you can, please consider donating to this fund.

For more information, here is a video interview explaining the fund.

And an explanation, quoted from the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund website:

In honor of Ryan Shay, an integral member of the Flagstaff running community, the Center for High Altitude Training has designated its current “Running Fund” through the Northern Arizona University Foundation to be a “Ryan Shay Memorial Fund,” with the targeted purpose of serving as a source for athlete stipends. These stipends are financial allocations to eligible U.S. middle distance and distance runners that help pay for their training-related expenses while training in Flagstaff.

The topic of athlete support was very important to Ryan, who repeatedly acknowledged how difficult it is for athletes to directly benefit from dollars given to organizations in support of U.S. distance running. In response to Ryan’s concern, for the next 12 months all gifts received into the Running Fund will be tagged “In Memory of Ryan Shay” and will be used for athlete stipends and to help pay for expenditures that athletes incur while training in Flagstaff. Examples of expenditures include, but are not limited to, room, board, blood testing, physiological testing, coaching, and rehabilitative services.

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!

Another large purchase this week included 24 pounds of heirloom squash from the brand new Local Roots Farm. The bright oranges of their flesh make great risottos, raviolis, and soups. Or possibly even better just baked in the oven with salt, pepper, onions, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. The passionate and energetic young farmers have also grown some of the best foods that have landed on my plate since spring. Some of my favorites have been their collard greens, brussels sprouts, carrots and arugula.

Next week is the last for this year’s farmer’s market on Broadway, so I hope to load up on more potatoes, onions, and garlic, as well as the beans I previously mentioned. However I will be able to find many of my favorite farmers for winter greens at the Ballard and University locations throughout the winter, as well as at the Pike Place Market, where Alvarez sells daily.

People all over the US are buying more and more from local farmers, enjoying the benefits of superb taste and a higher nutrient profile from foods picked often the morning of your purchase. With the average meal in the US coming from as far as 1,500 miles away, buying food grown near your home is also great for the environment and supports the local economy. Many studies have shown local, organic foods purchased direct from the farmers are similar in price or often less expensive than conventional grown produce which has traveled from miles and miles away.

You can search for farms, farmers markets, or community supported agriculture shares in your area with some of the following links:

Puget Sound Area Farmer’s Markets
Local Harvest
Natural Resources Defense Council
USDA

Also of interest may be these case studies from Rural Roots, including one of Alvarez Farms: Northwest Direct Farm.

Enjoy this season’s harvest!

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.

During the celebration, a Table of Champions was abuzz with eager fans as they had the chance to meet the champions, young and old, of many endurance sports. This was also an opportunity to get an Endurance Capital poster autographed. I was inspired to see the youth of Auburn and surrounding communities in awe of the champions and excited about their own future pursuits. In the background a wall sized screen played video clips of Tevis Cup riders navigating the technical section of “the elephants trunk”, Western States runners crossing the American River, elementary school kids participating in the Running School program, kayakers navigating class V rapids on the American River, mountain bikers on the trails near Cool, and the Placerville H.S. CC team climbing hills on trails near Auburn. There was something for everyone whether an equestrian, kayaker, rock climber, trail runner, cyclist, or new fitness enthusiast.

It was a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful community event that celebrates endurance in a town immersed in endurance events, but also making endurance accessible to all individuals– no matter what their definition or limit of endurance might be!

Kudos to Shannon Weil, Bob Richardson, and the Endurance Capital Task Force for volunteering their time in putting on a fabulous event!

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

My training went well and I had spent extra effort making sure I was going to be rested for this race. I rarely incur overuse injury, but the spirit of 2007 seemed to bring some traumatic ones my way. Hard to believe, but I started this taper in similar fashion to my rest prior to Hardrock. Upon arriving in Athens on the 16th, I stubbed (I guess is the correct word although something stronger seems more fitting) my left fifth toe while getting up out of bed in the middle of the night. I could tell from the pain that it was rather severe, but talked myself into not thinking much of it. That’s until the morning light presented severe swelling and bruising of half the foot, along with inability to put much weight through it. It seemed as though I desired to make my key races even harder by giving myself a physical handicap beforehand. I guessed I either broke some bone or tore ligaments of the fifth phalange and/or tore my extensor digiti minimi muscle. Not a whole lot one can do for this type of injury. But icing, resting and buddy taping allowed me to get in at least some heat training prior to the race. Just a bit less, and bit more painful than ideal. And, of course, I can’t say enough about the traditional vegetarian Greek food and Mediterranean sun. By race day, I had only minor soreness. I felt confident a majority of healing had taken place and it ultimately was not an issue after the first miles.

My favorite pre-race story is meeting my future toughest competition. The first person I met when I arrived at the race hotel was Piotr Kurylo from Poland. Piotr was outside with some friends and the cart he pulled while running all the way from Poland. Yes, Poland! Pulling a cart! He ran an average of 70 kilometers per day for 40 days taking a route that eventually brought him through Italy and by ferry to western Greece, where he continued his run to Athens. Just in time for his taper, Piotr arrived in Athens two weeks before the race allowing for some good rest. I was very impressed with his adventure and his spirit, but little did I think this determined Pole would be setting the pace for much of the race and would end up being my toughest competitor!

Toeing the line with Piotr and 369 others at 7:00 AM on September 28th, a record 371 participants were prepared to make their way by foot from the Acropolis in Athens to Sparta, totaling 246 km. Runners from over thirty-five countries represented one of the most international fields for any ultramarathon event. As mentioned in my pre-race post, the competition promised to be strong with previous champions and many internationally accomplished ultrarunners prepared to run their best.

The previous day’s weather reports were correct, predicting high humidity and warm temps. Having been much cooler upon my arrival to Greece, cruising along through the chaos of Athens traffic at a 7:00-7:30 per mile pace produced a high amount of sweat in the sudden heat. This early heat indicated as the sun reached higher into the sky we would be in for some serious heat. Temps were reported to be as high as 35-40 degrees Celsius with humidity at 60-90 percent. Not ideal temps for a PR, as of course I was hoping for! Much hotter and more humid than last year.

Due to the anticipated heat, and possibly too quick of an early pace last year, I decided to take it a bit easier early on. I ran a more reasonable 3:20-25 marathon split compared to last year’s 3:10 when I was running out front. But unlike last year, many top runners decided to take it out fast and hard. Piotr, Pasi Kurkinahti from Finland and Eusebio Bochons of Spain, among some others, led the way while I sat back in 5-6th place. Markus Thalmann of Austria passed me just before the marathon mark and seemed to be very strong this year, meaning business. I hung back awhile with Valmir Nunes of Brazil and later was left on my own for the hot stretch into Corinth at 81 km.

Although Spartathlon is normally run with warm temps, I was definitely feeling the extra heat. Last year it didn’t bother me until after Corinth. This year all I could think of was the ice my crew had there, being the first crew access of the race. Ice is almost none existent at the very well stocked and superb aid stations although I tried asking, “Parakolo, pagos?” (Please, ice?), every opportunity I had, only rarely with delivery. In Europe, they are very concerned that ice will make the runner sick and motion that my stomach will become ill when I put it in my bottles. I’ll take any I can get.

I arrived in Corinth over 20 minutes slower than last year, feeling very warm. The ice hat and bandana felt like paradise. But less comforting was word of being over 20 minutes behind the leader, with Piotr right on my pace from last year. Takehiro Matsushita of Japan was also just ahead of me, and my crew said both of them looked worn down from the heat and first 50 miles.

I continued to bake in the midday sun and jockeyed for position, eventually holding my place in the field at third place upon arriving in Zevlogatio, 102.5 km, with Piotr and Markus ahead of me. This time the report was that Markus running in second looked very strong with the heat not seeming to bother him. Again with 20 minutes on me, Piotr finally looked vulnerable as he was motioning about problems and told them “kaput.” But with their encouragement he pushed on. Although I was focusing on running smart and being patient, I was discouraged a bit that I hadn’t made any ground on the leaders.

The heat was relentless through the vineyard country near Nemea- was it only bothering me? I was getting a good push from behind as well with Nunes and Masayuki Ohtaki from Japan, another previous champion, sneaking up on me. Nunes and I worked together, encouraging each other, as Ohtaki built a couple minute lead on the climb to Ancient Nemea, 124 km. I kept telling myself that the sunset was coming and the heat would subside, like last year providing me with a second wind. But the hot miles were wearing on me. At Ancient Nemea, I was told Markus had pulled into the lead and again looked invincible, now 25 minutes ahead of me. Piotr had revived ready for the long night. He told my crew, “Polska, strong!”

Ohtaki and Nunes had a small lead on me as I left the aid station. The sun was setting, but the warm air seemed content to stay. I caught up to Nunes and again we worked together. He communicates, that we are going to push each other to the finish and that two competitors running together can close on the big lead Markus now has. We catch Ohtaki and the three of us together make our way to Malandreni, 140.2 km. In this last 10 km, I have found another gear. I receive word of making up 10 minutes on Markus. This fuels the fire for the road mountain climb ahead. Ohtaki drops back as Nunes and I push hard through Lyrkia, 148.5 km.

As we arrive at the mountain base, 159.3 km, Markus is leaving the aid station as we arrive. But Piotr has now passed Markus and made up more time on us, increasing his lead to 18 minutes! Not what I was expecting having worked the climb pretty hard. Unfortunately on the rocky trail over Sangas Pass and through the descent into Sangas village, Nunes was not able to run well due to an achilles problem. However I embrace this section and pass Markus on the descent, moving into second place. For the next 20 km I push hard, on my own on the lonely stretches of road, trying to make up ground on the tough Pole ahead of me. I think it is now Pole against Pole, as I am over half of Polish descent. Having had the ethics of hard work drilled into me at an early age from my Polish grandparents, I can only imagine how tough this runner ahead of me is. This and the fact that Leah keeps telling me that he looks strong and has perfect running form.

It seems like he is not going to let up as the gap closes in only very slowly through the next checkpoints. It isn’t until Tegea, 195 km, that Piotr looks vulnerable and has left the aid station with only a four minute lead. I pour it on and catch him in a couple of kilometers. He is moving slowly. Feeling strong, I decide to put some time on him even though there are 50 km left and a long climb before the descent to Sparti.

Running at 7:00-7:15 per mile pace for a few km, I look back to see headlights pacing a runner. The top runners have a police escort. I was stunned to see that Piotr was 100 feet behind me. I continue to run hard as we approach the 15 km climb and still the he is right on me, matching my move. I am blown away at how he came back with this extra gear! I decide to run every step of the climb whereas last year I walked small portions. Over the next 10 km, I see his shadow stretched out from the headlights of the pace car and I cannot believe that I can’t shake him. I throw myself into yet another gear, thinking this should do the trick, but little gap is created. Finally, towards the top of the climb, I have built a 2-3 minute lead, but not nearly what I thought it should be considering how I was running. Just then a race official pulls up and the gentleman in the passenger seat tells me, “Don’t worry about this runner. He is not in the race. He has never done this race before!”

Last year at this point I was feeling sleepy and hallucinating that photographers were standing in the middle of the two lane highway shooting photos. But this year I am alert and fully with it. I think, “What is this guy telling me?” “Not in the race, never done this race before?” This Pole has been leading the race for much of the day, and now he is breathing down my throat and I am not supposed to take him seriously? I keep pushing and pushing, finally putting a gap to where the headlights are no longer visible on the long straightaways. I use the momentum of this strong push to shake the Pole to carry me down the descent into Sparti and down the city streets, all the way to the statue of King Leonidas.

After kissing the feet of King Leonidas, drinking water from the sacred Erodatus River, being crowned with an olive wreath, and posing for photos I make my way to the medical tent where they check all runners. In the medical tent my crew asks me, “Wasn’t that bandit running behind you a crazy happening?” I look at them stunned. “What bandit?” They look even more surprised. They proceed to tell me that a local runner with a pace car decided to jump into the race to run the last portion. Race officials asked him to step off the course, but he refused. It’s an open road so they weren’t able to remove him. The officials warned me, but I obviously misunderstood. My crew hadn’t noticed it until much after I did, and the race officials told them they had notified me. Here I had thought it was Piotr and that the warnings were friendly encouragement, letting me know I had the race in the bag so not to worry. Shows me the power of the central nervous system!

I finished with a time of 23:12:14, slower than last year due to the heat, but still the two fastest winning times after Yannis Kouros’ four better. Patrick Macke of England posted a second place finish to Kouros in 1990 of 23:08:41. Second and third were Piotr Kurylopio in 24:29: Valmir Nunes in 25:37:40. The women had a great race with the top three finishing within nearly an hour of each other: Akiko Sakamoto of Japan in 31:09:24, Vrigitte Bec of France in 31:56:03 and Kimie Noto of Japan in 32:11:05. Mark Godale was the only other finisher from the US, sixteenth place in 30:31:57. First and third male ran in Brooks Racer ST while first male and second female are regulars with the Green Magma. Click here for full results. Congrats to everyone who was out there to take on this enormous challenge!

I’d like to thank the Spartathlon Association for having me back. It was great to be a part of the event again. I have to say the athletes from all over the world are extremely talented and gracious. This is so much of what makes the event such a joy. The support from my sponsors is so much appreciated. Thank you Brooks, Green Foods, and Pro-Tec! And my crew, as always, is the best. Thanks to Barefoot Ted, Glenn Tachiyama, Lisa Bliss, and my lovely wife, Leah!

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. For example, some concerns may be links to cancer, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, allergies or immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity, other irritation, violations, restrictions or warnings. There is a lot of information on this site, and I know people can get overwhelmed with this. But with each rating you will also see a box telling what percentage of reviewed products have a better rating. Simply clicking will show you which ones. Results aren’t always as one might expect.

So, yes, us runners wash our hair and brush our teeth, but we also spend hours on end in the sun. If we’re savvy we’re probably concerned about protecting our skin from extreme sun exposure with clothing or sunscreens. Here is a special report on the safety and effective sunscreens. A great deal of to keep us informed here!

The September ’07 issue of Trail Runner features a piece on the Copper Canyon Ultra, page 12.

More than a race, this is a great cultural exchange celebrating the gift of running which has played an integral part of Raramuri culture. Running and foot travel have remained a part of daily life for these beautiful people.

However due to many factors, the Raramuri, also known as Tarahumara, have had low yields of staple crops including maize and legumes in recent years. Thus Micah True had organized prizes of corn and beans, as well as cash, awarded to the top ten finishers in his race.

This year as an extension to his efforts, I donated my prize money of $750 USD so we could start a seed bank with Native Seeds/SEARCH, a non-profit organization with many worthy causes. The purpose of this specific project is to preserve and distribute seeds that are central to traditional Raramuri living.

The name for this project is “Batopilas Canyon Seed Project”. If you would like to make a donation, you may do so online, or you may send a check directly to:

Native Seeds/SEARCH
Attn: Membership
526 N. 4th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705

**Please use “Batopilas Canyon Seed Project” to earmark checks if you wish to donate directly to this project.

Thanks to all who have given what you can.