The #roadtohaiti has not only been traveled on foot (training!). I’ve also been reading a lot. From Mountains Beyond Mountains, the book that helped define my “Why” for this adventure, to “Haiti After the Earthquake,” and now “The Big Truck that Went By,” I have learned so much about this little island country and its difficult and troubled past. I can’t wait to arrive this Friday and soak it all in.
For 7 of the last 8 years, I’ve run the Uhwarrie 40 miler. See last year’s post here, which has a good synopsis of past results.
This year, with the Run Across Haiti just two weeks out from race day, my coach David had the good sense of talking me out of the 40 and into the 20, though I was really tempted since the Uhwarrie 40 is my favorite race.
Race day came and I went out pretty hard, dropping in behind the lead 6 or 7 guys on the 1st climb but happily settling in there – about where I wanted to be. But within the first 60-90 seconds, I felt really off. My legs ached – the kind of leg ache I often get right before a serious illness such as the flu or the time I got Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. Uh-oh. Within 120 seconds, my stomach turned. Oh man. This was not good at all!
Getting up that climb over the 1st 1.5 miles was tough, and I few people passed me. Once we hit the top and started down, I tried to settle in, but still didn’t feel comfortable. I tried to maintain, but it was a struggle. Between miles 3-8 I estimate at least 20 people went by, I just couldn’t do anything. This was a mental blow and I was really beating myself up. With all the miles I’ve put in for Haiti, why wasn’t I running better? Was I getting sick? Or too old? Or what?
Sometime after mile 9, I finally managed to settle myself down. It took me that long to just let the day be what it was going to be. And then I started passing other runners. Some were the 40 milers who had started an hour earlier, but I also recognized a couple from those 20 people in the 20 miler that had passed me early on. I started being able to run some of the hills without achy legs. I thought my original goals of sub 3:20 and top 10 were gone, but I felt better and better and was happy with that. That continued all the way to the finish, as I ran stronger and stronger, and came in at 3:25. I didn’t know how I had placed since there is a big mix of 20 and 40 milers, but eventually learned I had come in 11th (out of 190 finishers!). So only 5 minutes off my goal and one place out of top 10!
Here’s what I wrote on Facebook later that day:
Uncle Uhwarrie still teaching me lessons after all these years. Today was about running with set expectations vs running with the cards you’ve been dealt on that day. After solid finishes the last two years in the 40, I went in to today’s 20 with high expectations. When I wasn’t meeting them, I didn’t alter plans for far too long. I struggled against what I thought I should be running vs what I was. Finally around mile 9, I settled myself down and went with what I had. Amazingly, or perhaps not so amazingly, I started feeling better. And stronger and stronger. I finished very strong, and not that far off my expected time. As always Uhwarrie was beautiful. And humbling.
I also came to realize I needed to put Uhwarrie in my larger context. It was never an A race, I didn’t do much of a taper (prior weeks of 70, my peek training week, and 50+ miles), and I had not trained for tough single track trails. Haiti is all roads, and I spent almost all of my long runs on roads or the American Tobacco Trail (greenway). Only last weekend did I hit New Hope for 15 miles of single track on Saturday and 5 more on Sunday (as part of a 10 miler with the other 5 on roads).
So… I’m happier than I was. But still wonder what I could do with the right training in the 20! I’ve hit the turn in the 40 in 3:28 (too fast, suffered on the 2nd half big time) and 3:31 (had an ok 2nd half) the last two years when Ive run 7:43and 7:31 respectively.
Here’s the Strava race analysis… This seems to show I ran 55 min the last quarter vs 49 in the 1st, but I think that is a touch off. I forgot to turn off my watch and had to crop the Strava entry, and this also shows half way as past 10 miles, while the Strava distance came in at 19.2. I’m not sure I understand that! Oh well, I’m hoping there’s enough evidence to show I didn’t have a bad positive split, but there’s not enough to say I had an even split either!
And the results:
Now I have a couple of days to recover and then about 10 days to taper for Haiti! And then it’s off to run 230 miles and climb/descent 15k feet in 8 days! So excited!
I was able to get out in the snow today and run from home to the Haw River and back. I wanted to share some photos here.
Running up Calloway is my favorite “run,” with “run” definitely in quotation marks because if I can average around 18 minute miles, I’m pretty happy. 🙂 Whenever we are in the Boone area, I try to hit this trail. In fact, one year I summited Calloway 12 tiimes!
When I heard Tanawah Adventures somehow got a permit to hold a trail race here, I was astounded. But excited! The race would be The Profile Trail to the summit of Calloway Peak, then down the back side using a combination of Daniel Boone, Nuwati, and Cragway, then back to the top, and back down. A total of nearly 15 miles and 4500′ of climb and descent.
It would be my 1st race since the ankle injury back in May. I had previewed the course three weeks prior and came in at 3 hrs 53 minutes (definitely trying not to push too hard). I thought anything under that would be good, as I thought my preview might not have been the full course. Turns out race day would stop at the old trail head, about a half mile short of the new one, but would also start about a third of a mile further from the new trail head, so nearly a wash.
The first thing that surprised me was that we’d be starting in 3 waves, with your bib number being assigned based on your ultra sign up ranking. I came in at 57 out of 150 runners, so did not make the 1st wave! That told me the level of runner in this race was going t o be up there. And instantly out of the gate people were flying towards the trail. I wanted to get towards the front of my wave and pass a few of those in the 1st wave, as once you hit the single track and climbs, passing would be a lot of work.
I’ll keep it short and just say I ran very well, but was amazed at how well so many other people handled this brutal course! I came in at 3:28, 25 minutes faster than my preview time, and much faster than I thought I could run it. So I was happy. (I think I was 47th so I moved up a little!)
Here I am coming down the backside. Pictures never do justice to the steepness — but trust me this is steep!
As I was waiting at the finish I heard from Kelly that she had slipped and hurt her knee. Eventually she made it to the medics and they wrapped her knee and gave her a 2nd pole to come down on. I ran up to the car, grabbed some warm clothes and food, and headed out to meet her. I then came in the last 1.5 – 2 miles with her. Turns out she tore her ACL — completely off the femur — but was still able to finish! But she will need surgery. 😦
Here are my lap times:
And Strava race analysis — a little faster on the 2nd half, but I think the climb is a little easier on the backside.
Ok, this is happening:
8 days, over 200 miles, one rest day, with daily distances of 13-50+ miles!
I’ll be running with Team Tassy, an organization with the following mission:
We accompany families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified jobs.
Additionally, “we run to show that Haiti’s not a place to be feared or to be pitied.”
Last year, my friend Jason, participated in the 2017 version of , and convinced me what an amazing opportunity it was. (Remember Jason? — I got to pace him the last 25 miles of his Umstead 100 win.) I’ve never run anywhere near the kind of distance over a week that this will be, but I’m ready to embrace the challenge.
Jason came to HRCA last year during the athletic banquet, and talked about his love of running and love of mission work, and how this run enabled him to combine the two. Kelly and I want to explore the world of mission work outside of our own community, especially as we approach the day when the kids are out of the nest, and while this is not a hands on mission trip but instead a fundraiser, it will allow me to see a common destination for mission trips. In fact, Kelly and Riley are going to do a real hands on mission trip in Haiti next summer, and I hope to do the same at some point in the not too distant future.
My coach, David Roche of Some Work All Play (SWAP), questioned why I wanted to do this. I gave an answer that didn’t satisfy him, and he challenged me to read “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” the story of Paul Farmer and his medical “mission” work in Haiti and other places around the world. As I read it, I became more and more inspired. (I think if I was not 47, I’d go back to med school!) 🙂 David’s recommendation to me to read this book reminds me of Phil Jackson, the basketball coach, and how he’d pick a different book for each player every season… There’s some real insight there beyond running that David had, which made me dig deeper, and I really appreciate it. Now when I’m really suffering out there, which I know I will (probably many times!) running across Haiti, I’ll be able to dig that much deeper and persevere.
I highly recommend the book!
Here’s a quick video of the run from last year:
Now, this is a fundraiser, and I’ve committed to raising $5000 to support Team Tassy in meeting their goal of accompanying families in Haiti out of poverty. If you feel inclined to support me in supporting Team Tassy, here’s a link to my Crowdwise site:
Thanks!
For my birthday, I wanted to do a family backpacking trip. We opted to do nearly the same exact trip we did with the HTC men’s group in early June, documented here, here, and here. As the trips were almost identical, I’ll not go into the details of the journey. I’ll just say that the kids did very well in the 20 miles and nearly 4000′ of climb that we did, and post some photos.
Day 1
We stopped for a “coffee break” for me and a rest stop for everyone else. Reece threw up the hammock and chilled while Kelly got some sun in the back.
Here’s the kid’s tent site near Wise Shelter (just on the other side of the creek):
Mess hall:
Day 2
Heading out:
(a bit of a joke as we had only walked about 5 minutes!)
Rock climbing:
Lunch break
Evening camp site:
Our site was invaded by ponies… Some editing done by Riley:
Day 3
The next 3 days were the annual ACCS conference, which filled our days. I won’t write here about all the great sessions and plenaries, others than to copy in a snippet that George Grant used about “The Long Explore…”
Rabbit:
I’ve got a splendid idea! Now listen: we’ll take Tigger for a long explore, see, somewhere he’s never been before. And we’ll lose him there!
Winnie the Pooh:
[awakes] Lose him?
Rabbit:
Oh, we’ll find him again next morning, and mark my words, he’ll be a humble Tigger, a small and sad Tigger, and a “oh, rabbit, am I glad to see you” Tigger. And it’ll take the bounces out of him, that’s what! Now, all in favor, say ‘aye’.
Piglet:Aye. [Pooh falls asleep again] Pooh. [shakes Pooh awake] Pooh!
Winnie the Pooh:[waking up, then raising his hand] Oh, here.
Rabbit:Oh-ho-ho, good. Just good. Motion carried.
Why include this? It reminded me a lot of why I tackle some of the adventures I do — to be humbled, to be reminded of how small I really am. I don’t get sad, though, I get excited! It’s a beautiful world, meant to be explored!
After the conference was over around noon, we drove up to Grove City College to get a guided tour of the campus. It’s a great little school and a wonderful campus.
And that night Kelly and I went to a fantastic restaurant (Piratas) while the kids stayed back — they were full from lunch and didn’t want dinner just snacks.
A long car ride, packing for multiple trips within a trip (DC, Pittsburg for school conference and exploring, NYC, DE (beach)) and this is what you get:
On the trip to Pittsburg from DC, we decided to stop by and see the United Flight 93 National Memorial in PA. It was amazingly well done, and very much worth the time.
I really had no idea how emotional I’d get at the memorial. It started at the overlook, but inside the Visitor’s center as I was reading the minute by minute account of the day, it got worse. I lost it when the TV clips they were playing replayed the Today Show footage of the 2nd flight hitting the Trade Center — I remember that exact clip as I was watching it live as it happened, and that brought the memories flooding back. For those of you that don’t know, Danny Lewin, the co-founder of Akamai, was on American flight 11, so 9-11 has always been a very emotional memory for all of us that knew him and were working there that day, and I still get so sad when re-living it. 😦
Once we got to Pittsburg, I got out for a quick run along the river(s):
And then we went to Burgatory for dinner, and I got this fortune: 
This looks like a great place for a conference and to explore post conference for a couple of days…
This year we won’t be heading to a national park out west 😦 — instead have quite the itinerary planned on the east coast with stops in DC, Pittsburg, girls to NYC and boys to DE, etc.
Day 1 had us drive to DC to the National Cathederal and then see U2 with our friends the Martins in seats next to us, and other friends from PBO and Chapel Hill in attendance but not directly with us.
Photos of the day below.
A golden opportunity to mention quantity missed?
The National Cathedral had damage in an earthquake a couple years back that they will be working of for quite some time.
Stained glass depicting NASA’s trip to the moon:
After the Cathedral we got a taste of DC traffic — about an hour to go just 13 miles to get to the hotel! We had a quick turn around to get a quick bite to eat and to the stadium for the show. We got an Uber Black but on the way to dinner changed plans and had him drop us off at Chinese, and then walked to the stadium.
After ticket resolution, we finally made it in and got see the Lumineers play a couple songs!
U2 was pretty amazing, as always.
Day 6 we saved to just explore Pittsburgh. I went out for a short run and then took the kids to breakfast. On the way we saw “Mass Yoga:”
Later we took the Duquesne Incline up to the far side of the river and just explored around there…
2sparrows 