The Hardest 3 Months



While running this past weekend on Saturday, September 9, two thoughts ran through my head:

  1. In exactly 4 weeks I’ll be 13 hours into my first 100-mile race, Grindstone. Hopefully I’ll be nearing the halfway point of 50 miles as my goal is 28 hours.
  2. In exactly 3 months I’ll be running Hellgate 100k on Saturday, December 9. (Fun fact, September and December always start on the same day of the week. As my birthday is September 25, Christmas is the same day of the week. This year, it’s Monday)

Needless to say, this will be the hardest 3 months of my life. 100 miles is 40 miles longer than my furthest race to date, Devil Dog 100k. Not only do I have to complete that, but Mountain Masochist (MMTR) 50-Miler is one month after that, and Hellgate 100k is one month after MMTR. I finished MMTR last year, and I have a great crew lined up for Grindstone. I’ve seen a large amount of the Hellgate 100k course as well. I find myself both excited and nervous. It’s about to be a fun (and exhausting) 3 months!!

I figured this would be a good time to talk about the two race series I have completed and the two race series I have yet to complete.

Lynchburg Road Runners Race Series (LRRC Race Series). Finishing Times/pace in parentheses

  1. Point of Honor 5k (Missed due to Dam 50k)
  2. Spring into Spring 4-Miler (26:15, 6:34/mile)
  3. Memorial Day 10k (42:24, 6:50/mile)
  4. Humankind 5k (20:37, 6:39/mile)
  5. Percival’s Island 5-Miler (33:54, 6:47/mile)
  6. Commonwealth Games 5k (20:50, 6:36/mile *Longer course of 3.16 miles)
  7. Lynchburg 5k/Half Marathon (1:38:50, 7:33/mile)

I ended up 6th place and first-place in the 25-29 age group

Southwest Virginia Triple Crown
  1. Holiday Lake 50k in Appomattox, VA (5:12:10, 9:46/mile)
  2. Dam 50k in Smith Mountain Lake/Sandy Level, VA (5:58:39, 11:04/mile)
  3. Promise Land 50k in Bedford, VA (7:04:12, 12:28/mile)

I ended up 2nd overall, no official results. But I do have a picture of the medal:

Nameplate is on top of a core sample from Smith Mountain Lake

The Lynchburg Ultra Series (LUS) is composed of 4 ultramarathons:

  1. Holiday Lake 50k
  2. Terrapin Mountain 50k in Sedalia, VA (5:52:23, 11:19/mile)
  3. Promise Land 50k
  4. Mountain Masochist 50-Miler in Montebello, VA: Saturday November 4

Finishing Prize: Black Patagonia Houdini jacket.

While not as good as 2016's Nanopuff, I'll use the Houdini a lot

Current Standings: 4th Place

The Beast Series is composed of 6 ultramarathons:

  1.   Holiday Lake 50k
  2. Terrapin Mountain 50k
  3. Promise Land 50k
  4. Grindstone 100-Miler in Staunton, VA: 6 pm Friday October 6 – 8 am Sunday October 8
  5. Mountain Masochist 50-Miler: Saturday November 4th 
  6. Hellgate 100k in Fincastle, VA: Saturday December 9th (12:01 am start!)

Finishing Prize: Bear Trophy
My friend Marc Griffin has completed all 9 Beast Series (one year was abbreviated)
Current Standings: 6th Place

All in all, A LOT of running! Maybe I'll do a little less next year!

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