On Saturday September 12, after five and a half hours of running through the trails and roads of Sussex County Fairgrounds, the same place I first got a medal for one of my homebrewed beers, I officially became an ultramarathoner, completing my first ever 50K. While it wasn’t easy, I actually felt pretty good after, and I’m already considering how I can go longer or faster, though of course in due time so I can […]
This summer, during COVID distancing, I decided to run 1000 km as part of the Great Virtual Run Across Tennessee. Over the past three months, I ran 665 miles, traversing virtually the distance from west to east across Tennessee. I’m now heading back across TN, though I will likely not make it much further as the event ends on August 31. It’s still a pretty major accomplishment, and by far the furthest I’ve run in […]
I was originally supposed to run my first ever 50K in April with the New Jersey Trail Series. COVID interrupted that, like so many other things. Instead of completing my run before our baby was born, and right after completing my months of long runs involving the sacrifice of numerous weekends, my race was delayed to the fall. Throughout the summer, while on lockdown, I looked for opportunities to do long trail runs to prepare […]
This stupid virus was bad enough when it left me stuck at home compromising between less attention for work and completely failing to home educate my kids. But at least at the end of the work day, I was able to lace up my running shoes and get out in the sun beneath the trees in our local state forest for a run. Now, thanks to the virus and even more so, the idiots who […]
Is it possible to practice social distancing and stay six feet away from everyone when running past them on singletrack trails? Going into the third week of continuous time at home and the second with kids home nonstop from daycare while trying to work, I’m desperately clinging to any activity that gives me a sense of normalcy, schedule, and sanity. On the few nights its been warm enough to walk, family treks up the street […]
Ever since my twins were born, I looked forward to the day I would take them skiing. I pictured family trips to Colorado, Canada, and of course the Alps where we would sip hot chocolate in lodges and sit to enjoy each others’ company in our cabin with the fireplace blazing. As much as we love our summer vacations, I couldn’t wait for excuses to travel together over the winter and build family memories together. […]
In the last month I’ve run around Central Park’s large loop numerous times. First to mix up my daily run’s scenery on my morning run from my office. Second, in the Big Apple Half Marathon in December. Then, most recently, with a loop that featured a run up the famed Harlem Hill three times for the Fred Lebow Half Marathon. After all these loops, I’m willing to say that Central Park may be one of […]
It’s 45 degrees out, so cold that a mist hangs over the baseball outfield we’re using for our game today. The ground is wet and seeping through my sweatpants because I forgot to bring our camping chairs again, and I’m about to get up for the third time to re-tie a lost shoe. One of my kids is inspecting a large and apparently fascinating leaf while the ball rolls past him, and the other is […]
Family vacations can be full of a ton of unhealthy temptations. I always tend to eat way more unhealthy food and bigger portions while traveling because I just want to try everything local. I also eat dessert and sweets that I’d never have at home. I usually don’t get a chance to run like I do at home either. Taken together, it’s a recipe for gaining some weight and coming home heavier. Even worse, this […]
With the highest average temperatures in Europe, Cordoba, one of Andalusia’s largest cities is the perfect spot to visit in the Summer for some of the famous summer sun. It’s the kind of place you reader, like me, might be tempted to buy a five euro hat just to cover up in the sun. With kids, it’s an incredible place to visit for incredible scenery, food, and fun ways to get around. Even better, with […]