I came into the 2015 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k at Bear Mountain State Park unsure of my fitness; I hadn’t raced since September of last year, I hadn’t done the volume or long runs in training that I would have liked… But I was also very excited! It was time to race again, and it was my first race representing the MPF/RNR team!  

When you look back at most races, especially ultras, there are usually areas for potential improvement. As I was preparing for the Rock The Ridge 50 Mile Endurance Challenge this year, I realized that improving on my 5:58 from last year was going to be highly unlikely, however...

I just got my upgrade approved Monday to Cat 3. So I wasted no time in trying a 123 race. I hit up the Augusta Training Series A race tonight. And I was DFL.

Each year one of my favorite races is The North Face Endurance Challenge at Bear Mountain, NY. This was to be my fifth year participating in the event, but my first attempt at the 50k. The previous 3 years I’d ran the 50 mile, and before that, the marathon. However, there was a new obstacle to contend with at this years race...

I went into this past weekend with a pretty ambitious goal: run teammates Jason Friedman’s New Paltz Pizza Challenge Friday night, (register for and) run The North Face 50k in Bear Mountain Saturday morning, drive back up to Rochester Saturday night, and race the Medved Madness 25K in my hometown on Sunday.  Well, in brief, I did not accomplish all of these goals, but whatever I did accomplish, it turned out to be one of those weekends you just hope never ends!

It was a another big weekend of racing for the team with The North Face Endurance Challenge visiting the great trails of Bear Mountain & Harriman State Park of NY, as well as the Rock the Ridge 50 Mile Endurance Challenge.

Here is a video of the inaugural Breakneck Point Trail Marathon & 25k! This was an epic day for all the athletes that showed up ready for an adventure on one of the toughest courses out there. 

Today’s outing wasn’t on foot but on the wheels of my mountain bike. The plan was to ride familiar and new trails at Lewis Morris Park. I’m not an avid rider but I like trading in my trail shoes for my mountain bike...

Up Up Up. Those are words my 15 month old daughter says to me to be picked up. Those are words that one could also use to describe the Breakneck Marathon & 25k race held on 4/18 in Beacon New York. The course was a combination of monster climbs followed by brutal descents. 

Recapping the 2013 Boston Marathon, I finished in just under 4 hours, feeling proud, feeling tired, feeling emotional, feeling strong. I shuffled through the finishing chute, got my medal, my Mylar blanket, and my baggy of snacks. I headed toward the buses loaded with drop bags and retrieved mine. It was then that I heard the explosions...

The target all winter was the Boston Marathon, so 90-100 mile weeks and key sessions and bi-weekly long runs with one week per week 15-20 miles. All went well-ish. However come late March...

In addition to Iain Ridgway racing at Breakneck, we had Denis Mikhaylove, who beat me two years ago at Escarpment and is one of few runners to break 3 hours on that course, Ryan Welts, former owner of several FKT’s in NH, and Carlo “the Jackal” Agostinetto, who just ran a 1:13 at the NYC half marathon. While Ryan had not gotten in much running due to all the snow up north, I knew he would be tough on the climbs

The trail season coincidentally began with the first real day of spring in the area. Since Warren Street’s friend Sebastien introduced me to the Breakneck Ridge Trail last summer, I’ve visited the trail a half dozen times, enjoyed it with dry, humid and icy/snowy conditions. I even loved to initiate a wonderful chase (I only started it, then the big dogs came to claim the territory) for the Breakneck/Beacon FKT...

What an inspiring day at the Breakneck Point Trail Marathon & 25k! Many amazing athletes seeking to push themselves to the limit and beyond. Congratulations to all of the runners and thanks to Red Newt Racing, Run on The Hudson Valley and the volunteers that made this race possible!

So I went out to Augusta Tuesday to race the B Race for what might be my last time as I now have enough upgrade points to travel up...and this was also my first roadie race of the year.

My alarm sounded at 3:45 am. While I slept under 4 hours I was excited about the day of adventure that was in front of me and I jumped out of bed. I had attended a Mobility & Strength class at Run On Hudson Valley, led by Joe and Elizabeth Azze of Mountain Peak Fitness the night before, and despite a little lack of sleep, my body felt better than it had in a while.