Burning River 100!

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since my last entry. As they say; (whoever they are) time flies. It’s been an incredible year filled with mountain bike races, trail building, coaching high school kids, a mountain bike trip to the Mecca (Moab), a bike tour of Colorado,  going to school and getting ever closer to that Exercise Science degree.  Of course at the core of all this is my job and family. I thought as we get older we are supposed to slow down…

So with all that said I just signed up for the Burning River100 Run  next summer. It will take me back to where I grew up in Akron, Ohio. The race follows the Cuyahoga River from Cleveland to Akron and is called the “Burning River” because in the 1960s the Cuyahoga was so polluted it caught on fire. This brought national attention to the rate at which we were destroying our planet and was a turning point for many environmental policies. It has since been cleaned up and reportedly has a beautiful trail system that I will have the opportunity to run.

I quit running this year and focused on mountain biking but started back up in July to pace a friend in the Leadville 100 Trail Run. I’m really enjoying the running and am completely motivated. Training is going well and Max, my training partner seems to be up for the challenge.

After a 17 mile run last week the first thing Max did was chase all the squirrels and Rabbits out of the yard and then wanted to play ball. I think he's up for the challenge!

There are many reasons I chose this particular run. First and foremost I have been inspired by a friend in Kent, Ohio who experienced something no mother should ever have to experience. Her son, Ben was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and they both have been bravely fighting it with all the positivism and love that I have ever seen. They are both a true inspiration. Ben is recovering and it is my dream and mission over the next year to finish those 100 miles with Ben running the last mile at my side. As I said, they are a true inspiration and I am on a mission. It will also be nice to come home and see family and friends. This will be only the fourth or fifth time I’ve been back since leaving in 1977.

So I’m firing up the blog to document this new adventure. As with the Leadman Blog of years gone by, I’m hoping that my experience will be of benefit to anyone else who decides to pursue a similar dream. Hopefully my training and experiences can be a learning tool for others crazy enough to take on such an endeavor. 

I love being the first out after a fresh snow, making the first foot prints... Judging by Max's smile, so does he!