The Road to Gold (Blog)

Stuffed Turkey 50K Breakdown

11/26/2024

Where to begin…

I signed up for the Stuffed Turkey 50K this year because last year I was lucky enough to finish in first place last year beating the second place finisher by a mere 34 seconds.

I had hoped to defend my title but the course had other plans. Most races I run, I get little sleep thanks to the bartender life I live. With a 12:50pm gun time, sleep was more than adequate along with a big breakfast and another meal before heading out the door.

The Jester Park Equestrian Trail is by far the most beautiful trail I’ve ever ran on. The variety of nature is over the top with so many different trees, flowers, water, rocks, animals and more.

When the race director Shannon said go, there were 65 of us ready to roll for a quick one-miler before we hit the 10-mile loop portion of the course. This provided us with an exact 50K race! My plan was to run the first loop in the 7:30’s. With the exception of mile 8 which is uphill, I kept loop one right on pace. I made the decision to not carry anything to keep arms and shoulders fresh and drank my own drinks at first aid station and then a Gu and Gatorade at mile 5/15/25 aid station. Loop one felt great but by the middle of loop 2, my hamstrings were really starting to tighten up. Not sure if it was due to a long race season, or just the hills or being just a few weeks out from the New York Marathon. Either way, I knew I was going to be driving the pain train for the third loop.

The course is perfect though. Some open trail in the first few miles. A little mud around 3.5 miles with the first big hill around mile 4 that leads us into the wooded trail. Just after mile 5, we reached the aid station that leads us to the back half of the course. I love this section as it’s a fairly technical trail section with a water crossing over rocks and a bridge. Super peaceful to hang out - I love to take a break here during my training runs. The run around Discovery Pond is a perfect way to cross traffic and kind of get an idea what place I am in so with some simple math, I realized that the guys in front of me were kicking my butt and it was now just me against me! My brain at 25ish miles was screaming for me to sit and just take a break and give the hammys and hips a rest but I chose to just grind through. There is quite a bit of two-way traffic here so the headlamps were on and quite blinding but very necessary as to not trip on the hidden tree roots and rocks. I decided to take my phone with me on the last loop so my family could track me and be at the finish line! With a good push up one final hill, I knew that I was just a few minutes behind my goal but a finish was just around the corner. A minute later, I crossed the Stuffed Turkey 50K finish line for the 3rd time finishing 7th overall with a time of 4:42:18 (13 minutes slower than I’d wanted) but a finish is a finish. My dad pointed out that all 6 finishers in front of me were at a minimum of 9 years younger than me but there are no excuses in my book. I trained hard. I can beat some of them, just gotta work on my core, hams and hips just a bit more as well as a few more fall-season miles under my belt.
Thanks Shannon Haus for the great race. Thanks to all the volunteers.

Nike released an ad a few days ago that said, “If you never hit the wall, you’ll never find out what is on the other side.”

Bring on Ironman 70.3 Des Moines in June.

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New York Marathon 2024 Race Recap

11/13/2024

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New York Marathon Race Recap

On June 13th, I received a dm from Michelob ultra that would change a lot about how my 2024 would play out. “Hi there, congratulations! You have contingently won a 2024 TCS New York City Marathon Bib as part of the team Ultra Marathon giveaway. We know you are super excited but we ask that you do not post on social media or talk to anyone until making the team until you’ve signed the necessary paperwork.”

I reviewed the message very closely to be sure that I wasn’t being spammed and sure enough, it was from the verified Michelob ultra X account. I replied back with all the pertinent details they asked for and tried my best to wait patiently. In July, I finally received the legal documents after some small hiccups, but we got it signed and sent back and I was invited to join the ‘mighty’ app where we would have weekly discussions, live videos, runner info, details and dates. Christie Thomas and Carlee daub were the two Michelob Ultra ambassadors and are members of Wahoo Running that helped pump us up every week and get us fired up for the big day.

In August, I received a comp code to finally register for the race. It was really coming to fruition once I had the confirmation from the New York Road Runners Services. The race actually cost $315.00 this year for anyone that had to pay for it.

November 1st, we made the flight from Des Moines to Chicago and then Chicago to the Newark Airport which was beautiful! After we grabbed our bags, we hopped in an uber for the 16ish mile ride, but thanks to New York traffic, the ride cost about $100. Eventually, we made our way to the Thompson Hotel, and what a gorgeous hotel it was. After we got situated, we took off to go see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My grandpa came to the US from Germany through Ellis Island over 100 years ago so it was neat to visit. We also made a quick stroll through the 9/11 memorial. The building was closed, but the fountains where they stood were beautiful. It was eerily quiet so I was happy that people were respectful. It was an exhausting first day of traveling and walking but New York was much cooler than I thought. The people were nice and it was a lot cleaner than I thought it would be.

Saturday morning, I was set for a group shakeout run in Central Park with team Ultra. We took over 56th street for a photo session, pleasantries and lots of videos and tik-toks. I found a group running a perfect pace that seemed to know where they were going, I’d guess there were close to 100 of us with the VIP winners, Staff, and friends and family that came along. Central Park was cool. Lots of statutes, bridges, beautiful trees, flowers and plants. We would go back the last day of the trip and make a lot slower trip through to really admire everything there.

My mom and Kaylee were out shopping for the day and scoping out all of the cool shops they’d seen in movies, so I decided to take a stroll as well and found myself a street hot dog, it was delish. The city actually rates the vendors in New York so it has basically a visible report card so you know if it’s okay to eat or not. After my stroll, it was time to go to the expo and pick up my packet. I was struggling to get an uber, so I made the choice to jog the 2 miles to the expo. It was a perfect way to get a visual of even more of the city. I couldn’t believe how big the expo was. New Balance is the official sponsor, so they had signs everywhere and a store that was as big as Schools. Hats, Coats, Shirts, Shoes, you name it - they had TONS of it. I knew I wanted an Official Jacket, so it was all I grabbed and just laughed when I saw the price tag of $150.00. Then I hopped in line for the packet pick up which went fast and smooth. A long sleeved orange shirt was included with my bib. Eventually, it was time to make my jog back and since the girls were still shopping, I ventured out yet again after dropping off all of my stuff. I knew I wanted to get some things to eat race morning since I had a 3:30am wakeup time set. I found a cool pizza place called Original Famous Rays Pizza. It was nothing like any pizza I’ve ever had. The crust crunched like a potato chip, and was one of the best slices I’d ever eaten. I’ll definitely go back if I’m ever in NY again. A few blocks away, I found a grocery store that had just what I was looking for. Cinnamon raising bread, a jar of peanut butter, and bananas. A perfect breakfast that didn’t require me a stove or microwave. I went back to the hotel after that to map out the remaining hours for my trip before meeting Team Ultra at Butter, a restaurant owned by Alex Guarnaschelli. The restaurant was a few blocks from the hotel so Team Ultra slowly made their way over for the 5:30pm dinner. As we walked in one by one, we were greeted by the team and handed “Michelob Ultra Zero” - an brand new beer that hadn’t been released to the public. We were literally the first group of people other than employees to try this new zero alcohol beer. It was delicious and we were given an endless supply, though I only had 2. The first hour was setup as a happy hour with delicious appetizers such as grilled chicken skewers, spicy shrimp skewers, sweet onion bread, and more. I found myself at a table with some other runners that didn’t know anyone, so we exchanged pleasantries and spent the rest of the night chatting before finally grabbing a table to enjoy the buffet style dinner. The pasta was amazing. I probably should have gotten a few more plates, but didn’t want to overdo it before bed. One by one, people made their way back to the hotel to shut it down for the night. I did the same and was in bed by 9.

Around 4:00am, I made my way into the hotel bathroom to get ready for the day. I didn’t want to wake up Kaylee, so I took a quick shower and then ate breakfast in the bathroom while I scrolled X, checked e-mail and revisited the rules and event schedule. Around 4:45am, I kissed Kaylee goodbye and headed to the hotel lobby where I found a handful of Team Ultra stretching, laughing and guzzling coffee. I have never had coffee and still to this day, can’t stand the smell of it. I picked up my loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, peanut butter and a few bananas to go with my Powerade. Finally, we all strolled out onto 56th street and started our walk towards the VIP busses that were parked just under a mile away. It was around 40-45 degrees outside, so I had gloves and a stocking hat on to keep me warm. Eventually, I made my way onto the MU VIP bus with a handful of others, luckily, I had eyes on Carlee (one of the ambassadors for team Ultra) or I might have had no idea where to go. At 5:45am, the bus took off headed towards Staten Island. We were gifted a beautiful sunrise as we drove through town. Upon arrival on Staten Island, our bus driver got turned around and ended up ‘lost’ and put us back behind a lot of traffic and many other busses. He kept asking officials how to get to our destination but was left without any real answers. It was after 7am that we finally parked a few blocks from the entry point. It was like airport security, pat downs, bags through x-ray machines and everything! The New York Marathon separates people into different waves and within each wave, there are different corrals. We were set for the Orange Wave in corral F. I eventually made my way to the VIP tent provided by Michelob Ultra. It wasn’t heated, but it was covered and kept the wind out and luckily had about 7 bathrooms just for us. I found a nice spot on the floor and started my stretching routine and continued to demolish my cinnamon raisin bread and peanut butter. Many of the Team Ultra members were getting temporary tattoos, glitter, and stickers to cover their bodies. I took the tattoo (Thanks Dale) and got back to warming up. By the time we were ready to leave the tent, it had warmed up another 5 or 6 degrees but it was still fairly cold and windy. The volunteer lead us up to the back side of the bridge behind a fence and said that he’d be giving us a countdown in a while and to just hang out. So many photos were taken. People were singing and dancing. Eventually, I heard the first few words of the National Anthem which was blasting on the bridge - it brought a smile to my face. An extremely loud cannon fired off after the song was over and the first wave took off. The cannon literally shook the ground. I wish I could have seen it. A few minutes later, it was our turn. We got escorted out of Fort Wadsworth to the Verazzano-Narrows bridge. A cool fact about the bridge is that there is no pedestrian walkway or sidewalk. The ONLY way to be on the bridge outside of a car is to run the New York Marathon, so that was cool. Once again, cameras were firing off in all directions. I decided that throughout the entire day, I was never going to pull out my phone and that I would just soak it in visually the entire way and do my best to appreciate it. Then just like that, almost 7 months in the making, it was my turn. I took off with plans for a 3:40 finish. If the crowd would allow, a 3:30 and then if it felt fast, I’d go for 3:20. I had no idea how crowded it would be but guessed that there probably 10,000 people in each wave so I would spend the day jostling in and out of runner traffic. Michelob Ultra provided a race jersey with my name on it, little did I know that hundreds of people would be shouting “Go Bruce!” Thanks to that shirt.

The amount of smiles on the bridge of everyone beginning their journey was pretty cool. So many first timers. As soon as we stepped off of the bridge onto 4th avenue, the crowd support was nothing like I’d ever experienced. Thousands and thousands of people lined both sides of the street, many rows deep. The race announced that there were an estimated 2.5 million spectators. People were constantly cheering my name and other runner names. Sign after sign with witty running messages, messages of encouragement and more. The race starts in Staten Island but quickly makes its way into Brooklyn. At mile 3, we passed Bay Ridge and Sunset Park. The city was filled with people repping all of the New York sports teams. I made a conscious goal to try to get water or gatorade at just about every aid station to assure I stayed as hydrated as possible. Luckily, it wasn’t hot, so I was only sweating due to movement and not being cooked by the sun at all. Mile 5 passes the 72nd street traverse and the Central Park Boathouse then climbs Cat Hill and heads towards the Fred Lebow statue. Mile 9 was mostly downhill and I was feeling great. Around mile 10 or so, we approached a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood. I was told that they work on Sundays so the amount of people I saw trying to cross the street in the middle of 10,000 people was bonkers. I almost got run over by a man trying to push his stroller through the crowd. Additionally, it’s mostly quiet in that 2 mile stretch, no fans were in that neighborhood so it was the sound of feet and heavy breathing. I actually enjoyed it because the crowd noise had been non-stop since we started.

After Brooklyn, we strolled into Queens after crossing over the Pulaski bridge. The music was great. The people were great and the city was pretty neat to see. This was about mile 13. The Queensboro bridge was an uphill battle around mile 14-15. From there, we cross the bridge and end up in Manhattan. We arrived on First Avenue, a nice long wide stretch here through mile 17 or 18. The crowd support and noise here was INSANELY loud. I was still enjoying the race at this point and doing my best to soak it up because I knew it would be over soon. Around mile 18ish, we made our way into East Harlem. Again, the music was loud and the fans were even louder. This area has a large Latin community. I gave so many hi-fives to the kids that lined the streets during that stretch. The Bronx was cool. So many songs mention it, so I was trying to get the feeling of everything that surrounded me. At this point in the race, I was starting to suffer. The streets are basically peaked in the middle so it’s slightly slanted (like a triangle) allowing the rain to flow to the gutters. Unfortunately, this meant I would be running unevenly so it was destroying my hips. There were so many people, I could rarely make it to the center of the road where it would be less slanted.

At mile 21, we arrived at the Madison Avenue Bridge which is the 5th and final bridge. The crowds were starting to thin out a bit compared to First Avenue in Manhattan, but by this point, the street surrounding the aid station were covered in smashed cups on the ground and it started getting slippery. As I approached mile 22, my hips and now my left knee were screaming. I knew I’d get the race done but I wanted nothing more than to just sit down for a few minutes. The entire 22nd mile is an incline which didn’t help. Mile 23 is back to Manhattan where the crowd support was once again loud and crazy. Eventually, I started seeing signs that Central Park was ahead and I knew that was the home stretch. Team Ultra went for a shakeout run the day before so I knew what to expect. Mile 25 hit and all the pain went away. It was time to kick it into gear and just get the damn thing done. The park is twisty and curvy. We approached Columbus Circle and the crowd was quite literally deafening at this point. I tried looking left and right to find my mom and Kaylee, but unfortunately, there were just too many people. The Marathon put up mile marker flags on both sides of the course but also put up kilometer markers as well. When it got to 400m left, I slowed down because the 7 month journey was a few minutes away from being over. As I rounded the last corner, I saw the tower surrounded by photographers, finishers and an insanely crowd cheering section. I pumped my fists and stopped my watch. Finishing time was 3:38, just two minutes faster than I’d planned. I was elated.

After the race, each runner has to walk another mile out of the finishing chute back towards Columbus Circle but before that, we were greeted with hundreds of volunteers passing out orange fleeced ponchos. The lady that buttoned me up smiled, said congrats and that was it. There were hundreds of people snapping selfies with their medal, but for the most part, it was pure silence. And boy, was it a welcomed silence. I can still to this day hear the crowd noise. It was insane. The plan was to meet the family at the Mandarin Oriental - a hotel that Team Ultra setup for the official VIP after party. As I was walking mile 27, there were photographs all over. I snapped a few and even took my traditional “hulk Hogan” pose that I do after most races. One of the race volunteers had a mic and a speaker and was asking all of the finishers where they were from, “Spain!, Rhode Island, Texas, London, Queens, California, and eventually, Waukee IOWA!?” I finally exited the finishers mile and made my way up to the Mandarin to meet my lovely wife and mom who were so excited for me. I was excited for the change of clothes and new shoes.

What an experience. Being a small part of a world record 55,646 runners in the largest marathon to ever take place is pretty cool. I’m sure that number will get smashed eventually. I’d never really thought about doing the big 6, but now it’s definitely peaked my interest. I’ve applied to run the Chicago Marathon in 2025, I’ll find out in December if I’m in or not. Fingers crossed!

Massive thanks to everyone that supported me on this fun journey. The texts, messages and well-wishes at work and around town were truly appreciated. A few years back when I ran my first half-marathon, if you’d have told me I’d be running the New York Marathon a few short years later, I would have probably laughed in your face. The New York Marathon was my 157th race since I started keeping track. Now I am an Ironman, an Ultramarathoner and a man with big goals and massive races on the horizon. I can’t wait to see what finish lines I get to cross next year.

#NewYorkMarathon #NewYorkMarathon2024 #TeamUltra #Marathon #teamultra2024

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The Road to Gold: My Journey to Ironman

3/26/2024

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April 5, 2024: 65 Days until Ironman DSM

I decided to switch up the blog a bit by posting newest posts at the top!
My training is going great. The wind outside has limited my outdoor rides, I truly have no interest in fighting 40-50mph headwinds! Haven’t had any runs less than 6 or 7 miles so that is feeling more and more comfortable! My last swim felt like my best one yet. I need to limit my rest/recovery times between lengths to focus on swimming with a higher heart rate. The unfortunate news, I recently found out I have a fairly curved spine that is causing some issues, but hopefully over the next 12 weeks, work with my chiropractor and a new daily routine will fix that. My diet has been pretty good, but I’m still splurging on some things that I should not be. so my weight is just a little bit bit higher than I want it to be, but I still feel really good. Every morning, I am making a smoothie that I would highly recommend for anyone looking for healthy choices

8oz Water
1 cup mixed berries (Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and Blueberries - Frozen)
1 banana
1 handful of spinach.
1 scoop vanilla protein (25g)

I absolutely love this, and drink it every day.

I am running an 8 mile race on Saturday, per usual it’ll be on minimal sleep but I am excited to get out there!

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The Road to Gold: 76 Days until Ironman 70.3 Des Moines
As a proud supporter of my country, I love the year ‘76, so no better way than to detail my 76 day journey to completing in this years 70.3 Ironman in Des Moines Iowa.
This blog will help hold myself accountable and give me guidelines to follow on a daily basis. One of the best quotes is, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail!” When I am dedicated and focused on a project, I’m locked in and love nothing more than to follow the script perfectly. That’s all I need to do to crush the next 10 weeks of training.
3/25: Monday
Run: 7K at 8:30 Pace
Workout: Hams/Quads/Glutes/Hips

3/26: Tuesday
Brick: 6K/2K x3 Hard
Workout: Chest
B6K: 13:39
R2K 9:23
B6K: 13:24
R2K: 9:21
B6K: 13:23
R2K: 9:26

Notes for the Day: I'm bringing back the gallon of water a day. I'm also currently reading Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hoping this book fires me up!

3/27: Wednesday (74 Days until Ironman DSM)
Swim: 20 x 50m + 0:20sec Rest
Run: 45 Minutes Easy
5:00mi 9:08 Pace
Extensive Leg/Hip/Glute Stretch Routine (1 Hour)

Notes for the Day: Best I've ever felt during a swim. Lost a few pounds sleeping! I think I'd like to get down from 165 to closer to 145 on race day. Stopped into Dr. Miller's Truth Chiropractic today for a checkup. X-Rays on Friday to check on my spine!

3/28: Thursday (73 days until Ironman DSM)

Today, had all good intentions on doing the spin class at the Y, but the instructor for 9:45am no-showed. Instead, I headed outside for the Raccoon River Valley Trail after doing a 45 minute Back workout.

Run: 800m at 6:40 pace + 800m at 9:00pace (recovery) x 5
3:20, 3:22, 3:19, 3:20, 3:17. Felt FANTASTIC.

Notes for the Day: Diet is on point. Feeling great. Almost have my gallon of water gone for the day already!

3/29: Friday (72 Days)
Bike: 60 Minutes: Easy Pace
15.27 Miles. The 25-30mph winds on the way back were brutal, but felt great to get my new bike out on the trail.

3/30: Saturday (71 Days)
Run: 6 Miles at 8:20 Pace (Next 6 Miles will be at 8:00 Pace)
Triceps and Core Strength Training.

3/31: Sunday (70 Days)
7 Pushups, 7 Overhead Raises, 7 Arm Circles, On the Minute every minute for 45 Minutes

4/1: Monday 69 Days
Bike: 1 Hour Stationary Bike, just under RP. No Rest
Swim: 10x100m @2:20 + 20sec Rest and 4x50 @0:50 + 40sec Rest
Spine/Hip Stretch Routine

4/2: Tuesday 68 Days until Ironman

Notes on the Day: Have been seeing Dr. Miller at Truth Family Chiropractic because I had a pinched nerve in my spine. He's already making progress. The Psoas muscle was extremely tight, so I need to work on lengthening it to ease up the tension on my spine.

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Equalizer Endurance Ultramarathon

10/31/2023

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Equalizer Endurance Ultramarathon
Date: Last Saturday in October
Location: Grays Lake Des Moines Iowa
Start Time: 8:00am
Entry Fee: $65/$75/$95
Race Director: Chris Zepp - [email protected]
Website: http://www.equalizerdsm.com

Race day had a high of 38 but with the wind chill, hovered in the upper 20’s and low 30’s the entire race

Like most of my races, I work the night before. Luckily, we got outta there fairly quickly and I was able to get into bed right at 3:05am with my alarm set for 6:00am. Some race mornings, the thought, “Why am I doing this?” Goes through my head, but I usually brush it away and keep moving. Yesterday was no different. I knew I’d be taking a ride on the pain train in just a few short hours but I was ready for it. The plan was to be out the door by 7AM with everything loaded in, everyone bundled up but not before shoving my face full of food. I had oatmeal, a fruit smoothie, an orange, an energy drink, and a gatorade. Hydration is key to keeping the body moving in long distance events.

We arrived on site just before 7:30, got ‘camp’ setup about 30 feet away from the bathrooms. Mom, Dad, Kaylee and Hudson were motivating me and helping with everything! Before I knew it, the National Anthem was playing. I’d done my homework and researched most of the runners. A 12 year old kid named Cooper had signed up, so I tried to pump him up, unfortunately, he was a DNF. Another stud who actually ran with me for the first 8 or so named Ty ended up hitting a marathon and he too was a DNF. Whitney Noe has run a TON of races that I’ve been in, and she’s faster than me, so I knew I’d have to keep an eye on her! Each lap is 1.905 miles and the goal is to run as many loops as possible in the 6 hour time frame. I set a goal of running 40 and allowing myself exactly 20 minutes of rest/eating/bathroom for the entire event.

Eventually race director Chris Zepp did a countdown, 3.. 2.. 1.. and we were off. It took some jostling for me to get out of the gate, but eventually, I found myself leading the pack with a few people right on my heels. I had a plan to run about 8:34 per mile which is about 7 miles an hour. I felt really good, though it was extremely cold and windy. The race is held around a large lake that includes a long bridge that crosses over a good portion of the lake. I knew it would be cold every time I hit that bridge. Normally, it’s the most beautiful part of a run at Grays Lake, but I ended up hating that darn bridge because the cross-wind was unbearable each time. After an hour, I’d only taken a 30-40 second bathroom break, so I was right on schedule. Every few laps, I was grabbing Gu’s, gatorades, body armors, beef sticks and more off of my aid station table.

The majority of the race, I ran solo and continued to lead throughout the entire day. I realized that at my pace, so long as I didn’t slow down, I’d have a good chance to finish up front. Three hours in, I was feeling pretty good and was exactly where I wanted to be and had time to spare to get me to the 40 mile mark, but I was getting warm so I lost a few layers. I swapped out shoes as well, my Green Saucony Endorphin Speed 3’s are size 10 and I felt like they were getting pretty tight on my feet, so I swapped them for Red Endorphin Speed 3’s that are a 10.5 and I felt like I was floating once I swapped those. The windbreaker pants and jacket came off too and now I was wearing what I had planned to wear prior to the weather being announced. Green and black chubbies shorts and a hoodie! At mile 28, I was starting to get some major cramping in my left hamstring, but mentally couldn’t figure out why because I’d hydrated extremely well and at some points was going to the restroom more than once an hour. I also ate beef sticks, some chips and had plenty of bananas. I think the muscle may just be undertrained - I’ll be working on it for the next few weeks so I’m ready for the Stuffed Turkey 50K. With a Nuun hydration tablet, 28oz of water and some Advil, I was on my way and by mile 29, I felt awesome. I was cruising and finished with an 8:11. I actually had a 7:55 (Mile 20) and 7:58 (14) but didn’t reach a 9+ pace mile until mile 38 (9:04). I knew I was going to reach my goal but also wouldn’t have time to make an additional lap so it didn’t make much sense to go any faster. My family returned to the course with a few miles to go, so I had some hi-fives and cheering and Hudson yelled, “You’re the best runner ever dad!” And while thats far from the truth, it felt great to hear it and I knew I’d be accomplishing my goal. Long-time runner and donut fanatic Terry Kruse showed up and ran with me for the final lap. Terry is an amazing runner but a fantastic race photographer! I was bummed when I realized he was running with me but had forgotten the donuts!

For the Equalizer race, when you get to the final 20 minutes or so, the race director places cones 1/4th mile apart so you can continue to cover distance, but do not have to try to make it all the way around the lake again. If you don’t cross the finish line in time, it doesn’t count as a lap. The worst part, it was downhill out and uphill back, so my quads were screaming for the last out/back mile session.

My lap counter was fantastic. Every time I approached the aid station area, she was standing and saw me coming! I really appreciate having the amazing lap counters to assure that everyone can just focus on running.
As the clock struck 2:00pm, the 6 hour runners were declared “Finished” - I got bundled back up, hugged the fam and slowly made my way over to the medal receiving session. As I glanced over at the screen, I saw I had not received first place and was honestly pretty bummed. The announcements were made and eventually Chris called my name and said I had finished in second place due to the Equalizer adjustment. The equalizer makes the race “fair” for everyone no matter their age. An awesome runner named David Swenson finished ahead of me. David is 68 and ran 30.08 miles but with the Equalizer bonus (x1.515) - he finished with 45.5712 miles and I was right behind him at 43.2457 (and an actual distance run of 39.35 - though my watch was 40.08) - bathrooms were a little off course and weren’t included in the distances around. Whitney finished behind me with 38.45 miles and an equalizer score of 43.21. So close! Just as I was sulking about second place, Chris announced that I had won “Most overall miles” and received a really cool plaque so then I was happy again! The most overall miles was my goal anyway, so I was super happy with the award! Next year, I think I’d like to give the 12 hour version a whirl! Congrats to everyone that attempted this awesome race. The weather wasn’t ideal but most of you toe’d the line! Keep at it.

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Camp Dodge trench run 10k

8/13/2023

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Camp Dodge Trench Run 10K
August 13, 2023
Location: Camp Dodge Iowa
Start Time: 7:30am
Entry Fee: $40.00 ($43.85 with Fees)
Race Director: Anthony Loween - [email protected]
Website: https://raceroster.com/events/2023/63520/trench-run

Race day had a high of 79 and a low of 66. A few raindrops during the race

After another late night at work, I hopped into bed around 3:30am and the alarm screamed in my ear at 5:45. Per usual, next to no sleep on race day, but thats the only choice I have with my job. We loaded up the car and headed over to moms house to grab her and some family that had come into town for the Iowa State Fair. Eventually, 10 of us were on the road headed to Camp Dodge but thanks to Google Maps, we almost didn’t make it to the race. A closed road only a few minutes from the destination had us make a pretty big loop out of our way but we arrived just 7 minutes before the gun. I retied my shoes and slapped on the bib that Ayrin and TJ picked up for me. I didn’t even have time for a warmup jog or much stretching and hoped that my first mile the guys would take it easy and I could warmup that way. Then out of nowhere a cannon blasted off and rumbled the pavement, it was awesome. We all took off - I believe there were 291 registrants. I was Bib 504. A young man took off hot wearing a skin tight under armor shirt and sweatpants. I’m guessing he wasn’t aware of the water or river crossings as sweatpants are a terrible idea. I was rocking my new Saucony Endorphin Edge Trail shoes, they felt wonderful throughout the entire race. Eventually, the lead pack was five of us. We had a few barriers to hop over and smoke bombs were going off with green and yellow smoke. Then boom boom boom, guns were firing everywhere - luckily they were just blanks, but it simulated running through a war zone and I was smiling ear to ear - it was so cool. There were soldiers everywhere cheering us on and pointing us in the right direction. Humvees, medic vehicles, APC’s, and even tanks were on the grounds. Eventually, we came into a building and were shoved out by a solider with a pad that is used for blocking kicks and punches. Then we arrived at another building where we had to carry a fire hose up the stairs through the building and then back down and perform some chest compressions on a dummy. At this point, Peter Rotich, Terry Kruse, Myself and one other runner are in the lead pack so I knew chances were good to be in the top three! I continued to run hard, running around 6:30-6:45 pace and blasted through the trenches and open fields. Eventually, we came to an area where they said hop in the water and head downstream. It never made it up to my waist and I was able to run most of the time, but running in water is exhausting. I loved it though because the water felt wonderful and the trail shoes held up perfectly on the loose gravel, sand and mud in the water. Unfortunately, my shoes/socks did fill up with some sand and gravel. Then we were running in some trails in the trees that had some decently steep hills with ropes if needed. Here I could tell that Peter had no intentions of slowing down and would be able to keep up with me throughout and once we got back to the pavement, I’d probably be in trouble. Sure enough, middle of the way through mile five, he passed me with his long stride and got about 20-30 seconds ahead. The soldiers lining the streets were yelling at me to catch him, so I gave it a shot, but recalled we had a big uphill to climb and I just didn’t have the juice so I left off since I couldn’t see anyone behind me. Peter finished in first 31 seconds ahead of me and I finished in 49:30 and Terry Kruse right behind me in 50:51. Terry ran a 40+ mile Ultra just a week ago so he was kind enough to run slow today. I believe it’s the first time I’ve ever finished ahead of him in a race. After a bottle of water and a few deep breaths, I was recovered and grabbed a nice shiny medal. A few minutes after that, TJ came strolling across the finish line at 1:00:52 and Ayrin finished at 1:04:36. I’m glad I was finally able to get this race on the books, it was a lot of fun and I’ll definitely do it again. Huge shoutout to all of the soldiers that let the kiddos explore all the vehicles, guns, and machinery! USA baby! Finished 2/291 and first in my age group. I won a nice custom wooden plaque, I’ll display it proudly

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Monroe Annual Micro Marathon 10K (Recap)

8/8/2023

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Monroe 37th Annual Micro Marathon
August 5, 2023
Location: Monroe Iowa
Start Time: 8:00am
Entry Fee: $25.00 ($29.74 with Fees)
Race Director:
Website: https://www.facebook.com/MAMM5K10K/

Race day had a high of 84 and a low of 68 and way too much sunshine.

On race day, I woke up at 6:05 after leaving Shotgun Bettys around 3:30am. Luckily, Kaylee, Mom and the kids agreed to go to the race, so driving 50 minutes away on two hours of sleep wasn’t so dangerous. We rolled into town about 20 minutes before go-time while the townspeople were setting up for Old Settlers - a small carnival held in Prairie City and Monroe each year. After looking around, I estimated that there were probably just under 100 total runners for the day but hadn’t figured out the difference between the 5K and 10K runners. I always choose the 10K over the 5K so I can at least enjoy the race a bit - a 5K is over so quickly. A few days prior, I saw that a few fast guys from Team Runablaze would be there to crush the course. I saw Austin O’Brien and had no doubt in my mind that he’d win the race. Little did I know he was coming off an injury but this was his comeback race. Ironically, we were wearing the same shoes. Slime green Saucony Endorphin Elites - a few other runners had these on as well. Both groups started at 8:00am. Prior to the race starting, I asked if there would be a bike lead because I hadn’t memorized the course map but once I heard Team Runablaze was there, I knew I’d just need to follow the orange jerseys and I’d be fine. There were volunteers at every turn and the course was marked with chalk or paint to assure you were going in the right direction. Myself, along with Todd Haugen (53:06.02) and one other runner (I didn’t ask her name) supported the Fitness Sports jerseys. I’ve run with Todd many times, he’s always out grinding away race after race! For the most part, the course had a few rolling hills, though no major climbs and the roadways were filled with loose gravel, cracks and potholes. Since breaking my foot a few years ago during a race where I stepped in a pothole, I keep a close eye on the ground to assure it never happens again. After everyone started settling in, I was in 17th place and could tell that too many took off too hot and also realized the 5K runners did indeed have a different bib. I started picking off runners rather quickly and after two miles, I’d moved up to 9th place. I felt like most of the race, I was running directly into the sun. After the split for the 10K runners, I wasn’t sure how many were ahead of me but since it was an out and back, I knew I’d be able to count eventually. The girls at the water station were unfamiliar how to hold the cups and I actually dropped the cup, luckily, it wasn’t that hot, nor was I that thirsty so it was no big deal. Eventually, I saw Austin heading straight at me on the other side of the course just flying I then counted that there were six ahead of me and the likeliness of me catching any of them wasn’t too great though I thought I could get one of them! I kept grinding and had carried just under a 6:30 pace for the entire race which actually surprised me. I’d just run 58 miles 10 days prior during the Ames to Des Moines route of Ragbrai I felt good and knew that I had a chance to win my age group depending on the age of that tall bearded runner (John Rathje) that snuck ahead of me a while back. I was never able to catch him and found out he was 45 so I had to settle for 2nd place in the 40-49 age group and 6th overall. My finish time was 40:40, a time I was very happy with after just over a week of resting from my previous Ultra. The medal ceremony assured that all males, females and age groupers got some bling. Austin ended up setting the course record with a 33:25.21. Jake Potter won the 5K in 18:27.

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If you can't find time, you make it

11/21/2019

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When I signed up for this challenge - I did it knowing there would be many obstacles in the way. Having two kids that already have a full schedule, a job, a wife, holidays and plenty of other things makes for a lot of planning ahead. Long story short, I made it work and have almost completed this crazy journey. I set a goal of raising $5,000 and reached that in 17 days. It's amazing how so many great people came together to like, share and forward my great cause. The wounded warriors deserve the help and I hope that the $5,000 we raised does some good.

After 21 days into the run, we've completed 166.71 miles - that's the equivalent of running 6.3 marathons. I'm really looking forward to being done - with my approximate calculations, we have just under 40 miles to go. I've had the pleasure of running with a few different friends and family and will be running with the Chapins in their neighborhood on the 22nd.

Once I'm completed with this challenge, I am going to take a few weeks off and then begin training for Ironman 70.3 that is on Fathers Day 2020. I'm about 95% sure Im going to sign up for the Booneville Backwoods 50k as well. It'll be tough but I really want to cross ULTRA off of my bucket list.

Today, I'll be running near Viennas school and the Southeastern Border of Waukee. Everything North of University avenue is done. Everything west of Warrior Lane is done. Just gotta do the central and south and BOOM. Job finished.

I'm reading a book called "Thank me for my service" by Mat Best. It's absolutely fantastic. Check it out.

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November 8th. I'm tired

11/8/2019

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Thanks to my crazy schedule I'm exhausted. This weekend isn't going to help. Tonight, I go into work around 8pm. If all goes well, I'll be in bed by 3:30am. Then I am running the RCC Run the Woods 4mile race that has a pull-up competition at the end. For each pull-up, you remove 30 seconds from your overall race time. A lot of young cross country badasses run the race so I can't keep up with them, but I can do more pull-ups than anyone I know. I think I did 36 last year. I got a little bit derailed from training, but would love it if I could get to 30.

Then after the race, I'm going to go to a wedding. Then straight from the reception to see Smile Empty Soul play at Leftys with Kenny. Unfortunately, work calls again so I"ll have to leave just a bit early and probably miss Bottom of a Bottle. When I wake up on Sunday, we're heading back to Shotgun Bettys to setup for Steven and Karinas wedding party only to leave a few hours later to head to Vienna's first 5k at Water Works with Girls on the Run. I'm excited for her. I'll be running it with her of course. Then back to Shotgun Bettys to bartend the wedding party. If all goes well - I'll be in bed at 8pm and sleep until about 10am the next morning.

I'm now at 78.24 miles into #WaukeeWarriorRun - it's crazy what I'm doing. I still have drive and determination to get out everyday but I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to be done. I'm done with north of Hickman! My guess is that I'm almost 40% complete. We've already raised over $3200 for the Wounded Warrior Project so it's worth it. This blog is pretty cool. Gives me a good place to vent. Official party for the event will be December 1 at Global Brew. Hopefully everyone can show up to support such a great cause. Cheers.

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Day 6

11/6/2019

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We're still rockin' on the #WaukeeWarriorRun and have already run over 40 miles. I hope to get another 12-15 today. Thanks to my pal Kenny Hartzer, Worth Exteriors is jumping on board with a massive donation. I"m super pumped. Hope to meet up with them today to get it squared away. I'm almost done with the Northern and Western parts. Then I have Central, East, and a lot of the South. With 24 days to go, it'll be work but we can get it done.

Thanks again to Ayrin, TJ and Jesse Johnson who have run with me so far. We have a handful of people lined up to run with me soon!

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Day 3 (18.34 Miles)

11/3/2019

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Today, I worked on the Northeast corner of town. It was cold and rainy just like the first day, but I was actually really comfortable. Kaylee, Mom and Kenny came out to support and followed me around to take some pictures, videos and Kenny even broke out the drone. I hope to see some cool stuff in the next day or two! Tomorrow, once I take Hudson to school, I plan on going out and running more. I'm going to need every bit of the 27 days remaining unless I plan on doing 20 miles a day!

After my run, Kenny and I stopped into Global Brew - the best Tap House in town and had a few beers and watched some football.

Here is an awesome photo of me, Ayrin (National Guard) and TJ (Army) from day one after we finished our 10-miler.