Well, it’s been a minute… okay—more than a few years since that last blog post—but who’s counting?
Life has been a whirlwind, but I’m excited to dust off the blog and get back to sharing my adventures, thoughts, and everything in between.
Let’s see… where should I start? How about we pick up where we left off in April of 2019.
I rocked out a couple more ultras in the latter half of 2019, including my all time favorite race: running the overnight 38-mile “Fun Run” at the Kettle Moraine Endurance Trail Races in Whitewater, Wisconsin. So much fun! (Photo above).
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in January 2020. All of the races I had planned for that year were canceled. I had a hard time getting a good rhythm after that. As you can see below, 2021 started with a couple of DNFs (Did Not Finish) in the ultras I had planned.
Things started to look up in 2022. The Covid-19 pandemic had me doing a bit more bass fishing than running, so I ended up buying a nice fishing kayak that year. For my first race in April, I went back to run the 25k at the Ozark Foothill Endurance Runs. I ended up twisting my ankle the day before the race, so I hobbled my way back home. No more trail races for me for another couple of years.
Still, 2022 wasn’t a big loss. I recovered from my ankle injury in time to train for and race both Grandmas Marathon and the Chicago Marathon in the same year. Woohoo!
I faced a few significant life events in 2023 and focused heavily on getting the new kayak out for a few bass tournaments that year to help reset my mind. I had very few races planned. I ended 2023 being diagnosed with a torn meniscus in my right knee. I’ll cover more of that in a different post.
If you’re still here, thanks for sticking around—and if you’re new, welcome to the chaos!
A few notable events since that last post way back in April 2019:
2019:
- June: Kettle Moraine 38 Mile overnight “Fun Run” (Ice Age Trail) 11:43:05.
- June: Mohican Trail Marathon (Loudonville, OH) 7:09:40.
- July: Chicago Rock N Roll Half Marathon (pacing with Chicago Endurance Sports 2:30 pace) 2:29:39.
- August: Marquette Trail Races 50K (Marquette, MI.) 9:59:42.
2020:
- January: Covid-19 epidemic started!
- March: Last in-gym workout with Chicago Primal Gym (my old gym) due to Covid concerns.
- All other races cancelled for the year.
2021:
- April: DNF at Ozark Foothills Endurance Runs 50k – Only did one 15 mile loop. Still wearing masks and social distancing.
- June: DNF at Kettle Moraine 38 Mile “Fun Run” – Stopped at Rt. 12 about 22 miles in (under trained).
- July: Cry Me A River Trail Half Marathon 4:36:52.
- October: Des Plaines River Trail Half Marathon 2:41:18.
2022:
- March: Picked up my first fishing kayak – a Native Slayer Propel 10.
- April: DNF at Ozark Foothills Endurance Runs 15K: Twisted my ankle day before my race.
- June: Grandmas Marathon (Duluth, MN) 5:51:29.
- August: First kayak bass tournament at Lake Beula, Wisconsin.
- October: Chicago Marathon 5:53:55.
2023:
- Lost a job.
- Found a job.
- Mostly kayak fishing tournaments.
- Very little to no races due to focus on fishing.
- November: Diagnosed with a torn meniscus in my right knee.
2024:
- January: Knee surgery to repair meniscus tear in my right knee.
- November: First race back at the Lifetime Turkey Trot Chicago 5K 00:35:43. Hooray!
2025:
- To be continued…