One of my favorite professional runners, Sage Canaday, has a saying he often repeats, "Any surface, any distance"- Well, I didn't get Every surface this summer, but I sure ticked off a lot of them...and became a stronger, more passionate runner in the meantime. While I am still excited to pursue the ambiance of the bigger, more competitive races in the near future, the Fastest Known Times of routes in NH and VT, as well as our classic races, like the Wapack and 7 Sisters, motivate me just as much as any- Its been a Great year of racing and training and I am proud of how far I've come. Thankful and content, I must take a break from racing for a few months to let my legs recover so I can do it all again in 2018!
Some 2017 stats- Three 50k's, One trail marathon, One 21.5m trail race, One 18 mile trail race, one 28m Adventure race, One trail half marathon and One road 5K
Highest finish: 9th Best finish: 1st
Over 2500m run and hiked, 300K vert climbed so far in 2017-
*Made podium appearance five times
Longest race: 34.2m (Ragged 50k+) Shortest race: Trick or Trot 5K
Longest training run- 17.8m Most ascent- 6381ft
Most miles added to a race: 2.2 Joe English
This blog catalogs my adventures, lessons and stories in mountain and ultra running around New England and I also Hope it inspires others to take on their own adventures and goals. As the name implies, it is an honor to be among a hearty and downright amazing group of outdoor athletes in the East that are amongst the best in the country. May we continue to rise up and strengthen one another on the Eastern terrain that sharpens legs and hearts.
As I mentioned earlier, I Hope next year to get to some of the bigger races- Maybe some more TNF races? A return to the Cayuga 50m National Champs? VT 100? JFK 50? First things first, its time to rest and recover, rebuild and restore...and its time for Winter Wild!
*Thank you to Salming Running North America! I have used the Trail 2, 3 and 5 and the Elements for my trail and mountain adventures, and the Distance and En Route for backroad running and the occasional speed sesh! With the forthcoming OT Comp, Salming provides a full quiver of arrows with which to attack any terrain or any surface!
https://shopsalmingusa.com/ [Baker20 at checkout for 20% savings]
*Thank you Team AMP active- Our little trail and adventure team is growing up! Its an honor to share the trails and push the envelope on the roads and trails with this awesome group, each with their own stories of adventure and overcoming- Life is better lived out in community
*Thank you Jacqui- Running being an inherently solo adventure, it is important to have a partner who understands/supports/tolerates you're habit- If running makes me a better person, Jacqui's support doubles that possibility
*Thank you Jesus- As a person of Christian faith, I Hope to inspire others to seek adventure and also find purpose beyond themselves- Some say nature is their church- Nature, the Mountains and the community of outdoor athletes can certainly help us find the greater good, perhaps the running community and communities of faith are not so different after all- In that sunrise, beautiful mountain single-track, the runners high, or a big goal accomplished, we find connectedness and a Love for thy neighbor that has a profound impact on our souls- This is why we keep coming back, this is why we love our tribe... Happy trails and may the chill of winter inspire us to new heights for the rest of 2017 and beyond!
#NoNonsense #InspireActiveLiving #Explore4Chad
