...and so it begins.

Over the years I have always wanted to start a running blog to keep track of my adventures, but I just never got around to it for whatever reason: school, work, life, etc. I think the problem is that I am just more at home talking than writing; I am a born talker and storyteller by family decent and the story goes that I never had a first word, honest, apparently I just started talking in complete sentences. My sister always says, the trouble is that once I started talking I did not shut up, which my teachers throughout grade school can attest to, I never could be quiet in class. This also got translated over to running once I got into that; as any that has ever run with me before can vouch for me, I can and do talk constantly during a race or run, and I can talk for at least a good portion of two days (my buddy Ryan can attest to this, his 200-mile run last June where I accompanied him for like 150-miles).

It is my hopes to bring some of those talks and such that transpire in a race to the written page here to have accounts of my adventuring with the many fine individuals out there sharing the trails with me in our common goal of finishing.

I am currently on break from races for the rest of the year until January, not by choice mind you, but paying for school does put a pinch on my race funds otherwise I would most certainly race as often as possible. Let me explain a little...

In 2011 I completed six 100-mile races, as well as three other 100-155-mile runs (pacing, DNFs of race >100mi.) all in eight months and I would like to see if I can do even more racing this coming year in 2012. I was once running a marathon with a friend of mine a few falls ago with her as her first marathon to company her through to the finish and she spotted someone that had a 100 Marathon Club shirt on and said, “That doesn’t sound that hard, you have probably done that with your races divided out. You should have a 100 100-Mile Club, now that would be nuts.” What can I say I liked the idea, and I have 17 official 100-mile finishes in the last five years towards that goal and am looking to up the number completed in each year: 2007 – 1, 2008 – 2, 2009 – 3, 2010 – 5, 2011 – 6. I figure even if I race somewhat conservatively I could be starting that club by the time I was 40-45. There are almost 90 100-mile runs in the U.S. every year, I could do like at least 15 of them a year with shorter races mixed in if I had the backing. I have the intention of racing as much as I can, it is what I like to do for many reasons – not just because I like to run, which I do, but because I enjoy the ultra running community and I want to see just what I am capable of – I would like to see if I have it in me to complete my goal of 100 100-mile runs.


I would like to end with a couple of quotes:

"I still think you may have been left on our doorstep by some running clan, and mom was so nice she took you in." - My Sister, Ellen

"You are the stupidest smart kid I know." (Luke on Jim's running) - Friend, Luke Tatusko

"You are crazy dude. Like you seem all mild mannered, but behind that is a total psycho." (Bret on Jim's running)
- Friend's roommate, Bret Weed

Run Happy