“There are routes the boldness and logic of which are overwhelming.” - James Salter. For me, running R2R2R is one of those routes. I’ve been almost monomaniacal about it for the past few months. And I was lucky enough to run it yesterday. Words and videos do not do this route justice. It is as difficult as it is beautiful. But the overview- Descending the south rim in the dark under a blanket of stars was spectacular. I joined up with George at the bottom (he started ahead of me and walked down) and ran seven miles with him to Ribbon Falls. Watching the sun rise and hit the canyon walls was something else. Felt like we had the whole canyon to ourselves. I ran alone to the North rim where @maddywatkins13 was kindly waiting for me with a new pack 🤩. Her and I ran straight downhill to Cottonwood canyon, where she turned around and headed straight back up. Along the way I managed to just about smash my toes into ever rock. Which was maybe the most painful part of the day. I spent the next 10ish miles alone in the canyon. Just magical to be there. I met George at the base of the south rim climb, at phantom ranch. He had yet another pack for me. And we hiked/ran the last six miles out. Relentless climb but the scenery is just so. So. Overwhelming. I can’t believe it’s all done. I could not have done this without the help from G and Maddy. And the times I spent with them were the most memorable. I’m sad it’s done- so Now I’m wondering what to obsess about next. #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyon #r2r2r #trailrun
Zone 2 existentialism is realizing around mile 45 that whenever my life starts revolving too much around one thing, I instinctively start pulling away from it and also I am not competitive??
Felt like the longest training block I’ve ever done. Loved it. Also very happy to be back riding horses, riding bikes, playing aggressively mediocre golf, and attempting to go out in Denver only to discover that staying awake until 10pm is now a genuine physical challenge.
Canyons 100k: no breakthroughs, no poison oak, vibes mostly immaculate. Link in bio for @skratchlabs article
Read my Complete Guide to Canyons 100k. Link in bio. Had fun writing that this morning. I honestly had a super fun time at @canyonsenduranceruns . I felt great all day (maybe I should have tried harder?) and was just stoked to be out on an adventure. Cheered so hard for all the runners coming and going to swinging bridge, chatted to so many rad racers, had THE BEST crew ever. Ankle mostly held up as long as I basically walked down hills. Just overall a super fun way to spend 11:20.
New @skratchlabs Substack, link in bio. The worst part about ultra racing, aside from maybe the races being too long…, is the taper. The fall from the peak weeks of feeling invincible is a hard. I kept busy by testing out the @hdrop.tech , riding Barnie every chance I could, and listening to 90s music. I have no clue how @canyonsenduranceruns will go or even if I’ll finish. Who can say for sure. I know I’ll get poison oak. 🤪 excited to see a new place and excited to get this done so I can hang out at the horse barn more. 😵💫
My friends at @skratchlabs are launching a Substack, and somehow I’m first up. (Link in bio) go subscribe!!
This is the first of three pieces, on two of my favorite things: planning and the Grand Canyon.
I genuinely love planning. Maybe it’s anxiety, maybe it’s just how I negotiate with uncertainty, but it works for me (mostly). It forces a kind of honesty about who you are when things get hard, and respect for the conditions, terrain, and reality you’re stepping into.
Because I think truth is, the big outdoors…places like the Grand Canyon aren’t there to be conquered. That idea feels less like ambition and more like a misunderstanding, mistaking presence for dominance.
Planning isn’t control. It’s more like a pre-negotiation with something much larger than you…a way of saying, “I know I’m small here, but I’d still like to have a decent day.” And gosh I hope you have a fun time outside. Go plan something and have a damn good time yall.
Substack has the full recap, but here’s a little taster. This is your sign to plan a trip (for the fall) to run in the canyon. #trailrunning #grandcanyonnationalpark
After health issues that set me back in Jan and Feb, causing me to defer my Black Canyon 100k run, I needed some some desert time. Some time in my favorite place in the world- @grandcanyonnps . Because I’m becoming less of an IG user, and also I like writing far too many words for captions, I wrote about it on my Substack (link in bio) images and words still don’t do this place justice. I can’t wait to get back. Shout out to all my friends and especially George who have to hear me talk about the Canyon all too much.
Finally seeing my photos from the last three months. Waiting to use the entire roll and get filmed developed is just a 90s throwback flash of joy. Love these people and moments in time.
NSFW. @longrungear , @taylorjbodin and I talked about why you SHOULDN’T run an ultra on our latest @thedirtdivision podcast (link in bio). Everything from physical ailments, financial costs, finding a partner…Probably my favorite episode yet. Can’t wait to record our thoughts on why you should.
