The Year of the Ultra
So, speaking of doing something new and different...
I'm affectionately referring to 2017 as "The Year of the Ultra."
Please forgive me for not being clever or original. I'm pretty sure there are multiple blog posts, books, youtube videos and probably even a film out there that carries the same title. I don't care.
My year. My ultra. My title.
This year I've signed up for my first ultra marathon-- the Grand Canyon 50k. I normally don't travel for races, but I won a free entry through a Facebook contest, so naturally, I have to go. Seriously, I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. And really, I can't think of a better way to see the Grand Canyon than to experience the Grand Canyon. For 50K (roughly 31 miles) on my own 2 feet.
Many people have a hard time understanding why runners so love to run. It's grueling. A grind. Miserable. Difficult. YES! And that's only partly why I love it.
During those long runs, it's just me against the miles. I'm battling the run. It's my foe, but it's also my companion. The beating of my heart and the breath it takes to travel through those miles... it is breathtaking. I think back on some of the places my feet have carried me, some of the sunrises I've witnessed, the rain, the cold, the heat. It's life. It's beautiful and a struggle.
I've seen and experienced so many places and people I never would have met had it not been for the run. Little glimpses of glory in neighborhoods on sidewalks mostly empty and on streets nearly packed. On lonely mornings and busy race days. After every run I return grateful and more alive than when I began.
I'm affectionately referring to 2017 as "The Year of the Ultra."
Please forgive me for not being clever or original. I'm pretty sure there are multiple blog posts, books, youtube videos and probably even a film out there that carries the same title. I don't care.
My year. My ultra. My title.
This year I've signed up for my first ultra marathon-- the Grand Canyon 50k. I normally don't travel for races, but I won a free entry through a Facebook contest, so naturally, I have to go. Seriously, I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. And really, I can't think of a better way to see the Grand Canyon than to experience the Grand Canyon. For 50K (roughly 31 miles) on my own 2 feet.
Many people have a hard time understanding why runners so love to run. It's grueling. A grind. Miserable. Difficult. YES! And that's only partly why I love it.
During those long runs, it's just me against the miles. I'm battling the run. It's my foe, but it's also my companion. The beating of my heart and the breath it takes to travel through those miles... it is breathtaking. I think back on some of the places my feet have carried me, some of the sunrises I've witnessed, the rain, the cold, the heat. It's life. It's beautiful and a struggle.
I've seen and experienced so many places and people I never would have met had it not been for the run. Little glimpses of glory in neighborhoods on sidewalks mostly empty and on streets nearly packed. On lonely mornings and busy race days. After every run I return grateful and more alive than when I began.
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