2015 has been a great year. I may have fallen short of my yearly mileage goal but I exceeded my expectations on having fun while running, make friends, taking part in new races, and sharing my adventures with you.
January: I hosted my second Brian’s Crazy New Years Long Run at Noland trail. I started this training run while preparing for my first 100 mile race in 2014 and was totally shocked with new and old friends who came out to support me…and for the second year in a row we did it again! I’ll do better at getting pictures from the 2016 edition, 50 miles at Umstead.
(So thankful for everyone who came out,
Andrea and Hank brought me home on the final lap)
January Bonus: I had my first running story published.
(Check out my works in
the Jan/Feb edition of Marathon and Beyond)
February: For the second year in a row the second month on the calendar brought us snow, this mess put a huge damper on my training runs.
(Snow, Snow go away…I have a 100 miler to train for)
March: I never thought I would run one, but here I was toeing the line for my second 100 mile adventure, the Graveyard 100. I ran solo the entire length of Highway 12 on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
(I finished in 23 hours and 5 minutes after
burning up my legs to a new 50 miler PR)
April: My 6th running of the event which started all this crazy Ultra-marathon running, the Virginia 24 Hour Ultra Run Against Cancer. My third year with a team in the race as well…and what did we do but win the event for the second time and set a new course 24 hour record.
(Team Run4Life, Champions)
May: May was not a good month…the injury bug came for a visit, left Achilles pain.
June: On the come back trail and what a better way to make a statement then to run a 50 mile race in the heat of June. The Bethel Moonlight Boogie 50 Miler is a race a lot of my friends have talked up, so why not…
(Five 10 mile laps and a white church I thought had disappeared)
July: Took a little vacation to Minnesota, ran, fished and enjoyed family…then came home to run The March 50k. A race that honors WWII POWs and is filled with sand, hills, friends and a ton of memories.
(I ran for PV2 Amos L Burk)
August: No racing in Aug, made a short trip home to see my Mom and revisit some old ground.
(15 miles around the Peninsula)
Sept: The Hinson Lake 24 Hour Race and the World Famous Banana lap. Another “friends favorite races” and one with a special finishing lap. I wanted to go out and log some good miles and hopefully earn my third 100 mile buckle…then I got dizzy.
(Crossing the Hinson Lake Bridge)
October: Medoc Mountain Trail Marathon, becoming a favorite race of mine, if only that dang monster would leave me alone.
November: I said I would never run it again, but here I was taking on the JFK50 with seven of my running buddies.
(My first JFK was an adventure,
it was much better the second time around)
December: Another month without a race, life just got to busy, but I returned to Umstead and ran to remember my 100 miles there. Two of my friends will take on the 100 mile challenge in 2016 and I hope to support them the way my friends supported me.
And so we end where we began, looking back at 2015 and realizing what a great year it has been. 2015 was not the year that is was because of the miles, the blog posts or the races….it was because of you, my readers, my friends, my family, the love of my wife and the grace of a loving God.
Thank you!