An Adventure Into the Unknown... a father and sons SRT 70-Mile experience

      Important Information...

    

SRT Class of '21

I want to start by saying thank you to all the amazing people that made this event possible including RD Ken, Todd, and the various volunteers at checkpoints, search and rescue teams, and so many others. Without them none of this would have been possible. Ken encourages donations to the NY-NJ Trail Conference who maintain the SRT and trails throughout  the Hudson Valley. As an employee of the trail conference (NYNJTC's Conservation Corps Trail Crew program) that is truly appreciated! Ken also runs a not-for-profit called Run Wild and their mission is "to support environmental conservation in the Hudson Valley and beyond." That hits home as a Hudson Valley local that has grown up here and uses the trails for leisure AND now for work! So thank you Ken and everyone else for the work that you do in and outside of the race. This truly was a journey of immense magnitude that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

        

    This race was just not any race, at least for my father it wasn't. It has some backstory with personal struggle. This is a tale of redemption. My dad had signed up for the the SRT back in 2017. Unfortunately it didn't work out for him so well. He ultimately failed to make cutoff by 20 minutes at mile 54(Jenny) with his running partner Matt. It came down to being under trained, unprepared, and really bad blisters according to my dad.. 

    

    So 2021 is here and I'm now an ultra runner. Not having a big race planned yet I was an open book. I became more intrigued after speaking about it with my dad and I started some heavy researching about this race.I read that any runner who completes the course in sandals would receive a barefoot pin in recognition of the minimalist spirit of the race. This really caught my eye and loved the idea of that since I had been running in sandals for the past year. I believe that is what sealed it for me and I immediately went on ultra signup and registered.   

       

     At the time my dad had absolutely no interest in attempting this beast again.  He had no races planned but when we started discussing it, he felt he was in much better shape than he was in his previous attempt. When he found out the race would actually take place on his 50th birthday, I think he felt it was his destiny to sign up and finish what he had started 4 years ago. Imagine that, father and son taking on the one and only DNF my father has ever received on his birthday. It was time for my father to redeem himself. There ya have it, it was on. 

      Pre-Race...

    September 10th, my dad's 50th birthday!! We spent most of the day packing up and going over the trail maps. Dads birthday celebration would be on hold until after we finished this race. We had to focus on the beast ahead of us.

Before the start

        

    Finally, it was time to get in the car and begin our hour drive up to the Rosendale finish line and catch the bus up to the start. The drive was mostly silent. We were both in our own heads I suppose. I mean we were about to embark on the biggest physical challenge of our lives together. It was exciting yet nerve racking.

    I hadn't had the best training leading up to this race whatsoever. Longest run was just over 8hrs and distance was 50k with 7500ft of vert. That was my last long run... 6 weeks out before the race!! I injured myself on a shorter run that put me out for an entire month of running before the race. I decided I still wanted to try the race, having to cancel other races earlier in the year I really wanted to do this especially for my dad. Luckily for him he had nearly no training issues. It was the best training block of his life. He was feeling the strongest he ever has going into a race. He was definitely ready. For me, it was just so unknown. I was going to surpass my longest run by 40 miles, and run through the entire night which I've never done. My dad had experience with all of this back in 2017, so that boosted my confidence a bit. But in reality I think I was still just downright scared.

    

Start of the Race @AT/SRT Junction

    We get to Rosendale and greet the RDs Ken and Todd, and see all the other racers getting their things ready. Excitement was in the air no doubt. After triple checking everything, I strap on my bib number and head onto the bus. We had another hour commute back to the start line 70 miles away in High Point Park, NJ. Again I was silent for the most part. I just threw on some music and closed my eyes most of the ride. 

        

    When we arrive in High Point we have 5 minutes to do whatever we have to which definitely meant one last bathroom visit. It was chilly but more windier than I thought so I put on my long sleeve on under my flannel. After a quick race briefing and a photo of the SRT Class of 2021, we hiked down to the start of the SRT course where it intersects with the Appalachian Trail. On our walk down Todd, one of the RDs asked me how long I've run in sandals and I said about a year. He told me that some other guys were doing the 30miler in sandals but they've been running in them for 15 years. I'll be honest, I thought to myself what the hell am I getting into. But no time to think, It was finally here, we made it to the start with about 2 minutes till go time we eagerly waited until 6:30pm.

      Miles 0-17...

    With a ten second countdown, we were off. 21 starters set out from High Point to Rosendale 70 miles away. We were in for a journey. Things started as you might expect. The first miles were super exciting and you could feel the energy. It didn't feel so much like a race, more like something we were all doing together. Me and my dad were towards the back of the pack as planned. We were gonna take it easy and just see how things went and pace off each other.

    

My fashionable skirt

    Only about 4 miles or so in, it was time for headlamps since it was probably about 7:30pm or so. The forecast was projected to be  near perfect for running. Upper 40s through the night and low 70s during the day. I felt like I would be fine and I had all the necessary clothing I'd need. However I'd run into my first issue as soon as it got dark. I was getting cold due to the wind. Really cold. I sweat early on and the wind was making me freezing. We still maintained a solid pace because not moving obviously wouldn't do me any good. This ended up going on for a couple hours, probably a good 10 miles I was extremely uncomfortable. I tried various clothing options and nothing seemed to work, I was either sweating or freezing. My dad had the idea to strap my wet clothing on his pack while we run, and I was wearing a rain jacket. I was sweating yet freezing simultaneously but it allowed for my other clothes to dry. I eventually would put my original clothes back on and the wind in the night died down around the same time. Good news for me.  Then I tied my jacket around my waist backwards like a skirt for extra warmth.. Problem finally solved.

    When I finally got into a groove and was comfortable with my temperature it was around the 13 mile mark. This is when the 8pm runners passed us(SRT racers have the option to start late due to Minnewaska permits.. Runners will be held at checkpoint 3 until 5am.) It was surprising to see them so early! They were moving FAST! A couple of easy miles later and we made it to checkpoint 1, 17 miles in and feeling really solid!

     Miles 17-27...

    At checkpoint 1 we were asked by the search and rescue teams if anyone was behind us because it was supposed to be the last runner to get checked. We said no, but moments later a headlamp would appear and there he was. We set off to checkpoint 2 and soon the last runner would pass us making me and my dad officially the back of the pack. This didn't phase us because we were still making really great time and feeling super solid. We took time to get some water and refill a couple miles in even though I wasn't completely out. It was our first refill of the race.

    The next section of the course was pretty runnable terrain and flat. We were able to maintain a solid pace throughout clocking some of our fastest miles throughout the course. However it was the wetlands of the course. Super swampy in some areas forcing your feet to get wet to about shin level. It lasted for a while and we just got used to it. There was just no way around. It didn't seem to bother me or my dad but it definitely slowed us down a bit.     

        

    We made it to the town of Wurtsburo and didn't see a single car. A bit creepy but hey it was the middle of the night. A couple mile road section ended this segment of the course to checkpoint 2. It was the same search and rescue guys from checkpoint 1! You guys are awesome.    

Miles 27-39...

Made it through the dark!

    At just over a marathon into the race and over 8 hours, my dad's birthday has officially ended.. We shared some laughs about it as we headed into a harder section of the course. Until now most of the course I'd say was pretty moderate....but the climbs were upon us. Right out of checkpoint 2 we started our climb along the ridge. It was definitely the biggest climb of the run so far, but if you ask me it didn't feel like much. It's really hard to perceive how much you're climbing when it's completely dark.. You're just in your own little world following this bubble of light in front of you. Up or down it was just one foot in front of the other. We saw the mystical porcupine up the first climb as everybody seems to know about. My dad said it was in the same spot as in 2017. Crazy. My dad would end up filtering some water but I skipped out on it.            

    

    At this point we caught up to some runners. We ended up linking up with another racer Cathy for most of this section playing ping pong through the night. We worked off each other trading lead often and helping with navigation. Up until this point navigation was pretty easy. The all trails app worked and I ended up taking lead on navigation. There were times we went off course but never for more than a tenth of a mile or so.

    The sun was just starting to pop out as we made it to the top of the last climb on this ridge section.. We caught an absolutely beautiful sunrise before the descent to checkpoint 3. Our spirits were lifted when the sun hit. We definitely were waiting all night on it and it came at the perfect time. We made our way down the steep descent which soon flattened out to easy runnable downhill and we clocked some great miles here. We would pass a couple more runners in this section before arriving to mile 39, checkpoint 3. This was around 8am. 

    Miles 39-54...

yikes...

    We had until 4:30pm to cover the next section. This in my opinion is where things got a bit more difficult. Maybe it was the 40 miles in our legs, maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but damn this next section was hard. We were now entering Minneswaska. It started wit the biggest climb of the course. About a 3 mile climb going from 600ft topping out at 2300ft to Sams Point. As brutal as it sounds it actually wasn't that bad. We were still riding the high from the sun and pumped that we were making great time. My dad used this time to text my mom how we were doing and snap some pictures. 

     As we made it near the top of the climb we reached the parking lot and visitor center area at Sams Point. Here we could fill up water from the water fountain and not worry about filtration. The race doesn't allow any aid but you can utilize anything that is offered to the public. So a quick water stop there and we were on our way to the top of Sams Point. The views were absolutely incredible. It was my first time up there and I was shocked. A great reward for a tough climb. 

    This section got rugged real fast. Probably the rockiest terrain I've been on. Hard to move fast even though it was more downhill and flat. The rocks were just in such awkward positions for so long it felt so hard to move. To make matters even worse we reached another flooded section of trail but luckily it didn't last too long. This time it was nearly to my knees though.  This section was proving to be tough and it's definitely known for that. 

rock squeeze :P

    This was the section that my dad got lost in and missed cutoff back in 2017. But not this time. Navigation really wasn't a problem so far for us. I was still going strong on all trails. The portable charger I brought was a smart decision  We made our way onward through the rock scramble(literal climbing in sections) my dad told me about that haunted him. When we made it to the top we were hyped because it was way easier than we both anticipated. A cool feature of the course was also this little rock squeeze type of thing. When you go in its pitch black but a step further and you see light(not sure where it was on course but definitely this section.) 

    This section never really got easier onward, it was just rough and rugged, extremely rocky, lots of roots sticking out and quite steep in areas. We were so happy to have finished the scramble and feeling that it wasn't as bad as we were anticipating, it would soon turn into what seemed like a never ending section. It was kind of the first time we thought "oh shit, we got a ways to go still" being 50+miles in already. This whole time though I think we passed a ton of runners. Maybe 6 or so, in this whole 13 mile stretch. So morale wasn't low, but I'd say we were cautiously optimistic. 

Top of the scramble

    We struggled down the last carriage road descent which was quite technical and long. We were definitely starting to hurt a bit especially my dads feet and quads on descents. My dad's first signs of nutrition difficulties started to occur as well. He was getting nauseous with all of his food options. I told him everything would be good as soon as we hit the checkpoint, it was only a couple miles away. We would eventually make it to checkpoint 4 at mile 54! 

    This was exact location is where my dad missed cutoff 4 years ago by 20 minutes. This was great news because we got there around 2:45pm (almost 2 hours before cutoff). This meant we were on course for over 20 hours! We were making great time but we were out of water and needed to take a break to re-organize as well. It ended up being the longest but most needed break. We were there for 15 minutes. It gave us time to stretch, squat and rest the muscles a bit while we took care of ourselves. I got my water filtered and re-organized and my dad did the same. He cleaned his shoes out of rocks and mud. This whole time my feet were fine in the sandals. A few minutes went by and two runners would appear behind us dropping out. We would pack out by 3pm, with16 miles to go with 9 hours until the final cutoff. Plenty of time... right? what could go wrong... right? 

Miles 54-59...

Rainbow Falls

    You would think with 54 miles down and only 16 to go that's nothing, and we thought that up until that point. We talked about getting to Jenny(mile 54) all the time before the race. It was a big goal since my dad met his physical demise there before and never ran farther than that distance. Same for me! Not to mention we've probably been awake for close to 30 hours at this point. But we were feeling good, at least to the point of finishing. The course was now completely new for the both of us.

    We would run into a problem quite soon. My dads bladder wasn't working. He originally thought the straw was bent, but after another look that wasn't the case. He had to push the connector together in order to get water. This would require him taking off his pack every time he needed water, so he ended up rigging the bladder to the side of his pack. Honestly it was good thinking. It was awkward though because it was heavy and he had to hold it with one arm but it worked for the meantime. My dad also really started to not each much of anything. He was getting sick of everything, nothing I had could help him either so it was a tough situation. His body at this point was just rejecting everything, luckily water he could have. We pushed on, knowing this could be a big problem in the coming hours.

    Most of this next section went on fine. I don't remember much of the course in details from here on out. Everything just started to feel the same. We didn't run into any issues the rest of this short 5 mile section, but things were hurting no doubt. My dad was still carrying that damn bladder. There was very little running from here on out. Even though the checkpoints got closer in distance(much closer) they seemed so far away. We were moving slow but fast enough. We would take it checkpoint by checkpoint from here on out, calculating how much time we had to get there before cutoff, and we had plenty of time. I think we could have done 30min miles the last 16 or so if we had to. Eventually we made it to checkpoint 5 maintaining a solid pace and buffer over the cutoff time. I think we had an hour and a half before cutoff which would put us around 5pm. Another quick stop just to reorganize nutrition and we were off. My dad was still is carrying his bladder, definitely lighter at this point but he wasn't complaining about it and we were still moving solid. 

Miles 59-64...

    After some nice words from the volunteers at checkpoint 5 that got us pumped, we were off! 11 miles to go baby. Just one more 5 mile section, and a 6 mile section after that and we are done! It doesn’t sound too bad and that was our mentality, even though we were hurting we were nearly 90% done with the course. That’s huge. But in these type of races you really start to slow down towards the end, at least that was the case for us.

Happiness at mile 50 

    As we left in pursuit for checkpoint 6, we would head into a long gradual climb. it was probably close to half of the section, about 3 miles and it just felt like it went on and on and on. We had just hit the 24hr mark and aIl remember really soon after that I was starting to feel dizzy. It was hard to focus on things in front of me and I seriously felt like I was going to pass out. I’d stop close my eyes, and put my feet up on a tree to hopefully get blood flow back to me head. This was my dad’s idea which seemed to work. However this would persist basically until the end of the section. I’d walk a few minutes get dizzy and have to sit down. It must’ve been around 6 or 7 stops. It didn’t make any sense. I was drinking good and eating good this entire race. I looked at my dad and told him I seriously that I didn’t think I would be able to finish. We had about 8 miles to go in the race and I felt like I hit my limit then and there. I was feeling pretty rough and was on the edge of passing out. Heading into the night with this condition scared me to be honest. In reality though it was my mind playing tricks on me. We had 8 miles to go but I knew it would take us several more hours. After 24+ hours on my feet this sounded like the easy way out. 

    As for my dad, he was in pretty rough shape. About two thirds through the climb, his quad started to cramp up really bad. It was to the point of making him stop and massage his quads out. He's had this issue in the past. He was really behind on food, having small sips of apple sauce was all his stomach could handle. He must've had under 100 calories in the past couple of hours. With us having pretty serious issues at this point didn’t think we could finish. Even with the extra time I seriously didn't know if my body could keep going. I initiated the conversation and my dad agreed he thought it might not be smart to continue, especially with how I was feeling. My dad says now(postSRT) that he saw it as an easy way out for him too. He wasn't going to continue if I wasn't. He was struggling a lot more physically than I was but for me, this was all mental.    

to the finish!!

    Then the unexpected happened. We ascended this last climb(we thought at the time) just outside checkpoint 6, came to a grass opening and came upon another runner! His name was Titus. It had been HOURS since we saw one. I actually thought it was a 30 miler at first, but he was on the phone with the RD trying to get directions I believe. Having my navigation be fine with my phone we offered to guide him through to the checkpoint because it was right there. He admitted that he wasn't feeling too great himself having lots of hallucinations, and having trouble navigating. We still thought to this point that we were dropping out, and we asked him if he was but he said he was going to finish. Right as this happened I heard the sound of a roaring stream, I immediately turned to my dad and said lets fill up everything here(we happened to be nearly out of water), and he looked at me in confusion and asked "you're not dropping?" NOPE. For some profound reason I felt like I could do it. I hadn't felt lightheaded since we met up with Titus, the runner we picked up. Now I had this sudden boost of energy. Was it Titus? Was it the water? All I knew was I was going to finish. My dad just followed the way. We weren't dropping no more. Shortly after this we made it to checkpoint 6 finally. We made it there around 7pm having still an hour and a half until cutoff. We had 5 hours to do about 6 miles. Plenty of time, even if we had to crawl. And a crawl it came to be. Ken the RD said to us 3 as we were passing by the checkpoint that he had some nice warm seats in his car if we wanted to get a ride back to the finish. I think I just laughed.     

Miles 64-70...

    6 miles left. That's all it was. And this section would be the only one that had marking tape, so navigation we thought would be easier. Over 24hours in and we were moving. Sure, it was slow but we were moving. Titus was gonna hang with us until the finish. We all didn't really talk much, but it was time to whip out the headlamps again. As soon as my light went on I felt so focused. It definitely helped me. We were climbing what would be the last climb of the course. It was a nice gravel road for most of it which was nice but the descent would prove to be much worse. Back on the trails though , the terrain got gnarly again. pretty steep and rocky, it was the worst type of terrain for the quads this far into the race but it was the last one. It would prove to be extremely difficult for my dad especially.
     

    Having almost no food in him for the past few hours he would start uncontrollably dry heaving down the steep descent. We both knew it was from food but I still mentioned it, and it was the first time with both kind of lost our cool. I was frustrated not knowing if we’d make cutoff due to how slow we were moving, I voiced my opinion and we had a small argument. It was the only time we argued but it only lasted about 30seconds. My dads dry heaving would go on the whole descent and it was brutal. All me and Titus could do was just stop and wait until he was done dry heaving. It was slow moving but we still had a tremendous gap on cutoff, could have done nearly 1hr miles if we needed. Good thing too because this would be with our a doubt the slowest section for us. Our fastest mile being 25 minutes in this last 6 mile stretch. 
    

Heather and Francessca at the finish line! #RunPB

    Finally after a while things flattened out a bit and seemed less technical, but it was a trade off for muddy and wet flats. We were only a couple miles away from the rail trail(last half mile of the course.) Navigation while it was dark constantly looking for the flagging tape proved to be difficult. At the time it just seemed really hard to follow the trail because everything was unmarked and there was only tape at certain places. The last 6 miles of the course is not an official trail, so I think that made it harder. But with a few stops here and there we were able to stay on course. When it flattened out a bit my dad stopped dry heaving and we were finally able to move consistently. I knew from this point on we were gonna finish and I was so happy. It only took 67 miles or so. I whipped my phone out at this point to call my mom because I knew she was worried about us and thought we would have finished a bit sooner. 
    

    We now just had a couple flat miles and we would be finished the race. Nearing 28 hours it was so crazy to think about how far we’ve come. We just had one more obstacle in our way. GIANT BEES!!! They are actually called cicada killers. All of the sudden when we are finally hiking at a solid pace on the flats these giant bees were attracted to our headlamps. They we’re absolutely massive. Probably about the size of my index finger. We would have to all stop and turn out lights off and wait for them to buzz away. This went on about 3-4 times and one of them got caught in my hair where my dad had to pull it out. I couldn’t believe it, after over 27hours of running, over 100k in, and only a couple miles left we were now dealing with this! The SRT gods must’ve hated all of us that day. Eventually the bees would stop and/or we got away from them. 
     

chairs!

    Soon after our bee attack we made it to the rail trail. Now it was just a little over a half mile to the finish. It was such a relief. Titus hung back from here on because navigation was over. The rail trail was the finish so we parted ways.It was awesome sharing the last few miles with someone else! It helped keep morale higher! Me and my dad took the lead and made our way to the town of Rosendale, 70 miles away from where we had originally started. Our last obstacle was crossing the giant restored train trestle way above the town. I say obstacle because my dad has a problem with heights. Not long into being on the trestle my dad started to panic because he looked over the edge by accident. He then grabbed the back of my pack and we walked through it together. He was absolutely frightened but I think the lack of food and sleep just made his fear even more heightened. After the trestle we knew we would be finishing any minute. There was a ton of excitement but still so much pain. We power hiked through the rail trail until we saw lights, that’s when we finally could run the last tenth of a mile or so. We were greeted by the last volunteers that guided us off the trail and the finish was just a couple hundred feet away. We could here cheering and shouting as we came off the trail. 

    

    It’s really hard to put into words the exact feeling at this moment, but I was damn happy. We crossed the finish line with an official time of 28:02:15. Securing 11th and 12th overall in a field of 15 finishers and 22 starters! Congrats to all the hard workers out there! It was a grind, that's for sure. Crazy to see that someone ran it in 16:22:52!! Congrats Russ on the new course record, and for the female division Kaitlynn with an astounding 19:12:03(2nd overall, beating the CR by over 4 hours!!) It was a pleasure to have been amongst such amazing individuals.

    Finish Line/Post Race

Barefoot pin!

    Our friends from our local run club(RunPB) had just run the 30miler together so they decided to stay and watch us finish! It was so awesome having friends at the finish cheering us in! We weren't expecting it. Thanks so much Heather, Francessca, and Ed!! When we finished I was so ecstatic, I couldn’t stop laughing and smiling. I honestly just couldn’t believe what we had just done. We were on the absolute edge of dropping out of this race but we pulled it together. It was just a crazy feeling. My dad was a bit more shook than me. He still looked like he was in survival mode. I mean it made sense because he hadn’t eaten in hours.

    After talking for a brief moment at the finish line, we needed to take a seat. Like most ultras there was post race food and beverages. Honestly we couldn’t even look at food right now let alone a beer. Everyone offered us some but my stomach couldn’t handle it and definitely not my dad either! I was talking to Todd post race and he let me know that I was the second person ever to complete the course in sandals! He then awarded me with the barefoot pin. The pin that made me sign up for this race in the first place. I couldn't be happier. I would also come to realize I was the youngest ever to complete the course according to ultrasignup records. My only goal was to finish(and my dad too) so we were just so happy to be done! We didn’t stay too long because it was 1030pm at night and we still had an hour drive home. Luckily Ed was there from run club and offered to drive us to our car a half mile away. Walking there would have been brutal. Now the real ultra would begin, driving home after 80 miles, 28hrs, and 40+hrs of being awake. This was going to be fun.

     The drive home allowed us to process everything that had just happened. We were so hyped, just riding the high the whole way home, which is probably why I felt so awake. My dad and I switched off. I took the first 30mins and then he did the rest. We eventually made it to our house in Highland Falls alive and well! Now it’s time to rest up and plan for the next!

    As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)

        sincerely,

        ya boi mottsy :)

Breakneck Point Trail Runs 42k - Race Recap

     Introduction...

          So this was quite the unexpected race to be honest. Since I recently accepted a new job, I found myself unable to do the 50 miler I signed up for in Cayuga. Luckily, the same race organizers were hosting a race, close to my home and right before I start my new job! Actually this whole conversation started 4 days before the race on Wednesday night. Every Wednesday I participate in the "Run PB"  group run. This is a running club based out of Peekskill .We just do 5 easy miles and have great brew after. But... that's besides the point. Anyways after the run everyone was drinking and talking as we do after our runs. Tom and his wife Nikki heard about my new job and situation and they told me about this marathon in a few days.  It was called the "Breakneck Point Trail Runs 42k" which is a marathon. They were the ones that told me I should email the race director and see if I could get in on such short notice.
 

          This wasn't just any marathon though. It is said to be one of the toughest marathons you will ever complete. Consisting of crazy climbs and steep descents adding up to over 8000ft of elevation gain in such a short amount of mileage. I mean the first 5k of the course was a 3 mile climb up to 1600ft. Plus this isn't on dirt roads people. You climb, descend,& traverse up and down mountains, ridge-lines, on an extremely technical trail. This was by no means whatsoever an easy course. But the views say it all. It's always hard work to get to a great view, and there was plenty of those. 

          It sounded like the absolute perfect switch. There was just one problem, I missed the deadline to drop out of the 50, and registration was closed for the marathon. No worries though, it certainly was my fault and on me, but I thought like Tom and Nikki said I might as well just try. The worst that could happen is a no. So an email was sent out Thursday night explaining my situation. 9am the next morning, out grocery shopping, I receive an email from the Race Director saying that I was accepted into the race. I was astounded and bursting with excitement all day. I was so happy. I can finally race. I can run.  So there you have it. I'm in the Breakneck Point Trail Runs 42k on 20 hours notice. How bad can it be?

    Thoughts and training going into the race...

        As you can see, I didn't really have much time to think about the race. But I saw this as an opportunity to really challenge myself and see what I was capable of. I was very determined to do to the best of my ability. I wanted to show the race director and organizers that they let in a great runner and they won't regret it. But it certainly was more about the self challenge. I didn't approach it like most runners do, with a taper week or two, and a really regimented schedule leading up to race day. No. I had none of that because I just found out I was doing the race. This uncertainty fueled me and made me more excited and less nervous than any race I've participated in.

        Funny thing was, I definitely wasn't 100%. I had just come off my worst injury yet. I had just started running/hiking 4 weeks prior to the race. Before that, I was out straight for 4 weeks, no running at all. However the break seemed to work well with me. I focused more on mobility, strength, and recovery. It certainly shaped me into a better athlete. Once I was ready for running, it was straight to the trails and straight up the mountain. My training really ramped up the emphasis on vert. This certainly was good for the race that at the time I didn't know I'd be doing. 

        So in the 3 weeks leading up to race week, I had run 10/35/50 miles each of those weeks, with my elevation gain total being around 25.000ft. Training was going really well and I like the new style of training. My body and knee responded to it much better. So when race week came along for the marathon I had some decent training. But remember, I didn't know I was running the race until Friday(the day before) and hadn't thought about doing it until Wednesday. 

        Due to my schedule I always do my long and hard runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I had done a gnarly 6 summit run in Bear Mountain State Park on Tuesday making it my biggest vert run to date around 5000ft of gain, 18 miles, just 5 days before the race. And another 13 miles the next day. Thinking about it now it was the absolute perfect training run for the Breakneck Marathon, the only thing was it was in 5 days, and most people taper at least two weeks in advance. I've never been much of a training plan guy though. So before race day I had already racked up 50+ miles with 10,000+ft of gain that week, and I was about to participate one of the hardest trail marathons around, adding 26 miles and 8,000+ more feet of gain to that week. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

     The race day...

        Two alarms were set the morning of race day. 3:45am and 4am. It was Saturday, May 6th, I woke up at 3:50am sharp. I felt immediately awake and not sluggish or anything. That's why I remember the specific time. But as rituals go I had my morning cup of coffee at 4am, read a book, and did my mobility routine as I always do. I woke up with a feeling of just straight excitement. It felt like today was my day and I was about to own it. A confidence I've never felt before, especially not on race day. As any race veteran knows, you have everything ready the night before so all you have to worry about is grabbing your things and heading to the race. That I did. No stresses in the morning as I had everything I needed. A quick run through to make sure everything was there and I was out the door by 5:15am.    

    As I stated earlier the race was local. Only a 25min drive from my house and I was there. Check in was at 5:55 am so I made a quick stop at the gas station for some coconut water, my post race treat. I arrived at check in and nothing was out of the ordinary. Picked up my shirt, bib, and back to the car I went to mentally prepare. My start time was 6:45. I was in wave 3 of 3, which meant I was behind everyone that had already started. This was to ensure that "slower runners" would finish in cutoff time. This was slightly bothersome because I have heard there was bottlenecks in the race previous years and I was all the way in the back, meaning I would have to make frequent passes through lots of single track technical steep terrain. Not the easiest course to pass people on. At the same time though its nice to have people to chase down. Bottom line was I was there to run and really none of that mattered.

        It was almost time for me to start the race so I headed over to the start line with everything I needed, just my pack, no drop bag or anything. Another local runner I know that was running the race, Byron, approached me during this time and we talked a bit before the race. He had run the half marathon years before and done really well. Second place I think. First time speaking in person actually! Besides flybys during local runs in town. It was nice to see a familiar face because I definitely was alone. We were called to the start line. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my sandals, baggie shorts, and a flannel. I know a ton of runners were eyeing my footwear. I just closed my eyes for the next minute or so blocking out the noise, telling myself this is the day, this is what you love, just run, have fun, and run your race, dont run anybody else's race. 

        BOOM! We were off and I was certain I'd be running for at least the next 6 hours or so. The key in the beginning was really to go easy and enjoy myself, feel the course out, warm up, and really see what happens the second half.  Remember I was in the "faster" group(I put quotations around these so called labels because I don't like being defined as fast or slow, we're all runners.) So when we started several people went super hard out the gate. I'm not sure if I actually was or not, but it seemed like I was at the absolute back of the pack, at least for the first climb.  The first 5k was a 1500ft climb for 3 miles. I was saying to myself what are these people doing? It seemed as if they were sprinting up this mountain and we had just started.

        At the top of the climb I felt fine, was greeted by some bells and supporters which was nice! Things were pretty thinned out by that point. I was still cruising finding my rhythm and staying very relaxed. I opened up on the downhill leading to the breakneck climb. Right before I reached the road crossing, around mile 6-7, there was a patch of smooth downhill so I opened up a lot here and something crazy happened. My sandal strap had just popped out, and I thought I had just broke it. I ripped it off to inspect and sat on my ass in the middle of the trail. Luckily what had happened was I was just using excessive force by slamming the down hill and my toe bock got caught on a rock forcing the strap to pop out. It was a quick 1-2 minute fix though and I was back ready to start the steepest climb of the day, breakneck. 

        We had a quarter mile road section leading to the next aid station before the biggest climb of the day. I blazed past it. By that point everything was good, hydration, nutrition, and the running just felt great and smooth. I made my way up breakneck and was a bit broken by what I saw. No, I was not intimidated by the climb, it was still early and I had plenty of energy. I saw what looked like a re-creation of 2019 viral Mt. Everest photo on the Hilary Step. What I saw was at least 50 people in front of me trying to climb this thing. It was absolutely ridiculous. This is when I caught up to a lot of the people that started before me.  It was the hardest section of the day and I was trying my hardest to make passes wen i could, closing harder but faster climbable routes(not of course or anything) that others were neglecting. I must've passed at least 30 people on that climb. I avoided the single file and just channeled my inner mountain goat. Racers couldn't believe my speed in the sandals. I think the climb is less than a mile but covers 1200ft. But at the top, because I was slowed down for a lot of it, I still had immense energy.

        Racers couldn't believe my speed in the sandals. At the top of the climb we were greeted by the lovely race director who asked how my sandals were holding up. Smiling as always after crushing that climb I responded, "just getting warmed up my man." Nothing quite eventful happened the remainder of the first half. There were some more ups and downs but nothing significant, at least for this type of race. I found my way back to the start line covering the first half of the course in 2hrs and 50mins. Refilled my bottle and I was off for the next half of the race. I had eyes on some other races leaving aid as I was heading in. I knew I played it smart by conserving a lot of energy. I had a feeling a lot of racers didn't do the same, and I was gaining on them, and they knew it too.

        The next half of the course I was told is easier. Maybe it was the 13 miles we already did, or the 4000ft we already climbed, but that second loop certainly did not feel easier. The climbs just felt so brutally long and the trails were so technical.  Not to mention it had been drizzling since the start and it started becoming heavier and the course was extremely sloppy by the second half. Not ideal conditions for sandals but we can't pick and choose the weather on race day. Nothing I haven't done before.

        I was playing cat and mouse with this one female runner. Unfortunately never got her name. She kept passing me on the downhills, but I'd always catch up on the climbs. She mentioned she ran the race before and was going for sub 6 hour finish so I knew it would be good to try to stay with her. After lots of back and fourth, climbing and descending. I caught up to her in a downhill, which she was much stronger at. By this point I knew she was starting to struggle. This was mile 20-21. After running with here a minute or so down hill, I realized I could be going much faster, and I feel much stronger than she does right now, so I flew past and never looked back. We both wished each other good luck on the remainder of the race. I had been back and forth with her almost half the race, and she definitely helped my lock into a rhythm that second half.

        By the time I passed her it felt to me at least, like the end was in sight. I had 5-6 miles to go and I  was feeling amazing, stronger than I ever had before with that amount of distance and vert. Something clicked too in those miles. It felt like something primal kicked in. I glanced at my watch, Knowing it would be close for a 6hour finish, and that was the last time I looked at it. From there, I was all alone, nobody in sight, determined to crush these last few miles and give it my all to reach this goal. It's like my mind shut off the pain and all of the highs and adrenaline kicked in. I felt like a true mountain goat. I was running everything, the ups, the downs, technical or slick it didn't matter. I was flying! In that last 6 miles I probably passed another 20 runners (not all marathoners, a lot of half marathoners were still out.)    

    The final descent was my absolute favorite part of the whole race. It was technical and super slick but very runnable. It wasn't incredibly steep either. It felt like a down hill 5k. So this was a true test to the quads. After 8000ft and 24 miles most people by this point can't use the downhill to their advantage because of all the lactic acid in the quads. It makes every downhill step excruciating. This happens if you're low on nutrition, fluids, or simply went too hard too early. But not me. I witnessed so many of these runners on my descent. They were really struggling but almost there. And here I was, what felt like a straight sprint to the finish 3 miles out, passing everyone at incredible speed, flying down that mountain with no regard to pain. I was yelling, screaming, having so much fun, and trying to rally these runners to finish this thing up! Nobody followed of course. They were all broken mentally and physically. But not this guy.

        As I made my way down the last descent. I was greeted by a volunteer telling me I had a mile to go. At this point I was just so happy. I knew that I accomplished what I wanted that day. Those last 3 miles reminded me of why I love this sport, why I love running I didn't need to look at my watch. I knew I was on pace. I earned that sub-6 and I was about to have it. That last mile felt like a celebration and so many emotions were experienced. I pushed my self so hard with just a days notice. I was just really proud of myself and quite frankly surprised. I crossed the finish line with a time of 5:43:49 securing 15th overall, and 1st in 20-29 age category! Absolutely smashing my goal of Sub-6.

    Post race...

        As I crossed the finish line there was a ton of people there. Everybody was cheering having a great time. It felt good to run that one in. Right when I stopped running thats when I heard "Hey Brian over here!" It was a buddy of mine from Run PB, Ken. The first words out of his mouth were, "want a beer?" I was so happy he was there with beers. Funny thing was that was the only thing I forgot! A cooler and beers! I mean how could I? Anyways it was celebration time and down the hatch the beer went. The post race atmosphere was just the best! It was so welcoming and friendly. I truly felt like it was an environment I belong to.

        It was so great to meet some awesome new people. It truly felt like a community event. But that's what ultra running is. I was finally able to sit down with Byron, the local legend and talk training and races with him. Along with generous Ken handing out the beers! I was finally able to meet the breakneck crew I always see crushing it west of the Hudson. There's so many new faces that I shared laughs and conversation with afterward. Truly an unforgettable experience.

       

         Several people came up to me and asked how the hell I did that in sandals. Most people thought I'd run the Half and every time they asked what distance I did, jaw drops all around. Honestly felt like a mini celebrity, people wanted my picture, and to talk! Several people were really impressed with my time too.  I wasn't sure how good it was because I did no research into the course, prior results, etc. All I knew was I accomplished what I wanted to do. Numbers don't mean anything to me. I set a goal and achieved it, that's what matters the most. Everyone out there was grinding. Everyone out there is a winner in my mind.

    Huge shoutout to my friends at Run PB because without them, none of this would have ever happened. Also to the amazing race organizers and directors for putting on probably the best race event I have ever been to. Not to mention letting me in on such short notice. This race was absolutely incredible and will live on in my memories forever! Congrats to all the finishers and a big thanks for sharing this amazing day with me :) it was one to be remembered.

    As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)

        sincerely,

    

        ya boi mottsy<3

        

Frozen Looper - 4hr Ultra Run Race Recap

     Introduction...

         On Sunday, January 4th, I participated in the "Frozen Looper" 4hr run. A half mile loop consisting of pavement and dirt, that you repeat for 4 hours as much as you can. Man, what an experience that was, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. So some friends from a local running group a week or two before the race had been sending me the flyer for registration. I definitely didn't want to do it at first glance. Also it was a week away and I hadn't trained for that type of race.

        I thought to myself, maybe it would be a good idea just to get that type of run in regardless due to my other upcoming ultras this year. I have a 50 and 70 miler coming up. Not to mention other timed events(6 hour and 12 hour.) I saw that my friend Brendan signed up from the run club, and that was what sold me. Plus you can't beat a $5 entry fee, I mean come on!! So, me and my dad signed up, literally just 5 days away from the race! 

    Thoughts and training going into the race...

    As I stated previously, we had signed up 5 days before the race, so training for it really wasn't much of an option. However I was able to squeeze in one long solid effort related to the race, but we'll get to that. I've been running a decent amount and have started a run streak. Race day puts me at 65 days in a row. I figured my consistency if anything could pull me through this race. To be honest, I am the most fit I've ever been. The only thing that worried me was that I haven't done anything over 15 miles in a really long time. Must have been long before I started my streak. So it was months ago.

        Sure, 15 mile long run is still something, but I wasn't doing ultra training, running through heavy legs, and getting used to that type of beat down. I was just being really consistent, averaging 8-10 miles per day. Personally I think a 20-22 mile run would have been optimal but there just wasn't time for it. So 6 days before the race(not knowing if I was doing it still at the time, but did the training run just in case) I squeezed a 2 hour effort around the pace I was planning on going. That run went really well however it didn't feel like a pace I could sustain for 30 miles, but it wasn't a race environment. I was hoping that 5 days of short runs would be sufficient enough for a decent taper. I have little knowledge on the process of tapering, but I just figured days leading up to the race I progressively shorten mileage. So the day before race day I did only one mile. After my so called "training week" before the race, I felt surprisingly confident and ready to race!

        This was my first time doing a looper event. For those unfamiliar you don't run specific mileage, you just run as far as you can go in that designated time limit. For this race, I had 4 hours to complete as many half mile loops possible. A rookie in this environment, but I was ready to tackle the challenge. As far as goals for this race I kinda made a tier list! The absolute minimum was to run a marathon. This to me seemed very doable to me based on my training. A 9:10 pace or under. However I really wanted to break 30 miles. That was my real goal. A goal that would not be easy whatsoever. Maintaining under an 8 minute pace for 4 hours. But then that got me thinking maybe try for a 50k! It's only one more mile haha! But 7:45 pace seemed really hard to hold for that amount of time. Either ways I was going there to do what I love and what I am so passionate about, and that's just to run. No need to complicate that, just RUUUUUUN!

    The race day...

        Waking up on race day, I had already felt way better than I did my first ultra. I was way less nervous, got better sleep, and had a lot of down time before the race, which was ideal for me. Me and my dad had an hour commute to the race. A somewhat annoying commute as there was a million turns. I packed my stuff the day before so I had no issues getting stuff together. I was super organized in that regard. Luckily didn't forget anything! It was a nice smooth commute and I was able to get some good nutrition in prior to the race. Had a clif bar and banana and hydrated well. 

        So me and my dad pull up to the GPS location where we were directed to go for the race. At first glance we were greeted with a very small park with a big field in the center, having a big loop around it, simultaneously having paths that go elsewhere. There was also a small pond across from the field. You could tell we were in the right spot because the course was very visible with cones and signs notating runners/walkers. The temperature was absolutely brutal when we pulled up. We got there precisely around 7:30, before a sharp 8am start. The temperature said a chilling 16 degrees at 8am, and with wind chill the real feel was lower single digits. This was definitely the coldest day ever I was about to run in, no question about that. Low 20s, maybe higher teens, has been my usual training weather in the winter so far at the coldest.

        So here we were, on the start line, freezing our asses off about to embark on a 4 hour journey. I was so pumped to start running; an excitement and confidence I usually don't feel. There was 90 competitors to my knowledge according to registration. Not everyone was running, and not everybody was committing to the whole 4 hours of running. But there was a solid chunk of us. Myself, my dad, and Brendan from run club were in that mix! We all planned on doing as much as we could in the 4 hours, no stopping early or no stopping late. So with a brief 2 minute talk from the race director and a check that everyone's watch was set to 0, we were off right at 8am on the start of our 4 hour run. I was just so happy to get moving finally! 

        I set off with the lead pack, nobody was going outrageously fast or anything. Around 8 minute pace to warm things up. Two people in the group had Boston marathon jackets, so that was interesting and that's some serious competition! There was about 5 guys in that group that slowly started picking up the pace. I decided to stay back after about a 5k with them because I knew I wanted to stay around 7:45 to sustain the whole time. By this point, I was basically by myself the entire race in terms of pace. I was passing people quite often because it was only a half mile loop and several people walked. Things felt extremely well for the first hour, I was having so much fun honestly. I passed my dad the first time around an hour so he was doing really solid for himself! After an hour I hit 8 miles, so I was slightly faster than I needed to be. By this point I needed to use the bathroom. As I did that I scarfed down my first GU. And off I went. 

        Heading into Hour 2 my spirits were high. I remember passing my dad again around that time saying "wow this is actually not bad, it's a lot of fun!" He also thought the same thing. But we would resent that statement later. There isn't much to say about this hour because it went by like a breeze honestly. By this point also there was absolutely no way to tell what the placing was. Everybody was just everywhere! Towards the end of it was when I started noticing the beginning signs of heavy legs, joint pain, and everything else you can experience in an ultra.

        Nutrition and hydration were solid! No issues there. The way the course was set up, you were allowed to access your car as an aid station. I utilized this heavily and made several stops there opposed to the actual aid station. I prefer my food over theirs because I know it won't upset my stomach. I prefer GU energy gels for food, maybe a clif bar if I want hard food. Don't fix something that isn't broken, right? I also had my own water, because the cups they were setting out for the runners were literally frozen...     

    Now it was hour 3, halfway done, 15.5 miles in, and I was beginning to feel it. I was only halfway done, so much more to go but in a really good mental state and physical. I was pacing extremely well, but by this time I committed to the 30 mile goal and nothing was going to stop me from getting it. At least that's what I said to myself from that point on. I was slightly ahead of pace for hour 3 which was good because I knew I needed that buffer space because I was going to slow down. When I pictured the race in my mind, I though that, maybe the 3rd hour would be the hardest but I was soon to be proven wrong.

    Hour 4 with out a doubt will be an hour I probably will never forget. It was so tough, emotionally and physically draining! I went through some really low moments, and although my mile splits may not reflect that, I really did. I still was determined to reach my goal trying disregard all the pain I was in. I mean just everything hurt. Every single foot-strike just felt incredibly painful coming into the last 5k. And that was the longest 5k of my life. That felt like an hour within itself. I had to take several walk breaks at this point but I was on pace and had 4 minutes of room. I stopped when I passed my dad for the last time. I was nearly crying in pain literally. I was getting emotional and just so ready for the pain to be over. 

    I pushed through what felt like an eternity and was able to complete 60 laps at the Frozen Looper. Meaning that I had just run 30.35 miles in just 4 short hours! I was so relieved to cross that loop line for the very last time. I was extremely happy with what I had just done! I hit my goal with some time to spare! When I finished the race director immediately asked me how many miles I had just run and I told him my numbers. He then told me that I just came in second place overall! This came as a really big surprise to me because I thought I was behind at least 5 guys or so, but they ended up dropping early. The leader had a whopping 32 miles meaning he only did a few more laps than me, so kudos to him! Outstanding race it was.

    Post race...

        Right after the race ended, all the runners met up at the pavilion to collect their beads(every lap is rewarded with a single bead to make a necklace or bracelet) and record their miles! We were met with free Athletic Brew Beer and Rise Brewing Coffee! It was awesome. However it was still bitter cold and we had to make our stop there quick. They also offered us hot soup and plenty of snacks. I congratulated the winner, recorded my miles, skipped out on the beads, said my goodbyes and thanked everyone for such a great event and then headed out! There was no awards or anything like that. It was more just about the run and having fun! It was only $5, and they provided way more than I thought they would. 

        This was definitely my type of race. I'm not the type that wants a t-shirt for every race or a medal. I'm fine with the thoughts and memories that I just accomplished something great! I don't need a medal to remind me that. But anyways this was such an amazing experience, and a unique one! I totally would do something like this again! I have a couple other races planned that are similar to this. A 6 hour in march followed by a mountain 12 hour for my birthday in April! Shit is gonna get real this year!! Stay tuned!!

        As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)

        sincerely,

        ya boi mottsy <3

Sandal Running: Behind the Madness

   Introduction...

    Oh yeah, this is the one you all have been waiting for! An explanation into the craziness that is sandal running and why I do it. A simplistic and natural way to approach running, but is often regarded as unbelievable and crazy to the common eye. I can't tell you how many people look at me like I'm some insane madman on the loose. The encounters you get on the trail are well... interesting to say the least. 

    Never am I greeted with a hello, but a "holy shit, is that guy wearing flip flops.." or, "oh my goodness, please be careful, and watch your toes!!" Like Ma'am ya think I don't know that? Thanks for the tip... Every once in a while you' ll come across someone that appreciates it, however that is not what I am seeking wearing sandals at all. I am seeking natural, healthy, and injury-free running. And you my friend, are about to find out why ;)

    How I got my start in sandals...

    So yes, how did I get into the sandals? How did I find out about them?.. etc. So my very first memory was back in 2016. It was at my first ultra race experience. No, I was not racing, I was a spectator. Way before I was a so called "runner." This was my fathers first attempt at a 50 miler and I came at the end to support! 

    As me and my friend Josiah were watching the runners come in as we waited, we caught a glimpse of a select few wearing what looked like sandals. I couldn't believe my eyes at the time. I was dumbfounded, really confused, and was telling myself "there's no way they just ran all the way in those.." but I couldn't have been more wrong. At the time, I was a high schooler, pretty close minded, and I thought nothing of it or at least forgot about it quick. That was until I became an ultra runner...

    As I explained in my last post, 2020 was the year I became a true ultra runner. I started as most would. A complete rookie, not knowing much about anything really. I just picked up whatever running shoes I had lying around and off I went. The beginning was rough and I went through so many injuries wearing normal shoes. As all runners know injuries are the absolute worst thing and it really is heartbreaking when you want to run but you can't. Injuries were what made me despise running when I was younger, so I wasn't about to let myself be ruined and burnt-out by injury again. 

    After about 3 or 4 injuries I kinda hit my limit. I was getting so angry and it seemed like every time I started to get back another injury would pop up. So after getting severe plantar fasciitis, I became a self proclaimed foot health expert.... Obviously not really, hence the "self proclaimed." But I put in hours upon hours of research in injury prevention, proper form, breathing, you name it! I soon learned about barefoot running, natural form, and things you can do to improve it!  I stumbled upon running sandals(earth runners) that were branded not only to the runner, but really to do anything and anyone. I rediscovered the sandal running movement years later. 

   After realizing all of the amazing benefits(I will soon touch base on) that running with sandals can have, I was hooked you can say, an instant believer. After reading the philosophy and some scientific evidence out there, I knew it was something I had to do or at least try. I stumbled upon sandals called "Earth Runners." I purchased them and never looked back.

    The philosophy...

    From what I was reading, it was almost a no brainer for an endurance athlete like myself to want the benefits that sandals could give you. So the theory goes like this ok... Sandals basically mimic being barefoot which is essentially the best thing for your feet(and entire body) to perform as naturally and as efficiently as possible.  I know that sounds crazy at first, but really think about it. 

    Our ancestors and the human species have been here a long time. Do you think the cavemen were wearing "HOKA ONE ONE Speedgoats" to catch their prey in a fast manner? Hell no if you ask me. Our ancestors were barefoot, walking, running, adapting, as they were meant to be. Sure footwear has been around a long time, but it was always minimal barefoot-wear that didn't alter the human body's natural movement. Hence, the sandals! Barefoot, minimal-wear that doesn't alter my natural way to move on this earth.

    Myself and the barefoot/sandal running community basically believe that modern running shoes are the cause of most injury. I know that might sound weird because you've been told by doctors your whole life that your feet need excessive cushion and support to work properly, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Cushion, corrective shoes, inserts, all that stuff is no good folks. 

    I ain't no doctor but these are just some of the questions I was asking myself. How can your foot perform well if its at a 3 degree or 6 degree drop(most modern running shoes??) It wont, it will put excessive force on your calves, or pressure elsewhere when you try to correct it.  Is the cushion really absorbing the ground impact and making you lighter on your feet? Hell no... It does the exact opposite. Cushion isn't absorbing anything at all, it just directs that pressure elsewhere. Ankles weren't meant to be wrapped and suffocated(high top shoes.) They are supposed to be able to bend, twist, etc. BE NATUAL. I mean that really is the key. So simple, yet so misunderstood.

    The human body is such an amazing thing. Over years upon years of adaption We were made to be barefoot, be minimal, adapt to various terrain, etc. Why would you ever want to alter something like that? It makes no sense if you ask me when you say it out loud. 

    How sandals saved me...

   As I stated previously, injury was really what led me to rediscovering Earth Runners(running sandals.) I actually didn't intend on using them at all for running at first. I figured I'd build up strength with them if I used them as a normal shoe, which I did. So I walked, hiked, and basically did everything in them. The point was to get my feet strong so they can endure more for running. I still wasn't a full believer that running in sandals was an all around good thing.

    It wasn't until after my first 50k, a couple weeks later, I experienced the worst injury I have ever gotten. There was something that wasn't right about my meniscus. I could hardly put weight on it at times, and the pain would come and go. This was the last and final straw with shoes. I basically just blamed all my problems on shoes. I was just so angry that I couldn't run! I wanted to do everything in my power to run without injury.

    So after that meniscus issue, I became a full fledged sandal runner! I didn't run at all in them really, so my plan was to start slow. Like really slow. I started with about 20 miles a week and only added about 5 extra every week! I did this for a while, all while my meniscus was still fucked. I got up probably to about 45 miles a week. I was pushing through so much pain probably for close to a month, every single run. My meniscus had nothing to do with the sandals. The injury started with normal shoes. It was not an easy transition at all, but one that had to be made if I wanted to become the best endurance athlete I can be.

    I was more committed than ever to running. But I still had this damn knee problem. I then got in my head, that taking days off was what my body didn't like. I know that sounds ridiculous, but every single time I took a day off, my injury would get worse. And that's a fact. Once I noticed somewhat of a trend going on, I decided I was going to run everyday. Then something crazy happened.

    I started my run streak and it couldn't have went any better. I started easy, only doing 2 miles or so a day.. I was feeling really strong and I liked the consistency. After about two weeks of running everyday, my meniscus flare ups were non-existent! I couldn't believe it, my injury has gone away! Two months of pretty constant pain, gone just like that! And no, not from rest, but the exact opposite. And, this was all done in sandals. My training really propelled forward after what I called "the building phase."    

    As far as statistics and pace go, my times have never been faster. That seems to be the biggest concern when transitioning. You think there is no way that you'll be faster, but I proved myself wrong. I've been constantly hitting new PRs every week, hitting times that I would have never thought possible. These sandals are true mountain goats, or at least make you feel like one!

   Final thoughts...

    In recent times. I have been running about 50 miles a week on average with relative ease. I peaked at 70 miles and ended up doing 250+ miles for the month of December! It doesn't feel hard on my body like it used to. I have never felt more strong and more confident in my running. I haven't received an injury since I switched to sandals. Maybe sandals aren't for everyone, but they sure have helped me and made me a better runner. 

    I truly believe that running in sandals/barefoot/naturally can have tremendous benefits on your training. And as I said before, I cant say sandals are the only reason, but it's the knowledge that comes with it! I've become quite knowledgeable on the subject! And anyone that runs in sandals would be too.  It really has done a great deal for me and I am forever grateful that I stumbled upon the running sandal movement. If I hadn't who knows, I probably would have quit running again by now. 

As always thanks for reading. I appreciate each and every single one of you :)

    sincerely,

    ya boi mottsy <3