2023
On Saturday, December 23rd, I raced the Grinch Lunch as my last event of the year. I have yet to convert this page from "what I plan to do in 2023" to "what I did in 2023", nor have I created my 2024 calendar, but I'll do that eventually (maybe).
As of Sunday, December 24th, Strava shows I've run 2,387.6 miles in 561 hours fifty-one minutes, climbing 252,028 feet. If I remember, I'll update those numbers before the new year ticks over.
Financially, 2023 was a tough year, and that translated into me having much less time to write race reports, so although I completed almost everything I had planned for the year, I wrote up very little of it.
Three training blocks
For the last several years, I've had three distinct training blocks per year.
- Bataan Memorial Death March
- Hardrock (or qualifier)
- Fun Around1
During my serious training block for the Bataan Memorial Death March (BMDM) I have relatively few events. I do my ruck training two and a half days a week. I had planned on trying to participate in the Tough Ruck in 2023, but I nursed a hot-spot in my right foot during my BMDM training and chose to aim for Tough Ruck 2024 instead.
On March 19th, I finished the Bataan Memorial Death March.
My next block leads up to Hardrock (the next time I get in) or a qualifier or two in the years I don't get in. This year, I did not get in to Hardrock, although I did get in to Western States. I had won the Bigfoot 200 lottery, but had to defer to 2024 since it conflicted with Acceptance Day. Because I had signed up for the Bigfoot 200 (and because my finances are still tricky) I didn't attempt the Grand Slam. Now that Western States is over (I finished it, which was my goal), I'm back to a "fun around" block.
During my fun around block I typically "participate" (i.e., try to finish) in a lot of events, but actually "race" (i.e., try to win or at least run quickly for my age) in very few. This year, however, since my foot is still giving me trouble, my highest priority will be rehabilitating my foot, which may mean a lot of unicycling instead of running.
Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way of writing up race reports, so, as of late October 2023, although I have finished almost everything I had planned for the year, I have written very little. For some events I have notes and I hope to go back and write them up.
My fun around block ends in mid November, when I once again start my hardcore training for BMDM.
Events I'd Like to Enter
Here's what I have run in 2023 and what I'd like to run in the remainder of the year.
I currently plan to race Javelina Jundred, in that I'd like to try for a finish in under twenty hours. I've started 2023 in a semi injured state, so that seems overly ambitious, but historically I've healed well, so that's still my plan. JJ100 is still a long way away. Besides, if I make all my goals, I'm not setting them high enough.
Although I've included the Tucson Marathon in my 2023 plans, my running it in 2022 adversely affected my training for the Bataan Memorial Death March, but there were complicating factors (Jeanne's surgery, my right foot's hot-spot). In principle, I like qualifying for Boston early, but of all the events on this list, the Tucson Marathon is the one that will require extended scrutiny as it gets closer.
The R column is only checked when I plan to run very hard (e.g., to win
or to try to do well for my age). Racing is annoyingly hard and lazy
is my middle name.
| Month | D | Event | Type | R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 | Foothills Fat Ass | 50k | Done | |
| 21 | Sandia Snowshoe | 5k | ✅ | 1 AG, 2 OA | |
| 28 | Resolutions Stink! | 4 miles | ✅ | 3 OA | |
| February | 18 | Winter Quadrathlon | Quad | Done | |
| 25 | V Day | 5k | ✅ | 1 OA | |
| March | 11 | King of the Hill | 10k Ruck | ✅ | 1 OA |
| 11 | Shenanigains | 10 Hour | Done | ||
| 19 | Bataan Memorial | Marathon Ruck | ✅ | 2 OA | |
| 25 | Academy of Pain | 12 hours2 | Done | ||
| 25 | Burque Brew Crowning | 3.8 miles | ✅ | 2 OA | |
| April | 1 | Berta Fun Run | 6 miler | ✅ | 1 OA |
| 17 | Boston | Marathon | Did Not Start3 | ||
| May | 1 | Cocodona 250 | 250 Miler | 105th OA | |
| 20 | Jemez Mountain | 50 Miler | DFL, but no race report yet | ||
| 21 | Santa Fe Century | Bike Century | Finished, but no ride report yet | ||
| June | 3 | Veterans Wounded Warriors Memorial 5k Ruck | 5k Ruck | ✅ | 1 OA of 2, but no race report yet |
| 10 | Chimney Melon | 25k | DNF the 50k, but no race report yet | ||
| 24 | Western States | 100 Miler | 29:45:12 | ||
| July | 21 | BARGE Fun Run | 5k | Fun! | |
| August | 5 | Mt. Baldy | 30k | Only did 30k4, but no race report yet | |
| September | 22 | AA50k | 50k | DFL, no race report yet | |
| 24 | ToRGC | Bike Century | 8:18:295, but no ride report yet | ||
| 30 | Mount Taylor | 50k | 8:31:33, but no race report yet | ||
| October | 21 | Tatonka Run | 5k6 | ✅ | 2 AG |
| 22 | Duke City | Marathon7 | 5:00:37 | ||
| 28 | Javelina Jundred | 100 Miler | ✅ | 1 AG, 153 OA | |
| November | 4 | Deadman Peaks | 53 Miler | 1 (of 1) AG | |
| 11 | White Mesa | 50k | 1 (of 2) OA | ||
| 18 | Socorro Souls of Sorrow | 38 Miler | TODO | ||
| 23 | Ed Thanksgiving's Group Run | Half Marathon | TODO | ||
| 24 | Black Friday TT | 4 miles | ✅ | TODO | |
| 25 | Bosque Bigfoot | 50k | TODO | ||
| December | 10 | Tucson | Marathon | did not do8 | |
| 23 | Grinch Lunch | 5k | ✅ | 3 OA, but no race report yet |
It's really my "fuck around" block, but I mention the block by name a lot on this page, so I've bowdlerized it everywhere but this footnote, because I don't want to offend.
I was given a dispensation to allow me to run to the Burque Brew Crowning, run that event, and then run back and have all my mileage count. As such, racked up 50 miles again this year.
I registered for the Boston Marathon, but did not travel to Boston to attend. I could not justify the expense, due to the state of my right foot. It was not sufficiently healthy to allow me to do the Tough Ruck and although the Boston Marathon holds a special place in my heart, my money was ridiculously tight.
I was nervous that my foot might get too uncomfortable on the backside, so I chose to return early with Labe. Labe had only been back in Albuquerque for a few days and the altitude was taking its toll. It was a great time to get to know him better.
Rode with my brother-in-law who had a couple flats, so I lost a little time. Also, made a wrong turn (or, perhaps, missed a turn). So, I finished later than the desired 8 hour cut-off. I'll do better next year.
Although it has no separate ruck division, I chose to race the Tatonka 5k while wearing my pack. It weighed 41.3 pounds.
I was the five hour pace group leader.
I like the Tucson marathon a lot. However, my step-mother, Jeanne, no longer lives in the area, so I don't get to combine the Tucson marathon with a chance to visit her. Additionally, the Tucson marathon is in the middle of my Bataan Memorial Death March training block. In 2022, that caused a little problem, because I already had an issue with my right foot and racing a marathon (to try to get 1st AG)—even without a pack— pounds one's feet harder than most trainings. This year, not only do I have some lingering issues with my right foot, at the end of the year I was strapped both for cash and time, so I chose to stay in Albuquerque.