Category: running

events, running2 Comments

MMT 100

kolokoy101

May 19, 2018. MMT 100 – A race against cut-offs, Poop-athon, and DNF. Prologue. So, are you ready for your next 100? A question I asked myself on Thursday, on the way to Virginia for MMT 100. I said to myself, that’s a question I would have the answer on Sunday, May 20, 2018. Start. The race starts on Saturday, 4AM and ends on Sunday, 4PM – a 36 hour cut-off for a 100 103+ mile race. With bad weather the whole week leading up to Saturday, the course would be unforgiving. True enough, the moment we stepped outside the … Continue reading MMT 100

events, runningLeave a comment

TNF Bear Mtn 50K

kolokoy101

May 5, 2018.  The North Face Endurance Challenge – Bear Mtn 50K Before the start… “I want to finish this in ___ hours” At the first aid station… “I feel great. I can definitely finish this in ___ hours” At some point in the middle of the race, when the body starts complaining… “Hmmm, maybe I can still finish this in ___ hours” More miles and time after, when the walking becomes more than running… “It’s alright, I am still within my backup goal of ___ hours” And some more miles later, when everything hurts, and the mind began to … Continue reading TNF Bear Mtn 50K

events, running1 Comment

Boston Marathon 2018

kolokoy101

A marathon where the sight of every mile marker is a relief. My experience on running the marathon on Monday, April 16th. Running a marathon is already hard. Running it with a weather condition like the one we had on marathon day was just brutal. Cold weather, mixed with torrential rain, and headwind with gusts close to 40 mph made it miserable not just for the runners, but for the volunteers and the crowd who braved the weather. And it was the crowd, volunteers and spectators alike, that pushed us, runners, to keep going and finish the race. And I … Continue reading Boston Marathon 2018

events, running2 Comments

Whiteface Sky Race

kolokoy101

which is more difficult? the heart pounding and lung busting steep ascent? where you will stop. more than once. to catch your breath. or the toe killing and quad trashing slippery descent? where you will slide. more than once. and you have to make sure it’s butt first. July 9, 2017. Whiteface Sky Race. 15.2 miles. 8000 feet vertical gain. The course description from the event website accurately describes this race.   And it’s worth repeating that most of the ascent comes from the 2.3 mile climb to the summit in the Alpine loop. The climb itself was not technically challenging. … Continue reading Whiteface Sky Race

events, running4 Comments

Manitou’s Revenge Ultramarathon

kolokoy101

They say you must be partially, if not fully, insane to do this race.  And whatever sanity you have had before the race, the devil would have taken it when you traversed its path. By the time you have finished the 4 summits of the Devil’s Path, you would be totally numb and void of sanity to finish the last 10+ miles of the course. June 17, 2017.  Manitou’s Revenge Ultramarathon.  And from the event’s website, in all caps. “THIS IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER ULTRA YOU’VE RUN BEFORE!“. Prologue.   This was the reason why I chose to defer … Continue reading Manitou’s Revenge Ultramarathon

events, running1 Comment

Weekends of April 15 and April 22

kolokoy101

2 Fridays of experimental and sleepless car camping – checked. 2 Saturdays of exhilarating mountain trail running hiking – checked. 2 Weekends of therapeutic bliss and inner peace – checked. Breakneck Point Marathon. The pessimist in me:  A marathon 1 hour slower than my 50k. Hyner View Challenge 50k. The optimist in me:  A 50k 1 hour faster than my marathon.   April 15 – Breakneck Point Marathon. Friday.  My first car camping experience.  Sleepless, but I still would have preferred this rather than waking up very early Saturday morning and driving ~2hrs to get to the event.  Dinner was … Continue reading Weekends of April 15 and April 22

events, running1 Comment

Coastal Run New Year’s Eve One Day

kolokoy101

Dec 31, 2016. Mike picked me up from my hotel in the morning and we drove to Crissy Field. We picked up our bibs and souvenir fleece shirt, pitched the tent, and waited for the 9AM start. The weather was sunny with some cloud and wind (oh wait… this is the San Francisco Bay Area – being windy is the norm). I had my Mizuno merino wool shirt + a light running tights. 10 minutes before 9AM, we all lined up at the start, the 24hr runners and a mix of 6/12hr runners. More 6/12hr runners would start later. I’d … Continue reading Coastal Run New Year’s Eve One Day

events, runningLeave a comment

NJTrail Series Wildcat Ridge 50K

kolokoy101

Saturday, Aug 13, 2016.  Heat Index of 106 degrees. 50k in almost 8 hours.  In a day when the temp was over 90 degrees, with a heat index of over 100.  And the course was no joke either. A 10+ mile loop within the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, the course is mixture of rocky towpath trails and blazed single track trails.  There’s a fully stocked aid station at the Start/Finish, and at the 4 and 9 mile mark (same station).  An unmanned water station was added at the 7mi mark because of the excessive heat condition. The 50k promptly … Continue reading NJTrail Series Wildcat Ridge 50K

events, runningLeave a comment

TNF Endurance Challenge – Bear Mountain

kolokoy101

Saturday – April 30, 2016. Synopsis.  I’ve done this last year.  I’ve forgotten how difficult it was.  Now, I remember. The Event – Overview.  The TNF ECS Bear Mountain is one of the events in The North Face Endurance Challenge Series.  It is ranked as one that has the most difficult and technically challenging course.  There are 4 races in today’s event – the 50M (which started at 5am), the 50K (this event), the Marathon and Marathon-Relay (which starts at a later time). Weather.  Saturday’s weather was pleasant and comfortable – cool temps, calm winds, and not a single drop … Continue reading TNF Endurance Challenge – Bear Mountain