After three failed attempts to train for a marathon, I was knocked out of running for four years due to an assortment of injuries. A hip had been pounded badly out of alignment from running on so much pavement, my lower back was ravaged from the pounding of the pavement and the aforementioned hip, patellar tendinosis had annihilated both of my knees and an old foot injury flared back up.
The 26-year-old body felt like it was about 62.
Five months of training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro brought the old body back to life by June of 2010, however. A chiropractor popped my hip and back into some semblance of order, strength training helped stability return to my knees, and the accomplishment of reaching Uhuru Peak ignited the motivation to take on more challenges. Among them — to start running again.
Since then, it’s been on!
2023 Race Calendar
Feb. 4-5 – TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour; Westwood, MA; T28th place/47 finishers; 8:25:00.
April 16 – Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K; Blue Hills Reservation; Milton, MA.
June 17 – Mt. Washington Road Race; Pinkham Notch, NH; 7.6 miles, 4,650 feet of vertical gain.
July 7 – Notchview Ultra 100.7-Mile (on waitlist); Notchview Reservation, Windsor, MA
Oct. 14-15 – Ghost Train Trail Race 30-Hour Ultra; Brookline, NH
2022 Race Calendar
Jan. 29-30 – TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour; Westwood, MA; 24th place; 30 miles; 7:41:00
April 16 – Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K; Blue Hills Reservation; Milton, MA; Tie-9th; 8:12
June 18 – Mt. Washington Road Race; Pinkham Notch, NH; 7.6 miles, 4,650 feet of vertical gain; (shortened course this year due to severe weather at summit – finish moved to just below treeline at approximately 3.8 miles); 246th/983 finishers; 48:04.
Aug. 7 – East End Trail Race 30K; Race Canceled
Oct. 1 – Joe English Twilight Challenge 6-Hour Ultra; Amherst, NH – DNS due to COVID
Nov. 5-6 – The Hamsterwheel 30-Hour Ultra; New Boston, NH – 50th/90, 64 miles in 18:25:19.
Nov. 20 – Race for DFL; Winchendon, MA – 2 laps of 4.1666-mile loop, 8.4 miles; 5th/16 in Fastest Lap competition, 0:29:52
2021 Race Calendar
Feb. 21 – Lawrence Trail Hawks Virtual Frozen Fat Ass; 13.01 miles
Feb. 25 – 2:23 Foundation Finish the Run Virtual 2.23M; 17:51
April 18 – Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K; Blue Hills Reservation; Milton, MA; Tie-19th; 8:15.
June – Vegan Power Virtual 5K; 1st; 22:34.
November – Free to Run Virtual 5K; 1st; 21:38.
Dec. 4 – MR8K for the Martin Richard Foundation; Newton, MA; 5 miles; 68th/771; 36:46.
2020 Race Calendar – Pandemic Virtual Season
June – 100 Miles to Auburn Virtual Challenge; 100.21 miles/18:21:01 over 19 days
June 13-Aug. 22 – Leadville 100,000 Feet Climbing Challenge; 100,661 feet
May 16 – Sept. 30 – Virtual Swiss Alps 400K; 6th
Sept. 17 – Norfolk Land Trust Virtual 10K; 1st overall; 48:33.
Oct. 8 – Sanders’ Saunter Virtual 10K; 47:34
Nov. 5 – Free to Run Virtual Race, 5K; 1st overall; 22:28.
Nov. 29 – Free to Run Virtual Race, Half Marathon; 2nd overall/1st male; 1:55:40.
Dec. 13 – Sanders’ Saunter Virtual 25K; 2:28:41
2019 Race Calendar
Feb. 16 – Chabot/Red Tail Ridge Trail Run; Castro Valley, CA; 10K Race; 68th overall/101 finishers; 1:17:44.
July 5-7 – Notchview Ultra; Windsor, MA; 48-Hour Race; 7th place overall/25 runners, 81.7 miles.
Oct. 27 – Adams Farm Trail Run; Walpole, MA; 3.4-Mile Race; 3rd place overall/32 finishers; 0:25:00.
2018 Race Calendar
Sept. 15 – Free to Run Trail Races – half marathon; Pittsfield, MA; 13.1 miles; 2,444 feet of gain; 5th/46 finishers; 2:26:52.
June 16 – Mount Washington Road Race; Pinkham Notch, NH; 7.6 miles; 4,650 feet of gain; 351st/1,105 finishers; 1:47:20.
2017 Race Calendar
April 15 – Trail Animals “DRB” Don’t Run Boston 50K; Blue Hills Reservation, MA; Tie-6th/43 finishers; 6:30:00.
April 30 – Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race; Huntington, VT; 6.4 miles, 1,516 feet of gain; 68th/266 finishers; 58:57.
May 6 – 7 Sisters Trail Race; Amherst, MA; 10.73 miles; 4,311 feet of gain; 122nd/439 finishers; 2:59:29.
May 27 – Wachusett Mountain Race; Princeton, MA; 10K; 1,200 feet of gain; 49th/282 in the up-down 10K in 49:35; 75th/326 in the 3-mile climb.
June 3 – Cranmore Mountain Race (USATF Mountain Running Championship); 10K, 2,400 feet of gain; North Conway, N.H.; 95th/200 in men’s championship race in 1:14:29.
June 4 – Hair of the Dog Hill Climb; 2.5M; 1,200 feet of gain; North Conway, N.H.; 3rd-place in men’s race.
June 10 – The North Face Endurance Challenge – Wachusett Mountain, 50-Miler; Princeton, MA; Did Not Finish (dropped after 36.5 miles).
July 2 – Loon Mountain Race; 6.6M; 2,959 feet of gain; Lincoln, N.H.; 146th/462 finishers; 1:29:47.
Sept. 1 – CCC 101K (Courmayeur; Champex-Lac; Chamonix); Italy, Switzerland and France; 1,515th/1,742 overall finishers (2,156 starters); 1,311th male; 25:40:51.
Sept. 30 – Mt. Rosebrook Ascent Uphill-Only Race (1.8 miles/1,316 feet of gain); Bretton Woods, N.H.; 16th/50 finishers; 24:44.
Oct. 21 – Ghost Train Rail Trail Race, 45-Mile Race; Brookline, N.H.; 11th/59 finishers; 8th-place Male; 9:37:05.
Nov. 5 – Friends of the Fells 5K; Medford, MA; 7th overall/195 finishers; 0:24:19.
2016 Races
April 9 – Merrimack River Trail Race 10M – USATF New England Trail Championships; Andover, MA; 1:21:41; 95th/219.
April 17 – TARC “DRB” Don’t Run Boston 50K; Blue Hills Reservation, MA; T26th place; 8:52.
May 21 – Worlds End Ultramarathon 100K; Forksville, PA; 58th overall/91 finishers/141 starters; 17:56:48
Sept. 25 – Vermont 50 – 50K Ultra Run; Brownsville, VT; 65th overall/217 finishers; 6:20:26.
Nov. 6 – Friends of the Fells 5K; Medford, MA; 28th overall/263 finishers; 24:44.
Nov. 19 – TARCkey Trot 6-Hour; Winchester/Lexington, MA; 12th overall/89 finishers; 27.9 miles in 5:43.
Dec. 4 – Cambridge Winter Classic 5K; Cambridge, MA. 160th overall/2,190 finishers; 3.17 miles in 21:39.
2015 Races
March 8 – Great Plains 10K; Kansas City, MO.; 47:43; 108/753.
May 2 – Shoreline (Skyline) Shuffle 5K; Clinton State Park; Lawrence, KS; 22:50; 8th overall/77 finishers.
June 13 – Night Hawk 50K; Clinton State Park; Lawrence, KS; 6:09:01; 10th overall/22 finishers.
Aug. 1 – Moosalamoo 36-Mile Ultra; Goshen, VT; 9:17:04: 20th overall/42 finishers.
Sept. 27 – Vermont 50-Mile Ultra Run; Brownsville, VT; 10:17:33; 107th/193 finishers.
2014 Races
April 5 – Rockin’ K Trail Marathon; Kanopolis State Park, KS; 27.2 miles; 5:12:16; 12th overall / 11th male.
April 26 – Flatrock 101K; Independence, KS; DNF after 41 miles.
May 31 – Kansas City Heart and Stroke 5K; Country Club Plaza; Kansas City, Mo.; 23:18.6; 33rd overall (305 total) / 7th in age group.
June 7-8 – Pacing Alex at the TARC 100 in Westwood, MA.
July 4 – Koach Karl’s Hardest Half; Midtown Kansas City, Mo.; 15 miles; 7th Place; 2:55.
Aug. 1 – Psych Night 10K Trail Run; Wyandotte County Lake Park; Kansas City, Kan.; 56:37; 37th overall (110 total).
Oct. 4 – Rock Bridge Revenge 50K Trail Race; Rock Bridge State Park; Columbia, Mo.; 6:42:33; 20th overall.
Nov. 9 – Veteran’s Day Fantastic 4-Mile Trail Race; Wyandotte County Lake Park; Kansas City, Kan.; 35:20; 15th overall (136 total).
2013 Races
Jan. 5 – Coleen’s Frozen Fat Ass Run; Prairie Center; Olathe, Kan.; 15 miles; 2:38.
Jan. 20 – Big Bend 50K; Big Bend National Park; West Texas.; 5:14:20; 18th place.
March 15-17 – 3 Days of Syllamo; 50K/50M/20K; Mountain View, Ark.
50K – 35th place, 7:17:21
50M – DNF after 19 miles
20K (14 miles) – 35th place, 2:35:52.
April 7 – Brew to Brew Relay, Leg 5; 4.7 miles; 34:40.
April 20 – Free State 40; 40 miles; Clinton Lake; Lawrence, Kan.; 8:28:05; 10th place.
June 14-16 – Chattanooga Mountains Stage Race; 18M/22M/20M; Chattanooga, Tenn.
18M – 158th Place; 3:17:20.
22M – 166th Place; 4:19:00.
20M – 135th Place; 4:37:33.
Full 60M/3-Day Stage – 147th Place; 12:13:53.
July 4 – Koach Karl’s Hardest Half; 15 miles; midtown Kansas City, Mo.; Tie-4th Place; 3:05.
Aug. 17-18 — Leadville Trail 100; pacing about 26 miles for Sherrie.
Sept. 1 – Meet Your Maker 50-Mile Trail Ultra; Whistler, British Columbia; 64th Place; 14:19:36.
Nov. 16 – Kansas Ultrarunners’ Society 6-Hour Run; Buffalo Park, Wichita, Kan.; 8th place; 31.98 miles.
2012 Races
Jan. 1 – Taturs New Year’s Day Polar Plunge 2-miler; Tulsa, Okla.
Jan. 13 — Coleen’s Frozen Fat Ass Run; Olathe, Kan. 21 miles.
Feb. 11 — Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run 50K; Wyandotte County Lake Park, KCK. 6:22.
April 7 — Rockin’ K Marathon, Kanopolis State Park, Kansas; 14th overall, 5:43.39.
July 15 — Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Trail Race; Leadville, Colo.; 283rd overall (429 finishers, 593 registered), 11:53:38.
Aug. 11 – Coleen’s Sweaty Ass Run; Prairie Center; Olathe, Kan.; 12 miles (4 untimed loops).
Aug. 18 – Darin’s Birthday Fun Run Half Marathon on the Flint Hills Nature Trail; 13.1 miles; 2:26.
Oct. 21 — Dogwood Canyon 50K; Lampe, Mo. Did 19 miles and dropped down for a 25K finish: 4:27:02.
Nov. 25 – Dude, Where’s the Trail?; Blue Springs, Mo.; 33 miles; 8:10. Tied for 2nd based on the quiz score.
2011 RACES
Jan. 7 — Coleen’s Frozen Fat Ass; Olathe, Kan.; 9.6 miles (3 untimed loops)
Feb. 12 — Run Toto Run 10-mile; Wyandotte County Lake Park; 1:53.00 (41st)
March 19 — Pi-Day River Rotation Half Marathon, Lawrence, Kan.; 2:01.
April 3 — Brew to Brew 44-mile relay, Kansas City, Mo. to Lawrence, Kan. (16 miles).
April 23 — Free State Trail (Heavy) Half Marathon, 16.2 miles, Clinton Lake State Park, Lawrence, Kan; 2:37.
Aug. 14 — Psych Night 10K Trail Run, Wyandotte County Lake Park; 59:24; 17th out of 130.
Aug. 14 — Komen Race for the Cure, Kansas City, Mo; 1-mile walk.
Aug. 20 — Pikes Peak Ascent trail half marathon, Manitou Springs, Colo; 3:57.42.
Sept. 23-24 — Pacing for Nick Lang at the Bear 100. About 26-27 total miles (unofficial first marathon).
Oct. 16 — Fall Fell 7-Mile Trail Race, Olathe, KS. 7th place overall and first ever top-1o finish in a trail race; 56:15.
Nov. 12 — Pilgrim Pacer Marathon, Shawnee Mission Park; Lenexa, Kan. First marathon; 25th overall in 4:55.07.
Dec. 31 — Race Into the New Year 5K; Tulsa, Okla.
2010 RACES
Aug. 8 — Komen Race for the Cure 5K; Kansas City, Mo.; 32:59.52
Aug. 28 — Mud and Muck 5K; Lee’s Summit, Mo.; 26:10.5 (30th place)
Nov. 7 — Trail Nerds Vet’s Day 4-mile; Wyandotte County Lake Park; 35:21 (34th place)
Nov. 13 — Pilgrim Pacer 10K; Lee’s Summit, Mo.; 49:57.1 (30th place)
Chris Wristen 
Rockin K Marathon 2012….I was the guy in black on a few of your shots both still and video…you did a great job! I have run that course 5 times now…4 times with a couple of 50 mile finishes and this year the one loop in the marathon…the rockin K course is my favorite…lots of variety….even came across an 8 foot western diamondback rattlesnake last year on my second loop of the 50 mile…lucky that he and I didn’t tangle since there weren’t any runners around me at the time to help me out…..see that you are signed up for Dogwood Canyon…so am I….I finished the 50k there in 2009…a great course there also….lots of water crossings….see you there!…..Gary from Illinois.
Hi – Are you wearing trail running or road runner shoes for the Leadville Silver Rush 50?…thanks Have you ever run this race before- website says mostly dirt roads, I’m wondering if raod shoes would do.
I’ll be wearing trail shoes. I always run in the Brooks Adrenaline ASR 8s, so I’m going to stick with what has been working for me. I know a lot of the course is on old mining roads so there may be a fair amount of dirt or gravel. I’m hoping to drive to the aid stations and get a look at more of the course when I get to Leadville on Thursday.
I was looking for race reports for Meet Your Maker and your blog came up. Great writing and very interesting for another midwestern trail runner to read. It’s interesting that we’ve run some of the same races in the past (Psycho Wyco & Silver Rush) and also running Psycho Summer, pacing/crewing for the LT100, and Meeting My Maker this year. There’s a few ultras in Omaha that you might enjoy in October if you’re interested.