Year on the run, from races to RATBOB to R2R2R

Last year was a fairly big running year for me – not in terms of total distance or race times, but simply in overall experience.

As in 2014, I raced at 11 Miles to Paradise between St. Regis and Quinn’s Hot Springs, finishing with a small PR, and at the 52-mile Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run at Dayton, Wyoming, and The Rut 50K at Big Sky Resort, coming in a little slower than previously at both.

I also ran the Missoula Marathon as a member of the Pacer Corps – and since I don’t race marathons very often, my finish just under 4 hours and 10 minutes ended up being my second fastest.

Aside from races, my training partners and I ran some local favorite landmarks – Blue Mountain, Stuart Peak and Point Six (all about 20 miles) and Sheep Mountain (about 26 miles).

I also joined local groups on a few destination runs – the Hells Canyon Adventure Run (about 25 miles), Run Across The Bob (aka RATBOB, about 50 miles), and Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon (R2R2R, about 46 miles).

In the end, I ran about 2,334 miles in 2015 – nearly 100 less than in 2014, but still plenty. And along the way, I was honored to be named Male Masters Runner of the Year by the local club, Run Wild Missoula.

What makes all of this possible is the great running community in Missoula, so thank you to my training partners, other road and trail friends, and RWM!