New Year’s Eve – time to reflect on another year past, another year of growth, another year of INCREDIBLE life adventure. Absolute no better time to say THANKS – new places/new faces, laughs shared with family & friends.
Family/2017 LIFE highlight
High in the Rockies, one exit past the Continental Divide, Ash & Tom’s Colorado wedding over Memorial Day weekend. Team Wilpiszeski filled the arena with laughter, dance & sheer noise. Whatta FUN family – EVERYONE left Silverthorne crushing on Jersey.
The Haga Clan? Let’s just say this Father-Daughter brought it. Memory I’ll never forget. Three time zones represented, family ‘cross the USA – ALL flew in for Ash’s BIG day. BIG LOVE, proud Papa, thanks FAMILY ❤
Travel
- New Zealand · two weeks, two islands, LIFETIME of memories. Ran EVERY day – Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Franz Josef Village, Queenstown, Dunedin, Oamaru, marathon finish’d in Hamilton. Palm trees, glaciers, geysers, glow worms, whole lotta sheep, Fiordland Nat’l Park, Hobbiton & penguins too! Nothing left undone.
- Nova Scotia · two week vacation squeezed into a 4-day weekend. Cape Split hike, toured Grand-Pré & Peggy’s Cove (Nova Scotia’s iconic lighthouse), my first Cèilidh (music/storytelling nite) PLUS a 4th Canadian marathon. What an adventure! To the Cavanaughs, Gillis’ & Schofields – I am indebted. Thanks from the bottom of my American heart ❤
- TOTALITY (Casper WY) • Great American Eclipse on my BIRTHDAY. Like nothing I’ve EVER experienced. Skies darkened, white light glowed around our extinguished Sun. [Next 2 minutes] ‘diamond ring’ visible to the naked eye. Surrounded by sunset & stars, soaked up the cityscape lights of Casper below (street-lamps triggered by the mid-day eclipse). WOW!
- Dublin IRELAND · Marathon #100. Ran this day side-by-side with Sis. Cancer SURVIVOR celebration!
Marathoning
Completed 27 marathons this year (including one ultra) – upping my FULL stats from 78 to 105 finishes. 2,017 miles+ logged in 2017 (GOAL COMPLETE). Haven’t missed a month marathoning since December 2013, that’s 49 consecutive months. Next BIG thing – marathon on EVERY continent (including Antarctica) by May 2020.
Easy to get caught up with an ‘out with the old, in with the new’ attitude.
So while I’m super eager/anticipating what lies ahead in 2018 – I am grateful for a life well lived. I am grateful for the past 365 days – laughs shared, high-altitude hikes, new places/new faces AND of course, my best pup Ro. Nothing left undone 🙂
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
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- whatta sunrise – WOW!
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- beautiful pinks over the North Atlantic, marathoning tomorrow
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- TOTALITY camping adventure
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- the River Liffey
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- walking the bride
Father-Daughter Dance
- sub-4’d this year (first since 2015), but didn’t PR
- scored my best 50K time, but no 52-mile Bighorn finish
- 2,017 in 2017 – this WILL happen – plus the 75 miles missed from last year’s journey
- & this Sunday, I’ll FINISH marathon #100 in Dublin Ireland 🍀
SURVIVOR.
That’s what the t-shirt reads – the unexpected gift that arrived last weekend from Sis. Same sister also running 26.2 miles, marathoning side-by-side/stride-by-stride on the Emerald Isle this Sunday.
- 22 marathons completed, one more to go
Last treatment: December 22nd. Marathon’d New Year’s Day in Florida. Clean bill of health: January 15th. Dates still vivid in my head – like remembering someone’s birthday. How long ‘til the mind lets it go?
Fall time, 2018 goal-setting time. Started tri training today, 2014 was my fittest. Ironman Year. Nope, no Ironman in my near future, just back on Plan. STRONG in 2018. Time to finish what I started.
- new Marathon PR – tri training at a steady consistent 9:50 pace. Not even sub-4 pace. However, trusting the plan. Chilly Start, overcast skies, no headwind, landscape: a mix of quick pop-ups & flats – sometime/somewhere early Spring or late Fall 2018, it will happen. Replacing Cape May, New Jersey as my PR locale.
- Bighorn 2018 – No marathoning after Memorial Day. Bighorn, my only race in June. Focused all-out effort. 52 miles. Registration reminder set: January 5th. Physically AND mentally ready.
- Run the Year ‘Gap’ Year – running harder, faster, longer but running less. No counting miles, no month-end blog posts, trusting the plan. Mix of cycling, swimming & high altitude hikes. 2018 focus: Bighorn.
- 50 State Déjà Vu tour – Celebrating Sis’ BIG birthday with an ALL uphill 50K in Hawaii: Hilo to Volcano. Point-to-point ultra, NO downhill. Literally to the top of Volcano. AND it was HER idea ❤ Minimum of 15 states in 2018.
- Another province, another continent. Target year: 2020. Marathoning Canada‘s 10 provinces AND all 7 continents. Even Antarctica? Yep, even Antarctica. Currently on a wait-list for January 2019. Will find out in 3 months if I snag one of 30 spots. THEN nickel-n-diming for a year to save the $$$. Yikes – and WOW!
Can’t LIVE if you’re afraid to DREAM. Look at the shirt – I’m so much more.
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- unexpected gift from Sis — same Sis also running 26.2 miles in Ireland this weekend
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- 2018 goal setting
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- PROUDLY wearing Sunday – thanks PS Audio!
“After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again.” ― C.S. Lewis
Failure/not completing what one’s started – it’s a tough pill to swallow. Some spout excuses, I’ve never been one to jump on board. Running’s a solo sport. Body failure, mental weakness, weather conditions – doesn’t matter. It’s you, the trail & a pair of shoes.
Started the weekend early like most (of my) race adventures. Booked a bus ticket, not a lotta options to northwest Wyoming 🙂 Boulder to Denver, Denver to Buffalo (Wyoming, not New York). 9 hours. Then ride-shared with a buddy to Dayton (Wyoming, not Ohio).
Bib pick-up Friday afternoon in Sheridan. 2 drop bags packed for Saturday’s 52 mile run.
2-mile taper runs all week. Half-month watching Bighorn videos [on YouTube]. Hot temps, their principle complaint. Tomorrow’s forecast? Light rain & mud, remnants from last week’s snow. PERFECT conditions. Summer’s come late to Wyoming.
Reviewed the map, reread the manual, talked with one of the race’s first 100 mile finishers.
Every T crossed, nothing left undone.
Should you drive into the Footbridge Aid Station, be aware that there are 2 creek fords to drive through. The second is quite deep at this time. Do not attempt to drive to Footbridge without a high clearance vehicle.
Our aid stations are well stocked with GU products, GU hydration, water, and a full supply of a variety of foods to help you in your endeavor for the distance you have registered and chosen to run. Please remember that the aid station volunteers who hike to their stations are limited in supplies, but are still well-stocked to assist you.
…you should yield to any runner that is catching you from behind, let them pass by stepping to the upside of the trail so that they may continue at their pace. The faster runner does have the right of way, and would be appreciative of your yielding this to them. This is true for horses as well, and others that may be on the trails.
We are expecting fairly average course conditions for 2017, but remember we are famous for the Bighorn shoe sucking mud. There will be snow, mud, rocks, roots, elk and their calves, moose and their calves, bear and their cubs, grouse, snakes, and other wildlife as well as challenges along the way, but we are in WYOMING and just consider this part of the adventure.
Welcome, and safe travels to our wild and scenic Bighorn Mountains!
Thank you,
Bighorn Race Officials
Saturday. Race morning. 5am race start, 45 minute drive from my overnight cabin.
Bed at 8:30, didn’t drop off ‘til after midnight, up again at 3. Mentally sapped.
Not the lack of sleep – FEAR. I can’t do this. It’s too many miles. All trail. I’m at elevation.
Pitch dark, in the car by 4. One deer. Two moose. Then…heavy fog. Large patches of snow [on] both sides of State Highway 14. Only 10 minutes to Start. Where is the turnoff? No cell signal, map left in the cabin.
Must have missed a turn. Back over the pass, back into the fog.
Never ever located the Start. HUGE fail. Have never missed a race – and this my goal race, my first 50.
Tough miss. Just wasn’t meant to be. Loss.
Showered at the cabin, retreated home – left a day early. Prepaid my stay, sunk cost. Home. I’ll figure it out at home.
UPDATE: 3 days later, still Bighorn-wounded but back at it. Reconnecting the dots. Have created a path for 100. All flights booked, all races registered. Ready, ready to run. Looking to Ireland: October 29th. Marathon #100. Focused.
Bighorn 2018? Yep, I’ll be back. Count on it. I’ve never run FROM anything.
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- Black Hills to Buffalo, WY
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- course map with Bighorn 100 finisher
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- “After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again.” ― C.S. Lewis
