Kicking off the New Year with a 5k is better than waking up to a hangover. This morning, I woke up to bitterly cold temperatures. This part of Virginia is considered the sweet spot – never too hot and never too cold. That was not the case this morning. Dressing in layers was going to be essential as the breeze made it just a bit colder.

Small races like this are made possible by the countless volunteers, and each person was super nice as we collected our bibs and shirts at Merchants Square.

After pinning my bib, I headed down the Duke of Gloucester Street for a quick warmup. On a nice day, this road is packed with tourists, but today only runners could be seen stretching their legs and crisscrossing the road.

The rest of my post can be viewed here...http://deweyspath.com/hairofthedog5k/

The day finally came to lace up my trail shoes and toe the start line at the 54th Annual JFK 50-mile race – America’s oldest ultramarathon.

I had been waiting for over a year to pin the bib to my shorts. I knew this race would surely test my strength and mental fortitude. JFK would mark my third ultra-marathon for the year and the biggest.

I joined several friends from last year’s race, and a couple others I had met throughout the year at some USMES running events.

Several of us met up at the Holiday Inn Express in Hagerstown, MD Friday night. This hotel was in a perfect location for packet pickup and a pre-race dinner. Packet pickup was across the road at Homewood Suites. It was by no means your typical packet pickup in that it was very low-key. Once you entered the lobby, all you saw were a couple of white boards with all of the runners’ names and corresponding bib numbers. After finding my bib number, I was directed to another room where they had all sorts of WAY overpriced JFK items to purchase. I settled for a “JFK50” sticker.

Read the rest here....http://deweyspath.com/jfk50-the-journey-of-90000-steps/

The Medoc Marathon takes place on the trails at the Medoc Mountain State Park located in Hollister, NC, on the third weekend in October. After running the local trails here in Newport News, VA, I figured Medoc would be the next logical race in my growing portfolio. Plus, being held in late October I knew there would be a chance to enjoy the fall weather. This would be my first race since the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll in June and would be my first time running a race through the woods. Not to grandma’s house either! This race would also be my final one before retiring from the Air Force.

I heard early on this was a first-class event from my local running friends, so I felt I had to sign up for this one. I quickly learned the race director had a witty sense of humor. This quote was from an email he sent out prior to race day, “This is a long email, so grab your iPhone and head to the bathroom for some “alone time.” There is a big prize if you read it all. Please don’t forget to flush and wash your hands….” Not sure if I read it on the toilet or not!

More often than not, when signing up for a race there is a spot for a nickname. We had two options in this race: pick a nickname or one would be bestowed upon you. The majority of my bibs have “Dewey,” so for fun, I went with the latter option. I wanted to see what I would be anointed on my race through the woods. When I opened the envelope at packet pickup, I discovered I would be known as the Newport Ninny…a foolish person from Newport News. The name was fitting as I crossed the finish line…more on that later.

Read the rest of the story here: http://deweyspath.com/medoc-trail-marathon/

After signing up for two ultra marathons in 2015 only to be sidelined by nagging running injuries, I finally lined up at a starting line without any problems. Third time's the charm!

As I was preparing my race attire, I kept checking the weather- 10 days out and it looked to be a chilly weekend. Over the course of the week leading up to the race, the forecast went from chilly to rain, snow, and strong winds. The percentage of rain/snow would change many times before we arrived Friday for packet pick up. So, I packed for the worst case but hoped for the best.

Packet pickup was a low-key event at the Tyson’s Corner North Face store. No frills - bib, shirt, and stickers if you wanted them. Oh, and they offered a 10% store discount.

Race Day

I woke up at 4:15 a.m. and looked out of the hotel window only to see it pouring down rain. When I checked the day’s forecast on my phone, I was saddened. My first ultra and it was going to be cold and rainy - what a way to break in a newbie! The departure plan… meet Eric and his wife, Jennifer, at 5:30 a.m and make our way to starting area.

My wife, Alisa, and Jennifer had graciously volunteered to be our support crew and planned to meet us at miles 13 & 19 so we could access our drop bags. My drop bag was a small cinch sack, big enough to hold my shoes, dry clothing, Honey Stinger gels, and a couple of waffles. Needless to say, this was not the most ideal bag when I was looking for items during transition. Time to upgrade!

This was another race where we had to take a bus to the start line, as there was not enough parking at the start/finish area. When we set out at 5:30 a.m. it looked like we might get a break from the forecasted weather. The rain had stopped and the temperature was not as cold as expected maybe 42F. This would change as we waited for the 7:00 a.m. start.

Read the rest of the report at http://wp.me/p775TZ-81