You are too kind.

I certainly don't think of myself as a "motivating" individual. Most of the time I just feel selfish posting my internal thoughts...or kinda funny about it, like it comes across as boasting or some such.

I don't have any cool scenery (most of rural texas looks exactly like every other part of rural texas for 100s of miles in all directions...unless you pay VERY close attention to certain details), or fascinating/epic stories of insane runs in unreal conditions. Those posts seem much more inspirational to me.

Anyway, I'm not going anywhere. Hopefully, a week from now I'll be back on some kind of track...making forward progress in something. Maybe in two weeks I'll do a sneak attack, and pull a bluestak or something. :-)

Great job - especially given the cold and ice you've been dealing with this winter!

Today was run 96....had to shorten it from a planned 20 miler to 20k due to pain in my ankle...turned it running in the slop a few days ago and it isn't cooperating. 6 weeks to go until Boston so looks like I need a swim week and hopefully my ankle will respond.

I am really getting tired of the weather this winter!

Thanks! It's been a tough winter - though the moment I blogged complaining about it, we got another dump of snow Friday night that turned everything into the enchanted forest again. I can't help but love the woods in fresh snow.




Ran down to the market along the river while big, fluffy flakes filled the air - the bit of a headwind let me get closer than I otherwise might have to this gorgeous girl near the trailhead.




Over the frozen waterfall where Devil's Creek meets the Grand River - I would love to see the intrepid critter that made these tracks down the ~60+ degree slope!




The singletrack along the riverbank gave me a good look at some of the piled up slabs from the ice jam a few weeks ago.






Turns out even the wildlife is done with winter - I found this poor little fellow shivering in a tree, and felt bad that all I could do (for his benefit and for mine) was leave him be and run on by.



It stopped snowing and became very mild in the afternoon, so I trucked down to Stoney Creek to explore Eramosa Karst - I'd been there once before, but only toward dark so I couldn't really see any of the features.



Also got to get my snowshoes out for another trot! Tough workout with mostly unpacked snow but so very pretty.





I did manage to find a couple of the features, like the Nexus Cave Window



I didn't want to get too close as I wasn't sure how much of the edge was solid and how much was just ice or snow, but you could see down at least 6 feet into the window at the foot of a tree.




The Blue Hole Spring - running under a boardwalk - was easier to admire up close, and there were also some more temporary features that made me smile.



Just a couple of boring runs around the neighbourhood (plus a bit of xc skiing with my husband) on Sunday, but at least there was sunshine! Neat little rainbow halo around the sun, too.



Now it's apparently back into the deep freeze for the next couple of weeks, with a couple more snowstorms predicted. Just have to make the best of it..

---

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

Mistressk, your photo stories are so great! I love them! I dream about having adventures like you.

Recently, it has been slightly rainy and mild here. When running, you have to watch your step because the snails are out and about. Not too tricky to miss them, though. When it's hot and dry, the lizards do push ups where I run. They play chicken with me and dart under my feet. Stressful.

Thank you for the awesome pics!

Oh gawd, that sickening crunch when you step on a snail while running...happy to see you're back at it, though! It sounded like you had a rough couple of weeks there.

If you have local trail tracts, I promise the adventures are out there waiting for you!

---

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

What great photos!

Awesome photos.

I had my best week of running, probably ever, as I topped 70 miles on 13 runs. It was thanks to a week in AZ on business where I was up early (live on East Coast) and was able to do a second run after work. Travel times aren't as friendly this week but that will probably be a good thing to back off a little.

T-minus 5 weeks until Umpstead 100.

The 16th to cross the 100 mark! I can't believe I actually did it (and on day 81). I thought I would maybe hit 70 or even 80. However, I didn't get sick and was able to avoid injury--which surprised me given that I have never even come close to this kind of mileage or frequency.

And congratulations to Bluestacks for breaking the 200 mark--unbelievable!

And a big thumbs up to everyone; I can't believe that almost 100 people have 81 runs. Some of you are putting in truly awe-inspiring mileage AND frequency.

Now it's time to finish off the other part of the challenge: run all 100 days of challenge. Plus, now I can finally get in the pool to counter-act the runner's body.

Ciao

Status reports, please!


I started and on day one had IT band pain. Thought I could work through it, hahaha! (I know it was explicitly said to listen to your body, which I eventually did) missed a day here and there, no improvement. Took two weeks or so, off, then restarted every other day, and no more IT band. So between the IT band and work travel, I will be in the low 50s. On one hand, disappointed , on the other hand, oh well. I have enjoyed this and even my wife has bugged me about getting out for a run. So will see where I end up at, and look forward to this challenge again in December!

Today is day 2 of no running aftet spraining my ankle slipping on ice. First day totally off training in 4 months. Hopefully only 1 or 2 more days until I get back to the challenge.

Really sorry you've fallen victim to the bullshit ice we've had this winter Allan - you've been killing it up until your mishap! Hope that ankle falls back in line for you asap, and you come back even stronger from having absorbed your hard work.

---

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

Congratulations!! Job well done.

Mistressk, thanks for the great pic's. Makes me envious of the beauty you are running in. However, being a Southern boy, I am glad not to be running in the snow, ice and cold :-)

So I'm going to tap out somewhat, I have to ramp up my swimming very quickly, and only have so much energy each day. On that note, who else here would like this challenge to start earlier, say Nov15th, or even Dec. 1st? At least for those of us in good weather, there are too many options coming at us at this time of year, and a running focus is hard to hold. And I think a lot of you are planning April/may races(that are not running)so you have to be cutting back on the runs somewhat, right?

Anyway I have gotten further than I ever dreamed of, should crack 80+ by the end, maybe even 90. So thanks everyone for the support and running with me(virtually of course). It just would have been a lot easier and funner for me if it had started 2 to 4 weeks earlier...

Monty,

I would have no problem pushing up the start of the event 2-4 weeks.

One of the reasons I did a big push this week was to take the pressure off, so that I could get in the pool and spend more time on the bike.

This was my first 100 in 100, and I am fairly impressed how much it has improved my level of fitness. Definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

Perhaps more people could chime in, so that we get a better idea if this popular or not.

Ciao

I would be in for it starting earlier.

What are your swimming plans, Monty? Just curious.

I'm fine with moving the start up. I mistakenly thought it started at Thanksgiving anyway. : )

ding, ding, ding! I'm down. I have no problem with the holiday interference. But, it ends too late. Honestly I'd rather go straight into this after the end of the Race season...instead of waiting until mid-December. I'd rather see this end early/mid Feb instead of late-march. At least for those who have an early season race (April to June) running every damn day starts to get counter-productive after Valentine's.

Like you, I've mostly tapped out except for what my training plan defines for running these days. My bike has been all but non-existent, which needs to get fixed, and swimming has definately suffered.

So, I'll make the full 100 for my golden chalice (even if I have to double on day 100).

Glad you're all enjoying the winter wonderland photos - I do actually quite enjoy winter, and would be unhappy living anywhere that didn't have at least some snow every year. I'm definitely starting to side with Bleatherbury these days, though; I've had enough of lumpy ice, howling winds that shove you around and make your skin feel brittle and abraded, and the bitter cold. It was -20c/-4f when I got up this morning - the kind of cold where you step outside and the insides of your nostrils give that same pins-and-needles sensation you get when blood circulation starts to return to an appendage that fell asleep.

As much as I know it would be easier in some ways to start the challenge earlier, I personally will go against the flow and say I like the dates as they are. My ultra season runs into November (last race in 2018 was Nov 10th), so starting mid-November would almost completely eliminate the paltry few weeks of "off season" I take now. The later start also means I still have over 2 weeks left of the daily get-your-ass-out-there motivation (which admittedly isn't something I generally need, but heading out in the pitch dark at -13c/9f after 9pm last night was a little easier knowing it'd "count" for something) to last through the final - at least hopefully! - clutches of winter. My other northerners know we're not out of the woods yet when it comes to snow and cold (even down here in the banana belt), and I see that a lot of the people who'd like to start earlier live in places where "winter" is more a calendar event than a weather one.

#99 in the books last night, and today is my one weekly rest day - not to mention date night. It seems rather fitting, too, that #100 will be tomorrow morning's run to the farmers' market, as it's probably been my most consistent weekly "workout" from the beginning of the challenge...but not something I usually do outside of this timeframe, as my Saturdays in season usually start with an mtb ride to the market followed by a few hours of trailrunning in the afternoon. So, it's very much a signature 100 in 100 run for me, and will tick the final box on day 85...assuming my legs don't fall off tonight or something!

---

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

I'm with everyone else for starting next years ST100/100 ** Monday after Thanksgiving** or **Dec 1st**. Come March I'm craving structured SBR training, and trying to squeeze in all these Runs begins to detract from swimming and biking.

I'd like it a little earlier, would be nice to have a pole.

Part of the reason for the starting date was to get running before the holidays. If it was moved to mid-November that would also catch Thanksgiving.

I love 100/100 because it simple but still a challenge to the lazy me, bad weather or
the old legs . The starting time 15 december is good for me but I would do it any time until I have got 100 runs in 100 days. Now at 85/85 and have hope for more.

love the photos!

I'm 78/85

the challenge was helpful for me today - woke up with a headache so that "just do half an hour and see how you feel" was helpful. I ended up with 8.5 miles and a 725 yd swim.

---

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Dec 15th start date was so it could get those of us in miserable weather to the official start of spring....basically starting in the last official week of fall through the winter solstice to the start of spring. Starting a week before Xmas was to get on a roll before the holidays in Dec that is pretty internationally an over eating and under exercising period. When I started it I felt an earlier start date was too close to race season for those doing fall Ironman or marathons.

Let's keep in mind all my reasoning was colder Northern Hemisphere focused. We have people living in Aus, South Africa, Argentina etc who join us too.