I spent today at rest, my tired body embraced by the stirrings of a deeply embodied cognition of mountains, muscles, and memory from the past few days, dozens of kilometres and thousands of metres of ascent. As a mountain runner of some decades now, my legs have steadily become a topography of the ranges I’ve … Continue reading Mountains and memory: philosophy and physiology
Morning on Dartmoor, November 2020 For many, the first of January is a day of reflection, anticipation, planning, and taking stock. For runners, and athletes of all kinds, it can be a day to start a new logbook, make a race schedule, set goals, or reshape a training plan. In our different ways, we try … Continue reading Interval
This has been a busy year for me -- busy with keeping up with the 400,000 vertical foot challenge (130,000 as of this afternoon!) -- busy with a semester full of new classes, creative curriculum conversations, writing of all sorts -- busy with family adventures -- and busy finishing up EMT, WFR, and WEMT certifications. … Continue reading Bodies and Terrain
This winter has been all about steady upward progress for me -- my outdoor adventures have been mostly uphill & mostly on skis. As of this writing, I've completed about 72,000 vertical feet of ascent, or just under 20% of the 400,000 ft goal I've set for this year.I love hearing about other people out … Continue reading Uphill
February is my birthday month, and it seems like lots of people have been raising money for charities and other great causes for their birthdays. I've decided to do something a little different. Instead of fundraising, I'm raising vertical gain! For 2019, I've taken on the goal of reaching 400,000 vertical feet of human-powered ascent, … Continue reading (Virtual) Glacial Climb Challenge!
Although I've kept track of my vertical gain while running, hiking, skiing, and climbing for many years now, it has never been my main focus. Until now. As I write about on the VN400K page, the 400,000 vertical foot goal for 2019 represents approximately 0.0001% of the 400 billion tons of glacier ice that are … Continue reading Velocity North 400k Challenge
It was getting warm. We were running a little low on water, and the slope was unrelentingly down and down and down -- from the top of one of Vermont's highest peaks to a mere 350 ft above sea level on the banks of the Winooski River. This past Tuesday, the 7th day of this … Continue reading Limits
In August 1922, only 12 years after the Long Trail was completed from Bennington to Johnson, VT, a group of 4 hikers (3 of Robert Frost's children and their friend) completed the first-ever continuous hike of its (then) 225 miles. Tackling the trail in a brisk 17 days, they were joined on most of … Continue reading Following Footsteps — 9 days to go
With 12 days to go to the Vermont Climate Run and with tapering starting in earnest on Sunday, I've started to hone in on 'last-minute' logistics: what will I need at each night's camp, which road crossings need to be fully-stocked aid stations (and what will I need there), at what time is it *really* … Continue reading personal resilience
My dog Dragon and I did an out-and-back run along the new Long Trail section north of the Winooski River on Sunday. We bounded up the springy softness of the recently opened single-track before turning around at an unnamed summit about 5 miles from the river. Here, the trail turns a little toward the east … Continue reading 15 Days to go!
Climate Run 