Stories of running in different geographical locations at races or solo
A race with no end. Yes, that's right. That's what is the whole identity of Big Dog's Backyard Ultra or Big's Backyard Ultra held every year at Gary Cantrell or Lazarus Lake's backyard. In his home at Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The rules are simple. There is 4.16667 mile loop in Laz's backyard that all competitors [...]
"Hooty Hoo!" shouts Brian Young, my host for the big weekend at the Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, as we continue to climb up Chimney Top chasing the third aid station at Tub Springs. I soon catch Brian sitting on the corner of the trail, punching his cramped quads vigorously, furious. Apparently, he's never had [...]
Following World's top 10 toughest Ultramarathons, that was very well received by the ultrarunning critics, the following is the list of some of the world's most challenging 100-mile races. As mentioned in the previous blog, there can be no official list of TOP 10 or 20 Toughest 100-mile Ultramarathons in the World as each race [...]
Middle Cove Beach. Newfoundland. When last time I was here, I was sleeping under an overcast sky during Big Birthday Bash at break of dawn. I was destroyed, sleep deprived for the previous two nights, in tears, exhausted, and throwing up. But, right now I am smiling recalling those memories. For the past two hours, [...]
Running an ultramarathon is pointless, and ultrarunning is fatuity. 99% of your time you spend alone, away from family and friends, alienated on long lonely dark hours, castigating your body to extreme limits of pain, then transcend over crazy terrain and weather conditions to earn that 1% of the time where you are either not [...]
Blinded by rain and strong winds, I'm sitting under a tree as I shuffle the food in my bag in search of an energy bar. Bugs and mosquitoes are buzzing around me. Every other minute, they get behind my neck and die getting stuck into my sweat. Others continue to bite on my legs, face [...]
It's beautiful clear midnight sky, close to freezing temperature with snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas on my right and young river Yamuna flowing on my left as I stand alone in the middle of this road in dark. I haven't seen a human for past many hours and the last ones I met, warned me of [...]
"11 minutes 45 seconds to go for the finish" I shout as Robert grabs the headlamp from Seamus and starts running towards the trail deep in the woods, in search for the last solo 50 mile runner on the trail. Mike Russell. Meanwhile, I learn more about experience of Seamus and Abraham from their last [...]
I was just 12-year-old when I was watching a BBC documentary on Iditarod - The Last Great Race on the planet. A 1000 mile long dogsled race in dead of winter in Alaska from Anchorage to Nome in far West. It was then, I dreamed of racing that trail one day. But, I lived in New [...]
Deep in the valley, two men are digging the sand off the shore, on the brink of onset of a supposedly cold winter. One is in his early twenties, while other is barely fifty. He calls the older one, uncle (younger brother of his father). Both reign from Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh and have traveled [...]
