I really liked True Believers by Rebecca Makkai, so glad to see your recommendation of another book by her. For some reason, I am blanking on the books I've read this year. Have to look at my book shelf when I get home. I do remember reading Blond by Joyce Carol Oats this summer and Newsroom Confidential by Margaret Sullivan (she was my sister's best friend in childhood).
Running. Hmmmm. Coming back from meniscus surgery last July. Slowly ramping up the mileage this fall. My plan is to run Beast of Burden 50 mile at the end of Jan. (I've run the 100 and 50 there a few times). I want to see how things hold up. If that goes okay, I am registered for Umstead. I've run there before and like to go since I combine the race with a visit to close friends. The race director and organization are great! Toying with Vermont 100K. I've run the 100 m there but I have never run a 100K. It would be nice to go back there. The RD is wonderful and the race has had a couple of tough years with cancellations. There are a couple of 50k's I like to do that aren't a big drive--Finger Lakes 50 and Greenlakes.. I think I'd like to get back to those since I missed them this year. A couple of running buddies did some fast pack type runs on different sections of the Erie Canal last summer and plan to do more this coming year. I'd like to join on some of those.
I'm excited for you with Grand to Grand. Your recountings of past adventures there are wonderful!
Thank you Karen! You must like humidity if you like Vermont in July lol but your list of possible races looks great. I put the Makkai novel in my list :-)
Humidity is a fact of life in the northeast :-( Only once in the 5 times I ran Vermont was humidity absent. And I ran my best time there then. Thunderstorms the other 4 with one pretty epic/spectacular one in the middle of the night. Dry heat is easier.
Never say never is a good motto, because after you interviewd me and I denied any ideas about 200's...well, I'm toying with it:)
I'll definitely look into your book list. As long as I can get any at the library, no matter how long the wait is, it's my way to read, so some recommendations occasionally don't work.
Definitely voluneering, and for sure no UTMB (not to race anyay, ever). Frankly, I wasn't interested before, so I just didn't change (or gotten any stronger opinionated on that).
Sorry about 9 years of HR lottery, damn! I mean, after my finish, I was in the lottery for the next 7 or 8, until I ran out of qualifyers (as I enetered my OTS). Now, I'm simply no longer interested. When a runner is removed from the scene for some years for whatever reasons, it gives perspective that is different. I'm simply not into being hung up by the lotteries and wait lists and stuff. I don't have time for this in my life, aging does that;)
Hi Olga, I always love your feedback, thanks for reading! More than 50% of my books come from the library. (But you should buy a copy of Second Sunrise, it's a keeper!) That is funny you're toying with 200s, and I know you'd nail it! The one that appeals to me most is Cocodona 250, but early May won't work for me this year. I get what you say about Hardrock, but I'm INVESTED lol! We must run together in 2024 :-) I'm considering Mad Moose's Pikes Peak 50M in late July as a training race, so that would put me near you.
Also, it's not exactly 9 years in the HR lottery for me, it's 7 (which would give me 64 tix but thankfully my ticket count got doubled since I got a DNS credit for volunteering). But due to 2019 and 2020's cancellations, that makes it 9 years overall.
I’ve been a little behind on my reading lately it’s been a little crazy in the ER. Thanks for being my run Yoda (yup thats the name on your email folder🤣. I continue to appreciate the advice. Stay safe and healthy out there.
Thank you! That’s neat you used to read my now-mothballed blog. I just subscribed to your newsletter because I always welcome reading recs, and I admire teachers. I left coaching 1.5 years ago to start working part time as a sub teacher. I teach all grades but prefer middle/high school and sometimes wind up in Social Studies or History. As a runner & teacher, you might appreciate this post about it: https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/how-teaching-compares-to-ultrarunning
Your selection process is a lot like mine (and Grand to Grand sounds like a great decision). I need a race from the Hardrock list for 2024 (no lottery luck this year) so I just entered the Cascade Crest lottery, so we'll see.
One of my favorite books this year is the one I'm reading now: "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko (and it might have some relevance to your Grand to Grand adventure) — excellent writing about the fastest float through the Grand Canyon, but also the broader story of the canyon and the Colorado River, the dams, etc. Highly recommended.
I loved Fedarko's book and was fortunate to read it 10 years ago during an 8-day river trip down the whole length of the Grand Canyon (story + book review on my old blog https://www.therunnerstrip.com/2013/08/grand-canyon-rafting-and-camping/) . It struck me as the river-running equivalent of Born to Run in that it took so many fascinating detours but the narrative arc followed a race or attempt at a speed record. The only thing I didn't like about it was the book's title. "The Emerald Mile," the boat's name, doesn't hint at what the book is about. Enjoy!
My favorite book this year was Running Home by Katie Arnold. I was lucky enough to spend a few days at High Camp with her on a writing and running retreat, and realize I need more of that off-grid time in my life! My 'A' race for next year is the Grand Traverse! Been eyeing it for years, and 2024 is the year I'm going to go for it!!
I enjoyed her book too. Good for you for going for Grand Traverse! I always forget about that race, because it is not on UltraSignup, and not on my radar. But I have friends and clients who ran it in the past.
Thank you for sharing Windfall with your readers! It was such a thrill having you as an early reader/supporter. And I DEFINITELY need a writing retreat myself this year!
I am so glad to have found your newsletter thanks to yesterday’s runner-Substack-meetup! It’s hard to choose a favorite book of the year, but I just finished Matthew Perry’s Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Things last night and as someone who lost someone to addiction, I found it incredibly moving and gave me some insight -- or what I imagine is insight -- into their struggles. A race, I think, is going to be the Staten Island Half this fall. I am also running the Women’s Half this spring, and while it’s certainly my A race for the spring, those Central Park hills -- two loops of the park?! -- are going to be tough. I’ll put my name in the lottery for the NYC marathon and if I get into that, everything changes. It’ll be my first marathon. So eek!
Audrey, likewise, I'm glad we connected. As for the MP memoir, I listened to the audio version, which he read, and hearing is voice was haunting, funny, likable, and so so sad. I kept thinking, how can someone so close to ruined physically and mentally by drugs and alcohol be such a damn good writer? That's what struck me the most: It's actually well written because he's such a talented storyteller. Good for you for getting into running and racing! As for the Central Park x 2, this recent post may help you to "hit reset" after lap one and get stoked for lap two: https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/getting-loopy-on-long-runs.
I’m so excited for you and your running adventures in the new year! Grand to Grand sounds intense but also really cool.
You have so many great book recommendations here and we have similar taste in fiction. (Thanks for including me 😊). Definitely adding a few of these to my list.
Thanks for mentioning my writing retreats. After 30+ years of leading retreats, I think they have a perfect shape for deep nourishment and lots of writing progress.
I love your book lists - lots of my favs there too. Here are a couple of books I loved:
Zorrie by Laird Hunt
They're Going to Love You Meg Howrey
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Loot by Tania James
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Everything Claire Keegan has written!
When Women Were Dragons (middle sags but end is amazing) by Kelly Barnhill
Thank you, Jennifer, it means a lot to me that you read my posts. You're the second person to recommend the Makkai novel, so I'll put that on my list, and Zorrie looks appealing too. Enjoy the season, and see you in Taos!
Grand to Grand sounds intense. I’m looking forward to reading all about it in your newsletter!
I registered for Broken Arrow 23k yesterday so I think that’s my A race. I want to ring that bell. I am hoping for less snow on the course than last year. I’m also toying with registering for the Bizz Johnson marathon. I’m turning 40 next year so if I’m going to run a marathon at some point (and I’d like to) then no time like my 40th year to do so and a mostly downhill rail trail marathon appeals to me.
Favorite books this year: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal.
Thank you, Erin, and bravo on Broken Arrow (I've never made it to that race but have followed it). There are so many great road and trail marathon options in Northern CA, if that's where you're looking. I never ran Bizz Johnson, but it's a classic, and very runnable.
We have a lot of overlap in books! I’m reading Trust right now and am blown away. And I love your criteria for race planning. I often have a hard time planning much farther than 6 months ahead. I have some buildup races planned (including a fatass I’m organizing on Presidents’ Day weekend in Keith’s memory), but my A race for spring is tentatively Antelope Island 100. I DNS’d it a couple years ago due to a torn hamstring, and it comes at a good time and works well logistically. I think you’ll enjoy Leona! I ran the 50-mile there a couple years ago and would definitely go back. Well organized and a challenging, beautiful course.
Jennifer, I'm always blown away by the content and also volume of your reading! I started off being wow'ed by Trust but ended up disappointed; you can read my review on Goodreads after you finish to see why (I don't think there are any spoilers in it). Antelope Canyon would be amazing! You read my report from the 50 at it from March, right? I would have misgivings about doing the 100 due to the repeat loops, especially if it's rainy/muddy, but you would master those loops :-) I would offer to pace, but that's K's spring break when we're doing a big family trip.
Actually, Antelope Island, not Antelope Canyon. Antelope Island is an island in the Great Salt Lake, and the course circumnavigates it (twice for the 100). The race has been around since 2011, but it’s not a WS qualifier, by choice I assume, and so is very low key. Just what I want. ☺️ It falls at the end of Zoe’s spring break, and she’s planning to come out with me and do the 50. No worries about pacing! I seem to have had more success lately when I’ve gone self-supported. When I have no one to whine to, I seem to do a better job sucking it up and getting the job done.😅
ah, yes, I've made this mistake confusing the two before! Sounds great. I still want to pace with you again sometime. Hope you'll work southwest CO into your 2024 plans!
I’ve got to get to Umstead one of these days. Torn muscle (in my glute that time) made me DNS that race too, back in 2018. I need to get my darn glutes stronger! 😖
I really liked True Believers by Rebecca Makkai, so glad to see your recommendation of another book by her. For some reason, I am blanking on the books I've read this year. Have to look at my book shelf when I get home. I do remember reading Blond by Joyce Carol Oats this summer and Newsroom Confidential by Margaret Sullivan (she was my sister's best friend in childhood).
Running. Hmmmm. Coming back from meniscus surgery last July. Slowly ramping up the mileage this fall. My plan is to run Beast of Burden 50 mile at the end of Jan. (I've run the 100 and 50 there a few times). I want to see how things hold up. If that goes okay, I am registered for Umstead. I've run there before and like to go since I combine the race with a visit to close friends. The race director and organization are great! Toying with Vermont 100K. I've run the 100 m there but I have never run a 100K. It would be nice to go back there. The RD is wonderful and the race has had a couple of tough years with cancellations. There are a couple of 50k's I like to do that aren't a big drive--Finger Lakes 50 and Greenlakes.. I think I'd like to get back to those since I missed them this year. A couple of running buddies did some fast pack type runs on different sections of the Erie Canal last summer and plan to do more this coming year. I'd like to join on some of those.
I'm excited for you with Grand to Grand. Your recountings of past adventures there are wonderful!
Thank you Karen! You must like humidity if you like Vermont in July lol but your list of possible races looks great. I put the Makkai novel in my list :-)
Humidity is a fact of life in the northeast :-( Only once in the 5 times I ran Vermont was humidity absent. And I ran my best time there then. Thunderstorms the other 4 with one pretty epic/spectacular one in the middle of the night. Dry heat is easier.
Never say never is a good motto, because after you interviewd me and I denied any ideas about 200's...well, I'm toying with it:)
I'll definitely look into your book list. As long as I can get any at the library, no matter how long the wait is, it's my way to read, so some recommendations occasionally don't work.
Definitely voluneering, and for sure no UTMB (not to race anyay, ever). Frankly, I wasn't interested before, so I just didn't change (or gotten any stronger opinionated on that).
Sorry about 9 years of HR lottery, damn! I mean, after my finish, I was in the lottery for the next 7 or 8, until I ran out of qualifyers (as I enetered my OTS). Now, I'm simply no longer interested. When a runner is removed from the scene for some years for whatever reasons, it gives perspective that is different. I'm simply not into being hung up by the lotteries and wait lists and stuff. I don't have time for this in my life, aging does that;)
Hi Olga, I always love your feedback, thanks for reading! More than 50% of my books come from the library. (But you should buy a copy of Second Sunrise, it's a keeper!) That is funny you're toying with 200s, and I know you'd nail it! The one that appeals to me most is Cocodona 250, but early May won't work for me this year. I get what you say about Hardrock, but I'm INVESTED lol! We must run together in 2024 :-) I'm considering Mad Moose's Pikes Peak 50M in late July as a training race, so that would put me near you.
Also, it's not exactly 9 years in the HR lottery for me, it's 7 (which would give me 64 tix but thankfully my ticket count got doubled since I got a DNS credit for volunteering). But due to 2019 and 2020's cancellations, that makes it 9 years overall.
I’ve been a little behind on my reading lately it’s been a little crazy in the ER. Thanks for being my run Yoda (yup thats the name on your email folder🤣. I continue to appreciate the advice. Stay safe and healthy out there.
“run yoda”—I’m honored, thank you! I hope your new year is off to a good start.
Hello Beautiful was my favorite book of the year :)
I'm so glad I found you on Substack! I used to follow your blog back in the day.
Thank you! That’s neat you used to read my now-mothballed blog. I just subscribed to your newsletter because I always welcome reading recs, and I admire teachers. I left coaching 1.5 years ago to start working part time as a sub teacher. I teach all grades but prefer middle/high school and sometimes wind up in Social Studies or History. As a runner & teacher, you might appreciate this post about it: https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/how-teaching-compares-to-ultrarunning
Oh, that’s awesome! Yay for teaching :)
I used to read your blog back when your family was traveling around the world. Was that a decade ago?
Okay, I’m off to read your teaching/ultrarunning post now!
Oh wow that was two blogs ago lol! That was the family travel blog 2009-10. Best year ever. Thanks!
How funny that I’ve followed you to three different platforms and I’m not even an ultrarunner (marathons though!)
Your selection process is a lot like mine (and Grand to Grand sounds like a great decision). I need a race from the Hardrock list for 2024 (no lottery luck this year) so I just entered the Cascade Crest lottery, so we'll see.
Re: running in the snow... that reminded me of this post https://dwrowland.substack.com/i/138605441/environment-the-modifications-of-hemoglobin-erythropoietin-values-and-running-performance-while-training-at-mountain-vs-hilltop-vs-seaside from @Daniel Rowland a few weeks ago that says running in sand has some training value for simulating altitude — seems like the right kind of snow running might have similar benefits..
One of my favorite books this year is the one I'm reading now: "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko (and it might have some relevance to your Grand to Grand adventure) — excellent writing about the fastest float through the Grand Canyon, but also the broader story of the canyon and the Colorado River, the dams, etc. Highly recommended.
I loved Fedarko's book and was fortunate to read it 10 years ago during an 8-day river trip down the whole length of the Grand Canyon (story + book review on my old blog https://www.therunnerstrip.com/2013/08/grand-canyon-rafting-and-camping/) . It struck me as the river-running equivalent of Born to Run in that it took so many fascinating detours but the narrative arc followed a race or attempt at a speed record. The only thing I didn't like about it was the book's title. "The Emerald Mile," the boat's name, doesn't hint at what the book is about. Enjoy!
I just checked that post — you have some wonderful photos there!
My favorite book this year was Running Home by Katie Arnold. I was lucky enough to spend a few days at High Camp with her on a writing and running retreat, and realize I need more of that off-grid time in my life! My 'A' race for next year is the Grand Traverse! Been eyeing it for years, and 2024 is the year I'm going to go for it!!
I enjoyed her book too. Good for you for going for Grand Traverse! I always forget about that race, because it is not on UltraSignup, and not on my radar. But I have friends and clients who ran it in the past.
Thank you for sharing Windfall with your readers! It was such a thrill having you as an early reader/supporter. And I DEFINITELY need a writing retreat myself this year!
I LOVED your book. People should know it's not "just" memoir, it's hard-hitting journalism too!
I am so glad to have found your newsletter thanks to yesterday’s runner-Substack-meetup! It’s hard to choose a favorite book of the year, but I just finished Matthew Perry’s Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Things last night and as someone who lost someone to addiction, I found it incredibly moving and gave me some insight -- or what I imagine is insight -- into their struggles. A race, I think, is going to be the Staten Island Half this fall. I am also running the Women’s Half this spring, and while it’s certainly my A race for the spring, those Central Park hills -- two loops of the park?! -- are going to be tough. I’ll put my name in the lottery for the NYC marathon and if I get into that, everything changes. It’ll be my first marathon. So eek!
Audrey, likewise, I'm glad we connected. As for the MP memoir, I listened to the audio version, which he read, and hearing is voice was haunting, funny, likable, and so so sad. I kept thinking, how can someone so close to ruined physically and mentally by drugs and alcohol be such a damn good writer? That's what struck me the most: It's actually well written because he's such a talented storyteller. Good for you for getting into running and racing! As for the Central Park x 2, this recent post may help you to "hit reset" after lap one and get stoked for lap two: https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/getting-loopy-on-long-runs.
I’m so excited for you and your running adventures in the new year! Grand to Grand sounds intense but also really cool.
You have so many great book recommendations here and we have similar taste in fiction. (Thanks for including me 😊). Definitely adding a few of these to my list.
Thanks for reading, and it was great to see you on the Substack zoom today. Hope your knee is healing and you're on the mend for a strong 2024!
Yes! So great to see you! I can’t wait to be able to start running again next year!
I am so intrigued by stage races, but most of them have too many miles for me, so I’d love to hear about your Run the Rocks experience in March!
Thanks for mentioning my writing retreats. After 30+ years of leading retreats, I think they have a perfect shape for deep nourishment and lots of writing progress.
I love your book lists - lots of my favs there too. Here are a couple of books I loved:
Zorrie by Laird Hunt
They're Going to Love You Meg Howrey
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Loot by Tania James
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Everything Claire Keegan has written!
When Women Were Dragons (middle sags but end is amazing) by Kelly Barnhill
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
True Biz by Sara Novic
Small Pleasures by Claire Chambers
Look forward to meeting Sarah!!
Thank you, Jennifer, it means a lot to me that you read my posts. You're the second person to recommend the Makkai novel, so I'll put that on my list, and Zorrie looks appealing too. Enjoy the season, and see you in Taos!
❤️
Grand to Grand sounds intense. I’m looking forward to reading all about it in your newsletter!
I registered for Broken Arrow 23k yesterday so I think that’s my A race. I want to ring that bell. I am hoping for less snow on the course than last year. I’m also toying with registering for the Bizz Johnson marathon. I’m turning 40 next year so if I’m going to run a marathon at some point (and I’d like to) then no time like my 40th year to do so and a mostly downhill rail trail marathon appeals to me.
Favorite books this year: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal.
Thank you, Erin, and bravo on Broken Arrow (I've never made it to that race but have followed it). There are so many great road and trail marathon options in Northern CA, if that's where you're looking. I never ran Bizz Johnson, but it's a classic, and very runnable.
Bizz Johnson is a lot of fun. Mild to moderate downhill the whole way. I’d definitely run it again .
Thanks for the info! Great to hear from someone who has done it before.
We have a lot of overlap in books! I’m reading Trust right now and am blown away. And I love your criteria for race planning. I often have a hard time planning much farther than 6 months ahead. I have some buildup races planned (including a fatass I’m organizing on Presidents’ Day weekend in Keith’s memory), but my A race for spring is tentatively Antelope Island 100. I DNS’d it a couple years ago due to a torn hamstring, and it comes at a good time and works well logistically. I think you’ll enjoy Leona! I ran the 50-mile there a couple years ago and would definitely go back. Well organized and a challenging, beautiful course.
Jennifer, I'm always blown away by the content and also volume of your reading! I started off being wow'ed by Trust but ended up disappointed; you can read my review on Goodreads after you finish to see why (I don't think there are any spoilers in it). Antelope Canyon would be amazing! You read my report from the 50 at it from March, right? I would have misgivings about doing the 100 due to the repeat loops, especially if it's rainy/muddy, but you would master those loops :-) I would offer to pace, but that's K's spring break when we're doing a big family trip.
Actually, Antelope Island, not Antelope Canyon. Antelope Island is an island in the Great Salt Lake, and the course circumnavigates it (twice for the 100). The race has been around since 2011, but it’s not a WS qualifier, by choice I assume, and so is very low key. Just what I want. ☺️ It falls at the end of Zoe’s spring break, and she’s planning to come out with me and do the 50. No worries about pacing! I seem to have had more success lately when I’ve gone self-supported. When I have no one to whine to, I seem to do a better job sucking it up and getting the job done.😅
I guess the official name is Antelope Island Buffalo Run.
ah, yes, I've made this mistake confusing the two before! Sounds great. I still want to pace with you again sometime. Hope you'll work southwest CO into your 2024 plans!
That Antelope Island looks cool. Wish it wasn't so close to Umstead.
I’ve got to get to Umstead one of these days. Torn muscle (in my glute that time) made me DNS that race too, back in 2018. I need to get my darn glutes stronger! 😖
It's such a well done event. Probably the best race organization I've encountered.
A chapter of Fight Night was featured on This American Life a couple of months ago. You've pushed me to tracking down a copy!