Husband, salesperson, ultra-runner continually pushing himself to be a better version of himself and living an ultra life, a life lived to the full. — I am a 56 (going on 57) year old who thirteen years ago experienced the worse hell I ever thought a human being could ever live through. After working hard and studying even harder, my wife of almost thirty-five years and I found ourselves in Central Asia broken, angry and…

The secret is in what you do to build a firm foundation, so the resolution has staying power. — I’ve been setting New Year’s resolutions for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, I’ve written them down. Sometimes, I’ve just verbalized them to my spouse and friends. More often, I’ve just quietly hoped the resolution would stick that year. By the end of January, or even sometimes into March…

Jigsaw puzzles are fun unless somebody throws away the box they came in. — Have you ever received a brand new jigsaw puzzle, dumped all the pieces on a table, and then set out to recreate the picture on the box? But, then, the person who introduced you to this jigsaw puzzle threw away the box just as you were getting started? That is…

The sad saga of veteran suicide isn’t going away and the solution is on us to give these men and women a reason to live. — I was running the Cape Fear 24-Hour Endurance Race in October 2021 when I began chatting with a gentleman on one of our laps. Before I knew it, we had run about eight miles together, and if I hadn’t needed to stop and use the restroom, we probably would have…

Begin 2023 with a fresh outlook on the old process of setting goals and plans. — I love this time of year! Closing the door on one year, yet opening the door on the year to come. Nothing can freshen up your steps like a fresh outlook on life. This is how I begin setting goals and plans for running in the new year. I’m no…

Take an ancient story, give it a more modern feel, and see if anybody pays more attention. — If you’ve been on this strange orb called earth for more than a couple of decades, there’s a strong possibility that you’ve heard this ancient story told a time or two. For most, this was in a religious setting, so I know I just turned off a bunch of you…

Endurance running is a battle of numbers but is also a battle of getting out of your own way. — I’ve always been one of those strange people who think in terms of numbers. Not a person consumed by mathematics but more a person who looks at numbers as a way to accomplish things. As a new salesperson long ago, I knew that success would come if I worked the…

Every runner has big dreams of what they’ll get for Christmas. Here’s a helping hand. — This version of Twelve Days of Christmas is adapted from the Christmas carol by Andrew Carter and Frederic Austin published in 1780 in the key of F Major. Twelve Days of Christmas Runner’s Style On the first day of Christmas My running friends brought to me A song and a Christmas tree…

Looking at bridges in an all new way gave me great insights into life. — It was an absolutely beautiful early autumn day running on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. Every footstep brought the crisp crunch of leaves on the trail. The air was crisp, cool, and refreshing. This is the perfect weather to run far away from cities or other human beings. I hadn’t…