On the morning of 9/11, I was running in Central Park, enjoying one of those perfect September mornings that make New York feel limitless and full of possibility. The air was warm, the sky impossibly blue, and there was that unmistakable September feeling, part back-to-school optimism and part fresh-start energy, that always made me feel as though the city itself…
The Power of Flow
For 25+ years, one of my New York City rituals has been running or walking past the church quote board on 61st Street and Park Avenue. That board has been a spiritual compass, offering inspiration through pivotal moments—from post-9/11 New York to career shifts, to countless miles across Manhattan: my first NYC Marathon in 1995, and The Great New York…
May I Remember: A Journey Through Grief, Healing, and the Power of Retreat
The Fall, Then Falling Apart Since May 19, 2023, my life has transformed. I was in the Florida Keys, ready to race my ninth Keys 100 ultramarathon, running from Key Largo to Key West, when I learned my dad had fallen and was taken away in an ambulance. I withdrew from the race—one of my dad’s favorites, where he’d worked…
Now What?
In January, I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). There were months of not feeling right leading up to the diagnosis, which I chronicled in an article for Ultrarunning Magazine. Considering my running career spans 30 years, with the last 15 years focused on ultramarathons of 50-100+ miles, the diagnosis was jarring. From the onset, the cardiologist was clear I…
Divine Pause
What do we learn about ourselves in the time outs? On Sunday, September 8th, flying back to Florida from an event in DC, just as my plane was about to hit the runway in Fort Lauderdale, golden twilight illuminating the plane, we lifted back into the air, climbing beyond 10,000 feet. There was silence as passengers looked at one another,…
Chasing Rainbows – Badwater 135 – 2024
Death Valley I get asked often, why go to Death Valley in July, let alone run there? Some places leave indelible marks on our soul. Death Valley is one of those places for me. When I first experienced the 135 miles spanning Badwater Basin to Whitney Portal Road in 2015, the sheer expanse of the landscape captivated me. The steep…
The Roller Coaster of Grief & Beyond
June 20, 2023, started off like most mornings since my dad had entered hospice two weeks prior. I worked beside him all day, glancing from my computer screen every few moments to ensure his chest was rising and falling under his flimsy white and blue hospital gown. I had decided to sleep over at the hospital that night – an…
Running Through Loss
Before my dad’s decline, I was planning to run the Keys 100 for my tenth time and training for my sixth go at Badwater 135 this July. Excitement, optimism, and commitment fueled my runs. Then, my dad fell and was taken away in an ambulance, and I rushed from the Keys 100 pre-race gathering with my crew, and drove four…
Long Haul 100 – “You Can Afford to Lose a Day or Two” – Billy Joel
Slow down you crazy childTake the phone off the hook and disappear for a whileIt’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two…When will you realize… Vienna waits for you?- Billy Joel What I love about crazy-long races is that they enable me to fall apart again and again, in a contained period of time, and find ways…
When you lose your way -Ancient Oaks 100 Miler 2020
To say that 2020 has been difficult is putting it gently. This year has forced us to adapt and reinvent on a continuous basis, go deep within, find our reasons for being, strive for clarify as to what matters to us, push forward, and stay positive. Not too dissimilar from the sentiments ultrarunners confront when running 100 miles. So, in…