"The mountains shall bring peace to the people" -- Psalm 72:3

This year's Mountain Masochist 50 was intensely emotional and spiritual for me, as well as for many of Mike Broderick's friends in the VHTRC and ultrarunning family. Early Friday morning, the day before the race, Mike passed away with his wife Jill and sister Sue at his side. We were not expecting this---many of Mike's friends had visited him in the hospital just days before, and he was doing well despite dealing with pain. This was too swift, too sudden. I had been planning to run MMTR in honor of Mike, not in memory of Mike.


At the finish (photo by Rusty Speidel)

Keith Knipling graciously agreed to stand before the crowd assembled at the pre-race meal on Friday night to share the sad news and talk a bit about Mike and what he meant to us. Mike had finished three MMTRs, as well as Western States this past June in 26:53, and was a beloved marathon coach with the Montgomery County Road Runners Experienced Marathon training group. The ultra and road running community had come together to raise over $35,000 in his name for lung cancer research, and Mike was particularly pleased about this. In closing his comments, Keith said, "As you climb up Buck Mountain tomorrow, perhaps you may feel Mike giving you a push from behind..."

It was comforting to be with so many good friends that night. We were able to hug, cry, and talk about Mike surrounded by those who knew him well, those who had run, paced, crewed, and cheered for him. I was really looking forward to spending the entire day out in the mountains to reflect and remember. When my friend Meredith asked me, "Are you nervous about the race?" I immediately responded, "No, not at all." Masochist was my goal race of the year, the one I had trained for since July, yet I was oddly serene and peaceful as I laid out my clothes and my number. I knew what my race plan was, both literally (break 9:34, my PR for this course), and spiritually (run strong, fast, and free), and they were one and the same.

 Howard Nippert coached me for this race and he did a great job of working on my speed and turnover, and getting me to the start line fresh and rested. As a result, I found myself running almost everything except the steepest climbs, and my heart rate was steady all day long. I have to admit that I was not sure how I would fare under Howard's "Less (mileage per week) is More" approach...but it obviously paid off as I felt awesome all day!

Howard prepared me very well, but Mike was my coach on race day. I thought about him every time I passed a place where I had crewed for him in 2004--the climb up to Parkway Gate, at Long Mountain Wayside, and in the Loop (where I ran against traffic to meet him halfway). Every time I got emotional, I would trip on a rock, and it became clear that this was Mike's sign for me to get a grip and race. When I tried to play my newly charged iPod, it wouldn't work, and this meant that I needed to run this race fully present and mindful of what I set out to do. Bill Gentry said to me the night before, "All will be revealed...". I just needed to pay attention.


(Buck Mountain, Mountain Masochist 50, 2003--photo by Mike Broderick)

It was at about mile 29, during the climb up Buck Mountain, when I started to hear the music. The trail weaves in and out of hollows, and at first the notes were faint and barely there...and then all of a sudden, after a turn, they were clear as day. The music was the theme from "Rocky" and has been played at MMTR every year for the past 20 years in this exact same spot. As we climbed up the mountain, we were greeted with this inspirational tune and a succession of signs with biblical scripture written on them. Mike took a picture of one (above) when he was running MMTR in 2003. Mike had his pick of signs to photograph (there are at least five or six), but he chose to photograph this one. And now, it makes perfect sense why.

As the day progressed I found myself quite content to run as I felt, and I was on PR time. At the last aid station, four miles from the finish, I knew I would need to work it to get sub-9:24. Donna Utakis and I had been leap-frogging for the last 20 miles and this was awesome! Donna always makes me run an honest race, and I took her presence on the trail as yet another sign that Mike was there. (When Mike paced me at my first 100, the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100, I was trying to catch Donna, but Mike just kept telling me, "Run your own race. Let it come to you").


Finishing Masochist, 2010 (photo by Henry Hobbs)

As we neared the finish line, Donna slowed to a walk and I took a look at my watch. It read 9:34:00. Donna encouraged me to go for it, so I ran hard for the last few yards. In heeding Mike's good advice, I had let the race come to me, and I felt fast, strong, and free...but mostly, I felt at peace. Mike and I had finished our 54-mile journey through the mountains together, and it was time to let his spirit move on.

Farewell, dear friend. I will miss you.


Mike Broderick on the Wild Oak Trail, 2004


"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Mountain Masochist 50--a run for Mike

with Mike at mile 75, MMT100, 2005

** Please see the comments section for an update on this post**

Saturday will be my fourth Mountain Masochist 50 Mile Trail Race (MMTR), and without a doubt, it will be the most emotional. I am dedicating my race to my good friend and fellow Wahoo, Mike Broderick, who is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. Mike is a fellow VHTRC member and a popular marathon coach with the Montgomery County Experienced Marathon Training Program. Hundreds of his friends have contributed over $34,000 in Mikes' name to Team LeBrecque, a New York Marathon team raising funds and awareness for lung cancer.

The fact that Mike is so critically ill at all is unfathomable to me. Just four months ago, he finished Western States 100 in 26:53 in very hot conditions, looking and feeling great. Three months later, he was diagnosed with cancer. I am still in shock. I walk around all day going about my work, my training, and spending time with my family, but there is a cloud over my head that I can't shake. This is a guy who swears by a healthy lifestyle, helps others train for marathons and reach their goals so selflessly, and now he is fighting for his life. It just sucks.

Mike was the reason I finished my first 100, the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 (MMT) in 2005. He was my coach, helped crew, and he paced me for the last 30 miles. As I wrote in my last post, he witnessed the great Sleepy/Sophie meltdown and got me running (er, death marching) to the finish line. I will never forget his patience, good humor, and "can do" attitude.

The Meltdown, Mile 85

Mike and I met while on a training run on the Wild Oak Trail. He was training for Wasatch, and I was a newbie in the VHTRC. By the end of the 26 mile loop, we had discovered we were fellow University of Virginia alums and lovers of great acoustic music. (Mike is a Dead Head, and I am not, but we still like a lot of the same music, and he will always let me know when he and his wife Jill are coming to Charlottesville for a Hurricane Party with members of Johnny Sportcoat). He offered to help me prepare and pace me for MMT not too long after, and that was that. As it so often happens in ultrarunning, it took one long run and we were friends for life.

I wish Mike could be out there with me on those MMTR trails on Saturday. He has finished this race at least three times, and he hates The Loop as much as I do. When I am out there swearing at the rocks--and at this awful thing called cancer-- I will swear a little louder and harder for Mike. And I will say a prayer, too.


Team Wahoo (Jeff Wilbur, me, Quatro Hubbard, Laura DeWald and Mike at Bull Run Run 50, 2005)

Ode to training partners...and dear friends

Yesterday at 5:00 am it was dark, cold, and pouring rain. There was thunder and lightning in the area and I had only three hours of sleep. I wanted desperately to sleep in and blow off my easy 8-mile recovery run, but I didn't dare.

The reason?

My longtime training partner, Bill Potts, would have given me the silent treatment for the next six months. So I dragged myself out of bed, into the car and out into the rain. One cold, wet, lightning-adrenaline-surged hour later, we were safely back at the car and thankful to be done. Thank goodness for loyal training partners!

What I enjoy most about being an ultrarunner---more than the trails, the race experiences, and the adventures-- are the people. Ultrarunners, it seems, are refugees from other parts of the endurance world, folks who have battle scars from Ironman and road marathons...and inner scars from real life. They are a fascinating, quirky bunch. All are drawn to the sport by the welcoming, "all-comers" vibe and the warm embrace that old timers give newbies. I look forward to every race because I know I will come home not only with a wonderful race memory, but also with a deepened connection to someone I will have encountered along the trail that day.

Lately I have been thinking about how important these connections, and these people, have become in my life. When I need company on the trail, one is usually able to join me. When I need someone to listen to me, they listen and support. When I need to escape the stress of the work day, they meet me at O'dark thirty on an AT trail head. When I need a friend with no questions asked, I have one...or many. When I melt down, they comfort me. And when I need a kick in the pants, they oblige. Here are a just a few training pals who have made a difference in my ultra life...

Bill Potts: West Virginia Mountain Trail Runner and UVA Hospital Social Worker, he kicks my butt each week on our famous "Bread and Butter" tempo run. Bill and I have been running together since 2004, and we have been training for Masochist during this training cycle. He loves hanging out at Greenberry's after a run almost as much as I do, and when he is not running or helping others deal with crises, he is usually in West Virginia at Dan Lehmann's house.


Bill recovers after Highland Sky 40, 2007


Bill Gentry: Another West Virginia Good Ole Boy, Gentry is a legend in the ultra world. We met at Masochist in 2003, which was my first 50 miler. I was struck by his friendly, low-key attitude and by race's end, we were tight. Gentry works at JMU and is a phenomenal writer.


Gentry celebrates his 100th ultra at Catherine's Fat Ass 50K, 2010

Eliza O'Connell: Because she is a mom of three young girls and a world-class duathlete, our schedules rarely mesh...but when they do, I know I will get my money's worth of a run. In fact, I have to taper before I run with Eliza. She runs UP everything (she almost beat the field at the Terrapin Half-M last March) and I can always count on needing a huge nap after we run together. She wrote the cute note (at the top of post) and left it on my car after she left me in the dust last weekend. One day she'll run an ultra and chick all the men. Count on it.


Eliza and me at Blackrock on the AT, 2010

Hallie Hegemeier: Hallie is also a mom of three and has a fierce passion for ultras. She finished her first "official" ultra at Terrapin Mountain 50K last March, and has been coming back from a foot injury all summer...but she is low-key, tough, and willing to try any trail. Once she is healthy we will be exploring some nifty trails and I am willing to bet that she will be at Highland Sky next June...


Hallie rocking down the Heartstone Ridge trail at MMB, 2009

Quatro Hubbard: What more can I say about Q-Dog? He is a loyal member of the VHTRC and has been a steady training partner to many, including me, for the past 8 years. Q will gladly offer to crew, pace, or run with you if you ask, to the detriment of his own training schedule. He loves being in the mountains and he loves helping other runners have fun adventures. Q convinced me to run MMT as my first 100, and while I rarely take him seriously, I am glad I did back then.


Q celebrating his second MMT 100 finish, 2009

Marlin Yoder: Marlin has been a steady training buddy this summer and fall, and since he is faster than me, I always get an excellent workout in. If I PR at Masochist this year, I will have Marlin to thank! I had a blast pacing him at MMT in 2009, and he returned the favor by being my most excellent crew chief at Grindstone 100 in 2009.


Marlin and me at the MMT 100 finish line, 2009

Mike Broderick: Mike and I met on the Wild Oak Trail in 2004 when he was training for Wasatch. We clicked immediately after realizing we shared a love for great music and The University of Virginia. Mike agreed to coach and pace me for my first 100 at MMT in 2005, where he endured one of the greatest Sophie meltdowns in history with grace and humor. Right now Mike is enduring his greatest challenge in his fight against cancer, one that he assured me "will not result in a DNF". I have no doubt that this strong, optimistic, and courageous man will come out on top.


(Dave Quivey, me, Mike, and Jill Quivey: 'Team Sophie" at MMT 100, 2005)

Thank you, dear friends, for your loyal support and unwavering cheerleading throughout the miles...and I pray our trails and paths cross many times in the years ahead.

With a little help from my friends...and the weather

Last Saturday I ran the 18th annual VHTRC Women's Trail Half Marathon in Clifton, VA. Regular readers of my blog know that I went into the race wondering if I still had the leg speed to break 2:00 on a course where my PR (set in 2006) was 1:56:45. I also went into the race prepared to suffer, because that's what you do in the Women's Half.(the cool pic of me above is courtesy of Bobby Gill)

This event was not an ultra, but you would not know it by looking around. The course shared miles 26-39 of the famous Bull Run Run 50, also put on by the VHTRC. It was dry, rooty, and eroded after months of little rain and lots of horse traffic, and it had a few long climbs and descents that always require power-hiking at BRR. But at the WHM, you had to run them...it's only a half marathon, after all! The VHTRC volunteers at the aid stations were basically a "who's who" of the east coast ultrarunning community: Tom Corris, John Hayward, Keith Moore, Ed Demoney, Joe Clapper, Michele Harmon, Vicki Kendall, Jack Kurisky and James Moore, among others too numerous to mention. These folks have run many of the hardest 100 milers---from Hardrock to Massanutten to Badwater-- and their experience was on display every time I came through an aid station. My favorite moment was watching Jack Kurisky sprint toward me at the final aid station asking if he could fill up my bottle, treating me like a total rock star, knowing I was racing the clock...but I had to blow by him with a quick, "no, thanks!" as the clock was ticking! Thanks anyway, Jack!



But, I am getting ahead of myself. Back to the start. I went into the race hoping for cool weather and was not disappointed. It was so chilly at the start that I was wearing a fleece coat just before the gun went off (that's me with Anstr Davidson on the right). The men of the VHTRC actually start the race by singing "Happy Trails" to us, and then we are off! I started out running with former WHM winner Heather Schaffer, as well as Jen "Ironman" Ragone and Ragan Petrie. I knew Heather, who holds the Catoctin 50K CR, would most likely crush the course, and I was right. She cruised to a comfortable two minute win over the next woman, after starting slow with us and picking her way through the pack. Jen, despite her sandbagging and comments about how much she hates suffering on this course, ran for fifth and Ragan paced herself well for ninth. I was happy to tuck in behind Ragan as I know she would start out easy, and I tried to stay in contact with her during the race. When I saw Tom Corris as I was coming out of the Do Loop, he commented that I was looking good and moving well---which is hardly ever the case when one comes out of the Do Loop--and this was my first inkling that I had a potential PR day ahead of me.

However, you would never know by looking at the race photos that I was having a good day. Aaron Schwartzbard took these pics of (in order, l-r) Ragan, Heather and me...which runner looks like she is suffering the most?



Despite the look on my face, I was actually pleased that I was feeling good. But I kept thinking, "hmmm...this is not good. If I feel this good in this race, it must mean that I'm not working hard enough." Sheesh. So I kept at it and focused on high turnover, efficient form, low heart rate and eating and drinking. At the last aid station I knew I was within reach of breaking my PR, and I tried to run up the big hills as much as I could. The women coming towards me were unbelievably supportive, positive, and friendly, and I tried to use their positive vibe to pull me along. As I neared the finish I glanced at my watch and saw that it was not going to happen...but I came damn close. Eleven seconds off for a 1:56:56, 11th overall and first in 45-49!

Needless to say, I am very excited that I can still work it at 47 like I used to at 43, and after reading all the supportive comments from you guys and gals out there (you know who you are!), I am very excited to go for the sub-9:34 Masochist course PR. Yes, cool weather will most definitely play a role...along with the encouragement of my friends. Thanks, everyone. Here's to growing older and going faster!

Women's Half Marathon photos, results and report are here.

A side note...after many years of lusting after the Bull Run run 50 embroidered blankets that are awarded to the winning teams---and never running for a winning team--I finally got my blankey for winning the 45-49 age group at the WHM. Here I am with super Race Director Mel Saraniero at the finish, clutching my blankey. Gotta love the schwag at VHTRC races! Thanks, Mel, and all the awesome volunteers for another unforgettable event!