“All of our life has been a wicked ride.” — Melody Gardot What started as a simple question on Facebook — why run across Texas? — has turned out to be complex and exceedingly difficult to answer, partly because after some introspection, I’ve discovered my reasons are dependent on each other. A single, simple answer…

This is going to be long, because, well… I was gone a long time. But I wanted to get down into words what it was like to run across the largest state in the continental US — gnarly parts and all, while I still remembered most of it. Some of this will be diabetes related,…

More than anything, what drives the choice of gear and supplies is the scope of the run. Clearly, one doesn’t need a crew van for a marathon or 50K, and arguably not for a 50- or 100-mile race either—if there are aid stations. However, the longer the run gets, the more you’re going to depend…

The Objectives Your objectives are going to have a big influence on the tactical choices you make for your run. For instance: Fastest Known Time: Optimize for the most direct route (if that’s an option) and shortest travel to accommodations. Meeting people / sharing your story: Optimize your route for stopovers, meet-ups, non-running days like…

I try really hard to see myself with clear eyes. To know what I enjoy doing and am capable of — and to acknowledge the stuff that I don’t like and the things that are beyond my reach. I’ve read the race reports from people who love night running. It’s quiet, it’s cooler, the sun’s…

One of the biggest questions you have to tackle when planning an epic run is how many miles you can realistically cover every day. If you’re Pete Kostelnick, who was 29 when he set the 2016 world record for crossing the United States, it’s about 72 miles/day. If you’re Marshall Ulrich, who set the world’s…

Sleeping Arrangements When you’re dead-tired at the end of running all day, for 26 days, nothing is as important as a good night’s sleep. Ideally on a super long run, in order to get a good night’s sleep, you’re going to want a comfortable place to sleep that isn’t far from the course, restroom facilities,…

Back in the April / May 2018 time frame, I wrote about my initial experiences with the Medtronic 670g insulin pump/CGMS and its auto mode, a clever feature that’s designed to keep people like me from experiencing life-threatening low blood sugars and prolonged highs. At the time, I had quite a lot to say about…

On June 10, 2018, with the help of my wife and crew chief Leslie Nolen, I completed a 339-mile run across Iowa. I’m asked: “Why Iowa?” The answers vary from facetious to strategic: Because it’s there. Because no one had ever run Relay Iowa (the longest relay in the world) solo. Because it’s training for…

The first reaction I get when I tell people I’ve done runs over 100 miles is, “Wow. I could never do that.” The truth is, I’m nobody special. Most of us are capable of epic things, but the devil is in the details.