Beyond the Blog: The Carolinas CAN Ruck For Autism

Day 3: total mileage 26+ Today was truly a day of ups and downs, physically emotionally and spiritually. Becky and Mike left for home, changing our tribe, as well as Cheryl later in the day.  I started out with a nine mile ruck on 74 East headed in to Bryson City, the entire Highway was steep hills up and down, relentless, under the direct sun. Cheryl and Matt met me at miles 3, 6 and 9, but even with that by the time I get in to Bryson City I was exhausted and disoriented, after having two close calls with cars on the on-ramp. I was dreading the moment when child was going to leave, because she is the glue that holds me together. But it was important for her to be home for Claire's prom night, and so we parted ways for a week. Matt and I went for a 4-mile walk along the river, and I started to come back to a more positive space, and then we met Mike and Sheley, and Matt's dad Mike, at the decrepit IGA. We headed up to the Smoky Mountains tunnel to nowhere and had a...

Distance: 25+ miles Day 2 and I'm still alive!  Woke up feeling a little sleep deprived, wishing I could start later but knowing there was a long day ahead.  I ran right out of the hotel onto highway 74 headed east.  Cheryl met me at about miles 5, 10 and 14 with refreshments, a chair, and her great company.  I felt like I was climbing the whole way, certainly my pace was slower today.  We made it to our jump off point at mile 19 then went and soaked our feet in the Nantahala River, watching the kayaks go by and enjoying the sun. We decided to try a trail, since Rte 19 offered no shoulder to run on...really suicidal to even attempt it.  Matt and Cheryl drove up a national forest road and I rucked up...3 miles straight up.  It was beautiful up top but I still needed a few more miles to get to 25.  We had a nice hike at about 3000 ft around a lake, and I ran partway down the mountain to get my last mile in.

Day 1: 25.18 miles. Tennessee border to Cherokee Casino and environs. Today was the first day of the Carolinas Can Ruck For Autism! We drove out to the starting line at about 7:30 and by 8 a.m. I was off from the Tennessee border! I was telling Cheryl on the drive out there that I have played out that scene so many times in my head and it was sureeal thi king that it was actually happening. The starting point was just as I had imagined, but the route itself was very mountainous and it got extremely hot by midday. Cheryl and Matt met me at several points along the way and they really lifted me up with support,  and nutrition. The run on 74 headed east was somewhat boring and I had to pay attention to the oncoming vehicles, the only thing interesting things I were a big black snake that was slithering in front of me and a marmot. I learned that the median strip between the highway is never place a human being should go for any reason. It got hotter as I was progressing, a...

We are hunkered down her in Murphy ready for the big day tomorrow. Cheryl and I drove on Route 19 on our way out here from Asheville, and it was extremely treacherous so we made a few major last minute changes to the routing. We will still get the full mileage in but it may be a little bit of hopping around from point to point, but this way we'll fit some nice Trail runs on the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as a few local Trails. Had a great dinner with Becky, Mike, Matt and Cheryl and am anxious to get started tomorrow. I'm very thankful for an uplifting and encouraging phone call from my friend Charlie Engle, and of course so appreciative of all of the donations and messages of support from you all. Godspeed,  R.

  Concord, NC - My last workout before lift-off with the crew from 300.....Coach Jeff, JB, Bubba, Tripp, Eli, Voss and Luna (the last two are the hounds).   These guys have been with me since the beginning, supporting my training, harassing me along the way, and giving me a proper send-off this morning.  Jeff and JB both contributed to Champion Autism Network as well. Coach Jeff put the last touch on the progress silhouette, extending my nose out even further (not that I needed it) but also topping my doppelganger off.   He's as ready to go as I am. My next post will be the day before or day of the Ruck, and from there I'll be posting daily updates. Godspeed!

Wow, it is almost surreal to think that the Ruck starts in one week.  Months and months of seemingly endless training, all the logistical challenges, getting our team assembled...it has all come together as much as we could hope for. I want to again give a huge shout out to my F3 brothers for all their support.  Look at the donations that reference "Phidippedes", my F3 name.  Its unbelievable.  I had my last F3 workout this morning and almost got a little choked up. Also a big thank-you to my friend Anne Wear at Furniture Today, who published this article today.  She is helping us spread the word. My next post will be a day or two before liftoff. Godspeed.

Concord, NC - Today is the end of my second to last block off runs, just 12 miles each.   I'm feeling pretty good but will be happy to have a few days off, meaning no rucks but still some workouts.   We've had some really great exposure in the media, and here is a piece that aired last night on Spectrum News.   Kari, the reporter, did a great job capturing the training requirements for this adventure.  We had a lot of fun tromping around in the rain for 90 minutes in Freedom Park, trying the get the wettest most miserable shots possible. Becky and I also did a podcast episode with Jeremy and Jeff, the Ultra Running Guys .   I could have talked with them for hours, they were just great dudes and we had lots of stories and training advice to swap.   I am definitely going to check in with them during the event. This morning (Friday) I worked out with Coach Jeff and the gang at the 300 Gym, and I made a new Polish friend.   I li...

  Concord, NC - It is difficult to convey the dual sense of excitement and anxiety I am experiencing right now.   With just two weeks to go, I feel like I've done all the big training I could possibly have done, but was it enough ?  I am strong in my legs and blessedly injury-free aside from the aches and pains that are part of this training schedule.   That was half the battle, but then the little nagging part of me says "you should have started earlier" (man, I hate that guy....). In any case, what is done is done and it's time to taper a little and get my head on straight for the mental battle to come.   I'm pretty good at showing confidence on the outside but silently freaking out on the inside, so this is sort of my coming-out announcement that I am slightly freaking out.   I thought this image captured it perfectly:

Concord, NC - We are less than a month out. Holy Crap!  But actually I feel pretty good about the challenge in front of us.  All the media exposure has been a big help in getting other people excited, and that feeds me as well. My conditioning seems like it is where it needs to be.  I can crank out 12 miles with Slappy under any condition, which would put me halfway through the day.  I could walk the rest if needed. If it seems like I am planning for the worst case scenario,  I am.  Its one of the mental defenses I use...probably a lot of endurance athletes use. You train for the best but plan for the worst.  The reality of your performance is somewhere in between.  I'll take it.