Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Moving Ahead

Help Us out
The Run Across New Hampshire (2008 Edition) may be over, but our mission is not. We are still quite a ways away from our goal to raise $10,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire. We urge everyone to click the link on this blog to purchase a raffle ticket to the 2007 Honday Shadow. Even if you don't like motorcycles or maybe you don't want one.. your $20 donation per ticket helps us get one step closer to our goal of $10,000. Hey, I'm sure we all know someone who would love a new bike for Christmas. Purchase them an early gift with the chance to win one.

A Challenge
Some were in sheer disbelief in seeing a young man run 124 miles in one continuous effort. Its hard to fathom a human being running for almost 32 hours around the clock. Regardless of what you believe or don't; the fact is that it happened and now its time for you to get your legs moving. The fall is a great time to get running. Crisp cool mornings, no more bugs, no heat, no humidity. Get outside and challenge yourselves. I ran 124.4 miles in 32 hours, I'm challenging all of you to run 124 miles in one month. Join us in our efforts, raise money per mile you run in November and pass it on to Make-A-Wish. Remember, you can do anything you put your mind to!

"Breathe deep, look deep, listen deep... Go far"
"Human Potential... is unlimited."
~Sherpa john

Friday, October 24, 2008

So...What Happened???

Well, the run is over! John made it the entire 124 miles and completed the most epic adventure of his running career. I (reluctantly) had to call it quits at mile 70 with what I suspect is a stress fracture of my right foot. I am in the process of working with a doctor to figure out what I did to myself.

John has been writing about the run in a three installment post on his blog. Please click on the "Sherpa John" link to the right or just go to http://www.sherpajohn.blogspot.com. John has an uncanny ability to remember a huge amount of details and his posts are incredible.

I have found it hard to hide my disappointment to my friends and family, but I am learning a lot about myself. I will sit down soon and write a full report about what happened, but I just wanted to update everybody who has been reading the blog.

It is hard to express how much gratitude I have for everybody who supported us and who are continuing to do so. Thank you so much.

Friday, October 17, 2008

HERE WE GO!

OK everyone... here is how you can follow along, how you can help and how you can participate in the Run Across New Hampshire this weekend; October 18-19, 2008.

Live on The Web!
National PowerSports has sponsored a Spot Tracker Satellite Tracking Device. With this device, we get our own page through the spot tracker website. There is a link to that page on the RIGHT of this blog. FOLLOW US LIVE! Click on the link and it'll take you to a page where you can view our location.

Live on The Radio!
101.5 FM The HAWK will be updating those within ear shot of our location throughout the entire run. There is also the possibility that we'll entertain phone interviews with the Radio DJ's. Listen to 101.5 FM The HAWK to get the info!

Join us Live!
Our ROUTE is on this blog. Check it out, we've included maps and pertinent info. Come on out to our next aid station and run a few miles with us. We're NOT racing across the state; this is a journey run. We're going to be running 8:35-10:35 min miles over the first half of the run... and probably 15:00-18:00 min miles towards the end (Maybe slower). Come enjoy the journey with us. We'd love the company. We ask that you donate "X" amount of dollars per mile you run with us.

Join us in Concord
On Saturday from 6-9pm, The HAWK will be at Eastern Mountain Sports in Concord, NH. They'll have live music, a bounce house for the kids, food from the Smoke Shack and 20% in the store for those who purchase a raffle ticket to the bike! We'll arrive in Concord during this window (7-8pm) at which point we'll invite you all in a 1 mile parade run around the parking lot before heading off into the night.

Join us in Portsmouth
We hope to be at The Eastern Mountain Sports in Portsmouth, NH on Sunday Morning around 10am. Come on down at register to run the final 10 Miles of our run with us. It'll only cost you a minimum donation of $10 to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH. The first 50 runners to register will get an EMS Water Bottle and a Gear Bucks Card. We'll also be raffling off a brand spanking new Hydration pack for those looking for new gear. Get there and register early to join us on the final stretch of our run!

Join us at The Finish!
We'll finish up our 124 mile journey at the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. Come on down, its FREE for Make-A-Wish Families. Support Make-A-Wish, found out about their programs, make a donation, support the Seacoast Science Center and witness history as we become the first crazy fools to Run Across NH non-stop. We hope to arrive here around Noon-1pm on Sunday.

How You Can Donate:
1.) Join us on the run and pay per mile, or just hand our crew your donation
2.) Come to EMS in Concord and purchase a raffle ticket
3.) Come to EMS in Portsmouth and register to run.
4.) Purchase a raffle ticket through pay-pal by clicking the link on our blog
5.) Come to the finish at The Seacoast Science Center, celebrate with us, and make a donation.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Pre Run Thoughts

New Hampshire
New Hampshire was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. It ranks 44th in land area, 46th in total area of the 50 states, and 41st in population. It became the first post-colonial sovereign nation in the Americas when it broke off from Great Britain in January 1776, and was one of the original thirteen States that founded the United States of America six months later. It was the ninth state to ratify the United States Constitution, bringing that document into effect. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to have its own state constitution, and is the only state with neither a general sales tax nor a personal income tax at either the state or local level.

It is known internationally for the New Hampshire primary, the first primary in the quadrennial U.S. presidential election cycle. Its license plates carry the state motto: "Live Free or Die." The state nickname is "The Granite State", in reference to its geology and its tradition of self-sufficiency. Several other official nicknames exist but are rarely used. Among prominent individuals from New Hampshire are founding father Nicholas Gilman, Senator Daniel Webster, editor Horace Greeley, founder of the Christian Science religion Mary Baker Eddy, poet Robert Frost, author Dan Brown, and comedians Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Meyers. New Hampshire has produced one president, Franklin Pierce.

It is the second most forested state in the country, after Maine, in percentage of land covered by woods. This change was caused by the abandonment of farms during the 20th century as many farmers took wage jobs in urban areas or moved to more productive areas. The return of woodlands from open fields forms the subject of many poems by Robert Frost.

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Final Thoughts
It is finally time. Its been many months since I first concocted this idea to run across the Great Granite State of New Hampshire. Many nights the moon has risen and set, many days has the sun cast its shadows upon the land. The mighty tree's reach for the sky, as their colors blanket the landscape. The sap flows fast, the air is getting crisp. The steeples ring out for all to hear and New Hampshire's Autumn charm remains in full swing. I am very excited about this great adventure to discover a different side of New Hampshire from what we are used to. In a world where we relay on cars to travel and peer through windows to see the world; I choose to use my legs, run along and breathe the air, hear the sounds, taste the spirit and see it for all of its undeniable beauty.

This great journey across our state beckons us forth unto the landscapes of a thousand men before. We have no idea what is in store for us, though we are certainly having a great time trying to guess. We'll start by dipping our legs into the Connecticut River, retrieving a vial of water and then lacing up our shoes for our long journey home. We'll run to the east, across many towns, past many fields, along ancient rock walls and by the homes of many a hardened local. New Hampshire is a rugged place. The hills are long and seemingly endless. The night will be cold, the air crisp and the leaves will fly about. I can't wait to run through historic downtown Portsmouth, hear the sounds of generations gone by only to run along the sea to the end of our long journey home.

We've spent weeks planning this adventure and everything is in place. My ankle is 100%. My anemia is under control. I have but one thing on my mind for this run and its called: Experience.

Kurt Hahn once said, "Without self-discovery, a person may still have self confidence, but it is a self confidence built on ignorance and it melts in the face of heavy burdens. Self discovery is the end product of a great challenge mastered, when the mind commands the body to do the seemingly impossible, when courage and strength are summoned to extraordinary limits for the sake of something outside the self--a principle, an onerous task, another human life."

Self discovery is that little voice in your head that dares you to dream it, moves you to do it and wills you to experience it. And as I continue to discover my own Human Potential, and discover a deeper sense of self; I strive to discover a better sense of self worth, answer the unanswered questions of days gone by and transcend into a place of other worldly thoughts and beliefs. This place is where the fire burns within, the place that lights the way at night, that keeps me questioning during the day and the place where self discovery isn't marked by a map; but found through the use of our mighty compass.

It is truly an honor and privilege to be running to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire. For a few years now I'm dreamed dreams and wished upon wishes and worked hard and diligently to see to it that my dreams come true and my wishes are granted (sorta). But in our time and age there are young people, kids, who don't have the same luck, the same freedom, the same ability to live their dreams and see to it that their wishes do come true. As I live my dream of running across the state and grant my wish that the task will be done... I'll think of the young people of the Make-A-Wish Foundation who are the same as you and me. They dream, they wish... they should be given the chance to achieve. This is for them.

The Run Across New Hampshire
Miles: 124 = 100% Pavement
Time: 30-36 Hours (Prediction)
The Route
Start: Route 9 Bridge (Brattleboro, VT - Chesterfield, NH)
Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 6am
Finish: The Seacoast Science Center at Ordiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH
Sunday, October 19, 2008 - 12pm-6pm

Weather Forecast:
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 58.

Join us Friday as we tell you how you can follow our journey LIVE and for ways you can join us on the RANH!

Friday, October 10, 2008

One week left!




So, we are down to the last week before the big adventure. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous, but I am also super excited. This is the typical pattern I go through any time I am going to be running longer than I ever have before. I felt this way for my first marathon, my first 50k, my first 50 miler and I felt it in a big way before my first 100 miler. It is really important to get your head strait before you tackle something like this. I keep going between super confident and terrified. The real trick is to visualize success. If you can't picture something in your "minds eye" then you will have a really hard time doing it. I have found that getting your head ready isn't something that just happens. I have to work on it the same way that I prepare my physical body. It takes time and a deliberate effort. There is a saying in the Ultra world that you run the first 50 miles of a 100 mile race with your body and the second 50 with your mind. I'm not sure what they say about running 124 miles of pavement....

On another note. I have talked with quite a few people that admitted that they were a bit intimidated to come out and run with us. They thought that we are going to be running to fast for them. Please, please, please come out and run with us. Even if you don't run regularly. Even if you are slow. Even if you are really, really, REALLY slow. John and I are not racing this thing. We don't care what pace we go and company will really help us make it through. If you think that we are going to run like what you saw in the Olympics you are in for a big surprise. We don't look like that. We look like two buddies clowning around and having a good time.


If you like to see what two exhausted people who have destroyed their bodies looks like, then by all means please join us for the last couple miles!

Track Us LIVE!

We have purchased a Spot Tracker for The Run Across New Hampshire. This device allows us to send a satellite signal of our exact location every 10 minutes. This signal will then be displayed on a google map that will allow you all to monitor our progress along our entire route.

For those of you whom were thinking about joining us on our adventure, this allows you the chance to find our exact location, and takes the guessing out of it. We'll post a map to this blog the weekend of our run and all you'll have to do is check back here for updates.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Concord Celebration


We want to thank 101.5 FM The HAWK for the support of our Run Across New Hampshire. These folks are going to broadcast our location all weekend long with updates every hour (+/-) of our run across the state. So make sure you tune in to get updates of our progress as we move along. But thats not all....

Thanks to the cooperation of our friends at Eastern Mountain Sports (Concord, NH), They along side with The HAWK will be holding a huge celebration as they await our arrival from the west. The Concord EMS is located on Ft. Eddy Rd in Concord, NH. From 6-9pm on Saturday, October 18th - The HAWK will be awaiting our arrival. They'll have live music, a bounce house from Bounce Around, food from The Smoke Shack plus you guessed it... Raffle tickets to win the always sexy 2007 Honda Shadow 600 being raffled off by National PowerSports Distributors. Thats still not all... it's club days at EMS. If you belong to any outdoor club or organization; you can reap the benefits of 20% off your purchase in the store on that day. Get in there and upgrade your gear!

So if you want to join us for a little fun, Head to EMS in Concord, NH on Saturday, October 18th from 6-9pm. The entertainment will be there. When we arrive at EMS we'll have run 67.9 Miles which is past halfway! Once we get there, we invite you all to join us for 3 laps around the Parking Loop (Thats 1 Mile) before we head off into the night and run the last 56.5 miles of our 124 mile Around the Clock Adventure!

Thats not all though... thanks to our friends at Eastern Mountain Sports Portsmouth! On Sunday Morning, October 19th, join us at 10am at the EMS in Portsmouth on Arthur Brady Drive! Club Days will be over but they're rolling out the red carpet for us. EMS Portsmouth is going to set up an aid station for us as we make it to their store front; 114.4 Miles in! They'll have drinks, gels. But most importantly... for those of you interested in joining us for the last 10 miles to Rye.. EMS is gladly going to offer hand held water bottles to the first few who sign up to join us there. They're also raffling off a brand new hydration pack to anyone who is joining us for those last 10 miles. Consider coming out and joining us on our great adventure.. in Concord, in Portsmouth... or anywhere in between. We'd LOVE to have you! You can sign up in store anytime between now and run day. It'll only cost you a $10 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NH. You can sign up that morning too... no worries!

Note: Nate and I were featured on EnduranceSportsBar.com for our upcoming Run Across New Hampshire. Check it out!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Run Across NH - THE ROUTE

So I finally got around to mapping out our route for the run and broke it down into 4 legs.
Each legs is roughly 30 miles long and has all of our aid station locations marking on them.
The locations of the stations are approximate.. but all in all I've pinned it down pretty dang close.
For those of you who have been wondering what our exact route is, when we plan to stop etc.. wonder no more.

Below we have provided links to our route broken down into 4 legs. Remember.. we're not running 4 separate legs across NH. We are both running 124 miles from beginning to end around the clock. I have broken the run into 4 legs so that it is more easily viewed by you (and us) and perhaps a little easier on the brain.

Here is it:(Click on the leg link!)
RANH LEG 1: Miles 0-30
RANH LEG 2: Miles 30-60
RANH LEG 3: Miles 60-90
RANH LEG 4: Miles 90-124

Totals:
Miles: 124.38
Elevation Gain: +6,952 ft.
Elevation Loss: -7,145 ft.
Elevation Change: 14,097 ft.
100% Asphalt

RANH Leg 4

RANH Leg 4
Northwood, NH to Rye, NH (Finish)
Miles: 90-124.38
Elevation Gain: +1,079 ft.
Elevation Loss: -1,667 ft.
Elevation Change: 2,746 ft.
Net Run Gain: +6,952 ft.
Net Run Loss: -7,145 ft.
Net Run Change: 14,097 ft.

Aid Stations: 10
Irving Northwood: 90.4 mi
Mendums: 95.3 mi
Dunkins Lee: 98.9 mi
UNH Field House: 102.5 mi
Wagon On The Hill: 108.2 mi
Newicks: 110.5 mi
EMS Ports.: 114.4 mi
Goat Island Fishing: 117.7 mi
1B/1A Jct.: 121.7 mi
Seacoast Science Center: 124.38 mi (FINISH)

To see this information on a webpage CLICK HERE

RANH Leg 3

RANH Leg 3
Hopkinton, NH to Northwood,NH
Miles: 60-90
Elevation Gain: +1,654 ft.
Elevation Loss: -1,547 ft.
Elevation Change: 3,201
Net Run Gain: +5,873 ft.
Net Run Loss: -5,478 ft.
Net Run Change: 11,351 ft.

Aid Stations: 5
Parker House: 65.2 mi
EMS Concord: 67.9 mi (Parade)
Horse Corner: 73.5 mi
Epsom Wendy's: 79 mi
Rte. 4 Rest Area: 81.7 mi

RANH Leg 3 Miles 60-90 Hopkinton, NH to Northwood, NH This includes a 1 mile Parade around the EMS Parking Lot in Concord. 3 laps = 1 mile there. Then we continue on into the Night down Route 4.

To view this map on a webpage please CLICK HERE

RANH Leg 2

RANH Leg 2
Stoddard, NH to Hopkinton, NH
Miles: 30-60
Elevation Gain: +1,248 ft.
Elevation Loss: -2,089 ft.
Elevation Change: 3,337 ft.
Net Run Gain: +4,219 ft.
Net Run Loss: -3,931 ft.
Net Run Change: 8,150 ft.

Aid Stations: 5
Rest Area: 34.6 mi
N. Antrim FD: 38.6 mi
Hillsborough: 44 mi
Amey Brook Park: 51.4 mi
I-89 Underpass: 58.6 mi

RANH Leg 2 Miles 30-60 Stoddard, NH to Hopkinton, NH 2 Planned route changes off of US Route 9. We plan to run through downtown Hillsborough on Old Route 9. Then we plan to get off of 9 again through Henniker where well run through Downtown (Maple to Main) 5 Aid Stations

To View The Web Version of this Map CLICK HERE

RANH Leg 1

RANH Leg 1
Chesterfield, NH to Stoddard, NH
Miles: 0-30
Elevation Gain: +2,971 ft
Elevation Loss: - 1,842 ft
Elevation Change: 4,813 ft cum
Aid Stations: 4

Aid Stations:
Start: 0 mi
Gorge: 8.5 mi
Keene Super-8: 13.9 mi
Granite Gorge: 20.5 mi
Stoddard 26.8 mi
Our run starts on US Rte 9, on the bridge spanning from Chesterfield, NH to Brattleboro, VT. We'll begin by dipping our legs into the Connecticut River and obtaining a small vile of water to carry to the Atlantic. Leg 1 covers Miles 0 - 30.

To View Map on Web CLICK HERE