Short run in Cloudland Canyon State Park (West Rim Loop Trail and Waterfalls Trail) to break up the drive from Blacksburg to New Orleans.

 

62 rugged and scenic miles during the Bandera 100K Endurance Run in Texas hill country (13 hours, 32 minutes).

Seventy miles on the rugged Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail during the 70.5-mile Laurel Highlands Ultra Race.  Beginning in Ohiopyle, PA, the point-to-point race covers the entire trail, ending in Seward, PA (near Johnstown).  With a lingering upper respiratory infection, happy to finish at all (and it took 17 hours and 34 minutes to do so).  Saw a porcupine.

Planned family trip involved my running the Grayson Highlands 50K.  Snowy, whiteout conditions (on the first climb) and a tough course.  And lots of wild ponies.

Several days running the trails in Lake Catherine State Park (Horseshoe Mountain and Waterfall trails), as well as along Highway 171 near my parents’ house (70 miles over 12 days).

“Brush Mountain Breakdown” 7-mile race on the Poverty Creek Trail System in Pandapas Pond Day Use Area, Jefferson National Forest (the course was closer to 6.5 miles). This is more or less my backyard, and the course covered one of the exact routes that I run regularly: From the upper parking lot, Horse Nettle to Snake Root to Poverty Creek, back to the parking lot (56 minutes, third place).

From Newfound Gap near the Tennessee / North Carolina border, ran roughly eight miles along the Appalachian Trail to Clingmans Dome (6,643′) and back for a total of 16 miles.

Basically a 20-mile loop with a detour up Blackrock Summit.  Beginning at the Sugar Hollow parking area, headed up to Blue Hole and onto the Turk Branch Trail; then hit the Appalachian Trail north for several miles, all the way to Blackrock Summit.  After backtracking down the summit, hit the N.F. Moormans River Trail to complete the loop back to the parking area.  Around 4 miles in (on the Turk Branch Trail), I saw two (large) bears.

Approximately 30 miles of leisurely running in the foothills of Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains–mostly on the singletrack in Garland County’s Lake Catherine State Park, but a few on the trails at my parents’ 120-acre place in Hot Spring County.

Parked just off Garth Road and ran the unpaved Ridge Road to Free Union Road and back (8 miles), crossed Garth, and ran the unpaved Decca Lane (crossing Mechums River) to Owensville Road and back (4 miles) for a total of twelve leisurely miles.