Flowstate Running

Please join me in giving a HUGE congratulations to Becky Margulies for completing the Marty Maricle Feral 100 Miler run this past weekend! Not only was this Becky's first hundo, but she completed it in the utmost style; looping around the Headlands surrounded by friends and loved ones in a way that would make Marty proud.

When Becky first started whispering about a hundred last year after Quicksilver I listened... When she mentioned she wanted it to be the MMF, I was super stoked. While I like supported, commercial races here and there, the fa**ss style MMF 100 is an event that resonates from the true heart and soul of the ultrarunning community. Becky knew that it would be tough (hundos are hard!) but embraced both the training and massive logistical preparation from a place of joy and playfulness. When we talked last week her mental edge was more locked in than most athletes I encounter - she was ready. This weekend she continued to pour her heart into this event and went full send all the way back across the Bridge. Absolutely incredible!

It's official - the 2026 Tor de Lucas TOR de Lucas Scholarship application is officially open! Please check it out if there is even a tiny part of you that stays up at night wondering what it would be like to travel for 6 days through the Aosta Valley in September during the Tor des Géants 330. Please share and help us spread the word as we keep Lucas's dream alive and help send someone for a big lap this fall!

Https://tordelucas.org

It's Solstice, which means it's time for...SQUATS ! If you know me you know that it's always time for strength, but right now is honestly the perfect time to cut back on the running a bit and lean into the lifting a bit. Go heavy, go often!

In my opinion this is still the missing component in a lot of athletes that are focused on summer or fall hundred milers or multi-days. It's hard to prioritize strength so far out from the event, but it takes months (and really consecutive seasons) of lifting for these adaptations to build. A focused and disciplined winter campaign of lifting will leave you recovering quicker and more durable in the following season. Plus, it's just plain FUN! 😁

This one is long overdue, but who doesn't love a round of Flowstate Friday shout-outs!

Big love to everyone crushing their recent races: Colette tackled a tough Cuyamaca 100k course and got it done, Ian tackled his first 100 Miler distance in the Jura Mountains and got the finish, Todd Run "been training in Chamonix what do you expect" grabbed a huge 50k PR at Ruth Anderson, and Tracy Cone battled cold temps and getting off course at the Kodiak 100k.

Bravi to all! We see you out there killing it - now it's time to hit the gym. 😁

Huge shout-out to Colleen Browne for sending the big Aosta loop and becoming une GÉANTE! Colleen was the first ever Tor de Lucas scholarship recipient to finish TOR on her first attempt, in a display of grit and grace that Lucas would have been so impressed with. But more importantly, Colleen went all in on the adventure and instantly became part of the Aosta Valley magic - she rode the high highs and low lows of the cols and emotions, making friends and giving hugs the entire time. BRAVA Colleen - this is an accomplishment of a lifetime. 💛

IT'S GETTING REAL! Blasting off on a little adventure tomorrow in my favorite mountains in the world. It's already been a blast seeing everyone in our TOR extended family in Courma! Plus I haven't lost my 3 minute nap skillz... 😂

Anybody else super deep in spreadsheets right now? 😂 J-9! Tor des Geants

And that's a wrap on another epic UTMB week! Mont Blanc served up the goods yet again, with rain, mud, snow, a little bit of sun, and a whole lot of fun!

Huge shout-outs to Angie Xie for her strong finish at CCC, Todd Run for his massive PR at ETC, and Charlene Bayles for battling covid and still getting to the start line of OCC. You all are AMAZING!

Stay tuned, lots more excitement to come in September... 💛💛💛

Amazing day in the big Italian mountains of Aosta with Ian going from Pont-Saint-Martin to Gressoney! This completes my TOR 330 course recon - I have now seen all of the big loop with my own two eyes. 😳

This section felt like a final puzzle piece being placed, in that it was the one I had the most questions and concerns about. I have always postulated that the key to solving TOR was to get out of the Gressoney aid station before the final cutoff. It's a wicked pinch point of the course, and if you are up against cutoffs leaving Cogne and Donnas you actually have to then accelerate through this 50km section - which I now understand is completely impossible. 😂 This section felt like PTL at times - it was steep, unrelenting, and on terrain rocky and technical enough that you just couldn't move very quickly. It was also wonderfully remote with magical views of the surrounding mountains everywhere you looked. This is true mountain running, and I am here for it!

Highlight - rolling into Loo Valley just before midnight and chatting it up with the owner of the agrotourism spot there. "I'm running Tor in September, but my wife has done it three times already..." "Oh yeah? Who's your wife?" "Maureen..." "Maureen CANE!!!!!?!?!? Come on up here!!!" then we proceeded to chat and I politely declined a beer and we gave each other a hug and said "Okay now I'll really see you in September!!!"

tl;dr - this is 50k of some of the hardest terrain I have ever covered and it left me INCREDIBLY STOKED for TOR!!!

Keepin' it steep, keepin' it real in the 74. ❤️🇫🇷⛰️