This year I completed my second birthday run, the first was 2 years ago, when I turned 37. Sadly last year I was unable to get it done, due to injury, but this year at 39 I was back and ready to get 39 miles in. I quite enjoy this tradition, but am a little fearful of how hard it’ll be getting in my 50’s and 60’s !!

I had no real goal of a finishing time or anything like that, just get the miles in, and walk where needed. 39 miles is a long ways to run, the longest I’ve run to date even. I took the following picture after completing 18 miles. Running over the 17th Ave bridge from Wausau to Rib Mountain really put it into perspective. I knew the finish line was out to the East a good few miles past the end of the lake, but first a loop around Rib Mountain, and some elevation gain too boot.

I put this route together to literally run around my hometown of Wausau WI. I was born and raised in the small community of ~75k people. Thirty Nine years in place leaves a lot of memories, and doing this run is a chance to re-live a lot of them. So, throughout the route I made sure to run by places that help me to remember the good and the bad times. Past the schools I attended, family and friends houses, my former houses and just some places I would have frequented in the past.

During the run, when things get difficult, I try to think of where I was and what I was doing at the age of whatever mile I’m on at the time. It works great to distract you from the pain in your ankles, knees or whatever, and somehow really makes you appreciate and be grateful for the journey that this life has so far travelled.

Over the past few years of crazy endurance adventures I’ve met some amazing and inspirational people. I was honored to share this run with a few of them. Chad Esker and Ryan Maahs both joined me for the entire 39 miles! This is after Ryan did his Solo Ironman a week before, in which Chad also ran the marathon with him. It was incredible they were able to throw down an ultra marathon a week later, Ryan’s first even! Jake Daul was in the middle of his highest mileage week training for a 100 mile race to be run in just a couple of weeks, and Jake put in over a 50k then was running around playing with my dog when we finished up! My good friend, who got me into running, Andy Natzke, came out and ran with us to the finish line when there was about 17 miles to go.

I’m very happy to be helping to inspire others as well. An old friend from high school, Leroy Jonas, reached out recently for helping creating a running plan for him to get to ultras, and we ran his first half marathon about a month prior. Lee came out and ran another 1/2 marathon with us, his second ever! Finally Seth Boodle has been running for a little over a year, and even without any races to prepare for this year, kept up with at least 5 runs a week. He has made an incredible transformation to his lifestyle and setting a terrific example for his two children, and I was very excited to share the last 4 miles with him.

None of this would be possible without the support crews. My wife Kelly was fantastic, meeting us along the way for re-fueling, in addition to the drop bag locations at friends and family’s houses. Then on to the finish line, where I got to break the tape for the first time ever!

Such an amazing weekend, a run/walk through memory lane, with new friends and old. I consider myself so fortunate to be able to do things like this. To dream up some random challenge, for no other reason than to just test yourself, and to have the encouragement of people I care greatly about join me in the process. Here’s to keeping it going as long as I can.