One crazer nutter and 50 kilometers in the Chuckanuts

Around Halloween Brandon admitted he wanted to get into long distance running. His running snacks looked really tasty so I drank the Kool aid (more like Gatorade) and decided to join him on his quest of marathon training.  So we've been running: up hills, down hills and around hills. We've been commiserating on routes, and turning our late 30 year old bodies into lycra wearing gladiators battling shin splints and unmentionable chafing. Brandon's been picking the most heinous trails he could find to train for his race- the chuckanut 50K- training so hard I caught him icing his body in our 50 gallon rain barrel filled with ice cold rain water. 

Annabelle has been an active participant in race training assisting us in getting excise and enthusiastically practicing her cheering. We have most likely logged 26.2 miles running past her in the driveway so she can practice cheering "Yay Daddyo!!"  "Yay Ma Ma!!! " 

Brandon's Race day morning we woke up nervous excited. He told me we couldn't talk about the race on the way up to Bellingham or it might make him have to poop. Annabelle and I dropped him off at the start and then meet up with the rest of the cheering squad. We were armed with nose making devices and with some self-restraint- tacitful signs. 

I ran the meat of Brandon's course earlier in the week and was left feeling like I got hit by a school bus full of fat kids. Holly being an epic-she-stud graciously Sherpa-ed my child to the top of Fragrance Lake so we could cheer Brandon on at four different spots. 

Brandon ran the course like a boss- even though at mile 22 he was on the ground cramping with tears in his eyes. 5,000 feet of elevation gain over 31 miles and 5 hours and 15 minutes later he finished his first long distance race - dubbing him an Ulltra Daddyo Ultramarathon runner.  

After hanging out at the finish line with friends for a few hours we made our way home. You can see Brandon in this picture drinking  his first beer in months and staying awake partying until 7:00 PM.