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Showing posts from January, 2016

This is Stupid. When's the Next One? A blog by guest blogger and trophy husband, Mark Basehart

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"This is stupid." This is NOT the first time I’ve heard these words uttered from Eva’s mouth.  She was heading out early on a Saturday morning to run yet another Winter Beast of Burden Ultra-Marathon.  Sure, each one has been different.  Different conditions.  Different training and preparation.  She was geared up for a 50-miler after completing a 50-K trail ultra the previous weekend.  This Beast was going to be different. Eva was going to complete the run and then “give back” to the Beast.   This race has—and continues to—give her so much.   Lifelong     friendships, new running partners and countless memories.   After spending 10 (+) hours running 50 miles in the f-r-i-g-i-d cold along the open trails of the Erie Canal, Eva was going to finish and volunteer at aid stations.   Cheering, feeding and supporting those who muscled and willed themselves to finish their own 50 or 100-mile race. I had decided to volunteer at an aide station this year as well.   There w

Lessons Learned: Phunt 50k

I am a special education teacher.    I work with underdogs.   The students on my caseload have physical, emotional and/or intellectual disabilities.   It is my job to “level the playing field”.   I am to step in and make accommodations or modifications to their education, so they can compete with everyone else.   It just doesn’t always work that way.             The problem is, my job description does not take intrinsic motivation into account.   It does not cultivate the power of struggling…of failing.   There is much to learn from both.   If a kid wants to go big, no matter what plan I put in place, it’s on him.             I see parallels with ultra-running.   There is no level playing field.   When you are running for an extended time: you will struggle, you will fail.   Crossing the finish line is a matter of being able to overcome and to keep moving forward.             The most successful students I work with know that they face a challenge that others around them may fin