2018 Rat Race 20k

A Rat Race To Kick Off Easter Weekend

It has been a full two weeks since I ran the 2018 Rat Race now that I find myself sitting down to write this report. It is a shorter distance race:  a 20k that is made up of running two laps around a 10k trail loop. I decided to run it and register for it rather spontaneously as I was unaware of it until I saw an announcement that it had been rescheduled for a week after the originally planned date. I saw this announcement about a week and a half before the newly scheduled date. The timing of the newly scheduled date serendipitously worked out that on the morning of the race I would be driving right past Wells Mill County Park in Waretown, NJ where the race is held. I figured “why not run a 20k on my way to the in-laws’ house for Easter?”. I couldn’t come up with a good reason to say no to that. I thought racing a 20k on some new trails would be a great way for me to push myself harder on a mid-distance run than I normally do during a training run. The entry fee was pretty reasonable at $30 for day of registration. In addition to all this, I would get to explore some new trails that are only about a 40 minute drive for me from home.

This was a smaller race than most I’ve run, both in the number of runners and distance. Including all three distances offered (20k, 10K, and 5K) less than 70 runners showed up. This could be in part due to the race date being rescheduled. I’m not writing this as a positive or a negative, but simply reporting it. In many ways I prefer smaller events over ones with huge crowds:  parking isn’t an issue, day of registration is no problem, and they usually provide a better opportunity to chat and hang out with other runners at the finish. However, even for this race being a pretty small gathering in general, the crowd at the finish line seemed especially small. I would guess that in about an hour’s time from when I finished until after I ate a sub and some cheese balls before leaving, there were at most around 40 people including race volunteers/staff, runners, and spectators. My only explanation for the severe lack of a lively finishing celebration is that the majority of runners were running the 5k and 10k distances and most of them finished while nearly all of us running the 20k were in the midst of our second loop. I’m guessing that the majority of them finished their distance, got their fill of the subs, and headed out before any of us made it to the finish. Maybe I’m griping a bit here where I shouldn’t be, but found it mostly surprising and also a little disappointing that so few stuck around to cheer in the 20k finishers.

The scene at registration at a park in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

I’m approaching this report a bit ass backwards, but I like to get complaints (however minor they may be) out of the way first. So let’s go back to my arrival at the park. Wells Mill County Park is just a few miles off the Garden State Parkway, making it barely out of my way as I traveled north on the parkway to visit my in-laws. Day of registration was painless and quick. I got my bib and awaited the start on a beautiful early spring day. I hung in with the lead group from the start of the race until about the first mile mark. We covered that at a 7 min/mile pace. At that point the group started picking up the pace a bit. My goal for the race was to run all 12 miles of it as hard as I could for the entirety of it without blowing up. With that plan in mind, I decided not to push too hard too early by chasing them. Without picking up my pace to keep up with the leaders, I was still able to keep the last runner of the pack in sight until about the 1.5 mile mark when the course cuts off of the fine, gravel maintenance road it had followed and hops onto some single track trail. From there the last of the lead pack was out of my sight.

Having never been at this park or seen any of the trails before, I really had no idea what to expect. All I knew for certain is that the course follows some trails that circumnavigate a lake. It turns out that the lake is much smaller than the trail network that we used to run around it. In fact, I don’t think the lake was actually visible through the trees until the last mile or so when the trail runs right along the edge of it. Even lacking lake views for the majority of the sixish mile loop, the trails were still pleasant and pretty fun to run. There were many more hills than I was expecting. There weren't an big climbs, this is still South Jersey after all, but many quick ups and downs which made the course interesting and forced me to stay focused.

The start/finish area.

During my first trip around the loop I was still catching glimpses of the last runner from the lead pack. After the first loop, the course hops back on to the straight gravel maintenance road that we ran in the beginning. This is the only section of the course where you can get a good look ahead for any amount of distance. Unfortunately, no runners were in sight ahead of me. I decided to try to crank up my effort for the second loop and see if I could catch anyone on the single track during the second loop. I was pushing and giving what felt like my maximum effort as I covered the miles and saw the familiar sights during the second loop. I developed a side stitch early on this loop and it continued for the majority of the lap. It was a bit surprising for me when I felt it because I usually don’t push to that exertion level during most races because most races I run are a much longer distance. During those races my goal is to only push as hard as I think I can maintain for the duration of 30, 50, or 100 miles which is never to the level of developing a side stitch. Nonetheless, I expect to incur a certain amount of pain and discomfort during any race so I did my best to bear it and continue to run through it.

 

 

When I hit the last mile or so of the loop, a stretch through a wetland area near the lake populated with Atlantic white cedars, and I hadn’t caught sight of any of the runners ahead of me I figured my chance of catching them before the finish was pretty slim. I was bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to catch any of them; I crossed the finish line in fifth place with a 1:40:33.2 finish time. Later after looking at the official results it was even more disappointing when I saw that I was only about a minute and a half behind the runner who finished just before me. It’s easy to second guess things in the moment, but it’s even easier (and probably unhealthy) to second guess decisions and question your effort after the fact. Being aware of this, it’s exactly what I did. Even in doing this, I know that I gave my best effort during the second half of the race and it wasn’t enough to do better than fifth on that day. Regardless of placement, a bit of disappointment, and the second guessing there were many positives I took from the race. I put in a hard 12 mile run. I got my first race of the year out of the way which I feel helps resolve some of the pre race nervousness in future races for the rest of the year. Lastly, I discovered some new trails with a few hills not too far from home for me to revisit. And I did it all en route to our family’s Easter weekend celebration.

 

 

Scott Snell

April 22, 2018

Eastern States 100 Group Training Run

Looks a little different in March than it did in August.

It’s pretty rare that I write a blog post about anything other than a race. It’s even more rare that I write a blog post about a training run. I almost exclusively only carve out the time to write a post when I am ready to put together a race report. The fact that I had the drive and felt the need to begin writing this post suggests to me that this past weekend of back to back long training runs must have been special or at least far enough out of my normal routine to cause me to reflect on them this week. It wasn’t the first time that I’ve done long (25ish mile) back to back training runs in a single weekend so it wasn’t the consecutive long days that made these training runs feel any more notable than other big training weekends. It was two other aspects of these runs that are causing me to reminisce on them with more joy than they they would probably bring most others. The two characteristics that made these training days noteworthy to me were the specific routes I ran and the groups that I ran them with.

An early climb from the first day.

The routes I ran this past weekend were significant to me because over the course of the two days I covered the second half of the Eastern States 100 course. Day one we ran from the Halfway House AS to the Blackwell AS. Day two we ran from the Blackwell AS to the ES100 finish and then about a mile beyond to the campground visitor parking lot (a somewhat cruel joke thanks to a certain Runhole). Although I’ve thought about the ES100 course extensively and replayed my experience there many times over, I hadn’t seen the course in person since running the race in August. Surprisingly, for as often as I relived that race in my mind, much of the course looked completely new to me. A few areas began to rekindle some memories:  the water only AS that was anything but a water only AS where I loaded up on perogies, the hemlock woods just before the final aid station, the crazy final descent just before the finish where it felt like my legs wouldn’t be able to stop me from just tumbling down the loose rock. But for the majority of the 50 or so miles, I had very little recollection of it. Of course there is a great explanation for this; for much of the time I spent running the second half of the course during the race the only light I had was my headlamp. Even so, I expected to recognize more of the trail or for it to at least feel more familiar than it did.

The finishing point of day one.

The second aspect of the training runs this past week that made them out of the ordinary was the fact that I met up and ran with a group of runners both days. To some runners this isn’t an oddity, but since I’d estimate that well over 90% of my training miles are run solo it was a big change for me. Especially considering the size of the groups. I didn’t do a count both days, but I’d guess we had a group of about 15 on Saturday and around 12 on Sunday. The groups between the two days weren’t completely unique, but other than myself and about four others who ran both days they were. It was a great chance for me to run some long miles with some company for a change.

We had a bit more sun on day two.

So this long training weekend stressed two lessons upon me:  the second half of the Eastern States 100 course wasn’t nearly as bad as my memory of it and that group running is important, maybe more important than I like to admit. Running the second half of the course on fresh legs was a huge confidence booster, especially this early in my training build up. Nearly all of my memories of the second half of the course before this weekend focused on how exhausted I was, how much I hurt, and how difficult the terrain was. I’d like to think that having now run it at a comfortable pace during back to back long runs I’ll be better prepared to face it again come race day when my legs have already endured 50 some miles of abuse. And the second lesson that I went home with was a greater appreciation for group training runs. Everyone has a busy life. I’m a father of two young boys that works full time so I’m no exception. I manage to train for ultras by running when I have time. By doing so, it makes scheduling group runs difficult because I’m asking others to accommodate my schedule. Therefore, I train when a few free hours present themselves. However, after this weekend of running with a fun couple of groups, most of whom I hadn’t met before, I feel like group running should have a place in my training regimen. So another running goal for me this year is to put forth a greater effort to make group runs happen and to partake in them when they appear.

A part of the group from day one.

Scott Snell

March 16, 2018

Maurice River Bluffs Preserve Review

Hours: 6:30AM - 7:00PM

Trail head at the parking lot.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to explore a new area and some new trails (new to me anyway) in South Jersey. I visited the Maurice River Bluffs Preserve in Millville, NJ managed by The Nature Conservancy. I first learned of the preserve through a coworker who recommended I check it out if I want some trails with hills to run. Coming from a non running, South Jersey native I honestly did not have high expectations for the trails there. After checking out the trail map and the website, I figured that in the worst case scenario I could at least get a four mile loop on some new trails. When an open Saturday presented itself, I made the 45 minute drive from home hoping for the best case scenario.

Arriving at the entrance, I was greeted by The Nature Conservancy sign and followed the narrow, single lane dirt road through the woods to the parking lot. The lot was nearly full and I immediately worried that the trails would feel crowded. I was pleased after the completion of my first lap around the perimeter of the trail system to find that it was about a 4.4 mile loop and did not feel crowded at all. I attribute this to the intricacy of the trail network. I believe the variety of options of interconnected trails allows visitors to disperse enough so as to not make the 535 acre preserve feel overcrowded even at peak use times.

Trail map.

Besides the variety of trails offered, another aspect of the preserve that impressed me was the hills. Don’t get me wrong, it is still South Jersey, but my 20 mile run got me over 1400’ of elevation gain according to Strava. I realize that 1400’ is laughable in many other areas, but for us flatlanders in South Jersey it makes this reserve valuable elevation training ground.

I already mentioned how impressed I was with the depth and variety of the many connected trails at the preserve. Which is why I was so surprised to find that it appeared that they were in the process of expanding the trail network at the preserve. At many points during my run I noticed unblazed trail marked with flagging. During my third lap around the perimeter I decided to get adventurous and follow one of these new trails. The appeared to have been marked and cleared for some time as I saw many mountain bike tire tracks along the lengths of them. I expect the trail map to be updated to include these newly blazed trails in the near future.

Lastly, I was impressed by the beauty of the sights throughout the preserve. A good portion of the perimeter loop follows the Maurice River and offers some great vistas along the way. The remainder of the trails wind mostly through forests dominated by pine, red cedar, and wild black cherry trees offering a good deal of shade. Maybe the reason the preserve appeared so attractive to me was just because the whole area was new to me, but maybe not. I’ll let you be the judge…

Scott Snell

February 7, 2018

Video of my day at the preserve:

The .gpx file of my route:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DpfRoPgk8-6WE8zo-9BFWTe_6F9n8ARZ/view?usp=sharing

Google Map of my route:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vW_-aEdskQ1IyLYiWbh_ZoShwOqu7iMa&usp=sharing

My Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/1390217386

Great trail signage throughout the preserve.

One of the few open areas.

One of the river vistas.

Another river vista.

Most of the steeper sections have stairs.

A water source.

The trail follows a bit of a ridge line for a stretch.

Another view of the ridge line.

The trails were dry when I visited, but I could see them having some seasonal wet areas.

It was a bit cool out.

A bridge on the orange trail.

Another view of the bridge.

An historic stone building.

A view of the inside.

A fresh water pond.

A serious fungal infection.

A section of nearly all pine forest.

Switchbacks in South Jersey?

I guess I was the last one here.

2018 Goals

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

--Jim Rohn

As I begin writing this post, I await the opening of the registration for the 2018 Eastern States 100. In just under three hours, barring a shutdown of runsignup due to a ridiculous amount of traffic, I will be registered to run the Eastern States 100 for the second consecutive year. And with that registration, I will also be registered to run the entire PA Triple Crown Series again for a second consecutive year. Finishing the PA Triple Crown Series was my top running goal last year. After finishing Eastern States, I immediately set a new goal to set a PR for the 100 mile distance at the Tesla Hertz 100 miler less than two months later. Since then, I’ve struggled with goal setting. With the new year and seeing so many other runners announce their 2018 schedules, I feel like I should have figured out what my plans and goals for 2018 were a long time ago. That wasn’t the case though. I registered for Worlds End 100k the day registration opened when I remembered how great of a course it was and thought about what I could do to improve my running of it. Just in the last week, I decided I will register for Eastern States 100 when it opens today. Doing the PA Triple Crown Series again wasn’t my goal for the year; I never made any running goals for 2018. But why fix what isn’t broken.

As uncreative and repetitive as it is, my 2018 running goal is to repeat the PA Triple Crown Series. Why not? I had a blast training for and running all three races. They challenged me in ways I had never been challenged before. I believe I could run at least two of the three races faster than I did. So like last year, my running goal for 2018 is to complete the PA Triple Crown Series, but to do it better than I did last year. But how do I measure that. I could measure it strictly looking at finishing times and places, but that has its limitations. Varying weather and trail conditions could play a large role in altering finishing times from one year to the next. Placement is an even more flawed measure in my opinion as it is so strongly determined by the pool of athletes competing each year. I’m not saying I won’t be comparing my finishing times from this year’s series to last year’s, but I will focus strongly on qualitative factors when measuring my success. Did I avoid those really low points when I bonked hard two-thirds of the way through Worlds End? Are my feet completely destroyed because I didn’t take the time to care for them at the aid stations of ES100?  Did I avoid making the same mistakes as I did last year? That is the main question I want to be able to say yes to at the finish of Eastern States 100.

Scott Snell

January 15, 2018

2017 Batona 50

A Lesson In Adaptability

“One of the most remarkable of man's characteristics is his capacity for becoming used to conditions of almost any kind, whether good or bad, both in the self and in the environment, and once he has become used to such conditions they seem to him both right and natural. This capacity is a boon when it enables him to adapt himself to conditions which are desirable, but it may prove a great danger when the conditions are undesirable. When his sensory appreciation is untrustworthy, it is possible for him to become so familiar with seriously harmful conditions of misuse of himself that these malconditions will feel right and comfortable.”

-F. Matthias Alexander

I want to start this race report with a bit of a disclaimer before you get too invested in reading this write up. This is not a race report in the traditional sense. It is more of a report of my experience leading up to and completing the Batona 50 miler. If you are more interested in a traditional race report, check out my report from last year’s Batona 50. Otherwise, please read on.

This was my second consecutive year running the Batona 50 miler and for whatever reason, I was not as excited about running it as much this year as I was last year. There could be many reasons to explain this. Maybe it was because it was the last ultra of the year I was registered for, maybe it was because I already achieved all of my running goals for 2017, or maybe I was just feeling a bit burnt out on running in general after running two 100 milers in the three months leading up to the Batona. The last of these explanations is probably the best answer for my lack of enthusiasm. I had run Eastern States 100 in August and then ran the Tesla Hertz 100 miler in October. With little down time between the two 100 milers and even less time between Tesla Hertz and Batona, I had little time for recovery or training. This was my first method of sabotaging my day at the Batona:  setting myself up for failure by not allowing the time necessary for the physical and mental recuperation that is needed (for me anyway) after a 100 mile event. I’m no expert, but running 100 miles changes you a bit physically and mentally afterwards. The body needs to repair itself and the mind, I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but it seems to need to acclimate itself back to the real world. After maintaining the physical effort for such a long period and the intense mental focus during that extended time, I think some rest is probably the best thing for the mind and body.

I did my best to rest and recover, but I felt the need to pick up training again to prepare for the Batona 50. I was back to doing some short and medium distance training runs, but never felt really motivated. I was battling some plantar fasciitis issues which came and went making every run feel like a gamble. Then I came down with a nasty cold about the time I intended to get my one long run in before the Batona. What I had intended to be an easy paced 25 miler ended up being an 11 mile struggle. It was one of those runs where you don’t feel like going out to run for whatever reason, but you force yourself to thinking that once you’re out you’ll start to enjoy it. This usually works for me, but being more sick than I had thought I was messed that plan up. With my throbbing sinus headache and my runny nose I suffered through 11 miles before I called it and said that it just wasn’t worth it. Not getting a single long run in to prepare for Batona had a huge impact on my confidence going into the run. The two weeks leading up to the run I had created and repeatedly told myself the mantra “I have no business running a 50 miler”. So I guess that’s my second method of sabotaging my run, allowing a negative mental outlook to develop and then going even further and nurturing it with a mantra.

I hoped that my outlook would turn around as the race drew nearer and I became more excited for the opportunity to run, but it never happened. I went through my normal build up as the race date approached, checking the forecast and deciding how many layers to wear. The cold start predicted for the morning of the run didn’t help get me motivated. I enjoy some cool weather running, but a starting temperature in the low 20s with a high in the mid 30s is a little cooler than I prefer. Checking the forecast every couple days leading up to the run with little to no change led me to accept that this would certainly not be the most enjoyable 50 miler I’ve ever run and that I still had no business running a 50 miler at this time.

Race morning came early. I got dressed, grabbed my stuff, and was out the door. As soon as I stepped out the door the cold hit me and I decided I had under dressed. I ran back in and exchanged my outer layer long sleeve wick away shirt for my winter gear wick away long sleeve. Feeling good about that last minute decision I was enroute to the rendezvous parking lot near the finish of the race where everyone running the race carpools from to the start, 50 miles to the north. I followed my GPS which I had set the directions for the previous night until it led me to a dead end road, not the meeting location. It was at this point that I almost quit the run before ever starting it. I was now running late and not even sure if I would arrive in time to catch the carpool to the starting area. As ridiculous as it sounds, I actually thought to myself, “Well, at least I tried” and seriously was on the verge of just driving back home and going back to bed. I hurriedly gave it another effort to start the race and catch the shuttle. I arrived just before the 5 minute warning for departure was being announced. I quickly grabbed my stuff and was the last one to hop in the van.

Shortly after the van ride to the start, the run was underway and we were off on the trail. It was still dark and pretty chilly, but calm so the temperature wasn’t as bad as I had expected it to be. I had hoped that once I started running all the negative thoughts I had leading up to the run would fade away quickly as my sole focus on covering the distance took over. This began to happen early as my feet crunched noisily through the heavy layer of leaf debris. It wasn’t long until the first of two early mishaps occurred. The first being the fact that my Garmin watch wasn’t able to locate satellites at the start. No big deal, I would just start recording when it did pick up satellites. When it did, I hit the button and nothing. It was a minor annoyance, but one more thing that wasn’t going how I wanted it to. I messed with it for longer than I would like to admit, but to no avail. Eventually, it beeped and the bezel became locked. At that point I said heck with it, I’m just going to run. It was also somewhere around that point that the few other runners I was with realized that none of us had seen a trail blaze in a while. We went a bit further and concluded that we were definitely off course. We decided to turn around and retrace our steps about a mile before finding the missed turn that we had all run by. I don’t know if it’s “ha-ha” funny or “strange” funny, but if we had stayed on our inadvertent detour about another 100 yards from where we turned around we would have run right back into the trail. Regardless, we got a couple bonus miles in early.

Things started going smoothly after that. I used the mile markers along the trail to have an idea of how far I’d traveled and how far I had to go. I used my watch to have an idea of what kind of pace I was keeping and an approximate idea of how long between aid stations. I started to get into a groove as the miles and hours went by. It wasn’t until around the 30 mile mark that I had my last and final mishap. I was beginning to feel a bit tired and worn out at that point. I’d run pretty much solo all day so I decided I’d put my earbuds in for some music and maybe a little bit of an energy and mood booster. It turned out that there was a short in one of the wires causing the music to go in and out. It made the music more annoying than anything else. I messed with the wire for a little bit hoping I could situate it just right so it would stay on when it finally hit me. I had an epiphany of sorts at that point when I realized that all of the hardships I had experienced leading up to this point before and during the run were either self inflicted or intensified and blown out of proportion by my reaction to them. For example, my Garmin giving me trouble should have been a minor distraction that I accepted and moved on from, but I exasperated it by continuing to try to get it to work and giving it more attention than it really deserved. In turn, that reaction may have caused the entire missed turn and early detour mishap due to me being distracted from watching for trail blazes. This is just one example of how an overreaction to one minor mishap can spitball and cause additional problems to crop up if you allow it to.

For better or for worse, and I would argue for better, I decided to run a race that I had convinced myself I was not prepared for rather than take a DNS. Although it may not sound like it from this writing, I argue that running this race was an overall positive experience because of the strong lesson I was already aware of but had fiercely reinforced upon me. That lesson being how great of an effect and impact your mental outlook can have on how a run turns out. In a broader view, it’s not just a lesson in ultrarunning, but life in general. Often problems are only as big as we make them. Probably even more often, our reaction to problems causes them to intensify or cause other hardships. If a set of headphones not working ruins your race or your day in general it’s not the fault of your headphones, but your reaction to that problem. Many of the hardships faced while running an ultra and in life in general only have the power of impact that you allow them to have.

Scott Snell

November 30, 2017

Four Years Later

Four Years Later

At the finish of the 2016 North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler at Bear Mountain, NY.

"If one could run without getting tired I don't think one would often want to do anything else"  

--  C.S. Lewis --

It was only a little over four years ago that the anesthesia wore off and I was wheeled out of the Rothman Intitute's Riverview Surgery Center in Philadelphia by wheelchair to my car. I had just undergone arthroscopic surgery on my right hip to repair an anterior labral tear. After the surgery, the surgeon had told me that my labrum was shredded due to a bone spur which caused a one way valve to form resulting in a painful cyst. Therefore, the shredded cartilage was cut out, the bone spur was shaved off, and the cyst removed. And hopefully, I was fixed and could return to running.

Arthroscopic image of my insides #1.

The story begins a bit earlier in 2013 when I began training for what I hoped to be my first ultramarathon. I had been toying with the idea of running an ultra since 2009 when I ran my first marathon, but it took me three years before I committed to the goal and started the training process. Unfortunately, as I began to increase my mileage I was hindered by an unrelenting pain in my hip every time I ran which lasted for several days following the run. After several visits with a few doctors, x-rays, an MRI, and a visit with a surgeon I was given the diagnosis, told my options, and decided corrective surgery was the best option.

Arthroscopic image of my insides #2-3.

Now, four years later, I am convinced it was definitely the best option. Less than two years after the surgery I ran my first ultramarathon, the 2015 Blues Cruise 50k in Leesport, PA. The following year I decided to test my limits further with the goal of running a 50 miler. Before the end of 2016 I had finished three 50 mile races and one 100 mile race. This year was the greatest test for me and my hip as I aimed to finish the notoriously tough Pennsylvania Triple Crown Series:  Hyner 50k, Worlds End 100k, and Eastern States 100 miler. Following the completion of a goal that I had thought about and worked towards for nearly two years I felt a bit empty. After Eastern States I quickly signed up for and ran another 100 mile race, the Tesla Hertz Trail Race. Obviously, I can’t say whether or not I would have achieved all of these ultrarunning goals if I had opted for physical therapy rather than the corrective surgery. I can say with absolute certainty that I was able to achieve them all following the corrective surgery. A feat that would likely have been impossible if I had opted for one of the other options offered by the medical professionals:  live with the pain.

Arthroscopic image of my insides #4.

I’m not saying that a surgery is a fix all or always the best option. I’m just saying it was the best option for me and my injury. Also, it wasn’t an immediate magical fix for me. I spent all of 2014 just building up some base mileage. Returning to running after the surgery was some of the toughest running I have ever done. The difficulty of becoming a runner is something that I believe most avid runners lose touch with. The forced time off following surgery and physical therapy was a stark reminder for me of just how hard it is to take up running. What would have been an easy three mile run before the surgery drained me. Eventually my fitness level returned and I was able to build up my endurance for longer distances. As frustrating as it is to work hard to get back to where you already were, the substantial and fast gains you witness along the way are the ideal motivators to keep at it. As grateful as I am for how well the outcome of the surgery was and being able to run long distances without the debilitating pain that I was experiencing in my hip, the mental game of rebuilding that I went through was beneficial for ultrarunning as well. It improved my mental fortitude to deal with the low points in long, tough races. It made me grateful to have the ability and desire to run. It proved to me that the desire to run long distances was still there and that I wasn’t hiding behind an injury as an excuse. Maybe most importantly, it spawned a new respect within me for everyone who has ever taken up running as a sport or hobby. Until I was forced to have to rebuild my running endurance, I took it for granted and had forgotten how hard I had worked to get to that level. I hope to always maintain that gratefulness and never forget again how difficult it is to start the journey to run long distances.

Arthroscopic image of my insides #5-6.

I would like to give a sincere thank you to everyone who helped me throughout this process including all of the medical professionals, especially Dr. John P. Salvo Jr. who performed the surgery. Also an extra special thank you to all of my family, especially my mother-in-law, that helped out during the recovery time when chasing my almost two year old son around on crutches was a bit of a challenge.

Scott Snell

October 27, 2017