I enjoyed the experience of running the 23rd Annual Arkansas Traveler 100 (AT100), held by the Arkansas Ultra-Runners Association, in the scenic Ouachita National Forest. Executing my strategy and running smart in the wind and whipping rain (and sleet briefly), I traded leads with winner, Brock Hime, from Mile 33 onward. This was a classic, two-man race, and Brock's performance was very impressive. The guy is all guts. Picking up a fresh pacer at Mile 68, Brock caught-up to me at Mile 75 as darkness approached (I had passed him at Mile 65 by pushing hard on a 20-mile stretch of well-maintained service roads). Though I maintained contact with Brock, this former cross country runner (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) pushed hard every time I pulled within 200 yards. In a last ditch effort, I went stealth, turned off my headlamp and flashlight, and gave everything I had on the final mile of pavement (1 of the 2.4 total miles of pavement on the course). The end result was the closest AT100 in the history of the race, and by a longshot. We finished just over one minute apart, over 2.5 hours ahead of the field, which included multiple former AT100 winners and runners-up. I cannot end this post without thanking my amazing crew, my Mom and Dad; my beautiful, dedicated wife, Diana, who supported this insane idea; my brother, who provided sound advice throughout my training and acted as a sounding board for race planning and strategy; and my good friend and running partner, Dave, whose discipline and commitment to running is inspiring, and who met me at the finish line with a cold beer. Wesley | 