2026 Howl at the Moon: My 19th and Last

The red barn at Howl

Yesterday I "ran" the Howl at the Moon 8-Hour ultra in Danville, IL. It was my 19th time. And it ended poorly after just 6 loops (19.5 miles). I was not injured. Was not ill. Just tired, bored, and unmotivated. Also untrained. My longest run of the year had been 14 miles...in January! With the heat and humidity, my lack of miles really showed. I was unhappy and realized this was not for me. I walked the entire 6th loop. In addition to being unprepared, I really missed the vibe that came with previous Howl races. I used to know most of the volunteers and scorers. And I knew 20-30 runners. We'd pass each other and offer encouragement. It was fun. It was motivating. No more. I knew maybe 6 runners this year and no volunteers. This race is not the same as it was. I've changed too. If I'm not motivated, or at least enjoying the run, I will stop. I call that wisdom. I don't have anything to prove.

This was my 19th Howl at the Moon. And probably my last. I have 707 miles over the years at Howl, averaging over 37 miles each year. Twice I hit 47 miles! Yesterday was 19.5 miles. I have fallen. And I don't think I'll get up for another Howl. 

I'm currently stuck at 113 ultra/marathons. Haven't completed an ultra in 2 years and I would like to add to that total. Think I'll try for Allerton free ultra in October...and Winter Solstice 30 miler in December. Free ultra runs with lots of friends. Sounds good! 

Mahomet 5K Race Time Prediction

I'll be running the Mahomet 5K race this Saturday. It's my local race. I've run it many times (it was my first race I ever ran--25+ years ago). What is my expected finish time this year? Here are my race times for the last 5 years:

• 2025 = 24:52
• 2024 = 22:47
• 2023 = 22:28
• 2022 = 22:20
• 2021 = 23:30

Last year (2025) I was still recovering from pneumonia. It was an anomaly. Here are predicted times based on my current running data and software:

• Runalyze = 25:53
• Amazfit (GPS watch) = 22:45 
• Stryd run pod = 21:48

Recent 5K race times:

• Parkrun on July 25 = 23:49
• Parkrun on July 18 = 26:00 (very hot)
• Parkrun on June 27 = 23:55 

Based on the above statistics and my gut feeling, I think Amazfit is close to the correct prediction. I think I can run around 22:45. Probably a littler slower since hilly course and will be warm and rainy on Saturday morning. My prediction is 23:00. I'll do much better than last year (24:52) but not quite as good as in 2024 (22:47). We'll see! 

UPDATE: Finished in 25:11. My worst 5K ever. Yikes. It was warm and drizzly. So humid! Think my hard run on Thursday night was a big mistake. Still made 1st in age group (60-69). 

May Saw Little Work, Lots of Racing!

In late April I ran my first 1-mile race. It went well!  Ran a 6:30 mile at age 60. Not too shabby for this old ultrarunner. On May 1, I retired from my job of 30+ years. I had no immediate vacation plans, so why not race every weekend? So I did. Here are my 5k race results for 5 Saturdays in May (I count Parkrun 5Ks as races since I run them hard):

• May 2: 21:53 actual Kerby Derby race (323 W)
• May 9: 22:53 parkrun (322 W)
• May 16: 24:18 tempo run on treadmill (281 W) 
• May 23: 23:51 parkrun (301 W)
• May 30: 23:52 parkrun in Pittsburgh (313 W)

Some variation, but fairly consistent results. I need to pace myself better from the start using power (watts) as my guide. I tend to go out too fast! Surprised the tempo run was as fast as it was at only 281 watts. Clearly I can do about 320-325 W for a 5k race. Just need to do that steadily from start to finish rather than zooming off at 330-350W at the start, then slowing to barely over 300W at the end. 

Running will suffer while the World Cup unfolds over the next 5 weeks. I'll get in another "out of town" parkrun in Seattle as I catch a soccer match or two. Or five. While watching soccer, I need to get in some long runs for my 4 upcoming ultramarathons: Backyard Ultra in July, Howl at the Moon 8-hour in August, Limestone Rocks 8-hour in September, and Allerton Free Ultra in October. Yikes! Then in early November I have a planned fast half-marathon. I should have the endurance by November, just need tom hold a touch of speed...and not get injured. Hey, I'm retired so I should be older and wiser. I can do this. Really, I can.