At the end of August and before I was fortunate enough to be able to return to Slovenia, I volunteered at another Ultra X race. The whole… Read more “Volunteering My Heart & Soul: Ultra X Wales”
Author: Pina Marek
Dreamer.
When We Love Our Gear to Death: The Last Goodbye to an (Extra)Ordinary Hat
It can be hard to say goodbye to your gear, especially when it’s a piece that’s been with you through thick and thin and joined you on every adventure over the span of 15 years. Just like with people, sometimes the life of an item comes to an end; it can’t be healed, it can’t be repaired. And it’s time to say goodbye.
In nearly every one of Beau Miles’ videos, his hat can be seen accompanying him. When his hat—his most loyal piece of gear—died, he did one thing: “With a heavy heart and a head full of memories, I’m taking my beloved hat for one last run.”
The hat’s last journey, a 40-kilometer run from Mt Baw Baw to Walhalla, is a celebration of its service to Beau. And—a little warning—it’s heartwarming and heartbreaking simultaneously.
Running as a Form of Prayer
In the documentary 3,100: Run and Become, Shaun Martin, an elite Navajo ultrarunner, says a quote. Now, I’m not usually one for quotes but this one spoke… Read more “Running as a Form of Prayer”
Euro Trails Are Something Else: Triglav Trail Run
At the end of a two-week flurry, I ran a race. It wasn’t a long race. I ran it just as a part of my training, and… Read more “Euro Trails Are Something Else: Triglav Trail Run”
Teaching: A Whole New (And Unexpected) Adventure
The title really says all you need to know but there’s been a little update (though I wouldn’t call it “an upgrade” just yet) in my life.… Read more “Teaching: A Whole New (And Unexpected) Adventure”
Bad Rivers & Kayaks: How Beau Miles Explores and Changes the World
What makes a river bad? People? Well, Beau Miles is one human who explores bad rivers and—especially in the case of Cooks Rivers—attempts to make them less bad. It might not be something a single person can achieve but if someone can get even remotely close to it by himself, it’s Beau.
In this documentary, Beau kayaks the Cooks River in Sydney, Australia’s sickest urban river. “Finding it not only challenging, but shocking in terms of its ill health, I’ve since shifted from wanting to see the wildest and most pristine places on earth, to the most degraded and sick. This is a journey of ill-health, sadness, and hope; putting a test to the local saying, ‘if you fall in, you’ll dissolve.'”
The Runners Who Didn’t Stop
When this gets published—and when you read it—I’ll be volunteering at an Ultra X event in Wales, taking care of a few fantastic people who are taking… Read more “The Runners Who Didn’t Stop”
Toadstool Hoodoo, Traffic Jams, and Pajama Pants (and, of course, geology!) | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip
Geology Bit at the end: Jurassic Entrada sandstone, Dakota formation, erosion & hoodoo creation, the Sevier fault I woke up in the morning before the sun started… Read more “Toadstool Hoodoo, Traffic Jams, and Pajama Pants (and, of course, geology!) | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip”
Seeking Solitude: Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and a Little Geology | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip
Geology Bit: the formation of the Grand Canyon: erosion, Vishnu Basement Rocks & Zoroaster granite, the Grand Canyon Supergroup, and the Great Unconformity The San Francisco Peaks… Read more “Seeking Solitude: Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and a Little Geology | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip”
Elden Mountain, Flagstaff, And the Things I Didn’t Plan (Plus a Bit of Geology!) | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip
I’ve always wanted to go to Flagstaff for some reason. Even before Cocodona, even before I saw photos of this beautiful town, I’ve wanted to go. Maybe… Read more “Elden Mountain, Flagstaff, And the Things I Didn’t Plan (Plus a Bit of Geology!) | AZ, UT, NV Road Trip”
Hit the Road with Me 