101.85 miles (and 23000 feet) for The Soldiers Project
This sinister-looking image is the elevation profile for the Grindstone 100 mile trail race, which takes place each year in early October in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. The race twists through what is sometimes called the "Rollercoaster," a rugged, relentlessly up-and-down course with a cumulative altitude gain of over 23000 feet and a total mileage of 101.85 miles. A year older, but apparently no wiser, in a bit over a month, I'll be returning to Grindstone for the second time. On Friday evening of October 4, I'll set off with slightly fewer than 200 runners for a full night of running. We'll run all the next day. For most of us, when the sun goes down a second time on October 5, we'll still be running. The cause for which I am running This year, I'm running on behalf of The Soldiers Project , an innovative and award-winning non-profit that provides free counseling and support to military service members who have served in ...