Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao

“If you work hard in training, the fight is easy.” -Manny Pacquiao

Barkley 2023

The time has come for another edition of the Barkley Marathons...

I am not connected enough to know the exact start date for this year's edition, which as always is shrouded in mystery. But campsites are booked for the next four days in Frozen Head, and some chatter on Twitter is starting. 

No one has finished the Barkley since John Kelly (pictured above) in 2017. 

The weather looks downright pleasant - no significant chance of rain until Friday. It will be cold, though.

I'm excited to see if anyone can make it happen this year! And I've heard - John Kelly may be back.

12:46 pm March 15th, 2023

The race got underway I believe at 9:54am on Tuesday morning the 14th. There are now 13 runners out on Loop 3, a record high if not close to it. This is looking like a strong year. Some of the notable front-runners at the moment include John Kelly (Finisher #15), Damian Hall (Kelly's rival in UK ultra-trail running), Joe McConaughy (FKT unsupported on the Appalachian Trail), and Karel Sabbe (FKT supported on the Appalachian Trail), among others. 

The weather has been cold but good and clear so far. Looking at the forecast before the race, I thought this might be the year for the first finish since 2017, and I'm sticking with that prediction as we sit around halfway through the race. However, I think only one of the runners will ultimately make 5 loops under 60 hours. My wife thinks three! That's only happened once before, in 2012 (the documentary year).

Jared Campbell (the only 3-time finisher) also started the race, along with Harvey Lewis (Big Dog's Backyard record holder with 350 miles). Out of all the contenders, Harvey Lewis would be my favorite to root for, since he's local to my area and his 350 at Bigs is absolutely legendary to me. But if he's already fallen off the front, then my money would be on Kelly or McConaughy. 

What an amazing competition. We'll post another update as the race progresses.

9:38 pm March 15th, 2023

We are down to five.

Here's the rough play by play I have so far - details may become more clear after the race, especially from runners who publish race reports:

• 15 runners ended up going out on Loop 3
• Jared Campbell returned from Loop 3 and chose not to return for Loop 4 due to injury
• Harvey Lewis came in 10 minutes late from Loop 2 and is out.
• Guillaume Calmettes Dropped during loop 3
• John Kelly, Albert Herrero Casas, Damian Hall, Christophe Nonorgue, Jared Campbell ("nondescript guy"), Karel Sabbe, Joe McConaughy, Aurelian Sanchez, Jasmin Paris, Pavel Paloncy, Guillaume Calmettes,  Tomo Ihara, Aaron Bradner, Piotr Chadovitch, and Johan Steene were the remaining runners at 1:01pm
• 5 runners made it out onto Loop 4 on time (so far?)

Historically, this was looking like a very strong race getting into Loop 3. I am fairly confident that no race has ever seen 15 runners begin loop 3 - perhaps it has happened once. 

Now, at the last update we have 5 on Loop 4: likely some combination of Kelly, Casas, Hall, Nonorgue, Sabbe, McConaughy, and Sanchez. This is historic. Barkley has not had five runners out on Loop 4 in the last decade of racing. The top pack is really doing well (as well as you can be said to be doing at the Barkley) and are giving themselves a chance to succeed.

Every hour is critical now, although I suppose every hour is always critical at the Barkley. But as I write, the runners are out in the dark in 40 degree temperatures and falling. It might be a full 10 degrees colder on the ridges. Mistakes are bound to happen, and we will find out sometime in the morning who, if anyone, has managed to make it through the second night intact and ready to make a push for the finish.

Loop 5 will then take place mostly during the day... if anyone makes it that far.

We have 5 world-class guys trying to make it happen, guys who have been running, hiking, and navigating thousands of miles in the mountains for many years. Not only that, but Kelly has tons of lifetime loops under his belt, and Sabbe has several as well. Anyone hanging with one of those two guys is going to have a shot. If the pack is still all together, the odds of success increase even more dramatically. This is going to be exciting, and I can't wait to hear the stories.

7:32 am March 16th, 2023

A total of 7 runners ended up starting Loop 4! 2 more began after my last post, it would seem. But no one has yet finished Loop 4, with 2 hours and 22 minutes remaining to do so. A finish is still possible, seeing as there is a daytime loop approaching, but the margin for error is now razor thin.

Three men now have the best shot: Kelly, Damian Hall, and Karel Sabbe. At last sighting, Kelly and Hall were working together out front, with Sabbe about an hour behind. This night is taking long enough that it would seem all runners encountered some serious issues.

Several more fun runs came in overnight. Several other runners behind Sabbe theoretically might still be in the running for a finish including Jasmin Paris (no woman has ever completed Loop 4). One way or another, it will all be over by 9:54 pm tonight.

8:34 am March 16th, 2023

The race is on.

John Kelly arrived back from Loop 4, turned it around in 12 minutes, and headed out for his fifth and final loop 46 hours and 2 minutes into the race. Meanwhile, Aurelian Sanchez (John Muir unsupported FKT holder) arrived back and left camp in the opposite direction at 46:07, five minutes after Kelly.

We now have not only a possibility of a finish on the immediate horizon, but a possible race to the finish. 

Several runners, at last update, are still out on Loop 4. It is still fairly likely that we will see a third or even fourth runner on Loop 5 - but with very little time to spare. Hall was running with Kelly for a long time, and perhaps he isn't far behind. Sabbe was an hour behind them at the water tower.

This is what it's all about. Loop 5 - man vs course - and this year, even man vs man. 

Barkley 2023 is entering its final round, the round where dreams go to die... usually. I hope not today.

11:42 am March 16th, 2023

Karel Saab came in 47 minutes after Kelly and shortly thereafter departed for his final loop. Damian Hall arrived, spent 10 minutes in camp, and departed at 47:49 race time with a to-go bag from Sonic, with almost exactly 12 hours to complete his final loop. Jasmin Paris has timed out and will not be able to continue with Loop 5. 

We now have a truly stunning 4 runners out on the final loop: Kelly, Sanchez, Saab, and Hall in that order. None have a generous time cushion, but all have a shot to finish. Also, it has been reported that Kelly was limping out of camp and Sanchez was sprinting.

On the bright side, Frozen Head will be in the 50s and sunny all day. 

On the other hand, each runner has completed at least 100 miles and 48,000 feet of climbing and descent on little or no sleep.

Let's bring it home!

1:55 pm March 16th, 2023

This is the first time ever that four runners are out on Loop 5. Laz is reportedly concerned that this will lead to a decline in willing participants, as they will worry that the course is too easy. No updates yet as far as I know. There are two runners going in each direction, and there will almost inevitably be some interaction as long as they are not all desperately lost in different locations when crossing paths. One wrong turn by a front-runner or a slow book could still mean that one of the following runners could catch up. Additionally, each of the two leaders would likely have seen Saab and Hall coming in as they went out in the opposite direction. Kelly would have seen Saab and Sanchez would have seen Hall. 

9:54 pm March 16th, 2023

From Keith Dunn - 

Damian Hall has dropped out of the race.

Aurelian Sanchez completed loop five and has finished the 2023 Barkley Marathons in 58:23:12.  A bit of a challenge near the end - a day hiker removed one of the books, believing the race was over. #BM100

John Kelly completed loop five and has finished the 2023 Barkley Marathons in  58:42:23.   John is the third runner to finish the Barkley Marathons more than once. #BM100

Karel Sabbe completed loop five and has finished the 2023 Barkley Marathons in 59:53:33. #BM100

Analysis #1: What a special year for Barkley

2012 is a year of legend for Barkley fans. The year of the documentary, and more importantly, the 3-finisher year: Brett Maune, Jared Campbell, and John Fegyveresi. Now, we have another three-finisher year. The names Sanchez, Kelly, and Sabbe will go down in Barkley history for their incredible performances. The race comes down to a combination of good talent, supreme preparation, race-day decision-making, and race-day luck. And for these three men, it all lined up just enough to give them a finish. We may never see a year like this again, because Laz will probably add 54 new hills next year to make sure the race hasn't become too soft.

Analysis #2: A stunning win for Sanchez

It's not every day that a Barkley virgin manages to pull off a finish. But to do it in a win against the likes of John Kelly and Karel Sabbe is a performance on a whole other level. Aurelian Sanchez is something special, and I can't wait to learn more about him in the coming days. The John Muir Trail unsupported record holder, Sanchez ran a smart and amazingly consistent race for a first-timer, staying with the veterans early and avoiding disastrous mistakes late. What a run.

Analysis #3: John Kelly deepens his Barkley Legend

The local man from these very Tennessee mountains has now increased the size of an incredibly select group from two to three. Only Kelly, Brett Maune, and Jared Campbell have multiple finishes at Barkley. They are legends among legends in Barkley lore. I can't wait to read his race report and spend some time "out there" second hand through his written work. 

Analysis #4: Karel Sabbe finally makes it happen

Possibly the most gratifying of this year's three finishes was Karel Sabbe just managing to get through the final loop under 60 hours with a whopping 6 minutes 26 seconds to spare. After Fun Runs in 2019 and 2022, it was clear the guy had the makings of a finisher, but it never all lined up just right. But now it has, and I can't imagine the satisfaction of refusing to give up through a two and a half day fight, leaving it all out there to become the 17th finisher of the Barkley Marathons.

Field Report #036

 

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;

    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

I will open my mouth in a parable;

    I will utter dark sayings from of old...  Psalm 78:1-2

Today was a fun day in the fitness category - and it's not finished yet!

I'm shooting to get in 6 miles every Saturday; today it had to be split between an approximately 4.7 - mile run in the morning and 2 miles in the evening for around 6.7 total. The evening run was a nice, fairly quick neighborhood tour in the dark, and fun to liven things up after dinner.

But the morning workout was the real kicker - I decided to put in a 400m, 800m, and 1600m Time Trial all at once! I was in Indiana and discovered from our hosts that there was a track only a mile away. So as soon as I could in the morning, I ran over and got to work! I ended up doing 400m all out, jogged 2 laps, 800m all out, jogged 2 laps, and 1600m all out, jogged 1 lap, then jogged back home, all pretty much continuous. It was a good baseline for me since I plan to run three times a week for the next month-plus, and also plan to do burpees 6 days a week. I would love to see how that training would affect my times for these three basic distances. Today, my times were:

1:09    400m

2:53    800m

6:20    1600m

For context, my PRs in those three distances are:

1:07    400m (this is the only one I'm not sure about, give or take a second)

2:22    800m

5:25    1600m

Each time was right around what I was expecting. After completing this Rhythm of the Sword training segment, I think that realistic goal times for the three events in a Time Trial conducted the same way would be:

1:05    400m

2:45    800m

6:05    1600m

I would love to dip back under 6 but am unsure how many miles I would need to put in to get back there, especially after putting in a hard 400 and 800 in the same run. This is a fun and tough way to do Time Trials. 

And like I said, the day's not finished! All 120 burpees are still waiting for me. I've been loving the 15-down method for doing my 120.

100TH POST - SPECIAL EDITION

52 years ago yesterday, Smokin' Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in "The Fight of the Century"

"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

This is the 100th post of the official Rhythm of the Sword website! 

Fun fact - the current most-viewed post on the site is The Ending of the Year. There are several posts tied for least-viewed with 0 total views, such as the classic Field Report #021.

Yesterday marked yet another restart for me in the Rhythm of the Sword pursuit. After a lull lasting several days, I am looking to get my longest-ever streak in all 3 categories simultaneously started today, God-willing. We are shooting for 120 Burpees, the Rhythm of the Sword - Daily Office (without too much concern for time of day), and strict 0 Entertainment. This will also be supplemented with other physical activity and memory work. I'll take Sundays off burpees, making up for it with the extra 20 in the other 6 days.

At the end of The Dark Knight, we see Batman take the fall for Harvey Dent, and drive off on his Batmobile-cycle with Gordon voicing over the scene with the famous words:

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight."

The original image for Rhythm of the Sword was the Night Watchman. And that's not too different from what you have in Batman - the Dark Knight. Combine the two ideas, and you get The Dark Watchman.

The Dark Watchman is awake and prepared. He is on guard and active. He does not require praise, recognition, or the directives of an overseer. He simply does his duty in life and in death, trusting Jesus Christ as his champion and serving the people God has given him until Christ returns. He is constant in prayer, and meditates on the Word of the Lord, day and night. He is a warrior whose strength is not in himself, but in the Lord his rock, who trains his hands for war, and his fingers for battle. He is a dark and broken sinner, reborn in Holy Baptism and called to be a watchman until the return of the king. For freedom Christ has set him free - so he stands firm, and does not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Rather than becoming enslaved to the flesh once more, he pummels his body and makes it his own slave, lest he be disqualified from glory. Lest the king returns and he has fallen into a deep and slothful sleep. He stays awake, as Jesus commanded.

And yet every Sunday morning, and every day, he is able to rest in peace through the Word and Sacraments of Christ alone, knowing that it is not his labor and wakefulness that justifies, but the Son of God in whom he has hoped. Whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood has eternal life, and Jesus Christ will raise him up on the last day. The Dark Watchman is, before all else, a baptized son of God. An inheritor of the Father's eternal gifts.

In this Dark Watchman, I see echoes of saints like Noah, Elijah, Paul, Sebastian, Krčméry, Liddell, and so many more. Each has a lesson to teach for men today, from Noah's lonely centuries-long faithfulness, to Elijah's faithful service and forerunner's zeal, to Paul's great faith in the midst of great weakness, to Sebastian's warrior faith in the face of death, to Liddell's strength and a faith that flowed out in selfless love, to Krčméry's faith in the midst of suffering. As we read in Hebrews 11, these remained faithful, despite not fully receiving God's promises in their lifetime. Indeed, their faith ultimately points it all back to Christ, who trusted the Father, submitted to his will, and not only set the perfect example of manhood for us but saved us from our effeminate boyhood once and for all.

It is finished. Remember that.

Every Christian is the Dark Watchman. Rhythm of the Sword is just one man-made set of disciplines to help you remember that, and live according to it.

You stand upon the heights of the city of God's people. You have been called to stand watch, and the night is cold and dark and deep. Outside the gates, wide is the path that many wicked have followed into destruction. And within, you and your brothers and sisters wrestle against the powers of darkness that lurk in the city and in your heart. The devil entices you, your heart betrays you, and death awaits you. Your legs tremble beneath you, and the serpent whispers for you to collapse again into his warm, soft bed, to fall asleep and embrace his pleasurable and easy world for a short while.

You have fought this battle before, and consider once again that you could simply give up. Your mind flies away to marvelous dreams of glory, anything but here, anything but the cold and miserable work he has given you to do. You fall to the stone and retreat from the biting wind until you are good and warm, leaving a gap at your place in the line. Having escaped your post once again, you huddle half-within the doorway of the guardroom where a guilty fire begins to warm your back.

And then, into the battle line steps a man, clothed in the dark garments of a true warrior. He is tall, strong, and purposeful as he takes your place in the line and stands firmly upon the stone. A double-edged sword is on his back. Helmet, breastplate, shield, belt, boots, and all, he is prepared for his task. And from that moment on, day after day, you watch him. 

When the cold night wind cuts across the high mountains, he stands watch. When the darkness deepens and weary eyes begin to surrender to sleep, he stands watch. When the days stretch without end and weary legs tremble beneath every man, he stands watch.

When the wall is broken, he mends it. When a watchman stumbles, he raises him up. When the enemy attacks, he destroys them. When a watchman becomes weary and falls asleep ere the coming of the morning, he stays awake and bids him stand. When the day's work is done, he unsheathes his sword and repeats the rhythms of battle. On the seventh day, he rests. And without ceasing, prayer and supplication he makes to his Lord and God. He does not fear the enemy, for he has defeated the enemy already, and only waits now for the time appointed by his father to claim his rightful throne as judge of the living and the dead.

It is finished. (Although it wasn't between Frazier and Ali - the latter won two subsequent rematches)

Thus you watch him. On warmer days, you come and venture close to the battle line. But as the wind rises and weariness sets in again, you return to the doorway and huddle close to the fire, away from the endless wind and watch.

Days become weeks, and weeks become months - perhaps years. And still the Dark Watchman diligently takes your place in the line. And still you huddle there in the doorway, venturing out, venturing back in, waiting and wondering, sleeping and imagining.

Until one day, the Dark Watchman turns and looks into your eyes with love and pity. He comes and stands before you, then extends a hand. 

"Follow me."

You stay where you are, looking longingly back at the fire. You turn your eyes to the Dark Watchman, then beyond him to the cold winds on the heights. Snow begins to drift down through the night air. You make no reply.

"Follow me."

He has prayed for you. He has preached to you before. And despite the beckoning fire, by his grace, you finally reach out your hand.

He takes it, and pulls you to your feet. He touches your clothing, and with a start, you remember that your warrior's garb is all in white, as white as the snow that swirls through the winter air around you. In fact, all the night watch is clothed in white, but the Dark Watchman is still in deepest black. You stand before him.

"But Lord, I am only a beggar, and unfit for the task you have given me."

He replied, "You are a baptized son of God. You eat my flesh and drink my blood. You will never die. Now come. Follow me." 

He leads you out into the biting wind, and the a rush of cold air steals the breath from your lips. You stand behind him, in the battle line again, staring out over the lands of darkness below. Your legs tremble, then steady themselves on the solid rock beneath. The winter gales are miserable, but somehow, standing there with the Dark Watchman, you find yourself alive and filled with a purpose that you had long since forgotten. A new warmth blossoms in your chest, not the tired and guilty warmth of the fire behind you, but the light of hope and purpose and peace. Almost without thought, your hand strays to an old sheath on your own back, and you draw a double-edged blade, shining and gleaming sharp despite years of relative neglect. 

"What shall I do, Lord?"

"Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Go to the ant, and willingly do the work you have been given to do. Pray without ceasing. Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor. Repent, and turn to me with all your heart. I have redeemed you, my son. Stand watch, and join your fellow dark watchmen at the battle line. Stay awake."

So you stand firm in the battle line, your King in your place and you following beside him.

And you pray:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

Into your hands I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O + Jesus Christ, faithful God. Father in heaven, make me to be like the ant, in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

From that day onward, you continue to struggle with sin, sometimes inching back toward the warmth and escape once again.

But you do not abandon the battle line. You do not fall asleep. You do not forsake the watch. You do not deny your Lord. You do not submit again to the yoke of slavery, which was your former way of life. You have been redeemed. You resist the enemy with courage because your Champion stands in the gap and fights for you. He is the very blade in your had, and it is the blade that lifts your heavy arms, not your arms that lift the blade. And so it is truly Jesus Christ alone who fights for you; you have only to be silent. Again and again and again, you put your hope in your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and ask him to teach you what it is to be the Dark Watchman, until that day on which your faithful watch is rewarded with angel cry and trumpet sound.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

Into your hands I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O + Jesus Christ, faithful God. Father in heaven, make me to be like the ant, in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Kipchoge, Kawauchi, and the Blue Collar Runner

1:59:40.2

Watching the clock stop at that time, as I witnessed Eliud Kipchoge break 2 hours in the early morning hours from a hotel bed in St. Louis, was one of the most memorable moments in my running life.

It had not been so many years ago that I had read a Runner's World feature about how the first sub-2 marathon might come about. I also devoured Ed Caesar's Two Hours, another fascinating exploration of the same topic. As far as I remember, both had predicted that yes, of course two hours would likely fall one day, but probably not for another few decades.

And now I was watching it happen. 

On the one hand, I really don't care about the technological side of the whole affair. The rotating pacers, the exhibition style, the hand-picked course and date, and of course the shoes. The man - not the shoes - the man had just broken 2 hours. No one else in the world was capable; Nike's attempt had shown that only Kipchoge was at this level.

So I remain stunned by Kipchoge's race.

But it's not my favorite race ever, and that's because of the way Kipchoge decided to go about breaking the barrier. Because he chose to break 2 hours the way that he did, we will always be left to wonder: What if he had to wear the same shoes that I do? What if he ran in the same marathons as me, or used the same pacers as me, or had the same hydration as me?

Would it really have happened?

In other words, Kipchoge's approach separated his effort from the everyday experience of the common runner. The super shoes in particular have separated every new world record from the time before the super shoes. I personally don't think shoes should get the lion's share of the credit for world records, but it's hard to argue with the data: these shoes offer a tangible and measurable advantage across a significant sample size.

That's why Kipchoge's history-making efforts, while remaining beautiful and incredible to behold, can't stand as my own standards or dreams for human possibility. Kipchoge and much of professional running has become too disconnected from the everyman's experience.

His running is truly beautiful, but it also sometimes feels like he's operating under different conditions than everyone else. I loved his 2015 Berlin victory, where it was clear that his 2:04:00 blowout win was not thanks to the shoes, as you can see above.

Nowadays, most elite guys don't work for a living - they just run. They don't muddle their way through the intricacies of designing a training plan - they just hire a professional coach. They literally don't walk (run) a mile in my shoes - because their sponsors make them their own special prototypes.

To give Kipchoge his fair credit, he does the work to keep his running from becoming corrupted by the wealth and leisure of his prominence. He lives and trains in what most Americans might describe as poverty, holding onto that connection to the everyman's mindset and approach. It would be neat to see him race and break records with the same simple, everyman approach that he takes to daily life. Perhaps living outside the U.S. he doesn't perceive the extent to which his exhibition choices have sullied the admiration of his efforts. For better or for worse, he has become a participant in the Nike machine that is at the very forefront of this tech-driven, money-fueled approach to marathoning.

So while you can't take away from the magnificence and beauty of watching a man like Kipchoge fly across the earth with breathtaking grace and speed, there is perhaps something even more viscerally moving about the way things were done "back in the day". When running was a sport for amateurs, people like you and me who just loved to run, and ran like the wind.

That's why Yuki Kawauchi's 2018 Boston Marathon is my favorite race ever. Because there you have a true amateur - a working man from Japan who loves to run (and loves to race), who took time off work to show up on a windy, rainy, cold Boston morning and showed the pros how to run a real marathon in real conditions.

He was fearless, gritty, smart, and absolutely unorthodox and unprofessional. In Kawauchi, every hobby jogger can see himself and realize that this isn't just a sport for the elites. Distance running doesn't need more money, better shoes, fewer hills, or more corporate sponsorships. It needs real people, you and me, logging the miles in training, racing our hearts out and then getting back to work.

Real work.

Kawauchi isn't even an amateur anymore; he's rightfully earned and embraced the pro runner status after his Boston victory. But the man has done his part, showing that if the wind blows just right, a normal guy like him, well-prepared and gifted with talent, can still take on the world and win.

I am not saying that every hobby jogger has a Boston Marathon victory in him. But perhaps a Boston Marathon qualifier. A new PR. A local 5K victory. An ultramarathon finish. You get the idea.

It's really not that complicated. Just damn difficult. Do the work. Run the miles. Take the blue-collar approach. Keep moving. 

As Kawauchi repeated to himself as he powered against the wind in the final miles of Boston, "forward, forward, forward."

For further reading, I'll leave you with the two best English-language articles I've found on Kawauchi:

New York Times human-interest piece

Full Boston piece from Japan Running News