2019 Running Trip – Day 2 – Bryce Canyon National Park

Leaving Zion National Park was tough. We could have spent another week there exploring everything the park has to offer. But like all running trips, the next spot calls, and we were about to experience another National Park that is extremely different from Zion. We awoke at 7:15am and were on the road by 7:45am….

2019 Running Trip – Day 1 – Zion National Park

The anticipation for the eighth annual Iron Phi charity running trip has been building for months. As I researched Utah leading up to the trip, I was mesmerized by what I was seeing online and on Instagram specifically. The more I planned, the more I became excited about what we would experience. The week’s itinerary…

2019 Running Trip Preview – Utah

The annual running trip now enters its eighth year, and it’s about time I do a little something to get out of my comfort zone. I’ve recently found myself gravitating to the Western United States, and last year’s running trip through Arizona left me wanting to explore more. After returning from Arizona and chatting about […]

Recap – 2018 Running Trip – Arizona

It’s been a little over a week since I returned home from my 2018 Running Trip through Arizona. Generally, I like to do a recap of the trip after some time has passed, but this year’s recap is a little different. See, we had about an eight hour drive to the Phoenix airport on the…

2018 Running Trip – Day 7 – Monument Valley

Over the past seven years on the running trip, I bet I could count on two hands the times people have jokingly referenced Forrest Gump in conversations with me. It might be a combination of his desire to run, haircut, and ping pong skills, but I’m still trying to figure that out. The movie, starring…

2018 Running Trip – Day 6 – Northern Arizona

Day 6 brought us another early start. My colleague Andrew Cole, an avid fan of the Southwest United States, recommended taking in a Grand Canyon sunrise at Desert View Watchtower. On the way to the watchtower in our car, we passed 10+ elk on the side of the road. Normally, this would be welcomed, but…

2018 Running Trip – Day 5 – Grand Canyon

Day 5 was filled with a 9-mile hike down and back up the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon. The visit was my first to this worldwide wonder, and we had a beautiful day. As we drove North from Williams, Arizona, we decided that we would hike the Bright Angel Trail for a few…

2018 Running Trip – Day 4 – Flagstaff, Arizona

Day 4 started at 5am. Why? I’ve narrowed it down to three options: My body is still on Central Standard Time My adrenaline pumps through my blood during the running tip I actually get sound sleep while on the road without two 70-pound dogs in my bed I’ll let you make the decision. After reluctantly…

2018 Running Trip – Day 3 – Sedona, Arizona

Day 3 was a day that I had been looking forward to for a long time. Sedona, Arizona has been high on my bucket list for many years now, and I frequently find myself perusing Instagram for the many photos taken in the area. To add to the excitement of arriving in Sedona, we had…

2018 Running Trip – Day 2 – Phoenix, Arizona

Day 2 – The big city in Arizona – Phoenix. The sheer size of the city offered a challenge in its own as we navigated this giant metropolis to find all of the donor landmarks. Phoenix is the fifth most populous city in the nation, the most populous state capital in the United States, and…

2018 Running Trip – Day 1 – Tucson, Arizona

Here we go again. The 2018 running trip is in motion, and I’m delighted to have my partner-in-crime Travis Griffith by my side this year. Leading up to the trip, I was able to surpass my $3,000 fundraising goal for Iron Phi. It’s always an amazing feeling to have people support you in your fundraising…

2018 Running Trip Preview – Arizona

In 2012, I turned 30, had my first mid-life crisis, and decided to run 60+ miles over the course of eight days in eight states. Six years, two kids, the same great wife, two repaired shoulders, $23,500 raised for a great cause, and a little extra belly fat later, the annual running trip now enters…