I started running in June 2014, when my wife asked me to train with her for a local half marathon. I begrudgingly agreed, not knowing the journey I was about to start on would change my life. I had played soccer from age 5-20, but had always hated running as an activity on it's own. I then essentially was physically dormant in my 20s and 30s until I started running again at end of my 30s.
In the first couple weeks of running, a few things happened that shaped the course of my running journey. I needed to get new running shoes and luckily found Altra shoes, and I read an article about putting identity before effort when adapting a new behavior. Altra shoes fit great and I'd been wearing minimalist, zero-drop casual shoes for years (vivobarefoot shoes) so Altra's felt natural on my feet. Probably more important than the shoes, I focused on proper running form with a goal of life long running. I've been running now for 2 years injury free.
After relocated to Grand Rapids, MI from Columbus, OH in June 2015, I started running more trails and fell in love not just with running, but with the simple act of playing in the wood. I grew up exploring the wilderness and wooded spaces in New England, and had forgotten that part of my life and how powerful it is. I feel free running through the wood, and now I think of running as a super-power. Things I used think were impossible, I now take for granted and accept as normal.
Maybe it is my general contrarianism, but I was immediately drawn to the idea of running ultras, even before I ran my first marathon (which for me wasn't a race, but an unsupported effort from my house on an out-and-back route on the Olentangy Trail in Columbus, OH).
As a designer, I started playing around with visualizing the data I was collecting on my runs, and these posters were the refined output of these efforts. I started just making them for myself to remind myself of my fun adventures, and as a reminder to get back outside to the wild spaces I love. Every time I made a new poster and shared it on social media people would ask if the posters were for sale, so now they are.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
If you are in the Grand Rapids, MI area or not, let's connect and chat or even run together.