We are thrilled to share that our second daughter, Hazel Maryn McMahon-Lasky, was born on May 19, 2024 weighing in at 7 pounds and stretching 20 inches. Both baby and momma are thriving. Juni is excited to be a big sister. Hazel is already providing
We are thrilled to share that our second daughter, Hazel Maryn McMahon-Lasky, was born on May 19, 2024 weighing in at 7 pounds and stretching 20 inches. Both baby and momma are thriving. Juni is excited to be a big sister. Hazel is already providing some valuable advice and reminders. Eating and resting are wonderful. Physical contact nourishes the soul. Pants are overrated. Sometimes, the best way to manage a toddler temper tantrum is to ignore it. Feeling fulfilled and grateful.
Been thinking about this guy a lot lately. Every time I’m injured, I begin comparing myself to him. Unfortunately, much of my memory of my dad revolves around his physical and mental health challenges. When I herniated a disc two months ago, I
Been thinking about this guy a lot lately. Every time I’m injured, I begin comparing myself to him. Unfortunately, much of my memory of my dad revolves around his physical and mental health challenges. When I herniated a disc two months ago, I started thinking about the times my father’s back went out when I was a kid. At the same time, I know that my dad stubbornly held onto hope and laughter and positivity, even when things were dark. After weeks of pain, two epidural injections, and a dozen physical therapy sessions, I went for a slow, one-mile run today. The recovery continues, but I’m committed to keeping a glass-half-full mindset. The meaning doesn’t lie in our ability to maintain perfection, but rather in our ability to gather the pieces and rebuild ourselves after we break. ❤️
For me, the paradox of aging is accepting that a lifetime is short but that there is infinite power in individual moments. As I get older, despite some desire to feel greater agency in my own life, I am accepting how little control I actually have. T
For me, the paradox of aging is accepting that a lifetime is short but that there is infinite power in individual moments. As I get older, despite some desire to feel greater agency in my own life, I am accepting how little control I actually have. That said, I *am* doing what I can to allow more good to enter. I’ve learned that trying to do less can, in many ways, create space for more to just…happen. At Rocky Gap 50K with @kate.m.mcmahon and Juni as my crew, I observed a few guidelines: go fast if I feel good, take in the nature around me, make connections with the people on the course. Otherwise, let dirt pass beneath me for 31 miles and embrace what comes. A third place finish is a great reminder that I don’t need to over-curate and over-produce a thing to get what I want out of it. And maybe even more. 📸 @outdoortype75 @swimbikerunphoto
As a dad to a 14-month-old, I often note that while I’m not getting any taller, the ground is feeling farther and farther away. Bending over requires more effort and is accompanied by grunting. If I sleep or sneeze or twist the wrong way, my ba
As a dad to a 14-month-old, I often note that while I’m not getting any taller, the ground is feeling farther and farther away. Bending over requires more effort and is accompanied by grunting. If I sleep or sneeze or twist the wrong way, my back will hurt for a couple of days. I always ignored this part when older friends with children talked about it. You are all now vindicated. That said, this almost 40-year-old can still rage in the woods. Though my training isn’t improving, I know how to choose my battles. I’ve learned when to push the turbo button and when to conserve energy. I’ve discovered how to convert the scars of my past into a source of strength. I’d like to think the aging process has actually yielded a net benefit after weighing earned experience against wear and tear. But check back in with me in a few years. EX2 Backyard Burn 5-Mile at Hemlock Overlook: 2nd overall EX2 Backyard Burn 5-Mile at Wakefield Park: 4th overall 📸 @swimbikerunphoto
Warmth and waves, food and friends. Thank you (once again) Santa Teresa, for the space to disconnect and reconnect.
Warmth and waves, food and friends. Thank you (once again) Santa Teresa, for the space to disconnect and reconnect.
Grateful for trails, for roots and rocks, for hills, and for the opportunity to push myself to the edge. Grateful for the intense efforts that humble and yield perspective. Grateful for the team at @ex2adventures for a great season-ending event at t
Grateful for trails, for roots and rocks, for hills, and for the opportunity to push myself to the edge. Grateful for the intense efforts that humble and yield perspective. Grateful for the team at @ex2adventures for a great season-ending event at the Backyard Burn 5 Mile at Fountainhead. Grateful to rage my way to a rare first place finish on one of my favorite courses in purple tights and a cosmic cat t-shirt. 📸: @swimbikerunphoto
There is something so intensely pure about giving everything you have. What a privilege I had on Sunday to spend about 10 seconds in an all-out sprint to finish the @ex2adventures Backyard Burn 5-miler at Riverbend Park. I think it’s easy to fo
There is something so intensely pure about giving everything you have. What a privilege I had on Sunday to spend about 10 seconds in an all-out sprint to finish the @ex2adventures Backyard Burn 5-miler at Riverbend Park. I think it’s easy to forget how hard we can go until we just let it rip. Thanks to @i_run_ava and @willshahdc for pushing the limits out there! Such a blast to share those miles with you. 📸: @swimbikerunphoto #trailrunning #racewithEX2 #runmoretrails #runDC
Do optimal conditions actually exist? No, they don’t. And that is okay. I showed up to the starting line of the @ex2adventures Rocky Gap 50K with a strained calf and about an hour and a half of sleep. Poor baby was so sick that she couldn&rsq
Do optimal conditions actually exist? No, they don’t. And that is okay. I showed up to the starting line of the @ex2adventures Rocky Gap 50K with a strained calf and about an hour and a half of sleep. Poor baby was so sick that she couldn’t stop crying unless @kate.m.mcmahon or I were holding her all night. But, I found that if I stayed positive, stuck to my race strategy, and managed my calf pain, that it would all work out okay. And it did. Special shout out to Kate who crewed baby and me, long before the race started (and after it ended). A first-class racing experience for EX2’s inaugural ultra set against a beautiful backdrop in perfect fall weather. 5:02:34, 5th overall, 3rd in 30-39. We find a way to make it work.
#Gratitude post. Tomorrow, I’ll run my 48th race with @ex2adventures. Since my first #EX2 event 8 years ago, #trailrunning has become a huge part of my existence, and I owe so much of that to Andy Bacon and his team. Come out this fall to an
#Gratitude post. Tomorrow, I’ll run my 48th race with @ex2adventures. Since my first #EX2 event 8 years ago, #trailrunning has become a huge part of my existence, and I owe so much of that to Andy Bacon and his team. Come out this fall to an EX2 race, and I promise you will have a blast. Incredible community, friendly and supportive staff, fun and perfectly marked courses, tasty post-race food, free massage and chiropractic on site. EX2 is why I’ve fallen in love with trail running, and it’s easy to see why. I’m especially excited that EX2 is offering it’s first-ever ultra distance event in October!! See you out there, friends. 9/17 - Schaeffer HM/10K 10/1 - VentureQuest 10/15 - Rocky Gap 50K/25K/Relay 10/30 - FBYB @ Lake Fairfax 11/6 - FBYB @ Riverbend 11/20 - FBYB @ Fountainhead 📸 @swimbikerunphoto #runDC #trailandultra #trailandultrarunning #runnersofinstagram #racewithex2 #5krun #10k #halfmarathon #50ktraining #ex2trailteam
2014, 2022 Bull Run Run 50 miler. Same race (and same aid station), eight years apart. Our reasons for doing a thing change, and so do we. Back then, I ran my first ultramarathon to see if I could go that far. The mindset was about expansion. But t
2014, 2022 Bull Run Run 50 miler. Same race (and same aid station), eight years apart. Our reasons for doing a thing change, and so do we. Back then, I ran my first ultramarathon to see if I could go that far. The mindset was about expansion. But this spring, a dozen ultras later, the mindset was about precision. Can I execute in the way that I believe I can? Can I get out of this experience exactly what I need? It helps to know the course, sure, but it helps even more to know myself. This becomes more true as age makes training and recovery slightly more difficult. Truer still when the demands of family and work make each hour so precious, and as a result, I’m perpetually aiming for the minimum viable training (MVT) that will set me up for a successful long day out. 2014: 84OA, 69M in 10:00 2022: 12OA, 11M in 8:48 Yes, I got what I needed. #ultrarunning #ultras #trailrunning #ultratrail #runner #runnersofinstagram #endurance #fatherhood #runmindful #vhtrc
We are thrilled to share that our second daughter, Hazel Maryn McMahon-Lasky, was born on May 19, 2024 weighing in at 7 pounds and stretching 20 inches. Both baby and momma are thriving. Juni is excited to be a big sister. Hazel is already providing Been thinking about this guy a lot lately. Every time I’m injured, I begin comparing myself to him. Unfortunately, much of my memory of my dad revolves around his physical and mental health challenges. When I herniated a disc two months ago, I For me, the paradox of aging is accepting that a lifetime is short but that there is infinite power in individual moments. As I get older, despite some desire to feel greater agency in my own life, I am accepting how little control I actually have. T As a dad to a 14-month-old, I often note that while I’m not getting any taller, the ground is feeling farther and farther away. Bending over requires more effort and is accompanied by grunting. If I sleep or sneeze or twist the wrong way, my ba Warmth and waves, food and friends. Thank you (once again) Santa Teresa, for the space to disconnect and reconnect. Grateful for trails, for roots and rocks, for hills, and for the opportunity to push myself to the edge. Grateful for the intense efforts that humble and yield perspective. Grateful for the team at @ex2adventures for a great season-ending event at t There is something so intensely pure about giving everything you have. What a privilege I had on Sunday to spend about 10 seconds in an all-out sprint to finish the @ex2adventures Backyard Burn 5-miler at Riverbend Park. I think it’s easy to fo Do optimal conditions actually exist? No, they don’t. And that is okay. I showed up to the starting line of the @ex2adventures Rocky Gap 50K with a strained calf and about an hour and a half of sleep. Poor baby was so sick that she couldn&rsq #Gratitude post. Tomorrow, I’ll run my 48th race with @ex2adventures. Since my first #EX2 event 8 years ago, #trailrunning has become a huge part of my existence, and I owe so much of that to Andy Bacon and his team. Come out this fall to an 2014, 2022 Bull Run Run 50 miler. Same race (and same aid station), eight years apart. Our reasons for doing a thing change, and so do we. Back then, I ran my first ultramarathon to see if I could go that far. The mindset was about expansion. But t