Author: marcuscengland
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Memories of the Pantanal: The Bridge
It was September 14, 2003. I was leading a birding tour throughout Brazil with the great Juan Mazar Barnett (who died way too young in 2012). We had just left the boat we’d spent a week on in the Rio Negro outside of Manaus and were now in the Pantanal. We had already faced many…
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On Distance Running and Goal Setting: Making the Infinite Finite
[Featured image: my wife Emily and I during the Shadow of the Giants 50K] There has been a “Ten Year Challenge” thing floating around Facebook of late. I decided to participate, which got me thinking in the larger sense about the concept of a challenge in and of itself. The “Ten Year Challenge” focuses on…
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On Becoming Intimate with Mount Hillyer
This was supposed to be my year. Until it wasn’t. Angeles Crest 100: 4 / Marcus England: 0. I came into this year’s Angeles Crest 100 feeling confident. I had completed the extremely difficult Chimera 100, the secretly challenging Javelina Jundred, then – this June – the Mohican 100 in extremely difficult conditions. Sure, I…
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Mud, Sweat, and Tears: An Annotated Social Media Accounting of my 2019 Mohican 100
June 15 and 16, 2019 were the dates of the 30th running of the Mohican 100 at Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio. I chose to run this race as I was born and raised in Ohio and Mohican was an important part of my upbringing. I also DNF’d this race at around mile 55…
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Bird Notes: January 2019
Los Angeles County Life List As noted in my end of the year blog post, it is a goal of mine (likely an impossible one) to boost my Los Angeles County life list of bird species observed to 400. I started the year at 302. I brought the total to 310 by the end of…
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Turning the Page
I’ve never fully endorsed new year’s resolutions, opting instead to try for continuous self improvement. I’m not saying I always achieve that, but I do try. That being said (er, written), the start of a new year is a good time to review what has been accomplished and to set goals that have a time…
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That Jurt Like Jell: My Javelina Jundred Story
[Featured image: Overwhelmed with emotion at the finish line of the Javelina Jundred. Photo by the incomparable Howie Stern.] A 100 mile trail race is much more than just the event itself. It’s a journey. It’s the decision to enter the event. It’s the long training process. It’s life that happens along the way. It’s…
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Vetter Mountain
[Featured image: A carpet of clouds near Red Box in the Angeles National Forest.] I did not set out on Sunday to add a new chapter to the San Gabriel Trails Project. I set out to break free from my running malaise, brought on by flat and often repetitive routes that I had been running…
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The Fine Art of Voluntary Adversity
[Featured image: The runner I am pacing finds a second wind at mile 92 of the Kodiak 100.] Every one of us that toes the line at an ultramarathon gets asked at some point why we do what we do. We all have our own reasons, but there is a seemingly common thread: this sport,…
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The Joys and Sorrows of Working Away From Home
[Featured image: Camp at Harris Beach State Park, Oregon in May 2018. This was one of several basecamps during my recent work on a wildlife assessment for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.] I have always had an affinity for travel and exploration of the outdoors. It began when I was young with family camping…