“A winner! A very personal account of how, for a true runner, running and living are inseparable. Modzelewski’s life is played out mile by mile as he and his brother accept the severe challenge of the Angeles Crest 100 mile foot race.” — UltraRunning Magazine
At the starting line of The Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run, a reporter asked entrant Michael Modzelewski: “How long have you been training for this race?” “All my life,” the runner replied without hesitation.
And it’s an inspiring and entertaining life that Modzelewski describes in this memoir. Along with a ‘timeline’ description of what it’s like to run 100 continuous miles through wild country, the author weaves in growing up in the value-laden Midwest; youthful rambles through Europe and the American West; and working as an adventure travel writer, seeking out the offbeat and unusual in exotic places around the world.
During the course of a 100 miler you run a cumulative, Everestic 20,000 feet of uphill and 24,000 feet down.
Ready to start! Angeles Crest is about Family: reuniting with an estranged brother as they run the ultra marathon together, supported by the love of a famous father.
Infused with a protective passion for Nature, the author describes the effects of varied landscapes upon the human psyche. There are many close encounters with wildlife, including alligators in the Everglades, elephants in Africa, pumas in Patagonia, and a transformative Dream-Bear that helps explain to Modzelewski his astonishing experiences with an Angel and Extraterrestrials. As he writes: “Running and the paranormal experiences were directly connected. I may have had them if I was a non-runner, but long distance running is expansive, carrying the body, mind, spirit past measurable boundaries and self-imposed limits, creating a portal into all possibilities.”
Angeles Crest is a tour de force, showing a man not only tapping the depths of human potential by running 100 miles but also in exploring the mysteries of the universe, the author finishes with answers for us all.
“Everyone has a wide, vacant-eyed look — what combat soldiers call the ‘thousand-yard stare’: the inner spirit leaving the surface, gathering forces deep within, here, creating a trance that helps insulate you against the demands of running 100 miles . . . . ”
Book Reviews:
Angeles Crest Book Review – By Palm Beach Post
Angeles Crest Book Review – By Ultra Running Magazine
Angeles Crest Book Review – By Continental Magazine
To order a personalized, signed copy of Angeles Crest or Inside Passage, please state your name, address and the book you would like, and send a check or money-order for $20.00 (USD) + $2.00 shipping (within US), Total: $22.00 to:
AdventureM, Inc.
Seacrest Villas. 1810 New Palm Way. Suite 410. Boynton Beach, FL 33435 USA.
*A portion of profits will go to The World Wildlife Fund to aid their efforts in saving endangered species.
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