Kelly Mackey

I Accidentally Ran a 15-Mile "Half" Marathon…In the Rain 🌧️

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:24:47 -0600

June 20th was the summer solstice, and I kicked off the season with an invigorating morning run in the rain at the Boise Half-Marathon.

I started off running strong, with an average mile pace of 7:10 at mile 4. The race turned sideways for me after I followed a group of runners past the turnaround point and ran an extra two miles. My pace slowed way down, with an average of 7:48 at the end of the race.

I wasn’t tired, and there wasn’t a physical reason for my performance to have been impacted. The slowdown was completely mental. Since I was running an extra two miles, it wasn’t going to be a competitive race for me, so my subconscious slowed my pace. After years of running and collecting biometrics with my Garmin, I’ve noticed that mental stress, mental fatigue, and emotions impact my performance far more than my physical health metrics.

I have days when running feels effortless, and I run fast, and days when my legs or mind feel heavy, and I run slow. What remains constant is how good I feel after a run.

Thanks to the Boise Marathon organizers and volunteers for putting on the race so that the community could kick off the summer with a runner’s high.

Happy Trails!

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:27:05 -0600

Finished reading: The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and De… by Brad Stulberg 📚

🐶 Thrilling, Spilling, and Chilling at the Dirty Dog Half-Marathon

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:20:47 -0600

On June 13, 2026, I ran the Dirty Dog Half-Marathon in the Boise Foothills. I fell well short of my goal of finishing in under two hours after showing up at the starting line five pounds over my target weight, taking a wrong turn, and face-planting on Bob’s Trail. I still had a great time, though—and that’s ultimately why I run.

Many thanks to the organizers and sponsors, and especially to the kind woman who cleaned and bandaged my scrapes after the race.

Happy trails!

2026 Half-Marathon Results: ultrasignup.com/results_e…

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:28:07 -0600

Finished reading: The Wilder Way by Eva Zu Beck 📚

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:38:03 -0600

Finished reading: Hotshot: A Life on Fire by River Selby 📚

Singapore - Merlion 🦁, Miles 🏃‍♂️, Meals 🦀, & Marina Bay 🌊

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 22:43:54 -0600

After a work trip to Singapore, I extended my stay for leisure over Memorial Day Weekend.

Sun, 31 May 2026 22:43:21 -0600

Finished reading: Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s Na… by Emily Pennington 📚

Mashed My Legs at the Famous Idaho Potato Half-Marathon 🥔

Tue, 26 May 2026 22:56:32 -0600

On May 16th, 2026, I ran the YMCA Famous Idaho Potato Half-Marathon. The course was on the Boise Greenbelt, starting and finishing at the Morrison Center.

Mon, 18 May 2026 03:14:46 -0600

Finished reading: I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Every… by Joanna Stern 📚

Out-of-the-Blue Crew Running the Boise Greenbelt Through—Woohoo!

Fri, 15 May 2026 15:15:46 -0600

The second annual Boise Greenbelt Relay featured a 45-mile loop along the Boise River Greenbelt, beginning and ending at Ann Morrison Park. The course first ran from Ann Morrison Park to Eagle and back, then from Ann Morrison Park to Lucky Peak State Park and back.

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:55:14 -0600

Finished reading: A Fabulous Thru-Hike: 3,100 Miles on the Continental Di… by Derick Lugo 📚

Mon, 04 May 2026 19:52:59 -0600

Finished reading: The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the… by Sebastian Mallaby 📚

2026 Boise River Half-Marathon

Mon, 04 May 2026 19:49:34 -0600

On May 2nd, I participated in the Boise River Half-Marathon, finishing in 20th place out of 900 runners.

Getting My Kicks on Robie Creek 26

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:41:17 -0600

On April 18th, I got my kicks on Robie Creek 26. This is a video of my race experience.

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:21:38 -0600

Finished reading: The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley & a Rac… by Jared Beasley 📚

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:25:17 -0600

Finished reading: Five Million Steps: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail afte… by Jason France 📚

2026 YMCA Easter Run

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0600

Happy Easter!

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:35:36 -0600

Finished reading: Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes 📚

Won the Yellowstone 2026 Early Access Lottery!

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:13:36 -0600

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:30:06 -0600

Finished reading: Operation Pineapple Express by Scott Mann 📚

2026 Owyhee Off-Road Challenge

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:45:15 -0600

Small-town vibes, great views, and an awesome community. Finished 14th out of 241 overall, 12th out of 99 overall for men, and 2nd in the 50-59 age category for men.

2026 YMCA St. Patrick's Day Run

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:48:50 -0600

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 20:07:12 -0600

Finished reading: Walk with Weight: The Definitive Guide to Rucking by Michael Easter 📚

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:29:07 -0600

Finished reading: The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed a… by John Strausbaugh 📚

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:59:00 -0600

I published my second article on The Trek. The article interweaves storytelling with gear lists. Some of the humor is inside baseball for readers unfamiliar with thru-hiking culture.

A Day on the Colorado Trail, Told Through Gear