Trail Runner/Ultra Junkie Thread

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 89 of total 89 in this topic
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 20, 2018 - 09:45am PT
Show of hands, who's got trail dirt in their blood? A while back....before fish left the water, I used to run cross country and do an occasional road race. Seemed like after awhile of pounding the pavement, I hit a wall with my passion for running. I left running alone for quite some time. Climbing and cycling took a front seat for many years. I remember meeting up with an old friend who ran road races with me. He had mentioned he made the cross over to trail running and he found a renewed excitement for running. Slaved to my old mind set, I was a bit prejudice to his new found "love". He invited me to run with him at a local trail in San Diego. After that day and the days to follow, I had found my old friend! That friend was the person inside me. The one that talked, laughed, cried, bitched, screamed with child-like excitement and felt alive. As climbers, we find ourselves so amazed with the experience. It allows us to unbury things, dig a little deeper and discover what really resides beyond the surface. Trail running has added even more to my outdoor expereince. So many things can be said but I'd like to hear from those that share in the same passion for breathing in trail dirt, chewing on the occasional gnat, suffering through the big steep grades, screaming down killer descents etc.

A few shots of me and my friend Brian (137), after pacing him during the Kodiak 100 in Big Bear this weekend. He placed 20th out of 106, running 102 miles in 32 hour, 5 min. Total elevation gain: 21,000ft. A few additional shots of friends, Jen and Gerry, getting after it.



hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:05am PT
saw a t-shirt on a fellow from the navajo rez last week:
"don't ask why i run, tell me why you walk"

three decades and four stone ago i ran,
now i can answer the question.

but those were great days
Don Paul

Social climber
Washington DC
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:13am PT
Feels so free to just run through the forest but too much running always injures me. It's very addictive and hard to do in moderation.
Flip Flop

climber
Earth Planet, Universe
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:15am PT
If you ever hear "What are you running from?!", that's me.
In the spirit of fairness, and the endless rash of shite that I drop on the BASE bros for miscegenation, I'm going to save this little piece of real estate for some tongue in cheeckery.

My first complaint is that Dirt Jogging turns beautiful young wild women into something resembling you guys😂😂😂. (Superheroines notwithstanding)



Cragar

climber
MSLA - MT
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:35am PT
Hey Mooch, fun topic; at least the trail running part...but Ultra? that is in another universe way beyond me.
You being a cyclist might understand how I finally could run and it wasn't till I was forty before I could. Why? Offroad FixtWheel cycling is basically it and built strength into my knees that allowed me to actually run beyond 20 minutes or a couple miles miles before my knees and hips would scream in skeletal pain. I OR-Fix't for a couple years before trying to do big runs in the hills. My steed is a Hunter fix't X-bike. It taught me how to negotiate regardless of timing, balance, power availability and under stress. I had never learned so much about cycling in my 25+ years prior to getting fix't. I wasn't expecting to be able to run as a result but after a couple years of it I just felt different in my lower body and started running and just kept improving, from 20 minutes to 3+ hours. As long as I am going up or down I am good. I still can't run the flats though and I could care less. I believe the resistance workout of fix't riding helped balance out my body and I went from an imbalanced cyclist(probably the most imbalanced of all athletes) to one that can do more and experience more in life...with stronger knees!!! love it!! You ever try it?
John M

climber
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:51am PT
Didn't do ultras, but plenty of marathon length runs in the mountains while living in Yosemite. At one point I was running 5-10 miles a day on mountain trails. Its a wonderful feeling to be deep in the mountains with nothing on your back but a light day pack with a few essentials. Food, water, headlamp and some rain protection.

My longest run was in the neighborhood of 40 miles. I first did it as a hike, and then as a run. Tenaya to top of clouds rest, to top of half dome, swim in little yosemite valley, then across panorama cliffs to glacier point, then back down to illiouette and up to the top of Buena Vista peak, then down for a swim across buena vista lake and run to top of Chilnualna falls for a swim, and then to Wawona. Marvelous day.
Batrock

Trad climber
Burbank
Aug 20, 2018 - 10:56am PT
I used to run trail ultras or at least I ran a few back in the day. Did the Santa Barbara Nine Trails twice and the Bishop Mule Run 50k a few times. A back injury put a stop to it, can't take the pounding anymore. I do miss it, it was the only type of running I could handle, running on roads and streets is deadly boring.
Batrock

Trad climber
Burbank
Aug 20, 2018 - 11:45am PT
Jeff, The Mule Run was a killer in that heat. I remember toward the finish at the Mill Pond a long sandy hill climb, I saw people in white robes floating above the ground waiving me up the hill and remember thinking that it was perfectly normal to see floating people in the desert. Dehydration is a bitch.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Aug 20, 2018 - 03:16pm PT
Cool.
I ran a little in high school, but then got hurt climbing and I can't even run across the street now.
My wife and kids are runners, though.
And I'm an armchair fan of Jim Walmsley.
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 20, 2018 - 04:25pm PT
Good stuff, folks! Love to hear about experiences from each of you. Something about trail running that completes the whole circle of outdoor adventure. Just you, a pair of your favorite shoes (in some cases, none at all) and the elements before you. This guy added fuel to the spark a year aftere I started to venture beyond local trails in San Diego....

[Click to View YouTube Video]
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Aug 20, 2018 - 04:50pm PT
For a while, two years ago, I was working down until I was within 5 minutes of the FKT for the c2c on a local granite dome, maybe 7 mi RT and 2k one-way. My favored route ditched the main trail at the meadow below the dome and skitter-scatter bolted up the slabby NW buttress of the mother, low Cl 5, and then down some named rock route on the descent. Then some freak took another 10 minutes off the FKT and I kinda stopped going to church there.


Anyway, nice to hear some fellow addicts admit that they too like to get high AF on the endogenous opiates.
atchafalaya

Boulder climber
Aug 20, 2018 - 04:53pm PT
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Aug 20, 2018 - 04:57pm PT
I mean that ridgeline is somewhat compelling, Atch, but....



'


BruceHildenbrand

Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
Aug 20, 2018 - 11:10pm PT
I had a long talk with Scott Jurek last year about the stuff he does which is the ultra runs like the Appalachian Trail. The speed record for this effort seems to be declining almost daily. Our chat was about the definition of supported versus non-supported runs. It appears that just about anything goes with a "supported" run so the purists are leaning toward making the records for "non-supported" runs more meaningful. Very interesting.
Gunkie

Trad climber
Valles Marineris
Aug 21, 2018 - 04:41am PT
What's neat about trail running is that, at least for me, it's like speed climbing. A trail that took me three days to backpack a long time ago I can jog (I don't 'run') in 10-12 hours. And as mentioned earlier in the thread, it's great to go out with a camelback, a couple of energy bars, some TP (just in case), a couple of bandaids and some candy where I once carried way too much junk and suffered way too much.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
Aug 21, 2018 - 05:44am PT
When the fat wife is standing close at the check out, where ever, I waddle up an say some near gay thing, about calf's, back muscles or python like arms,
I only do so, if the guys fingers look like toes. . .

The question always ends " Did you ever Rock Climb. . .

I can tell from over all fitness,but the hands have to look hard.

My scores have been interesting leading to a few days of climbing & one regular climbing partner, till the snow flew. The others found the poisonous plants & bugs, dirt & sweat and such, not near as enjoyable as I tried to sell...

there is a new prospect. He & his wife were so buff they didn't cast shadows in line at the farm stand! so he has a Scottish sir name.
It was a tried & true comment that I threw out, "do you frame house, what do you do to keep that tone"?\

The answer came from a low place reserved for "Get off My Lawn"

"Ultra's TRY Athlons" stretching out the word. "Like Iron Mans" said in that way to take me out,


(me,I pounce )I knew it, have you ever.....

every once in a while I bite off more than I can chew!

wish me luck. The guy did say he was good, liked heights.

Ignow I wish you folks luck with ULTR?A,, Yeahg good luck with that

Luv'Ya
(soon, I'm gonna look like a Bowling Ball) Gnome
Roughster

Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
Aug 21, 2018 - 08:31am PT
I've done two 50 milers. My best result was below. Since then 2 meniscus surgeries and a boating accident has left me in clearly non-ultra shape. I've started to MTB pretty hard in hopes of rehabbing back into Ultra shape. My ultimate goal, along with the rest of the ultra world, is Western States.


Obviously I am not your typical ultramarathoner. I felt like a freaking giant at the start, lol.

Coming down the backside of Steam Trains closing in on the turn around point.

My daughter and son helping me finish the last bit.

Ultas are awesome :)
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2018 - 10:02am PT
You mention you'd really like to do Western States. Yep, most ultra junkies want to get into WS. Me, personally, I like to bite off more than I can chew. Ouray 100 (43K elevation gain!) or Hardrock are races I'd love to suffer through. I was registed for Ouray 2 years ago. Two weeks before leaving for CO, I pulled my hamstring......mucho painful! Set me back a few months before I could get back out to the trails. Currently, I'm set to run Chimera 100 (22K elevation gain) in November but its not yet been determined if the race director will cancel it due to the fires in and around Cleveland NF.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Aug 21, 2018 - 10:21am PT
Mountain (trail) runner here. Always at altitude. Nothing longer than 10 mi, 15 at the most. But avid follower of Amelia, Courtney and Kelly for extra daily/weekly stoke!

If only we could be young 20-somethings again, lol.


I've always imagined if I lived in Oregon or Wash I'd be more a trail runner given the thick forests there. Same re areas in the bay area.

But Sierra lends itself very well to running just about any ascent.




Nice to see some climbers/mountaineers are runners too.
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2018 - 12:10pm PT
^^^^^ +1 Rae Lakes Loop. Onion Valley to Cedar Grove and back (aka Trans Sierra) is one of my faves. But I like to take the lazy version.....get a room at Cedar Grove Hotel, enjoy some good BBQ and return the next day. I was looking for someone to run JMT last year (south to north). Had the permit to use North Fork of Lone Pine and head up the Mtn'eers Route to start on the summit but life came up! :/
John M

climber
Aug 21, 2018 - 12:26pm PT
you guys are dredging up old memories. Good ones, but I sure miss it. The late 90s was the last time that I could run long distance. The Sierra Nevada mountains are amazing to run in and backpack in. I sort of ran in my own bubble as I started running to help with problems with depression. It was a great high. I believe that I was pretty fast, but I never tested myself in any race. I wasn't even aware of long distance mountain races. I swam in college and knew that world, but didn't take up running until my 30s.
Bale

Mountain climber
UT
Aug 21, 2018 - 05:35pm PT
I actually love trail running, just not ultra distances. Those are some well-worn shoes BC!
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Aug 22, 2018 - 05:50pm PT
I used to run trail ultras, 34 miles max.

Hardest was Mosquito Marathon, Leadville, Colorado. Twenty nine miles, between 10,200 feet to 13,400 feet, with 6,000 feet elevation gain.

My daily run was 20 miles on the Road Apple Trail in the Four Corners area, or the Incline in Manitou Springs, or the La Luz Trail in Albuquerque.

Thanks to all this running I am getting my knee replaced in a month.

atchafalaya

Boulder climber
Aug 22, 2018 - 10:41pm PT

Lots of miles in the mountains, and sunrises and sunsets makes all the suffering worth it. Roughster, 8 hours plus change at dick Collins is flying! Nice job.

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Aug 23, 2018 - 02:49am PT
Running trails & ultras certainly made me a strong MB. One summer I spent a couple of weeks riding with some pros in Moab. I had a shitty $300 MB with no shocks but I had no trouble hanging with the pros. I was so strong BITD.....

It's humbling to get old and watch your body fall apart, after having done so much when you were young. Now when I go for a hike, I have to decide if I should turn around after 200 yards, or if I can push it to 300 yards and still manage to get back to the car.

:(
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 23, 2018 - 03:08am PT
hey there say, sierra ledge rat...

oh my... :(


just do what you can, and do the best you can...

:) and-- the rest, will be what is best for you...


:)


happy good eve...
or good morning, as the case now is, :)
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Aug 23, 2018 - 04:12am PT
49 marathons and ultras here, mostly trail, guess it Is in my blood....
For my book, Climbing California's mtn's ( Falcon, 2003) I did a lot of the peaks as trail runs, and left hints and clues of those and further adventures in the book,

Still running, but seasonally now, it's too hot in the summer here in Moab ( esp since guiding hours Tend to coincide with early morning run opportunities, for me. But I get after it, after a fashion, in the off season.

Also, at 62 I may have less bounce in my step. But I have managed to average one or more half marathon length trail runs, per month since Dec, '11. And I'm not stopping now.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Aug 23, 2018 - 07:45am PT
Jaybro, that's great!

Curious, at 62 and after all that running, do you knees (sometimes) crack, pop or catch some?

For the first time ever in my life, I might be developing a knee issue. No pain (not yet?) but occasional popping/cracking (crepitus, I guess) during or right after (e.g., flight of stairs).

Is this your experience at all?

I catch myself thinking whenever my knee cracks if this is the beginning of the end. At other times not so much when I'm reminded other joints (foot, shoulder, elbow) sometimes crack with no consequence.

Mindful of this, for the last year or so, I know I've cut back on some running lengths and talus jumping, etc. It's too bad because I still have the want to do this (the aggressive tromping, etc.)

...

Curious, at 62 and after all that running, do you knees (sometimes) crack, pop or catch some?

and if so, do you take countermeasures or just pay it no mind?
Mike Honcho

Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
Aug 23, 2018 - 07:55am PT
We go as hard as we can, but with Donkeys!
A brutal and fantastic sport.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Aug 23, 2018 - 07:56am PT
That's great, wish I had the type of lifestyle to encompass that, I'm so jealous! :)
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2018 - 08:21am PT
I used to be part of this event every year until 2008. Life took a few turns and drifted away from doing it. But if you love trail running and peak bagging, I recommend the Sierra Challenge.

http://snwburd.com/bob/challenge/2018/
Mike Honcho

Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
Aug 23, 2018 - 08:28am PT

Also, at 62 I may have less bounce in my step. But I have managed to average one or more half marathon length trail runs, per month since Dec, '11. And I'm not stopping now.

That's rad Jaybro. The guy who won the Pack Burro Racing Triple Crown this year is 56, he's won the World Championships 3 or 4 times now.

Fairplay, CO -29 miles
Leadville, CO -22 miles
Buena Vista, -15 miles
All in consecutive weekends, so I'm hoping for another good 10 years.. fingers crossed!!!
Bale

Mountain climber
UT
Aug 23, 2018 - 12:24pm PT
The human body is amazing, it strengthens and adapts under stress. What machine can do that? There are limits, however; 26,000ft? 100mi? 72hrs no sleep?
I really admire those who push human endurance as far as possible.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Aug 23, 2018 - 04:13pm PT
Inter species cooperation to have fun and achieve goals is commendable, and where it’s at!

HFCS I do have occasional pops and crackles, but pretty minor. My knees and legs are generally stiff in the mornings. I move around and stretch before I do anything. I’ve really cut back on jumping down or between rocks. Sometimes I feel something in my hips, I thought for a while I was leading into trouble there. But a friend ( Shanti) showed me an exercise where you sort of side step with an elastic band stretched between both ankles and that seems to have cleared it right up and has become part of my daily routine. I have a ladder up to my loft like sleeping area and I have a number of stretches and exercises I do on that on several ascents, descents a day.

I always feel it when I stand up from sitting any length of time. Driving especially. But in all cases motion seems to be the cure!

Stemming is harder than it used to be, but I did a passable top rope victory lap on Devils tower’s El Matador a few weeks back with no ill affects. Again I thing the motion is key!
PinkTaco

Mountain climber
Utah
Aug 23, 2018 - 04:42pm PT
I've done many ultra's and many alpine routes, they loosely relate in terms of endurance and nutrition, and certainly cross over nicely. There is nothing like the the confidence you get going into a serious alpine situation knowing that just a few weeks earlier you finished a 30+ hour mountain run.

Corollary with bonus:
there is nothing like going into an ultra knowing that you just survived an alpine epic with actual objective danger, it's like a vacation. You loosely get the same feeling without the stress!

On the other hand, rock climbing and ultra's simply don't mix.
I can't tell you how many times I have overstuffed my luggage on route to an ultra with climbing gear, and days later still not be able to get my rock shoes on over the blistered sausages! I've learned to separate the seasons. It's like having a lover and a mistress, probably safer to just keep surfing instead.
atchafalaya

Boulder climber
Aug 23, 2018 - 07:07pm PT
Races in Europe make a lot of the American races seem tame. There are some big climbs over there. Btw, f$&@ Hardrock.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Aug 23, 2018 - 07:58pm PT
"in all cases motion seems to be the cure!"


Jaybro, thanks for the feedback.

I'll add your words then to the encouragement to keep moving.

"If you rest, you rust." Thanks!
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Aug 24, 2018 - 07:23am PT
...blistered sausages...
I never had any blisters or foot problems. I carried an extra pair of socks, and changed into dry socks when needed. The old pair dried on my fanny pack until they were needed again.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Aug 28, 2018 - 03:47am PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
UTMB coming up on 8/31.
https://www.walmsleyruns.com/
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2018 - 01:55pm PT
The Barkely Marathon ('marathon' being tongue and cheek): The Trail That Eats Its Young

http://www.barkleymovie.com

[Click to View YouTube Video]
Mike Honcho

Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
Aug 28, 2018 - 02:47pm PT
Niiiiiiiiice Mooch!!

My brother-in-law, Gunnery Sergeant Cuppernell USMC came up 27 minutes short last year. The fittest dude I know. That's just gotta' be savage as all hell.
hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Aug 28, 2018 - 03:18pm PT
this walmsley clip ain't bad either.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

the affinity for fully immersive states is fertile ground
for any kind of analysis of the human condition.

that it can be healing and provide solace,
well ... doesn't fail the pertinancy test




watch it. it's the best video narrative has to offer
snakefoot

climber
Nor Cal
Aug 28, 2018 - 03:22pm PT
honcho,

whats the deal with DNF for your races. did your burro get mad?
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Aug 31, 2018 - 02:41pm PT
https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/live/utmb

Marshall,
I was rooting for Walmsley, but not betting on anyone in particular.
It was such a brutal race, with several people leading and then later dropping out....
Marshall

climber
bay area
Aug 31, 2018 - 05:07pm PT

who you betting on, clint? (hard to bet against killian but walmsley has had an amazing summer...)
Mike Honcho

Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
Aug 31, 2018 - 09:05pm PT
whats the deal with DNF for your races. did your burro get mad?

Well yeah. We adopted them less than 6 months ago. They were part of a herd of BLM rescues of about 20 burros and mustangs. We got those two pulled out of the gang and all the others were at a rendering plant in Mexico that night. We were told that they wouldn't be ready to race until next Summer but we tried like hell to get them through as many races as we could this season.

They've never seen snow before, they've never loaded into a trailer before, they've never crossed a Colorado stream before, never crossed a bridge before, never seen the white lines in the middle of a street before, never seen the yellow lines in the middle of a street before, never had a carrot or an apple before, never been told they're a good baby before, never been brushed before, never had a saddle put on them before, never seen potholes/storm drains/ sidewalks/screaming kids and crowds with cameras before, never seen 70-80 other dressed out racing donkeys before, race announcers with bullhorns and starting guns scare most donkeys, even the veterans........

Yes, training wild donkeys to trust you and run long training distances and then actual race conditions is all a massive shock to them. They were emotional in so many ways. They're 4 and 5 years old and live to be 35-50 years old. I believe we've got plenty of time to get them all trusting and badass. They're very popular at races, just new, young and skittery as hell. It's just not a gimme' sport. There's no 5.10 donkey races, they're all brutal.

Oh yeah, we had them gelded the 3rd day we got them. You don't want an intact male donkey at all. Been kicked and bitten so hard so many times now.

edit ~Jackie just said, "it's not like skydiving with wind tunnels, flocking camps and coaching with green fluffy grass everywhere" ;-)

they're killers I tell ya'!
Hankster
hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Sep 1, 2018 - 11:15am PT
a whole lot has to go right to finish an ultra.
strong and tough, fast and up to the task isn't enough.
finishers know that and don't disparage

edit: not that anyone was
Bale

Mountain climber
UT
Sep 1, 2018 - 01:27pm PT
Frenchman Xavier Thevenard won the UTMB. Walmsley dropped and Killian got stung by a bee!
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Sep 1, 2018 - 05:25pm PT
So, Mr Honcho, are you seeing any enthusiasm in yer kids for their new ‘sport’?
john hansen

climber
Sep 1, 2018 - 05:52pm PT
I knew Gordy Ainsliegh , the first human to run the Western States Endurance run in 74 or so after the horse he was going to race in the Tevis cup came up lame a few weeks before the race. He was in a Dojo with a climbing friend of mine. I meet him a few times at parties and such and even went climbing with him once or twice .

I was driving my pick up from Auburn up to Lovers Leap. My friend was up front and Gordy rode in the back. I remember on the way over he had this huge bowl with some kind of cereal with sprouts and who knows what else, all covered with goats milk.

He ate about half and left the rest, uncovered , in the back of my open truck bed. After we had been climbing for 3 or 4 hours in the 90 degree heat and got back to the truck, he picked up the bowl and finished it off..

He had an amazing stride when he ran. He would cover ten feet or more and it seemed his feet were never more than an inch or two off the ground.

He just glided along seeming to float an extra few feet in mid stride.

From Wiki:

Ainsleigh had finished the Western States Trail Ride (Tevis Cup) in 1971 and 1972 on horseback, but in 1973 his new horse was pulled with lameness at the 29-mile checkpoint. In 1974, with the inspiration and encouragement of Drucilla Barner, first woman to win the Tevis Cup and Secretary of the Western States Trail Foundation, Gordy joined the horses of the Western States Trail Ride to see if he could complete the course on foot in under twenty-four hours. Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes later Gordy arrived in Auburn, proving that a runner could, indeed, travel the 100 miles in one day.
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 1, 2018 - 06:03pm PT



Mike Honcho

Trad climber
Glenwood Springs, CO
Sep 1, 2018 - 07:28pm PT
So, Mr Honcho, are you seeing any enthusiasm in yer kids for their new ‘sport’?

Oh yeah! They love to see all the other donkeys and they get all the attention as well. Right now, the actual hardest part is that they're waaaay faster than we can keep up with. That's an ideal problem most racers would love to have.

Pack Burro Racing is a team sport, and the donkey is the leader. Gotta' live that philosophy to be successful. This season we found out exactly what we really need to work on for next season. I have them broken of most truly bad habits (Eli still will totally bite the sh#t out of you and Dolomite has back left leg kick that will nearly kill you), but they're just getting better and better.

Most other racers have 3-5yrs and even up to 10-15yrs racing experience. Our boys have less than 6 months, so lots of room to improve, and lots of time to be patient and get there as well. Rescue donkeys trained to race do not come with a handbook. I'm just doing a lot of what my Grandparents showed me with horses along with a lot of just what I think seems right. Once they aren't terrified of something, they get over it pretty quickly. They're such good babies and they're going to eventually be stellar racers.

Those donkeys were going to be killed, skinned and then sold for their prized hides in some Korean/Japanese market by the end of the day when we had them pulled from the killpens. Everything is a massive improvement for them and I think they sort of get that. Anyways, thanks for the interest, this an awesome thread, I'm really inspired by everyone here regardless of what their angle is on endurance sports.
HANKSTER!
CAYLOR!
vvvvvvv edit!!! ~Reilly!!! vvvvvv
Thanks dude, like I said though. We were just trying to find an activity that would cause us to not BASE jump so much, we were going to get Mtn. Bikes but thought we might just buy them and forget about them in our gear room. So we thought of something that would require a more firm commitment from us.. so we adopted a couple donkeys, pretty feckin' weird, but we dig on suffering and really weird sh#t. So a good compromise was made we think!
vvvvvvv edit!!! ~Reilly!!! vvvvvvv
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Sep 1, 2018 - 07:41pm PT
Well, good sir, bless you for yer compassion. May it be rewarded with fewer kicks and bites! 😊
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 2, 2018 - 07:27am PT
ON MOTHER'S DAY REMEMBER WHO CARRIED YOU


[Click to View YouTube Video]
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 2, 2018 - 03:37pm PT
So awesome, Hankster and Bun Bun!!
Looks like big fun.

[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 3, 2018 - 05:55pm PT
Reminder...

Spartan World Championship 2018, Lake Tahoe
Sep 29-30, 2018



https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/3690/overview
EdBannister

Mountain climber
13,000 feet
Sep 3, 2018 - 06:08pm PT
i just walk.. Rae Lakes to Road's End, Kings Canyon by 2 pm a long time ago, or 27 in a day with no pack last week. i think Gary Valle is amazing...

people that cover more than 30 miles in a day amaze me.
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 3, 2018 - 06:15pm PT
Then there's local hero Dave Goggins

That's when he discovered the Badwater Ultramarathon—the legendary 135-mile race from the floor of Death Valley to Whitney Portal. He called race director Chris Kostman to see if he could get in. Kostman asked Goggins how many 100-milers he'd run. None. How many marathons? None. Kostman told him to get some ultramarathoning experience if he wanted to run Badwater.


Days later, he entered a 24-hour race in San Diego. The ordeal left him with broken metatarsals in both feet and a case of kidney failure, but he did crank out 100 miles in less than 19 hours. Ten days later, he ran the Las Vegas Marathon in 3:08. And for ample measure, he entered the H.U.R.T. 100-Mile Endurance Run, one of the hardest ultras in the world. Goggins finished ninth. All this was in the span of two months.


High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 3, 2018 - 06:42pm PT
zBrown, thanks for the heads-up about this guy.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tSTk1083VY
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 3, 2018 - 06:49pm PT
Goggins is a good man. Haven't seen him in a while. Not sure if he's still in town.

I first encountered him at the 24 hour run out at Mission Beach.

I thought, what is this huge man doing in a place like this?

A special form of ultra marathon is a 24-hour run. Here, the participants have to run as far as possible within 24 hours. The male world record is 303.506 km and was set by Yiannis Kouros and Mami Kudo holds the female record of 252.205

24 Hour run appears to be a case where size matters, eh?

astralboy15

Mountain climber
Fremont, CA
Sep 3, 2018 - 09:29pm PT
With Xavier’s win at UTMB we’ve just witnessed one of the all time accomplishments in ultra running (it’s never been done before). For all intents and purposes Xavier crushed and won HR (the DQ was bullshit and we all know he is the true champion) and in the same year crushed and won UTMB. This is a first. He deserves major credit.
Gunkie

Trad climber
Valles Marineris
Sep 4, 2018 - 07:13am PT
Any of you trail runners who go out training by yourselves ever encounter a cougar (or bear)? Would it be better to be on a mountain bike or running when that kind of encounter occurs? I'm thinking that I'd rather be running as I could stop quick and make myself big or grab one of the many loaded guns laying about. I think I would feel far more vulnerable out riding as I wouldn't be as responsive or as intuitive as I would be running; and certainly couldn't out ride a cougar in hot pursuit.

Scary thoughts...
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2018 - 10:55am PT
Trigger pulled......registered for Sean O'Brien 100K.
PinkTaco

Mountain climber
Utah
Sep 4, 2018 - 08:09pm PT
https://vimeo.com/62031855

Goggins also can do a few pull ups. Here he is in the World Record 24-hour pull up session.

I ran w him for a while at UTMB one year, and a few times at HURT. He's actually a big joker and a really nice guy! Just don't ask him about swimming ashore in Kuwait...
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 7, 2018 - 10:15pm PT
Courtney Dauwalter, yay!

http://www.tahoe200.com/results/2018-tahoe-200-live/

7:45am... She's a beast! Still miles ahead of anyone!!
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 8, 2018 - 03:31pm PT
Courtney closing in on Lovers Leap, another 30 minutes or so. If you're topping out Main Wall, say hi, lol!

All runners have SPOT trackers. Courtney leading the whole pack, male and female alike. The graphics are awesome!

The Main Map and Raceflow tabs are especially informative. She's rather "alien" in a good way like Honnold.

If you filter out the males, all of whom she's beating, and just look at the layer of female runners, it really shows her out of this world alien strength!

Kyle Curtin, first place guy, has been pacing her from behind pretty much the whole way. Exciting!

http://www.tahoe200.com/results/2018-tahoe-200-live/

Also really revealing is zooming out the map of runners to notice where Courtney and Kyle are relative to the rest of the pack. She's rather a Honnold in her own way.

That Raceflow function makes it exciting - currently - because it shows Kyle ever so slightly narrowing the pace and distance gaps. Call me biased but I hope she maintains her alien lead throughout.

Crazy thing: Despite 200 plus runners participating, Courtney and Kyle essentially run the race alone, by themselves, no other runner around them for miles. Contrast this experience with that of a middle of the pack runner. Sheesh.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 8, 2018 - 04:54pm PT
Wow, she's been amazing the past few years.
If she keeps up her current pace, she will finish in about 35 hours.
(See next post for updated estimate).

[Oops: this is for a 165 mile trail:] Course record is 38:32 by Kilian Journet.
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/36/tahoe-rim-trail-ca
[Click to View YouTube Video]
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 9, 2018 - 02:14am PT
C'mon, Courtney, hang in there... Show em who's the boss!!

Clint, Tahoe 200 is even longer.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 9, 2018 - 02:20am PT
Wow, yeah. Tahoe Rim Trail is 165 miles, not 200.

Apparently the course record for the Tahoe 200 is 58:29, set last year:
https://multidays.com/tahoe-200-endurance-run-2017-results/

Courtney's current pace looks like she will finish in around 46 hours and Kyle is not far behind.
But 200 miles is a such a long way; no guarantees....
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 9, 2018 - 02:50am PT
Yeah, mighty impressive!

Just captured... to help remember the final drama...

Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 9, 2018 - 02:12pm PT
Looks like Kyle won it in 49:31 (49 hours, 31 minutes),
with Courtney 23 minutes back in 49:54.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 9, 2018 - 06:28pm PT
Such an exciting adventure. Kudos to Kyle and Courtney and the many other runners still on the course 50 plus hours since the start.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnhdzPuFdic/?taken-by=destinationtrailraces

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnhAN_TFI_k/?taken-by=destinationtrailraces

It's hard to believe Courtney beat last year's female champion by approx 20 hours!

Clint, I have a sneaking suspicion you enjoyed the telemetry and graphic spectator interface (gsi, lol) as much as me. I'm always rather envious of the participants in these sorts of thing, wishing they had existed in my 20 30 somethings. No doubt I would've liked participating - adventure, telemetry, organization and all!

"Graphic spectator interface". I like it. :)

http://www.tahoe200.com/results/2018-tahoe-200-live/

Here it is, 6:35pm Sunday, and Third Place contender - currently looking to be Taylor Spike - is still more than an hour from the finish.

This...
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bniew31Fz_-/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Incredible!!
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Sep 9, 2018 - 08:19pm PT
I'm so far from "Ultra" that I feel like an ass posting on this thread... oh, wait, Hank has the "ass" part nailed down, so maybe it's okay for a few words about trail running.

For many years I lived in North Vancouver, almost at the point where the city ended and the next few thousand miles of mountains began. I could lace up my shoes, jog four or five blocks on streets, and then be on a mountain trail system that went on more or less forever. Hundreds of miles of trails through the BC Coast Mountains.

I think it was running those trails that kept me sane and alive through the whole time I lived there.

I'm getting a bit to old for that kind of thing now, but am moving from Seattle (where I've spent the last 17 years) to Powell River, BC, next month, so who knows? Trail running might become trail jogging. Or trail trudging. But there will once again be an endless network of mountain trails to explore.
atchafalaya

Boulder climber
Sep 9, 2018 - 08:34pm PT
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 10, 2018 - 10:02am PT
Ghost -

We can be race directors for the inaugural 'Cruise For Brews 100'. Primary rule: Must drink a pint of brew (6.5% ABV or higher) during each aid station check in. :) We can work on the rest....
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 10, 2018 - 10:03am PT
I think it was running those trails that kept me sane and alive through the whole time I lived there. -Ghost

I think I can relate, also from long ago.

Your Powell River looks like an interesting place...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell_River,_British_Columbia

Sunshine Coast Trail. Looks cool. Will check out later.
https://www.ubc-voc.com/2013/07/24/team-alpine-start-and-the-sunshine-coast-trail-june-20-july-1-2013

So many venues in this wonder we call life. :)

Sometimes as needed I recall my basic energy physics 101... Whether we blaze from point A to point B or muddle through (trudge), we burn the same calories. (Helpful sometimes when your goal is just burning calories.)
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Sep 11, 2018 - 11:41am PT
Your Powell River looks like an interesting place...

It is. Trail running, mountain biking, sea kayaking, fishing... It's all there. And it's even more interesting if you are a climber. Everything from seaside bouldering to huge walls.

How huge? Last year a couple of local climbers put up a new route in the nearby Daniels River Valley. 1,565 meters of granite climbing. (That's well over 5,000 feet for the Americans here on ST.) Story of that is here: https://gripped.com/news/massive-new-big-wall-climbed-powell-river/

And then there's the Eldred River Valley, which has been the subject of several threads here. Five granite walls of roughly Squamish Chief size.

Okay, this thread now has climbing content, so I'll shut up.

Edit: And I see Mooch added some beer content, so, for him, I should add that Powell River is home to a terrific brewpub -- with a Belgian brewmaster.
psykokid

Mountain climber
Pasadena
Sep 14, 2018 - 11:04am PT
Looks like Aurelien Sanchez is on track to beat Andy Bentz's unsupported JMT FKT. He tried last year and bailed. He tried again starting around 10:00 on Aug 31 and bailed at Tuolumne on Sept 3 at 17:30 due to lack of sleep. A week later on Sept 11 at 9:54:30 he was at it again. If he can manage to keep his current pace he's on track to finish in 76 hours, give or take - around 7 hours faster than Andy's 82H 59M time.

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=1b1565b92f5a5e6653&showInfo=yes&showHome=yes&hoursPast=80&fillFactor=100&zoomLevel=10&showAll=no
clifff

Mountain climber
golden, rollin hills of California
Sep 14, 2018 - 04:22pm PT
1st attempt:

@aurelien-sanchez

Thank you very much for following, this give me a lot, I truly appreciate your interest about my attempt, and this motivates me even more to give it another try next time.

I have posted my report on my facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auresanchz/posts/10215668950944268

He's finished with new record: 2nd part of this thread:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/aurelien-unsupported-jmt-attempt/

76 hrs 20 minutes 30 sec

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Indian running legends:

In 1886, a Panta-cha messenger was reported to have taken less than twenty-four hours to cover nearly 200-miles from Fort Mohave to the Mohave reservation and back.

https://thelongbrownpath.com/2015/07/29/indian-running/
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 14, 2018 - 11:14pm PT
In the 200+ mile distances (John Muir Trail, Tahoe 200), performance under sleep deprivation is a big factor.

In the 100- mile distances (Western States, Hardrock 100, UTMB, Wonderland Trail), the top athletes can do them without sleep deprivation, so they are more about athletic endurance and efficiency.

So I think for the JMT, it would be good to have separate FKTs for one or two segments that are close to 100 miles.
A good division might be:

JMT South:
Whitney Portal to Florence Lake Junction, about 116 miles according to Leor Pantilat's splits.

JMT North:
Florence Lake Junction to Yosemite Valley; about 104 miles.

The beginning and end points of the JMT are arbitrary anyway....
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 15, 2018 - 08:41am PT
Good point, Clint.

This is the runner I was hoping to see in the Tahoe200 vying with Courtney...

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Kelly Wolf, winner of the Lavarado Ultra 2018 in Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyveHKErJ4g

I guess it means, in this day and age esp, you just can't have it all... a dozen or more races every month. (Like podcasts, lol!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkX2MNvlB62/?taken-by=kel.lobo
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2018 - 07:18am PT
Not going for any kind of record but I'm planning on running the JMT (south to north) next year. Hoping to pull it off in 5 days.
mooch

Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2018 - 11:09am PT
Now that's an offer that can't be refused! I was going to go in a few days prior and stash grub at Glen Pass Lake. I'll hit you up as things get closer next year. Next cache' after that would be at Muir Trail Ranch, Reds Meadow then Tuolumne CG.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Sep 29, 2018 - 11:30am PT
2018 Spartan World Championship...

https://www.facebook.com/spartanracelive/videos/172057290308755/

Awesome. Top finishers, both boys and girls, pretty impressive.
High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber
Apr 3, 2019 - 06:04pm PT
I'll drop this here thinking a few might enjoy. I haven't seen it yet, but can't wait to get home to watch it tonight. Looking forward to the psych!!

[Click to View YouTube Video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQSiygnDm-U
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Apr 3, 2019 - 07:15pm PT
^^^^
205 miles, 40,000 feet elevation gain.

"Pain and suffering"

"He taught me how to go into the pain cave, and be okay with it,"

SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Apr 3, 2019 - 07:59pm PT
I've had the pleasure of working with Courtney--she volunteers helping build trails in our open space parks. She's the most unassuming champion one could ever meet. Yay, Courtney!!!!
jstan

climber
Apr 3, 2019 - 08:50pm PT
Anthropologists now are increasingly saying we began walking upright because it allowed us to run game to exhaustion. Still being done that way in Ethiopia. If true, marathons were here a very long time ago,
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Apr 3, 2019 - 09:15pm PT

From the Seattle Times.

Heather Anderson was the first woman to complete the Triple Crown of Hiking — the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail — in a calendar year. We caught up with her in one of her rare off-trail moments.

Share story
By Crystal Paul

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/i-would-hike-upward-of-18-hours-a-day-meet-the-seattle-woman-who-traveled-8000-miles-in-8-months-to-hit-a-major-hiking-milestone/
Messages 1 - 89 of total 89 in this topic
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta