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TRT 100 and the Vermont 100 up next!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on July 16, 2008 in Appalachian Trail, Race Updates, Speedgoat 50K and WheresKarl?. 27 Comments

The USATF 100 Mile Trail Championship on the line!

He kinda looks like Mr. Bill!

And the odds are:

Erik Skaden: 5-2. He was ready for Western and will likely be ready for this one

Jon Olsen: 7-2. Not far behind Erik, these two guys should battle it out.

Ian Torrence: 12-1. Claims he’s not quite ready to race up front, but I know he has it in him, every time we run, he kicks my ass!

The women’s race gets good too!

Nikki Kimball: 3-1. Simply put, she’s the best, but this course could test her raw speed, a few speedsters will be following.

Jenn Shelton: 7-2. She’s probably the one with the most speed, and if she nails it, she’ll run away with it. The technicality is the only thing that can slow her down, and I’m not sure how technical it is.

Bev Abbs: 6-1. In it all the way, she can win too, if she has a good run!

Connie Gardner: 8-1. Better at the smoother and flatter stuff, but who knows!

Jenny Capel: 9-1. It’s certainly her turn to win something, she could easily make the podium…..if they have one.

The Vermont 100, an old classic!

Glen Redpath: 5-2. I’m thinking it’s his turn to show his speed, and Vermont is essentially a dirt road race.

Bradley Mongold: 4-1. He showed us lots of promise early season, and this race fits his style. Still a rookie at 100 though, he could blow early if he’s not careful

Andy Jones-Wilkins: 5-1. Andy always has a good race in him, he’ll run solid as usual and win by slight default if #1 and #2 suffer.

Joe Kulak: 7-1. We’d like to see some of that old Vermont speed return, but he might be consuming some Long Trail Ale, it could slow him down a bit.

Kevin Sullivan: 10-1. Not as much experience as those few others, but the potential is there.

The ladies:

I only see two right now:

Devon Crosby-Helms: 3-2. Should be a no-brainer for her to win, she just needs to run smart and not let the fast early pace get her.

Michelle Barton: 5-1. She’ll be styling in her Moeben Sleeves, the ice in the sleeve trick could keep her cool and give her a chance at a win in the Green Mountain State.

Diana Fitzpatrick: 9-1. Experience will take her to the top 3, and potentially even a win.

I may have missed a few here, so help, I’ll update tomorrow if needed.

Today was the last day for the Speedgoat 50k apps to come in, but I’ll take more as we have not yet reached our limit, so send it in and come run the sickest 50k in the US! The goats will be out in force on July 26th.

Check out the new Whereskarl.com website, it is a thing of beauty!

Click the Goat man for 15% off at Backcountry.com or use coupon code 2JV-1-QJE3H. The discount will show when you update the cart! Order up!

Pacheco Wins Badwater 135……23:20!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on July 15, 2008 in Race Updates. 5 Comments

AKOS KONYA not far behind at 23:49.

Jamie Donaldson has passed Pam Reed to take over first, but it’ ain’t over yet, and Pam is not far behind.

live ongoing results at Badwater here.

Tune back this evening for the Vermont 100 and Tahoe Rim Trail 100 odds. They both appear to be quite competitive. But first I must go run, cuz’ that’s my job!

Hardrock Updates and an inside look at what’s going on up front!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on July 8, 2008 in Race Updates. 52 Comments

Now that Kyle is asleep……………..

Let’s sit back and watch Diana Finkel finish tough, and give Krissy’s record a shot! I don’t think she’ll get it by 3 freakin’ hours but she’s got a chance to take home the cake, unless Kyle already ate that too!

Congrats Kyle, you are the man now!

And after briefly looking at Kyle’s split from Cunningham, the record is soft as his split from that last aid station is NOT the fastest (nor was mine)…..of course Kyle was likely barefoot as he “blew out his shoes”.

Grouse Gulch Aid #8

I guess the race is for 2nd, and it’s a good one, this could be the year more than 3 break 30. Jared, Scott and Glenn have a good run at sub 28!

Diana Finkel still rolling, showing that altitude is not a factor, she too, has a chance at taking Krissy’s record down

Someone cutting corners out there?…..yah right! Damn it’s fast!

Ouray Aid #6

Well the boy is flying, the only hope I have left? Will he run a faster split from Sherman in? probably.

The race for second is awesome right now. Jared is starting to gap the group, his 20,000′ vertical days are paying off!

And Diana Finkel is kicking some arse, showing off on her Leadville speed

Telluride Aid #3

Skaggs is now 1:18 ahead of record pace, will he turn around and run the second half backwards? Give me a chance to keep the clockwise record. Shall I predict that the Pole Creek and Maggie aid stations will be sound asleep…..hopefully that’s not the case. Go Kyle! He’s flying, we’ll see if it continues.

Aid #1 Kamm Traverse, Mile 12

AT Kamm Traverse, (mile 12) it looks like Kyle has the fastest split ever, according to my records, the year I ran 26:39 my split there was 2:52! Kyle ran by in 2:19…Advantage Skaggs by 33 minutes!

Roch Horton making an early run at it in 2:35, with Jared Campbell with the smartest start at 2:33. All the other boys are still in there quickly under 2:40-2:50.

Diana Finkel (Leadville winner), and Kim Holak (Bear Winner), both Hardrock rookies, have the early lead. Betsy and Betsy are lurking behind. A true look at experience.

I’ll be back after Telluride and perhaps Chapman for another race update!

Check out this year’s odds below

The Hardrock 100 promises to be exciting, not necessarily who will likely win, but what will the time be? That is the question this week. The race for second should be the spectators delight. A battle of the Betsy’s part 8 will be the women’s race.

The Men:

Kyle Skaggs 1-2. That’s right 1-2, he lives there, knows it, and is the fastest kid around, and although young to some standards, Kyle has mature experience….he’ll be gone at the first water crossing, and never look back. And the record will fall if snow doesn’t protect it.

Jared Campbell 3-1. Anything happens to Kyle, Jared is the man, he’s extra strong right now and a veteran at Hardrock, he just has to go out a little faster. Potential to go under 28 hours.

Ricky Denesik 4-1. Previous Hardrock winner, made a little mistake last year early, but this year he probably has a better gameplan…..sub 30 easy.

Paul Sweeney 4-1. Another previous winner, always a strong finisher, he could be the sleeper if he doesn’t nap

Kevin Schilling 7-1. Has what it takes on a good day, he’s been running hard and should be ready to go sub 30 too!

Kieth Knipling 7-1. If altitude doesn’t slow him down, his technical running skills could bring him in top 5 and another sub 30 time.

Scott Jaime 8-1. If he brings some of his shorter race speed, he could run top 5.

Kirk Apt 13-1. He’s slipped in there before, and a sub 30 to his credit.

James Varner 14-1. How can we forget Varner, master of technical terrain.

Thomas Schnitzius 41-1. German name keeps him on the list

Others: Sean Andrish, Scott Eppleman, Roch Horton, and Paul Hopwood.

The women:

Betsy Kalmeyer 3-1. Multi winner at Hardrock, always in it, comes out on top here more often than not. I think 4 wins, maybe 5. She gets the nod.

Betsy Nye 7-2. It’ll be the battle of the Betsy’s again, if she can finish strong, she’ll have the best chance at coming out on top.

Diana Finkel 9-1. Won Leadville a few years ago, with an impressive time. Altitude shouldn’t hurt her much, but this ain’t no Leadville, there are big hills at Hardrock.

Kim Holak 12-1. She’s got the speed, but a rookie at Hardrock has a slight disadvantage at this big dance.

Kathy D’Onofrio 20-1. She’ll do real well if she holds back early, she has a tendancy to go out too fast, and this course is not made for that!

And the BADWATER 135, pavement…ouch!

The men:

Jorge Pacheco 4-1. Moeben is a new sponsor of the event, so why not have a Moeben runner win it. It’s Jorge’s turn, if he can hold back early. He tends to go out a little fast…bad idea in the heat.

David Goggins 5-1. He’s been getting faster and faster, and will play it smart, it’s time he finally busts one out…..and he’s more rested than any time last year.

Akos Konya 5-1. The road is his friend, and no rookie here, runs well in the heat.

Dean Karnazes 8-1. Makes it look easy to run top 5, off to the next desert he goes.

Charlie Engle 12-1. Sube 30 before, so he’s not out of it.

The women:

Monica Scholz 3-1. It’s her race, she just roll through as always, not a record but solid.

Shanna Armstrong 7-1. I loaded her ipod, so she has a chance. Strong triathlete, wins regularly, but can she run 135?

Pam Reed 11-1. She’ll get it done and round out top 3.

In other news

The whereskarl RV was part of the Park City Parade on the 4th. I sat on the hood like a celebrity waving like a rockstar to 10,000 parade goers. PBR and bagels for breakfast made it just right. Thanks Backcountry.com!

For the Speedgoat 50K, registrations must be postmarked by July 15 or you lose a chance to run with some 150 other goats through Snowbird’s killer singletrack.

Click the goat for 15% off at Backcountry.com on almost everything they sell

The Speedgoat 50K course is melting fast!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 30, 2008 in Appalachian Trail and Speedgoat 50K. 5 Comments

26 days till post-time for the toughest 50K on earth!….maybe not, but it sounds good!

This mornings run took me to the summit of Snowbird to scope out the Speedgoat 50k. It looks like a butt-slide is likely in Little Cloud Bowl for the final descent! It’ll bring back those childhood memories of you’re favorite sled run! I’m working on logistics now and soon we’ll have a map so you can salivate over the course.

We plan to have the $100 bill at the top for the first man and women who make the 4500′ climb to the peak first….but you gotta finish to collect….no sandbaggers here!

Entries Close on the 15th, so if you’re gonna run, send it in now to reserve a spot in the field, and some pizza and beer* at the finish line.

For those who don’t know, directly after the Speedgoat 50K, I’ll be heading out for the run of my life with the Appalachian Assault beginning August 5th on the Summit of Mt. Kathadin in Maine. For more details, whereskarl.com will be the command center for the entire AT run, check out my training, the GPS, the podcasts, the U-Tube videos, and all the other cool stuff we’re gonna do while everyone watches me suffer for 2174 miles.

* Beer must be purchased by runners, I can’t legally buy it for you…damn disclaimers!

Click the Goat for 15% off at Backcountry.com or use Coupon Code 2JV-1-QJE3H

4th of July Sale at Backcountry.com

Published by admin on June 27, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Check out the sweet sale at Backcountry.com!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 26, 2008 in Race Updates. 22 Comments

Mother Nature “Strikes” again!

Sitting here in No. Tahoe, it’s safe to say, it’s a smoker here, and wildfires suck, but life goes on. What will we do now? we’ll go running somewhere else. Perhaps the fire gods are telling me something…..to focus on the AT only.

It’s a shame all those $300 entry fees can’t be at least partially returned, but it’s understandable, that’s the way it works. I’ll go for a smoker run tomorrow to emigrant pass…just because.

We have to feel for the committee, nothing is harder than telling 400 runners we can’t run. Maybe we should all head to Silverton and run Hardrock bandit style, a day early.

Or….everyone enters the speedgoat 50k on July 26th to celebrate cheryl’s (my wife) birthday. I’ll have another beer now, it’s ok……OUCH!

The Western Track Meet is on the Horizon…finally!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 23, 2008 in Race Updates. 23 Comments

And the odds are:

Mens Race:

Anton Krupicka 8-5. We all know he’s the man to beat. The heat will be his toughest competitor.

Hal Koerner 5-2. Last year’s winner knows he can run under 16 now, if he has injury issues, he’ll be rested and ready to rip one.

Erik Skaden 4-1. A few bridesmaids finishes, last year ran 16:34, has been running strong, if he peaks now, it may even be his turn to win. A podium finish for sure.

John Olsen 4-1. Ran a fast one at Rio Del Lago, and is ready and fit for this one.

Lon Freeman 5-1. He was close last year, this year should be no different…not to mention the experience factor.

Mike Wardian 6-1. Mike’s two wins at the “no headphones” 50k and 100k, shows he’s the fastest one in the field, has run under 16 for 100 miles.

Brian Morrison 6-1. His DQ finish a few years ago has probably made him quite hungry to have a good run. It would be great to see him return and run up front.

Speedgoat Karl 7-1. Took the lucky number 7 position, I have no issues now and feel good, but the real focus is on the AT after the track meet. If I’m in it, I’ll be going for it, if I’m not, I’m gonna have a fun run!

Jorge Pacheco 8-1. Jorge is always in it early, if he can survive the early pace into Robinson Flat, and feel fresh there, my guess is he’ll have good run.

Josh Brimhall 9-1. Josh ran 16:48 at San Diego a few years ago, that’s enough to tell me he makes the list.

Todd Braje 9-1. Wondering if he peaked too early. Probably not, he’s got the speed to be up front, we’ll see where he ends up.

Graham Cooper 10-1. I think he’s been running well lately, his odds should probably be better, being a previous winner, but this field is tough.

Zach Miller 12-1. Zach would have been further up this list without arthroscopy on his knee, but at least he’s here. Top 10 would get him back next year, if he holds up well, he could be much further up this list.

Andy Jones-Wilkins 13-1. AJW is the sentimental favorite, and looking to go under Twiet’s master record (17:17)….and probably will, but there’s a few masters ahead of him on this crazy list.

Dan Olmstead 13-1. Speedy on shorter distances, on a great day could even contend to win.

Glen Redpath 14-1. Has shown great prowess in the past, and could work his way up this list, if he hangs tough

Sean Meissner 14-1. Off and On, when he’s on he’s fast, when he’s off, he’s out. A hard call, would love to see Sean nail one at Western.

Neil Olsen 15-1. Another Master looking to crack the top 10.

Hiroki Ishikawa 15-1. It would be cool if Hiroki won, he’s already a national hero in Japan, he could be a hero in the US too.

Notables:

Mark Godale

Alan Abbs

Mike Wolfe

Chikara Omine

Jeann Pommier

Jeff Riley

Kevin Sullivan

Scott Wolfe

Jack Cooke

Jez Bragg

Tracy Moore

Women’s Race

Nikki Kimball 5-2. Even after just running 53 miles in Vermont, she’s the toughest one in the field, and just getting herself back into great shape. No rookie at this one.

Kami Semick 4-1. One of the few to beat Nikki, and with a good run could take the throne from Nikki.

Jenn Shelton 6-1. Another speedy one, but will she manage her fuel well? Eat your gel Jenn!

Beverly Abbs 7-1. Close but not quite fast enough to hang up front the whole distance.

Suzannah Beck 8-1. The fastest of the bunch at shorter distance, I believe a sub 2:40 marathon. But this ain’t no marathon. If she plays here cards right, she has the talent and speed to go close to Ann Trason’s record…but she’ll have to nail her first 100.

Devon Crosby-Helms 9-1. Just behind Suzannah, we’ll see what kind of 100 experience she brings to the table, she has the speed to stay up front.

Caren Spore 11-1. I hear she’s been running well and will look for her best time this year.

Jenny Capel 11-1. Not fast enough to compete for the win, but always a solid performer.

Francesca Conte 12-1. Sentimental favorite, great Hong Kong runner.

Notables:

Meghan Arbogast

Michelle Barton

Rena Schumann

Beth Vitalis

Suzie Lister

Sabrina Moran

Prudence L’Heureux

A few things to think about: Please correct me if I’m wrong.

The over 40 category is a race in itself, the record is 17:17…Tim Tweitmeyer.

Andy Jones-Wilkins

Speedgoat Karl

Jorge Pacheco

Neil Olsen

All these guys are over 40 and will be running for the masters record too!

CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE RACE LIVE

www.ws100.com

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First….Bighorn!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 19, 2008 in Appalachian Trail, Race Updates and Speedgoat 50K. 22 Comments

This year the Bighorn 100 will be different, most of the Rocky Mountain region had tons of snow this year and the Bighorn Mountains were no exception. The turnaround at Porcupine is still under 3 feet of snow, nonetheless the course will be awesome as usual, and two new records will be set…..and may last forever, so the odds are:

Mens Race

Jeff Browning 4-1. Jeff’s best time is 20:23, only 12 minutes shy of the “soft” record I set last year, it’s a new course, so everyone is blind to start, Jeff knows this terrain well.

Ty Draney 5-1. Simply put it’s Ty’s turn, he should hang with Browning and see what happens late in the race.

Justin Angle 5-1. Very fit now, and ready to rip one, he’ll be out fast, the question is will he have the power to run to the end.

Paul Dewitt 6-1. The fastest for sure, but on this terrain, he’ll be chasing late.

Jamie Gifford 8-1. He’ll slip in there for a podium if the others have tough day.

Bradley Mongold 10-1. His name on the list read “Radley Mongold”, but if it is “Bradley” he’ll be right there. Strong performances early this year….he should get better odds, but a rookie on this course can be a tough one.

Roch Horton 15-1. One of these days Roch’s gonna win one, if he carries his banjo the whole way I’ll give him 3 hours of bonus minutes.

Davy Crockett 20-1. That’s right, Davy makes the list this week.

Womens Race

Prudence L’Heuruex 4-1. Although blind to the course, certainly the fastest out there, some strong performances this spring should propell her to the front when all said and done.

Honey Albrecht 9-1. The next choice if Prudence chooses to lose.

Olga Varlamova 10-1. She’s always wanted to make this odds list, she might slip in for a podium finish.

Milada Copeland 12-1. Wasatch Running Center’s #1 100 mile runner could slip into ta podium finish as well, she likes the Bighorn’s!

Next week I’ll do the Western States Track Meet Odds. I’ll have them on the board on Monday morning, it’ll give us a week to debate it. Just thinking about this list scares me. I think the men’s winner will be easy, after that we’ll all be guessing!

Continue to check out whereskarl.com for info on my Appalachian Trail Assault. The RV is wrapped up…. I’m all over that thing. I wonder what dad will feel like driving around with a picture of his son all over it?

The Speedgoat 50k has almost hit 100 runners, that’s 100 times someone gets to buttslide down Little Cloud Bowl at Snowbird…..with super tired legs, it’s gonna turn into a luge run by the time 25 slide down. Just another added feature to the toughest 50k in the US.

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Pacers or No Pacers…THAT is the question!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 11, 2008 in Race Updates. 60 Comments

In this age of Ultrarunning, pacers play a large roll in motivating and assisting runners to finish the brutal 100 mile race. Is this really necessary? In France, pacers are not allowed, and the RD’s even discourage having a crew. The US is the opposite, why is that? Are the Europeans more purists? Are we weak in saying we need a pacer?, or have we just grown up knowing they are always allowed, so we take advantage of it? Some on the other side of the pond cut a few corners, maybe here in the US our form of cutting corners is having a pacer/mule.

For the lead runners, pacers should not be allowed if one is running for the win. There is a distinct advantage to having a friend by your side when the going gets rough…even if the “pacer” is not carrying anything. A prime example would be during nighttime, the extra person with a light is muling….maybe not carrying, but the brighter trail means faster running. What is fair? For non-elite runners pacers are great to help those who just want to get er’ done.

It’s time to think about all the top runners at the WS track meet not having a pacer/mule, why not make it a fair fight. Crew only, pacers/mules stay on the wayside.

Just thought I would run this idea by all those elite runners heading to Squaw Valley on June 28. No babysitters for the whiners. I like the idea! Remember this is all in good fun!

Some great races this weekend, the big one in Vermont…the Pittsfield Peaks Challenge.

$2000 bucks to the sole winner, now that’s some prize money. I would be there in a heartbeat if the WS committee did not let me in. It’s on next year’s list!

Mens Race

Leigh Schmitt should lead the way amongst the men….he’ll get 5-2 odds as his local knowledge will take him to victory.

Courtney Guertin will follow as bridesmaid again….7-1

Tim Roy has a chance as a rookie to beat Courtney….8-1.

Both will have to look out for Nikki Kimball if they don’t want to get chicked!

Womens Race

Nikki Kimball won’t run away with the women’s title…she gets 3-1 if she races it before WS. She should race it, as the Western Buckle ain’t worth 2000 bucks, and she has plenty of those silly buckles.

Deb Livingston is her competition, and will be on her heels, but might come up short unless a stellar day awaits…she gets 7-1 with Nikki in the field.

Robin Holleran will follow in 3rd but quite a ways back.

Laurel Highlands 70 mile this weekend too!

Todd Walker will go for another great trail win….7-2 if he’s fresh after Massannutten

Sean Andrish will go out hard….5-1, and if he hangs on has a good chance to beat Todd.

Randy Miller gets the third position with 9-1…New at this distance, he’s shown awesome improvement over the past 4 months, and could slip in there and surprise everyone if he takes his coach’s advice! Good luck Randy! It’s only 70 miles.

Only a few days left to register for the Speedgoat 50k before the price goes up ten bucks! Check out the webpage here

Click the Goat Man for 15% off at Backcountry.com or use Coupon Code 2JV-1-QJE3H. Your discount will be applied once the cart is updated.

The Appalachian Assault is only two months away!

Published by Speedgoat Karl on June 2, 2008 in Appalachian Trail and Race Updates. 46 Comments

Preparation for the AT assault is coming together, the RV is in the house (outside of the house) and the Backcountry.com wrap is being designed.

Training wise: Yah, I’ve been running every day, the real training will be after the WS track meet, where I’ll go hiking alot instead of running, it’ll be nice to slow down once in a while.

The biggest concern is the tracking device from SPOT, it works well, but some details need to be improved for it to work the way we want it to. Our friends at SPOT and BC.com are working to provide the ultimate tracking tools to make this adventure not only fun for me, but fun for all to watch me suffer. I like to suffer! Check out our AT command center at whereskarl.com for some new video and info leading to the 2174 mile adventure.

We are now 26 days from the Western States Track Meet, and I’ll certainly do some odds for this one. But first, here’s a list of contenders I know of. If there are any others out there, please help me out and chime in with some comments on their qualifications.

Men: Alan Abbs, Todd Braje, Josh Brimhall, Graham Cooper, Lon Freemen, Mark Godale, Hiroki Ishikawa, Andy Jones-Wilkins, Hal Koerner, Anton Krupicka, Sean Meissner, Karl Meltzer, Zach Miller, Brian Morrison, Dan Olmstead, Neil Olsen, John Olsen, Jorge Pacheco, Glen Redpath, Kevin Sawchuck, Erik Skaden, Mike Wardian, Mike Wolfe, Chikara Omine, Scott Wolfe, Jean Pommier and Jeff Riley.

Women: Beverly Abbs, Meghan Arboghast, Michelle Barton, Annette Bednosky, Susannah Beck, Jenny Capel, Francesca Conte, Devon Crosby-Helms, Nikki Kimball, Kami Semick, Rena Schumann, Jenn Shelton, Caren Spore, Beth Vitalis, Suzie Lister, and newcomer Sabrina Moran.

Red lettering….the real contenders to win it,

Blue lettering….the darkhorses.

Black lettering….Some faster folks that might surprise someone

A good preliminary list to get things going!

Also this week, the San Diego 100 and the Squaw Peak 50 are happenin”. I’ll be at the Squaw Peak 50 running with my wife Cheryl in her first 50 mile attempt, she picked Squaw Peak cuz’ it’s an easy one…yah right!

The snow is starting to melt away at Snowbird, the Speedgoat 50K is filling up quickly now, so those interested in running the toughest 50k in the US, come join in the fun and get your arse kicked on some of the finest goat trails in Utah. Find the Application here.

Thanks to the Speedgoat 50k sponsors: Snowbird Ski Resort, Backcountry.com, LaSportiva, Nathan Human Propulsion Laboratories, First Endurance, Powerbar, Red Bull, NUUN, Moeben, Wasatch Running Center, Nordic Track, and Black Diamond.

We’re still needing volunteers for the race, so if you interested, grab you’re binoculars, and cowbells and come up to Snowbird for the Speedgoat Party on the Peak.

In a recent news flash….Scott Jurek will not give Kyle Skaggs a run for it at Hardrock. Let’s hope Scott is not injured, Seems HR may be another run-away victory for Mr. Skaggs….no pressure Kyle, run your own race!

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