The Bighorn 100 starts June 19th. Am I recovered from Massannutten? Absolutely! I feel as though I didn’t even run in Virginia a week and a half ago……scary!
Why am I recovered already?…….because I’m a mutant? or is it the multiple scoops of Ultragen I consume after every run. I’ll call it the Ultragen. Not to mention I have a great coach…..myself! 
Last Friday I was summoned to fill in for Missy Berkel at the Pocatello 50 mile relay. I was called on my way up to Pocatello where my wife Cheryl was also participating in the 50 mile relay division. So I said why not?, What’s another 17 miler? I ran it with intentions of just having fun. It certainly was fun. Cruising along on prime Pocatello singletrack comfortably at 10.5 mph had me feeling pretty good. I won the first leg by 5 minutes. Recovered from Massannutten……I think so! Bighorn will be the real test…..then of course the beast of all beasts, The Hardrock 100 follows three weeks later!
Now it’s time to check out Hucknroll.com and Realcyclist.com. Backcountry has now added cycling to there already huge inventory, great discounts at random times and only top-flight gear for the real athlete……..that’s all of us!
The Speedgoat 50k has only 6 weeks to go till entries are closed, so time to suck it up and run/hike the toughest 50k on earth, covered by the greatest snow on earth. That’s right, it’s still buried up in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Perhaps I should start shoveling the course now to get it ready. We still need volunteers for the big dance, so if anyone out there is interested in watching some carnage, come help us out. It’s a great race to be a spectator!
I continue to review gear, not to mention others out there doing reviews for Backcountry.com, so check it out if you need anything, but only the good stuff, cuz’ they don’t sell junk.
It is amazing just how quickly you are able to recover. I’m betting it has as much to do with your training methods as it does anything else. The better prepared you are for a race, the easier it will be. Great job and good luck at Bighorn!
Man, I knew you’d be doing SOME kind of double! Gotcha! Bighorn is back on your calendar! You did great on that first leg, mister, broken wrist and all. Cool to see you, Karl, and until Hardrock - play fun and be well!
You’re feelin’ pretty good about yourself, huh? That’s a slippery slope sometimes. Pride cometh before the fall. Better keep your bike gloves on just in case. Of course after listening to everyone criticize you all last Summer on the web as they followed your journey along the Appalachian trail, it must be nice to be back on top.
Definately a slippery slope!!! All the naysayers last year were classic, I enjoyed all of there bullshit. It kept it entertaining and gives me more reason to thrive. The beauty of Ultrarunning is we never know how we will feel. I know I feel good now, so I roll with it. “pride cometh before the fall”? Sounds religious….I ain’t religious. Noone “above” is telling me how to run or motivating me!
The AT made me stronger….100 miles is easy to at least finish, winnning is the icing on the cake.
Karl…I just now noticed K. Skaggs isn’t running Hardrock. Is he hurt or does he have a different focus race?
I believe pride and confidence are key to running well in races. I can’t say that I’ve won any ultras but my best finishes have come since I started believing that I could at least finish in the top 10. I started believing that I had as good a shot as anyone else and I ran thinking that way.
Certainly one has to have the solid physical preparedness but having that mental game sharpened up to where you feel confident is crucial to placing well (or finishing if that’s your goal). Often it’s easy for confidence to be mistaken for cockiness or being stuck up but that’s when one needs to take the time to get to know a person better before making that brash judgment.
Rock Bighorn.
Kyle has been off the radar, but he’ll be back. He must be taking a break. His record ain’t goin’ nowhere!
Positive thinking is the key to success, not just fitness…once you have it. Nice words Jason, thanks for the support!
There is a huge difference between being cocky and being confident. From what I know about Karl, he has earned the respect of his peers and the right to be confident in a way that keeps him on top of his game. And for one, it motivates the competition, to let them know that this 40 something guy isn’t slowing down anytime soon. So, watch out, he’s coming!!!
I heard Kyle is focusing on Mt Blanc.
I hope Kyle is…I would love to see an American win Mt Blanc.
The best way to find out is to check the runners roster on the website. I haven’t yet. If he’s on it, he’ll slay it for sure. It would be a good race to focus on!
Hey man - good seeing you, Cheryl, and Binger the other weekend. Glad to see all is well. I’m going to try to make the trip down to Hardrock this year, perhaps I’ll see you there tearing through an aid station. Enjoy,
- Greg
Thanks for the words on my blog, tough to come to terms with almost there after the injury, but not quite. I appreciate the support, bro. I really wanted to run each other into the ground at Bighorn.
And yes, I expect you to take a break in my honor, in proper style. At the final summit, before you blaze the final descent to the Tongue River Canyon, in the nice green meadow, overlooking the soon to rise sun. Peace.
-Bronco
You’re rockin right now Karl… Keep it up and good luck at Bighorn!