Valentines day weekend always brings the best race in Moab to the plate. The Red Hot 50k. Always a great tune-up and preview of some of the best running in the Rocky Mountain area. This year is standard procedure. Noone really stands out to win. I guess I would be the favorite if looking at last year’s results, but with my last 2 months, I have no idea how I’ll do. I think the record will easily remain intact, making it a better race for the leaders. Many of us are in the same league. For me it’s all about the tune-up for the Coyote Two Moon 100 on March 6th.
RED HOT RESULTS FOUND HERE ……it went pretty well! Off the couch.
In the meantime, check out the preview of Backcountry.com’s semi annual sale. Lots of stuff 60% off. Mostly winter gear….you know the routine, time to blow out the warehouse and fill er’ back up with summer schwag.
Check out some more interesting info on First Endurance. These guys have been taking care of me for years and this is good evidence why I’m still running strong at the old age of 42. Check it out here.
Don’t forget to register for a beating at the Speedgoat 50k!
Good luck to ya Karl! I imagine your comp will come from Ryan Burch, Jared Campbell. Others I do not know from that area. Me! I’ll be racing this weekend as well. Albeit a marathon distance shorter. And on the pavement in Illinois. Take what you can get I guess. -cr
I think Ryan Burch is out. Check this link for more info. http://www.runcolo.com
Adios…I’m out!
Hey Karl-
Good luck again this year. You killed it last year. Watch out for a dude from St. George named Logan Fielding. (remember David Holt at Squaw) Ultra-running is taking off here in sunny southern Utah. You should come run Zion in the spring. It was 60 degrees here just today!
Any word on race results? Or a twitter tag to follow on it?
Hearing now you won - congratulations!
red hot results are up temporarily at:
http://www.grandxc.com/rh/
Karl, always good to see you at the Red Hot!
Is that “Carl” or Karl. Anyway! Nice work. Right on schedule as usual for the Coyote.
Sandbagger… you’re worse than Kulak! I may try that leading into HR this year. When you’re on the couch is that with or without a bag of chips?
No, no chips….Beer FastED, let’s get our priorities straight eh?
20 days off in December, Ran for 18 days in January, Did not run 10 days in a row starting January 22, started running on Feb 2, then ran Moab. Total Miles since Chimera…118. Sandbagger….no, autopilot! That button still works…I guess.
I won’t be sandbagging at Hardrock. I”ll say now that it’s my focus race up to then. After that, I’ll focus on Mt. Blanc.
No Bighorn for me either, so I should be….in theory….ready to rip Hardrock. I’ll still give you the odds if you want though!
Craig, it’s Karl with a K. Since I was born, I have been mis-spelled. Every time someone sees Meltzer, they think Metzler. Been that way since I was 12. They know it’s a K at Moab, the timers were not the RD’s so they were clueless on spelling. They did a great job with the clock though.
I need that button! Can I pick up at Staples? Nope - no odds for me. I just wanna stay within a couple hours. I have a feeling 23.23 is going down! I like beer A LOT so I may try that couch/beer thing.
If 23.23 goes down, especially by me. I’m quitting this ultra thing on a high note.
The autopilot button isn’t necessarily fast, it’s just automatic…it’s wierd.
4:19 for 50km…are you kidding me?? I’m running my first 50km at the end of May and just hoping to break 6 hours. I have no idea what to expect, but reading this stuff just inspires to try harder.
Congrats on the win Karl! Very impressive in spite of the mileage (or lack thereof). Just proves you still have that solid base of resources to pull from after all the races last year.
With all due respect, I think Kyle’s 23:23 is going to hold for years to come. Folks don’t realize he lived in Silverton and trained on that course for over 3 months (maybe 4) leading up to that race. There’s something to be said in training specifically that long for the course terrain you’ll encounter. I think it’s solid for another 5 years minimum. But, hey, would love to see someone prove me wrong.
I don’t plan on chasing that time. I plan to try and win. I don’t really care if I run 32 hours and win. A win is a win.
After last year’s performances, it’s easy to say, what’s another hour and 15 minutes to chop off? But it’s a long hour and 15. At least there is talk about it…that’s cool.
Kyle living and training there is an advantage, but as far as really knowing the course, I can visualize every nook and cranny of that route, just as well as Kyle can. His record is probably solid for more than 5 years!….easy.
CJ - I realize Kyle lived and trained there for 4 months. The thing that people don’t realize that haven’t run HR is that the course varies from year to year because of snow. I think if we have a light(er) snow year, Karl has a shot at it. Kyle lost about an hour in American Basin because it was packed full of snow. All I’m saying is that Karl is running that good right now. I never thought he’d go under Kyle’s record at Wasatch and wha’dya know….
So many variables… everything has to be in order to run sub 23. I would love to see Kyle, Tony, Matt, Geoff, and Karl duke it out - some would blow up but I assure you someone would go sub 23.
Kyle really set a high bar, no doubt. I think when he did that it made myself realize that under 24 is possible. I was so surprised I ran the 24:38 last year it blew my mind.
This year I won’t run Bighorn 3 weeks prior either. Although with what I’ve done over the past 5 years stacking 100s one after the other, one would argue that didn’t make a difference, but the science in it all (if there is any) says it probably did slow me down some, so who knows.
I still, will never think “record” when I stand on that start line. I only think “win”. Records come on special days, and because I always say…”respect the distance”, I will do just that, give it all the respect it deserves, cuz 100 in the San Juans is freakin’ far!
The dream race of Kyle, Tony, Matt, Geoff and myself unfortunately would have to be a Peter Bakwin run. HMMMMMM, that has me thinking. Run it under the radar one year, the day before the race. Damn, that’s a good idea. It’ll even be marked. HMMMMMMM.
We’ll just use our own crew, scoop water for the backcountry aid stations…HMMMMMMM. No permit needed for that one! Or entry fee.
And then Geoff ran over an hour under Kyle’s record at Wasatch. Scary these days at these distances what people are doing.
Good points guys. Not being from CO or really familiar with Hardrock, I wasn’t aware of the possible course changes due to snow. The way Karl’s been cranking out these 100s, if anyone can challenge that 23:23 it would be him. I do agree that there would be some blowing up if all these guys were in the same race…sort of a “who has the highest pain threshold” race. If it came down to that, you’d have to give the race to either Matt or Karl as they’ve had more years under their belts of developing that tolerance
I honestly thing Geoff would have the best chance. His attitude when he races is just to go get it done….it seems. He doesn’t deal with the pressure. If Anton ran, he would have alot of pressure on him with all the miles he does and everyone would expect him to just go for it. Which is cool, but risky. Matt might blow up first, cuz’ he’d run every step…which would be mind-boggling to begin with. Kyle, not sure where he is, he dissappeared so fast, it’s kind of a shame. I am sure he’s out there and still running, but obviously has other priorities right now. The beauty of it though, is that he’s still younger now, than I was when I started running Ultras. He and Anton have plenty of time to put the hammer down if they want….I would bet Kyle and Anton will be back. Tony is now back and not injured…I think, so that’s great. It’ll be awesome watching WS if everyone is healthy.
I would do my own thing and let the race evolve and let those guys hopefully come back to me. Because Kyle and I have both run great times there, we probably know how to manage that one the best. It’s all about waiting all day to press the “autopilot” button and just run to the end.
Mt. Blanc will be a good test for me to do just that. Last time I got caught up going too quick early..just a little too quick, only to let it catch up with me at La Folly, (mile 74) This year will be different. I’ll run Mt. Blanc with the textbook, not the cribnotes.
Just checked the results from Moab. WOW Karl, great run “off the couch” That is freakin fast out there. Its a tough course. Great to read the HR armchairing… Keeping my mind in the San Juans, while traveling down here in Mexico. There is surprisingly Great running everywhere, with no snow!
Hasta man, see you in Silverton.
Course schmourse… you don’t need to know the course
Awesome job Karl! You looked awesome when you flew by me, you ran a brilliant race and I learned a ton. So thanks!
Kill it at Mt Blanc!
Tim