Archive for the 'Award category' Category

Drumroll please!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on January 8, 2010
in Award category, Race Updates and Speedgoat 50K
. 11 Comments

On Monday morning Ultrarunning Magazine will announce the “Ultrarunners of the Year”.  Who’s it gonna be?  All we know is that it’s a tough vote.  So many variables, so many races, so many different circumstances, so many different courses.  I could go on and on and on, but I won’t.  Tune in Monday morning after I see the results for my two cents on the voting.  Some will rank higher than expected, some lower, some will see no love, some will be loved.   All for what?  Yah,  recognition, but not even a buckle?  :-)  

Like many other races, the Speedgoat 50k is filling much faster than last year, it’s amazing how this is evolving in our world.   If you don’t like a beating stay home, if you do….register here, but read the instructions first to get an idea of what it’s like….it’s no picnic!  :-)…..or is it?  Picnics are fun stuff. 

For the record, and to all of you who like running in the La Sportiva Fireblade, make a note that if you like the orange color, you better get out and hit up Backcountry.com for the remaining few pairs of orange.  The grey models WILL ALWAYS be available, they ARE NOT discontinued,  only the orange color will no longer be made.  :-(   If BC.com doesn’t have them, go to La Sportiva and see what’s left in the closeout section. Both outlets have them on sale, around 70 bucks, so pick em’ up!.  Stop wearing those “boot style” running shoes, get low to the ground, it’ll make you run faster! 

And finally this weekend the Bandera 100k happens down in Texas.  Two spots for the Western Track Meet are up for grabs.  A few fast guys are running, when I see results I’ll post it up.   My predictions:

Chikara Omine will come out on top, unless technicality gets him.  Zach Miller will challenge him along with Nick Clark.   Any of these three guys could win it, and one of them will be shut down.  It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.

For the women:  It looks like Annette Bednosky is the shoe-in, but I don’t recognize any other women, so the race for second is on!

And for kicks, check out my latest creation at “White PIne” here in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  It’s a quarter mile long luge run, built solely by me.  As busy as I’ve been, I found a little extra time to build this classic track.  Click here to watch the fun as Matt Hart leads the way.  Tom Maartens and I are in the “chaser sled” with the video.  Good ole’ fun, not your typical luge run.

The “wild” and scenic Bighorn 100 gets a little too “wild”!…..And the Western States Odds!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on June 22, 2009
in Award category and Race Updates
. 42 Comments

I put my odds for Western on the previous post, but for some even more entertaining info, read on…..the Bighorn 100 was an adventure into the wilderness where sometimes it gets just a little scary!

The Bighorn 100 was another great win for me….that’s #25 in the 100 mile trail race “win category”.  Nick Clark kept it close early, but in the end I was showered, sleeping and thinking about what “could have happened”….but didn’t.  So here’s the story………..

Ever had a run-in with a moose?  I can now say I have.  It was funny the day before at the packet pick-up as I heard some other folks talking about how the leaders get to see all the wildlife.  This race I was the leader.  I saw all the wildlife, from big bucks, to big moose, even a skunk to perhaps throw some stink into my finish (that didn’t happen), but was close.

I was about a half mile from the turnaround point at the Porcupine Aid Station where I came upon old mama Bullwinkle.  I stopped, she stopped.  We both proceeded forward, when Bullwinkle started walking away from me towards the aid station, I also proceeded forward.  She then started to run away from me.  All I could think was “great”, she’s out of here.  When I started moving again, she spun a 180, snorted and started charging at me from about 40 meters.  I moved left behind a large tree, baiting her to pass me on the right.  She was about 5 feet…yah 5 feet from me, I darted left behind the tree to protect myself.  She turned around, charged at me again only to find that big tree in her way and a little 142 pound runner hiding behind.  She was only 5 feet from me staring me in the face.  We played cat and mouse 5 more time before she decided to head back up and away from me.  I felt better now, hoping she was out of there.  At this area on the jeep road there was about 75 meters to the next big tree where I could protect myself, in the direction of the aid station.  It seemed she was gone as I could no longer see her in the woods about 50 meters away.  I started running quite fast towards the aid station, she then came barreling out of the woods and started chasing me!  As I was sprinting faster than Carl Lewis ever has, I turned around to see her snout only 5 feet from me and ready to pounce on top of me and possibly kill me.  I dove like superman behind that first big tree.  She kicked my right shin as well as my left hand.  When I hit the ground, I bounced up quickly to hide behind the tree again, only to play cat and mouse 5-6 more times.  Standing in front of a moose 7 feet tall is pretty scary from a distance of only 4-5 feet.  I don’t recommend it!  After a minute or two or her standing there debating whether I was worth more effort, she moved up and away into the woods again. This time I waited out of her sight a little longer than the first time.  I finally went and she was never seen again.   I was shaking at the aid station knowing I had to head back that way.  Two younger guys went ahead to spook her, they did just that.  For the next 20 miles I was shaking while running as I kept turning around thinking something was coming after me.  Finally it was over.  I survived a moose attack, won the race in record time, and now it’s a no-brainer when someone asks me a “wildlife story” when running in the wilderness.  Lesson to be learned……nah, it was about time this happened, I’ve been running in the woods for 25 years! 

Bighorn results here:

Now we can proceed to the Western States Odds!

I’ll stick to my strength…

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on November 20, 2008
in Award category and Race Updates
. 10 Comments

Next up is the North Face 50, after looking at the most recent entry list, these odds are gonna be good!  Both the men’s and women’s race will be spectacular.  Ain’t it true that money talks and bullshit walks? $10,000 to win, $4000 for second and $1000 for third sums up the reason top competition shows up for this one.  I’ll post my odds on Friday.

And even though I can’t offer prize money….yet, the Speedgoat 50k applications will be available here only…online on December 1st.  Put this brutal run on your July 18 “things to do list”. 

At JFK:

It looks like the top runners are: 

Mark Lundblad
Paul Dewitt
Matt Lavine
Pete Breckinridge

Lundblad wins it in 6:07!  Connie Gardner runs relatively unchallenged in 7:15!

I posted the top 10 in the comments section.  Nice run Ian!!

I can’t even look at the women as I don’t even recognize any except Bethany Patterson.
Check this link for a good writeup of competition today: 

 

I won’t be googling 1000 names, I have golf to play right now.

Any way you look at it, the race will be a steamer, and once that towpath gets it’s first steps, the fastest runner on the flats will likely prevail.   We’ll see if Torrence wins the sprint points to the end of the AT at 15.5 miles!

In other news:  We’ve been yacking about the “Speedgoat of the Year”.  Instead of having a vote online, what’s better, a panel of 10 making the decision?, an online vote where the “refresh” key comes into play?

I say we select a panel of 10, but that’s my idea, most of us who comment on my site about it are certainly interested in making the right decision.  Maybe we’ll do both and see how it turns out.   Still a few more races to go.  It’s not over yet.

For me, my schedule for next year is looking like a bunch of 5k’s early season, then I’ll take on a few 10k’s by April.  I”ve decided to bag Western, as most already know….so I’ll go back to Silverton and have a relaxing two week camping vacation, then run through the San Juans for 101.7 miles of the best terrain on earth.  Then back to my roots here in the Wasatch mountains.   Keeping it simple in my old age.  The AT will wait till 2010 if all goes well, I have some unfinished business there…to say the least.

The Speedgoat 50k applications will go online on December 1st, for those who want to commit to the pain of running goat trails around Snowbird Ski Resort. 

And lastly….Just go run!  Get off the computer!!

….or at least go shopping on the computer and get somethin’ good for Christmas:  Backcountry.com

Jurek takes Ultrarunner of the Year….

Published
by
admin-karlmeltzer
on January 17, 2008
in Award category
. 1 Comment

According to Ultrarunning Magazine. Scott amassed 199 votes to Meltzer’s 153 to win the prestigious award.Kyle Skaggs (137) and HalKoerner (131) rounded out the top 4.Scott’s awesome Hardrock recordand Spartathlon win earned him the honor.Jurek’s Hardrock was also listed as Performance of the year! 5 100 mile wins wasn’t enough for me to get the votes this year, perhaps running 2175 miles at once this coming summer will make it happen for 2008!

Nikki Kimball takes the women’s vote for the third time with impressive wins at Western States and the UTMB in Chamonix. Krissy Moehlstole the Performance of theYear with her Hardrock record.

Speedgoat50k.com to enter the best 50k on earth! -Speedgoat Karl

Speedgoat of the Year to be posted on January 8th!

Published
by
admin-karlmeltzer
on January 2, 2008
in Award category
. 0 Comments

We have discussed the Speedgoat of the Year over the past 2 months. When I return from NH on January 7th, I will post all the accomplishments of the year’s best runners, and the world can vote for the coveted Goat Skull. Link onto wasatchspeedgoat.com.to cast your vote! An incredible award to hang in the barn. But keep it high so other goats won’t damage it! -Karl

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