Archive for the 'Speedgoat 50K' 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 final big dance of 2009…..The North Face 50 odds!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on December 2, 2009
in Race Updates and Speedgoat 50K
. 57 Comments

First off, this is a tough one.  There are so many solid runners in this race, it could go to any of the top 10 I have listed below.   I like to think experience will play a role in who takes home the cake!

The men:

Ulli Stiedl 5-2.   No doubt  Ulli is the fastest in the field when it comes to turnover.  The man runs like a gazelle.  He’s the only guy in the field this year that’s gone under 7 hours, won the innaugural and was a close second last year….he gets the nod from me again.
Dave Mackey 3-1.  Dave will take the place of Carpenter this year and stay right on Ulli’s heals if he’s not ahead of him to begin with.  Dave’s incredible 7:51 at Miwok this year tells all of us he’s got it down at Marin and won’t lose the trail.   He’s the man to dethrone Ulli, if Ulli is not on his game.   Dave will be on his game.
Tsuyoshi Kaburaki 4-1.  3rd last year and has to get the nod to place the same.  He ran super strong at WS.  What this tells me is he is a tough competitor and will dig deeper than anyone else if it comes down to a sprint up that last little hill nearing the finish line.
Geoff Roes 9-2.  What can we say about Geoff, he’s the “Ultrarunner of the Year” for 2009 (in my book) and after his Masochist performance, is probably not getting as much love on this list as he deserves.  He broke Mackey’s record by about 20 minutes at MM, so he’s got it in him to pay for his Alaskan flight if he’s still on fire.  My guess is that he’s still on fire.
MIke Wardian 5-1.  He’s kind of a mystery man to me, although I certainly know he’s capable of running up front….something will happen putting him 5th in the end.
Sal Bautista 6-1.  Sal won two NF 50 qualifiers, beating some tough comp,  so if he’s fit he’ll be one of those guys not everyone up front recognizes, and this is somewhat of his home turf.
Chikara Omina 7-1.  Super fast at Helen Klein and over the past few years has been running strong.  He’s the guy that might surprise us all if he has a good day.
Leigh Schmitt 8-1.  Another guy who ran well here last year, I think 5th.  So like Geoff doesn’t get as much love as he should on this list, but certainly one who’ll be in it for the cash.  He’s faltered a few times in races at the end, hopefully not at this one.
Hal Koerner 9-1.  Fresh off a 6:06 at JFK, so he’s got some speed, but his camera might slow him down.  He claims to be this year’s front running photographer.
Chris Lundstrom 10-1. I’ve been notified he’s a super fast guy form the upper midwest, but failed to get good google results when I looked, so he slips in the top 10.

Other men looking to run well, but won’t make any money: Maybe they’ll win some shorts for the size of elephants in a age division category! :-)

Sam Thompson, MIke Wolfe, Chris Rennaker, Sean Meissner, Dakota Jones, AJW only gets mentioned here cuz’ of his 5:14 mile recently. :-)
Don’t forget I stumbled upon two other Japanese runners….Hidefumi Kimura, and Minehiro Yokoyama, who knows, they might be fast too.  If they are wearing a billboard like Kaburaki, you can count on them being quick.
 

The Ladies:

Kami Semick 3-2.  It’s her home turf, she’s the previous champion and is likely the “Ultrarunner of the Year” again.  She’s fast, but will have lots of pressure on her, especially from the two listed below.   She may end up being the richest NF athete in town when it’s all over.  
Caitlin Smith 3-1.  Caitlin has what it takes to win this thing if the stars line up for her, but it’s hard to put her ahead of the other two.  She ran well at Miwok, but was beaten by Kami.  She’ll earn some cash.
Joelle Vaught 4-1.  Joelle is my sleeper to perform well here.  Most won’t be watching her, and on a good day can run with the best of em’.   She’ll look to squeeze out $1000 bucks for third.
Lizzy Hawker 5-1.  Fast girl that hasnt’ proved herself to me yet on this track, but like Joelle, she’s quick and could surprise the few girls ahead of her.
Helen Cospolich 6-1.  Helen doesn’t give herself enough credit and with 10,000′ of climbing here, it works with her strength.  If she holds together the whole day, she’ll be thinking about $1000 bucks too.
Chris Lundy 8-1.  Don’t know much about her, so I give her some love on the list, we’ll see what happens.  Anton mentions she’s just run a 2:40 marathon at Twin Cities.  And beat Kami and Susannah there.  I guess on Anton’s recommendation look for her to be the sleeper.  Still, it’s 50 miles, not 26.2……..very different in my opinion.  But that’s only worth a penny. 

Just my two cents, worth about a penny!

Check out this flyover of the course, brought to you by “run scout”

Don’t forget the real mountain race, the Speedgoat 50k applications go online on January 1st.  We know I”ll keep mentioning it.  My prize money is no $10,000, but I”m working on $500 for the winners.  It’s a mountain race with real vertical!

After this one, I won’t promise odds for the last 100 of the year….the Chimera 100 in Southern California.  My last race and thankfully my last 100 of the year.  This year was slim for me, only 7 100s. Next year we may almost double that….we’ll see. 

 

Time to eat!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on November 25, 2009
in Race Updates, Speedgoat 50K and Uncategorized
. 14 Comments

With the big turkey day upon us, think about running far today. 

Coming next week is the North Face 50 odds!  This should definately be a hot race to follow.  Hopefully, I’ll have some connection in Cali to get me the results.  I’m working on that.  With $10,000 on the line for the winner, it’s sure to be fast.  The Men’s and Women’s races will both be tigth, right from the start.

The Speedgoat 50k online registration will begin on January 1st, 2010.  We’re still hoping to get 200 runners in this crazy race.  11,000′ of climb is all I should need to say to get 200 of you here.  Trust me, it’ll entertain you!   Watch the video here, let us entice you a little bit. 

On my own end of things, I’ve found it entertaining to flip through a few blogs and read about the Western States Track Meet Lottery, coming Dec. 5.  I’m sure there will be plenty of discussion after a few fast guys and gals miss out, so I’ll leave that for another date and put it on the backburner for now.

The Chimera 100 mile is rapidly approaching, and rapidly closing, so if one more 100 is in the cards for you, this is the last 100 mile trail race of the decade.  But that has no significance. :-)  I’ll be looking for win #6 this year.  I still have the textbook in the back pocket, so I should at least run a decent race…..but we’ll see.  

“100 miles is not that far”

 

2009 Speedgoat 50km

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on July 18, 2009
in Speedgoat 50K
. 18 Comments

Running the ridge betweeen Hidden Peak and Baldy

Photos from the race

More stellar photos from Pure Light Images

YouTube video of the race

Matt Hart will be twittering updates as well, and posting to CoachingEndurance.com.

An old legend back on track!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on June 10, 2009
in Race Updates and Speedgoat 50K
. 14 Comments

When I started Ultrarunning, I had two guys I wanted to race…..One was Eric Clifton.  Eric was so fast I had to go test myself against him to see if I had what it takes to succeed in this silly sport.  I beat Eric the first time I raced against him at the Crown King 50 mile….only to be beaten at the finish by Dennis Poolheco. 

A few months ago I noticed a guy named Ben Hian had run a race in California.  I don’t remember if he won, but he ran fast and it reminded me of my first ever 50 mile race at the Leona Divide 50 in 1999.  I won that race edging out Tom Nielsen by a scant 1:25.  I didn’t go there to race Tom.  I went there to race Ben Hian.  At the time this guy was the fastest and seemingly unstoppable.  He didn’t have his best day and ended up 4th…….soon thereafter, Ben dropped off the radar and pursued other interests.

Well….he’s back!! 10 years later.  He recently won the San Diego 100 in a tight race with guess who?  Tom Nielsen.  His time was 18:15.  The record of 17:40 (mine) hung in there, but I think it’s time to pay attention to Ben as his form is returning.  And we all know being 40 years old doesn’t mean squat in a 100 mile race.  We don’t have to run fast, we just have to run all day.  Congrats to an old (not age old) legend!!!!  It’s great to see his return. 

This past weekend I had the pleasure to run an aid station at mile 29 at the Squaw Peak 50 mile.  I only saw a little carnage, nothing major, but entertaining to say the least.  The race had it’s highest finish rate ever.  95% of the runners finished the tough course in perfect weather conditions.  The only real carnage was Scott Mason’s vehicle.  A dead limb about 15 feet long fell on Scott’s car the evening before while we were camping at the aid station.  Good thing he had the “hard shell” tent. 

The Speedgoat 50k is coming soon as we only have 26 days to register and 5+ weeks till the start. Registration is still open.  If it would only stop snowing here!….yah, that’s right, snow on the peak again this morning.  I’ve never seen Utah this green.  It’s melting fast but expect to see some snow in Little Cloud Bowl on the final climb and descent.   We still need some course marshalls to help keep runners on track.  If anyone out there is interested in helping out, contact me at speedgoatkarl@gmail.com for more info.  It is certainly an entertaining day! 

The Bighorn 100 is coming June 19th, I’ll be looking for a good run there.  I’ve been a little erratic in how I feel, I think I’ll blame it on the weather.  The rain continues and the joints hurt a little every morning waking up to 50 degrees.  It seems like early spring around here.  The “boxers fracture” I recieved running 6 weeks ago is now healed, so my days off can now consist of a round of golf to prepare myself for the senior tour…….I better get on it.  My legs feel recovered, but as usual it’s always a mystery on how the race will go when I stack alot of 100s together.  Hopefully I can find that “autopilot” gear and just run it like the rest of em’.  It may just take me 6 hours or so to warm up…….silly how it works that way. 

If recovery from injury is an issue for anyone out there, consider getting those bikes and their parts from Hucknroll.com or Realcyclist.com.  These guys have all high quality bike gear to keep you going when running is not the option. 

Other gear reviews can be found at my user profile page at Backcountry.com.  The leader in gear AND gear knowledge.  If anyone needs any gear, check it out as every item has multiple reviews from people who actually use the gear.  It’s pretty cool. 

The next few weeks have me trying to figure out some odds for the Western States 100.  We all know the field is sick there and will be one hell of a race to say the least.  AJW has posted his poll, check this out.  We’ll use his poll as the “mass voting”.  I’ll do my “Speedgoat Odds” for this one, in a week or two.  First I’ll do Bighorn.  Not sure who the favorite is at Bighorn, the field is still growing.  It’s amazing this field is not full.  It is easily one of the nicest courses in town. 

Now go run! 

What’s Next?

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on May 28, 2009
in Race Updates, Snow Reports and Speedgoat 50K
. 14 Comments

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.

The Miwok odds and the last 3 spots…for the big track meet at Squaw Valley.

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on April 27, 2009
in Race Updates and Speedgoat 50K
. 23 Comments

Dave Mackey’s record should remain a tall order, but the race to win will be tight as always.

Full Results here

The Men:

Scott Jurek  2-1.  Let’s put a little pressure on Scott and give him the nod.  He may not be racing this one to win, (maybe he is) He is sure to be in the mix as the race progresses.
Geoff Roes  5-2.  His performance at the North Face 50 in December on the same trails proves he can run up front.  He wasn’t 100% that day either, and he wants in at Western.
Eric Grossman  3-1.  He’s fast on hills and flats, so this course should suit him well, his long loping stride that I witnessed (for a few minutes) at Cool was a good indicator he’ll be in it running for the win.
Todd Braje  4-1.  His 5:30ish 50 mile was the fastest in recent history, not too long ago.  If he’s still got that energy, he may just run away with it from the start.
Phil Kochik  5-1.  He’s run here many times and always near the front.  He’s a little erratic though, so I see him either running 5th or winning the thing.
Other guys in the mix, but not out front:  Matt Lonergan, Erik Skaden, Scott Jaime, Graham Cooper, Brian Morrison, Mark Lantz, Mark Hartell, Jean Pommier……and maybe a few I missed as well.

 The Ladies:

Kami Semick  2-1.  Her performance on her home turf last year at the NF 50 was stellar and should be no different this week.  She knows it and owns it, and should win by a comfy margin.
Joelle Vaught  4-1.  She’s fast and just a little bit faster than Anita on smooth terrain, so she gets the nod for first loser…….in the women’s race.
Caitlin Smith  9-5.  Caitlin has proved to be super fast in shorter races, but this is a bit new for her.  I’ll call her the sleeper.  If she manages her run well, she’ll be in it to win it and surprise a few…..then she can take a crack at 100 miles.
Anita Ortiz  5-1.  Not enough leg speed to run to win, but hills are her friend and she’ll be no further back than third.
Prudence L’Heuruex.  7-1.  She’s a little erratic, but has it in her to crack the top 3, but needs a great day to beat the three in front of her.
Suzanna Bon  8-1.  I’m thinking this is not necessarily her type of course but she’s sneaky and may just squeeze out a third.
Rob Lang calls in Nicola Gildersleeve as a darkhorse from our neighbor to the north!  :-)

Needless to say the race will be fun to watch, and running at the front will be stressful for those trying to make the start line at Squaw.  Scott has no pressure on him, he’s in this for the fun of it.  Sometimes with no pressure we run better.  I am a classic example of that! 

For the right shoe, check out my user profile at Backcountry.com.  This course is smooth and hilly, so the lighter the better!

It freakin’ snowed big again at Alta, making the Speedgoat 50k course buried even deeper, but have faith, it’ll melt…….at least most of it.  Check back soon for good deals at Snowbird for the Speedgoat race.

I just ran the Bonneville Marathon, a muddy, singletrack marathon here in SLC.  I went to break my previous CR and came up 6 minutes tall, breaking it by almost 6 minutes.  The 6500′ of climb was no match for goat legs.  I am finally feeling like I am back in solid form for my assault on 7, 100s this summer.  3:47.52 was the time, that one should hold for a while! 

Now go run! 

Now…….the season can begin!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on April 18, 2009
in Race Updates, Snow Reports and Speedgoat 50K
. 18 Comments

Stay tuned for Monday’s post:  The Miwok odds are coming, and this year’s race is a barn burner for the last 3, Western States Track Meet qualifiers!

Watch the Boston Marathon LIVE right now!  (it’s 8:32 MST)  at this website:

http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?CLIP_ID=110201&_MODE_=EVENT&db_oem_id=23000

Ryan Hall is pushing the pace, the 10k split was 29:30.  I can run 5 miles at that pace….maybe!

After shoveling almost 700″ of the “greatest snow on earth”, my tenure at Sugarplum condos and townhouses ended yesterday, (these condos are sweet and would be a great deal if you have a group running the Speedgoat 50k!).  Now I can start preparing for 7 100 mile mountain races.  It all starts with Massannutten on May 16th.  First I’ll hammer out the Bonneville Shoreline Marathon as a tune-up on April 25th.  While 165″ of snow sits on the ground at Snowbird and Alta, I’ll have to run at a lower elevation, but the hills are steep, and just as relentless as the higher stuff. 

I really think the Appalachian Trail helped me put down a huge base for this year.  Although I have run far less mileage as last year at this time, I have been running faster over my standard “bread and butter” routes.  Doing it with ease.  Two good races behind me.  My “Way Too Cool” finish didn’t look that impressive, but only because my right calf siezed at 23 miles and I had to slow down to make sure injury stayed out of the picture.  It did, and all is well.  

What’s the goal this year?  Only to win one 100 miler.  It would give me 10 years in a row with at least one 100 mile win.  I believe only Ann Trason can say that.  Unless Mr. Jurek can too.  I’m not sure about Scott, but it is certainly a possibility with his stellar 7 win streak at Western. 

Alot of cool races are starting now, and I’ll start doing some odds again, as I now have more time to spend in front of the screen, I’ve been a slacker again lately, but only because of the 230″ of dumpage we’ve recieved since March 22.  It was simply out of control shoveling almost 20″ daily….but again, it’s over now, so no excuses!

Western States is getting even more interesting as a few more super fast guys have qualified for the 2009 Auburn Track Meet.  Max King is certainly the leader with speed as his stellar performance at the Pear Blossom 10 mile CR was only a week after his win at the American River 50.  But Western is 100 miles, hopefully he’ll toe the start line and step into a different realm.   Miwok is the last qualifier, and a few others are trying to get in to WS.   Geoff Roes is hoping to qualify as well, he certainly has it in him to make it happen.  Scotty J would be a stellar addition,  (although, he should not have to qualify), He is Mr. Western!  I guess time will tell.  Miwok will likely be my next attempt at doing the odds. 

The Speedgoat 50k entrants list is creeping upwards, check it out.  Sign up if you want a real 50k challenge.  No PR’s at this race, only satisfaction of getting it done! 

Big hugs and kisses to La Sportiva and Backcountry.com for supporting me and the Speedgoat race this year!  Our prize list includes killer stuff from La Sportiva, Nathan Packs, Drymax socks, First Endurance,  and Ryders Eyewear  along with a few goat legs for the fastest Billies and Nannies.   Not to mention a few other prizes we’ll muster up.  Along with this year’s prize list comes 100 bucks for the winners and 100 bucks to break a record.  Yah, it’s not much, but I’m poor and it’s coming from this kid’s pocket.  A C-note never hurts!

14 for 14

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on April 6, 2009
in Snow Reports and Speedgoat 50K
. 10 Comments

OK, so I have been pretty much of a slacker in terms of posting info about anything……..why?

In simple terms:  Alta, Utah has recieved a whopping 170″ of snow since March 22…..are you kidding you say?  No, not kidding, check out Alta.com and click on snow reports to see actual daily snowfall.  Needless to say, I’ve been shoveling, burrowing and digging snow tunnels for the past two weeks.  The base at Alta today was 171″ on the ground…..that’s deep enough to safely say the Speedgoat 50k will have some snow on the course.   Perhaps a few glissading sections to make it easier!

Sunday, Cheryl and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary with a huge dose of 30″ of fresh Pow!  Not a bad way to spend an anniversary.  Tomorrow, I’ll go golfing…….only in Utah.

While I’ve been away from the screen, I’ve managed to run about 50 miles a week in the slop, slush, and driving snow.  It’s only gonna make me tougher when the sun finally shows it’s happy side.   The Massannutten 100 is next on my “race” list.  But before that I’ll run the local Bonneville Marathon here in Salt Lake.  A simple little marathon with only 6400′ of climb.  It’ll be my last long run before Nutten’ on May 16th.

It’s freakin’ deep, this year’s total so far: 615″ of the greatest snow on earth, eat you’re heart out Colorado!

Time for the Buffalo run!

Published
by
Speedgoat Karl
on March 23, 2009
in Race Updates, Snow Reports and Speedgoat 50K
. 6 Comments

This week Jim Skaggs will host the Antelope Island Buffalo Run.  This course takes place on Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake.  I’ll be working the “Lower Frary” aid station along with Larry Mangum.  There are nearly 500 runners registered in the 3 races….50 mile, 50k and 25k.  Looks like the buffalos will be running from runners.    While it is currently dumping here in SLC, the weather looks favorable this coming weekend for some fast times, unless the moisture lingers for a few days creating that wonderful, sloppy Utah mud. 

This past week I fell in a “transformer hole” up at work and tweaked my left knee.  No real damage, just a little wacked.  Hopefully this is the third “issue” in my string of winter injuries.  First a broken rib in January, then a tweaked calf (but not injured) at Way Too Cool, and now this.   Sledding is dangerous!  Injuries 1 and 3 were “sledding related”.  The broken rib was a compression turn, the other I was walking down from the famed luge run when I fell in a hole.  No popping or scary sounds and the knee feels strong.  I ran yesterday cautiously, and without pain.   Hopefully this won’t cause any more setbacks with training as the Massannutten 100 is approaching quickly. 

I’ve posted the “entrants list” for the Speedgoat 50k.  Make sure you’re name is on it to enjoy the pain of the toughest 50k in the US. 

For gear reviews, check out my “user profile” at BC.com to find the right shoe for you’re next big dance. 

I’m going sledding!  But coming home uninjured this time!

Another powder day at Alta!

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