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Massannutten 100 this weekend

One of my favorite 100 milers happens this weekend in Virginia.  The Massanutten 100.  This race is a rocky one and moderately hilly to my standards.  Total climbing in the 18,000′ range.  The course is somewhat different this year, starting at a different location. It should be a real competitive race up front.  Noone reallly sticks out in my mind, but whoever comes out on top, it’ll be close.  My picks:

1.  Todd Walker…..He’s due to win Massanutten, too many times he’s been close.
2.  Dan Barger…..He’s familiar (unfortunately) with 2nd in his last few 100s, I give Todd the nod because of MMT experience.
3.  Sean Andrish…..He could easily sneak away on a good day, he’ll probably lead early.
4.  Harland Peele…..If he’s fresh and ready, he’s my sleeper to win.
5.  Joe Kulak…..He’ll win the race to the keg, but comes up a little short on the win.
6.  Mike Mason…..Another guy who could be close with a good day.
7.  Aaron Schwartzbard…..tough call, but he’ll be in it.
8.  Kieth Knipling…..If he’s fit, he could win, he’s got it in him.
9.  Chris Reed…..He could surprise everyone, he ran pretty well last fall at Grindstone.
10.  Mark Tanaka…..The mystery man from out of town.
11.  Steve Anderson…..trained by a goat.

Doing real “odds” with this field is really tough, as all these guys listed could pull it off.  Although, I don’t see any records going down, only a “new” course record as the route has changed a little.  Follow the race, it should be interesting.

I have no clue as to who will win the women’s race…..maybe Ragan Petrie?

On another note:  

The Pony Express Trail Run is moving forward, my crew is being assembled nicely. More details on that when they come available to me…..I’m just the crazy guy who thinks 1840 miles isn’t that far. 

I’m really psyched on my new shoes, The Hoka’s, for all my races and the Pony Express Trail.  Hopefully in a few weeks, they will be available for purchase.  I do know that Boulder Running Company, Wasatch Running Center, and Salt Lake Running Company will be expecting some soon.  How many?  probably not enough the way it’s looking, so if you are interested in changing your running style to something comfortable, check back periodically as I’m gonna post the day they will be available, and when they’ll be in stores. 

The Speedgoat 50K is still open, only about 50 spots left if you want to endure some pain, it should fill quickly from this point, so keep paying attention. 

In the meantime, today was my 8th run in a row.  The legs are coming back already, so fitness levels are improving.  In 10 days I may or may not run the Jemez 50 Mile.  It all depends on what the x-ray shows next week.  The catch is:   if I do run, it’ll be a fun run and not a “race”.  It would be too risky if I crash on the wrong arm….it’s already happened once a few days ago.  Although all is well, it was a quick wake-up call and reminder to SLOW DOWN on the downhill.  It’s hard to resist running downhill in the Hoka’s, it’s too fun…

That’s it for now—————–  

Last chance for the big dance

Miwok 100K happens Saturday, the field is “pretty solid”. :-)

Here’s my picks:

THE MEN

1. Anton Krupicka 5-2.  We all know if he has no injury issues, he should be gone daddy gone.  He’s been training hard, comes from 8000′ ish and should be able to challenge Mac Daddy’s record if has his day in the sun.
2.  Gary Robbins  3-1.  He should push Anton off the line, we’ll see if he challenges him, chances are he’ll hold on for 2nd and not be too concerned about winning, 2nd is probably all he’s looking for.
3.  Mike Wardian 4-1.  If he’s not over-raced, he’ll challenge for 2nd with Gary, he’s run pretty well on these trails at the North Face races in the past. 
4.  Hal Koerner  5-1.  Great run at Lake Sonoma, he’s fit, but has no pressure to run up front, he’s already gonna dance at Squaw Valley anyway.  He’s the new Mr. Western.
5.  Dominic Grossman 6-1.  Ran pretty quick at American River, if he’s just starting to get the ball rolling, he’ll look to be closer up front.
6.  Nathan Yanko  7-1.  I forgot Nathan, as I always forget someone, he slips in here, he wasn’t far behind Mr. Western at Sonoma, and won’t be too far behind him again!
7.  Rod Bein  8-1.  Hmmmmm, could be his day, top 6 would be a strong showing, he’s got it in him.
8.  Lewis Taylor  10-1.  He’s got the speed, but not sure if he can hold it for 62+ miles.  Better at 50k.
9.  Erik Skaden  10-1.  A little less speed than Taylor but more endurance, these two at 10-1 should duke it for the lucky 8 spot.
10.  Kevin Schilling  13-1.  Always a mystery man, when he’s on his game….he’s quick.  Utah’s #1 representative
11.  Zach Gingerich  15-1.  After bailing at the McNaughton 100 a few weeks ago tells me he’s a little tired.  He ran a stellar 13:23 100 at Umstead, but it’s flat too, the hills will likely break him down a bit.

The rest….in no particular order:

Tim Monaco, Thomas Reiss, Tracy Moore, Brett Rivers, Jean Pommier, Mark Richtman, Glen Redpath, Ray Sanchez, Chris Rennaker, Rob Evans, Topher Gaylord.

THE LADIES

1. Kami Semick  5-2.  It’s her home turf, but it won’t be easy, she’s been our “runner of the year” recently and this is the chance for her to prove she’s still the woman to beat.
2.  Anita Ortiz  3-1.  She knows how these trails are and if she’s been working on that turnover she’ll be in to win, but like Koerner on the mens side, she’s already dancing at Squaw Valley, so she has no pressure to stay up front.
3.  Devon Crosby-Helms 7-2.  Her run at JFK last year almost beat all the men, so if she’s in good form, Kami will be challenged for the win.
4.  Darcy Africa 5-1.  On a good day she can hang with anyone, I’d love to see her nail it.
5.  Krissy Moehl 6-1.  Now that she’s just a pro runner, her training, hopefully has been going well.  She’s a better 100 mile runner, so she gets 5th here.
6.  Amy Sproston 8-1.  The east coast’s best shot at top 5.
7.  Helen Cospolich 10-1.  Another fast girl…..but just not fast enough on hardpack, she’s better when it’s not “roadlike”.
8.  Prudence L’huereux  10-1. Always a mystery to me, I never seem to predict her finish too well.
9.  Angela Shartel 15-1.  She was high on the ultrasignup list….she gets 9th. 

On another note:

I have decided to leave La Sportiva as one of my primary sponsors.  They were a great company and brand to run for, but I have now discovered a shoe that takes technical running above and beyond anything else out there. 

What are they? 

A small corner of ultra world already knows after seeing me run in them at  the Zane Grey 50 this past weekend.  For those who don’t, they are called HOKA ONEONE.  No other shoe rips through technical terrain like these, not even close….don’t be decieved.  They weigh 10.8 ounces, lighter than most…no, not the lightest, but close.
We’ve all read the book on how the indians run barefoot, which somewhat brought on the low profile designs, with minimalistic features, but none of these light shoes have protection, response, or stability as the HOKA’S!…none of them.  As I am not a salesman here, I only rave about something I really like.  These are so incredibly comfortable, it’s mindblowing.  Check em’ out.  www.hokaoneone.com/en/.   They’ll be available soon in the US.  The kicker…my pair have over 600 miles on them and are going strong, what other shoe lasts that long?…none, at least as far as I know.
No, I didn’t finish the Zane Grey 50 this past weekend, so you won’t see my name on the results list…

What happened?

While running along at mile 40 with roughly a 40 minute lead and running strong, I came to one of many large downed trees.  While grabbing a branch with each hand, I proceeded to lift myself over it, then SNAP!, the left branch broke, I fell backwards and crushed my hand, breaking the head of the radius and jamming it into my hand bones…..it wasn’t pretty.  I walked into the mile 44 aid station with a crooked hand and decided to go to the Payson hospital to get it x-rayed.  Still, eventual winner Scott Jaime had not caught up.  I estimate my time would have been in the 8:30 range.  Not close to the record, but a good run at the ugliest 50 mile in town.  The winning time was 9:40.

And lastly, the Speedgoat 50K is filling, the comp is getting stronger. Register now, but don’t plan on running a PR, it ain’t happenin’ here.

THE NEW SHOE!!

 

 

 

 

Crawford Smokes Leona Divide 50! And the Zane Grey odds….

Tom Crawford….the guy I passed with a few miles to go at Moab….just crushed the field at the Leona Divide 50.  LD legend Jorge Pacheco ran second and Ashland’s newest fast guy Nick Lewis slipped under 7 hours to run 3rd.  All three of these times would have won the race many times.  How ironic it is to keep seeing faster times in Ultras these days…..I keep getting older and I have to keep getting faster to keep up.  Tom’s time was a stellar 6:25, Jorge 6:40, Lewis 6:56.

Michelle Barton threw down a 7:17 to take the women’s race!  Not sure if that’s a record, but a great run for her as well, congrats Michelle!

Now, a brief look at the field at the ugliest 50 miler in the US…

1.  Josh Brimhall  3-1.   Josh being the previous winner gets the nod, but he’s gonna have his hands full at this one.  It’s as technical as it gets and the next guy in this list is a pretty good technical runner.   Josh just ran a 1:18 half marathon in SLC…ahh, but that doesn’t matter here. :-)
2. Speedgoat Karl 4-1.  I’ll give myself some love and put me close to winning.  Previous runs here show I have the fastest times on this track, with a little room to spare, but that was a while ago.  I’m excited to see how I do at 50 miles.  I’ve got a new trick up my sleeve too, one that will be revealed race day morning. :-)
3. Scott Jaime 5-1.  Definately as fast as the two in front, but not sure how he’ll do when he can’t find the trail.  He lost it at Antelope, so I expect it to happen again :-).  This one is ugly to follow….all in good fun of course!
4. Ian Torrence 6-1.  Ian has also run around 8:30, so he’s got it in him is he can rekindle the spark at a course he knows as well as anyone.
5. Todd Walker 8-1. Another guy pretty quick, he’ll round out the top 5.
6-7.  Nick and  Jamil Coury 10-1.  Jamil has won it before, but I feel he’s gonna feel some pressure on the start line this time.  They both know it well, so shouldn’t lose any time looking for the route.  One of them will likely run top 5…flip a coin.
8. Andy Jones-Wilkins 12-1.  He’s in tough company when it’s technical.  We’ll have the beer cold for him when he’s done…unless it’s all gone. :-)
9. Ian Moore  13-1.  Don’t know much about Ian other than he’s only 23, so us old guys never really know sometimes.  He’s my guinea pig to go out too hard…
10. Ron Gutierrez  16-1.  Ron replaces Chris for the number ten spot.  

The Ladies:

1. Diana Finkel  2-1.  27 hours at Hardrock….she’ll run away if she’s reasonably fit, but will have to hang tough if she’s gonna beat my second pick.
2. Jane Larkindale  4-1.  She’s run it before and has all the tools to be close.  If she runs smart, she’ll be in it for sure.
3-4.  Jody Chase and  Honey Albrecht should round out the next two..
The Speedgoat 50k is now near 70% full, so sign up soon or get shut out.  I’ll even say it’s tougher than Zane Grey…..scary!
The Pony Express Trail is moving forward.  Tune in for more details as time goes by.   The site for this RedBull project will be at the one and only Whereskarl.com site….

The Pony Express Trail is ON!

So much for running 100 miles at one pop!  It’s time to go big again….this time from Missouri to California.  It’s the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express Trail, so I’ll be teaming up with Red Bull to make it happen.  It’s all gonna start in mid September after I crew for my wife at the Wasatch 100.  More details to follow in the near future.

Before the mighty Pony Express 1840 miler, I’ll still run some big dances.  Here’s the list:

Zane Grey 50mi, April 24.
Jemez Mts 50mi,  May 22
Hardrock 100mi, July 9
RD Speedgoat 50k, July 31
Tour Du Mont Blanc, August 28

One might say I have a ”light schedule” this year.  Not really the case, it’s more about focusing on winning Hardrock for a 6th time and running well at Mt. Blanc.  After that it’s all gravy running across the country….well at least half of it.

This past weekend I attended the opening of the brand spankin’ new Red Bulls Soccer Stadium near NYC.  Noone else goes above and beyond like Red Bull.  First class accomodations, heli rides for athletes, Knicks game, Red Bulls Soccer game, NYC nightlife….you get the picture.  I even got in a run between events…not a bad weekend in the big apple.
The Speedgoat 50k is still continuing to fill quickly! It is approaching the 60%  full mark.  Don’t wait too long, we’re only allowed 200 runners, and at this rate the $89 rooms are gonna get snagged in a hurry.
I’ll be off to Memphis on April 2, to promote a new store opening in the Memphis area, called “Breakaway Running”.  If you are in the area, come join us for discounts, a cool trail run and perhaps a few beers afterwards.  Guaranteed to be a fun time, and you may even find that these guys at the store know what they’re talking about. :-)

 

Leor Pantilat wins Way Too Cool……by default. Joelle Vaught takes the women’s title.

By Default?  Yah, while hanging at the Way Too Cool 50k this past weekend, it was quite entertaining to watch the race from the other side of the fence.  I made the best of it and went for a 10 mile run and put myself out on the course to watch where no other spectators were.   At the Goat Hill aid station, mile 26.8, Max King, Geoff Roes, and Leor Pantilat were all together.  It was shaping up to be a great battle the last 4 miles.  I was sitting across a meadow where I could see a few minutes back.  Once I saw all three guys, I started running towards the finish line, thinking they would catch me.  They didn’t catch me, but I waited at the last aid station where there is only 1.3 miles to go to the finish.  Leor came in first, with a 3 minute gap over Max King.  Where was Geoff Roes?…..he was running on some other trail where he got off course….OUCH!  Geoff had the race in his pocket, but only to find he had burnt a hole in it running so fast.  Wrong way, lost 15 minutes…ended up third. Leor looked good at the end, but in Leor’s words….”Geoff was gone, and would have won”.  These things happen in ultras………..I guess it’s a good thing there’s no real prize money. :-)

Joelle Vaught returned to Way Too Cool after finishing 3rd last year.  She had some stiff comp from “expected winner” Kami Semick.  Joelle turned in a stellar performance running 4:13 to make it her second win at WTC, not too far off Susannah Beck’s record pace set on the old course. Kami Semick dropped for some reason, Bev Abbs ran second around 4:26, Darcy Africa ended 3rd a few minutes behind.  Both races were great to watch.  This one always brings in strong talent, and this year was no exception.

The Speedgoat 50k is now over half full, and I can now expect it to fill up early as entries continue to trickle in.  If you are thinking about running, time to make the committment and get’ er done.  Only 97 entries available at this point. 

This weekend I will travel to NYC for the opening of the new Red Bull Stadium, in support of the “New York Red Bulls” Futbol team.  (Soccer for all you US folks! ) :-) I don’t think I’ll be moving around like the guy in the video, however, it will be an extreme honor to hang with fellow olympians, Shaun White, Lyndsey Vonn, and all the other Red Bull athletes this weekend.  I hope I can hold my own in this crowd.  I’ll just be myself and be entertained in many different ways. 

Coyote Two Moon results are up now.  For the second straight effort, I finished 4 minutes behind the “winner” in this year’s event.  Although I was easily the fastest one to complete the distance, it doesn’t really matter here, it’s who has the most fun.  Although, I can say I was right in there in the “fun” catagory. 

I will have to add that this was my 29th 100 mile win in 44 starts.  The time counts in my book!

El Nino-0, and a peak at the moon!

No other run on the planet is quite like the Coyote Two Moon 100.  150 crazy mountain runners get the opportunity to run 100 miles through the beautiful mountains of Ojai, California.  Our pre-race runs at Pt. Mugu state park began the fun.  Pt. Mugu is a cool place, views of the ocean on prime singletrack….a pretty nice place to go for a run after 11 straight hours at the wheel.

This years’ weather was typical for southern California…..rainy and snowing above about 4000′.  Yah, that’s right, my second 100 mile race in a few months in So. Cal in a snowstorm.  It rained and snowed most of the event, with the summit of Topa Topa catching about 5″ of new snow during the night of the race.   Crazy stuff, but this storm was a calm one, unlike the previous at the Chimera 100 where the winds topped 50 mph.  C2M was doable….and we even got a peak at the moon at about 4:00am.  The moon was bright, and one of the many reasons to come to this event.

It all starts early with the slowest runners starting first with 40 hours to get it done.  I started last with 22 hours to make the cut-off.  There was pressure, so I had to keep the throttle down.  I managed to keep the throttle down, although I’ll have to say, it wasn’t working as well with 15 miles to go.  I was still jogging…so I guess that’s acceptable.   The stats:

32 of 150 finished between both the 100k and 100 mile races!  That’s about a 21% finish rate….pretty low.  The beauty of it was, only one guy went over Topa Topa for a few hours, and still found his way back…no worries.

Fastest guy to cover the course in real time…Me, 21:05.  Second was Jared Campbell in 23:15 ish.  My guess is Betsy Nye was the fastest lady around 29:08 ish . That’s all I have on results.  The true results will be posted here, most likely Friday sometime,  after all of our boner and bonus minutes are added/subtracted from our overall times.

Best bowling score:  I don’t know :-)

Best race: C2M, a killer course, in a class of it’s own.

Off to the other “Moon”

This coming weekend, the Coyote Two Moon 100 mile and 100k will all begin early Friday morning March 5th.  What’s unique about this race?  Both races run simultaneously with staggered starts.  How cool is that?  I get to start last, 3 hours behind Jared Campbell.  I’ll start at Noon on Saturday and have 22 hours to get er’ done.  If I don’t finish by 10am on Sunday morning, I don’t make the cut-off…..not make the cut-off?  Yah, I better keep on moving.  This race boasts 28,000′ of gain, up and down the Ojai ridge, all under the light of a full moon…well….. almost full.

It all begins on Thursday with the traditional “Ray Miller Loop” at Pt. Mugu state park, from there we’ll go bowling where we’ll consume some beverages hoping to earn “bonus minutes”, from king doofus himself, Chris Scott, the RD.  A talent show, a few meals, and off we go into the darkness.  Nothing like another day at the office for me, it’s only 100 miles! 

Well, I made the 11 hour drive straight to Pt. Mugu, jumped out of the car and threw down Ray Miller Loop #1.  Loop #2, starts in an a few hours, then we’ll put on the bowling “game face”.  In the Meantime, check out Wednesday night’s talent show winner!  http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Gravityh#p/u/0/AbrpJ7tFZc8

Here I am with the leaders Twirlybird hat in 2008, on my way to victory in 19:24!

Don’t forget to register for the beating at the Speedgoat 50k on July 31, the race is filling faster than ever nearing the 50% full stage.  The goats are out there, you should be too!

To the Moon!

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!

It’s been a slow start to 2010!

For me that is!  Performances continue to be stellar!

My 20 day hiatus from running in December had done me good!  My legs turned fresh again, and I was ready to roll.  I started back up and in two weeks, I was up to speed, feeling good and ready to have a decent run at the Moab 50k+ on February 13th.  I am still running Moab, but it’s starting to look like I’ll be in for just the fun of it,  as the past week I’ve logged a big 0 for miles.  Why?…You’ll have to ask me on the side, but things are improving and I should be back running in a few more days. 

The real question is:  Do I have that “autopilot” mode I know all too well?, or am I actually out of shape?  No Joe, I’m not sandbagging.  I’m by no means out of shape, but it’ll be interesting to see how I do with essentially very little miles under my belt over the  past 6-7 weeks.  Good thing it’s February.

On March 6th, the real test will come with the “autopilot” mode as I’ll be back at the big party in Ojai, California.  Something they call Dos Lunas.  A little bowling and some other entertaining events should make it fun no matter what happens. 

The cash has now been sent to Chamonix, so I’m committed to flying for 9 hours straight.  I’m not looking forward to flying for 9 hours to Geneva, but this one is worth every minute on that damn plane.   Geoff Roes and I plan on showing the great european runners that the US still has a couple fast 100 mile guys on the planet.   This time I’ll get my “unfinished business” in Chamonix taken care of.

No doubt the fast guys on the start line will be eyeing us this time…just like 2007.

Enough about me……

This coming weekend the Rocky Raccoon 100 happens down in Texas.  It’s been snowing in northern Texas.  Although it’ll probably melt quick, who knows, maybe it’ll snow on them this year.  It’s been quite a year in the weather department.   Here’s how I see the race panning out:

The Ladies:

1. Jamie Donaldson….becoming a 100 mile legend
2. Connie Gardner….her type of terrain
3. Anita Ortiz….she’s a mountain girl, but who knows
4. Jenny Chow….not as fast, but she ran a bunch of 100s last year too, and pretty quick

The Men:

1. Greg Crowther….fastest guy, somewhat of a rookie, but hey, 5:50 at JFK puts him on top
2. Nick Coury….he’ll team up with his bro
3. Jamil Coury….ditto
4. Dink Taylor…..he told me he’d never run 100 after Leadville?  he’s addicted
5. Scott Eppelman….his neck of the woods
6. Paul Hopwood….just ran HURT, so we’ll see how he recovers
7. John Allen….Utah boy tapping into 100s.  He’s got some speed.
8. Jimmy Dean Freeman….if he eats enough sausage, he’ll have a great day

Speedgoat 50k filling fast, time to enter now and commit!

Backcountry.com still makes deals even this time of year.  Check em’ out here, or pay full price somewhere else.

Check out what I’ve been shoveling over the past 7 weeks here….real live fun…kid style!

I’m still shaking my head!

It appears as though the HURT 100 mile record has gone down AGAIN.   Gary Robbins and Tracy Garneau appear to have both broken previous records.  Gary by just 16 minutes, Tracy by alot more than that.  What is this world coming too?   Or am I just getting old?   20:12 for Gary, 24:06 for Tracy.  Nuts!  Another performance of the year performance, and it’s only January 16.   I still need a confirmation as I’m dumbfounded. 

In a brief conversation with my dad about “Ultrarunner of the Year“, he mentioned to me how all the guys in the top 10 were quite a bit younger than I.  Me being 42 ( I was voted 2nd ) and most of the others in there early 30’s or 20’s.  Maybe I should move forward to the Masters Division?  I just can’t think that way, I feel alot younger than that, at least in my brain.

Congrats to all that have now finished and will be finishing in the next 14 hours.  Enjoy the stellar meal at the country club.  First class all the way. 

And now that you’ve finished ( or will be finishing the HURT 100 ) enjoy the rest,  it’s well deserved.  Now we can watch Mr. Greg Crowther see if he goes under the record at the Rocky Racccoon 100.  It wouldn’t surprise me, what are these guys doing……levitating? 

In a few days the drawing is held for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc.  Geoff Roes and I are both on the list to hopefully get in and give the Europeans another shot at kicking our american asses.  I think Geoff and I have other plans on that one.

Don’t forget the Speedgoat 50k is filling fast, click here to find all pertinent info on the toughest 50k in the US.  And now theres some prize money to entice you fast “young” guys out there. 

I better go run, cuz’ if I don’t start training hard now, I will be a master!




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