Daily News, Fri, Oct 11

New episode! Oz Pearlman is a professional magician, runs a 5:25 50 miler and a 2:28 marathon. Of course we had to have him on the show. Enjoy. (That’s Oz, Jurek, and Mike Arnstein in the pic on the front page.)

Ultrasportslive.tv will be out broadcasting live from Dick Collins Firetrails 50 starting at 6:15am on Saturday. Ann Trason used to be the RD of the race (and she still has the CR) and it historically has a solid group of competitors up front. Weather should be great too!

Why are doctors afraid to tell fat people they’re fat?

Here’s a list of the Hardrock lottery applicants.

One thing I’m noticing more about road running is I have the chance to see peoples’ poor gait. Does the trail automatically improve it, or am I just noticing because there’s nothing else to look at?

I have no idea what this is, but, like, this girl went hiking in like, Cambodia and there were like, thousands of ultramarathon runners. Some snazzy dance moves, too. Please don’t ask me how I found this.

Here’s a beautiful photo gallery of the John Muir Trail.

“You’re gonna wreck your knees!” No I’m not.

Ironman Kona is tomorrow. Here’s all you need to know. There’s always been some strange animosity (“Ultras are harder!” “Nu-uh, tri’s are harder!”) between the two groups, but one thing’s for sure: Throwing down a sub 3 marathon after swimming a couple of miles and riding for 110 is nuts.

Protip: If you shoot steroids in front of your wife, don’t cheat on her.

One guy’s journey to running a hundred.

Weekend Calendar:

New River 50k in Virginia
Bizz Johnson 50k in Northern California. I need to do this one year.
John Holmes 50k in Florida (that John Holmes?)
Canyon de Chelly Ultra in Navajo Nation, AZ (looks beautiful)
Tesla Hertz Run on Long Island, NY. Long Island’s only 100!
Cuyamaca 100k in Southern California.
Heartland Spirit of the Prairie 50/100 in Kansas (looks like a flat 100 I’ll keep an eye on)
Le Grizz 50 in Montana (course change due to selective shutdown.)
Farmdale Trail Run in Illinois (course change due to selective shutdown.)
Can Lake 50 in upstate New York.
Glacial Trail 50/50 in Wisconsin. $80 for the 50 miler. Hey RDs, apparently it is possible to a 50 for less than $100.

17 Responses to "Daily News, Fri, Oct 11"

Jeff says:

October 11, 2013 at 6:01 am

If you think $80 is cheap, the Stone Mill 50 (created as an alternative to that OTHER Maryland 50 Mile that happens in November) is only $35!

Actually, it seems most 50s are under $100 on the East Coast – Finger Lakes, Glacier Ridge, Bull Run, and the Canandaigua Lake 50 Mile are all under $100.

Reply
1. Harry says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 7:05 am
  
  I’m sipping from my Stone Mill 50 Miler coffee mug as I read this. Best value 50 ever, especially since it’s measured in Horton miles. (Or at least was the first couple of years.)
  
  Reply
2. eric schranz says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 7:30 am
  
  That’s great to hear. Hopefully the West Coast runners’ demands of “we need custom jackets, parties, and loud PA systems” at every ultra won’t spread to the East Coast and jack up your prices.
  
  Reply
  1. Jeff says:
    
    October 11, 2013 at 7:51 am
    
    There’s a fair amount of JFK backlash here – at least in the mid-atlantic. It’s the 50-miler for marathon runners who like the party atmosphere and will pay $200 for it. The rest of us save our money and get the same kind of aid, better trails, better views and more quiet time at smaller races.
    
    Reply
    1. eric schranz says:
      
      October 11, 2013 at 9:28 am
      
      It’s nuts. American River 50 is $185 this year! Nothing against RD’s making a buck, that’s fine with me, but problem is when it’s rationalized by BS.
      
      Reply
Alex says:

October 11, 2013 at 6:30 am

Heartland is in the Flint Hills… so, well, there are hills. Certainly flat by ultra standards, but it’s really only western Kansas that fits the “pancake” stereotype. That said, it’s a beautiful course (if you like rolling prairie) and a great race, put on and staffed by experienced ultrarunners and awesome people. Certainly a race I’d recommend.

Reply
James Dunne says:

October 11, 2013 at 7:26 am

I’ve been meaning to thank you for sharing occasional links to our site. Glad you find the info interesting.

Regarding the funky running styles we see all the time when observing road runners, in comparison to trail runners – I think you’re right to an extent… the varied terrain and widely differing demands of trail running certainly does seem to help trail runners develop as more ‘well rounded’ athletes, in comparison to their road-only counterparts.

Nothing to back that up. Just my personal experience!

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 7:33 am
  
  James-
  
  I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog as it helps me focus on aspects of my running I seem to had forgotten.
  
  I see roadies al the time doing the “heel flip” where half their energy is spent moving their feet laterally, and I never see that on the trails. I guess the likelihood of wiping out would be greatly increased and those folks tend to stay on flat ground.
  
  Reply
Nate Dunn says:

October 11, 2013 at 8:24 am

TRT recently announced that they are moving to a lottery system. Would love to see/hear a discussion of what the best way to handle a situation where interest in a race exceeds capacity. Lottery vs. Qualifying Standards vs. First Come First Served (Last year registration opened for TRT at midnight and was sold out by sunrise.).

Personally, I would rather jump through hoops (Have to qualify or Register at an exact time) than leave things to chance via a lottery, but a lottery seems like the most egalitarian means of addressing the problem.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 9:30 am
  
  I’m with you Nate. I’d rather tighten qualifying standards than use a lottery. All we can do is sit back and wait for the bubble to burst and for the pendulum to swing back towards the center.
  
  Reply
Thomas says:

October 11, 2013 at 8:31 am

Farmdale Trail Run is actually in Central Illinois and was just changed to Jubilee College State Park. Kind of a bummer as I was looking to better my time from last year on that course. Thanks for the website and podcasts. Love it!

Reply
Atticus Grinch says:

October 11, 2013 at 8:37 am

Regarding the upcoming races, I hear that the John Holmes race is quite a bit longer than your typical 50k. Prepare accordingly.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 9:24 am
  
  Well played.
  
  Reply
Ken says:

October 11, 2013 at 9:04 am

Bizz Johnson is a kick! Sure, the course is tourist douche grade, but it is FAST! The marathon is a doable BQ, and the 50k is a PR waiting to happen (it was my first 50k, so that was a given, but I hope to go back and crush it again).

Reply
William says:

October 11, 2013 at 11:46 am

Hey Eric, like the addition of the weekend calendar!

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 11, 2013 at 3:50 pm
  
  Thanks. It’s a bit of work to include ALL ultras, so I’m picking and choosing those that catch my interest.
  
  Reply
OldGoat says:

October 11, 2013 at 7:50 pm

My bet is that Hardrock sees 1200 to 1500 applicants by the Dec 1 deadline. There are 140 slots. 35 of those are the members of the “Good Old Boys n Girls Club” who are essentially guaranteed a spot. That leaves 105 spots. The more years you apply and don’t get in, the more “tickets” you earn and up go your chances. First time applicants; better come up with Plan B. Here’s a suggestion; run the route on your own, before or after the over-hyped event. Have family or friends meet you at several accessible crew locations. You don’t need 14 aid stations, you don’t need to pay $250, and the San Juan high country is just as spectacular!

Reply

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