Daily News, Tue, Nov 5

Turns out, running is actually good for your heart.

Did you know that if you complete the Sonoran Desert 200, you get a custom beer growler? Hello!

Western States makes room for elites from the Ultra-Trail World Tour. Seems reasonable to me.

Speaking of Western States, I spoke with an equestrian who was on the trail post-American Fire, and apparently there are no trees at all going up to Devil’s Thumb. If you’re planning on running in ’14, ya better train on very hot and exposed climbs. According to them, we should be realistic and prepare for alternate sections next year.

560065_10201697131983752_999533155_n — Overall time of ten-time WS finishers, courtesy of realendurance.com

…and more about WS100, Gary Wang from realendurance put together this list of the overall times from 10-time finishers.

This looks like my type of event: Up and down a runnable hill for 48 hours.

What shoes did the first 100 elites wear at the NYC Marathon? And notice how many are heel strikers.

Want to see Kilian skiing with his buddies?

This is going to be a tough record to beat.

Dr. Torrence speaks: Troubleshooting on the run, part three.

12 Responses to "Daily News, Tue, Nov 5"

Keith Wertman says:

November 5, 2013 at 5:26 am

Have you seen tahoe200.com.

200 miles and 4+ days around the largest sub-alpine lake in North America. Welcome to the Tahoe 200!

The first ever 200 mile single loop mountain race in the United States, the Tahoe 200 circumnavigates the sparkling, clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe from the Tahoe Rim Trail. The route occasionally detours off the TRT to explore aspen meadows, rock gardens of giants, small impossibly blue lakes, thick canopied forests, and long ridge lines with stunning views. The course is nothing less than magical.

The Tahoe 200 aims to create an unique and unparallelled experience for ultra distance trail runners who want to have an adventure of a lifetime. The race is a non-stop traverse of the lake, with numerous aid stations and sleep stations to support your epic run. All finishers receive a belt buckle and artistic finisher’s print commemorating their accomplishment.

WHEN: Friday, September 5, 2014 at 10 a.m. until Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at 2p.m. 100 hour cut off.

ENTRY LIMIT: 200 runners

START/FINISH: Diamond Peak Ski Lodge, Incline Village, Nevada.

AWARDS: All finishers receive belt buckle and finisher’s print. Top 3 men and women receive special award. Location of award’s ceremony TBD. The ceremony/banquet will be on Tuesday, September 9 at 6PM. Banquet at Incline Village.

DISTANCE: 200 miles, full loop around the lake.

ELEVATION GAIN: 39,800 feet (12,131 meters) of ascent and 39,800 feet (12,131 meters) of descent.

ENTRY FEE: TBD

REGISTER: Registration will open on December 1, 2013 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time (U.S. and Canada) on Ultra Signup. There are only 200 spots in the race. When those spots are filled, we will begin a wait list.

SUPPORT: 13 full aid stations, 5 sleep stations, 7 water only stations. Live results via ultralive.

CUT OFF: The race will have a 100 hour cut off, that’s 4 days and 4 hours. That’s an average of 48 miles a day (every 24 hours).

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  November 5, 2013 at 5:29 am
  
  It was our lead story yesterday.
  Looks awesome, huh?
  You in?
  
  Reply
Joseph says:

November 5, 2013 at 6:57 am

The Ultra Trail World Tour does look pretty interesting:

http://www.ultratrailworldtour.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/UTWT-2013-NYC-Press-Conf-EN.pdf

My question is which of the UTWT races are the “Series” races that are worth 1.5x points? I can’t seem to see anywhere that designates that.

Reply
1. Jeff says:
  
  November 5, 2013 at 11:13 am
  
  The series designation is on the race listing on pages 5 & 6; Transgrancanaria, MDS, UTMF and UTMB are “series” races.
  
  That’s a pretty cringe-worthy English translation, though – “They
  all will require athletes to have very different qualities to fight for victory, or just pretend to be “finisher”.
  
  Reply
Teresa Smith says:

November 5, 2013 at 7:29 am

Yesterday’s story about running over-working the heart is troubling. First, every muscle gets stronger with use, right. Then why would the heart be any different? There is a Doctor with a YouTube video claiming that ultra endurance sports aren’t good (too much of anything isn’t good) and sited Micah’s death as an example. I think there needs to be more studies before we can give this study credit. Look at ultra runners like Gordon Ainsleigh, DKarnazes, and other that have decades of running behind them. What ratio of runner’s have damaged their heart with their excessive training?

Reply
1. Jeff says:
  
  November 5, 2013 at 8:29 am
  
  I notice that Micah True is often cited in those stories, but it’s my understanding that Micah’s heart issue was a congenital issue, just like Ryan Shay’s – maybe made worse by distance running, but not caused by it.
  
  Reply
  1. Alex says:
    
    November 5, 2013 at 10:47 am
    
    People don’t like to let the facts get in the way of advancing their agenda, however. Even if it means exploiting people like Shay, True, etc.
    
    Reply
2. Gary G says:
  
  November 5, 2013 at 5:00 pm
  
  From Scott Dunlap’s blog:
  When I asked (93-year-old) George for advice, he said “all my friends who are runners are still running…all my friends who didn’t are dead. Just keep at it.”
  
  Reply
Mike Hinterberg says:

November 5, 2013 at 1:08 pm

Good stuff. Scientifically, it’s incomplete (and frustrating) to read that running is “good” or “bad” for your heart. This binary classification is too reductionist — it reminds me of newscasters taking complicated issues and labeling them as a “Good Thing” or “Bad Thing.”

It depends!

As we know, the training effect is built on periods of stress followed by recovery. Undoubtedly, damage (and associated biomarkers) escalate during and immediately after events. The general idea is that the body adapts to that stress eventually to become stronger. But there is considerable variation in the amount of stress and recovery, and physical condition of the athlete, as well as external stresses, genetics, and diet. A common maxim for ultras: “Training is healthy, the actual racing isn’t.” We’ve seen high-profile issues with overtraining and adrenal fatigue and sickness; it’s not surprising that the heart is similar. Moderate exercise is clearly good; some intensity is better; too much may not be the best.

More specifically, as a researcher involved in heart failure research, it is clear that the heart remodels itself in response to stress (good and bad). When young and healthy, spurred by exercise, this is often, ultimately good, as the heart is temporarily damaged and then repaired to be even stronger/larger over time; but this process isn’t perfect. Too much/too many races with not enough recovery, and encroaching age, increase the chances of heart remodeling actually being deleterious (e.g. with scar tissue buildup).

We’ll know more in a few decades when the “ultrarunning boom” advances in age. I do hope that we accept our top ultramarathoners not living well into their 90’s, but I don’t think that’s anyone’s expectation. Until then, I wish the media would avoid “good” and “bad!”

Reply
1. Teresa Smith says:
  
  November 6, 2013 at 7:45 am
  
  It’s concerning when these heart studies claim we are creating scar tissue in the heart & arteries over time. How many ultra distance athletes have specific test to monitor such damage? Medical testing costs are outrageous -when we are in fact trying to maximize our health.
  Please have old timers like http://www.joanbenoitsamuelson.com and http://marshallulrich.com tested and let me know the findings.
  
  Reply
Gary G says:

November 5, 2013 at 5:09 pm

Great piece by Ian Torrence. I especially like his pooping advice. Ive seen my share of unabashed, near-trail poopers at the front of the field. Guys, don’t make me call out your initials here ):

Reply
Julie C says:

November 7, 2013 at 11:49 am

My youngest has Down Syndrome and we thank you for the NYC marathon post.

Reply

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