Ultramarathon Daily News | Pie Day

TrailSisters: How to be an awesome aid station captain.

College Admission Scandal: Good analysis on the struggle and messaging of prep sports. I’d add…let’s also feel for those real student athletes who worked their butts off for an athletic scholarship, only for that spot to go some pampered kid.

NYT Science: Your kid is chubby, stressed out, lazy, and has high blood pressure. What’s a better plan…more Rx drugs or maybe some exercise?

I’m not crazy and I’m not afraid. I think people are wonderful and I’m going to find out more about that.

—Awesome story about a 70 women walking across the country (link fixed.) But I just read her latest FB post and it sounds grim…she’s unable to pull Chuck the trailer and needs some help. Anyone in 29 Palms or Arizona area who might help an awesome woman? h/t LB.

Hollywood: Actor Jon Glaser was on Jimmy Kimmel in full trail running gear this week. Seems like a funny guy who could probably do some good bits on the MUT culture.

Book signing: I’ll be at Fleet Feet Davis (6:15pm) for a group run hosted by Katie Arnold, followed by a book signing/reading at Avid Reader next door. Hope to see some of you there.

Outside Online: How great would it be to be on a trail run and come across one of these performances? Anyone seen them on Mt. Si?

OCD: Gear packing template for a backpacking adventure.

Miguel Ordorica and Kaci Lickteig — Kaci Lickteig and Miguel Ordorica

Did you catch our latest episode? I chatted with Miguel Ordorica, better known as “Kaci’s pacer” about his running background, and what his role is when Kaci lines up for a race.

Truth: On a tempo run a few years ago, I swallowed a butterfly and have never looked at them the same. This news does not make me happy. And for what it’s worth, they taste like sh*t.

iRunFar: Reducing your digital distractions. Good read about how much time we spend staring at our phones. I converted to a flip phone a few years ago. Made it a few months until that phone broke and I ended up with a new iPhone. I’ve got a LightPhone2 on order and will be moving that way again soon.

TAUR: Some thoughts on Kara Goucher’s entry into the trail world.
Here’s my take if I’m being totally honest: I think it’s great she’s been running on trails her whole life and I love that she’s signing up for races and I’m sure the trail community will be stoked to have her…but…something about it says “I’m done with my real running career and done with fighting NOP, so now I’m going to go run with slow people on the trails where I can still be relevant.” Ouch, I know, but this whole thing seems disingenuous to me. If I’m off base or being a cynical a-hole, let me know.

Wish I could make it: Lake Sonoma training run this weekend. Forecast says 70 and sunny plus there’s (free) food, beer, and giveaways at the end.

Shoes: When I was growing up, Asics were the running shoes for road, track, and xc. Since then, I’ve really only thought of the brand as a 5k-marathon casual road runner shoe, but they’ve managed to still stay at or near the top of sales. Looks like they’re making a push to dominate the market again. Free advice for Asics: Make shoe model names something we can pronounce and remember. “Kayano GTO-2 PT 34DD Giggity” doesn’t really flow off the tongue.

Shoes: Meanwhile in the shoe biz, Nike slips behind Adidas in most respected brands.

Beer: Deschutes testing NA and low alcohol beer. I feel like I did 10 years ago at the start of the craft boom when we’d go searching for small brews–usually sours–and the hunt was sometimes more exciting than the beer itself. I’m telling you folks, watch this industry…You’ll be hearing a lot more about NA beers in the next few years.

Personal: So Sunny (9) seems to be following closely in my footsteps. In one week, she’s got new trail shoes (thanks Amy and Salomon!), signed up for a big race with her running team, and….got a leg cast put on for 4+ weeks. (Something called Freiburg’s Infraction, if you’re wondering.)

Roche: The inconsistencies of wrist-read heart rate monitors.

Cyclists: One thing I’ve learned while compiling the Daily News every day for 8 years is that if I write anything in the least bit disparaging or targeted towards cyclists, I’ll get a ton of angry comments. Please direct your messages at the subject, not the messenger. 🙂

FKT: Ian Corless is following/crewing Mike Wardian as he sets across Israel in a new FKT attempt. Be safe, gentlemen.

23 Responses to "Ultramarathon Daily News | Pie Day"

Michael H McKinnon says:

March 14, 2019 at 7:29 am

Awesome story about 70 year woman actually links to Katie Arnold episode

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 7:32 am
  
  OOps. Fixed. Thanks Michael.
  
  Reply
Rick says:

March 14, 2019 at 7:35 am

I appreciate the time you put in compiling the daily posts and your often insightful analyses. But gonna have to vote “yes” on your being cynical and preemptively critical of Goucher taking up trail racing. She’s been signaling she wanted to do it for some time. Others with successful road racing careers transition to trail racing and they’re welcomed. As long as people aren’t cutting courses or cheating, feel free to join the party.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 8:11 am
  
  But see, I think that’s what’s bugged me is the long tease. I’d feel differently if she’s signed up for a race without all the build up.
  
  Also: Cranky mood this morning. Seems my take on the DN reflects this.
  
  Reply
  1. Andrew P. says:
    
    March 14, 2019 at 1:05 pm
    
    So how is this any different than Jim running Houston? Did we not all cheer him on while listening to the Let’s Run clowns clamor on? Not sure how this isn’t the same thing just simply reversed.
    
    Besides, it’s not like the outcome of almost every ultra isn’t known with 5-10+ miles to go. I mean when is the last time you saw a kick at the end of a race? MUT races could use a lot more competition and drama at the end of races, especially Golden Ticket events. I mean come on, Matt Daniels won Black Canyon by 25 minutes and that’s a pretty fast course without a lot of climbing. That race should have been more tightly grouped at the end. Jim won 2018 WS by an hour and half and 2018 LS by like 30 minutes. The list of not-even-close finished goes on and on. More fast people in the sport isn’t going to hurt it regardless of their reasons for doing so.
    
    Reply
LB says:

March 14, 2019 at 8:19 am

Link to 70 women article goes to an episode on Katie Arnold.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 8:20 am
  
  It’s been fixed. Thanks.
  
  Reply
LB says:

March 14, 2019 at 8:22 am

My apologies – I must have clicked on the news before the fix. I see it now

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Todd says:

March 14, 2019 at 8:41 am

Also remember that if a publication contacts her for comments, and then prints it, that’s not her ‘hyping’ her introduction to MUT.

Perhaps the disdain for NOP is lighting your fire

Reply
Varner says:

March 14, 2019 at 8:55 am

Agree with Rick on your cynical take, Eric. I’m all for someone with her credentials/profile/etc. entering our sport. If she wants to hype it a bit, who really cares. She’s got a big following and her personal brand to cultivate (and from what I’ve seen it’s still infinitely less annoying/boastful/offensive than many folks already in our sport), so can’t really fault her there. Looking forward to seeing what she does. She may be in for a rude awakening coming up against more experienced trail runners or maybe her speed and competitiveness puts her in the mix right away.

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Nicolas says:

March 14, 2019 at 9:32 am

How about those real students who worked their butts off in school but didn’t go a spot because so many of them are reserved, with lower academic standards, for athletes? Honest question; I’m actually not sure how I feel about athlete scholarships.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 9:57 am
  
  Agreed completely. Athletic scholarships should not be allowed at publicly funded universities, IMHO.
  
  Reply
Henry Bickerstaff says:

March 14, 2019 at 9:48 am

Eric,

I did not read cynicism in Kara’s comments. What I took away is that she has found the social aspect of the trail running community refreshing, something not found at the elite level of road racing and it has renewed her interest in running.

Reply
Nicolas says:

March 14, 2019 at 9:49 am

Last thing we need is acting like insiders defending our in-group versus out-group members. Thought it worked out well with Herron? (And for that matter how AJW often treats outside folks… I’ve seen that more than once, including against me.)

Kara Goucher is awesome and I can’t think of a reason why she shouldn’t be unconditionally welcomed.

Reply
scott says:

March 14, 2019 at 9:57 am

Kara’s doing Leadville because they’re probably paying her to do it and because it’s run by a road/fitness/normal people brand. The video she put out about the marathon was filmed and published by Lifetime.
If she’s “in” trailrunning a year from now and doing races that aren’t giving appearance fees, I’ll be happily surprised.

Reply
1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 10:02 am
  
  I don’t know if she’s being paid or not. Still anxious to see how she does, but it all seems a bit too contrived for me. Again, hoping it’s just my cynical personality and that she kills it and finds joy in doing so.
  
  Reply
Andrew S says:

March 14, 2019 at 10:24 am

Can we please stop policing who comes and goes in the sport? It’s not like doing something before other people gives us some sort of exclusive right to judge others reasons for entering. As it’s been said, she’s not a known cheat or doper, so do her motives matter? People do things for different reasons, and I’m uncomfortable with the “old guard” telling new people why they should or shouldn’t be ultrarunning.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  March 14, 2019 at 10:39 am
  
  I’m not the old guard, am I?
  
  Here’s the deal: There’s a difference between saying “that person shouldn’t be in the sport because of x,y,z” and “here’s what I think about that person in the sport.” In this regard, I’m doing the latter. It’s an opinion, a personal observation, and that’s all, and I’ll say it again: I’m anxious to see what she does at Leadville and hope she sticks around.
  
  Reply
tmfjones says:

March 14, 2019 at 10:52 am

If she’s running Leadville, she’s *still* not actually running real MUT . with you on the cynical perspective on this one

Reply
Todd says:

March 14, 2019 at 11:00 am

Regarding NA/low alcohol beer: I bought some of Athletic Brewing’s IPA the other day, and I have to say it is marvelous. To me it is indistinguishable from a “real beer”. It is great to think I could even drink one (or multiple) of these while out on a long run without having to worry about alcohol impacting my performance. If over-hydrating wasn’t an issue, I would try and fuel an ultra with this haha. 🙂 I would rather drink one of these than eat a slimy, gross gel.

Reply
Andrew S says:

March 14, 2019 at 11:18 am

Eric, I certainly wasn’t calling you out specifically and admire your civil discourse on the matter. I have no idea what really constitutes the old guard, but some people seem to want to treat the sport like an old boys club where they all just reminisce about the good old days, talk about how inclusive the sport is, how welcomed they felt by the community, but then are not welcoming to some new folks if they don’t fit the trailrunner mold. Again, I’m not specifically referring to you and your interviews are evidence that you are open to hearing from many different types of runners.

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MikeH says:

March 14, 2019 at 12:57 pm

Not only do I not share the cynicism of the (source) Kara article, but I find some of the quotes to be the exact opposite of your criticism. She’s self-deprecating about her trail abilities; she’s deferential both to individuals in the sport (e.g. running with Cat and mentioning Cat’s 25M-run) and group (mentioning how trail run groups stop at junctions and wait for others). She talks about getting back into the woods, ditching the watch, getting dirty, and ‘not trying to set the world on fire’ in the Leadville Race.
In short, I think the attention she is bringing is net positive, perhaps overwhelmingly so.

I’d be delighted if my daughter (or son) was inspired to see her out on the trails in a race.
Frankly, I would put her higher up on my “Rabbit” shirt than some (but not all) others when it comes to completeness of achievement, balance, humility, and relatability, IMHO.

Reply
KS Petty says:

March 15, 2019 at 8:43 am

Given the attention you’ve paid to Alberto Salazar, I find your take on Kara to be completely antithetical to your overall stance on the sport. She’s been the most prominent voice in the pile of allegations against his coaching, and she’s not shy about the effect it has had on her training and career. Her profile might lend itself to the argument that she’s fighting for relevance, but she has been chewed up and spit out of the road scene. She’s a world class endurance athlete with a strong moral footing, a huge pedigree. She’s a runner looking to change lanes. We should cheer her on.

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