Ultramarathon Daily News | Tue, Sept 6
iRunFar/Mock: This past week of ultramarathon and trail running results. Whew, David Sinclair taking wins at BASR, Speedgoat, and The Rut. That’s a hell of a record!
Trailrunner/Metzler: Kilian Jornet is the GOAT, but not just because he wins big races. Good analysis of what makes him so….damn….great. Also, I’m really enjoying the increase of Metzler’s articles/posts for Trailrunner. With his writing, I feel like I’m learning about running and runners and not being lectured on social issues and I appreciate that.
I think this is a really crucial point. It seems to me that one particularly American disease is to focus entirely on the benefits of adding resources—financial, organizational, physical—and never to think about the downside of that kind of investment. Is the most expensive meal you’ve ever eaten also the best meal you’ve ever eaten? I doubt it.
–Part Three of Malcolm Gladell’s “How to Fix High School Sports” series.
Excellent profile on the other GOAT, Courtney Dauwalter. Definitely take the time to read it…I thought I knew everything about Courtney and still learned a lot.
While you’re at it, check out this profile on Arlen Glick. Despite his successes, brands won’t work with him because he refuses to be on social media. Interesting dude.
Today in Sacramento:
If you’re looking for a snarky subreddit that focuses on some of the silly running-related social media posts and overall lack of self-reflection in our sport (not just MUT running), check out runningcirclejerk. Remember, bring your sense of humor and sarcasm.
They’re expensive, but these new sports bras are apparently the best on the market.
Breaking News: Ashton Kutcher has lost ten pounds training for a marathon and he has a supportive wife.
I dunno, adding beets to beer doesn’t sound like a very good idea. A borsch-ty Imperial Stout? And one that gums up brewing equipment and makes me freak out the next time I pee? Nah, I’ll pass.
Eight lessons learned at a Last Man Standing format run over the weekend.
Powerful film about a runner traveling from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other with deep emotional yearning.
Personal: As I write this, my dad is in open heart surgery for a full aortic valve replacement He’s 72 and in phenomenal health at a world class facility, so we’re feeling positive about the outcome. He’s also mentally strong and has a great support system at home but still, it’s pretty scary and let’s just say that I’m getting some extra reading done today.
How did he discover the disease? My dad is an avid runner and was getting fatigued quickly on regular workouts and eventually started passing out after a couple hundred yards. This went on for a few weeks. Two months ago, my mom and he went to their house on Moloka’i where the symptoms persisted and they decided to GTFO the island and return to the mainland. (The medical clinic on Moloka’i isn’t exactly ideal for cardiac emergencies.) Turns out he’s got Aortic Valve Disease and that after six hours of surgery and recovery, he should be back to normal and can resume running and racing. If I were a religious man I’d be praying, but in this instance, my faith is in the team of doctors and nurses taking care of him.
The lesson? If your perceived fitness takes a major turn for the worse, get it checked out. Might be nothing, but it might be something serious.
###