Ultramarathon Daily News | Tuesday, Oct 9

Good advice: Five things ultramarathon runners should do in the fall. No mention of fall beers? Come on, AJW!

It’s a big day for URP! Gear Editor Ben has been working hard reviewing products while simultaneously figuring out the finer points of video editing and it all comes together now. Here’s his first video review: the Nathan VaporZach hydration vest. And no, that’s not his gear locker behind him. (Let us know what ya think! Anxious for more reviews? What would you like to see in URP reviews that’s lacking in others’?)

–And maybe we’ll get a review soon for these. Version three of the HOKA Speedgoat.

Infinite Trails Community Run in Boulder offers childcare. Awesome!

Spaff and Ray Zahab take on the Akshayuk Pass on Baffin Island. Cold trails and polar bears with minimal gear, and he nailed some pretty hairy spellings.

Outside: How climate change is affecting the places and ways we race.

Athletic Brewery in CT makes a session IPA that rivals your favorite ale (don’t roll your eyes, I’m serious), but shipping costs were quite high for awhile. Now there’s free shipping when you order two six-packs. Woohoo! (Not an ad.)

From the ultralist: Phil McCarthy, veteran ultramarathon runner (24hr team member, former 48hr AR holder with 257 miles) is wrapping up his transcontinental run tomorrow. Of great note, he is actually going coast to coast (not Town Hall to Town Hall). He should be crossing the George Washington Bridge, continuing to City Hall in the afternoon, and then going straight to Coney Island. He’s put together a heck of a run with a minimal support crew (mostly one person), and is on track to go just under 50 days. This will be the second fastest documented run crossing of the US, behind Pete Kostelnick, ahead of Marshall Ulrich (there is another in there – not Rob Young – that seems to have a fair bit of suspicion among experts). Folks are welcome to come out and join Phil as he runs down the West Side to City Hall, and then on to Brooklyn.

No ultramarathon content, but some excellent thoughts on the risks of risk taking and innovation. Read it. h/t GZ.

You’ve heard Sufferfest beer mentioned on here before, but here are a few more breweries that’ve focused on electrolyte-infused ales.

In the afternoon I was starting to get a little jittery from all the donuts. (Shocker!) I was ready for some real food. So Mel stopped and bought some mid-run pizza. Because if an ultramarathon fueled by donuts is good, an ultramarathon fueled by donuts and pizza is better.

–It’s that time of year when Cory takes off for a donut fueled 100 miler. Here’s his report from the Donut Trail in Ohio.

Speaking of Cory, watch he, Nicole (Kalogeropoulos) Bitter and Kyle Pietari prepare for and run Western States in Derrick Lytle’s latest film for Altra.

Another example of why athletes and musicians shouldn’t get involved in politics. (Oh, settle down.)

Your latest Mountain Outhouse News with JamJam.

You’re Meb’s best friend and advisor and he comes to you asking for advice: Should he stay retired, or should he train for Tokyo and risk either failure or stratospheric success? How would you counsel him?

You don’t have all the time in the world, but you want to make your next trail workout count? Coche Roche has five workouts tailored just for you.

Her awareness campaign has already worked on yours truly. I’ll admit to not knowing the first thing about endometrial cancer, but after this article (high functioning autistic woman who hates running is clicking off more ultramarathons than anyone else I know), I now realize how deadly–and silent–it can be.

25 Responses to "Ultramarathon Daily News | Tuesday, Oct 9"

Nicolas says:

October 9, 2018 at 9:19 am

This being The Onion you’re probably speaking tongue-in-cheek (but we also know your stance on sports and politics). I just wonder what the history of 20th century western music would be like had blues, rock, hip hop and jazz never ventured into politics. Thank god Swift is finally getting involved. But yeah, The Onion.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 9, 2018 at 10:44 am
  
  Funny article, as always. Though the mag/site has gone downhill a bit (I think it lost its edge from 15 years ago), it’s still one of my favorites.
  Had those music styles (adding rap to hiphop as well) never ventured into politics? Not sure how things would have changed.
  
  Reply
  1. Nicolas says:
    
    October 10, 2018 at 5:51 am
    
    No one can seriously argue that music would be the same had many artists not been politically involved in one way or another.
    
    Reply
    1. eric schranz says:
      
      October 10, 2018 at 7:09 am
      
      Oh, it definitely wouldn’t be the same, but I just don’t know how. Dylan, rap, and heck, go back to Beethoven or more recently Stockhausen and they wouldn’t have the impact they have without political messages.
      Personally, music is different for me. Despite my history dealing with artists, I tend to see running as an escape from politics while, as you pointed out, music and politics have long been intertwined.
      
      Reply
      1. Nicolas says:
        
        October 10, 2018 at 8:24 am
        
        Oh okay. I don’t know how, either. And you’re certainly right that the analogy is not perfect. Athletic performance is less tightly tied to politics than music, for quite obvious reasons. BUT, look at East Germany, China, the USSR, the legacy of politically aware African-Americans in so many sports, the Barça, Olympics, etc., it’s hard to argue that many sports as we know them have been shaped by politics. Turning a blind eye to this fact will not remove politics from sports, it will just let the bad guys speak for you.
Wade N says:

October 9, 2018 at 9:29 am

Eric, thanks for posting the Outside article on the impacts of climate change. Everyone should check out the recently released IPCC report if they doubt the seriousness of the unpredictable non-linear climatic disruption that is on the way without significant mitigation of carbon in the atmosphere. The IPCC’s report is a typically conservative, non-alarmist assessment since it is based on the assessment of many authors and peer-reviewed studies; thus, if the IPCC is making such extreme statements, we should be listening and at least talking to each other about it. Carbon neutral by 2037!!

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 9, 2018 at 10:46 am
  
  You’re far more versed on the subject than I am and I always appreciate your thorough and polite replies.
  
  Reply
Chris says:

October 9, 2018 at 9:43 am

Not as serious as the above comments but, oh dear god, I hope Hoka didn’t ruin the speedgoat like they have their other shoes.

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John Burton says:

October 9, 2018 at 10:13 am

Ehh, wrong answer. LOL. Seriously I completely disagree here. There’s nothing wrong with athletes and entertainers sharing their true opinions and feelings with their fans and followers on topics they feel passionate about. If we want to complain about anything, we should be complaining about celebrities blatantly lying to us for money ala Brett Farve trying to convince us that a shitty copper-infused knee brace is going to magically cure arthritis.

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1. > says:
  
  October 9, 2018 at 11:13 am
  
  There’s nothing wrong with it, but for sponsored athletes or entertainers, expressing strong political/social opinions definitely alienates consumers, and that’s exactly opposite of what they’re supposed to be doing. Before I worked in politics, I worked at a large record company in LA–I was an intern then a low-level publicist for a few years–and had to deal with groups of people essentially boycotting our product because of crazy statements made by the artists. My point is that rarely do these opinions change anyone’s mind for the positive, but rather work to drive people apart.
  
  John, would you support an artist or athlete (or more specifically their brand) who came out strongly and obnoxiously in favor of assault weapons? How about an unwavering opinion on abortion that you don’t agree with. Or a strong opinion on organized labor, environmental regulations, or taxes that differed from yours? My guess is that you’d hold some animus towards the brand that person represents, and in a market economy, that’s an entirely appropriate response.
  
  My point–aside from wanting to keep trail running as an escape from divisive politics–is that sponsored athletes are doing a disservice to their employers (and their own brand) when they alienate consumers because “they need to be heard.”
  
  Brett Far-vre’s copper bracelets are ridiculous, but hey, people will buy anything nowadays.
  
  Reply
  1. Rich says:
    
    October 9, 2018 at 1:04 pm
    
    Spot on. We always want those in the spotlight to speak out…until they say something we disagree with. I still haven’t seen any in our community come out in support of anything approaching a conservative perspective. I’m sure they exist, but there is some reason only left leaning views seem to get shared.
    I wonder why….
    
    Reply
    1. eric schranz says:
      
      October 9, 2018 at 4:48 pm
      
      I’d direct you to Gordy’s impassioned posts about everything from slavery to taxes to women. There’s no doubt he’s read a lot and is very passionate about his views.
      
      Reply
    2. Nicolas says:
      
      October 10, 2018 at 6:04 am
      
      We don’t WANT them to speak out. We want them to be do it if the want to, regardless of Eric’s MUT business model. I hear a lot of conservative perspectives in “our community”, more than I care to hear honestly, including on this blog.
      
      If you think politics should stay out of the community, attacking left leaning views is not exactly the way to go.
      
      Reply
  2. John Burton says:
    
    October 9, 2018 at 2:46 pm
    
    I hear you. And yes, I agree that brands take a risk when they make political statements or weight in on hot-button topics. It’s certainly a safer move to stay out of the fray. And yes, as you mention, I do avoid certain brands like Under Armour because they seem to support trophy hunting, which I am adamantly opposed to.
    
    But despite what the Supreme Court says, corporations aren’t people. And I am fine with people — including musicians, actors, entertainers, and athletes — speaking up for what they believe in as people. There’s obviously a risk or alienating fans and upsetting sponsors and advertisers. But on the other hand, maybe it’s better (and more authentic) to work with sponsors and advertisers who share your passions and beliefs than to just sell out to whoever offers you money? I’ve always liked and admired Willie Nelson, but lately I’m liking him even more. He’s probably lost some fans, but endeared others. I’m fine with that. I don’t want my heroes to be robots or corporate shills.
    
    And Eric, speaking of “celebrities” who risk alienating fans and costing themselves business by speaking out on hot-button topics, I seem to recall an interview with Ten Junk Miles where you kinda bragged about thinking Lance Armstrong is an asshole and saying that you don’t mind using whatever clout or influence you have to blackball him from our sport. I’m guessing that offended a lot of cyclists like myself who see Lance as a scapegoat and a token sacrifice in a sport that has struggled with (and by all accounts seems to continue to struggle with) doping. But I respected you for taking a stand and being authentic.
    
    All the best,
    John
    
    Reply
  3. Nicolas says:
    
    October 10, 2018 at 6:01 am
    
    If the market is so powerful sponsors and consumers will sort themselves out accordingly. Athletes and artists should still be allowed to speak their mind as they please. They’re athletes and artists, and people, they’re not brands. We’re not in a business school. And if you don’t want to run with Taylor Swift, fine. Also, whether you run with a-political folks and others like to run with politically minded ones has no bearing on what sponsored athletes should do. That’s an orthogonal question.
    
    Ask Nike what they think of Kaepernick.
    
    Reply
    1. eric schranz says:
      
      October 10, 2018 at 6:56 am
      
      Nick, first, it was an Onion article. Chill. I saw it as humor and I hope others did too.
      
      Nobody is saying artists/athletes can’t speak out. Of course they can.
      My points are two fold: One, in this divisive political climate, people from both sides often can’t handle disagreement and it turns our otherwise friendly community into something I don’t like and something I want to escape from. The other is that I believe it hurts an artist/entertainer’s brand to disparage a large part of the consumer base. And this is where it gets admittedly tough for me: If people are expressing politcal/social views in respectful ways (ie Adam Campbell, Stephanie Violett come to mind), I’d like to think most people would respect their stance and either accept it or discount it, but sadly I think it’s more common for those (again, on BOTH SIDES) to see an opinion and turn against the person, and subsequently, their brand.
      
      Reply
      1. Nicolas says:
        
        October 10, 2018 at 8:16 am
        
        No worries, Eric. I’m not taking this too seriously. As for your second point, I agree that’s a problem, but I don’t think that’s the athlete’s problem. It’s the brand’s or the consumer’s problem. People don’t like other people for all sorts of reasons and I don’t see why politics couldn’t be just one of them. I don’t like some runners, but not because of their political opinions, just like I don’t like some artists, but not because of their political opinions. And sometimes I don’t like them because of their political opinions. But that’s fine, it’s just one reason among others. I actually want to know what they think sometimes, because I don’t want to idolize people who hold abhorrent views.
        
        As for the first point, I totally respect that, and it’s a matter of personal preference. I certainly wouldn’t talk politics at an aid station unless I was prompted to do so. But again, this has little to do with publicly exposed figures expressing their views.
        
        So yeah, it’s humor. But that’s the genius of the Onion sometimes: it’s also very serious and important.
ripvanracer says:

October 9, 2018 at 11:18 am

Excited when I saw the Trails of Ohio exhibit at the state fair until I realized it was “trails” to drive around to see stuff. That being said, Cory’s run and story were great.

Reply
MATTHEW RUETMAN says:

October 9, 2018 at 3:52 pm

So stoked on the free shipping with Athletic, thanks for pointing this out.

Reply
1. Ryan Phillips says:
  
  October 9, 2018 at 7:25 pm
  
  Seriously. That IPA is awesome. They were kind enough to send us some here in Afghanistan during deployment. It was a great treat here in a dry country!
  
  Reply
  1. eric schranz says:
    
    October 10, 2018 at 7:11 am
    
    Surprising, isn’t it? I just ordered 2 more six packs yesterday!
    
    Reply
    1. Nicolas says:
      
      October 10, 2018 at 8:18 am
      
      I was so glad to learn about that. When you posted an article on them a while back I was so upset that the shipping fees were basically the price of a six-pack, and so I had to find other brands in my local liquor stores. I was happy to discover Wellbeing and Bravus which are pretty decent. But I’m looking forward to tasting Athletic.
      
      Reply
      1. eric schranz says:
        
        October 10, 2018 at 8:20 am
        
        I’m not familiar with Bravus. Style you recommend?
        Edit: Just ordered the oatmeal stout and the amber. I’m hosting a beer tasting on the 20th and need to be prepared.
      2. Nicolas says:
        
        October 10, 2018 at 8:27 am
        
        I tried their IPA, which my pregnant wife didn’t like because she doesn’t like hoppy. Which means it tasted hoppy. The first sips were incomparable to actual IPA to me, but I found the next cans actually convincing, refreshing, and appropriately removed from the sweetness I hate so much in traditional NA beers. It wouldn’t pass a blind test but it’s worth trying.
      3. eric schranz says:
        
        October 10, 2018 at 8:47 am
        
        Cool, I’ll be able to compare their IPA to Athletic’s IPA, which to me and my beer nerd friends, is totally and completely convincing. Very curious to try Bravus’ stout…NA stouts are tough to get right.

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