Ultramarathon Daily News | Wed, Dec 9
Dan Summers: Read this blog about how we as ultramarathon runners can try to control the controllable but also accept what is in front of us. Don’t worry, the author has a much more eloquent and thought-provoking way of melding two disparate theories and how we can use them in our sport. His site is now saved to my favorites.
Fast Running/Sophie Grant: An open letter to some men who make inappropriate comments to women on the trail.
Thirty beers that changed America. Good list and it’s nice to see Athletic get the nod for revolutionizing the non alcoholic space.
Speaking of NA beer, any Denverites want to check out this place when it opens and let me know what you think?
We may see an NA boom in the US if those who receive the Rona vaccine are advised to abstain from alcohol for two months. Maybe it’s just a Russian thing?
UltraRunning Magazine: Interview with columnist and runner Jeffrey Stern on his latest FKT on the Backbone Trail in Southern California.
Ian Torrence writes about the Quad Quad Dipsea…that’s 113 miles, 36k feet of vert, and a couple thousand sketchy stairs. Last week Bradley Fenner was the second person ever to complete it and you can see his Strava here.
Guardian: Everything you ever wanted to know about backcountry toilets and the attempt to create a clean and safe solution to frozen poo.
TrailSisters: Excellent book focused on young girl runners by Melody Fairchild.
Last week I asked the Twitterverse to send me down a rabbithole and Paddy O’Leary came through. He turned me on to this guy who crosses countries in a perfectly straight line, despite fences, rivers, roads, etc. It’s charming, adventurous, and absolutely absurd.
Personal: Seven years ago today I lost my very best friend in the world to AIDS. I’d been best friends with Tony since 8th grade and watched him go through the ups and downs of life, compounded by some unique issues many of us will never have to deal with. During his last six weeks, I visited Tony in the hospital every single day, missing just one day to cover The North Face 50 and had the surreal experience of talking to him about his impending death and his own funeral plans. I brought Sunny in a few times to lighten up the stillness of his ward and with hindsight, maybe I was unconsciously trying to display the cycle of life that we were all witnessing. I’m not sure. Simply writing about Tony doesn’t do any good, he’s gone now, but his loss is constantly on my mind to not take days, family, or good friends for granted because they can vanish from your life at any time.
Immediately after writing the above, I read Kevin Beck’s recent post about losing his running friend and how its affected him. Similar stories of substance abuse and fierce loyalty that unfortunately met an early demise.