Ultramarathon Daily News | Wed, June 21 | Ultrarunnerpodcast

Fifty two reasons to run an ultramarathon. Good for a mental refresh.

Some pretty funny hot takes from Manitou’s Revenge.

Be sure to check out this new video by Matt Trappe and Myke Hermsmeyer that shows a new side of Jim Walmsley’s drive to succeed and how it was borne from more than just “the wrong turn.”

Then listen to our latest podcast with Jim where we did into some weighty issues and learn more about what he’s expecting from himself this weekend.

That episode was sponsored by the Last Man Standing Ultramarathon in Maine. How long can you sustain a hilly 4.2 mile loop if you’ve got an hour to complete it? Find out on September 2nd.

Fourth place female at Broken Arrow 52k was Katie Steinberg, a runner I wasn’t familiar with. After some digging around, it looks like she’s balancing teaching while putting up some solid results (North Face win, multiple Bighorn 50k wins) and is registered for both Sierre-Zinal and CCC. That was a tough field and she did well…I’ll be keeping an eye on her.

Sydney McLaughlin is awesome. Check out that speed!

Runner’s World posts an ode to ultramarathons. Up next? Run Your Fastest 50 Miler in Just Three Weeks!

Excellent post by Amelia Boone about the pressures to compete and win in events that she’s no longer having fun in. Honest and real, we get to peek into the psyche of a top athlete and “hear” how she handles it. I’m hoping we see more of Amelia at trail and ultramarathon events this year.

Following a post by Ms Boone is of course…a post by Mocko. This really is great. For a top runner who many expect to be top five, he lays out his exact strategy and thoughts for The Big Dance.

Eventually, I came to the realization that it was Me who signed up for this shit show. Me who was blaming everyone and everything. Me who chose this sport. Me who had been in this situation before. And me only who could get me to the finish line.

—A great race report from Bighorn 100.

Nerd alert: You ready to geek out on finish vs DNF predictions for Western? Data junkies rejoice!

Read this latest post from Sarah about running with Rocket. Great story telling!

Wyatt’s advice for Western States runners is spot on. Get in the damn water.

Predictions for Western men and women from the fellas at Ultra168.

Peanut butter beers aren’t my thing. If they’re yours, here’s a list for ya.

Besides running and beer, I think “balance” is the main theme to these pages and podcasts. Aliza pens a great piece about the magic of the word “no.”

Joe McConaughy (current FKT holder of PCT) just announced he’s going for the unsupported FKT for the AT starting in July. WTF. OMG. NBD.

Want to get paid to test gear for REI? Start here.

21 Responses to "Ultramarathon Daily News | Wed, June 21 | Ultrarunnerpodcast"

themaddrunner says:

June 21, 2017 at 7:51 am

Ahh the Runner’s World plague continues. Like last month when they posted a training plan for “novices” beginning with 30-40 mile weeks including 6 days of running. Don’t they somebody monitoring there social media post with the tiniest bit of experience?

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1. So Cal Runnin says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 8:03 am
  
  Runner’s World is just trying to sell copy. Telling people they should spend x months building up a solid running base is not what people want to hear. I’m honestly surprised they have a novice plan that includes mileage anywhere near there in terms of days run and mileage ran. It feels like too many people are running Higdon plans or similar with long runs at 50% of their total weekly mileage. Then again, there are plenty of intelligent people following the FIRST method or Run Less, Run Faster. You won’t sell me on the method, but people like shortcuts.
  
  Reply
2. Singletrack Guy says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 9:25 am
  
  My hatred of RW runs so deep.It’s unhealthy lol
  
  Reply
Ian M says:

June 21, 2017 at 8:08 am

Am I the only one that was crying right along with Jim?Reference

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1. Mizza says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 8:29 am
  
  I wasn’t. I just can’t seem to like the dude.
  
  Reply
  1. Jeremy says:
    
    June 21, 2017 at 9:59 am
    
    Well that doesn’t sound callous at all.
    
    Reply
  2. Jeremy says:
    
    June 21, 2017 at 4:10 pm
    
    I am with you 100% Mizza. I feel like I just don’t “get” him. A little humility goes a long way. Krar shared a deep and personal piece about struggling with depression that I found “authentic” and moving. But Krar doesn’t act like an arrogant ass, so I actually enjoyed it. Kilian is one of the top athletes of the world, yet we’ve never seen in him even a fraction of the arrogance that Walmsley bleeds. It’s one thing to have confidence, and Jim’s training rightfully gives him that, but is that a license to be an ass? I have no doubt Krar and Kilian have shown up to start lines knowing a win is all but theirs, but at least those dudes know how to #abide.
    
    Reply
Sabrina says:

June 21, 2017 at 8:33 am

Such a great podcast! I’m going to be cheering so hard for Jim.

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erin mcdougall says:

June 21, 2017 at 9:10 am

Manitou’s Revenge is absolutely bonkers. There were so many times that I said “I can’t believe this is actually part of the trail.”

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1. Dana Royer says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 10:55 am
  
  +1. 25 minute miles on the Devil’s Path section is smokin’ (downs included). Leg speed doesn’t count for much. Your arms will be sore the next day though 🙂
  
  Reply
Singletrack Guy says:

June 21, 2017 at 9:23 am

Wow the interview and Outside short of Walmsley really made me see him on a totally different light. Good for him, it’s not easy to confront your demons and part mistakes right out there for everybody to see.

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Kyle Larson says:

June 21, 2017 at 10:20 am

I’ve always thought highly of Jim and the Trappe piece made my opinion of him even higher. Too many people confuse confidence with cockiness. I think he’s extremely positive and deserves every win he gets. Follow his Strava if there’s any doubt in your mind this guy works his ass off for his athleticism.

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1. Benji says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 11:26 am
  
  Kyle, I totally agree. There was a time where he challenged top ultra runners to come to the same races as him, and it could be seen as cocky, but I think he genuinely wants to beat the best. Nothing wrong with that.
  
  Reply
  1. Rob says:
    
    June 21, 2017 at 9:47 pm
    
    Jim seems to be one of those athletes who is working harder at training than managing social media. I admire what he is doing more than some celebrity runners whose hobby is running and their job is creating media for themselves. Jim is letting his feet do the talking. He shouldn’t have to pat somebody on the back for congratulating him.
    Go be audacious, Jim. Pre pissed a lot of people off also but now he is revered in most circles.
    
    Reply
    1. Kyle says:
      
      June 21, 2017 at 10:28 pm
      
      Absolutely. Very well said, Rob. For what it’s worth, pretty much every time I’ve mentioned him on either Twitter or Instagram he’s liked the post. I get the sense he’s private when it comes to his personal life, which can often be mistaken for aloofness. He also goes out to watch races and mentioned in his GRL interview he volunteered at a few races this past year. The dude might not give social media shoutouts, but he’s clearly all in on promoting the community and the sport. Just my personal opinion and not trying to come across as argumentative to any one else on here.
      
      Reply
      1. Jeremy says:
        
        June 22, 2017 at 9:11 am
        
        I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that those here who are calling him arrogant have never actually met him in person. I actually have met him on a few occasions (because he’s actually active in the local running community, unlike a lot of other elite runners), and he does come across as private, introverted, and maybe even a little shy and awkward, but he does seem down-to-Earth.
        
        It’s really not fair to issue strong character judgments on people based on a few interviews and Strava interactions. It’s actually a little disappointing to see our community is not above such petty behavior.
Ben says:

June 21, 2017 at 4:56 pm

While he certainly doesn’t have to do it I’ve never actually seen Jim thank anyone online for all the love he gets. People always comment on his Strava daily, FB posts after races, Insta, etc. and I’ve never seen him post a simple “thanks everyone”. It doesn’t take anytime to write a simple thanks every now and then.

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Sunaad says:

June 21, 2017 at 5:46 pm

Great read! Epic conditions at Bighorn 100 this year! Started off with glorious single track trails running through surreal fields of wild spring flowers, streams and canyons in the high country! This transitioned to a nightmare where the mud conditions alternated between shoe-philic ( aka shoe sucking) and shoe-phobic (aka slip-n-slide) for 40 miles straight! Moving 20+ minute miles became a challenge even on the downhills!

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Rob says:

June 21, 2017 at 5:47 pm

Just so everyone is clear: Joe’s reach goal is to beat Meltzer’s supported AT record in unsupported fashion.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  June 21, 2017 at 6:43 pm
  
  That’s crazy. Stoked to watch the attempt.
  
  Reply
  1. Rob says:
    
    June 21, 2017 at 10:11 pm
    
    It’s interesting to hear there is an early PTC record holder that wants to remain anonymous. A fascinating footnote to trail lore. And what drives a person to complete one of these massive hikes more than 10 times?
    
    Reply

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