Ultramarathon and Trail Running News, Mon, Jan 23

Justin highlights the trail and ultramarathon results from this past weekend.

Seniors running out of time for lifetime $10 National Park pass. Get on it!

Didya grow a giant beard, but then found that ultras weren’t for you? You might consider joining a hatchet throwing league.

Great essay: Taking the hard right and getting out of your comfort zone on the trail.

Thanks for helping me reach my first goal on Patreon! I really appreciate it!

…Now I need real help. Looking for someone to help update the site. Some back end (WP), some front end. Email me here and let’s talk. Thanks.

Question: If you were a brand manager or PR rep, would you want your contracted athletes/ambassadors opining publicly about controversial political/social issues? Would you encourage them to use their platform, or would you see it as a risk of turning off some customers and ask them to refrain?

Are you getting enough sleep? Study shows that banking hours can have a positive affect on endurance athletes. Personal note: Since I stopped drinking alcohol, my sleep has increased from six to eight hours each night.

Remains of Australian hiker found in Utah backcountry.

Mike Wardian just ran the first sub 3 hour marathon ever on the continent of Antarctica. Here are the updates on the 7/7/7. (Ryan Hall came in 4th)

Dude walking across country barefoot hit and killed by an SUV. (RI to CA route, but he was in FL. Even with bad weather in OH, that seems like quite a strange route, right?)

Help! Looking for a female shoe geek to review shoes. Use this as an example. Must be size 8.
Email me here. (If you’ve emailed in the past, please do so again. Sorry.)

How does the marathon cheater guy catch people? Read this.

Short news day. What did I miss???

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20 Responses to "Ultramarathon and Trail Running News, Mon, Jan 23"

Chris B says:

January 23, 2017 at 7:34 am

Those throwing targets look infuriating. Using flat boards like that. On the woodsmen team in college our target was a slice of a tree, so the grain would run parallel to the direction the axe traveled. Made sticking it a lot easier. Also, a double bit axe is better for throwing because with even waiting, it’ll stay more stable.

Axe throwing has been a sport for a long time, though usually incorporated into lumberjack shows, and woodsmen comps (appear in small county fairs and such). Girl from my team won $25 for third place one time at the Grafton Fair in NH.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  January 23, 2017 at 8:22 am
  
  Awesome. Looks like a fun sport that I do while healing up! (And scare the neighbors at the same time.)
  
  Reply
Mike D says:

January 23, 2017 at 7:53 am

Great question! I would greatly encourage public comments about political/social issues whether they be controversial or not. Part of the appeal of that individual athlete/ambassador has to be their personality not just performance. Opinions are part of that package. Brands and PR reps should really know that about the athlete/ambassador before working together. So, it should be part of the discussion upfront.Reference

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Sabrina says:

January 23, 2017 at 7:58 am

I think some athletes do tactfully talk about political issues really well. Some of the issues directly affect our sport–like environmental questions. But I intentionally avoid talking about them on media, or unless I’m face to face or in the context of friendship, because I know it can isolate people. And that has nothing to do with brand management and more to do with avoiding misunderstanding.Reference

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Herbert Wingfield says:

January 23, 2017 at 8:14 am

Eric, everyone using National Parks should check out the pass page. https://www.recreation.gov/
Volunteers, ACTIVE military, and the free lifetime pass I have for a disability are there as well as general public and 62+.

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Kelly Eager says:

January 23, 2017 at 8:15 am

I would encourage ambassadors to share their point of view on social/political views. I would try to be as thorough as possible in acquiring talented women and men to represent my business or brand who stand for the social and/or political issues that that make up our ideological foundation and public presence. However, I would also coach positivity, responsibility and respect to be sure that we are seen as humans first, Americans second, and athletes third, and we can find commonality and empathy with individuals who may see the world differently than us. From the top of the company down, we all need a rational philosophy that makes room for people to think and feel differently than we do, that respects all humanity, and affords those individuals a legitimate possibility for change due to those factors and our approach. I would not tolerate demonizing the opposing viewpoint; we can reject intolerable actions and behaviors with specificity rather than making broad assumptions/conclusions and thus, enemies, out of every viewpoint that differs from ours.

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Michael J says:

January 23, 2017 at 10:39 am

Dang, that’s sad. First read about this guy on the Ultralist; seemed like a good kid. To bad the roadways are the only way to go transcon, dangerous trek.Reference

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Michael J says:

January 23, 2017 at 10:45 am

2:54 for Iron Mike, guessing the conditions adjust anywhere between 15-30 mins to the finish time. Mike just keeps adding cool records to his resume, what a neat guy to follow.Reference

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1. Stan says:
  
  January 23, 2017 at 11:35 am
  
  Wow wow. Get it Mike W, what a time to post given the conditions like you said. This 7/7/7 will be fun to follow.
  
  Reply
Michael J says:

January 23, 2017 at 10:53 am

That couple in the video tho…Reference

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1. Michael J says:
  
  January 23, 2017 at 11:06 am
  
  The site is interesting, there’s an article about the couple in the cheater video and what brought them out.
  
  http://www.marathoninvestigation.com/
  
  Reply
Dave says:

January 23, 2017 at 11:43 am

I appreciated seeing athletes like Sage showing support for the marches this weekend.

On the other hand, I thought it was pretty shallow to see same the same old athletes self aggrandizing on social media without even a nod to what’s happening socially and politically.Reference

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1. Nick says:
  
  January 24, 2017 at 6:10 am
  
  This. Yes. Not being political in such dark times IS a political stance. And yes I’m happy to shun out of the ‘community’ anyone who thinks the Donald is not a problem but a solution. The very idea of a sponsor getting behind someone who wants to remain neutral when fascism is rising boggles my mind.
  
  Reply
  1. db says:
    
    January 24, 2017 at 6:48 am
    
    Yes! Even when it is couched in language of being “neutral” or just wanting our sport to be inclusive. It is important to recognize that comments like “hey lets keep it civil” or “lets not get political…everyone has their opinions” when coming from (often) white, male, well-off commentators is staking out a political stance and one that can be especially alienating for any non-normative members of our “inclusive” sport.
    
    Reply
    1. eric schranz says:
      
      January 24, 2017 at 7:22 am
      
      These pages will remain civil, neutral, and politics free, thankyouverymuch. If there’s one thing I love about running is that it’s an escape from my every day life, and I intend to keep it that way.
      
      Reply
      1. Nick says:
        
        January 24, 2017 at 8:58 am
        
        you’re so disappointingly delusional, ever so slightly more everyday. but heck that’s your opinion.
      2. eric schranz says:
        
        January 24, 2017 at 10:14 am
        
        Nick, this is a website about running, beer, and outdoor endurance sports. There are plenty of platforms and forums for political discussion, but this isn’t one of them. Thanks.
COS Runner says:

January 23, 2017 at 12:37 pm

Cheating sucks – not sure anyone is going to disagree with that. But, there’s something about this guy’s “crusade” that strikes me as petty. That’s probably not a very popular opinion; I can live with that.Reference

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Henry Bickerstaff says:

January 23, 2017 at 12:43 pm

If I were a Brand manager, and I am not, I would want my athletes to be as all inclusive as possible. This would mean steering clear of topics that might alienate a segment of the population I want to reach and sale to.

On a personal level I follow an athlete to know what they are doing as it relates to running and the running community. I do not want to hear about their political or other beliefs even if I agree with them. If they want to speak to these issues on a personal page for example on Facebook or Twitter, I see not problem with that.

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Ryan says:

January 24, 2017 at 10:12 am

Nice. I haven’t had a drink in almost 6 months and my sleep has dramatically improved!Reference

Reply

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