Gina- is that the trail with all the great pics you posted? Looks cool
Tracy- Yes, I should have taken more as it is really gorgeous. Lots of varied terrain. Once some more leaves fall I should be able to get more pictures of the Tennessee River Gorge. It is spectacular!
Funny, I have lived here for 3+ years now and have been so IM focused I have missed some great stuff. Now, I am trying to see a little bit of everything I have time for.
Gonna be picking you guys brains for trail ultra advice!!
This thread has me all pumped up as well! I have been doing Daniels run training frequency running (:45 almost ever day @ Z1 for last 30 days) and that ends tomorrow. Next week starts intervals and Supplemental training. For Supplemental, I plan on adding trail runs.
Mt. Diablo, here I come! Been too long. Can't wait!
I am almost ready to pull the trigger on American River 50 in 2011. I will be applying for Western States 100 in November and will find out if I get in December. If I get in then I will run AR 50 as a workup. I have 2 friends that are in the WS 100 because 1 had hip surgery and couldn't race and the other had brain cancer and got a medical extension. Then I could train with some real ultra veterans. If I don't get in, then I might race IMCDA the same day in June. I won the Janus Charity Challenge last year at IMCDA and I can get into any American IM. I also signed up for IM Canada because I got an email 2 days after the race saying that they had not sold out. I did the race 5 times in the 90s and it was my favorite venue. IM Canada almost went bankrupt in the early 90s. The town continued its great support and the race pulled through. So I always wanted to go back and here was my opportunity.
For those who want to run a 50 mile race, I would highly recommend the American River 50!! The first 28 miles are flat along an asphalt bicycle path that runs along the river. The last 22 miles are rolling hills with the real climbing in the last 3 miles to the finish. It really feels like a road marathon and a trail marathon in one race. Plus you can run along both sides of the asphalt bike trail if you don't like the hard surface. Great volunteers, top notch race organization, and a jacket for finshers. Anyone else?
OK . . . a 50 miler doesn't really help me with my "fast" work for 2011. However, if you guys go and do American River 50 I would be happy to run the last 27 with one you starting at Beal's Point. And if needed, I can also be your SAG and have shirts changes, etc. ready for you when you get to Beal's. Then the last EN guy to come through I will jump on the course with him. Thoughts?
Also, Mike . . . . Diablo isn't THAT desolate! I went and did a 7 mile hilly trail run up there this morning and snapped some pics along the way. Definitely end of Summer dry. But this is why they call Cali the Golden State.
*************************************
Me on Macedo Loop with 3,849' summit in the background
My buddy Todd Anderson is a speck on the ridge. I met him on the mountain on Wall Point.
Once in the canyons it was cooler and there was some water in a few of the creeks.
Don't forget about Wisconsin..Ice Age! Also, Dances With Dirt, in Hell, Michigan. My one and only complete ultra was Chicago 50K a few years ago, run entirely along the lakefront. There is one in the spring, and another in the fall. (This year on Oct. 30th.) It was freezing cold and the wind was WICKED, blowing spray on us from Lake Michigan. There is a 50K in Huntington, IN, called the HUFF 50K. It is a trail run through the forest, with a few miles on pavement. 3 loops of 11 miles. Challenging run, in that it is either muddy or snow-covered. This year it's on Dec. 18th I believe. Very low key race, with fantastic home-made soups and baked goods afterwards! I'm toying with the idea of trying it again this year...unfinished business..
Forgot to mention that for years, I have wanted to JFK 50!!! Would love to give it a go in 2012 if anyone else would be interested as well? Planning on IMFL in 2011, if I can get in online, or I'd look at JFK for 2011.
I'm going to have to join you all too on doing an Ultra. It's been in the back of my mind to do all along but no real motivation and concetrated on IM's the last few years. After the last episode with the cancer deal and all I think I'll move this up to a reality. I may have to do this next year as I too am taking a year off from IM and going to just do HIM's. And now maybe the ultra thing too.
Would really be interested in the trip to Cali for a real 50 miler in real hills. I'll maybe get in my first 50K this Dec. at the local HUFF 50k near me and see how it goes. If all is well then watch out Mike H. I'm coming for ya!!
Trent, where do you live? Are you in Huntington or Ft. Wayne area? I'm in Valpo! Don't know if I can finish the HUFF or not this year, but thinking about doing it. Let me know if you're going to be there!! If I don't do the entire 50K, I might show up to do the fun run of 10 miles, and holla at you for support!!!
Barbara... I'm south of Fort Wayne about 25 miles and East of Huntington 10 miles. I'll see if I can ramp up enough miles by then to do the 50k. I might need some guidance from Mike on that and on pacing the thing. I've ran the 10.8 mile fun run loop so I know the course but haven't put my head around doing 3 loops yet.
Trent, I too, don't know if I'll be ready to do the distance or not. The Chicago Marathon took me longer than expected this year. I'm hoping I can do the distance, but as you said, pacing the thing is the key. I have done the relay, and also attempted the full distance, but didn't finish. It was nothing but mud the year I attempted the full, and it was killing my hips, so I dropped out. As I stated before, I have unfinished business at the HUFF. Hope I can finish it this year, but if not, I will finish it sometime in the future!
Was asking where you live, because I went to Manchester College for undergrad, and had a couple of courses at St. Francis College during that time, for special ed. courses not offered at MC. Spent a lot of time in Ft. Wayne during my MC years!
Would really be interested in the trip to Cali for a real 50 miler in real hills. I'll maybe get in my first 50K this Dec. at the local HUFF 50k near me and see how it goes. If all is well then watch out Mike H. I'm coming for ya!!
Trent, Trent, Trent, TRENT! Please come on out to the mountains - my house - and bring your crying towel . The old man of the mountain will have something to say to you . Probably something along the lines of: "Get used to this view of me."
@John - I haven't set up the Smiley thingy on my iPad, so I had to wait until I had some time on the regular computer...I knew I needed them to lay down the law for Trent .
What have I been doing on the 'regular computer'? As promised I started off a wiki page on Ultramarathoning. Please feel free to add to it (especially down in the Favorite Races section), and to correct/supplement whereever.
@JC - thanks for kicking off this thread, and letting us all hijack it in a few different directions!
Trent, Trent, Trent, TRENT! Please come on out to the mountains - my house - and bring your crying towel . The old man of the mountain will have something to say to you . Probably something along the lines of: "Get used to this view of me."
I will have to admit that was good. Period!!
But on the other hand you don't realize what you just started with me now. I will follow through till death and become an Ultra King, maybe even to the point of a Badwater dominator!! Ha ha!!
Seriously will get into this and will probably need guidance on how to stay injury free with that kind of volume the most. Mike...do you still do the OS and just integrate longer training with it to have the miles in the legs for races??
@Trent ;- I just typed up a (way too long!) reply to Olivia in her Advice on Training thread - which has my feelings about your questions. Short answer - yes OS, get fast, then work on far!
As for Badwater...dude. Dude. I will send you pictures of the Moeben team's feet. Dude, they run on the white line on the side of the road so their shoes don't melt. Dude, that just ain't right .
Trent, if you think you might do the HUFF this year, the state may turn the trail into a fish and wildlife area, with no more running/biking trails. Could be the last year at Ed Roush Preserve. I plan to give it a whirl, doing 1:1 run/walk ratio, since my mileage hasn't been up since Chicago.
I may try and slog along, not sure as I've had no volume training at all yet and just been hammer in the OS. And Yes I did talk to the locall DNR boys who run the park and resevour ( I was a neighbor of one) and they confirm this will be the last year for the HUFF there. Too bad as it is a nice place for this event.
If I do it I willl have to go against everything how I normally go into a race (all out potential) and just go with finish the thing and have fun. I've got a couple of buddies who always do it and usually average around 10 minute pace so I may just hook up with them and run it. Although your idea of the 1/1 may be an option for the last lap if things get rough.
Comments
No Ironman in 2011 for me, but this may be on my radar
www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump/
Gina- is that the trail with all the great pics you posted? Looks cool
This thread has me all pumped up as well! I have been doing Daniels run training frequency running (:45 almost ever day @ Z1 for last 30 days) and that ends tomorrow. Next week starts intervals and Supplemental training. For Supplemental, I plan on adding trail runs.
Mt. Diablo, here I come! Been too long.
Can't wait!
Uh, John, it's still summer here in NorCal...sorry buddy, but I'm pretty sure Mt. Diablo looks a little more like this these days:
Who's in for American River in 2011?? It's April 9.
Mike
Mike,
I am almost ready to pull the trigger on American River 50 in 2011. I will be applying for Western States 100 in November and will find out if I get in December. If I get in then I will run AR 50 as a workup. I have 2 friends that are in the WS 100 because 1 had hip surgery and couldn't race and the other had brain cancer and got a medical extension. Then I could train with some real ultra veterans. If I don't get in, then I might race IMCDA the same day in June. I won the Janus Charity Challenge last year at IMCDA and I can get into any American IM. I also signed up for IM Canada because I got an email 2 days after the race saying that they had not sold out. I did the race 5 times in the 90s and it was my favorite venue. IM Canada almost went bankrupt in the early 90s. The town continued its great support and the race pulled through. So I always wanted to go back and here was my opportunity.
For those who want to run a 50 mile race, I would highly recommend the American River 50!! The first 28 miles are flat along an asphalt bicycle path that runs along the river. The last 22 miles are rolling hills with the real climbing in the last 3 miles to the finish. It really feels like a road marathon and a trail marathon in one race. Plus you can run along both sides of the asphalt bike trail if you don't like the hard surface. Great volunteers, top notch race organization, and a jacket for finshers. Anyone else?
I am also trying for a WS100 spot. If I don't get in I am looking at a 6 day stage run, also in June. So either way, i'm in for AR50!
Mike
OK . . . a 50 miler doesn't really help me with my "fast" work for 2011. However, if you guys go and do American River 50 I would be happy to run the last 27 with one you starting at Beal's Point. And if needed, I can also be your SAG and have shirts changes, etc. ready for you when you get to Beal's. Then the last EN guy to come through I will jump on the course with him. Thoughts?
Also, Mike . . . . Diablo isn't THAT desolate! I went and did a 7 mile hilly trail run up there this morning and snapped some pics along the way. Definitely end of Summer dry. But this is why they call Cali the Golden State.
*************************************
Me on Macedo Loop with 3,849' summit in the background
My buddy Todd Anderson is a speck on the ridge. I met him on the mountain on Wall Point.
Once in the canyons it was cooler and there was some water in a few of the creeks.
Would really be interested in the trip to Cali for a real 50 miler in real hills. I'll maybe get in my first 50K this Dec. at the local HUFF 50k near me and see how it goes. If all is well then watch out Mike H. I'm coming for ya!!
Trent, where do you live? Are you in Huntington or Ft. Wayne area? I'm in Valpo! Don't know if I can finish the HUFF or not this year, but thinking about doing it. Let me know if you're going to be there!! If I don't do the entire 50K, I might show up to do the fun run of 10 miles, and holla at you for support!!!
Trent, I too, don't know if I'll be ready to do the distance or not. The Chicago Marathon took me longer than expected this year. I'm hoping I can do the distance, but as you said, pacing the thing is the key. I have done the relay, and also attempted the full distance, but didn't finish. It was nothing but mud the year I attempted the full, and it was killing my hips, so I dropped out. As I stated before, I have unfinished business at the HUFF. Hope I can finish it this year, but if not, I will finish it sometime in the future!
Was asking where you live, because I went to Manchester College for undergrad, and had a couple of courses at St. Francis College during that time, for special ed. courses not offered at MC. Spent a lot of time in Ft. Wayne during my MC years!
Trent, Trent, Trent, TRENT!
Please come on out to the mountains - my house - and bring your crying towel 
. The old man of the mountain will have something to say to you 
. Probably something along the lines of: "Get used to this view 
of me."
Mike
I have been sitting here holding my breath waiting for Mike's response to Trent's smack down talk!
I am not disappointed.
It would be an honor to be there in-person for the Main Event.
@John - I haven't set up the Smiley thingy on my iPad, so I had to wait until I had some time on the regular computer...I knew I needed them to lay down the law for Trent
.
@All,
What have I been doing on the 'regular computer'? As promised I started off a wiki page on Ultramarathoning. Please feel free to add to it (especially down in the Favorite Races section), and to correct/supplement whereever.
@JC - thanks for kicking off this thread, and letting us all hijack it in a few different directions!
Mike
I will have to admit that was good. Period!!
But on the other hand you don't realize what you just started with me now. I will follow through till death and become an Ultra King, maybe even to the point of a Badwater dominator!! Ha ha!!
Seriously will get into this and will probably need guidance on how to stay injury free with that kind of volume the most. Mike...do you still do the OS and just integrate longer training with it to have the miles in the legs for races??
@Trent ;- I just typed up a (way too long!) reply to Olivia in her Advice on Training thread - which has my feelings about your questions. Short answer - yes OS, get fast, then work on far!
As for Badwater...dude. Dude. I will send you pictures of the Moeben team's feet. Dude, they run on the white line on the side of the road so their shoes don't melt. Dude, that just ain't right
.
Mike
I may try and slog along, not sure as I've had no volume training at all yet and just been hammer in the OS. And Yes I did talk to the locall DNR boys who run the park and resevour ( I was a neighbor of one) and they confirm this will be the last year for the HUFF there. Too bad as it is a nice place for this event.
If I do it I willl have to go against everything how I normally go into a race (all out potential) and just go with finish the thing and have fun. I've got a couple of buddies who always do it and usually average around 10 minute pace so I may just hook up with them and run it. Although your idea of the 1/1 may be an option for the last lap if things get rough.