Pocatello Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 7; 10th Edition 
234.9 miles run; 1 mile swam; 30 miles biked in 2012 races
Race: Pocatello Marathon
Place: Pocatello, ID
Miles from home:  miles
Weather: 50s-70s; humid; sunny

Well, 6 years later, I got my wish.

Back when I was running 52 Marathons in 52 weekends in 2006, I saw the elevation profile for the Pocatello Marathon and knew someday I would run the race. The downhill portion really suits my strengths and at the time I had never once been to Idaho.  I just never assumed when I did run it, that the race would be the first marathon I had run in over three months with only three 12-mile runs to serve as “long-distance training” in between.  But that is what life does to you.  It makes you deal with the unexpected. The only question which remains is how will you handle it?

Back in 2006, when I told my Myspace friends (yeah, seriously) about the Pocatello Marathon, I also didn’t expect I would be headlining its first ever pasta and lean beef dinner. However, that was the case this year as part of Idaho’s Team Beef.  I was fortunate enough to speak to one of the best crowds I have ever had at a pre-race dinner. Engaging, bright-faced, attentive and good-looking, and the crowd wasn’t bad either.

As I told my tales, hoping to inspire some, calm the nerves of others and make them all laugh, I was treated to many wonderful experiences.  Not the least was having one of my best friends on the planet in attendance, attempting her first road marathon in 14 years. Shannon, who crewed me on my 350 miler, was herself coming back from an injury. Both of us were treating the Pocatello Marathon as a barometer of where our fitness was at this point in the recovery process of our injuries. 

The dinner was packed and there was a plethora of people in the crowd who I was happy to have heard tell their tale earlier in the day.  One in particular, John Schmitt, who survived a horrific car crash, subsequent torturous surgeries and the prognosis of never walking again, was here to complete his 30+- marathon in the past 12 years. Truly amazing. I met one woman who, like me, lived in Portland and I found out I literally ran three blocks from her house just a few days prior. Another large group of 30-plus members from Colorado had made the trek to Idaho to Run the Gap.  Heck, I think I even saw a Denver Broncos cheerleader at one point.  She looked like she wanted my autograph but scurried away with her food all shy-like.

After the dinner, I surprised myself for the second weekend in a row by being in bed before 10:00 p.m. With a 6:15 a.m. start, and a bus out to the beginning, I knew I would have to be up around 4:30 in the morning. I kept telling myself the lack of sleep would be fine as this was not a race.  This marathon was a chance for me to see if I could run over twice the distance I had in three months and hopefully not do any further damage to anything that was already healing.  Somehow, that was comforting enough to get me to sleep.

Hall and Uceny: A study in DNFs

I was recently published in Pure Outdoor Adventure Magazine detailing two high-profile DNFs in the Olympic Track and Field events.  Read that article here.

EDIT:  Article was taken down so here is the text.

In the last few days of the Olympics, there were two rather high-profile athletes who did not finish their respective track and field events. Prior to these DNFs, Americans were experiencing a resurgence in distance events on the track.  Galen Rupp garnered the U.S.’s  first medal in the 10,000 meter in decades. Leo Manzano took a silver in the 1500 meter, shocking as many as Rupp did. Bernard Lagat just barely missed a bronze medal in the 5,000 meter as did matthew Centrowitz in the 1500meter.

Morgan Uceny was in the thick of the hunt for another medal for the US with one lap to go in the Women’s 1500 meter.  Then disaster struck.  Clipped from behind or simply tripping in the thicket of runners, Uceny went down in a heap.  One year earlier, in the world championships, Uceny had also taken a tumble. Seemingly overcome by this double amount of ironic failure, Uceny could do nothing but pound the track in dismay. I, on the other hand, stood, screaming at the TV “Get up! Go!” 

With one full lap to go, and the way Uceny landed, it looked like she could have easily rolled into a run again and took off after the pack. Now, I know that is easier said than done, especially with just one lap to go and the group of runners about to begin their final kick, but it is far from impossible.  (Don’t believe me? Check out this 600 meter indoor race from the 2008 Big Ten Championship.  I could tell you what is about to happen and you wouldn’t believe me anyway so I would rather you just watch.) Even when the runners completed their final lap, Morgan was still on the ground, distraught.  When asked later why she stayed on the ground she mentioned as soon as she fell she knew it was over.

A few days later, in the men’s Olympic Marathon, the U.S. had its slight medal hope decimated just about 10 miles in when, in the span of just a few meters, both Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman pulled off of the race course. While the third member of the U.S team, Meb Keflezighi, would run one of the most inspiring second halfs in Olympic marathon history, closing from about 20^th place at the half way point to a fourth place overall finish, talk was about both Ryan and Abdi’s DNF. Actually, for some reason, most of the talk was about Hall. 

Messages boards and facebook comments from runners of considerably less talent questioned his heart, his training, his mindset. “*I* would NEVR give up, even if it took me seven hours to finish” was a typical comment. A few more comments talked about how Hall had let down his country, should not have stepped on the course if he wasn’t ready to give his best and, in the best use I have ever heard of the following phrase to really encapsulate what was said next, blah, blah, blah.

Granted it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease and I am sure there was an overwhelming majority of people who felt exactly like I did – that Hall had given it his best shot and stopped when he had to out of necessity. But these people appeared to be, for the most part, silent in his defense.  No surprise here that people don’t stick up for their convictions when a more vocal minority get all up in a tizzy.

The thing is, Hall’s DNF seems infinitely more defensible than Uceny’s. Hall stopped, not because he wasn’t going to win the race, but rather because he wasn’t even halfway done with an event that would go on for another hour, and he was already feeling the pains in his hamstring. Having never not finished a race before in his life, here he was realizing that continuing on could possibly add a long-term injury from which he may never recover. Uceny wasn’t injured, save for a bloody knee from hitting the turf. She could have easily hopped back up and continued on. Or at least it looked like she could have done so.

Please note, however, while I said Hall’s DNF was more defensible than Uceny’s,  I still think there is much to be said for Morgan hitting the turf and staying there. By that I mean, very, very (very) few of us have reached the pinnacle of our sport the way Hall and Uceny have. Moreover, after reaching that pinnacle, they were then confronted with split-second decisions which could have an impact on not only their immediate racing and vocational lives but also long-term as well.  

Both made decisions that seemed best suited for them at the time.  Hall’s was made, seemingly, more by his head, where Uceny’s was made out of the anguish of her heart. But they were their decisions. Even though I was screaming for Morgan to get up and run, I wasn’t doing it because she wore the red singlet of the United States.  I wasn’t yelling at her because she owed me anything. I was trying to verbally pick her up and get her moving toward her dream. When a few days later, I saw Ryan Hall pull over to the side of the road, it was far less dramatic and therefore there was no screaming. But the feeling I had for him, and the desire for him to be fine and just get going again was exactly the same.  “Come on. Oh no. No.” were my words this time.

Nevertheless, the end result is the same for both runners. DNF. I wrote about a DNF a few months ago and how sometimes it is a wise decision. Without a doubt I think Hall (and Abdi’s) decisions were wise given the damage which could have been done by continuing. I am bummed Uceny was put in the position she was where her body and mind made the decision for her. I think that if she had gotten back up, and still finished last, she would have become the darling of the games. Instead, we are reminded of Mary Decker Slaney hitting the ground way back in 1984 and both of those images sting.

We hold our athletes up to pretty impossible standards for the most part.  We turn on them for the most random and inane of things, almost exactly in the same way that we exalt them. To be clear, while I “get” Hall’s decision more, I can absolutely understand where Morgan was coming from.

More accurately, I understand as much as a person who will never run in the Olympics with the weight of a nation, after four years of training toward one specific race, decided in just a mere four minutes, can possibly understand.

Vikingman Triathlon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 7; 9th Edition 
208.7 miles run; 1 mile swam; 30 miles biked in 2012 races
Race: Vikingman Triathlon
Place: Burley/Heyburn, ID
Miles from home: 584 miles
Weather: 40s-70s; crisp; sunny

Back when I originally was put in touch with the folks at the Vikingman Triathlon, their 70.3 was going to be my “A” race of the 2012 triathlon season. I saw the race would be four months after I completed the Pacific Coast 350, I would have two months off prior to it to train, and the course suited me. There was no reason not to plan to crush my PR, win the race, and ride triumphantly off into the sunset.

Then life intervened.

First, a bike crash and messed up shoulder –to put it lightly, followed by problems with my legs that went quite unexplained. After trying to will myself into shape and not being successful (it apparently takes actual exercise) I finally realized, literally hours before the race, that this race could in no way be my “A” triathlon race for the season.  In addition, even attempting to do the 70.3 would probably set me back in my recovery, something I finally seemed to be turning the corner on. As I long ago lost the need to feel like I had to complete a race just for the sake of completing it (as if I needed to prove something to anyone) I decided that I would change races and run the Olympic distance triathlon instead. Instantly I was happy with my choice.

I believe the Olympic Distance tri is the distance that best suits my skills. With a 1500 meter swim and a decently long-run distance of 10K, the just-a-hair-under 25 miles of biking is palatable. I simply am not a strong cyclist and have not given myself enough of an opportunity to improve on that.  Unfortunately, given the logistics of the multi-loop course to accommodate the 70.3 distance, the bike portion of this triathlon ran a little long. The nearly 30 miles of biking would be what we Olympic distance athletes would undertake. This meant there was 5 more miles for the lesser talented swimmers to kick my butt on the bike. *sigh*

The night before the race, I was given the immense pleasure of speaking to a large assembly of triathletes, supporters, and volunteers at a beautiful amphitheater in Riverside Park. I was able to share my stories of success and failure and how to overcome the latter and not get too caught up in the former. After a Q&A where some young kids in front led the way ,which I absolutely loved, I was able to spend time talking with new friends and old friends I had met in the past four years of traveling.

When Bert from Ogden, Utah, who I last met at the St. Louis Marathon in 2010, not only told me the awesome story about sharing a mega long-distance bike ride with his son, but that my story inspired him to continue to challenge himself, I was incredibly moved. People are very happy to tell you when they are not happy.  Rarely, for whatever reason, do they do the opposite and share the good things in their life. It is almost as if sharing would be bragging.  But Bert made it a point to specifically tell me this which was extremely touching.  I thanked him sincerely and let him know how much I appreciated it.

Alice and I post-race

Meeting people like Alice from nearby Rupert, who like me has conquered the Sawtooth Relay as a solo runner, was just heart-warming. She had a wonderfully positive attitude and a contagious smile. Asking if it would be OK for her to take a picture with me was almost laughable.  Why wouldn’t it?! Finally, last but not least, Kim Grooms Walton, undeterred by being in a wheelchair, did an awesome backstroke for the entire swim portion of the race and demonstrated that there are real no limitations in life. In between these people there were a plethora of other competitors, all with stories so fulfilling that it reminds me why I continue to do what I do , spending countless hours traveling and racing just to meet and be moved by them.

After a delicious cheeseburger cooked not five feet away from where I was doing a book signing, I skipped over to the host hotel which the race graciously provided for me and was actually in bed before 11:00 p.m.  I think the last time I did that was when I was 7 years old.  However, a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call in order to assure I had all my gear where it needed to be waited, and I wanted to be as rested as possible.

Running With Raven Project

Two years ago, I wrote about running with the “Raven,” a South Beach legend who has run eight miles on the beach every day for the last 37 years.  As I begin preparations for another trip to the greater Miami area in the next few months, my thoughts went back to Raven. I assumed he was keeping his streak alive, regardless of what was thrown his way.

Then serendipitously yesterday I received an email from a runner in Miami who answered that question.  She had actually heard about me from Raven himself, a.k.a Robert Kraft.  In the email she mentioned a project being put together to record the Raven’s story through the writing of a book. In addition, she’s teamed up with another Raven Runner (what those of us in his "flock" can call ourselves after one run with Mr. Kraft) hoping to film a documentary.

While I have mentioned I am not a fan of streaking for the sake of streaking, I am very intrigued by Raven and why it is he feels so compelled to do what he does every single day. The girls have posted a video and information about the initiative on a fundraising website called Kickstarter. Given my personal connection to Raven, albeit far less than those who run with him hundreds of times per year, and my desire to learn more about him, I decided to share the link for those who wish to help the cause.

The thing that sets Raven apart goes far beyond running eight miles every day for the last 37 years (?!) He has his detractors but he seems to have really built a community together all in the name of exercise.  Obviously, anyone who is trying to get people to exercise is doing good work in my opinion. As such, I wanted to get the word out.

The two artists behind the project, writer Laura Lee Huttenbach and photographer Mary Beth Koeth, seem like passionate and talented young individuals. They are also picking a subject matter which is rich in both depth and breadth.

If you want to learn more about their project, you can visit RunningWithRaven.com.  They have less than two weeks left to reach their fundraising goal and make this project happen.  Here's hoping they get what they need.

Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Atlanta Preview

As an ambassador for the US Road Sports-owned Allstate Life Insurance^SM 13.1 Marathon® Series, I was recently asked to come and run the 13.1 Atlanta course to give runners more than just the usual course description and elevation profile. Even though I made my name initially in the marathoning world, I have always loved the half-marathon distance. It was a 13.1 mile race which got me into running in the first place, back in law school.  Granted, I was sort of tricked into running it, but that is another story!

I arrived in Atlanta in August and was dreading the weather. Fortunately, there was a break in the East Coast SwelterFest of 2012 and the heat and humidity were mild in comparison to what they had been for weeks. I met with my wrangler for the mid-week excursion, Jennie, at the airport and we went over the trip’s logistics and itinerary. On top of a circumnavigation of the course in a vehicle to make sure all the twists and turns were where they should be, I would also run the course to get a feel of what it would be like for runners to take on the Atlanta hills on October 7th.

During the drive it felt like the hills were going to be just brutal.  Normally, back when I would drive a course prior to running it (a practice I have since eschewed as it rarely gives you an accurate feel for the course on foot) I found a course usually seemed easy in comparison. As we crested and fell, I thought if this seemed hard in the passenger seat of a car, how would it feel when I ran it? The answer: pretty darn good.

First and foremost, let me dispel some thoughts you may have, since I am sure I had some of the same ones. The course does have some hills. This is Atlanta, after all. But those hills do not even come close to being as ferocious as they may first appear. In fact, many are downright pleasant, with a nice long sloping downhill often following a short uptick. For whatever reason, the car ride has exaggerated the hills and running them showed me how they may still be challenging, but definitely lacked the teeth I felt they originally brandished.

Second, while the race no longer starts/ends at Oglethorpe University, the course does run right past its outside perimeter.  As such, the course will still allow runners to take in the splendor and beauty of this liberal arts school and all of its stony architecture. Town Brookhaven will serve as the starting point as well as the terminus of this race as it did last year. This area may not be as historic as Oglethorpe, but will allow for much less congestion and ease for runners both arriving and leaving after the race.

Third, seriously, the hills aren’t that bad. In the entire Allstate Life Insurance^SM 13.1 Marathon® Series, including races in pancake-flat Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the fastest 13.1 finishing time is held here on this course. Read that again. Now stop whining about hills.

Having said all of that, let’s break this race down.

Starting at Town Brookhaven runners make a quick jog out and onto Peachtree Road. I am pretty sure that it is an Atlanta citywide mandate that every third roadway has the word “Peachtree” in it somewhere.  After a short jaunt on Peachtree, which runners will become familiar with later on, we pass the aforementioned Oglethorpe University and begin a series of runs through neighborhoods which may become the beautiful trademark of this course.

Over the next two miles, secluded in a green wonderland, with the Silver Lake in the backdrop right behind a canopy of trees, runners will be completely shaded from sun, wind or rain. Popping back out onto Windsor Parkway after this trek through greenery, the mansions are as plentiful as the road is soft. Before you know it, you are closing in on the first 5K, beginning to run down a nice long stretch of downhill toward the Capital City Club golf course and its well-manicured fairways. 

Skirting the golf greens and the luxurious clubhouse, which are so inviting that you wish all golf courses were actually running courses, you are greeted by even more stately homes. Given the residential nature of this area, there are more than a few speed humps that runners must simply be aware of. It should go without saying but runners should always keep a careful eye out for their footfalls, so these little humps shouldn’t be much of a problem.  As we saw in the London Olympics when poor Morgan Uceny took a tumble, even elites can tumble on the buttery softness of an all-weather track.  In other words, just be cognizant of yourself and surroundings. Unfortunately, as this area is so beautiful, you might need a reminder when you are running through it!

Men's Olympic Marathon Approaches (Predictions)

As these Summer Olympics begin to wind down, and I have seen far less of them then I wish I had for a number of reasons, I know one event will not pass me by – the men’s marathon. Even though, as I mentioned in a previous post, to catch it live I will have to be up at 3 a.m. PST, you can bet your sweet bippy I will be.

I recall writing something somewhere about the men’s marathon in 2008 but I will be damned if I can find it in my archives.  Let’s just say I was utterly convinced that Ryan Hall was going to win. Obviously my opinion was shaped by a little bit of homerism but I also laid out a well-thought reasoning as well. As you know, I was way off as Sammy Wanjiru crushed the Olympic Marathon record in stifling Beijing heat and humidity.

So who am I will predicting will podium this year? We have already seen East African dominance fall by the way side in some of the earlier track meets this Olympics. Galen Rupp, with his silver in the 10,000 meter gave the United States its first medal in that event since about 350 BC. (I will have to remember to fact check that.) Then Leo Manzano won a silver medal in the men’s 1,500-meter final, running the fastest time ever by a U.S. athlete at the Games. The 5,000m won’t be run until Saturday so it is hard to tell exactly if this trend will continue but counting Bernard Lagat or Lopez Lomong out would not be wise.

Now, granted a small shift in the medal count in some of the shorter long distance events does not have much bearing on the marathon. Additionally, East African dominance at the Marathon level has really solidified itself in the past four years since Beijing, even with the untimely death of Sammy Wanjiru.  I am also far less convinced of the American ability to medal at a these games.  Yet for some reason, I think we may have a better shot then we did four years ago.

I have been fortunate enough to have a conversation or two with Ryan Hall, saw Meb at a book signing and I have had one tweet with Abdi Abdirahman.  So obviously I am super tight with them all. But knowing anything about these men individually is not why I feel this is our best chance to snag a top spot since Frank Shorter got the gold in Munich 4 years before I was born. 

In order to compete well on this stage, competitors who are usually out to best each other, must work together even though they wish to win.  I recently read an article by Kenny Moore about those Munich Games and it became even more clear how running alone will get you basically nowhere (Joan Benoit Samuelson’s epic 1984Olympic games win notwithstanding). What I have witnessed from the three US finalists is a tight kinship. I have seen how they really do thrive on working with each other. And while I am less doe-eyed about their chances as I was four years ago, I still think we are in for a major surprise on Sunday.

Predictions:

Gold: Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich (Kenya)

Silver: Ryan Hall (USA)

Bronze: Abel Kirui (Kenya)

I also think the winning time will be in the 2:07s with the race for bronze being tightly contested by Ayele Abshero from Ethiopia.

Either way, though my eyes might be tired at 3 AM, I will be wide awake.

Fox Valley Marathon weekend

I had the sincere pleasure to take part in the Fox Valley Marathon weekend last year as part of Illinois Team beef.  Situated in St. Charles, just a short drive outside of Chicago, this race was absolutely top-notch. But don't take my word for it - take Chicago Magazine's!

What I absolutely loved about this race was it's 20 mile option.  The Fox Valley Marathon is situated just a few weeks prior to the Chicago Marathon. For those looking for a last minute catered-long run before tackling the big one, there seems to be no better way to do so than by taking part in the Fox Valley Final 20.  You can read my recap of the 20 miler last year here.

However, just having a catered 20 miler is not what makes this race so special.  The attitude of the people who run it, from top to bottom are absolutely wonderful. Working with the Illinois Beef Association made it even better. It is hard to tell you how quickly the bite-sized morsels of freshly grilled beef were devoured by hungry runners at the end of the race. Eschewing typical bagels and bananas these runners wanted protein, zinc and iron to get in their system and they wanted it right now!

As such, being back again to work hand-in-hand with the Illinois Beef Association is a special treat. All the hubbub around the beef tent post-race had the local media trying to figure out exactly what was going on. To educate so many about how much lean beef does for the endurance athlete was something I have been happy to do for over two years and counting now.

I have worked with IBA on a plethora of events and look forward to doing so in the future as well. Look for us at the expo where I am doing a book signing of my new book and look for them post-race where you can get your fuel for the finish!

Ultrarunning Matters (and will an Ultra ever be in the Olympics?)

This weekend the Speedgoat 50K was held near my last place of residence in Sandy, UT. A veritable who's who of ultrarunning was there with names like Kilian Jornet, Max King, Anton Krupicka, and Rickey Gates on the men's side. The women's side, while not necessarily as star-studded, contained a talented group of ladies with Anna Frost besting the competition by over 30 minutes.

However, a slight bit of controversy cropped up at this mountainous 50K. Kilian Jornet was the first to the finish line but it became clear that he and a few other runners may have cut some of the switchbacks in the course. Something completely allowed in European trail running, it is, for the most part, all but enough for a disqualification on any race on U.S. soil. To be clear, it appears that Jornet might not have been aware of the rules with regard to the race, which left RD and amazing trailrunner himself, Karl Meltzer with a difficult task. In the end, it appears Meltzer has awarded a tie for first place between Jornet and second-across-the-line Rickey Gates, giving Gates the actual prize money for the victory.

So much has already been said about the decisions made my Jornet, Meltzer, et. al. on the iRunFar recap page here and I am adding nothing more to that. What I am talking about is how happy I am that so many people are actually talking about it.

Ultrarunning used to be a sport of a handful of extremely hearty (mostly older) (mostly male) folks with almost no recognition and even less sponsorship. Well, that's not entirely true. ultrarunning or ultrawalking used to USED TO be a sport where there was considerable attention paid to these events which would be done around inside tracks with copious amounts of betting and wagers being placed. Then it went farrow as baseball and football took over. THEN it became a sport of mostly old men.  But I digress.) Now, runners of ever increasing youth are populating races which sell out in minutes where the winners take home thousands of dollars. This is simply fantastic. It also, in light of the current Olympics, brings to mind a conversation I had with some elite ultrarunners a few years ago about the possibility of an ultra ever making it to the Olympics.

This doesn't seem as far-fetched as one might think, especially if we think about having the race run during the Winter Olympics. As the Marathon itself is the focal point of the Summer Olympics (not necessarily in popularity but it is the finale of the games and the reason they even came into existence), it is hard to see an ultra ever cracking into those games. But in the Winter Olympics? Maybe.

The Winter Games always seem to be the proving ground for some more eccentric sports and where else would an ultra feel most at home but amongst them? Stealing a page from the longer cross country skiing events, an ultra could definitely take place in a looped course providing spectators on the ground (and television viewers at home) the chance to see the race unfold without having to traverse massive distances. This looped course aspect proved beyond pleasing to spectators at both the 2008 Olympic Marathon trials held in Boston and New York and the 2012 Marathon trials held simultaneously for men and women in Houston. The only question remaining would be what distance for an ultra.

Personally I think the 50 mile distance is ideal. "Only" doing a 50k would have many people claiming that it is only five mile longer that the marathon and the difference would be negligible.  (N.B.: This article is overlooking the 50K racewalking event in the Summer Olympics, not because it is not something to be noticed - the WR is a sub7 minute mile, which is amazing -  but rather to concentrate on running events of greater distances.) But if we nearly double the distance and a whole new race has been born. A 100 miler or even a 100k might not would work, simply because of time constraints on the attention span of television watchers. Of course the question remains for an ultra of whether a television watcher even stay around for the full 5-6 hours it will take the elite runners to run the 50 miler? Perhaps not. But they don't have to.

This longer time frame will allow many who wish to watch from the beginning and many others to hop in and out throughout.  Americans routinely spend a solid three hours watching an NFL game. Then they do it again, sometimes twice on playoff weekends. It is not hard to believe they could be enticed to watch something for a few hours, watch another event and then tune in to the end of the race to see where everything is shaking out. I fully envision, just like in cycling or, again, in the longer cross-country skiing, a leaderboard with chase packs being designated as being +1:20 behind or something along those lines.

Over the course of many hours the drama that develops will bring many in and will also allow viewers to get to know the runners. Six hours is a lot of time to fill with commentary and if there are interviews with the runners, with backgrounds and personalities poking through, these runners can become more than just a number. Story lines can develop, fan favorites can be created, and the next line of ultrarunners can be watching and planing their own first ultra.

Staging it during the Winter Games might make it more difficult on the ultrarunners than necessary, especially if it gets a little cold and too much bundling up might take away some of the individuality of each runner.  However, bad conditions and near symmetry amongst the looks of competitors doesn't stop the Tour De France from taking over televisions every year in June and July. And if there is a group which handles adverse weather conditions, it is ultrarunners (e.g., Badwater, Arrowhead 135, et. al.) (As a side note, holding a multi-day stage event ala the TdF over the course of most or all of the games would also be something to think about. The Decathlon is not decided in one day, nor are all the heats of the various track and field events.  Stretching one event over seven days would allow even more time to get to know the athletes involved.)


All told there is much to be worked out and I have only scratched the surface. But with all the hubbub that was percolating over the SpeedGoat race this past weekend and the Olympics on the tube, I couldn't help but think that soon an ultra might make its appearance in the Winter Games.

At the very least, the time is now for there to be a National Championship event which brings together all the amazing talent out there running on all different types of surfaces and terrains.  There could even be something akin to the tennis grandslam with some runners being road specialists, some being mountain experts and still other prevailing in deserts or muck. If it makes sense to have court, clay, and grass in tennis, then it makes sense to do the same with ultras.

The sport simply needed an influx of young talent, a passionate fanbase, and the ability to disseminate information about the race in real-time.

Well, guess what we now have in 2012.

A Not-As-Thirsty-As-They-Say Industry

What I love about the internet is the ease with which one can find information. When the internet first came into my consciousness around my freshman year of college, I thought it was just the most unbelievable thing ever (and still sorta do.)  I had an inkling of a thought that perhaps the instant access to info could be bad if it ever got to the point where just about everyone could say whatever they wanted.  I wasn’t against opinions and the like but realized that some people know what they are talking about and many, many do not. Yet, here we are today where any and every thought can be broadcast out into the ether.

Undeniably twitter and facebook and social media have created revolutionary change.  They have also increased, exponentially mind you, the turds with which we must wade to get to the facts. One of the latest I have seen has to do with the consumption of water that goes into raising animals for food. As the spokesrunner for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, I get things likes this sent to me all the time. This doesn't really fall into the purview of my normal ramblings on this website but as it falls central to the food choices I make, and those food choices fuel my exploits, I felt it was important to address it. Check it out here:

 

“Nearly half of all water used in the United States goes to raising animals”. 

Oh, for the love of Christ. 

First of all, what “industry” is raising ALL “animals for food”? The chicken/pig/cow/fish industry? Can I buy stock in that? Second, as nearly one-half of the water used by Americans is used for production of electrical power or thermoelectric power generation (link takes you to the 2005 U.S. Geological Survey) that means that somehow, if we are to believe the infographic, there is next to no water left in America for drinking, showering, brushing teeth, cleaning dishes, watering lawns, washing clothes, filling swimming pools, water balloon fights, wet t-shirt contests, etc. 

Then we read that more than 2,400 gallons of water are used to produce one pound of meat. According to whom? I don’t see any sources cited.  However, if you want sources, according to a UC Davis study, it takes just 441 gallons of water to produce one pound of boneless beef—or about 110 gallons for a quarter-pound hamburger.(Beckett, J. L., and J. W. Oltjen. 1993. Estimation of the water requirement for beef production in the United States. J. Anim. Sci. 71: 818-826.) This study takes into consideration the following: 

* Water the animal drinks
* Water used to irrigate pasture land that the cattle graze
* Water used to grow crops that feed the cattle
* Water used in the processing of the beef

No Respect for Olympic Marathoners

When I was doing research for my book, 138,336 Feet to Pure Bliss, I came across one unassailable fact - organizers of events often have their heads firmly placed directly up their butts, at least when it comes to the marathon on the grand stage.

Time and time again, the marathon, an event which has to be the most grueling held in the Olympics every four years and is treated as its cornerstone event (quick history lesson: the Olympics exist because of the marathon) is handled with all the care of a bull in a china shop.

Lest you think I do not understand economics, let me lay that to rest here at the beginning. I understand sponsor dollars pay for events and viewers have to be able to watch the event in order to convince sponsors to pony up their dollars. I also understand that events worldwide are slated to fit into the best Must See TV timeslot and athletes are just pawns in that game and the Olympics are not alone in this game (e.g., I would love to have the skill to play in the NBA as the constant night games fall right into my circadian rhythm but I bet many players would much prefer to play a game at noon or 8 AM.) However, when an event is going to take two hours, completely exposed to the elements, being run at speeds around 13 mph on average, perhaps we should throw a bone to the runners.

Yet, looking at Olympic Marathon history, no bones are thrown. From races run in the heat of the day, to runners having to run behind horses or cars kicking up soot and dust and exhaust, no quarter is given. Fortunately, when heat, humidity and pollution concerns wracked the most recent Olympic marathon in Beijing, they had the foresight to do the best they could by starting at 7:30 a.m.

But in London in a few weeks, the race will begin at 11 a.m. As Amby Burfoot writes "August is the hottest, sunniest month of the year in London; both previous London Olympic marathons (1908, 1948) were held on days described as 'hot and muggy;' and both resulted in on-the-track collapses by an obviously depleted race leader." Yeah, I see no reason why we shouldn't start it as close to possible as to when the sun is at is apex.  Should be no problems.

Without a doubt there are reasons I am not considering as to why the race is starting so late - there are always "reasons". There is also a little bit of crankiness on my part as, if I wish to watch the marathon live, being that I live in the Pacific Time zone, I will have to get up at 3 a.m.  Ouch. Actually, given I am a night owl, I will just simply stay up another 30 minutes more than usual. Now it doesn't seem as bad.

Let's just hope for some cool temps for the runners.