Comicbookguy check out this blog
should feed the ultramarathon hate....
Comicbookguy check out this blog
should feed the ultramarathon hate....
"Went from very unhealthy druggie to Super fit, super Healthy Vegan Ultrarunner/crossfitter."
At least her boobs are real and she's not obssessed with showing them off.
So I was on facebook last night and saw that one of my friends recently ran a marathon and got a comment on his note about it from another person in our college network who seemed like a knowledgeable runner, so I clicked on the other person's profile to see if he was a decent runner.
Turns out this guy runs ultras, and whatever... to each his own. He set some modest goals for marathons beyond and this year. (2:50 marathon or something, 7-8 hours for a 50-miler and a like 18 hours for a 100-miler), but then he also wrote "I would like to break 15:30 for a 5K, PR is way slower than this but I am easily sub-16 in a time trial right now". The guy has been running for years and can't even make our crappy-ass D3 team, and the last time he ran it a year ago he couldn't break 18. WTF man? Stick to your ultra/zen/crap and leave the real men's 5K races to real runners, but don't demean our accomplishments by thinking you can break 15:30 5K off of a barely sub-3 marathon.
Which leads me to reflect on how everyone I have run with at that school has a way inflated opinion of their own running abilities. Some jackass who can't break 30K for a 5K considers himself a "talented runner" and the one year I ran for the team I showed up after a summer of 60-70 mpw and found out that none of my teammates ran over 40 mpw ove the summer. And almost the entire team (minus the coaches) had the nerve to tell me that they think I'm going to burn out. WTF??!!! Have some f***ing respect for yourself, even though we were some crappyass baby D3 team that didn't mean you couldn' at least run some modest high school mileage. Although the next day when it came to goal-setting everyone thought that they will be breaking 27 in a 8K race within a couple of weeks.
God I am pissed off, time to go hammer another 10-milers before my anger management session.
This chick's boyfriend looks like he's in way over his head.
I dont know about that...... wrote:
Comicbookguy check out this blog
should feed the ultramarathon hate....
http://trailgirl.blogspot.com/
danno wrote:
So where exactly does the race "devolve". Which arbitrary distance do you like and why?
Well for one I'd say the distance should at least be able to be complete in one day. C'mon 150 miles! When you're running something that goes on over days on end, it's just not the same thing.
There used to be that thing, the Eco-Challenge... I'd say the ultras belong more to that division of endurance sport than traditional track and field.
Real boobs, those look to be bolt ons.
ah, letsrun... anyone who runs a shorter race than you is a pussy, anyone who runs a longer race is a hack with no talent, anyone slower than you just sucks and should stop running, and anyone faster than you is on drugs. does that about cover it?
no, I didn't make any remarks on her running ability.
running is an activity open to people on all levels.
don't make assumptions about how everyone feels on this message board.
One man's trashy, is another man's treasure.
Treadmillionaire wrote:
I read the thread on that Goggins guy. Sure he is a tough son of a bitch, but I don't buy that "I hate every second of it" B.S. There are other, better ways to raise money. The guy was on the cover of Runner's World right? He could just model for exercise magazines and donate his pay. No one who hates running voluntarily runs 40 miles per week, let alone 120. He may hate getting up early, but when the sun just starts coming up and there is a cool breeze at his back he likes it just as much as the rest of us.
A guy I went to high school with wanted to be a basketball player. Instead, he went into XC/track and won a boatload of state and national titles. To this day he'll tell you he hates running. Always did. He just loved to compete and win. Some folks can run and hate every step.
Don't worry, it's a natural hate. And to those asking where to draw the line, it isn't the distance. It's the type of person who typically takes up ultra running. Now before everyone who "ultra runs" jumps down my throat, there are plenty of terrific individuals who do it. In fact, you may even be the majority. But the hippie types and the yuppie types are the icons of your sport, and the smug attitude that they take is what turns everyone off.
quack wrote:
Don't worry, it's a natural hate. And to those asking where to draw the line, it isn't the distance. It's the type of person who typically takes up ultra running. Now before everyone who "ultra runs" jumps down my throat, there are plenty of terrific individuals who do it. In fact, you may even be the majority. But the hippie types and the yuppie types are the icons of your sport, and the smug attitude that they take is what turns everyone off.
I think that's fair, in large part. But, have you looked at the field at your local turkey trot/big city marathon lately??? Ha ha.
Earlier, I said I was a 10th percentile runner. And then I looked at the results of my local big marathon! Top 10% is 3:30! Come on, that's just pathetic. I can jog that. I guess I'm more like top 5% or better. As someone with very limited long-distance ability, that's embarrasing.
As for these races being as much of a survival test as much as a footrace, yeah I'll buy that. So? The training is virtually the same. In order to be a top ultrarunner, you have to train like an elite marathoner, basically, 100-200 mpw, with tempo, intervals, long runs, etc. The races may be different, but the training is virtually the same.
Most ultrarunners think dk is a douchebag, and a mediocre talent at best. The attention he gets detracts from the real stars of the sport, and that's unfortunate. But there are plenty of douchebags to go around. Ever heard of this guy Galloway? ;)
Where I live I'm lucky that the solid ultra guys and gals are local leaders in the running community- fast local guys, age group studs, good rd's, etc. These guys win local 5ks, put on marathons, and run ultras. So its cool. Like I said, I train every week with ex-college guys who are running 14-16 min @ 5k. I've got nothing but respect for them.
They largely think I'm crazy, but that's ok. I used to hang out with some elite d1 guys from time to time and they thought the same thing. But I have always looked up to them- I have a good idea what it takes to perform at that level, and they deserve kudos much more than some above average runner like me. I know a lot of average runners don't understand that, and I personally try to point that out whenever someone acts all impressed with what I'm doing.
Somebody wish me luck for f-ks sake, I'm running 150 this weekend!
PaavoNW wrote:
This video will help you change your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGhG92ju11Y
This needs front home page treatment. Great video and it sums up Letsruns' Deano sentiments
"As for these races being as much of a survival test as much as a footrace, yeah I'll buy that. So?"
That's my point... it's not running and racing. It's just taking one aspect (distance) and taking to a insane extreme, so the elements of a real distance race are gone, it is only the survival elements that determine the "winner." You've basicly reduced distance running into a hotdog eating contest, and that's (generally) not the point of racing.
After your 150 mile "race" maybe you should do a 500 mile race, or maybe get Pam Reed and run 300 miles non-stop, that's where the REAL runnning starts right lol... Or maybe, just maybe, consentrate of running other distances faster, but then I could just be talking crazy.
comicbookguy wrote:
"As for these races being as much of a survival test as much as a footrace, yeah I'll buy that. So?"
That's my point... it's not running and racing. It's just taking one aspect (distance) and taking to a insane extreme, so the elements of a real distance race are gone, it is only the survival elements that determine the "winner." You've basicly reduced distance running into a hotdog eating contest, and that's (generally) not the point of racing.
After your 150 mile "race" maybe you should do a 500 mile race, or maybe get Pam Reed and run 300 miles non-stop, that's where the REAL runnning starts right lol... Or maybe, just maybe, consentrate of running other distances faster, but then I could just be talking crazy.
OK, I think I understand your point here. It is true that the first 100-miler I ever did the point was to simply finish. I wasn't racing, didn't have a real time goal, didn't know anything about how to "run" that distance. I was the ultrarunning equivalent of a middle of the pack funrunner. And I didn't take the training too seriously -- maybe 60 or 70 miles a week. I thought, at the time, that 100 miles was "insane" and "extreme" and if I finished, well, I had done something. And I finished under 24 hours, so I had done "something" but really, I walked a lot of the second half of the race. Not racing, not running, barely able to stagger forth. Surviving.
Now the second time I ran 100 miles, I wanted to really give it my best effort, and improve my time. I trained harder, lost a little weight, ran my first-ever 100 mile week, and *raced*, yes, raced 100 miles. And improved my time by three hours. This was really the only ultra I've ever been in real good shape for (out of fear maybe more than anything.) And I didn't walk much at all, maybe 5-10% of the thing, though my "running" pace was quite slow. I was amazed that I was able to knock out 8 minute miles or so at the end, passing several runners in the past 10 miles.
It's funny that you mention Pam Reed, because I passed her in this stretch.
My point is, I really approached that race the same as I did the 800m back in high school, asking myself:
1. What is the fastest pace I can sustain over the distance?
2. Should I go after that guy or let him go?
3. Can I catch this guy ahead of me if I hammer down?
4. How can I run this faster next time? Did I go out too fast, too slow?
5. Why is this guy pulling away? Crap.
6. What are my splits? What do I need to be running to meet my goal time?
6. What's the right kind of training volume/run distribution for this distance?
and so on. In short, I was focused on *racing* not surviving, and you're right in saying that there is a difference. I don't think I understood you at first.
This weekend, I intend to *race*. Done a lot of training, I know who the fastest people are, I've calculated the kinds of splits I want to run, etc.
The reason I want to do 150 is because I finished that last 100-miler strongly -- like I had more running in me. I honestly wonder how far I can run. It's an interesting question for me, like:
1. How many 60-second quarters can I run? Answer: 2
2. How many 70-second quarters can I run? Answer: 4
3. How many 5:20 miles can I string together? Answer: 2 :(
Same kind of thing, except it's:
1. How many 8-12 min/miles can I run? Answer: unknown.
As I said before, my next race I'll be training for is the mile. I wish there were open track meets every weekend where I live! Some places have that and I'm jealous. We just have 5ks, which I'm not crazy about. I like anything 1 mile or less or 100 miles or more. Ha ha.
weirdo wrote:
The reason I want to do 150 is because I finished that last 100-miler strongly -- like I had more running in me. I honestly wonder how far I can run. It's an interesting question for me, like:
1. How many 60-second quarters can I run? Answer: 2
2. How many 70-second quarters can I run? Answer: 4
3. How many 5:20 miles can I string together? Answer: 2 :(
Same kind of thing, except it's:
1. How many 8-12 min/miles can I run? Answer: unknown.
Good explanation on the mentality of Ultra racing. I think for most people they simply DON'T want to know how many 8-12 min/miles they can run. At least, I know that's how I feel haha. Not interested.
OK, update.
I DNFed @ 100 miles. A very slow 100 miles at that. McNaughton's course on a rainy day is just tremendously brutal. Elevator shaft type downhills coated with six inches of brown lard (some people call this mud, it's more like the hill had an abortion, just horrible.)
I can't believe I'm saying this, but comicbookguy instincts were largely correct. A 150-mile race on that kind of course is absolutely about survival, first and foremost. Only 11 or 12 out of the 44 starters finished, and it was a very experienced, very tough group of people. That being said, there is an element of racing involved, but more like, "if I can just hold on and finish I'll be in x position among the survivors." The same can't really be said about some other long, long events like Badwater or the Spartathalon, where speed really does matter, and the course is relatively sane, but at McNuts...woo boy, it's scary out there.
But these are great people to be around, I mean great. Not your local 50k types. These are the people who "race" 72 hours, run across America, run Badwater, Barkley, etc. Yes, many of them are balls-out maniacs, but as a whole, they are some of the coolest, most down-to-earth people I've been around in my 25 years of running. Not smug at all. At all.
Learned a lot though. I was able to jog the flats through 80 miles but just blew up at 82.7 with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness, brought on by the mud-skiing) and hallucinations. I've always thought the hallucination thing in ultras was overplayed, but it's not. I personally spoke to at least half a dozen people who experienced the same thing this weekend.
But the damn troll was right. I had myself in approximately 3:00-3:10 marathon shape, and maybe 4:30 trail 50k shape, but that hardly mattered in this race. I could have spent the winter cross-country skiing and done just as well.
BTW, I didn't mean to slight "local 50k types" just wanted to highlight the fact that the 150-mile racers were a different breed altogether.
comicbookguy wrote:
That's my point... it's not running and racing. It's just taking one aspect (distance) and taking to a insane extreme
So what? That is exactly what Usain Bolt is doing, but the other way around.
