Karel Sabbe Appalachian Trail FKT 2018

Legends Tracking defends Karels GPS tracking after Peter Bakwin probes with questions...

Hi Peter and others, this is Stef from Legends Tracking (

www.legendstracking.com

). Allow me to answer some of the questions that have come up regarding Karel’s live gps tracking.

1. As Peter mentioned in a previous post, Karel is not using a SPOT or a Garmin InReach device, but a tracker that gets its position from a satellite (just as the SPOT or a Garmin inReach) and then sends that position to the application server via mobile network (unlike SPOT or Garmin InReach which also use satellite for that). There are multiple reasons why we (and Karel) use this type of tracker (1) as we all know, the quality of the SPOT satellite network and reception is not that good (in numerous tests where a runner had both a SPOT and our device, our device significantly outperformed the SPOT). (2) The SPOT and Garmin are about 4 times heavier compared to our tracker. (3) Using our tracker allows for a lot more positions to be taken instead of the 2.5min, 5min or 10min standard intervals. (4) Karel used exactly the same tracker during his PCT attempt in 2016, which worked fully as expected.

2. When there is no mobile network available, the tracker will store the positions received from the satellite (every minute) in an internal buffer, and the tracker can store up to 3000 locations in its buffer. As soon as there is mobile network again, the tracker gives priority to new positions (live) but then also starts emptying its buffer. For example, today between 10.57am and 11.22am, there was on and off mobile reception and the tracker was able to send 22 new positions, and about 200 positions out of the buffer (Please note that you can see the difference between ‘live’ points and ‘buffered’ points by the dark and light blue colour). Network signal was not strong enough and not available for enough time to send all lines out of the buffer, so they will come in during the next moment of mobile reception. Please note that Karel has two trackers, meaning 6000 possible buffer lines, accounting for 100hours (and since the tracker is turned off at night, this should be good for a couple days each time). UPDATE: while writing this, another set of positions has been sent from the buffer.

Karel1.png

Karel2.png

3. Unfortunately, compared to 2016 on the Pacific Crest Trail, all mobile providers except T-Mobile, have de-activated GPRS (2G) networks in the United States. We should have known that, but didn’t, so we’re to blame for that. This explains why the mobile reception for the trackers (so not for his facebook or instagram or other stuff, which I assume he’s doing with a mobile phone) is so low at the moment. Here in Europe, where Legends Tracking mainly operates and where we have ca. 200 events each year, sometimes events with more than 500 participants with a tracker at the same time, every country has GPRS (2G), and will have so at least for the next 10 years.

4. For now, we will have to hope that from time to time Karel passes a zone with T-Mobile network coverage, so that his positions can be sent to our servers (and immediately automatically displayed on the tracking website). Next week, Karel’s wife will be coming to the US as well, and she will bring 2 new trackers that also operate on UTSM (3G), which will drastically increase the ‘live’ coverage of Karel’s adventure, because then the tracker can use any mobile provider again.

5. As a side note, please see below an image of the locations that Scott Jurek (previous record holder) shared on his Garmin InReach page during the first 14! days (each blue dot is a location).

Karel3.png

The image below is a detail of Scott’s tracking data the section where Karel is at the moment. Indeed, you see it correctly, no tracking at all from Scott in this section.

Karel4.png

6. As a second side note, when looking at the tracking data of Joe (Stringbean) McConaughy, which we received from Joe himself, I can see that during the first 6 days, there were in total 17 positions send with his SPOT. Looking at both the quality of data from Joe and Scott (unfortunately we couldn’t get the data of Karl Meltzer), I don’t think Karel is doing bad in providing data.

7. As a third and last side note, for those having issues with the kilometer markers, get used to how things are done in the rest of the world 

Don’t hesitate to ask more questions about the platform and the technology. Please note that I’m not going to answer on other questions regarding Karel’s FKT, since that is fully up to him and his crew of course.

Josef has been said to run with Karel for a marathon a day.

https://www.strava.com/athletes/6259854

day 7 now I think. He's done 49-52 miles every day so far, and according to his tracker he's at 355ish miles right now (an hour ago actually), though I don't know if he's stopped for the day or not. seems like that distance is a bit short too, so probably over 360 miles in 7 days. doing much better than record pace so far, has something like a 30 mile lead.

Jurek was injured early on in his north bound FKT so he had lower miles around this point in comparison to Karel. String Bean actually covered more miles in the harder northern terrain, a fast finish of you will. The deciding factor might be if Karels crew is willing to meet him in between roads to keep up the push. The supported hikers usually have to end at a convenient road. String Bean and the unsupported crowd have more mileage choices. But a hybrid hiker is now thought to be able to set really fast known times. It will take a blend of having a really hardy thru hiker mentality of sleeping anywhere on the trail but with the luxury of having go-fers to aid and support you. JPD FKT was so fluid because she was the closest to that example, having her husband hike in her tent and cook food.

reed wrote:

day 7 now I think. He's done 49-52 miles every day so far, and according to his tracker he's at 355ish miles right now (an hour ago actually), though I don't know if he's stopped for the day or not. seems like that distance is a bit short too, so probably over 360 miles in 7 days. doing much better than record pace so far, has something like a 30 mile lead.

Pretty remarkable. I seriously doubt I could do a single 50 mile day on the AT. It's much harder than you think to average 4 miles an hour on trails for 12 hours a day.

I make a long weekend trip to the AT (and other trails) in Virginia probably 4-5 times a year for training purposes. I usually average 20-22 miles per day and it probably winds up being close to an 18 to 20 mile per mile pace. It's damn tough on the AT with the trail and the elevation. I'd imagine in those 45-50 miles, he's probably doing 5,000 feet of climbing per day (and equal descending).

Old Man Runner wrote:

I make a long weekend trip to the AT (and other trails) in Virginia probably 4-5 times a year for training purposes. I usually average 20-22 miles per day and it probably winds up being close to an 18 to 20 mile per mile pace. It's damn tough on the AT with the trail and the elevation. I'd imagine in those 45-50 miles, he's probably doing 5,000 feet of climbing per day (and equal descending).

It's been no less than 10,000' feet of climbing per day since the start. When you take it to 50 mpd on that terrain it really adds up.

tracker has him at 412 miles at end of day 8. Joe was at 377 at the same time.

the tracker is now about 8 miles short...so in the future you can assume its short by 1.9% (based on Joe being at mile 369 on the tracker but 377 officially after 8 days)

there is still a lot that can go wrong, but his start so far is probably the best first 8 days anybody has ever had on the AT with an average of ~51.5 miles/day.

It is a very large lead. He should definitely bank the miles now while he can. I would usually not suggest it but it has been a pretty dry year in the mid Atlantic and northest up until now. So, the bugs are reported to be at 2 to 3 times their presence right now in those areas, plus if it keeps raining Vermont will be a mudfest. That's not a problem for someone who's been in it before but Jurek was slowed down by it considerably. There's even flooding and small reroutes currently in Penn. Karel could blow the record pit of the water. It's be nice getting updates on how he's feeling.

From his journal

Mood: finishing up week one. So far so good! The feet are holding up, the hips and knees are coping. Just longing for that first night in a bed.

No more Pacer? wrote:

I thought pacing 26 miles a day seemed too good to be true.

hope this doesn't slow down Karel, though it seems like it will. maybe he will start to get more random runners joining him soon as more people hear about his progress. I'd do it if I lived in the area

progress update: with presumably a couple hours to go on day 9, he's just crossed into Virginia. at km 730 per the tracker, which realistically is about 460 miles. hopefully he snags another ten miles today, that would be huge.

if tracker is correct he's 60 miles ahead of Joe. seems wrong unless Joe had something go wrong on the 9th day of his trek

looking back, Joe ended the 9th day at 430 miles, so the tracker is either wrong, or Joe had a late start to day 9 and still had 30 miles to go as of this time in the day (2:40pm PST)

It has been the wettest winter spring summer in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia in the last 20 years

looks like Karel lost a lot of ground today/yesterday. Now only 30k ahead.

reed wrote:

looks like Karel lost a lot of ground today/yesterday. Now only 30k ahead.

looks like some technical issues may have caused that seemingly bad day, and he's actually doing great still.

at 1:30pm PST (probably a few hours of running left) he's at 612 miles on the tracker (probably at least 620 in reality) and Joe was at 550 (maybe 560 in reality)

so something like a 60 mile lead. that's over a day, which means that as we're about 25% in, he's on pace to take a few days off the record if he keeps it up (unlikely though)

#WheresHarvey

1067 km for Karel, Joe at 993 km, which is the same spot Karel slept last night, so he's exactly a day ahead.

that's a lead of 46 miles.

1162 km for Karel. 95km on the day? dang

1075 for Joe

lead now ~55 miles