if being tall and lean is a disadvantage why is francois, at 6'4", always a threat in these types of race?
1) He's lived/trained in the Alps all his life.
2) His stride mechanics are the polar opposite of Jim's.
All you need to know is he waxed Jim in the 2017 UTMB in some challenging weather. Subsequently, Jim waxed him at Western the following summer in "Jim weather".
Francois has a good 10-20 pounds on Jim. He's lean, but Jim is super lean.
My perspective of Jim’s downfall last year: the full body suit - there must have been a degree of resistance when he drove his knee - over heated coming into Courmayeur unzipped and at the aid station he seemed to be focused on hydration over food consumption later he bonked and that was the race. Please set me straight if I am wrong.
Yeah that thing was kind of weird but he knows himself better than us. He did change out of it at Champex but might have been too late.
On another note, I just watched the Courtney pre-race chat on iRF and she said they removed the final climb from the course this year, something I hadn't realized. That climb was a bruiser and it's removal could help Jim.
My perspective of Jim’s downfall last year: the full body suit - there must have been a degree of resistance when he drove his knee - over heated coming into Courmayeur unzipped and at the aid station he seemed to be focused on hydration over food consumption later he bonked and that was the race. Please set me straight if I am wrong.
Yeah that thing was kind of weird but he knows himself better than us. He did change out of it at Champex but might have been too late.
On another note, I just watched the Courtney pre-race chat on iRF and she said they removed the final climb from the course this year, something I hadn't realized. That climb was a bruiser and its removal could help Jim.
One of the only crowns I took from Kilian was a segment on La Flegere. Is that the climb they have removed?
My perspective of Jim’s downfall last year: the full body suit - there must have been a degree of resistance when he drove his knee - over heated coming into Courmayeur unzipped and at the aid station he seemed to be focused on hydration over food consumption later he bonked and that was the race. Please set me straight if I am wrong.
Yeah that thing was kind of weird but he knows himself better than us. He did change out of it at Champex but might have been too late.
On another note, I just watched the Courtney pre-race chat on iRF and she said they removed the final climb from the course this year, something I hadn't realized. That climb was a bruiser and it's removal could help Jim.
Why was it removed? I guess that means new course records?
Yeah that thing was kind of weird but he knows himself better than us. He did change out of it at Champex but might have been too late.
On another note, I just watched the Courtney pre-race chat on iRF and she said they removed the final climb from the course this year, something I hadn't realized. That climb was a bruiser and it's removal could help Jim.
Why was it removed? I guess that means new course records?
Most trail "course records" are always a smaller thing as the route is always changing. Very few trail races which have an iconic course which is the same year after year
CR's on those are more well regarded
UTMB is definately in the changing course constantly category from what I've seen
Not sure about the final climb or why it would be changed if it was
I've always thought Jim struggled more with altitude than vert or cold. Yes, has done well at hot weather races but he also bombed his FKT attempt at the Hard rock course in what was hot weather for the San Juans (IIRC). I think he knows the altitude is a struggle and thats why he opted to live at altitude. Hopefully it pays off.
But I'll always be convinced he' be faster whatever shoe of his own choice and not what Hoka has to offer. He was winning ultras in Adidas Adios before he was sponsored so I doubt he prefers those big clunkers.
UTMB is downright low altitude for some of us - the highpoint is lower than nearly all of Hardrock (outside of the Ouray checkpoint).
Is that the case for Jim tho? Trying to think of a high altitude race Jim has done well at....
I think a runner many are sleeping on for this race is Adrian Macdonald, who won Leadville the last two years. He recently got 3rd at speedgoat 50k (speed isn't his thing) which impressed me. I doubt he will win but I think he has a great shot at top 10
Also rooting for Adrian who ran track and XC at Gettysburg college. I ran reach the beach with him once or twice. he’s run pretty fast at everything from 800 to marathon, so not sure ‘speed isn’t his thing’ makes sense. I don’t follow ultra running - does anyone that knows that scene have a sense about where Adrian might end up in a race like this (of which I know nothing about other than looking briefly at the irunfar preview)?
So no long races at altitude. I can't think of any either.
Jim has had problems with races over 14 to 15 hours in length. Seems to be a combination of fueling and musculoskeletal fatigue. He did have a good result at Istria (low altitude) earlier this year, 168 km in about 17:40. Sounds like he has been doing 125 mile weeks with a lot of vert, so hopefully he is not overtrained.
So no long races at altitude. I can't think of any either.
Jim has had problems with races over 14 to 15 hours in length. Seems to be a combination of fueling and musculoskeletal fatigue. He did have a good result at Istria (low altitude) earlier this year, 168 km in about 17:40. Sounds like he has been doing 125 mile weeks with a lot of vert, so hopefully he is not overtrained.
Yep. Jim is phenomenal at 6-15 hour ish races. After that, he's decent, but not mind blowing like he is. I wish some runners would recognize what they're good at and double down. It's so egotistical to think your ability translates to any event in the sport. I can't help but wonder if other Americans had won UTMB, if Jim would even care.
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Courtney and Jim both starting well. Hard to imagine how Courtney will pull this off after two 100 milers already in the past couple months but she is out there doing it, so wow.
For Jim, it seems like while there are lots of points people made above that have merit, when he struggles it seems like he has usually overcooked the early section, at least that is my impression. Trying to figure out how to have the right measure of patience for the effort he is undertaking has been a key to how he ended up slaying at WS100, and it feels like that may be a big part of what he needs for UTMB if he is going to close one out.
