All the shit talk about how road/ track guys can crush ultra runners. Time to find out. Aish was a world class Olympian. He ran a 50 mile race a few weeks ago and missed the course record by a few minutes that was set by a ~17:00 5k runner. He says he's going to crush the 100 and has been running 150-200 miles a week.
My prediction. DNF.
No one cares. Even an Olympian needs to jog once in a while.
Leadville is this Saturday. Time to see how a fast runner does in a true ultra. 100 miles with 13,000ft of climbing all above 10,000ft altitude. The way I see it the letsrun ultrarunner trollers credibility is relying on Aish.
Bump, mostly agree - it's the first time I can think of an elite track/roadie is going for the big one, the 100. That said, some guys like Lundstrom, Canaday, and Wardian have put up solid 50-milers on trails - either winning or at least being competitive with more traditional mountain/ultra guys. Though Canaday pretty soundly beat Anton Krupicka's CR at White River recently.
Maybe the lesson there is that 50 is where each set of athletes' skills - 100 mile weirdos and anal-retentive leg-shavers - finds the right compromise and it's an even match. Either way, I'm interested to see how this one goes (Aish is...interesting, btw. Check out this interview:
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21469
)
Also, MB regulars, I know, sorry, the "elite" guys I named can only run 2:16-2:17...not as fast as you. I know. Sorry.
I don't mean in this as a knock on Aish at all, but from his IAAF profile, he ran his marathon PR in Jan of 2008. He ran his 10k PR, 27:46, in April, 2007. Beyond that, his PRs mostly date from 2002-2003, or the better part of a decade ago. His most recent PR (marathon, 2:13) is still nearly 5 years old.
How exactly will Aish's performance in Leadville prove anything valid about an elite runner's conversion from conventional distances to trail ultras at altitude?
Great runner, but 5 years or more past his prime.
When was the last time Aish ran sub 2:18 or under 29 for 10K?
That said, I hope he does crush it at Leadville, it would help put some of those big headed ultra fans in their place.
Jeff Gordon wrote:
All the shit talk about how road/ track guys can crush ultra runners. Time to find out. Aish was a world class Olympian. He ran a 50 mile race a few weeks ago and missed the course record by a few minutes that was set by a ~17:00 5k runner. He says he's going to crush the 100 and has been running 150-200 miles a week.
My prediction. DNF.
Does anyone really care about ultra-marathons? I certainly don't! Something must be missing from his life if he is really running 150-200 miles a week because I doubt anyone is paying him money to do this like an elite marathoner would receive in endorsements.
ds978500 wrote:
Great runner, but 5 years or more past his prime.
When was the last time Aish ran sub 2:18 or under 29 for 10K?
That said, I hope he does crush it at Leadville, it would help put some of those big headed ultra fans in their place.
So if he doesn't crush it at Leadville I'm sure you'll come pack and tell us all how wrong you were about what those "fat headed ultra" guys are doing. Right?
Nice video on Aish and his preparation for LT100.
If he can't top Duncan Callahan or Dylan Bowman's times at Silver Rush 50, he has absolutely no hope of beating Anton Krupicka at Leadville. Duncan and Dylan are good runners, but they're vastly inferior to Anton, who is running Leadville. Good luck Michael, you're going to need it.
Also, let's just point out that in his last trail race before Silver Rush 50, Aish got absolutely annihilated by Mario Macias in the Mt Evans Ascent (a 14.5 mile race, which Macias won over Aish by 9 minutes). They raced each other in a road half marathon a month before the race, which Macias only beat Aish in by 89 seconds, so for Macias to be so much better at a 14.5 mile trail race tells me two things: Aish isn't that great on a trail course with lots of climb and his 1:05 half marathon abilities from 2011 will not carry over fully. In other words, at this point, he's just some road running has-been who ran a solid, but not mind-blowing 50 mile recently. He will go out hard and may even lead Anton at close to 50 miles, but Anton will destroy him in the 2nd half of the race.
Aish is a complete bbag.
Raptured wrote:
He will go out hard and may even lead Anton at close to 50 miles, but Anton will destroy him in the 2nd half of the race.
...if Aish finishes. My guess is he will blow up badly and DNF.
Of course, Anton has his own DNF demons to battle at LT100.
Leadville is a flat and boring course. If Aish is use to the altitude he will do well. It is easy to run a fast time if you live high.
I think Nick Clark will win.
How is Aish different from Chris Lundstrom? A sub-2:15 guy past his prime entering ultras. Let me know when Rupp moves up.
Raptured wrote:
Also, let's just point out that in his last trail race before Silver Rush 50, Aish got absolutely annihilated by Mario Macias in the Mt Evans Ascent (a 14.5 mile race, which Macias won over Aish by 9 minutes). They raced each other in a road half marathon a month before the race, which Macias only beat Aish in by 89 seconds, so for Macias to be so much better at a 14.5 mile trail race tells me two things
Every single step of the Mt Evans Ascent is on smooth paved road. If you can't keep up with the conversation, it might be better if you just don't join in at all.
Preview of Leadville 100:
http://www.irunfar.com/2012/08/2012-leadville-100-preview.html
They say over 45% of all starters DNF at Leadville so if Aish blows up, it will be nothing new. I was at the 50 and it seems very few people know that this year the course was 1.5 miles longer and 300ft higher at the top end. Aish did set the new course record, but would have taken the old one without any trouble. I shop at his store and word has it that he's been training in a weight vest on the back side of hope pass? Trail running has needed some spice in it for a long time. What ever happens its going to be good for the sport.
I'll take Nick for the win.
I've done a bunch of 100-milers and a 35-45% DNF rate is fairly common, I believe. I apologize if I'm incorrect.
Raptured wrote:
If he can't top Duncan Callahan or Dylan Bowman's times at Silver Rush 50, he has absolutely no hope of beating Anton Krupicka at Leadville.
The 50 course was over a mile longer this year, and he was only 4 minutes short of DC's course record. Also he indicates here that he was taking it easy since he was in uncharted territory running for that long:
https://trailrunnermag.com/people/q-and-a/415-michael-aish-steps-upAlso, read that interview and compare it to Anton's pre-Leadville (http://www.irunfar.com/2012/08/anton-krupicka-pre-2012-leadville-100-interview.html), especially what he says about Aish. I usually find myself defending ultra guys against the insatiable letsrun dwellers in my head, but I kind of want Aish to kick Tony K's butt after reading both of those. Aish really appears to respect the distance and the task and the fact that other guys have done it a bunch more than him.