He blew everyone away last year but made a wrong turn near the end and lost it all. His training this year, based on his Strava, is incredible. He's said that a sub 14 hour WS is possible, and if there's anyone that can do it right now, it's probably him. Will there even be anyone near him? Some tried following last year but blew up (Sage). Will Jim's injection of speed into the trail-ultra world bring more post-collegians to the sport? Will he break 14 hours or will it break him?
Nope... Walmsley lost his way because he was mentally out of it. So out of it that he sat down for more than an hour once he realized he was off course. Then he walked the rest and got chicked. That result was from going out much to fast the first half of the race. He needs to learn to run smarter than he did, and take something to help keep from bonking and ending up a running zombie.
Well what if he has a legit pacer that he won't drop? He could be running totally out of his mind and only have to focus on that pacer who will know where to go and not bonk.
There was concern about snow on the course later than usual this year. Does anyone know if that is still a problem?
Nope... wrote:
Nope... Walmsley lost his way because he was mentally out of it. So out of it that he sat down for more than an hour once he realized he was off course. Then he walked the rest and got chicked. That result was from going out much to fast the first half of the race. He needs to learn to run smarter than he did, and take something to help keep from bonking and ending up a running zombie.
Same at 100K world champs. Acts arrogant, blows up, and doesn't have the toughness to push through. Racks up no pressure wins. Too bad Rob Krar won't be there running even keel.
How long ago was 100k world champs? And that was one of his first! He was way younger, and he knows what he's doing now. Obviously. And he can also be arrogant about it now because of his accomplishments so far!
Ad Robbie would't ever had been able to touch him at any point in his career. The thing that made him famous was that he won 3, 100 milers in a year, in a summer! Very impressive, but he didn't go out with the sole purpose of destroying course records. He was just running to win the races.
He definitely will crack 14, his strava has been unbelievable this year. 20+ mile runs every day with sometimes 5000 vertical. Not to mention at altitude.
Hes pretty much destroyed every course record he said he would
and Rob Krar? come on! Walmsley ENDED his R2R AND R2R2R FKT, I mean he freaking buried it.
California snowpack is currently about 200% of average (thanks Al Gore!) It just snowed again the last couple of days. Snow on the course will definitely be an issue.
I think Walmsley will crush everyone but the course record remains intact. They may even alter the course due to the amount of snow still on the ground.
So do you think that the course record, if run on the alternate "snow course" will count the same as the regular course? Is he going to have an asterisk next to his time?
Walmsley will get lost again and never found again.
What an epic way to go.
I think he will break the course record, but ultimately will not run under 14 hours. He could run 14 low though, like 14:07 or something like that.
If a snow course down to French Meadows, definitely a bit of an asterisk. He's got to be hoping for a regular course. Roes' record was a snow course, and it will be a "modern course record" if he breaks Olson's record on a snow course because it will still be 100 miles, the problem is if he goes sub-14 AND its a snow course, there will always be the question of whether sub 14 on the 'real' course is possible. Which may never get answered unless he comes back again enough times to have conditions to do it again. Which would be unusual in this era, but who knows, maybe he is more Jurek-like as far as that goes than others have been. Anyway...he's fast.
He'll break 14hrs like Kipchoge broke 2hrs. Close but no cigar.
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Which may never get answered unless he comes back again enough times to have conditions to do it again. Which would be unusual in this era, but who knows, maybe he is more Jurek-like as far as that goes than others have been. Anyway...he's fast.
He won JFK 3 times.
Are runners allowed to glissade?
He won't break 14 if States tests him like they should, he'll be DQ'd.
Oh ya, if they're fast they must be doping. There's no other explanation! /s
Ultra marathons have not seen an athlete like Jim before. If you look at his training, it's crazy, but possible, and well thought out. I have known a couple people who got caught for doping, but for all of them, a lot of people knew he was doping before getting caught just because of the training we heard he was doing.
Ho hum. I'd rather see a Walmsey vs Gray match up in a mountain race particularly less than marathon. Throw sage in too. Western States isn't quite the competitive field as you see in shorter trail events
I would like to see him at Comrades
Sage? Toss Wallmsley vs Hawks and you've got a match up