Anton Krupicka is back at it baby! 37 miles @8:00 pace at 10000+ feet !

Threatened? wrote:

Sage - What was the intention behind your comment? Why point out he “might be” injured? Why do you care?

It’s what people were posting: that Anton gets injured a lot and then as soon as he’s better he does big runs and gets injured again. Then Sage posted, in agreement with Anton’s history and the observations of being made, basically “funny you all say that as I heard he did injure himself doing that run”. It’s what was being discussed.

The important thing is that Anton isn’t racing right now and speculating on if he injured himself is 100% meaningless. It’s hardly a damaging rumor if it isn’t true. If Sage has been misinformed it’s pretty meaningless.

"Rumors" because he rode his bike the past few days after this run... Okay.

My guess. wrote:

In an interview last year he did say that, “I can’t help feeling like what I do is unimportant,” he says. “There are people in the world who have noble jobs and jobs that are for other people and not just for themselves. I feel like being a sponsored athlete is such a ridiculous life to lead. It’s like, what are you doing for people? Nothing.”

I thought he said that in Unbreakable back in 2010. Or did I conflate two different interviews in my head?

probably 38 miles isn't that much for him...i remember his solo 68 miles run around Pikes Peak in 2010

It's no wonder elites don't post under their real names on this site. Sage comes on here and, as usual, gives a well thought out and typed reply and some people on here absolutely crush him by twisting his words or implying things he did not say.

He did NOT say or accuse Anton of being on drugs in any way, shape or form. He mentioned a conversation they had about the topic in the sport (of which, we have all had the same discussion).

He DID say that he has heard Anton is injured again but that it was just a rumor. The way I read that was "I don't know this first hand but since others on this thread have brought up how often he was injured, well, here is what I am hearing". Again, it had been commented that Anton is always injured.

Sage, thanks for your input.

^^^ Cannot reinforce this enough. Thanks Sage. Don't let the trolls get to you.

I like when 25 mpw hobbyjogger fan-boys on Strava offer Anton K. advice on training or injuries. Lol.

That aspect of being a sponsored athlete has to be obnoxious. In this day and age, you've basically got to be active on social media, but in doing so, you have to deal with plenty of idiots, trolls, weirdos, etc.

Strava hobbyjoggers wrote:

I like when 25 mpw hobbyjogger fan-boys on Strava offer Anton K. advice on training or injuries. Lol.

That aspect of being a sponsored athlete has to be obnoxious. In this day and age, you've basically got to be active on social media, but in doing so, you have to deal with plenty of idiots, trolls, weirdos, etc.

Obnoxious is lightly put. I was just graduating HS in 2006 and vaguely remember seeing Anton attached to the ultra scene, although my knowledge on sport back then was minimal to non existent, other than "those freaks." I am a huge fan of the sport these days, just from the admiration and infatuation of the trails, mountains, and the spirit of it all..

I am sure long time elites like Anton and others that come from the generation just shy of social media exposure get so burnt out from it all. I enjoy the transparency but the push from sponsors has to be a lot, and probably against some of their natural beliefs about what the sport is all about. Sage and Tony K at the surface come off as very, very different personalities, so some different mindsets about topics isn't surprising. I don't believe for one minute Sage's comments were degrading or spreading rumors. Internet gangsters out and about, once again.

….I enjoy the transparency but the push from sponsors has to be a lot, and probably against some of their natural beliefs about what the sport is all about.

Well that must be inconvenient. I hate it when I have to do things at work that I don't 100% love in order to, you know, make money to live and stuff. I hate it when work and reality and all that stuff gets in the way of having fun out in the mountains and what not. Kind of rubs against all the philosophies I have in my head....you know from all of the deep reading I get to do sipping coffee in the afternoon in Boulder when the fools are at work.

First off, I am a fan of Sage’s and watch his videos. I just thought it odd that he threw out the injury rumor and the fact they disagreed on doping and other things in the same post. It just seemed odd coming from someone who is usually nothing but positive. It seems like Sage doesn’t like him but if I read that wrong so be it.

i'm sure Anton would appreciate people spreading these rumors on the internet

Not Fast But Furious wrote:

Did Sage just imply that Anton gets hurt often because he dopes?? Hmmm. Interesting.

You really should read that again, you've misunderstood what he wrote.

Not Fast But Furious wrote:

First off, I am a fan of Sage’s and watch his videos. I just thought it odd that he threw out the injury rumor and the fact they disagreed on doping and other things in the same post. It just seemed odd coming from someone who is usually nothing but positive. It seems like Sage doesn’t like him but if I read that wrong so be it.

I think Sage likes to project an image of "extra level" kindness and tolerance and positivity that vanishes when confronted with diverse opinions or adverse situations.

It’s great to see Krupicka out having adventures in the mountains and sharing them on Strava.

His success hasn’t really come from being conservative and taking the easy path, so it’s reasonable to expect that he will continue to deal with various injuries. That’s par for the course.

He is clearly chasing something new in terms of what’s possible in the mountains, rather than strictly running, and it is very interesting to watch.

it seems to me (i'm no historian) that ultra runners (yiannis kouros to matt carpenter) used to be RUNNERS... guys who cared about doing things fast, breaking records, pushing the human body.

ultra running was (and still is) pretty niche... but started to open up after born to run with this much more grassroots mountain ethos... that the journey was the destination; that mountains enriched the soul and races were simply a means through which to obtain support for living a lifestyle outside. to an extent, runners of this generation gave us the sense that WE could step out there, that anyone could, and run a 100 miler to good result. that running an ultra was much more about the test it put you through than the result itself.

anton was absolutely the image of that kind of runner... a hippie-hipster, sleeping in the back of his truck at the base of a mountain, constantly chasing his next adventure.

sage brought back the RUNNING. track workouts, tempos, structured training plans.... and the ethos started to change. sponsor money, race winnings, shoe contracts all starting being more lucrative.

does that take away from the everyman ethos? the journey is the destination ethos? you bet it does. but it also makes ultrarunning more of a sport... and brings awareness to it, trails, and mountain running in general.

and anyone can be an everyman... just get out there and do it! but fun to see what true athletes who respect running as a sport (diet, structured training, etc....) can do as well.

Dude, that's an outstanding post. Well done. You nailed it 100%. Very insightful.

Max King embodies the ultra runner who is a legit runner long before (and much better) than Sage.

Max>Sage wrote:

Max King embodies the ultra runner who is a legit runner long before (and much better) than Sage.

Agreed. Much more diverse and faster all across the board. Plus, he has a solid enough relationship with his sponsors he doesn't have to look like a Ho on social media. They understand his position in the sport to create content built around him vs constant self promotion path that Sage has chosen.

Anton never met a podcast, camera or interview he didn't like. Don't get it twisted. If he was healthy enough to compete regularly, he wouldn't be presenting himself as so aloof to it all. He's a talented dude, but part of the business of being a professional athlete eventually comes down to results, not minimalist shoe designs and blog comments. The legend of his potential is what makes him attractive. His list of DNF's is long, people. He rarely delivers on the goods.

Sage, shame on you.

Shame on you, Ronald.