Think Less, run more by G

Respectfully everyone:

Think less, run more. The rest of it is very fine tuning.

G

"ultrarunning society" by LL

> Our responsibility is to make sure the sport stays strong and healthy and attracks the type of person who can fully appreciate the challenges, successes and fun that surrounds ultras.
>

i am not out to pick on the person that wrote this.
it just seemed like a good representative post for a prevalent philosophy in the sport
(another version of the "what makes a REAL ultrarunner" question)
that there is a right way, and a wrong way, to enjoy ultrarunning.

do i need to examine my 30 whatever years of ultrarunning?
did i "fully appreciate" the sport?
am i worthy of being a member of this society
(one i have been a part of for longer than all but a handful of current members)

i dont think i will.

i rather like the egalitarian nature of the sport.
part of that is the fact that there are no "qualifications" to be part of ultrarunning society.
one can be rich, or poor
verbose and gregarious, or taciturn and introverted
one can be motivated by a desire to compete, to impress their friends,
to visit exotic places, or to find a mate.
one can be out to do one ultra in a lifetime
or to run ultras for one lifetime.

none of that matters,
all it takes to be an ultrarunner is to lace up your shoes
and run an ultradistance...

and even the shoes are optional.

no person is any more, or less, worthy of being a part of the sport.

so i figure the 30 miler i did earlier this summer covered my dues
for at least another year.
i dont know how my "appreciation" compares to the desired standard,
but it was good enough that i still want to do it again.

and it wont be easy to kick me out of the sport,
because as long as i have access to a road, track, or trail,
and my legs will carry me
i intend to continue running (or walking) ultra distances,
and considering myself an ultrarunner.

altho i do have to admit to being an ultrarunner of "larger mass" these days.

laz

Inspiration by Pete Stringer

You get inspiration where you find it. Joe Lugiano's recent post reminded me of how lucky I am to be still participating in the sport about 16 years later. I had actually discovered it many years before, but somehow didn't think I would "qualify" for the immense distances until I met the incredible Mr. Ted Corbitt at one of the Sri Chinmoy marathons held monthly on Randall's Island(early 90's), and he said, "To learn ultrarunning, just run your marathons back-to-back. The body will learn what the mind is willing to teach."
I brought that back with me on the long drive back to the Cape, and entered the Nifty Fifty in Coventry, R.I. the following Fall. It's been a wondrous journey ever since, and I owe it to that man.
May of 2007 I got to shake Mr. Corbitt's hand again at the 6-day race down at Corona Park. A half year later he was dead, in Houston. Next weekend the Broadway Ultra Society celebrates this most special man with their Ted Corbitt 24 hour run. I am sure a lot of his friends will be there. Of all the inspiring older folks I have met in our sport, from the Slammers like Helen Klein and Dick Opsahl to the course and AG record holders like Ephraim Rosenburg, Helen Klein, Lou Joline, Aaron Goldman, John Dewalt, Ed Demoney, Stuart Nelson, Hans-Dieter, and --- (just too many others to mention), I remember Ted Corbitt for his gentleness and sharing, his eagerness to encourage others.
This past Monday was our New England Plus 65 running club's annual luncheon at the Marriott in Peabody. Quite a lively and boistrous group, I assure you. Nothing counts on your resume until you reach age 65 -- a formidable goal! Ultra runners are few and far between, but Hall of Fame names like Carlton Mendel and Dick Fedion need no introduction to this List.
Then, two weeks ago, Cape Cod hosted the world series of older softball players, the Cape Cod Classic. There were four age divisions, but the eldest, 75 and older, was the most fun to watch, the most astonishing. Running speed and arm strength had perhaps diminished the most, the hand-eye coordination the least! These guys could REALLY still hit, and they could "pick it" with the glove with the casual aplomb of a Brooks Robinson. I watched the 87 year old shortstop from the California team pivot as the middle man of a double play, ricocheting the ball back to the first baseman in a bang-bang play that deserved the ESPN highlights film.
The lady in the stands I was chatting with between innings was the wife of one of these gents, and asked if I played?
"Only with my grandson, right now," I answered. "But I do some long hikes, and maybe if I get more active...heck, I've got eight more years to practice up," I admitted. (did she think I was ALREADY 75?)
"Oh, it'll all come back," she assured me. "Just don't give up."
That's probably what Ted Corbitt would say. Share the road, for it's really all we've got. Perhaps you can think of this gentle spirit, often called the founder of American ultrarunning, about ten o'clock next Saturday morning, October 4th.

Pete Stringer

Insole question and answer

Collins' question:
I've got some Hardrocks that are half-size too large and they slip back &
forth, especially during wet weather (even if I wear 2 socks). I've ordered
another pair, the correct size. (Duh). Anyway. is there a particular
insole I could order, to take up space, so I can still train in the larger
pair ?

Laz's answer:

> I've got some Hardrocks that are half-size too large

braggart

>and they slip back &
> forth, especially during wet weather (even if I wear 2 socks).

your problem is incorrect gear.
a jockstrap ought to hold those guys in place.

laz (trying to shake that mental image)

We are not crazy by John M

From the quotes section of run100s.com, might be familiar
to Hardrock entrants:

"The people that I have met are not foolish; they are aware
of how tired and cold and hungry and frightened and hurting
and discouraged and disoriented and how possibly injured they
will become. They know they will face great physical, mental,
emotional, and possibly spiritual challenges as they make
their way to the finish. This is what they are racing against.
This is their challenge. This is what I admire."
- Carolyn Erdman

We are challenged, emotionally, mentally, and physically by
the very nature of running the way we run.

We are helpful to each other, offering support along the way.

We share knowledge, teaching and mentoring those new to trails.

Our challenges require various levels of planning, discipline,
and determination--knowledge of many places and things..

Objective self-analysis must sometimes happen for success to
be attained--inner honesty might be needed--but, if a person
trains adequately, and runs within the effort levels trained for
--pain and torture are rare, not common, encounters.

What we do offers considerable self-esteem, self-confidence,
and, maybe, humility, maybe not. Trails have humbled me more
than once.

While running trails/ultras I have never met anyone to whom
crazy, wacko, nut, or loony would apply--not in early morning
hours, nor late at night, not in city, town, or country, not
in the mountains or deserts--I have been fortunate and met
many kind and wonderful people with whom I shared the way.

Run gently out there.

John M.

Dean Karnazes - an attempt at an explanation

Dean Karnazes - an attempt at an explanation

Michael Strzelecki

I rarely weigh in on the DK discussions, and I do so here with
trepidation. However, I feel there are some new folks on this list who
have benefitted greatly from Dean's book and respect Dean, and do not
understand why people on this list criticize him. I feel they deserve
an explanation so they can at least see what the other side is thinking,
and I'm going to try to offer that explanation in simple terms (although
in reality it's quite a complex issue). Let me say that I'm not trying
to speak for anyone on this list other than myself; my comments are
general in nature and based on discussions I've had with ultrarunning
friends and inferences I've made from other posts. Someone please
correct me if I'm off base with any of my comments. Also, let me say my
feelings about Dean are not that strong one way or the other.

First, I want to dispel some myths. As a general rule, I think it's a
misnomer when Dean supporters on this list say that people who criticize
Dean hate him. People on this list generally feel that Dean is a
fantastic ultrarunner and has the credentials to show it - not to
mention a great guy. The issue isn't about liking or hating. It's a
criticism of a series of actions and nothing more.

Second, in general, those who criticize Dean are not jealous of him, as
is often asserted. Again, the people on this list generally have great
respect for Dean's accomplishments. It's just particular actions they
have trouble with.

Third, don't take criticisms of a few to mean the entire ultrarunning
community has issues with Dean. There are lots of runners who have no
issue with him, so I would not argue that it's an overwhelming sentiment
in the community.

That said: this specific issue people have with Dean is how he very
publicly stretches the truth on occasions to benefit and promote
himself. He has said he holds certain world records which he does not,
and fabricates race categories then calls himself the winner and posts
it on his website. The examples are numerous and well-documented in
archives here. I will list a few here:

1-He finished second out of three runners in the South Pole Marathon,
but created a "running shoes" category (the other two runners wore snow
shoes) and declared himself the winner of that race. Some feel this is
deceitful.

2-He claims the World Record for most miles run continuously (without
sleep) at 350, but in reality Greek ultrarunning icon Yiannis Kouros has
done this on several occasions and should really be the held up as the
world record holder. Dean leans heavily on this record claim to promote
himself.

3-He claims to be the champion, on multiple occasions, of the Saturn
Relay ultra division. In reality, the race is not a solo race, but a
team relay, and he is usually the only person to do it solo and then
claims the championship.

4-He often uses the term "winner" when he is not really the winner. For
instance, his website says (or used to say) that he is a ten-time silver
buckle winner of Western States. This is misleading as it infers to
some that he won the race, which he did not. Recipient may be a more
accurate word here.

5-On his website, he claims to be the winner of the "World Outdoor
Championships." Since he is a runner, the inference is that it's a
prestigious running award involving a world championship. In reality,
it was a small multi-event race (featuring mountain biking and wind
surfing, etc.). Some feel the vagueness of this claim is deceitful.

6-(And this is the biggest for me)-When he was doing the 50 marathons in
50 days challenge, he said on his website something to the effect it was
the greatest endurance challenge ever (can't recall exact words but they
were along this line). Well, there are two problems with this claim.
First, Runners have done much greater challenges. Al Howie averaged 76
miles per day running for about 4,000 miles across Canada. And
secondly, Dean wasn't even the first to complete the 50/50 challenge. A
Mississippi fireman (if I recall correctly) competed the same challenge
before Dean did, with little recognition and certainly no mention from
Dean.

So those are some examples. Now here is the critical element of why
some runners are upset with Dean and criticize him, in my opinion. IT'S
BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY RUNNERS ON THIS LIST WHO FEEL THAT, BY MAKING
THESE CLAIMS, DEAN IS DENIGRATING RUNNERS WHO DESERVE THAT RECOGNITION
INSTEAD OF DEAN. I'm talking about the runners who truly own the world
records or have done the greater endurance challenges. The ultra
community is unusually tight and supportive of each other, and folks on
this list see Dean getting recognition that they feel is misguided.
That's how I read into the situation. It's not more than ultrarunners
looking out for and protecting their own. It's as simple as that.
Sure, we all understand that Dean is part of a hype-machine that is
generating these claims, but I think most believe Dean has control to
correct or stop the false claims and return some of them to their
rightful owners. That's my read on the subject in a nutshell.

Training tips From RayK

But I digress. You asked about training. Here are the rules.
1. Run every day. In fact run twice most days. I have found 11 runs per week to be optimum. I have run as few as one run in a week (six days tend to do that to you) and as many as 25 runs in a week.
2. Gradually build your mileage to 100-120 per week. I spent 17 years at one point averaging 117 miles per week.
3. Do speedwork, anywhere from 8% to 12% of total mileage.
4. Take a day off once in a while- my longest "streak" is under 100 days. Yes you need more runs/mileage later, but it all works out.
5. Slow down. Relax on your workouts (except speed workouts which should be sped up).
6. Run races, 5K, 10K marathons, ultras Go race, That is why you train in the first place.
7. Plan on, and have fun on every run, race, whatever. If it is not going to be fun don't do it. If it stops being fun go home. (Like this list, it is not fun for you, so have fun somewhere else. I personally stay amused here, and have all those unopened posts to look forward to in my dotage.)
8-10 tend to draw ire from folks that "know better" and since we already have DK to flop around I refuse to relieve him of that burden. (Perhaps the second to last chapter of my book.)