Forums >General Running>Geoff Roes: Ultrarunning is Dead
When I told my MIL my finish time her response was "wow, that's really slow" (yeah, she's classy, like that, which is why I have always avoided discussing race times with the broad). This is a woman who consistently won her age group in every 5k she entered (on rarely more than 10 miles/week) and never ventured off of pavement.
I agree it's easier to just let that one go. Anyone can run 20 minutes fast, seems a little pointless if you ask me. I wonder why she never became a 'real runner'
Don't forget to remind yourself that at least she's not your mother
Trail Monster
I just finished the USA 100 Mile Trail Championship race at Burning River 100. Running trails and going far do go hand in hand but in all honesty I just wanted to run really, really far.
2013 races:
3/17 Shamrock Marathon
4/20 North Coast 24 Hour
7/27 Burning RIver 100M
8/24 Baker 50M
10/5 Oil Creek (distance to be determined)
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Oh, no doubt! My MIL is also famous for frequently whining to me about her non-existent weight issues (she's 4.5" taller than I am and still weighs less than I do -- has never technically been anywhere near overweight, while it's been a struggle for me my entire adult life) and referring to my 30" inseam as "stubby" (well, yeah, compared to her 34" legs mine are, but mine are not disproportionately short on my 5'3.5" frame) at every given chance. I'd really like to punch her in the neck, most days. Fortunately she lives like 10 hours away, woot!!
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I stumbled on this article which profiles some really fast road racers, and their transition to trail racing. Click.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Great article. Lots of good info here but I found these things especially true:
Latent Runner
I rediscovered trail running back in 2009 following a broken leg and severed foot and a surgeon telling me I'd never run again (that was in 2003). In my case, trail running didn't lead to greater distances per-se, it led to my being able to start running again. Now, four years and a few thousand miles later, I'm transitioning from a nearly straight and nearly flat 19th century rail-trail to a very hilly, curvy and highly technical trail. Prior to this year I have been partially blind in one of my two eyes (surgery in 2011 took care of the first cataract, surgery six month ago took care of the second), and my depth perception was so bad that I would occasionally fall even on a straight flat trail (or a road or sidewalk for that matter), now that I can finally see out of both eyes again, I'm able to negotiate my new "regular" running trail, roots, rocks, ruts, holes, and all, and so far I've only fallen once in the last 600+ miles.
Benefits of trail running versus road running:
Fat old man PRs:
The arguments against road running make me wonder where you people live. Is it really that terrible?
And we run because we like itThrough the broad bright land
Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any arguments against road running. They pointed out some challenges that needed to be overcome when switching to trail running but it didn't seem like the typical "road runners suck and trail runners rule" article. That's actually one of my biggest pet peeves about some of my fellow trail and ultra runners, suddenly because you run trails, road runners are wimpy. Nope they both have different benefits and trade offs and it is personal preference not supremacy of sport.
OK - I have to say "Much respect to you!"
Many of us let really minor stuff from running ... I am happy you are enjoying the joys of trail running.
I rediscovered trail running back in 2009 following a broken leg and severed foot and a surgeon telling me I'd never run again (that was in 2003). In my case, trail running didn't lead to greater distances per-se, it led to my being able to start running again. Now, four years and a few thousand miles later, I'm transitioning from a nearly straight and nearly flat 19th century rail-trail to a very hilly, curvy and highly technical trail. Prior to this year I have been partially blind in one of my two eyes (surgery in 2011 took care of the first cataract, surgery six month ago took care of the second), and my depth perception was so bad that I would occasionally fall even on a straight flat trail (or a road or sidewalk for that matter), now that I can finally see out of both eyes again, I'm able to negotiate my new "regular" running trail, roots, rocks, ruts, holes, and all, and so far I've only fallen once in the last 600+ miles. Benefits of trail running versus road running: Impact absorption, those of us with joint and/or asymmetrical stride issues (either naturally occurring or due to injury) can still run. During hot weather (like we had in July), shade, shade, and more shade. Bushes take on a very special meaning, especially if one has hydrated well before a long run. When running with your significant other; diving off the trail into a secluded spot for, ummm, a quiet (or not so quiet) moment. Trail running greatly develops one's "eye/foot" dexterity; I'm still amazed at how quickly I've learned to move my feet around to find good footing.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
I had to run on the road back on late June, I only went 8 miles and had to take the next three days off due to knee, hip, and shin pain. I got back on the trails and have since run over 260 miles with no pain. I'm scheduled to run a 5K road race this Thursday; hopefully I won't suffer too much after only three miles.
Edit: I live in the Manchester, NH area; there are plenty of perfectly good running roads around me so that isn't the issue. I'm biased toward Trail running for both the enjoyment aspect of running in nature and of course pain management due to the latent effects of my broken leg, errr, legs, I broke the other one back in 1974 and that ankle has a bit of arthritis.
I live where trails are hard to get to (times 1 way)
* Rail trail 15 minutes (not bad, but completely flat)
* 30 minutes some ok trail, but not a lot of it - I can run though the state park through the county park and back for @ 13 miles with 3 miles of road and 10 of trail
* 60 minutes - Northern Kettle moraine - Ice Age trail. Really nice trail, but @ 45 miles of trail, so no exploration and out and back sections are repeated many times in the year.
I love trails, I love road ~ I run much more road, because it is easy to get to.
Technical trail running can really bang up a road runner (rocks, roots, constant hills, stepping on rocks all the time) ankles, feet, knees and hips can take a beating.
Roads can really hammer - trail only runners - Mainly just from hard surface
Technical trail running can really bang up a road runner (rocks, roots, constant hills, stepping on rocks all the time) ankles, feet, knees and hips can take a beating. Roads can really hammer - trail only runners - Mainly just from hard surface
Regarding technical trail running, I've found that a good set of trail shoes can mitigate most of the rock/root intrusion issues into the soles of my feet, plus, it is surprising at how quickly one can learn to move their feet around in search of good footing. Of course there is the hill issue, prior to transitioning to the trails around the glacially carved Massabesic Lake I was able to run 8 miles in about an hour and twenty minutes in the soft (almost sandy) dirt surface of the rail-trail, immediately following the transition my 8-mile time went up to over two hours. Now that I've put several hundred miles in on the Massabesic trails, I'm running 8-miles in about an hour and a half, in spite of some 600' of elevation gain and loss. I wouldn't say I'm exactly "attacking" the hills, but I don't really slow down for them too much either, in fact, I probably run down them slower than I run up.
Regarding how roads hammer trail only runners, yup, your comment is spot on. Ouch!
I just remembered one other benefit of trail running; on both of my regular trails, I run past extensive thickets of wild blueberry and black raspberry bushes, and the berries make a welcome mid-run snack.
The Skechers GoRun 2 is a REALLY bad shoe for technical, rocky, rooted trails. I re-confirmed this on Saturday.
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Thanks for performing this research and sharing it with the greater community.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.