Tim
With the recent influx from RWOL, might be a good time for some introductions.
AT as in Appalachian Trail runner.
I'm from South Central, PA and in my mid 50's. I run and train mostly on trails but have done several 12, 24 and 48 hr events. Been running ultras for 13 years. Before that was long time marathoner.
Don't race as much as I used to but now do more adventure style or destination runs. Fortunate that my wife is also a longtime ultra runner, and we travel now based on where we want to run.
Was a long time RWOL poster before the first big wave left several years ago. Never went back there much. Hang out here an mostly Trailer Trash forums.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Are we there, yet?
I've been here since the big influx of RW posters after the huge spam meltdown there a few years ago.
The wc stands for West Chester, PA where I lived for 25 years. Still in the area but no longer with a West Chester zip.
Ran in HS and most of my adult life since I turned 21 focusing mostly on middle distance and distance races up to the HM. Moved up to ultras in 2013 and started dabbling with trail races the next year. You'll see me here, Trailer Trash, and Beginners and Beyond.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I lost my rama
Hi, to carry on the PA theme.... I grew up in North Central PA (Wellsboro) and I lived in West Chester, PA during the late 90's. I'm not an ultra runner (yet) but I've been lurking here since RWOL shut down and I've lurked on the RWOL ultra training thread too. What you folks do is incredible, to say the least!
I think I'm ready to jump into the kiddie pool of ultras and am feverishly looking to find a 50K trail race either later this year or spring of next year. I've finished 5 marathons since fall of 2014. Best was 3:26 last fall and just finished Chicago and I'm ready to hang up the road runners for a while and hit the trails and hills. Two things led me here.... first, I'm always hurt while training for marathons or from the race - PF, achilles, hamstring, ITB.. DW wants me to quit, but I want to keep running.
Second, I trained for my first mountain trail run in September - The Rut 28K in Big Sky, MT (obviously not an ultra distance). Training was 8 hours/wk avg, 60% trails, 3,000 elev gain / wk avg. Long story short, I got my ass handed to me in the race. Finished 385 of 395 finishers in 8 hrs 21 min. HOWEVER, I did not get injured during training, nor did I suffer any injuries (other than the ego) from the race. Dehydrated and overheated, but I finished while running (sort of) on 2 gels and half a pickle. I think I can do this.
I have learned a lot and have much more to learn and I look forward to studying all your race reports and advice... food fights are always fun to read about too! Anyway, I kinda feel like the new kid in school, so I'll listen more than talk.
3/17 - NYC Half
4/28 - Big Sur Marathon DNS
6/29 - Forbidden Forest 30 Hour
8/29 - A Race for the Ages - will be given 47 hours
Slower but happier
Hello,
I am a RWOL expat living in the Chicago suburbs. I adopted the handle "Trail Hound" just as a shout out to my beagles and the trails even though the are not at all running dogs they will hound you to no end (formerly know as WSUltrarunner @RWOL). I am relatively new to running and ultra running. I didn't start running until I was in my 40s. I never really ran before that and was basically overweight and inactive. I did my first marathon in -I cannot exactly recall how that happened, second in 2014, and then my first ultra (Door County Fall 50) in 2014. I did a couple half marathons which I really like. Since then raced almost exclusively trails. This year 2x 50K, 2 x 100K, and 1 x 50 mile race, and next month will wrap it up with my first 100 mile race at Tunnel Hill one way or another.
Pretty much by accident I live at the nexus of several Forest Preserves with lots trails. Though of course, much of the day to day running is around the neighborhood or asphalt or gravel bike trail in a Forest Preserve. Of course, being Illinois it is by comparison pretty flat that's why I don't usually post any elevation. I run alone and everyone in my family is pretty sick of hearing about running, so this forum great for me. Before (and actually since), I don't really do much online social media. I did sign up for Strava last week (reluctantly at first) more to get those training tables for the weekly training posts. So I am pretty social media challenged and to be honest hoping to stay that way.
I think I would like to end up someday doing more fast packing / adventure runs or stage runs and branch out a little outside the Midwest. My guess is though most of that will have to wait a few years until the kids are grown. I saw an UD 35L the other day and it was calling to me. I think I started distance running to push a little outside my comfort zone, so basically a lot of things could qualify for that. Look forward to hearing about all of you.
-Trail Hound
2020 goal: couch to 5K, currently working on the couch block
Howdy. I've been here since I think 2008. I was originally at CoolRunning, but when that blew up I wasn't part of the CR exodus here; I went to KickRunners first (which is a bit confusing because CoolRunning was originally Kick). Then when that went downhill I found RA. Survived :-) the first major RWOL influx in 2012. I wrote the infamous "Dear Newcomers" post. (Looking back over that now is interesting. My original post was offputting to wcrunner2, which started a back-and-forth with other long-time members who leapt to my defense, and things kind of snowballed. Now wcrunner2 and I are good friends.)
These days my goal races are all > 100 miles, because I finally discovered that's the regime where I can be competitive. Speciality is 24-hour. This spring I became the first American over 50 to top 150 miles in a 24-hour. My favorite individual race, though, is Spartathlon: 153 miles from Athens to Sparta, 36-hour time limit. Based on the actual run Pheidippides did *before* the battle of Marathon, not the fictional one from Marathon to Athens after the battle.
I live in the CA Bay Area, where there are plentiful trails, that I can't really run on much anymore due to damn Achilles issues, plus my focus on long flat races.
Welcome, RWOL refugees!
I'm not super active here, but I'll introduce myself anyway, especially considering I'll be more active with my first 100 in 2018. I live in Southern California near the Santa Monica mountains with tons of great trails. I'm 49 year old, married with two girls 9 and 12. I used to live in Bryn Mawr, not far from Westchester ( just to continue the PA connection)
I ran my first road race in 1994 and my first ultra in 2012. I've run three ultras in 2017, the Sean O'Brien 100K, the backbone 68 miles, and Bulldog 50K. I'm currently training for the Tucson marathon on 12/9. next year I have the SOB again on 2/3 and the AC100 on 8/5. I'm also planning a R2R2R in early May to celebrate my 50th birthday.
Hi folks. I've been on RA since 2008, mostly in the women's groups and occasionally in Trailer Trash. Dabbled over in RWOL (where I went by DaniBird). I discovered the Ultra Runners group there and followed them here. I miss the array of emoticons on RWOL but not much else.
I mostly do marathons and 50k's. And volunteer/crew/pace at longer races. Did a 50 miler last year, thinking about another one next year. Having a lazy autumn and mostly lurking (sometimes cheerleading) here nowadays. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the coast a little south of the city.
5/11/24 Grizzly Peak Marathon, Berkeley, CA
7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV
9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR
king of the non-sequitur
Hi im Alan aka fnkyhd. I am 52. I like the fnkyhd because I can use it for lots of things and it’s not taken. Plus that’s what my DW used to call me. I live in seattle and almost always train from home with lots trails and road options and great running weather. I really don’t like driving to where I run, or after. That would suck. My first ultra was in 2014, a 50k. have done about a dozen since up to 100k. ive tried to be an all-surfaces-all-distances kind of guy but kinda focused on fewer races all ultras lately because they don’t hurt as much and you get so much more for your money! The hardest race I have done is Squamish 50M in case anyone wondered. I really enjoyed RWOL forum. I got tons of great advice and help from people like ultramarkus and seattlemax and even got to know a few people in person! I’d like to be more active on here but the day-to-day posts are sparse. At rwol I could bring up a training subject and get lots of responses, here it feels like im talking to myself. I guess that’s what it’s like for ultras. I haven’t found much for ultras on FB either. Im in a great group on fb thanks to Bear-Runner but it’s all marathoners and I usually don’t know what they are talking about! Anyways, hi everyone, I hope we can get lots of runners on here interested in the vagaries of trail ultra marathons!
Bridle Trails 50k 1-13-24 5:39
Cottontail 6 Hour 4-13-24
Cougar Long Series (May,June,July,Aug 2024)
Carkeek 6 Hour 10-19-24
AT as in Appalachian Trail runner. I'm from South Central, PA and in my mid 50's.
I'm from South Central, PA and in my mid 50's.
Ditto.
Ran trails in the Ozarks for decades. Now live in south central PA, 10 minutes from the AT in the Cumberland Valley and run on the AT a couple times a week.
Have only done one official ultra, a 50k, which is barely more than a marathon, but technically that makes me an ultra runner, right?
Was on the RW forums since the mid 90s. Registered here at some point years ago.
I remember CoolRunning. I don't post much. I've done >25 ultras but am getting to be an old man. The last one was Superior 50 in 2015. I had a bout of a fib a few years ago which caused me to cut back on "training".
I'm thinking of doing a few ultras in 2018 but I'm not sure if I will. Thinking of Superior 100 as a goal race and maybe a few smaller races as training.
I live in the UP of Michigan. I started the Marquette Trail 50 (not in it's 10th year!) but turned over RD position to a more worthy leader. Come visit sometime!
Joe
I remember CoolRunning. I don't post much. I've done >25 ultras but am getting to be an old man. The last one was Superior 50 in 2015. I had a bout of a fib a few years ago which caused me to cut back on "training". I'm thinking of doing a few ultras in 2018 but I'm not sure if I will. Thinking of Superior 100 as a goal race and maybe a few smaller races as training. I live in the UP of Michigan. I started the Marquette Trail 50 (not in it's 10th year!) but turned over RD position to a more worthy leader. Come visit sometime! Joe
I mentioned this in the other thread, but I am signing up for the 50K on Black Friday! I can't wait. I'll probably do Superior 26.2 as well.
Mmmmm...beer
Hey everyone! Lots of familiar names. I've been on here for a while, was active on RWOL for a bit.
I've been running for about 5.5 years, have completed one 100 miler (24:11), bunch of 50Ks, marathons, etc. Finally hit my goal of sub-3 for the marathon, so next year is all ultras, with some short fast stuff here and there for fun.
Already have two 100 milers planned for next year, plus a 24 hour I'm doing next month, goal is over 100 miles, a couple of 12 hour races, bunch of 50Ks, probably find some good 50 milers to throw in there.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
Hello! I've been lurking in this forum for about a week now and thought I would introduce myself.
I've been using RA for a very long time. I used to post pretty frequently on the main forums but opted for a lower profile a few years ago and fled to the Marathoner Dailies forum (which hasn't been active for a while). I still run the Boston and New York City marathon threads on the main board.
I've been running consistently for about 10 years. I ran my first marathon in 2010. For the past five years or so, I've been doing two to four marathons a year. I'm a fairly high mileage runner - logging about 70-80 miles/week during peak marathon training.
I'm planning to run my first ultra in January - the San Diego 50 and Trail Marathon. Given it's my first, it seemed big enough that I wouldn't get lost and would have good support for my first time. And, it's in my home town so it would have a sentimental element. I'm coming off training for the 2017 New York City Marathon, so I'm only doing a 7 week training cycle.
I probably won't have much to contribute but wanted to introduce myself and thank you all in advance for any insights I gain through this forum over the next ~50 days.
Thanks!
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
Julia, i ran the SD trail 50 in 2016 for my first 50 miler. excellent choice. fyi here's a report i wrote on it: https://fnkyhd.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/san-diego-trail-50m-1-16-2016/
Thanks so much! I'll check that out...