Photo courtesy of Andrew King - D4 Productions

Saturday, October 2, 2010

10 myles - no time

Wildcat Ridge - 8:00 A.M.
50s, clear, dry
mind/body - good
easy effort

The weather has been unseasonably warm for this time of year so I'm feeling I can't waste any of them. Most Saturdays when I'm out on this route it's packed with people but I think most people have either shifted their minds to winter or attending to the kids sports. The run itself was slow and methodical but that's the way I plan to keep it. Thoughts were wandering from what to run next year all the way to what I/we should do during my sabbatical in two years.... I know it's two years away and lots can change but planning is good. Check out this documentary video - The Divide MTB race. It's an hour 20 so make sure you have time before you start cause you'll want to finish it. I'd like to run it someday.

On another note, I was snooping around Pearl Izumi on Thursday trying to get the low-down on plans for the team next year. Nothing definitive on the team but the vibes are good, thanks in large part to Nick and Darcy for their wins at Wasatch. One of the ideas floating around is a Pearl Izumi sponsored ultra series utilizing existing races around the country, similar to the Montrail Ultra Cup. I have my own ideas and thoughts as to what that should look like but I'd like to get input from you all. What 4 races would you pick from around the country that are not part of another series but could draw the best competition with the right circumstances? What distances would you choose? Would it be mountainous or relatively flat? PI is thinking big, but new to the game, so I'd appreciate feedback so that I can take that back to them. I know this for sure, trail running is going to be a huge focus for Pearl Izumi for years to come.

15 comments:

AJW said...

My two cents on a PI series...long and tough. Perhaps these four:

1. Zane Gray 50
2. San Juan Solstice 50
3. Wasatch/Bear/or some other tough 100 miler in the Fall
4. A tough fall 50 or 100k to close out the series. Maybe something in Colorado and possibly even a race created for the express purpose of wrapping up the series on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend which would allow people to turn it into a fall vacation

nmp said...

I think it depends on what angle you want to approach the series from. I could see it two ways: trying to pick hard races and make it a tough series or going for variety. Also depends a bit on regional/national in terms of geography. I will throw out two sets (I havn't done most of these so I am going partly just on what I have heard)

1. Zane Gray or San Juan (pick one)
2. MMT 100
3. Speedgoat
4. Angeles or Cascade Crest (I would say Wasatch/Bear but for regional variety lean towards something else)

1. Moab 50k
2. Bighorn
3. Tahoe 50m/50k
4. Tussey Mountain Back 50

Jon Allen said...

How bout one or two on the East Coast or Mid West? Not that I'm biased or anything, now...

trudginalong said...

I hear Nick's planning some 100K...

Jon Allen said...

I made the mistake of clicking on that documentary link last night at 11pm, thinking I'd watch 10 minutes of it. Ended up watching the whole thing, like you said. Pretty cool- go do it! Or run it!

Anton said...

I'm mostly in agreement with AJW and Nick.

1. April: Zane, Leona Divide, or Bull Run Run...I lean towards ZG on this one.

2. May: Jemez...awesome course

3. June: San Juan Solistice

4. Leadville, AC, or Wasatch as the "championship" race.

I personally think there should be a pool of five or six races in the series with three or four of those scoring.

This is obviously a very Mountain West-centric list, but seriously, it seems like most of the good east coast stuff is already taken by the MUC and the MUC has seemingly almost purposely avoided the bad-ass mountain races the last few years, so that's the void that needs filling.

AJW said...

Tony's got it! I totally forgot about Jemez. If you did Zane Gray, Jemez, San Juan Solstice and Wasatch you'd have one race in each of the "Four Corners" states and I bet you'd be pretty close to a total of 75K cumulative vertical (although I'll leave it someone else like Brownie to do the math)

brownie said...

Along the lines of what AJW and Tony are saying, plus a beer mile and a hot dog eating contest.

Jemez gains 12,011 feet. San Juan is over 12,000 feet. Zane Gray is at 11k. Wasatch gains 26,882 feet. By my math that's equal to about 62 beers of climbing.

Nick said...

If a four race series, my suggestion would be to cover the four main ultra distance: 50k, 50m, 100k, 100mile. Winner shows he/she can do it across all distance. Maybe offer a couple scoring options in the shorter distances, but make the two longer ones championship races in that contenders would all have to line up together.

USATF and MUC appear to have a love affair with WA, OR & CA, so I'd avoid those states altogether. I'm with AJW/Tony on making it a Mountain West series. But how 'bout something in Idaho.

1. Jemez/Antelope/Moab 50k
2. SJS/Jemez/Pocatello 50 mile
3. Comanche Peaks (Fort Collins) 100k/some other purpose-built race.
4. Wasatch/Bear 100 mile.

Neal Gorman said...

Gee Whiz... thanks, guys. How are we east coasters supposed to make it to each race- much less compete- with you westerners if each race is so far away and high up? ; )

Gill and Francesca's (late March)BMER 50m is fairly rough and tumble. So is their (late Sept) GEER 100k, from what I hear.

Unknown said...

Just thoughts at this point Neal. So your points are well taken. It would be cool to get out to the East Coast more often to give variety. What do you know of the HAT trail run in MD? Tough? Keep the suggestions coming.

I've got my March Ultra Runner mag with listings of all the ultras so I will be sure to take it in. In all honesty it will really come down to how cooperative the RDs are going to be.

Jon Allen said...

I'll second Tony on the idea of 6 or so races, with top 4 scoring. Maybe do 2 shorter in the west, 2 in the east. Then you can pick which ones you do. Finish off with 2 longer ones (100k or 100m?) wherever- traveling to a 100m is more justified than traveling to a 50k.

Luke said...

I think I agree with Nick on this one. I think it would be perfect to have Moab 50k, Pocatello 50, not sure of the 100k, and then the Bear 100. Solid tough races that would really challenge a runner through a variety of tough mountain courses. What a sweet series that could be.

Neal Gorman said...

Honestly, I know nothing of HAT. I do know the area though, sort of, and the bluffs along the Susquehanna are beautiful. Truly, I believe a PI series, for all it's good purposes, should be on the left or the right side of the country. Or have a left and a right series. Logistics, you know. Crisscrossing the country is difficult and costly. A series scattered all over sounds great but, realistically, could it actually draw many of the same amateur and top contenders to each event?

Unknown said...

again, good points Neal! And if anyone should know about logistically crisscrossing the country, it's you! I am still extremely impressed with your GS record - WOW!