Suddenly, plopping down in the middle of potential pools of snakes, stinging bugs, and wildcats didn’t seem so bad. In fact, staggering there on that gloomy, desolate dirt road, its bright red clay now a depressing dark gray under the fading moon, I wasn’t even sure if I SU
could feel my weary legs beneath me, so why would I care if a wild beast went through the primitive motions of paining me? And even though my legs were threatening to cramp violently in every direction physiologically possible, I had just enough mental energy left to realize that plopping down was not only the most desirable action I’d ever known, it was completely necessary. I muddled over to a darker shade of dirt road gray, probably a crude gravel side road, and with my arms extended toward earth, my palms and duff abruptly greeted the large, rocky surface in simultaneous relief.

Most ultrarunners in the Southeast are eagerly anticipating Fall and cooler temperatures. There are some new (or at least new to me) races on the calendar this fall. Coming up quickly is the Pumpkin Butt 50K and 50 Mile, sponsored by GUTS.

In MD, there is the Gunpowder Keg Fat Ass 50K. In Brevard, NC, there is the Eagle Lake 50K Road Race.

If you want adventure, register for Rick Schick's Pine Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run. Rick's adventure runs have a great reputation. Finally, don't forget Greensboro's Triple Lakes 40 Mile Trail Run, which will be held in conjunction with a Marathon on the same course.

All these events are new to me, and they combine with the established fall runs to expand the possibilities for ultra adventures as we enter the best season of the year.

Laurel Valley this past weekend was a pressure cooker, literally. With temperatures in the low 90s and humidity in the low 60s, the heat index was in the critical zone. I felt like I was wrapped in a steaming wet blanket for most of the day. Any experienced ultrarunnner knows the essential skills and training necessary to run in the heat. Even with training and acclimatization, however, heat will sometimes cause sudden, overwhelming fatigue. The reason is simple: if your body is unable to control its core temperature, it uses fatigue as a defense mechanism. Fatigue forces you to stop what you are doing immediately, thus (hopefully) lowering your core temperature. After doing some more research, I realized that what I need in order to be more successful in the heat is an anal probe that sends data to my watch.

Doing the Double, or What was I Thinking!

By Joey Anderson

My older brother takes responsibility for it. He says he slammed my head into the floor too many times during our near daily fights growing up. I used to be a normal person. Well, Ok, I've never been normal but it wasn't until I started hanging out with a bunch of deranged Virginians that I finally lost my senses completely. My parents always tried to warn me about hanging out with the wrong crowd.
I guess that would be my excuse for signing up for back to back 50K's on Aug. 6th and 7th. Both being tough ,hilly, rocky ,gnarly mountain runs in the heat and humidity. Until this summer I was the guy that wouldn't run more than 10 miles in the summer and constantly whined about it

Saturday July 23rd has a couple of fun informal running events. The Mangum Track Club is holding a shirt run. The run is full for new members, but any current MTC member is encouraged to participate. email Slapnuts to let him know you will be there.

Traildawgs up in Delaware and Maryland are hosting St. Roch's Frolic, an informal 23K run/race.

Some press outlets are starting to cover Scott Jurek's performance at Badwater this week. The Duluth News Tribune covers the race as a road victory for the trail-running specialist and two-time North American Ultra Runner of the Year.

The Auburn Journal covers the race in the context of Jurek's 7th straight WS victory, with only two weeks intervening. Are we going to see Jurek on the Tonight Show or 60 Minutes now? I hope not.

If you want to know how Jurek's crew kept him cool during Badwater, check out this series of photos (click the right arrow to view next in series). Yes, that's a 6'2", 170lb man inside an ice chest.

photos by Chris Kostman

Scott Jurek won the 2005 Badwater Ultra, setting a new course record by around an hour. This performance by Jurek, only 16 days after his victory at Western States, puts the frenzy of recent years into perspective and shows that Scott Jurek is the greatest ultrarunner of our time. Or should I say the greatest "Ultramarathon Man?" After all, Jurek's time was three hours faster than any time put up by the two recent champions.

Chris Kostman photo.

As a young runner of 12 yrs old, growing up in Hendersonville, NC, I begged my parents to let me run in this "neat" marathon I heard about called The Grandfather Mountain Marathon. My parents, being totally sane, emphatically denied my request.

This past weekend, finally after a 24 yr wait (at the age of 36), I ventured up to Boone to take part in this event; and no I didn't tell my parents I was going.

"Karl Meltzer notched his third overall win in 28:29, and Sue Johnston her second female win in 32:07. There were 71 finishers out of 125 who started (57%). Weather was warm, rivers high, and snow extensive, but none of these were as bad as had been feared. Five-year finisher awards went to Mike Dobies, Betsy Nye, Nigel Finney, Mike Erlich, Joe Prusaitis, and Chuck Kroeger. Ten-year finisher awards went to Charlie Thorn, Blake Wood, and John DeWalt (who was also the oldest finisher at 69). Greg Hine received the Mother Lode Award for service to the Hardrock Hundred."

Full results (pdf). Mike Dobies is obviously 100% after his back injury of two years. Mid-Atlantic hardrockers include Mike Bur of MD, Geoff Scott of NC, and John DeWalt of PA. Aron Ralston added Hardrock to his list of 100 milers. Sue Johnston is having a great year.

There is an interview in the Asheville Citizen Times with Anne Riddle Lundblad where she discusses her recent silver (individual) and gold (team) performance in the World Cup 100K. A nice interview with some interesting details of the race.