For most people, the thought of running a hundred miles sounds absolutely ludicrous. For others of us, it is something we'd love to aspire to. This video is for the second group of people. It features Brendan Leonard of Semi-Rad fame as he prepares for, and eventually takes part in, the 102.9-mile (165 km) Run Rabbit Run ultra in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming an ultra-runner, this video is both eye opening and inspiring at the same time.
Showing posts with label Ultra Running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ultra Running. Show all posts
Video: How to Train Like Kilian Jornet
Want to know how to train like the best mountain runner in the world? This video can help! It gives us an intimate look at how Kilian Jornet trains for the events and expeditions that he takes part in, providing some insights into how he is able to accomplish the things he does. As Kilian himself says at the beginning of the clip, he is 30 years old and has essentially been training for 30 years. That's because he was born in the mountains and they have always been his playground. Still, there is plenty of dedication, determination, and hard work that goes into his preparation and planning too. Find out more below.
British Ultrarunner Completes 70-Mile Crossing of Desert in Kazakhstan
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| Photo courtesy of Mark Woodward |
Maddison began his run in a the town of Birlik, which located on the western edge of the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert. He made a nighttime stopover mid-run because the driver of his support vehicle was having a difficult time navigating in the remote area and was himself getting dangerously tired. The following day Maddison resumed his expedition, reaching the end point at a river that borders the desert, and plunging in to cool off.
In an interview discussing the expedition the ultrarunner says that there were certainly times when he wanted to give up. Just 32 miles (51 km) in he thought he would have to call it quits after exhaustion started to set in. After running up and down dunes for hours on end, and enduring 97ºF (36ºC) heat, Jamie says he could feel his vision closing in around him. He describes the experience as time slowing down and putting one foot in front of the other took a tremendous effort. He also says that when the expedition was over, there was much of it he couldn't remember at all.
Maddison also says that if he were to do things over, he would have went at a later time of the year when temperatures weren't quite so harsh. He has spent years traveling in Central Asia, so he felt prepared for the desert crossing, but even then the intense heat still caught him a bit off guard. For others attempting a similar challenge he recommends taking your time, studying and researching the region fully, and preparing as best you can for the challenges you'll face in the field.
You can read the entire interview by clicking here. Congratulations to Jamie on undertaking and completing this tough expedition.
Video: Kilian Jornet Trains in the Northern Lights
We've been getting a steady stream of videos featuring Kilian Jornet recently, all of which have been outstanding. This one is fantastic as well, taking us once again to Norway where we join the Spanish mountain runner on a night training session with the Aurora Borealis gleaming overhead.
Video: Meet the Canyon Runner
With this video, we travel to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona where we meet Shaun Martin, an athletic director at a local school. He also happens to be an endurance athlete who organized an ultramarathon in the Canyon, which is a spectacular location to for outdoor athletes to push themselves to the limit. It also happens to be the only way for visitors to explore the national monument on their own without a Navajo guide.
Video: This Ultrarunner Escapes PTSD Out on the Trail
There are a lot of different motivations for why people run. Some of us use it as a way to stay fit, others find it relaxing and therapeutic. Some use it as an escape from other areas of their life. Such is the case for Lithuanian trail runner Gediminas Grinius, uses running as away to calm himself from the post-traumatic stress disorder he feels after serving in as part of the military in Iraq. He witnessed some harrowing events there, and now he runs to help deal with the trauma of that war. His story is both inspirational and touching. Check it out below.
Video: An Ultrarunner Gets His Kicks on Route 66
Route 66 is an iconic highway that runs for 3940 km (2448 miles), beginning in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica. Along the way, the route passes through Illinois, Missouri, Kanasa, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In this video, ultrarunner Max King takes to the highway to explore its towns and wide open landscapes. What better way to see the "Main Streets of America" than on foot?
Video: The Mirnivator - The True Story of a Not-So-Typical Trail Runner
Meet Mirna Valerio a dedicated runner who will break all of your stereotypes of what a runner should be. In this video, brought to us by REI, we meet Mirna and learn about what motives her to get out an run. But she doesn't just go for casual jogs around the neighborhood. She is an endurance athlete who competes in long distance events, pushing herself to her own physical and mental limits. What makes her different than the other ultra-runners out there? She just so happens to have a body type that isn't typical for runners, and for that she often catches a lot of flack. In fact, the video opens with a stunningly rude and demeaning email she received from someone calling her out as a fraud. But that is just the kind of fuel that gets her going. If you watch one video today, make it this one.
Video: The Last Darkness - Running the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon
In this video we join endurance athletes Jeff Browning and Jessie Haynes as they set off to complete the 170 mile trail through the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon in just four days time. That's 42.5 miles per day through some very remote and rugged wilderness for those keeping track at home. The short documentary takes us into the canyons with the two men, as they push themselves to the limit in this stunning landscape that look like quite an outdoor playground. The video is fantastic end-to-end, but it is worth it just to listen to Jeff and Jessie try to figure out their current pace at the very beginning of the film. It turns out, math is very hard when you're exhausted.
Mountain Runner Sets Female Aconcagua Speed Record
But about the same time that Sir Ran was preparing to head home a few weeks back, another climber by the name of Sunny Stroeer was preparing to make a run – quite literally – at the speed record by a woman on the mountain. On January 23, she did just that, setting a new mark for climbing from Base Camp to the summit, despite the fact that she had a respiratory infection.
Outside magazine has posted a profile of the 32-year old Stroeer following her epic ascent, which took 8 hours and 47 minutes to complete, shaving 29 minutes off the previous record. Stroeer is no stranger to long endurance events, as she is an ultrarunner who has competed in such events as the legendary Western States, amongst numerous other 50 and 100k runs. Perhaps her biggest adventure so far however is quitting her job back in 2015 to focus on running and traveling full-time. Since then, she has roamed around the southwest states of the U.S., and gone trekking in Thailand, Nepal, Tanzania, Germany, and other places.
Back in 2014, Stroeer climbed Aconcagua for the first time, going solo and unsupported, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right. She told Outside that she was shocked at how few women were on the mountain, which gave her the idea of forming an all ladies team to make another attempt on the summit. She did that this year, and her record-setting run was a part of that expedition.
Sunny's story is an impressive one on a number of different levels. There is certainly a lot of inspiration to be had from her adventures. Congrats on the new speed record!
Video: Kilian Jornet's Everest Summit Dreams Live On
Yesterday the news broke that Kilian Jornet has abandoned his plans to make a speed attempt on Mt. Everest due to very poor weather conditions on the mountain. Deep snow made him cancel that attempt, but while his dream of a speed ascent may have been postponed, they are no over. Clearly he will return again in the future to have another go at the world's highest peak.
In this video we get a bit of a recap of what Kilian has been up to over the past couple of years. It is a review of his Summits of My Life project to date, with a bit of inspiration to help us all move forward. It is a nice tribute to one of the greatest mountain athletes on the planet today, and definitely worth a look for those who follow his exploits.
In this video we get a bit of a recap of what Kilian has been up to over the past couple of years. It is a review of his Summits of My Life project to date, with a bit of inspiration to help us all move forward. It is a nice tribute to one of the greatest mountain athletes on the planet today, and definitely worth a look for those who follow his exploits.
Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet Cancels Everest Speed Attempt
In a quote that was sent out via a press release a few hours ago, Jornet says “During the first few weeks we were acclimatising well and the conditions were good. However, when we were getting ready to prepare the attempt the weather began to change. There were some heavy snow storms and a large accumulation of snow. As a result, although we were in good physical shape, there was a high risk of avalanches and in the absence of good safety conditions it was impossible to climb.”
Apparently, the expedition was actually nearing its conclusion when the decision was made to go home instead. There hasn't been a lot of news from Kilian or his team, but it seems acclimatization was going very well, and he was extremely happy with his progress. Unfortunately, heavy snow has been falling on the mountain over the past couple of weeks, and that was making the route much more dangerous. So much so that they made the wise choice of cancelling the summit attempt and going home instead.
Kilian says that he has learned a lot from the experience and will now return to Spain where he'll evaluate how this expedition went, and decide from there how to proceed. He has already indicated that next time around he'll do a few things differently both in preparation and acclimatization once on the mountain. He had spent three weeks training at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) which will give him a better understanding of the Everest environment the next time around.
Honestly, an attempt in the spring would probably provide more stable weather conditions, but Kilian would then have to contend with a lot more people on the mountain. For most of the time that he was there, he had Base Camp all to himself. We do know that Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is also there for a solo bid on the mountain, but he didn't arrive until last week. It is unclear whether or not the heavy snow will impact his attempt to summit Everest, which will be his sixth time trying to accomplish that feat.
For now, we'll have to wait to see how Kilian does on Everest. Remember, he's never climbed an 8000 meter peak before. Hopefully he'll get another crack at it in the future. It will be interesting to see what an athlete of his caliber can accomplish there.
Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Trains in Tibet for Everest
If you've been following Kilian's progress at all, you probably know that he left for the Himalaya a few weeks back where he has been organizing gear, continuing his training, and acclimatizing to the altitude. But, we also have a few more specifics about his schedule over the past few days.
Last Tuesday, Kilian flew from Kathmandu to Lhasa in Tibet. He spent a day there before starting the drive to Everest Base Camp, which is accessible by car on the North Side of the mountain. But, it is still a dramatic gain in altitude during that drive, so most people still go slow, and take a few days to reach BC, allowing their bodies to acclimatize a bit along the way. With that in mind, the Spanish ultrarunner has been working out along the way.
Over the weekend, he was in Tingri at 4300 meters (14,107 ft) where Kilian conducted some training runs. That's an altitude he's accustomed to, having spent the last few years making the Alps of Europe his personal playground. He also spent a good deal of time there training before leaving for the Himalaya.
It isn't clear yet just when Kilian and his team will arrive in Base Camp, but I would expect that that will happen this week. From there, the plan is to acclimate to higher altitudes before getting ready to make his historic attempt on the summit of Everest. We're still a few weeks away from that happening, but it certainly should be interesting to follow his preparation for the final push to the top. Especially when you keep in mind that this will be his first foray above 8000 meters.
Kilian's approach to the speed attempt has been a simple one. Get to the mountain while it is still summer, before there is anyone else attempting to climb it in the fall. This will ensure that the route is free from crowds that could potentially low him down. Taking one of the routes on the North Side should help keep the still on-going monsoons at bay to a degree as well, although it still could be dicey up on top. He'll now focus solely on acclimatizing and scouting the route until he is fully ready to go. From there, it will be a simple matter of waiting for the weather to cooperate and then choosing the best time to go.
For now, we all wait for that to happen.
Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet is Off to Everest
Kilian has gone to the Himalaya early in order to avoid any other teams who potentially could be on the mountain. He'll be making his speed attempt from the North Side in Tibet, although exactly which route he'll use remains to be seen. Some of the preliminary work of the trip will be to scout the trails and determine which one will best suit his needs. He'll also wrap up his acclimatization efforts and keep an eye on the weather for the best summit days too.
Although of that is still a few weeks off however, as Jornet only left for Nepal late last week. He'll spend some time getting organized and rested before making the journey to Tibet and Everest itself, where he'll then get comfortable in Base Camp before the real work begins. I would expect that we'll begin seeing more updates later in the week as he starts the process of getting accustomed to the high altitude.
Prior to setting out for the Himalaya the endurance athlete was focused on acclimatizing in the Alps. The video below gives you an idea of how that training went and the efforts that were made to prepare for Everest prior to leaving. As you would expect, Kilian used Mont Blanc as his training ground, although it is less than half the height of Everest.
It will be interesting to see how Jornet does in his quest for yet another speed record. He has yet to climb above 8000 meters (26,246 ft) in his career, and what that will be like for him will be crucial. We'll keep a close eye on his progress and post updates regularly in the days ahead. This expedition will truly be exciting to follow.
Kilian Jornet Officially Announces Everest Speed Record Expedition
In a press release sent out this morning, Jornet says that he'll be making the climb throughout August and September. But prior to leaving for the Himalaya, he'll first begin to acclimatize in the Alps closer to home. For the next few weeks, Kilian and his support team will live and train in the European mountains as they begin to get their bodies ready for the demands that they'll face once they head to Tibet.
The plan is to attempt to summit Everest from the North Side, along a route that sees little traffic. The exact route hasn't been made clear yet, as the intention is to scout the mountain once they are there. What they find on the slopes of the mountain will ultimately decide which way he will go to the top.
The final summit push will begin at Rongbuk monastery and will continue all the way to the top of Everest, and then back down again. In all, Kilian will have to run about 30 km (18.6 miles), which is a short distance for a man who is use to competing in 100 mile (160 km) long races. But, he has never tested himself at such high altitudes before, so it is unclear how his body will respond. This will be the Spaniard's first attempt at an 8000-meter peak, but despite that he still intends to have a go at the FKT in alpine style and without the use of bottled oxygen.
Additionally, one has to wonder how much of an impact acclimatizing in the Alps will have on his progress. The highest peak in that mountain range is Mont Blanc, which stands 4810 m (15,781 ft) in height. That is not insignificant of course, but it is not even the same height as Base Camp on Everest. In other words, he'll still have a lot of work to do once he arrives in the Himalaya.
Right now, the plan is to depart Europe on August 7 to start the expedition. Kilian and his crew will then spend the next eight weeks prepping and planning for the run. Will he be able to set a new speed record on the highest mountain on the planet? Only time will tell, but I wouldn't doubt the man who set speed records on other mountains like Mont Blanc, Aconcagua, Denali, and Kilimanjaro. Still, Everest is an entirely different beast, and it will be interesting to watch this all unfold.
Stay tuned.
How Kilian Jornet Plans to Set a Speed Record on Everest
Recently the Spaniard sat down with Men's Journal to talk about his upcoming adventure. In that interview, Kilian talked about what he learned last year on Everest when the April 25 earthquake hit Nepal, bringing an abrupt end to the climbing seasons. He also talks about his biggest concerns for his upcoming return to the mountain, the gear he'll take with him on the summit attempt, and more.
Probably of the most interest to readers is Kilian's game plan for the upcoming expedition. He'll be climbing from the North Side of the mountain in Tibet, and hopes to ascend via either the Horbein or Norton couloir depending on conditions. He'll scout out the route ahead of time, and spend some time acclimatizing before making the attempt, with altitude and safety being amongst his biggest concerns. As you would expect, he'll be going as fast and light as possible, and make the ascent without bottled oxygen.
As of this writing, Kilian has not left for the Himalaya yet, so it is unclear when he'll set out for Everest. Speculation has him traveling to Tibet this spring to attempt his climb, but in the Men's Journal interview Jornet says that he will be going at the end of the summer, which would indicate he's planning a fall attempt on the speed record. According to his social media, the ultrarunner is still in Europe, but he still has plenty of time to set out for the mountain and get ready for a late season summit attempt. We'll just have to keep an eye on his plans to see what happens. A lot of people have been waiting for Kilian to take a shot at the Big Hill, and hopefully we'll see him go for it soon.
Video: Ultrarunning - The Pleasure and the Pain
"If you're going to be an ultrarunner you need to embrace suffering." So says 65-year old ultrarunner Errol "The Rocket" Jones, the subject of this excellent video from REI. In the 5-minute clip we get to meet Errol, learn about his philosophy of running, and watch him as he trains on the spectacular Bay Area Ridge Trail near San Francisco. Over the years, he has picked up quite a bit of wisdom about the sport, and it can serve as inspiration for the rest of us, even if we're running more modest distances. This is a story of perseverance and persistence, which can see you through just about any challenge in life.
Video: The Richtersveld Transfrontier Wildrun in South Africa and Namibia
The Richtersveld Transfrontier Wildrun is a five-day long, stage race that takes place in a remote region of South Africa each year. The 2016 edition of the race actually crossed the border into Namibia as well, covering some 200 km (124 miles) along a course that was both incredibly difficult and beautiful at the same time. American ultrarunner Nikki Kimball used the race as a tune-up for the Western States, which is another race that is legendary for its level of difficulty. In this video, you'll get a chance to see what the Richtersveld is all about, as we go out onto the course with runners who are pushing themselves to cross some of the toughest terrain imaginable.
Swiss Mountain Runner Bags Five Peaks in Record Time
Steindl's quest began in the church square in Zermatt and ended the church square in Saas-Fee. In-between he ran a route that crossed the summits of Alphubel (4206 m/13,799 ft), Täschhorn (4491m/14,734 ft), Dom (4545 m/14,911 ft), Lenzspitze (4294 m/14,087 ft), and Nadelhorn (4327m/14,196 ft). His sub-8 hour time ended up being 77 minutes faster than his previous record along this route.
The video below captures the run and gives you an idea of what Andreas was up against. This was no easy run in the mountains by any means, requiring speed, strength, and sure footing to achieve his goal. Watching these mountain runners go about their business never gets old, as they are indeed some of the best athletes in the world today.
Video: Scenes From the Tromsø Sky Race
The 2015 edition of the Tromsø Sky Race went down last week, with top trail runners from around the world descending on Norway to take on an epic mountain running challenge. The video below gives you an idea of what this race is about, sharing two-minutes of footage of the runners as they make their way along a trail that looks both challenging and beautiful. This is not a race for beginning trail runners to say the least, but it is a rewarding experience for those who take part.
Tromsø SkyRace 2015 from TromsoSkyrace on Vimeo.