[CoyoteMark]

It seems that every time you turn around these days you find out about another extreme race that is more extreme than the last. The Europeans seem to have it all over US for organizing insane events- case in point:<br><br><a href="http://www.theextraordinary.co.uk/ultra/marathon_des_sables/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.theextraordinary.co.uk/ul...les/index.html</a><br><br>
Has anyone here actually participated in the Marathon des Sables?<br><br>
That's insane. After doing the Grand Canyon double crossing a couple of years ago I decided that marathons were enough. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[pithydoug]

I don't think The Europeans are any more nuts then we are. We have the 3,100 mile Sri Sninmoy in NY, Badwater(Mohave) and the Barkley(a dinky 100 that only a few have ever finished) We also have people constantly setting new records spending the summer running the length of the Appalachian or John Muir trail. How about the run part of the iditarod in Alaska in the winter.<br><br>
I will admit that the Europeans were doing fell running before it caught on in the states. We got us our share of 'extremists' too. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
You went back to marathons after GC double? Most people never go back to roads after such experiences and use treks like GCx2 for a training run. <img alt="blush.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/blush.gif">

 

[jholtthief]

If you're gonna stick with marathons, you should come east and do the Escarpment Trail Run in July. It's only a measley 30km. <a href="http://www.escarpmenttrail.com" target="_blank">www.escarpmenttrail.com</a>

 

[rundangerously]

and what a measley 30k it is... <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[pithydoug]

An I get to tear of your number at the finish line and see your happy smile, or is that a 200 mile stare? <img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">

 

[merigayle]

Marathon Des Sables is my dream race but wayyyyyy out of the budget for now. A few people i know are going this year and following their training has been inspirational. Desert RATS is another race i have been interested. A few people i know ran it in 2007 and there were some pretty significant issues they had with the management of the race (like severe lack of water and aid in the middle of the desert when there was supposed to be plentiful aid). I am gonna wait and see how the race goes this year and then decide if i want to do it. It would be a good first step before MdS.

 

[rundangerously]

doug, escarpment is on the tippy top of my list of unfinished business. it kicked my butt all over creation the year i ran it. last year, vt interfered with plans to return. this year it seems that wakefield's around the lake may keep me away <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"><br><br>
merigayle, i really want to do de sables too!! but it will be a while before i can pony up the $$ to pull it off. i have a better shot at just getting down to south africa for comrades <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
b/t/w - are you at all familiar w/the osbornes (vh1 reality rock family from a few years ago)? well the son, jack, graduated from the rock n' roll lifestyle and got an adventure sports prgm (truth is definitely stranger than fiction)! one episode had him, and two buddies, run de sables. he dnf'ed, but his buddies finished. i don't know where this prgm is actually bdcst - i watched it on a plane flight! go figure.

 

[jholtthief]

Don't let VT interfere with your running of Escarpment. I find VT makes the perfect final pre-Escarpment long run!

 

[rundangerously]

john, last summer i did wakefield around the lake the week after vt <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> probably going to do it again this summer.

 

[zoomski]

I'm new here, where there seems to a lot of good trail/ultra talk going on!<br><br>
I told myself I wouldn't do Escarpment after my first time last year. Thought for sure I'd finish in less time than it took me to do Nipmuck's 26.4, but nooo, 18 minutes longer. And then my first 50K* (Ramapo Mountain Madness, NJ), in October, took me only 34 minutes more than Escarpment. But I dunno, they all felt extreme at the time! Still, all three are calling out to me again.<br><br>
*More or less. Someone messed with the flags, and many runners got lost and ran an unofficial course.

 

[roots]

What's more extreme, hot or cold?<br><br>
Both Badwater and Arrowhead 135, in my mind, are insane. Iditarod, too.<br><br>
I imagine pulling a sled full of survival gear and supplies is more extreme.

 

[divaleh]

I almost ran Ramapo Mountain Madness as my first 50k last year, but decided to focus on the Philly Marathon instead.<br><br>
I'd most likely still be wandering around, lost.<br><br>
As for Escarpment, I think I need a bit more experience before I tackle that one, even though I meet the entry requirements...

 

[rundangerously]

divaleh, check out nipmuck trail marathon. it's an mellower intro to escarpment <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[divaleh]

Really? Or are you teasing this trail and ultra newbie? Hmmm? I don't trust you people on that side of the Hudson... <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[rundangerously]

i'm serious! scouts honor. while nipmuck is a marathon, so factor in those extra miles, it's nowhere near as technical running (and climbing) as escarpment. it can get muddy (last year it rain for most of the race)... but very doable. you will get a sticker on your bib that reads "high fall risk" - all newbies do <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[rundangerously]

what do mean this side of the hudson?? they only have trails on the rockland/sullivan side of the river <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[zoomski]

Nipmuck wasn't bad! (Of course, you may not trust someone from Jersey, either.) And my time at NM is what I used to qualify for Escarpment. These events are a good one-two punch!<br><br>
I hope they put on the RMM 50K again in 2008. NJ has precious few (basically two) ultras, and it's nice to do something in my own backyard for a change.

 

[divaleh]

There is NOTHING in Rockland, except for a 4 mile trail that is washed out going from Rockland Lake to Haverstraw. You have Rockefeller <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"><br><br>
Jersey - oooh, I'll be good <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> Won't start up <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[CoyoteMark]

I <i><b>started</b></i> running marathons (actually marathon- singular- I'm training for my second) after GCx2. Yes indeed it was an incredible experience, however I bonked at Phantom Ranch on the way back and nearly had to crawl back out to the south rim. 19 hours total- I decided when I finished that it was the hardest thing I have ever done (more difficult than climbing Aconcagua).<br><br>
Right. Do I sense a bit of sand-bagging?! <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"> Let me see- 10,000 feet gain in 30k- yeah, that's measly! I don't qualify for this year's, but I will keep it in mind. Nipmuck sounds interesting as well.<br><br>
Some marathons that I thought would be cool to participate in:<br><br>
Great Wall of China marathon<br>
Everest marathon<br>
Athens marathon (the original??)<br>
Big Basin Redwoods marathon:<br><a href="http://www.envirosports.com/events/displayevent.php?eventid=1136" target="_blank">http://www.envirosports.com/events/d...p?eventid=1136</a><br><br>
And perhaps the Kepler Challenge if I'm feeling nuts:<br><br><a href="http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/general_info/info_frameset.htm" target="_blank">http://www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/gen...o_frameset.htm</a><br><br>
So much to do- so little time. For now, though, it's back to training for the Big Sur marathon.

 

[Trail Monster]

Although I'm really excited about running the VT 100 this year (my first 100) I do wish is wasn't so close to Escarpment. But perhaps I should follow John's example and run it anyway, at least my buddy jim should be able to beat me this year!<br><br>
A good friend of mine from Scotland ran the Everest marathon this past November, not quite the experience he was hoping for but he can be fussy sometimes. His race report is worth reading even if you aren't contemplating doing that race:<br><br><a href="http://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/everest.htm" target="_blank">http://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/everest.htm</a><br><br>
For the record this friend also came to Maine last year to run the <a href="http://www.mainetrackclub.com/pinelandfarms.html" target="_blank">Pineland Farms Trail Challenge</a> which he rated as a better experience than Everest. I mention this because I direct that race <img alt="roll_eyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/roll_eyes.gif">