Extreme Races

Let me suggest that doing the Escarpment the week after VT100 is only for hardy folks. John and I train together and I know he is industrial strength. Unless you really have rock solid recovery which implies oodles of hill training prior, I would not do both.<br><br>
As a side bar, I get really get pissed when I have leave the finish line to find a quasi warm body who has over-extended. Translation, I notify next of kin and drink beer while you slowly succumb.

June 21st.. Pittsfield Peaks 10 Mile "Death Race"<br>
Toughest 10 Miles in North America GUARANTEED.<br><br>
Sorry Ian! <img alt="roll_eyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/roll_eyes.gif">

Don't worry pithydoug, I don't actually plan on showing up at Escarpment and spoiling your post-race beer.

Thanks for the link. I spent three weeks trekking and climbing in Nepal last November, and no one in our group suffered the intestinal maladies that he describes. We had a smaller group, though, and were in a more remote area. The thought of running a marathon in such spectacular surroundings really appeals to me. Also, the sherpa people were some of the nicest people I have ever met.

Speaking of tough races, I had forgotten about this one in my own back yard:<br><br><a href="http://www.run100s.com/HR/" target="_blank">Hardrock 100</a><br><br>
Has anyone run it? Gives me the willies... <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

Escarpment shaped my race plans for this year. This thread is just reinforcing that goal, though I don't have the experience on marathon and ultra trail distances that all of you have.<br><br>
How about short extreme climbing races like 7 Sisters Trail race. I'll run that as a tempo run for Morfun Wapac - to qualify for Escarpment <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> Which I'll run a month after Mt. Washington <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
Hey, anyone ever kept track of weekly vertical distance in the same way as mileage? Or is it safe to just plain go bananas running every hill in sight <img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">

My good friend and running buddy is sending an application into Hardrock. I was actually quite surprised when he told me last week.<br><br>
I am planning to crew/pace at Badwater this summer and get a taste of that infamous race.

I'm in the lottery for Hardrock. There are over 300 folk on the list right now with about a week to go until the drawing, but many of them will have a better chance than me, as the lottery is weighted. I figure I'm just going to continue doing the work (i.e. qualifying every year) until I get in--your chances do increase with every consecutive year you apply.

Here is a new one that will be sure to kick your butt. It is supposed to rank right up there with Hardrock and any other tough 100 miler.<br><br>
The new Grindstone 100 in Virginia. It has 26 000 feet of gain and 26 000 feet of loss in elevation. Check it out here is the elevation link:<br><br><a href="http://www.eco-xsports.com/grindstone.elevation.profile.php" target="_blank">http://www.eco-xsports.com/grindston...on.profile.php</a><br><br><br>
Here is just the link to the site:<br><a href="http://www.eco-xsports.com/" target="_blank">http://www.eco-xsports.com/</a><br><br><br>
I think this will be one of the toughest races in the country!!!<img alt="notworthy.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/notworthy.gif">

To quote Horton, it's "the Wasatch of the East," but no worries with altitude in Va. (not that Wasatch necessarily causes problems, but it does go over 10,000 above Brighton).<br><br>
I've been on part of the Grindstone course, as it's on the Wild Oak Trail (aka TWOT). The one good thing about the western side of the valley is that it's not as littered with rocks as the Massanuttens.<br><br>
I'm probably running Grindstone in October--either that or a flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat 24-hour in NYC, if it happens. Start time for Grindstone makes it interesting; unless you're really fast, you get to face two nights.

can't forget about the Barkley marathons <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> one day* i'd like to do one loop <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br><br><br><br><br>
*not any day in the near future.

<img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif"><img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif"><img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif"><img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif"><img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif">

7 sisters, man, now there's a ballbuster of a race! Toughest 12 miles I've ever run. I've never kept track of weekly vert, but I do train long, steep climbs on almost every training run I do. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that lately, I've probably put in around 10,000' a week in each direction (up and down).

I'm not sure if I'm ready yet for a race that is dubbed "extreme". Although, to be fair - I'm sure lots of people consider marathons and ultra marathons to be extreme in and of themselves.

Next year I'd like to do Barkley and Badwater. I call it Double Death. <img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif"><img alt="huh.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/huh.gif">

Why does this not surprise me....<img alt="notworthy.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/notworthy.gif">

I track vertical on all my runs and shoot for an annual goal... out here vertical gain means almost as much as mileage, at least to my fat carcass!

SHERPA - how does one get to be such a masochist?

Anybody doing Coyote 2 Moon? It's got 28,000 feet of climbing and same decending. Should be quite the challenge.

You're hooked!! If you got a picture of you at the finish line in the mail, it was probably mine. I have the evidence. Should I post it here?? <img alt="banana.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/banana.gif">