(Source: runningtowardsabetterself, via miles-on-end)
Meet the Barkley Marathons, the world’s toughest and most secretive trail race.
It is a 100-mile footrace that some say is actually 130 miles or more, through unmarked trails that have names like Meth Lab Hill, Bad Thing and Leonard’s Buttslide and that are choked with prickly saw briers. Temperatures often range from freezing to blistering on the same day, and there is a cumulative elevation gain of more than 60,000 feet, or the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest twice from sea level.
A 60-hour time limit forces competitors to run, climb and bushwhack for three days with little or no sleep. They endure taunts from the race director, who deliberately keeps the competition’s entry procedure a mystery. It is a race in which there are no comfort stations, and runners cannot use a GPS device or a cellphone.
Less than 2 percent of the nearly 800 ultrarunners who have subjected themselves to this punishment — 12 men, the same number as have walked on the moon — have finished the race in its current iteration. The only prize is that after 100 miles, they get to stop.
Wowza.
is it weird that my first thought was ”I wanna do it!”?
(Source: charitymiles)
Today is a very sad day among the running community. Caballo Blanco was found dead in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico last night. To those of you unfamiliar with Caballo he became well known through Christoper McDougall’s bestseller “Born to Run”. If you have yet to read the book I suggest you do so as for it is an absolute inspiration and if you have already read it…well, read it again because you won’t enjoy it any less than the first time.
March 27,2012
(via irun2much)
This morning was my second morning going to the gym before work. yesterday I did a .3 mile warmup on the elliptical and then a 2 mile hills run on the treadmill. This morning I did the 2 mile hills run again and then used weights for 15 minutes or so.
I also signed up for a weights class starting next Tuesday. It will be 8 - 1 hour sessions, 2 times a week. The course “teaches proper form and fundamentals while providing an excellent workout.” I am really psyched about it and will also start incorporating swimming for my cross training on the same nights as the weights class. It seems like it would be the perfect cool down from the weights.
(Source: fitisafeministissue.wordpress.com)
Zion Ultra - 100 Mile race in the beautiful desert terrain of Utah. A friend competed this year and beat his personal record for a sub 24 time with 23:30. Amazing.
For a laugh I will also share that my friend lost a bet to another runner and the consequences are him having to go vegan for a month. Maybe he should have asked the runner about his race history and PR’s? The guy ended up coming in 2nd place with an under 18 hour time! Never pick a fight with someone that has an actual chance of winning an ultra marathon.
(Source: vimeo.com)
