…six impossible things…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by talkultra

Timothy Olson – Western States 2012

…sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Fairy tales do come true; they do!

Timothy Allen Olson was a drunk and a drug taker. Not content with whom he was as a person; he sought a false confidence offered to him by his friends in booze and illegal substances.

As he says, it was easy for him to enjoy this ‘new me’. But it was a false life. A life that made him unhappy and a life that he felt was going to lead in only one direction… even ending up in jail and on probation didn’t wake him up to the reality of life.

Living in a depressed state he told me of the downward spiral and how one day, stood in the shower crying he decided he wanted to end his life. He’s not proud of it. In actual fact he now thinks the opposite. He says:

“It makes me real sad to think of that now considering when I have so much to live for”

This moment helped define the person he has now become! Feeling a need to prove the world wrong and of course himself, Timothy decided to stop being weak and to start living!

He started to run daily. In time the alcohol and drugs disappeared and the endorphin fix that running gave him became a lifesaver. Free from the addictions and substances that had potentially ruined his life, Timothy looked for new purpose. He started coaching track and cross country at a local High School. He made running fun for them and in the process of doing so, he found a new life.

With college over he went on a road trip. He lived a simple life running trails with his new buddy, a small dog and although ultra running was something he was not aware of, he knew that he wanted to be out in the open, running and taking in the beautiful Western vistas.

Turns out that coffee played an instrumental change in his whole new existence… or should I say the lady serving the coffee. Timothy knew that Krista was the one for him. He plucked up the courage to ask her out on a date. It didn’t take long for both of them to realize that they had found ‘the one’.

With a baby due in August, Timothy and Krista have a full and wonderful life ahead of them. As they decorate the baby’s room in preparation for the arrival, they have been writing favorite quotes on the wall. A favorite of Timothy’s is from Alice In Wonderland:

“…sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

It would seem that after storming to victory at the iconic 2012 Western States 100 mile Endurance Run in a course record time of 14:46 that Timothy Allen Olson, his wife Krista and the new unborn baby really do have the confirmation that fairy tales can come true!

You can listen to a full interview with Timothy Allen Olson on Talk Ultra episode 12 via:

iTunes – talkultra or HERE

Iznik Ultra – Go Trail

Posted on July 13, 2012 by talkultra

I was very fortunate to race the Iznik Ultra in Turkey early in 2012. Not my first time to Turkey but my first time to Istanbul and the surrounding area.

It really was a superb trip and I have to say it is one of my greatest racing memories. Made all the more special as Niandi Carmont was able to take part with me. I must take this opportunity to thank some special people who not only made the trip happen but also made the trip so special – Caner Odabasoglu (the RD and organiser), Emre Tok (a great friend in the UK), Ilgaz Kuruyazici (runs a Turkish Podcast and showed us great hospitality) and last but not least Aykult Celikbas (ultra runner and friend). I also want to give a broader thanks to all those associated with the race who it would be impossible to thank individually but please accept my thanks and also the local people of Iznik; you made it a great experience.

I wrote an article on the race and the experiences of Turkey for James Hallet at Go Trail Magaazine. Please make sure that you go to Go Trail and download a free edition of the magazine or subscribe for just $10 for one years worth of issues.

Timothy Olson – Go Trail

Posted on July 13, 2012 by talkultra

My good friend James Hallet today re launched Go Trail. A labour of love, James has worked hard to provide a great online magazine for trail running with a great new look. It is available free or for just $10 you can get all 6 issues for a year with unlimited viewing.

I have two articles in the new edition. The first on Timothy Olson, winner of Western States 100 in 2012.

You can listen to the audio HERE

One Step Beyond

Posted on July 12, 2012 by talkultra

Although this blog and website is very much ultra based I don’t think it should be at the exclusion of some remarkable things.

Seb Montaz for me is one of the greatest ‘sports’ film makers out there. Along with The African Attachment, Seb produces some remarkable movies. Many of you will have seen them – Kilian’s Quest and of course the new Summits teaser.

Anyway, Seb has just made a new film.

“In life it’s our choice whether we laugh or cry – and I chose to laugh”

One Step Beyond takes us behind the scenes for a close up look at the lives of people involved in extreme sports.

VIEW THE TRAILER HERE

Géraldine Fasnacht, world-renowned snowboarder and base jumper, invites us into the small and close-knit community of today’s real life supermen – wingsuit flyers… We join her on a rollercoaster ride across the full spectrum of human emotions, catapulting from total euphoria to devastating loss, living life at full force and in glorious technicolour. Until one day, out of nowhere, a dramatic event changes the course of Géraldine’s life and forces her to reconsider her chosen path. In the face of tragedy, she decides to pick herself up and get back on the ride, to be swept up in a whirlwind of adrenaline.

This bare bones, honest account gives us a window into the lives of ordinary men and women who have chosen to take an extraordinary path in life.

Fasten your seat belts, we hope you enjoy your trip!

“It’s like a drug… when you do it you wonder how you
managed without it for so long, you can’t live without it”

This is an intimate look at a group of people who live exploring the extremes of human capability and the meaning of their own existence – a group bound by their experiences. And of one person in particular, who has no illusions of the consequences of her actions. Introduced to the mountains and the sport of snowboarding at a young age, Géraldine fast became addicted to the outdoors and the freedom and adventure she found through being in the mountains. She left the confines of patrolled areas in her home resort of Verbier almost as soon as she could stand up on a snowboard, venturing further and further into the backcountry. With the advent of freeride and extreme ski & snowboard competitions, organisers were forced to introduce a women’s category when Géraldine and her partner in crime were faster than many of the male competitors.

A very long way from the archetypal girl next door, this exceptionally talented woman excels in everything she does – doing ‘just ok’ is not an option. The pursuit of excellence and the desire to go further, faster, explore new sports, leads Géraldine through the best of times and the worst of times, and forces her to face her darkest demons in the aftermath of a tragic event.

“It’s like when you fall in love – you can’t control it. You know it might hurt you, …but the feeling is so good”

One Step Beyond is a story of lives led to extremes, of living your dreams and coming face to face with brutal reality. Of incredible friendships and finding the strength to overcome life’s cruelest obstacles. Of sharing amazing experiences with wonderful people… and of choosing to laugh.

GÉRALDINE FASNACHT
Snowboarder, Base jumper, wingsuit flyer (born 18th June 1980, Switzerland)

“I discovered the mountains and mountaineering through snowboarding. It’s like surfing a never ending wave… Happiness for me is painting lines on mountains… wide open spaces, freedom…”

Géraldine has notched up 12 years of snowboard competitions, with 8 of those on the international freeride circuit. She achieved a staggering 11 wins, 3 of those in the Verbier X-treme. She discovered basejump and wingsuit flying 10 years ago, finding the perfect parallel to drawing lines in the snow… doing the same in the sky. She has combined her passions on numerous trips and expeditions from Switzerland to the far corners of the planet – Mali, Baffin Island, Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, snowboarding spectacular mountains and making first basejump descents.

She shares her adventures through conferences and seminars via her company Lineprod, making presentations for corporate groups and children alike. Her love for nature and the outdoors shines through in everything she does.

KARINA HOLLEKIM
Free skier & Base jumper. (born April 25, 1976, Norway)

Karina grew up with a thirst for adventure and a fierce stubborn streak. She took to the ski slopes at a young age, only accepting the need for instruction from her dad after a high speed encounter with a hut! Shaping her life around her desire to ski bigger and higher mountains, lessons at school and work as a computer programmer soon gave way to time in the Alps. Life as a professional skier eventually lead her to explore base jumping and to achieve her childhood dream of being able to fly.

In August 2006 Karina suffered a near-fatal crash after her parachute failed during a routine parachute jump. She hit the ground at over 100 km/h and doctors said she would never walk again, but after 20 surgeries she has recovered and is now skiing again.

“…I guess this stubbornness and strong belief in my capability in managing things on my own has followed me, both in good and bad, ever since.”

SAMUEL BEAUGEY
Alpinist & globetrotter (born June 3rd 1971, France)

Sam grew up at the foot of Mont Blanc and has set up base camp on the slopes above les Houches. He became a mountain guide in 1994 … crampons, ice axes, skis, snowboard, wingsuit, snowkite, parapente – he has everything in his toolkit. He has accomplished a number of first descents and ascents (ski descent of Linceul on the Grandes Jorasses with Jerome Ruby, new route on Kwangde Shar in the Himalayas, snowboard descent of Everest North Face with Jerome Ruby & André-Pierre Rhem). With over 800 base jumps under his belt, he made the first wingsuit jump from Trango Pulpit (6100m) after climbing a new route Azazel with the Planet Big Wall team. In recent years he travelled to both polar regions, climbing new routes with wingsuit descents on Baffin Island and Antarctica.

He was joined by Géraldine on the Antarctic expedition and the couple were married in July 2011.

GIULIA MONEGO
Freeride skier (born June 23rd 1981, Italy)

Giulia spent the first part of her life in Venice, moving to Cortina in the Alps at 13 where she started ski racing. She quit the race circuit in 2001, tired of the stress of competitions, completed her ski instructor qualification and studies in tourism at Milan university. She then moved to Verbier where she has been based ever since, competing in freeride ski competitions (she won the Verbier Xtreme in 2006) and working as a freeride ski instructor for Powder-extreme ski school.

“My love for the mountains has given me the opportunity to live every season and use every tool, available. Climbing, paragliding and biking in the summer; skiing and climbing in the winter making the most of the outdoors. My years of experience have allowed me to push my limits further each day in new adventures, facing new and harder challenges.”

More info available in the downloadable press pack… HERE

West Slabs of Olympus

Posted on July 11, 2012 by talkultra

Time for another awesome video.

Jared Campbell attacking the ‘West Slabs of Olympus; fast June 2011.

Camera work by Ryan McDermott

Who is Jared? as if you didn’t know… but just in case!

What are some of your lifetime running goals?

– Sub 24 at Hardrock – Complete Nolans 14 – Colorado 14ers record (sub 10 days?) – Grand Traverse record (in Teton National Park) – Live in New Zealand and run all classic “treks”

Do you have a claim to fame?

– Knowing Zion National Park better than just about any human alive. – Blurring the line between runner, climber, canyoneer, biker

Do you have any vices?

None that I’m willing to admit pubically. 🙂

What makes you tick as a runner and in the real world?

As a runner : Seeing new places, coming up with crazy linkups, learning new things In the real world : Learning new things about the world, meeting colorful new people, traveling to new places

What drives you to run?

Having the fitness to do the things I love in the mountains

What is your favorite movie?

La Misma Luna

Do you have any nicknames? Explain:

Deraj. My name backwards

What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep? Why?

72 hrs. It was a test to see if I could ween myself off of sleep. Didn’t work too well.

If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?

Utah

What did you have for lunch yesterday?

Burrito

If you could hook up a thought monitor to your head, would you see pictures, hear words or would music be playing?

Pictures

What really scares you about trail running?

Nothing REALLY scares me. But, the scariest thing on trails are hunters!

If your life was made into a movie, what would it be called?

Simple Pleasures

Where would you live if it could be anywhere in the world?

New Zealand – South Island

What’s your worst encounter on the trail?

shoulder-checked a moose once. Scared the sh#t out of both of us.

Hydration

Posted on July 11, 2012 by talkultra

Wow! it would appear that Dr Tim Noakes and his ‘Waterlogged‘ book has caused some interest… not a surprise. I guess the whole reason for me initially posting was that I new that it would rock the boat and make us all look at what we do personally in regard to our own personal hydration when running or racing.

As part of Talk Ultra we have a regular section of the show called Talk Training – we look at our sport and we discuss all aspects of what will make us all better runners. Often our subjects and our thought processes may very well be controversial and thought provoking. Only recently we actually discussed this exact subject. You can listen HERE

However, Marc Laithwaite from Endurancecoach who is my co-host for Talk Training is far more experienced and a specialist in this field. I will let him tell it in his words:

An alternative view on hydration

Our focus is hydration or in more simple terms how much to drink.

Why drink?

Your body needs fluids for various functions. Body cells and tissues are filled with fluid, the nervous system requires fluid and the fluid component of your blood (known as plasma) is also affected by your drinking habits. Exercise leads to a loss of body fluids via sweating and breathing and this loss of fluid can eventually lead to what is commonly termed dehydration.

What happens when we drink?

When you put fluids into your stomach, they pass through the stomach wall into your blood vessels and effectively become plasma. As your blood stream can pretty much reach any part of your body, any tissue or any cell, this fluid can be transferred from the blood stream into the tissues or cells.

How does fluid actually pass from one place to another?

To get the fluid from your stomach into your blood stream or from your blood stream into tissue cells requires a process termed ‘osmosis’. Salt acts like a magnet drawing fluid towards it and the concentration of salt in your blood and tissues determines the shift of fluid around your body.

When you take a drink of water it reaches your stomach and waits excitedly to pass through the wall into your blood stream. Your blood is saltier than the water in your stomach and due to the higher level of salt in the blood, the water is drawn from the stomach, through the wall and into the blood. This water effectively becomes blood plasma and travels around your body. If it finds muscle tissue which has a higher salt concentration, the magnetic pull of the salt within the muscle will draw the fluid from the blood into the muscle.

In simple terms, when something is dehydrated, it becomes more salty. By becoming more salty it’s magnetic pull increases in power and it attracts water towards it. That’s how fluid shift and hydration works within the body, that’s ‘osmosis’.

What happens when you dehydrate?

When you dehydrate your tissues and blood have less fluid thereby making them more salty, in the hope that they can attract fluid towards them. Your blood becomes thicker as you still have the same amount of ‘blood cells’ but the fluid component is reduced, thereby making it more concentrated. Not only does the blood become thicker (making flow more difficult), the absolute amount of blood is also reduced so you have to pump the smaller blood volume more quickly around the body, thereby increasing heart rate.

Most text books will recommend somewhere between 1 – 1.5 litres per hour depending upon individual sweat rates, but it is unlikely that this amount can actually be absorbed when you are exercising. As each litre of fluid weight 1kg in weight, it is possible to calculate (very roughly!) fluid loss by taking weight before and after.

The Endurance Coach research on ultra distance runners

Last year we measured pre and post body weights for competitors taking part in a 100 mile mountain running event http://www.lakeland100.com. Race finish times varied from 24 to 40 hours and if we presume that athletes are losing 1-1.5 litres per hour, just how much weight did the competitors lose???!!

The body weight stats 2010

Our stats from last year showed the followed weight loss at the finish line:

Runners sub 30 hours, average weight loss 860g / 860ml
Runners sub 32 hours, average weight loss 1008g / 1008ml
Runners sub 35 hours, average weight loss 1040g / 1040ml

Compare those figures to the guidance given in the previous paragraph which suggest that athletes will need to replace 1-1.5 litres per hour as this is the rate at which they are losing fluid. Admittedly the competitors may not be exercising at a very high intensity due to the nature of the event, but even then.. something doesn’t add up as the fastest runners haven’t even average 1 litre fluid loss at the finish.

Take the mineral water challenge.. we guarantee if you drink 5 litres per day we’ll feel great about our bank balance and you might end up in hospital..

I know.. I’m cynical.. However, there needs to be some common sense applied to hydration. Your body tells you when you need fluid by making you feel thirsty and then you should drink what you’ve lost. Your body is very much like a water tank with an overflow system, once the tank is full, any further fluid intake will be dispensed with by urinating. It’s correct to say that urinating frequently and especially if the urine is clear, IS NOT a sign of optimal hydration, it’s a sign you’re drinking too much.

The drink might kill you..

For many years marathon runners were encourage to drink at every aid station and “don’t wait until you’re thirsty.. it’s too late then!” Unfortunately a few of those people died as a consequence due to a condition known as ‘hyponatremia / hyponatraemia’ which is excessive dilution of body salts.

What’s going on??

Hyponatremia is quite simple:

Take 1 medium sized bucket, add a tea spoon of salt and then add 1 pint of water and in your bucket you have a salt solution.
Add another pint of pure water to the same bucket and you have now diluted the salt solution (it’s a bit weaker).
Add another pint of pure water to the same bucket and dilute the salt even further.
Keep going until the salt solution is so weak you can hardly even taste the salt.

We said earlier in this article that salt acts like a magnet and attracts water towards it:

‘When you take a drink of water it reaches your stomach and waits excitedly to pass through the wall into your blood stream. Your blood is saltier than the water in your stomach and due to the higher level of salt in the blood, the water is drawn from the stomach, through the wall and into the blood’

What if you’d added so much water to your body that the blood wasn’t salty at all, it was massively diluted and had thereby lost all its pulling power?

Stay calm..

The chances of anyone dying from hyponatremia are so minimal and so infrequent that this should never concern you but weight measurements before and after can be an important part of medical checks. In essence, if you collapse and you’ve lost weight, we’d give you a drink, some food and a lift back home. If a competitor were to collapse and following a weight check they had gained weight, we would take it more seriously.

Some of you may be thinking at this point that you can take salt tablets with your water, if you add salt and water simultaneously, problem solved! The research has shown that it’s not a lack of salt intake which leads to hyponatremia, it’s too much fluid.

In conclusion

Drink sensibly, let thirst guide you and don’t force load yourself with water.

Aside from excess fluid intake, there is one other thing which may lead to weight gain during ultra distance endurance events and that is ‘rhabdomyolysis’ or ‘muscle damage’ leading to inflammation. This is a real issue for longer events and has a huge impact upon performance and health.

Waterlogged – Tim Noakes, MD, DSc

Posted on July 11, 2012 by talkultra

Taken from the book – ‘Waterlogged’ by Tim Noakes

“Drink as much as you can, even before you feel thirsty.” That’s been the mantra to athletes and coaches for the past three decades, and bottled water and sports drinks have flourished into billion-dollar industries in the same short time. The problem is that an overhydrated athlete is at a performance disadvantage and at risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH)–a potentially fatal condition.

Dr. Tim Noakes takes you inside the science of athlete hydration for a fascinating look at the human body’s need for water and how it uses the liquids it ingests. He also chronicles the shaky research that reported findings contrary to results in nearly all of Noakes’ extensive and since-confirmed studies.

In Waterlogged, Noakes sets the record straight, exposing the myths surrounding dehydration and presenting up-to-date hydration guidelines for endurance sport and prolonged training activities. Enough with oversold sports drinks and obsessing over water consumption before, during, and after every workout, he says. Time for the facts—and the prevention of any more needless fatalities.

An excellent article written by Joe Uhan is available on iRunFar and I recommend you read it as a follow on from the above ‘teaser’.

Garmin Fenix GPS

Posted on July 10, 2012 by talkultra

Garmin® fēnix™ Outdoor Watch Lets Adventurers Go Even Further Off-Trail

garmin-presents-fēnix-the-game-changing-outdoor-gps-watch-for-mountaineers.html

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced fēnix, its first GPS wrist watch for outdoorsmen, such as mountaineers, hikers, cyclists, hunters and backpackers. fēnix provides comprehensive navigation and tracking functionalities as well as trip information to guide adventurers during their challenging activities off the beaten track. Its built-in sensors provide information on heading, elevation and weather changes. Utilizing Garmin’s leading GPS technology, fēnix can guide adventurers off the trail and back to the safety of a vehicle, trailhead or campsite. Sporting a classic round watch design in a high-strength housing with a scratch-resisting display, it is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions and also makes a stylish day-to-day timepiece.

“fēnix packs Garmin’s leading and trusted outdoor technology into a robust, wrist-worn GPS watch that outdoorsmen can rely on,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Being able to go hands free while still having access to Garmin’s precise and accurate information on weather, elevation and position provides adventurers the confidence and peace of mind to take their outdoor activities even further off-trail.”

Plan, Navigate and Track

fēnix includes a comprehensive navigational toolset that allows users to plan trips and create routes, record waypoints, such as campsites or points of interest, and record GPS bread crumb trails on the move (tracklogs). Adventurers can navigate to coordinates, along a track or route, towards waypoints, geocaches or along any other selected bearing. A navigation arrow provides clear directional guidance and the TracBack® function can guide one back along a previously recorded tracklog. This provides adventurers peace of mind knowing they’re never “lost” and can easily find their way back in case of an emergency or bad weather conditions. Also included is a worldwide basemap displaying cities nearby. Using the BaseCampTM desktop application, fēnix users will be able to easily plan trips and share their adventures with friends and family. fēnix is equipped with both ANT capabilities and Bluetooth® to wirelessly share tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches with other compatible Garmin devices. A Basecamp mobile app allows users to transfer waypoints and tracklogs to view them on a more detailed map and larger screen of select smartphones.

Altimeter, Barometer and Compass

fēnix is equipped with ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer and compass) to provide explorers relevant real-time information. The built-in altimeter provides elevation data to accurately monitor ascent and descent, the barometer can be used to predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure and a 3-axis electronic compass keeps the user’s bearing whether he’s moving or not. Utilizing its GPS receiver, fēnix can auto-calibrate its ABC sensors and also auto sets the time based on location. For an extremely accurate temperature reading, fēnix can be paired with tempeTM, Garmin’s new external temperature sensor.

Measure Performance

Similar to Garmin’s running watches, fēnix provides real-time performance data, such as distance, pace time and calories, helping outdoorsmen keep track of their progress during and after their adventures. This is especially useful to keep track of fitness activities off the beaten track, such as adventure or trail running. fēnix is also compatible with Garmin’s premium heart rate monitor for heart rate info and with a speed/cadence sensor for distance, speed and cadence while on a bike. The displayed data fields are fully customizable right from the watch.

Built to Endure the Roughest Conditions

fēnix is built to endure the toughest outdoor conditions, combining a high-strength housing to survive shocks with a mineral glass lens to resist scratching. It boasts a large LCD display with LED backlight and a robust polyurethane wristbands. Garmin’s outdoor watch is waterproof to 50 meters and has a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode (depends on settings) and up to 6 weeks in watch mode. Basic watch functions include alarms, tones, vibration alerts, timer, stopwatch and world clock with the ability to display several times zones at once.

Read on Garmin site HERE

Garmin fēnix is expected to be available in fall 2012 and will have a suggested retail price of $399.99. tempe is an optional accessory and has a suggested retail price of $29.99. The polyurethane wristband will be available in olive or orange and an optional leather wristband can be added.

fēnix is the latest solution from Garmin’s growing outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ outdoor experiences. Whether it’s Golfing, Hiking, Hunting or Geocaching, Garmin outdoor devices are becoming essential tools for outdoor enthusiast of all levels. For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services.

http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/

http://www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.

Tony Krupicka – Second Heartbeat

Posted on July 10, 2012 by talkultra

Tony is missing Hardrock 100 this weekend… he says he isn’t ready!

Is it me or am I missing something. He looks ready to me.

Many congrats to Joe Grant (who will be toeing the line at Hardrock) on capturing this sweet movie. You can view more of Joe’s work at Alpine Works and of course you can read Tony’s blog Riding the Wind.

Alpine Works – Joe Grant

Kilian’s Quest S3 E07

Posted on July 10, 2012 by talkultra

This clip is some 10 months old but it is one that I go back to time and time again… it shows Kilian Jornet in flight doing what he does best; running on tough and technical terrain.

Captured at 1000 frames per second by the ‘master’ Seb Montaz this highly stylised movie not only shows Kilian at his best but also Seb at his best, mastering a camera whilst also managing to keep up with Kilian.