Roque de los Muchachos – La Palma

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After yesterdays 8 hour epic on the trails starting at sea level and going up; straight up to 2400m both Niandi and myself decided on a shorter run today. Or plan was to drive to the summit of the Transvulcania la Palma course at Roque de los Muchachos and run around the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente all at above 2000m. We would run ant- clockwise of the Transvulcania course and then turnaround and come back.

The drive from Los Lllanos takes just over an hour on some twisty winding roads but one bonus, at least for Niandi was that she noticed the Sunday market in Tazacorte en route… at a risk of sounding sexist; women and markets go together (I like them too). So Niandi could fulfil her shopping needs, usually local and typical jewellery and I could get some photos. I love to capture the people at markets. Not stop and and ask them to pose but sneak up on them and capture them incognito. You can see all of them HERE

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Back in the car, onward and upward we finally reached the summit at ‘Muchachos’. I kept telling Niandi how incredible this place is. As she got out of the car her expression changed as she saw a blanket of cloud cover the mountains and peaks breaking through. It brought back memories of May when I watched Kilian Jornet, Dakota Jones and Andy Symonds race around the rim and come towards me before finally dropping for the descent to Tazacorte (our run yesterday).

We spent 30 minutes being ‘tourists’. This summit area is like a James Bond film set with a lunar landscape and observatories dotted here and there.

Time to run! The first thing that was noticeable was the altitude and secondly in comparison to yesterday when we had lterally climbed for 5 hours, today we could run much more. A stunning day.

A full selection of images are available HERE

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Caldera de Taburiente – La Palma

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La Isla Bonita - Transvulcania La Palma

La Isla Bonita – Transvulcania La Palma

Niandi and myself have arrived on the island of La Palma – ‘La Isla Bonita’ – the home of the Transvulacania La Palma.

We are here for a working holiday. By that I mean we are here on holiday but still working as and when we feel like. We both have commitments that we need to fulfil while out on the island but we plan to be really flexible… of course I have another episode of Talk Ultra to get out. Based on how slow the wifi is here in our apartment that may be a real challenge.

Anyway, we decided NOT to to ease ourselves into this and went out for a full on 8 hours on the trail on our first day. Considering the longest run I have done in the last 17/18 weeks has been 75 min (due to dodgy knees) that was somewhat optimistic. However, I knew that this was not gong to be a run… more of a tough long hike with some jogging (mostly downhill).

The Transvulcania course starts in the south of the island and heads up the spine to the dramatic Roque de Los Muchachos at 2426m and then from here you basically have a 32-36k drop back to the sea at Tazacorte and then a run into the finish at Los Llanos.

Niandi and myself don’t have the luxury of multiple cars or drop/ pick ups so pretty much all our days out will be out and back.

Today we went from the sea at Tazacorte Port and went straight up to 2400m, had a picnic, turned around and came straight back down.

An incredible day on the trails and while friends back in the UK struggled with snow and ice we had T shirts and shorts on for the whole trek. The course offers some tough technical terrain, the views are dramatic and once above the cloud one really does feel like a ‘Skyrunner’ quite literally.

I personally had a great day. The longest on my feet for months BUT dropping from 2400m to sea level in one go DID test the knees. It wasn’t pretty at times but I am happy.

Here are some images from the day:

No warm up, from Tazacorte you go up for 18k

No warm up, from Tazacorte you go up for 18k

Caves in the rock face - once homes!

Caves in the rock face – once homes!

Follow the GR markers

Follow the GR markers

Niandi has a break

Niandi has a break

About 1800m up, still a way to go...

About 1800m up, still a way to go…

Running through the cloud was incredible

Running through the cloud was incredible

Just stunning

Just stunning

Once through the cloud layer the views are incredible and the temp was 20+ deg

Once through the cloud layer the views are incredible and the temp was 20+ deg

After 7 hours on the trail, with just 1 hour to go we get to see the sun disappear.

After 7 hours on the trail, with just 1 hour to go we get to see the sun disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L’Ice Trail Tarentaise 2013 – Skyrunning

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The Ice Trail Tarantaise (ITT) is unique. Its course is exclusively at high altitude (1850m alt min) which is the highest in Europe ( medium altitude and altitude max.) and secondly, by the Summit La Grande Motte which is located at 3653m above sea level making this the highest trail in Europe.

Fancy a challenge? Registration open soon HERE

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You can view the official website HERE

Skyrunning website available HERE

Marathon des Sables 2013

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Save The Date – Event from 5 to 15 April 2013

THE MARATHON DES SABLES: BEYOND JUST A RACE…
Since 1986, the MARATHON DES SABLES has offered men and women from all around the world the privilege of an encounter with immoderation. That of landscapes, that of sporting challenge, but above all that of emotion.

An adventure carved out in the South Moroccan Sahara.

There were 23 in 1986, 27 years on there will be nearly a thousand runners coming together in this endurance race: 250 kilometres split into 6 legs marked out across the South Moroccan Sahara in the provinces of Errachidia and Tinghrir and to be completed at their own pace and self-sufficiently. 
Over the course of a week, competitors will experience one of the finest challenges of their existence, of their whole life sometimes. There are sure to be a few champions in their midst, but most often the runners are ‘ordinary’ men and women in search of the extraordinary. For a lot of people, confronting the desert for six days and being self-sufficient in terms of food intake, is the realisation of a dream that began to take shape several years earlier. And here they are, at the heart of a majestic setting, with the Merzouga dunes, the highest in Morocco, as a backdrop.

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The richness and intensity of emotions

It is often an inner journey for all the competitors. Each day, for hours on end, they will run, jog or walk. Whatever the pace, their sole obsession is to make headway. In the heat, the wind, then the night, their bag strapped to their back, they’ll traverse the desert, with the light of their headtorch, the starry desert sky their only witness. With the passing kilometres, with the passing tracks left amid a string of dunes, in a dried out erg, or on the summit of a djebel, they separate off from the superficial to simply be left with the essential. That will be their finest victory. “On the Marathon des Sables, you cut yourself off from the world, you learn to rediscover the simple pleasures,explains Nicolas Esterhazy, a 50-year old Belgian runner. It’s hard to express how you feel in words or images. Added to that is the solidarity between the runners. You run and you come across someone from Columbia, Portugal or China. You don’t know them but you share a moment with them. Such encounters are absolutely priceless.” “This race is kind of reminiscent of the United Nations,adds Kirk McCall, a runner newly arrived from Florida. The runners come from all over the world and share the same emotions, helping each other out. All the barriers are erased. The politicians of our world should take inspiration from the Marathon des Sables.”

An XL organisation

400 people manage the event, including 110 volunteers who come to add their contribution to this ocean of sand. This caravan also employs some 250 Moroccans, 65 of whom are allocated to the 119 runners’ tents as well as over 60 drivers capable of recognising nearly every stone and dune in the desert. An absolute priority at the MARATHON DES SABLES, safety remains a constant concern. Over 50 doctors and nurses treat 300 to 400 people each day, ranging from the unmissable blister to the more delicate operations.

Solidarity Marathon des Sables: The joy in sharing

Having financed the creation of wells and some more specific projects, the MARATHON DES SABLES has now gone the extra distance in its solidarity with Morocco by creating the Association, SOLIDARITY MARATHON DES SABLES. Inaugurated on 11 April 2010, the centre, situated to the North of Ouarzazate, offers those aged 3 to 5 early-learning sports activities and for those aged 6 to 11 early-learning athletics activities. In 2012, the association has also launched the Fémmissima operation, an initiative designed to boost literacy among women. These long-term projects have a budget of between 45,000 and 50,000 Euros. The aim is to perpetuate this action through donations from the runners, of whom there are an increasing number each year who support the Association SOLIDARITY MARATHON DES SABLES. Because joy is infinitely more beautiful when it is shared.

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Anton Krupicka in Europe

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Anton Krupicka talks about New Balance and his experiences of being in and around Barcelona for the Skyrunning Cavalls del Vent 2012

You Tube clip HERE

Tony Krupicka in Europe

Presented by New Balance Spain

Tony expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to race the iconic Cavalls del Vent.

As Tony says “Kilian Jornet, Miguel Heras and Tofol Castanyer are the top mountain runners in the world…. ”

Tony placed second overall in the race behind Kilian Jornet. His fellow countryman Dakota Jones placed third.

Jantastic 2013

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JANTASTIC – the Marathon Talk 2013 Spring Motivation Challenge

Who’s up for a bit of Jantastic?

Fellow podcasters (and partners in crime) Martin Yelling and Tom Williams over at Marathon Talk have a concept called Jantastic.

You need to sign up HERE

What is it….?

January = How many runs per week?

February = January + How far will you go?

March = January + February + How fast will you go?

The most important thing to reach your personal running goals this spring is to be consistent with your training. In Jantastic 2012 runners logged over 70,000 runs.

Jantastic = January + February + March.

  • January (Jantastic) = How may runs will you do. Set the number of times per week you are going to run.
  • February (Febulous) = January + How far will your long runs be? Set the distances of your longest runs.
  • March (Marchvellous) = January + February + How fast will you run? Set your race targets.

In Jantastic you can:

  • Sign up as an individual or team
  • Select ‘rivals’ to pitch yourself against
  • See your personal Jantastic score in your profile
  • Monitor your progress and that of your team / rivals through your profile
  • Message and motivate fellow team members
  • See how runners in your town, area, age group and with the same goals as you are getting on
  • Keep motivated and on track with your personal running goals

 

How to do it

  • Register to become a part of the Marathon Talk community
  • Sign up to Jantastic as an individiual and/or as part of a team
  • Set your target number of runs per week (this can be anything from 3 to 13 runs!)*
  • Go out and run!
  • Log your weekly runs **
  • Hit your goals and stay motivated!

 

What counts as a run? You decide the distance of each run but the minimum distance to be able to ‘log’ your run is 1 mile. So, the minimum target you could set yourself would be 3x1mile runs each week. There is no maximum daily run distance.

* don’t just set a target number of runs that is super easy for you to achieve each week and won’t be a challenge at all. At the same time, don’t set a target weekly run goal that is unrealistic and over commit yourself. Your number of weekly runs should be a stretch helping you achieve your personal spring running goals.

** Jantastic weeks run from Monday to Sunday and updates can be made daily up until 8am on Tuesday (UK Time) immediately following each week.

Jantastic rules of competition.

  • Jantastic is all about personal challenge and relies on your honesty when logging your runs.
  • Each week you will be able to gain a maximum of 25 points towards your overall Jantastic Score.

    For example: if you complete your target number of runs each week you will get a Jantastic score of 25 points in week 1; 25 points in week 2; 25 points in week 3 and 25 points in week 4, which will give you an overall Jantastic Score of 100.

  • In order to be eligible for a participation prize you will need to have submitted runs for a minimum of two out of the four weeks for each month.
  • Team Scores are calculated as an average of its team members. However, so a team’s score is not unfairly disadvantaged due to a team member not contributing or having to pull-out due to injury, only the top 75% of individuals will count towards the team’s average.

    Example 1: A Team of 6 will need to have 5 people score 100% in order for their team to have an overall score of 100%.

    Example 2: A Team of 30 will need to have 23 people score 100% in order for their team to have an overall score of 100%.

  • All runs will need to be submitted by 0800 GMT on the Tuesday immediately following each week.
  • Please only submit your runs once you have done them.
  • You are not allowed to change teams after the end of week 1.

Adidas prizes! – Thanks to our partner adidas for helping incentivise you to set it, stick to it and run it.

  • When you participate in and complete Jantastic it’s possible to win some brilliant adidas prizes.

Skyrunning Calendar 2013

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2012 saw the  ISF take running above the clouds to new heights. The vision of Marino Giacometti and Lauri Van Houten was fulfilled with the first event, the Transvulcania La Palma and this set the stage for an incredible year of racing. The inclusion of ultra distance races made some of the worlds greatest runners realise that Skyrunning had something new to offer. Tough, technical and gnarly courses at altitude with incredible competition.

With a season over and a new year ahead, we have great pleasure in releasing the 2013 calendar. Certainly from an ultra perspective the inclusion of the Ronda dels Cims in Andorra will set the stage for a battle ‘royal’ at the 100 mile distance. This course is renowned for its difficulty and altitude gain at 13,000m. As a season final, we have UROC (Ultra Race of Champions) in Colorado. At 100km this will provide an incredible closure to what I am sure will be the best Skyrunning year ever!

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As you will know, I have had great pleasure to be at many of the events in 2012 and this will continue in 2013. I will be bringing you news, reports, articles, images, facebook posts and tweets as an exciting year above the clouds unfolds…

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2013 SKYRUNNER® WORLD SERIES 

– new races, new format

Skyrunner® World Series celebrates 10 years!

November 30, 2012 Press release by Lauri Van Houten, ISF

It’s curtains up on the 2013 Skyrunner® World Series which celebrates ten years with some of the best and most exciting races across the world.  The new Series is divided into three stand-alone circuits: Sky, Ultra and Vertical, each with their own titles and prizes – clean and simple!

The introduction of the ultra distance this year wrote a new page in skyrunning.  The Series kicked off with the Transvulcania Ultramarathon on the Spanish island of La Palma, which saw probably the deepest field of world-class runners to date. The spectacular 83km course and 4,400m vertical climb will represent a major challenge to competitors in 2013 as once again the race opens the Ultra Series.

The success of the 2012 Ultra Series paved the way for our first 100-miler – the Ronda dels Cims.  With a gruelling 13,000m-elevation gain, the race will take place on the longest day under the full moon crossing the entire Principality of Andorra.

The Speedgoat 50K will be back with top runners and a fast course reaching three passes at 3,400m altitude in Snowbird, Utah, USA.

Two favourite skyrunning locations from the past also make a comeback:  Val d’Isère and Vail, Colorado.  The Ice Trail Tarentaise, 65 km with 5,000m vertical climb, will test the best against the spectacular backdrop of the Rhône-Alpes Region, site of the ’92 Winter Olympics while Vail in Denver, Colorado, will host the Ultra Race of Champions “UROC” – the Ultra Series final.  American and European legends will compete in this new 100 km race, very much at high altitude with four passes at 3,600m – a race of champions indeed.

Two of Europe’s most famous mountains feature in the Sky Series: the Mont-Blanc Marathon which will also host the KM Vertical in Chamonix the same weekend, and the new Matterhorn Ultraks, a fast, 46 km race in Zermatt, in the shadow of the world’s most famous peak will, without a doubt, attract top runners.

Spain’s long-standing testing ground of champions, the Maratòn Alpina Zegama-Aizkorri, launches the Sky Series and the popular Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado USA, will again feature.  To close, yet another new venue offers both a nocturnal Vertical and the Sky Series final: Skyrunning Xtreme, a short, steep technical race towering over Italy’s famous Lake Garda.

Russia’s Mount Elbrus Vertical Kilometer® launches the entire skyrunning season and the Vertical Series on May 7.  Entirely over snow, the VK reaches an altitude of 3,450m, the world’s highest race of its kind. The Vertical Series continues with the Ribagorza Vertical Kilometer® on the site of the 2012 SkyGames® in Spain, followed by Greece’s Gerania Vertical Kilometer®, dominating the Corinthian Gulf.

See below for the full calendars in each Series.

Some numbers from the 2013 Skyrunner® World Series: nine new entries, two brand new races – 653m kilometres and 43,632 vertical climb – six races located in the world’s top ski resorts (Chamonix, Zermatt, Vallnord, Val d’Isère, Snowbird, Vail) – without a doubt some of the best places to run in summer…see you there!

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SKY

1. SPAIN: Maratòn Alpina Zegama-Aizkorri – 42k, Zegama – May 26

2. FRANCE: Mont-Blanc Marathon – 42k, Chamonix – June 30

3. USA:  Pikes Peak Marathon, Colorado – 42k – August 18             

4. SWITZERLAND:  Matterhorn Ultraks – 46k, Zermatt – August 24

5. ITALY: Skyrunning Xtreme – 23k, Limone sul Garda – October 13

ULTRA

1. SPAIN: Transvulcania Ultramarathon – 83k, La Palma – May 11

2. ANDORRA: Ronda dels Cims – 170k, Vallnord – June 21

3. FRANCE: Ice Trail Tarentaise – 65k, Val d’Isère – July 14

4. USA: Speedgoat – 50k, Park City, Utah – July 27 

5. USA: Ultra Race of Champions “UROC” -100k, Vail, September 28

 VERTICAL

1. RUSSIA: Mount Elbrus Vertical Kilometer® – May 7

2. SPAIN: Ribagorza Vertical Kilometer®, Barruera – May 18

3. FRANCE: KM Vertical, Chamonix – June 28

4. GREECE:  Gerania Vertical Kilometer®, Loutraki– September 8

5. ITALY:  Xtreme Vertical Kilometer®, Limone sul Garda – October 11

Information

Ranking points

The three best results in each Series are scored in ranking.  Ranking points in the final races of all three Series will be increased by 20%. Ranking points breakdown: 100-88-78-72-68-66-64-62-60-58-56-54-52-50 down to 2 points to 40th position for men and 15th position for women.

Legend 

SKY – races more than 22 km and less than 50 km long with at least 1,300m positive vertical climb (SkyRace® and SkyMarathon®)

ULTRA – races over 50 km long that exceed the SkyMarathon® parameters (Ultra SkyMarathon®)

VERTICAL – races with 1,000m positive vertical climb not exceeding 5 km distance (Vertical Kilometer®)

Contact:

Lauri van Houten, International Skyrunning Federation

Tel +39 335 8000061 lvanhouten@skyrunning.com

Episode 23 – King, Kremer & Davies

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We speak to man of the moment Max King after his incredible wins at UROC and JFK50. Oz fast man, Brendan Davies talks about the ultra scene down under and his win at GNW100. Pocket Rocket Stevie Kremer tells us what it’s like to move from the US to Italy and race at the highest level. Talk Training with Marc Laithwaite is about run shoes. We have the news with Ian Sharman, a blog post with Ellie Greenwood, up and coming races and of course Speedgoat Karl Meltzer.

Libsyn – HERE

ITunes HERE

RSS – HERE

Website – talkultra.com

Show Notes

00:00:00

00:00:45 show start

00:22:00 Interview with Brendan Davies website here

Apart from running, I enjoy a lot of other sports; mountain biking, adventure racing, rogaining, skin/scuba diving and still play social squash. I guess I do these things as I love pushing my mind and body to the limits and being rewarded with fitness, health and friendships that have positive impacts on all aspects of my life. It also gives me the quiet time I need to process all the garbage that life throws at you.

00:51:46 News with Ian Sharman

01:11:00 Interview with Stevie Kremer here

01:32:45 Back to the news

01:38:30 Blog – Ellie Greenwood blog post here

It gets to this time of year and with one racing year winding down it’s time to start planning a little for the following year.  My schedule is never set in stone and I’m sure there will be changes before hitting some of these start lines.

01:42:07 Talk Training with Marc Laithwaite – run shoes

02:09:05 Interview with Max King

Date of Birth:
February 24, 1980

Place of Birth:
Sacramento, CA

Current Home town: 
Bend, OR

Primary Race Distance:
Hmm, 3k to 50 mile. What’s primary mean anyway?

Other hobbies or sports:
Shoes, running up hills, skiing, mountain biking

What MHW/ Montrail gear and clothing is in your quiver for a typical day at/ on the trail? 
Rogue Racers
Effusion Tights
Geist Jacket
Wicked Lite L/S
Power Stretch Glove
If it’s nice then the Ultra Refueler Shorts and Way2Cool shirt.

How were you introduced to your sport? 
I wasn’t always a “team player” and I was terrible at ball sports. I used to crush the other kids in the PE mile though so I went out for track in 7th grade.

What inspires you?
Lots of things: A cold stormy run through deep forest on a flowing single track trail, seeing someone else make a huge breakthrough after months or years of hard training, or just the pre-race adrenaline that comes when all the best racers toe the line.

What advice would you give to newcomers to (your sport) today? 
It’s all about having fun and working hard. There are no special secrets to anyone’s running success, it’s all hard work.

What’s your favorite pre race meal? 
A Hammer Bar or oatmeal.

What the first thing you look forward to doing after a long run / race? 
Eating, I like to eat. A lot. It might not show but I run to eat and I eat to run.

How do you balance your training schedule with your “real” job? 
I quit my real job.

Do you have any pre-race/ pre-competition rituals? 
Sure, but I can’t tell you or it would jinx my superstitions.

In 10 years I hope to be…
Doing the same thing I’m doing today. I envy those guys that are still improving at 40+ and hope that I’ll be doing the same.

Six-word bio:
Pain is weakness leaving the body.

When singing karaoke, what song do you sing to bring down the house? 
If I could even sing, it would be: Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

What music gets you fired up? 
Linkin Park

If you were a super hero, who would you be? 
Wolverine, he’s just plain bad ass. And yes, I’m a comic book geek.

02:48:40 Back to Karl

02:55:56 A Meltzer Moment with Speedgoat Karl

03:00:00 Up & coming races for the next two weeks

03:01:10 Show close

03:05:24

 

Kilian’s Quest S4 E08

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“the most important thing about running is, not so much how many races can I win but it’s about keeping the passion alive…. inspiring the new generation… that is more important… pass the torch to the next generation” Pablo Vigil

Problems with the video clip? Please go HERE

In the last encounter of this season, Kilian meets with Pablo Vigil at his home in Colorado. For Pablo it’s all about “keeping the passion alive and inspire future generations” ! Two different generations of runners and yet…so similar