Don't tell anyone. I just signed up for a bunch of 200 milers in 2015. Exactly half of the total I want to do. Registration for 4 of them hasn't opened yet, and I need to find a 10th somewhere.
I'm still looking for the right charity to represent. One of my contacts in the Santa Clara County foster system provided me with a short list of local organizations:
Unity Care – has group homes for youth, outpatient therapy services, intensive in-home behavioral services and services/support for foster-adopt parents
Help One Child – ministry that supports foster and adoptive parents with trainings, camp for foster/adopt children
Catholic Charities – supports bio relatives with children related to them that are the foster system.
I also tried signing up at the Guinness World Records website but it has been out of service for over a week now. It's too late for ATY anyway.
Race Calendar
You might have noticed that I am also signed up for Sean O'Brien 100k, Hardrock 100, and also Western States 100. I'm not planning on entering many more races in 2015. I don't think I'll have the legs for it.
Anyway, my chances of getting in the Hardrock lottery are about 2.3%. As for States, it's around 17%. I am pretty confident I don't have to worry about getting in. I'll find out tomorrow for both.
New Shoes
If I'm going to attempt to run 2000 miles in races in 2015, I'm going to go through a bunch of shoes. I kicked off the shopping season by getting another 3 identical pairs of Altra Olympus in my favorite cool color.
Below, you can see every pair of Altras I've ever owned. The Lone Peaks (red) were my first Altras, and I quickly fell in love them. When Altra came out with the Olympus, it was a good day for ultrarunners everywhere. Finally a highly cushioned shoe with a wide toe box. Like the Lone Peaks, they are zero drop. Since I started wearing zero drop shoes, I have not had any foot or knee injuries.
The bottom row of blue Altra Olympus have served me well. They all have more than 500 miles on them. Most of the 2000 miles I ran in 2014 was in these.
The bottom row of blue Altra Olympus have served me well. They all have more than 500 miles on them. Most of the 2000 miles I ran in 2014 was in these.
Other Gear
I want to mention some of the other gear I plan to use to get through all these races. The only socks I wear are Injinji Toe Socks. I rarely get blisters, even in 100 mile races. I don't lube my toes, powder them, or anything else. I just wear thin Injinji socks that go over each toe individually. It gets the job done without much fuss.
My favorite pack right now is the Ultimate Direction PB Adventure Vest 2.0. I wore one in Tahoe 200 and it was perfect. The carrying capacity is large enough to handle 110oz of water while still having room to carry a few layers, some emergency gear, and the usual morsels of food, salt, lip balm, etc.
To keep out the detritus and take advantage of the velcro flap on the Altra shoes, I use Dirty Girl Gaiters. What can I say? I love my dirty girls.
My favorite long race foods that never make me sick are applesauce, fruit cups, and the PROBAR Meal in any fruit flavor. I'm happy when the race carries Gatorade, Gu Brew, or pretty much any electrolyte drink aside from Heed. Many folks love Heed, but for some of us it has a very unpleasant aftertaste which induces a gag reflex. Hence, last year's winner of the Across The Year's 6-Day race nicknamed that drink "Heave". Good nickname, Joe.
I used to be a fan of Island Boost drink packets, but too many of them burst in my pack, pockets and pouches. You can only handle being covered in sticky liquid for hours on end so many times.
I also used to be a fan of Hokas, but my feet widened and they no longer fit. It was a sad day when I realized my feet don't fit in ANY of the Hoka models. Luckily Altra came out with the Olympus just a few months later.
My favorite long race foods that never make me sick are applesauce, fruit cups, and the PROBAR Meal in any fruit flavor. I'm happy when the race carries Gatorade, Gu Brew, or pretty much any electrolyte drink aside from Heed. Many folks love Heed, but for some of us it has a very unpleasant aftertaste which induces a gag reflex. Hence, last year's winner of the Across The Year's 6-Day race nicknamed that drink "Heave". Good nickname, Joe.
I used to be a fan of Island Boost drink packets, but too many of them burst in my pack, pockets and pouches. You can only handle being covered in sticky liquid for hours on end so many times.
I also used to be a fan of Hokas, but my feet widened and they no longer fit. It was a sad day when I realized my feet don't fit in ANY of the Hoka models. Luckily Altra came out with the Olympus just a few months later.
Race Links
- Across the Years (AZ, New Years)
- Solemates Prescott Circle (AZ, April)
- Pigtails Challenge (WA, May)
- Solemates Arizona 200 (AZ, June)
- Bigfoot 200 (WA, August)
Arizona 200 and Bigfoot 200 are brand new races in 2015.
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