Awesome to hear!

Just saw that Black Canyon is giving golden tickets to the top 3 men and women instead of the top 2. AggieOO, hope you're ready!

Only need several hundred DNFs in front of me!

How did the new Nike Wildhorse work for you?

It's been fine. Wasn't the most comfortable for bandera bc they didn't have enough miles on them, but they've broken in nicely since then. I actually like the new version better than the previous ones.

AggieOO said:

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It's been fine. Wasn't the most comfortable for bandera bc they didn't have enough miles on them, but they've broken in nicely since then. I actually like the new version better than the previous ones.

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Are you wearing them for Black Canyon or something less aggressive?

Thinking of switching things up and doing one of the rucks at Hell's Hills in Smithville. Have any of yall done one?

aggiespartan said:

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AggieOO said:

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It's been fine. Wasn't the most comfortable for bandera bc they didn't have enough miles on them, but they've broken in nicely since then. I actually like the new version better than the previous ones.

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Are you wearing them for Black Canyon or something less aggressive?

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I rarely change shoe types for different courses anymore. I find a shoe I like and just run everything with it.

What would you guys layer on during a race after it gets dark in these conditions - 50s during the day, lows at night in the 30s, minimal wind, totally exposed course.

I got kind of cold on the flat, exposed sections of bandera, so I'm thinking about adding some kind of pants.

During a 100? Might not be applicable for you, but my "body temp" seems to go up in the later miles. At mile 80+ it has been in the low 40s and I was hot in a t-shirt and shorts.

Take some pants, worst case, you don't need them.

Bandera was also weird this year bc it was a wet cold. How will the humidity be at your race?

No idea yet. It could be completely dry or it could be raining or it could be snowing. I'm trying to make sure I have appropriate gear for everything so I'm not waiting for shipments last minute.

Typically I just wear UA cold gear compression tights and it keeps me plenty warm to below freezing but I tend to run hot.
Now for last year's Buffalo run when it was sleeting, I had those on plus shell pants. Those have zippers on lower leg so I can get them on and off over shoes. I also ran with injinji liner socks with water tight socks over them to stay dry.
For mountain ultras I have those ultra thin jackets that bundle in to a softball but if the temperature drops that is no good. So I just bring a heavier rain jacket that isn't great to run in, but for an ultra not important so I just wanted to be warm and comfy.

It's for Buffalo Run. I don't really like to wear tights unless it's cold, so I'm not planning on starting in tights, unless it's a weird weather year again.

Has anyone here run the Silverton CO Alpine 50K (July)? I'm considering running it as my first ultra and am a little unsure of what gear (shoes mostly) to train in and wear.

Only pair of trail shoes I've got is a pair of Hoka SG 5's and they're fine. But curious if I could get away with road shoes (Endorphin Speed 3's).

I haven't run it but it looks like the entire course is gravel road (even over California pass) so traction won't be an issue. The best shoes are going to be what you are comfortable with in that distance. If you can run 20 miles in a shoe and not get blisters then you'll probably be okay for a 50K. If road shoes they should have a least decent cushioning because the gravel road will be rough in some places and landing on a 2" rock could cause foot injury.

It will be a learning experience since everyone is different so trial and error will happen as you do more ultras. Not just with shoes but socks as well. Extra socks in a drop bag halfway is not a bad idea just in case.

If it's maintained gravel, I'd likely wear road shoes. If not or it's more like Forrest road double track, I'd go trail shoes.

I ran the marathon distance at Silverton back in 2021. It covered all the same ground as the 50k. Essentially the entirety of the course is passable by ATVs and OHVs. The descent off the top of the pass is pretty steep in places (miles 16-20 especially) so a little traction there might be welcome. The final 10 miles is a long descent on wide gravel roads and the final .8 miles to the finish is paved.

I ran in the Trail Pegasus 2 which had some very moderate lugs (3ish mm) and feel like anything more aggressive than that would be overkill. If this had been an A Goal race I was really training to compete in, I'd have probably worn a road supershoe. The winner of the 50km that year wore the Alphafly. If just looking to get it done and have a good time, I'd pick any of the so-called hybrid/road-to-trail shoes that've worked for you in the past.

It's a beautiful course, just don't underestimate how hot it can get in that final 10km and how quickly you can get beat up by all the descending in the final 10 miles!

Thanks y'all, much appreciated. I'll probably continue training in my road shoes and trail shoes and take both with me.

I wear road shoes on almost all my trail races anyway (but they have all been in Texas and on easy stuff). My goal is just to finish it and have a good time.

The pro field for both men and women at Black Canyons is just flat out sick. And I noticed Hans Troyer recently signed up. It'll be interesting to see if he can throw down with the best, especially coming off Bandera only 4 weeks before.

Bandera was his first 100k. It will be fun to see what he does on a more runnable course. I'm a little sad I didn't do the same Bandera/Black Canyon split you are doing this year, but maybe I'll do Black Canyon next year.

Just listened to Hans Troyer interview on Adventure Jogger podcast. Pretty good stuff.

Wow, thanks for the heads up. I really like that host. And I'm now a big fan of Hans. He seems like a real good guy.

Doing 4x4x48 as training for my 100 in a couple of weeks. Any advice on how not to die?

Swarely said:

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Wow, thanks for the heads up. I really like that host. And I'm now a big fan of Hans. He seems like a real good guy.

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He's been interviewing more well known people lately (including Courtney), but if you go back, he has a lot of really good interviews with middle of the packers with great stories.

aggiespartan said:

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Doing 4x4x48 as training for my 100 in a couple of weeks. Any advice on how not to die?

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Honestly, it's not that hard. Just sucks on the overnight ones and the lack of solid sleep.

agdoc-ultrarunner said:

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The only race on the agenda so far is Rocky Raccoon 100mi.
Is my first 100 miler.

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How'd it go? After seeing pictures/video, I took a look at the results. It had to have been 50% or lower finishing rate. Those conditions looked sloppy!

Heard on a podcast that Karl Meltzer is considering doing Buffalo Run. Would be fun to get lapped by the GOAT.

I just went to Tejas Trails to look at the Capt'n Karl series, and it looks like they are being put on by a separate company now.

"These great events have been flying under the banner of Tejas Trails for several years now. But they are actually owned and operated by Traverse Running. And now Traverse Running has formally changed its name to Perspective Pacing to start a new chapter as an independent endurance event production company. The relationship between Perspective Pacing and Tejas Trails will forever remain amicable, and carry on the tradition of putting on the best trail running events possible in the most scenic places that Texas has to offer. If there are any questions regarding these events, volunteering, racing, or sponsorships, please email: info@perspectivepacing.com"

Hopefully the quality of these events won't change.

they have been Traverse Running events for years, they've just been under the Tejas Umbrella.

Do they work on other Tejas Trails races too? I swear the RD from Colorado Bend was at Bandera.

Yes. I'm not as plugged in as I was, but there's been overlap in both directions for a long time. Even before the races were under the Tejas umbrella Joe and Joyce (previous tejas owners/founders) were helping out at CK.

Wondering if the re-branding and venturing out on their own means the traverse guys sold it off or something.

Weather in the morning for black canyons is looking interesting. The rain/snow has pushed to the weekend. The start is currently showing 1-2 inches of snow accumulating Saturday morning.

High for the day, anywhere on the course looks to be sub 50 degrees.

What are you going to wear? Is that warmer or colder than what Bandera was on that Sunday?

start will be much colder than bandera (low 20s), high will be warmer than bandera. Will still wear shorts, but going to layer up and drop layers, as needed. Predicted amount of snow is lower now, but also rain chances at lower elevation, so that will affect things too.

Are you going solo or will you have crew at this one?