I hope he gets picked up. After watching his Bandera video, he seems very deliberate when he's racing. I'm guessing just lack of experience hurt him. I don't think he's ever had to rush at aid stations, plus he was running against a stacked field. It looked like he got a little off course at the river crossing, but I saw a couple people having trouble in that spot on the livestream. Canyons is sold out, but I wish he had another crack at a golden ticket after learning a few lessons at a big race.AggieOO said:
Saw Hans Troyer ended up 10th, but was in 3rd through 60k. I think this kid has a very bright future. Seems to have his head on right and is very humble. I'm guessing there are some brands looking to pick him up.
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I'm guessing what "hurt" him was the quick turnaround. Not enough recovery to go hard at 100k twice in 4 weeks.
Even seasoned pros haven't historically succeeded making the bandera- black canyons double. I'm sure Courtney could, but after that the list is probably crazy short.
Even seasoned pros haven't historically succeeded making the bandera- black canyons double. I'm sure Courtney could, but after that the list is probably crazy short.
Just listened to the free trail after show. Apparently Hans had an achilles injury about two weeks before the race and was in a boot. Then he missed one of his flights to the race and got in late the night before. The kid is insane.
spoiler alert. come on! 
i'm only halfway through that podcast.
i'm only halfway through that podcast.
oops!AggieOO said:
spoiler alert. come on!
i'm only halfway through that podcast.
i was kidding, i don't care. actually makes me more interested to finish it up.
They talked about Hayden for a long time, and rightfully so, but I fast forwarded through some of that to hear about the other guys.
I was really happy to see your short race report on Facebook. I was surprised to see you broke out the poles. Was that planned or part of the solution for the issues you had?
I was really happy to see your short race report on Facebook. I was surprised to see you broke out the poles. Was that planned or part of the solution for the issues you had?
poles were 100% planned. I used them last year too. Its set up perfectly for it, especially moving the point where you can pick up a pacer to 50K (was 60K last year). The first 20 is all the major downhill. Then you get some climbing/descending for the next 11 miles to the 50K. Anyone using poles usually grabs them there, though I'd almost contemplate grabbing them at mile 20 next time around, as there's a big climb coming out of that aid station and one right before the 50K.
Has anybody experienced corneal edema during a race? At Bandera, I thought I just had dirt in one of my eyes, but I think it may have been this.
aggiespartan said:
Has anybody experienced corneal edema during a race? At Bandera, I thought I just had dirt in one of my eyes, but I think it may have been this.
Yes!! Has happened to me in a few races and also Bandera. Basically went blind in my left eye for half the race. Freaked me right out the first couple of times until I realized it would disappear completely after a few hours or overnight. I originally thought it was a side effect of my Lasik.
It's definitely a thing:
https://www.irunfar.com/vision-loss-in-ultramarathons-looking-at-the-research
Yea it disappeared pretty quickly. I had heard people talk about it before, but it didn't cross my mind during the race. I got lucky though because my vision in my left eye isn't that good to begin with. I would have been screwed if it had happened in my right eye.
I started looking at sunglasses that I can switch out for clear lenses at night. Haven't really seen any I'm super excited about though.
I started looking at sunglasses that I can switch out for clear lenses at night. Haven't really seen any I'm super excited about though.
I've used a cheap pair of safety glasses to keep some of the wind out of my eyes at night. But, I think dehydration has more of an impact for me.
My hydration is generally pretty on target. The best I can figure from this article is that mine, at least, came from external factors.
https://eyewiki.aao.org/Ultramarathon-induced_Corneal_Edema#:~:text=Ultramarathon%2Dinduced%20Corneal%20Edema%20(UMICE,cessation%20of%20exercise%20(1).
https://eyewiki.aao.org/Ultramarathon-induced_Corneal_Edema#:~:text=Ultramarathon%2Dinduced%20Corneal%20Edema%20(UMICE,cessation%20of%20exercise%20(1).
For anyone interested in the Tejas Trails and Perspective Racing thing with the night races:
"Short version is those 6 races have always been owned by Traverse Running (which was Brad and Nyla's company). PJ bought that company around a year ago.
Traverse Running has had a licensing agreement with Tejas Trails for many a year now. Which means those 6 events have been under the umbrella of Tejas Trails races. But still owned by Traverse.
PJ has changed his company name to Perspective Pacing.
And that agreement has timed out.
Everything is all peachy still and PJ is still an integral part of Tejas Trails. But those 6 races info isn't on Tejas Trails site any longer. And they won't be a part of the Tejas 400 or other Tejas things. Info is coming out soon via our E-newsletter. If anyone wants info on those events, contact info@perspectivepacing.com
Hope that helps."
"Short version is those 6 races have always been owned by Traverse Running (which was Brad and Nyla's company). PJ bought that company around a year ago.
Traverse Running has had a licensing agreement with Tejas Trails for many a year now. Which means those 6 events have been under the umbrella of Tejas Trails races. But still owned by Traverse.
PJ has changed his company name to Perspective Pacing.
And that agreement has timed out.
Everything is all peachy still and PJ is still an integral part of Tejas Trails. But those 6 races info isn't on Tejas Trails site any longer. And they won't be a part of the Tejas 400 or other Tejas things. Info is coming out soon via our E-newsletter. If anyone wants info on those events, contact info@perspectivepacing.com
Hope that helps."
i'll give it a watch today. work will be SLOW since its a holiday.
I saw Hans at the packet pickup chatting with some of the other pros. I was there right before the pro speaker panel, but we didn't stick around b/c I'd just flown in and wanted to just go get off my feet for the rest of the day.
I saw Hans at the packet pickup chatting with some of the other pros. I was there right before the pro speaker panel, but we didn't stick around b/c I'd just flown in and wanted to just go get off my feet for the rest of the day.
Anyone ran the Comrades marathon in South Africa? Got a couple friends that are begging me to sign up with them for the 2025 race when applications open up.
Never ran more than 15 miles, but I've already signed up for the Houston full next year, and figured what's another two marathons and some change lol.
Never ran more than 15 miles, but I've already signed up for the Houston full next year, and figured what's another two marathons and some change lol.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Yes. And it is 1 million percent worth doing. My favorite running experience of my life, and that includes a lot of road marathons and a lot of trail races. Happy to answer any questions. I ran a downhill year, but don't let downhill/uphill fool you. They are both hard.
total distance for the race is about 55 miles, fyi. happy to answer any questions.
total distance for the race is about 55 miles, fyi. happy to answer any questions.
Just finished watching it. Obviously a novice production but the kid performed pretty well and learned...well...a LOT of lessons in the process. I will leave it at that so as not to spoil it for those who haven't watched yet.
Yeah, it's a down year in 2025. Never been to South Africa, so the whole experience sounds very cool. I'd also have nearly a year and a half to prepare myself for the distance which I think is plenty of time.
How were the logistics of getting around before and after the race? What was the course like? Lots of rolling hills? How'd you incorporate it into your trip to make the most out of the vacation?
I'm sure I'll have more questions around November when I believe the application process opens up.
How were the logistics of getting around before and after the race? What was the course like? Lots of rolling hills? How'd you incorporate it into your trip to make the most out of the vacation?
I'm sure I'll have more questions around November when I believe the application process opens up.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
I had a bit of an advantage since I went with my buddy who is from South Africa, but here's a quick an dirty of what we did:
Flew into Johannesburg.
Drove up to Kruger NP for 3 day safari
Drove down to Pietermaritzburg
Race
Stayed at airbnb in Durban for a night.
Planned to road trip the Wild Coast down to Capetown. Three days in, my other buddy and I jumped on a plane and flew to Capetown. The road infrastructure outside of the major cities is not great. Driving was taking forever. My South African buddy and his gf kept driving b/c he was going to see his sister. They met us in capetown about 5 days later.
We then spent 6 days in capetown and the surrounding area.
It was a 15 day trip if I'm remembering correctly.
You could fly directly into Durban if you wanted to. I believe there are shuttles up to Pietermaritzburg. The race/logistics for International runners is really easy. Separate lines for EVERYTHING. International runners are treated like Kings. They are so happy you are there.
And this is essentially the biggest sporting event of the year there. Everything stops for Comrades. The entire thing is broadcast on TV. Everyone has run it or has a family member who has.
Flew into Johannesburg.
Drove up to Kruger NP for 3 day safari
Drove down to Pietermaritzburg
Race
Stayed at airbnb in Durban for a night.
Planned to road trip the Wild Coast down to Capetown. Three days in, my other buddy and I jumped on a plane and flew to Capetown. The road infrastructure outside of the major cities is not great. Driving was taking forever. My South African buddy and his gf kept driving b/c he was going to see his sister. They met us in capetown about 5 days later.
We then spent 6 days in capetown and the surrounding area.
It was a 15 day trip if I'm remembering correctly.
You could fly directly into Durban if you wanted to. I believe there are shuttles up to Pietermaritzburg. The race/logistics for International runners is really easy. Separate lines for EVERYTHING. International runners are treated like Kings. They are so happy you are there.
And this is essentially the biggest sporting event of the year there. Everything stops for Comrades. The entire thing is broadcast on TV. Everyone has run it or has a family member who has.
Is Comrades safer than Cape Town?
Capetown is/was safe. Are you thinking of Johannesburg?
Isn't that where Tom Evans was robbed on a training run the week before, then they had like 4 runners get robbed during the race?AggieOO said:
Capetown is/was safe. Are you thinking of Johannesburg?
Found the articles.
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38942364/uk-ultramarathon-star-tom-evans-mugged-knifepoint-cape-town
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/we-are-lucky-to-be-alive-say-runners-mugged-at-gunpoint-during-ultra-trail-race-in-cape-town-20231130
Hadn't heard ant of that, but Capetown is a big city, so there will be a certain level of crime. Maybe it has gotten worse, but it felt completely safe when I was there, both with and without my south African friend with me. I also have another friend who now lives in Capetown, and haven't heard her say anything about crime getting bad.
All that said, there is a lot of poverty in the surrounding areas in the slums. As we know areas with high poverty typically see more crime.
All that said, there is a lot of poverty in the surrounding areas in the slums. As we know areas with high poverty typically see more crime.
People on reddit that live there, at the time that this happened, said that this was becoming a common occurrence on the trails. There was also one additional runner that wasn't included in the article because it was reported after the article came out. I agree that cities are going to have a certain amount of crime, but I generally assume I'm not going to get robbed during a race.
i will say i wasn't on any of the trails in/around capetown while there, so i have zero experience on the trails there.
Thanks for all the info. I think the main thing that might keep me from doing it is the significant other, who isn't very comfortable getting around in foreign countries, so I'll have to do a bit of planning before signing up to make sure she is comfortable.
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Finished up 4x4x48 this morning. I started at 9am on Friday and my last run was today at 5am.
I fell early in my 3rd run and skinned up both knees pretty bad but I got up, shook it off and kept running. A lady stopped me to ask me if I needed a ride home because I guess it looked pretty bad, but I just kept going. It's not really that difficult of a challenge if you can get past the fragmented sleep. Lack of sleep doesn't bother me too much, but this challenge goes against one of my race rules - don't get comfortable at aid stations. If I stop moving, I tighten up pretty quickly, so the last half of the runs took a bit to loosen up.
I didn't have any issues until my last run. Before I left I just had a feeling that it wasn't going to go as planned. About 1.2 miles in, I was rounding the corner by a little shopping center, and a car pulled up in the parking lot and told me to get in the car. I said no thanks but the guy just kept saying "I'm your buddy, get in." If I tried to take a step forward, he would pull into the entrance so I couldn't cross, and if I took a step back, he backed up the car. There was no traffic going by, but there was a donut shop across the 6 lane road. They weren't open but they were there. I sprinted across the street (there was a median so he couldn't directly cross" and ran and started banging on the door. They didn't come to the front, but I heard the guy's tires screeching, so I assume he didn't know that. I high tailed it back across the street and stood in an alley behind a tree for a few minutes before booking it back into the neighborhood. In hindsight, I should have called 911 in front of the guy but I was too fixated on figuring out what route to get out. Despite having that feeling, I didn't wear my vest, which would have had quicker access to my phone and a knife that I run with. Trust your gut and stay safe out there.
I'm tired and a little sore today but nothing too bad. It's probably going to take me a couple of days to get back to normal just from the weird sleep schedule.
I fell early in my 3rd run and skinned up both knees pretty bad but I got up, shook it off and kept running. A lady stopped me to ask me if I needed a ride home because I guess it looked pretty bad, but I just kept going. It's not really that difficult of a challenge if you can get past the fragmented sleep. Lack of sleep doesn't bother me too much, but this challenge goes against one of my race rules - don't get comfortable at aid stations. If I stop moving, I tighten up pretty quickly, so the last half of the runs took a bit to loosen up.
I didn't have any issues until my last run. Before I left I just had a feeling that it wasn't going to go as planned. About 1.2 miles in, I was rounding the corner by a little shopping center, and a car pulled up in the parking lot and told me to get in the car. I said no thanks but the guy just kept saying "I'm your buddy, get in." If I tried to take a step forward, he would pull into the entrance so I couldn't cross, and if I took a step back, he backed up the car. There was no traffic going by, but there was a donut shop across the 6 lane road. They weren't open but they were there. I sprinted across the street (there was a median so he couldn't directly cross" and ran and started banging on the door. They didn't come to the front, but I heard the guy's tires screeching, so I assume he didn't know that. I high tailed it back across the street and stood in an alley behind a tree for a few minutes before booking it back into the neighborhood. In hindsight, I should have called 911 in front of the guy but I was too fixated on figuring out what route to get out. Despite having that feeling, I didn't wear my vest, which would have had quicker access to my phone and a knife that I run with. Trust your gut and stay safe out there.
I'm tired and a little sore today but nothing too bad. It's probably going to take me a couple of days to get back to normal just from the weird sleep schedule.
Sorry to hear you got harassed.
For the Heather Jackson fans, her Black Canyons video is up
After a bunch of delays, my brother-in-law and I are finally live with the first video on our youtube channel. Its pretty amateur compared to what a lot of the content is out there, but neither of us is doing this for a living and are basically learning on the go. The first few videos will be more interview/vlog style, so may or may not be interesting to people, but they are sort of intro/setup videos for future content. We have multiple actual running videos in the queue that should start coming out in the near future.
With all the warnings out of the way, I give you Crushing Trails and Drinking Ales. First video is up. Second will be up later today. Time to make fun of me/us.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHBNcdHWuv6hkZtj_2nLCdQ
With all the warnings out of the way, I give you Crushing Trails and Drinking Ales. First video is up. Second will be up later today. Time to make fun of me/us.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHBNcdHWuv6hkZtj_2nLCdQ
Just watched (and subscribed). I'll certainly be following along and look forward to watching y'all do what you do, specifically your experience at the Barkley Fall Classic. Good stuff and this seems like a fun project.
Appreciate the follow. Video 2 is up, talking about 2024 goals. 3rd video will likely go up early next week.
Starting tomorrow, Paul Johnson is going to attempt to run from LA to NYC and break the record for time. He's going to try to do 75 miles per day. He's raising money for charity while he does it. He's kind of a weird guy, but it will be interesting to see how far he gets.
https://www.instagram.com/pauijohnson/
https://www.instagram.com/pauijohnson/
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