I don't think we have enough running shoes....

When is a Run a Hike?

Ok ...I was reading the iRunfar article on UTMB entrants and started looking around the UTMB website at the insane collection of 4 races they have. They are incredible events requiring incredible feats of endurance, no question.

However, as I browsed through the stunning scenery and looked at the race descriptions 10 000m elevation gains and times etc.... I got to thinking..."How much of these races do most people actually run?" I mean you look at many of the pics and you see streams of people hiking up long, grueling ascents. So my question ... more to myself was.. at what point does an ultra race become an ultra hike? How much running should a race require of the average racer in order to be called a run versus a trek or hike? 51%? 60%? 80%?

Granted a lot of people walk most of a road marathon, for example, but it fits in the category of a running race. How so? Is it a running race if the average runner...or the top 75% of racers can run all or close to all of the race?

If a race is so hard that only the top 10% can run anything near 60% of it... is that a running race? Or a hiking race? Or what is it?

I'm not trying to be an ass here....I was really wondering all these things as I looked through the website. And I don't really have an answer. Off the top of my head I'd say a running race should allow a middle of the pack runner to run 70% or more of the race. But I don't know. Am I out to lunch? If so...what are these European events to be called? Are they "fell races"? Is that a different category than "trail race" and one whose definition incorporates more hiking because of the vertical nature of the courses?

What do you folks out in the running community think and especially those of you accomplished athletes who have done several of these ultra events? I'm interested to know your thoughts.

When is an ultra trail race an ultra hike/trek? Or does this never apply?

Twas a Day for Reflection my Friends!

Ha! I made a funny! ...Shut up...i did so!

I ran around with a big mirror today and got these shots..

Again..keep yer dirty paws off them or you'll get a visit from the monkeys...

could be a couple o' god particles floating around here... =D

Where's the divider between water and air?!

ooooooh....aaaahhh!

Mmmhmm...

Let's face it.. you know you'll never be as good a photographer as i am... but you can dream. And you can look at my pics and slap yourself with a piece of cheese to assure yourself you aren't seeing things.

Yah... and don't even think about tryin' to steal them and sell them or i'll send a couple o monkeys around with hammers...

Er...soo...bit of an update perhaps..?

Alrighty then... let's not hang about. Moving right along...hitting the main points.... during the summer i buggered off down to Oregon for a bit of a toodle around. Loved Bend and Hood River.Wish I had a second home there.... wait a minute... I don't even have a first home.. screw it... start with the second one and worry about the first one later... second one would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

Anyway... it was great... cheap camping...perfect weather... amazing trails and scenery...good coffee

and great customer service in stores etc... something that doesn't happen here in I'm too good to work in retail and provide pleasant service Vancouver. Oh and cheap gas and no sales tax!! Hello!!

This run was pretty cool...on the way to Bend in a place called ... something rock.. plymouth rock? castle rock? thirty rock? ...whatever... it was nice.. but piping hot!

Then it was off to the Coast... but that was a bust. Spent all night trying to find an empty campsite on a foggy, cloudy, windy coast on a weekend. Nothing! Hotels were a rip off.

Over rated coast! To hell with

you.. we thumbed our noses at it and buggered off back to the sunshine in Hood River.

October -

4 day weekend so took off to Jasper to get away from the rain here in Vancouver. The Rockies were nice and crispy and sunny. Awesome trip except for the $65 or whatever it was Park Pass... holy crap!!

But I'd always wanted to run the Tonquin Valley and we got the perfect day for it. Sunny, enough frost to keep the ground hard in the morning. Though coming back it got muddy as hell (Not good for my brand new

Speed Cross!). Still... it was everything i thought it would be and more. Fantastic trail and scenery. We ran in and out in maybe 6 hours taking lots of stops and photos. Trail is all very run-able. About 40km. Did it on one water bottle ...hmmm... maybe drink a little more next time...

Which takes us to yesterday .... oooooh..really nice day in Vancouver. First bit of snow in November again. Sunny and frosty and fall/winter like. So we buggered off out for a noodle from grouse to deep cove. If only Vancouver had more days like this in late Fall/Winter. If only the average person could afford to live here and actually get ahead! But no..only non-resident Chinese can do that now.

Anyway..nice out. Got some pics. And now you'reall up to date. Coming soon... x-country..sticky buns at gunner shaw.. bit of cyclocross in north van.. new years xc in crescent park and off to orcas again in Feb.

Why?

Apparently this is how this dude trains for ultras. Personally, I think he should get a new coach. The gains, if any, over my spike training system would be marginal and he'd be able to spend a hell of a lot more time in that hammock...

Salomon Compression .. Euro style..

The skinny French dude in tighty whitey compression heads out for a third season..Follow him on the "Tube"