Ultrarunning
The Road to Western States 2010: Dr. Marty Hoffman
The Western States Endurance Run is one of the oldest ultra trail events in the world and certainly one of the most challenging. But the 100-miler scheduled for June 26th is also, essentially, a research lab. Dr. Marty Hoffman is the medical director for Western States. He’s a multiple-time finisher who has completed studies on endurance sports and its effects on the human body. Today on Endurance Planet, Marty tackles questions such as: “Aren’t you doing permanent damage to your body running 100 miles?”
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The Endurance Planet Hour
If you’re a trailrunner or ultrarunner you know that Gordy Ainsleigh is a legend. Back in 1974—as the story goes—Ainsleigh’s horse came up lame prior to the 100-mile Western States trail ride. So Gordy did it on foot. Now the Western States 100 is the premier ultra trail-run and draws some of the best athletes in the world. Gordy joins us for the first half of the Endurance Planet Hour. Later in the hour we hear from Scott Drum—the man behind the Gunnison Endurance Project—a post-collegiate ultrarunning team at Western State College of Colorado. Drum talks about the project, the benefits that come from living an active life, and he talks about a webinar he’ll be hosting on Endurance Planet next week on how to race at high altitude even you live low. The webinar is sponsored by our friends at AltoLab Portable Altitude Simulator.
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The Road to Western States 2010: Amy Palmeiro-Winters
Today we’re beginning a series of podcasts profiling participants in this year’s Western States 100. We’re calling it “The Road to Western States 2010.” Western States is one of the oldest ultra trail events in the world and one of the most challenging. It starts in Squaw Valley, California, and ends in Auburn, California. The trail ascends from the Squaw Valley floor to Emigrant Pass, a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4½ miles. From the pass, following the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850’s, runners travel west, climbing another 15,540 feet and descending 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn. Most of the trail passes through remote and rugged territory, accessible only to hikers, horses and helicopters.
Amy Palmeiro-Winters will be one of the athletes participating in the June 26th event. The mother of two, lost her left leg below the knee following a 1994 motorcycle accident but has gone on to compete at the elite level in triathlons, marathons, and now ultramarathons.
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A Different Kind of Addiction
After a battle with cancer—beginning at the age of 23—Steve Gaul found comfort “at the bottom of a whiskey bottle.” But then he traded one addiction for another. Today on Endurance Planet, the Canadian ultrarunner tells us about how his outlook has changed since he became addicted running.
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Charlie Engle on Running the Sahara
Ever heard an introduction to a talk that was longer than the talk itself? It usually happens when the the emcee can’t quite come up with the right adjectives to sufficiently explain the speaker’s accomplishments. That could easily happen with today’s podcast. But suffice it to say our guest has run across the Sahara—more than 4,500 miles in six countries in 111 days. He’s run across America, and he’ll soon tackle a new challenge. He’s Charlie Engle.
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The Endurance Planet Hour
On this week’s Endurance Planet Hour we go in search of answers to the questions, “Why do we do this? Will it help us live longer? Is it good for us?” Guests include: 24-year-old Nick Budzyn—who is running for seventeen consecutive hours on a treadmill today, and Coach Ryan Ross—who has pushed his limits and found a balance.
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In Pursuit of the Badwater Cup: An Interview with Jarom Thurston
When your goal is to complete a series of 135-mile races, things can and do go wrong. Veteran ultrarunner Jarom Thurston knows this. But he also believes that DNF stands for “did nothing fatal” as opposed to “did not finish.” Today on Endurance Planet Thurston tells us he’s not close to being finished.
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Fire and Ice: A Race to Be Remembered
Every sport has a particular story that gets told and told again because what happened was so remarkable that no one wants to leave it in the past. It’s so good it becomes a fabric of the sport itself. In ultramarathoning, it’s the 1995 Western States 100 which produced the closest 1-2-3 finish in any 100-miler in history. It was a race that was held in weather conditions that were so oppressive—snow and 100-plus degree temperatures—it almost sounds impossible now. Today on Endurance Planet, we talk with the winner of that race—legendary ultramarathoner Tim Twietmeyer—who 15 years later can still remember it in vivid detail.
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The Endurance Planet Hour
On this week’s Endurance Planet Hour we hear from a neuroscientist who is also an ultra-runner. He talks about the use of exercise as a treatment for depression and dementia. We also hear from a man you’ll find on Green Mountain every day—the incomparable Tony Krupicka.
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Marathon & Beyond Monday: Confessions of an Ultra Marathon Skeptic—2-1-2010
Today on Endurance Planet we’re introducing a new segment in conjunction with our new web page. The segment is called “Marathon & Beyond Mondays.” It’s a recorded version of an editor’s choice from the popular magazine Marathon & Beyond. Think of it as a “best of” edition of M&B. We think you’ll find these stories will provide insightful entertainment as you train. Today’s editor’s choice is from Jason Friedman, M.D. and is entitled “Confessions of an Ultramarathon Skeptic. Are They Truly Athletes? Or Are They Just Crazies?”
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