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Away From Home, Part 2

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By Gary Hellenga

Back in late 2019, during a trip to Australia, I wrote an article for the January 2020 Wind Drinker newsletter with the double entendre title of “Running Away From Home”, talking about the joys of running in new places while traveling.  In the time since, injuries have severely limited my running (and my wife Lynn’s, as well), to the point where I can sometimes count my number of yearly runs on the fingers of my two hands.  I now spend most of my outside time on a bicycle, or on skis.  But we still appreciate the camaraderie of the running community, and attending running events as a spectator or volunteer has helped us stay connected with those who share the enjoyment of running and racing.

In February 2024, Lynn and I were on another trip to Oceania (to New Zealand this time), and noticed a poster for an upcoming run, in a small town whose name we couldn’t pronounce, and considered that we might be able to walk it (it was a 5K), even if we couldn’t run.  It turned out that the town was not near any of our trip destinations, so we looked for other events near us, and discovered that the Motatapu set of races would be held near us while we were in Queenstown.  These events immediately struck our fancy, as they had a bit of a ‘Ridge Run’ feel about them – a collection of mountain runs and mountain bike races, varying in length from 15K to a 52K Ultra, all through the mountains between Wanaka and Arrowtown, New Zealand.  Courses included gravel roads, trails, double track farm paths, and sheep tracks.  Like something someone in Bozeman would come up with!  So we emailed the volunteer coordinator, with an offer to help where needed, and were assigned to work at the finish line.

We showed up on race morning and did a variety of tasks (sorting finisher medals, filling water cups) to prep for the races, then did our best to help alleviate the chaos that ensued at the finish line.  There were multiple events that all finished at the same place, and I spent a good part of my time trying to keep the mountain bikers who were sprinting for the line from running over the poor runners who were moving at a fraction of the bikers’ speed!  We got people fed and watered, and handed out medals, and had a great time!  We got to work with some nice people from New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and several other countries – though I think we were the only Americans in the volunteer group!  We got some good swag, too – hats, “Motatapu Crew” T-shirts, lots of trail snacks, etc.  Quite a good day – with just one niggling issue – I thought, “I’ll come do this again … but next time, it’ll be as a runner, not a spectator!”

Bikers and Runners finishing Motatapu
Lynn working the water table

And that’s why it has taken me 2 years to finally write this article – I *HAD* to be able to write the postscript of “yes, I did finally make it back to actually do the event!”  This past March, I made another visit to New Zealand, mainly to bike, but managed to fit in the Miners Trail Run 15K event!  To be honest, it was mostly a power-walking event, with very little actual running on my part, until the last third of the route, which was downhill (quite steeply downhill, in fact – quads were on fire for days!). Given how slow I was “running”, I should have stopped to take some photos during the race, but I didn’t want to get back behind runners I’d already passed on the narrow course, and only got to capture the rainbow at the end!

I am now working on the next trip – to France and Switzerland in July – and looking for more events to join.  We’ll be doing a home swap in Provence for 3 weeks, and maybe volunteering, in order to meet more of the locals, will be in the cards again!

The Mature Runner: Fierce Competition Yields World Records

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By David Summerfield

A few months ago, I featured the Norwegian Ingebrigtsen Trio setting all sorts of records. In particular, the 2-mile outdoor record, which fell to Jakob Ingebrigtsen (7:54.10) in Paris. Little did I know that lurking behind the whole time was a Scottish runner named Josh Kerr. He wears the Great Britain running singlet (which reminded me that Scotland is still firmly part of the British Empire!). Anyway, Josh became known last year by winning the World Athletics Championship 1500m race in Budapest, Hungary, and ended Jakob’s winning streak. Thus was born (at least to the track fans) the rivalry of these two “middle distance” phenomenons. This article is not very complex – it is solely based on these 2 runners, and is being written only because of a picture I found of Josh arriving at the finish line with Jakob right beside him, but less than 6 inches behind! And that was the moment Josh chose to play his hand, as you’ll see: he takes the energy and time to point his finger at Jakob at that last second when he knew he’d beaten him, and thus can put in full display his bravado, or ego, or triumphant arrogance to all the flashing cameras!

Josh beats Jakob and lets everyone know it! via olympics.com

In 2021, Jakob won the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics, and Josh came in 3rd. A similar scenario happened several times over the next few years. Then along came 2023, and Josh showed he could beat Jakob. Here we are in 2024, and the rivalry keeps ramping up. Just to spice things up, Jakob told the press that in their upcoming races, he could beat Josh with his eyes closed. Oh…that’s just what the press wants, right?

Then along came 2024, and the press couldn’t wait to add fuel to the fire between Jakob and Josh. On Feb 11th, Josh’s 1st race of the year, he set a world record for the indoor two mile at the famed Millrose Games in New York (8:00:67). It was great fun watching the video of the race – he contented himself to run behind the USA Grant Fisher, until the final lap and a half (these guys were flying – it’s a 200 meter track!). Then Josh just exploded past Grant – the 1st mile was in a “slow” 4:03, and this 2nd mile was a 3:57! In the following interview, Josh said he took the subway to the Armory (built long ago in Manhattan) and almost lost his way. This track has become a legend for track fans, since the seats are so close to the actual track – I understand the screaming is intense.

Happy Josh! via flotrack.org/articles/Josh-kerr-shatters-2-mile-world-indoor-record-at-millrose

An interesting part of Josh’s life is how he got to the University of New Mexico. He had already established several British Junior records as a teenager, and was wanting to take it to the next level. He had trouble finding a school that would “hire” him – until he secured a full athletic scholarship in Albuquerque. He ran 3 years with the UNM team – securing NCAA records along the way. Then he opted out of his senior year to join the Brooks Beasts track team, and just kept getting better. Meanwhile, Jakob did run a world record outdoor 2-mile in 2023 (7:54:10) at the Diamond Meet in Paris, May 9th – so these 2 runners are definitely on a par – fitness-wise. The big anticipation is now taking place for the Paris Olympics, where they will meet head-to-head in the 1500m (the mile “equivalent”).

Jakob’s newest WR in the 2-mile via watchathletics.com

In Josh’s build-up to the Olympics, he did run a new British record in the 1500m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR on May 25th – 3:45:34 (and who was 26/100ths of a second behind him? Jakob Ingebrigtsen of course). Making sure the public was fully riled up for this event, they called this race the “Mile Race of the Century”. Eeeegads.

Just for your Olympic viewing pleasure, the Round 1 of the 1500m is on Aug. 2 at 11:05 am. The men’s final 1500m is on Aug. 6 at 8:50 pm. See you there???

The Mature Runner

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By David Summerfield

I just can’t not keep talking about those three Ingebrigtsen brothers. Looks like they haven’t stopped running yet. That TV series they were featured in several years ago (Team Ingebrigtsen?) well, here’s the next version. I didn’t realize that the past series was just documenting their preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. So, of course, they’re doing the same now for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jakob (the youngest) set another world record since I last looked, the indoor 1500 meter, in 3:30:60. He still holds the WR for the 2km (4:43.13) and the outdoor 2 mile (7:54:10). And I found out there are 4 other siblings: Kristoffer, Martin, Ingrid, and William.

Here they are in Düsseldorf, Germany showing how to block the lanes! via worldathletics.org

In reading about these amazing Norwegians, I couldn’t help but smile about Jakob getting married recently to his longtime girlfriend, and to celebrate, he went for the WR Beer Mile record. I’d forgotten about the event. I highlighted it many years ago, and here it came back into the spotlight.

Beer mile regulations: at least one 12oz bottle of beer per lap, minimum of 5% ABV, and off you go. So, Jakob took off as part of his bachelor party. What amazed me was this story was written up by his “other” elder brother Kristoffer (how many are there??). Anyway, Jakob ran a 5:22, far off the official record of 4:28. And it was a party on the track. Other family members did the same beer run. Their choice of beer included Corona and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The WR holder (Canadian Corey Bellemore) gave away his secret – you’ve got to get rid of the burps in the 1st 100 meters of each lap after downing the beer, but not “deep” burps – those lead to puking. So, there’s a worthy challenge, oh BSWD’ers.

Start of a Beer mile runningmagazine.ca

To finish off this article of world records, the next article online showed how an AI robot also ran a WR. What? You’ve got to look it up to believe it. A Chinese start-up created a robot called H-1, who can “run” 3.3 meters/second. His (its) specks: height – 5’11”, weight – 104 pounds. So, it is a lightweight, but my height. My calculation is it can run a 440 yard track in 2 minutes (8:00 minute mile). If you watch the video of this guy/metal thing running, it does sorta give me this weird feeling. It can also dance, walk up and down stairs, and luckily for now – it really looks like a hightech robot – nothing close to being human….yet. With that – happy running, and just think you have a training partner just waiting to challenge you on the track 🙂

Just think, you might meet one of these Unitree robots as you walk down the street someday. therobotreporrt.com

The Mature Runner

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Watch Why You’re Trying To Break Records

By David Summerfield

I keep scanning the news to see who else has broken world records. Records fall every month. It’s a constant. So now (instead of feeling frustrated that I’m not on a record list) I’m looking into why people all over the world are specifically doing everything possible to get that “World Record,” or simply to get a substantial recognition from others.

Let’s start out with David Goggins, because he has accomplished so many incredible physical feats. Besides being the only human to be a retired Navy Seal and completed SEAL training, and the Army Ranger School, and the Air Force Tactical Air Controller training (get my drift?) but he also holds the World Record for the most pull-ups (4030) in 17 minutes. Bet you can’t do that! And he says he “broke” his arms in the process. Of course he has his own website so you can see all his achievements: davidgoggins.com/athletic-achievements and he’s not shy about tooting his own horn. That’s fine, but it does show he wants publicity and to be seen and recognized. All right, there’s nothing wrong about that. But it sorta smacks of something that makes me uncomfortable. One could say I’m just jealous and wish I could do all the things he has done. Well, you’re wrong.

I have to admit that David’s accomplishments are definitely aimed at motivating others to tackle life head-on, and to be tough in every sense of the word. He stresses that personally he has overcome all kinds of obstacles, and is quite proud of his physique, which is all part of his image (you too can look like me) just knuckle down and push yourself through all adversity. And that is his livelihood. OK. There you have it. Some records are for personal gain, and others are for helping others, pure and simple. I try to reserve judgment, though you could probably intuit where I really stand on all this.

Here’s the “Toughest Man Alive”. Enough said. via turbomind.com

At this point in my life, I want to find the real intent behind all these strivings for breaking records. Is the cause a good one? Let’s see. First off is Kate Jayden, a 35-year old from Derbyshire, England. She is a classic person out to make a difference, raising money ($50,000) for a charity. And she specifically set out to earn a Guinness World Record, needing to beat the current record of 95 consecutive daily marathons. She got to 100, and found out someone had already done that, so she kept going. She ended up with 106 daily marathons, and then found out there were two other Scottish ladies from Aberdeen who did the exact same number (106). So she shares the record with them. The other two (Fay Cunningham and Emma Petrie) raised $46,000 for several charities. While going after the world record, Kate did the same as Fay and Emma, all three just kept running another marathon everyday, hoping to surpass the other. Fay and Emma felt their effort was more substantial since they ran outside for every marathon, while Kate occasionally used an indoor treadmill. But they all got the nod from Guinness to be world record holders!

Via runnersworld.com/news/a40868973/guinness

Here’s Kate Jayden, a bundle of enthusiasm. The Rnners World author was Stephanie Hoppe, published Aug 11, 2022. This picture shows her holding the “baton” in a relay race called the Queen’s Relay in the Commonwealth Games.

Kate Jayden worked full-time during those 106 days, completing her 6+ hour runs after work. Somehow, those ladies weren’t doing it all for fame, but to accomplish something substantial. Fay and Emma both lost a parent “too soon” and wanted to help others “do it while you can”. Kate felt something wrong in a knee during the 46th marathon, but ran/walked the other 60 anyway. She got an MRI afterwards and found out she had a fractured knee needing surgery. Of course, she said she might have to switch to biking or rowing, but she’ll be back!

Fay Cunningham and Emma Petrie on their 106 quest. Via canadianrunning.com Article written by Marley Dickinson on June 2022.

Fay (35) and Emma (25) are both physical therapists and are dedicated to helping others lead healthy, active lives. Their purpose in taking up the marathon challenge was to raise money and awareness for 2 charities. Both ladies lost parents, one to Lou Gherig’s disease linked to ALS, which claimed Fay’s father’s life and Emma’s mother died of cancer (the charity was Macmillan charity for cancer support). “We both know that life is short and the ability to run or walk doesn’t stay with you forever… My father was fit and active and he inspired us to tackle this challenge,” Fay said.

A little trivia: the 106 marathons covered 2,777 miles, which just happens to be the distance from Scotland to Istanbul, and they each went through seven pairs of running shoes. So these runners are accomplishing a rather arduous task, all on their own dime. There was no “profit” involved, they weren’t running to earn a living, as is true for David Goggins. Anyway, here’s a story about the 4th person to take a stab at the same Guinness record:

Jacky Hunt-Broesma joining the crowded field of record-breakers via runnersworld.com – article written by Cindy Kuzma, published April 29th, 2022.

Jacky’s story is certainly as compelling as the other three. At 26 years old, a tumor in her left leg led to an amputation. Not being an athlete of any kind, she had many decisions to make while recovering. She found out the standard running blade cost over $10,000 and wasn’t covered by insurance. Her husband was an ultrarunner, so why not? After figuring out how to take care of their two grade-school children, she started running, many of the miles were around the school in Gilbert, Arizona, where she could put up a table with refreshments. The 5K led to a 10K, then a 1⁄2 marathon, and on she went. Learning about the current world record of 95 consecutive marathons got her going. She did use a treadmill when the stump couldn’t fit comfortably into the socket – too much jarring. So the treadmill was more comfortable for running. Her story is very compelling, you should look her up. And like the other three, she has raised nearly $200,000 for Amputee Running Blades, a nonprofit which supplies blades to those in need. And yes, she too thought by 104 consecutive days, she should have garnered the Guinness record, not knowing that Kate, Fay and Emma went on to #106! Of course Jacky has the record for running 104 on only one leg, plus one blade 🙂

I’ll finish off with a little inspiration coming from Kate Jayden: “My heart has always longed for a kinder world and country that welcomes people from all walks of life, especially those facing adversity. In the current climate with a hostile environment being created for asylum seekers and those fleeing war, it’s only the fact we happened to

be born here that we have such privilege.” –K

I wish you all well in developing your own motives for doing what you do!

The Mature Runner

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This Is Why We (BSWD’ers) Are Not Setting World Records!

By David Summerfield

Some of you might remember a runner who set World Records many years ago. At the time he was called the greatest marathoner of all time: Kinenisa Bekele. An Ethiopian, he started winning every race he entered. He became the folk hero of a generation of runners back in the early 2000’s. Eliud Kipchoge followed in his footsteps and became his replacement. If you go back far enough, you’ll remember Haile Gebrselassie, who set the standard for both of those runners. To better Haile’s world records was an amazing achievement. Kenenisa Bekele is in the news again, not for the open marathon world record, but for setting a world record for men over 40 – they are called “Master” runners. Get this: Kenenisa Bekele ran a 2:04:19 as a 41 year-old (in Valencia, Spain – this December – he came in 4th, imagine that!).

Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele, and Haile Gebrselassie in a tight pack! Via athleticsweekly.com

I just realized that these three runners I’ve admired over the past 25 years have some other interesting statistics. For example, their weight and height are so similar:

Haile Gebrselassie: 5’5” 119 pounds Ethiopia born 1973 marathon record: 2:03:59 (2008)

Kenenisa Bekele 5’5” 123 pounds Ethiopia born 1982 marathon record: 2:01:41 (2 seconds behind Eliud Kipchoge’s WR

Eliud Kipchoge: 5’6” 115 pounds Kenya born 1984 Marathon record: 2:01:09

Kelvin Kiptum: 5’11” 143 pounds Kenya born 1999 Marathon record: 2:00:35 – current world record

So, from that picture above, I had to look up Mo Farah’s stats, and this guy is 5’9” and 143 pounds and is 40 years old. He’s also setting world records. So, he’s an anomaly for sure. But his story is just as riveting as the others: he was born in what is now Somaliland, and was “trafficked” into England, where he was treated as a slave when he was 12. He eventually gained his freedom (in present day England), and his real running talents were recognized. He rose quickly to national prominence, gaining citizenship and then appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire. And he currently holds most of the British distance records.

What do we learn from these stats? The obvious: the swift runners have to be small people (around 5’5”) and not weigh too much (119 pounds average). I guess that’s not all: you need to have grown up in either Kenya or Ethiopia (or Somaliland for Mo) and run something like a 10km to school every morning and evening, in your grade-school years. And barefoot. And eat a very simple diet (no sugars and lots of grains). And for Mo, a strong dose of hardship was also his essential ingredient in becoming a world class runner. As for Kelvin Kiptum, well, he breaks all my rules for running fast … we’re the same height and weight. So there.

I must give credit to Eliud Kipchoge as I have in a previous article. He did run the 1st ever marathon distance in under 2 hours (1:59:40.2) so we know it is humanly possible. For certain humans, at least. Well, specifically one human on the planet so far. Anyway, this wasn’t an “official” race, since a whole army of elite runners were waiting in line, ready to jump in the loop to take their turn as robotic rabbits. Remember the truck that drove in front of the pack, shooting back laser beams on the ground, and driving at the exact sub-2 hour finish pace? Sheesh. Anyway, his achievement is good enough for now, and he does hold the unaided marathon world record in 2:01:09. He’s also the youngest of the lot! So, there you have it. Kenenisa Bekele earned a world record for being over 40 and running a 2:04:19. And he had to settle for 4th place. I still shake my head in disbelief. Haile Gebrselassie’s world record (2008) was a ho hum 2:03:59 (and 20 seconds later along comes Kenenisa).

To finish off this article, I can’t help but reveal a huge fact about Kenenisa’s achievement. From many different sources, it turns out he comes off as a rather shy person, not flamboyant or soaking in the admiration of “his” public. He is much more little known, even though he holds (held) just as many world records as the rest of the gang. They’ve all mastered the art of running fast on all types of surfaces (grassy x-country courses, asphalt, spongey tracks, cobblestones, etc.). But look at the faces of the others as they finish a race, and their arms go up in triumph, they love giving interviews, they relish the attention. Kenenisa doesn’t do that. Kipchoge, Gebrselassie, and Mo are good at self-promoting. That’s why I admire Kenenisa all the more.

With that, dear Wind Drinkers, I wish you all the very best of accomplishments for 2024. May the race gods and goddesses treat you well. And if you prefer the anonymity of self-effacing running achievements which go unnoticed, may those important accomplishments fill you with all the self-esteem and pride you deserve.

Kelvin Kiptum made it look easy. Via world-track.org

Oh dear, while finishing up this article, I got chastised. I totally forgot Kelvin Kiptum. This October in Chicago, the “upstart” Kelvin, born in 1999, as a 24 year old, jumped into the fray, and came up with this USA soil WR. 2:00:35. Sigh. And he’s the tallest of them all, wow.

You Must Know Who Courtney Dauwalter Is

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“You are fine…everything is fine…Keep moving!” These are Courtney Dauwalter’s mantras as she navigates all the challenges of long mountain races. She is so refreshing, simple and almost naive! She also says it works great, and I don’t think she was joking! Here’s a familiar photo which shows her undaunted enthusiasm!

Beer and Tailwind …a winning combination? Via runninginsight.com

I have to make sure every reader of this newsletter knows about Courntey, if you don’t already. She is such a positive development in the long distance running community. She’s unaffected by all her success and this encourages me to get back in shape to “go long” once more. I’m basing much of this article written by Brian Meltzer, who I too often mistake for Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer. Brian is the founding editor of Trail Runner Magazine and “invented” the Speedgoat HOKA trail running shoe, which was named after him. He’s also known foe his amazing string of winning 100-mile races; he’s won at least one a year for over 20 years, and for your information, wearing my own Speedgoat HOKAs does not make me 100-mile material!

Courtney smiling as she runs the 240 mile Moab race via gearjunkie.com

Back to Courtney: what first caught my eye was her winning Western States 100 (going 77 minutes faster than the record, she ran a 15:29:34) and Hardrock 100 (setting a new record there as well) three weeks apart from each other. After that, she signed up for the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc on September 2-3. And that she won, setting a women’s course record as well. At 38 years old, she’s broken just about everyone’s records wherever she goes. I can’t help but be impressed with her Western States 100 record; her time would have beaten all the overall winners (meaning men) going back 20 years.

Courtney thanking the crowd at the UTMB via scmp.com

So, how does she do this – a question asked by mane others as well? She has no coach and just does what she “feels like” every morning she wakes up. I love that. Heck, that’s exactly what I do too (okay, I’ll stop trying to compare myself with her). She’s been living in Leadville, CO near where I spent 20 years running up 14-ers. Living above 10,000 feet can’t hurt it seems. She almost brags about her diet, eating stuff I thrive on too (ooops, stop it David): pastries, pizza, beer, jelly beans, Mike ‘n Ike’s, Snickers, gummy bears, nachos, pancakes. And along came Tailwind, the drink Megan DeHaan championed for the Ridge Run. I tried drinking it, and it just tasted awful. But Courtney swears by it. Maybe I’ll try it again.

The best part about Courtney is her simple lifestyle and simple joy shown in all interviews. She keeps saying that she just loves running, and keeps figuring out ways to make it happen. When she crosses a finish line, she’s thinking “Wow, I really finished this” “boy that was fun” and goes around thanking all the support crews. I mean, that’s exactly what I do whenever I finish a race.

What Courtney drinks at aid stations! via pinterest.com

A list of Courtney’s accomplishments, via Wikipedia.

Yes, Courtney uses poles in the tricky parts of the UTMB! Via runandtravel.pl

I can’t help but include our own Nikki Kimball’s accomplishments as she won three Western States 100 (2004, 2006, 2007) and won the UTMB in 2007 as well. She was undefeated in seven years of competition. And she held the BRR record for many years, constantly encouraging Kristina Trygstad-Saari to beat her record (which did eventually happen!).

And speaking of former BRR winners, there’s Jim Walmsley who won BRR several years ago, had some foot soreness and wore a pair of HOKA’s at the last minute. Then his UTMB attempt; he came in fourth last year, and true to his dedication to winning, he moved to Arêche-Beaufort, France, near the start of the UTMB in Chamonix, so he could train to his heart’s content. I did read he ran into some problems with his Visa – you can’t stay longer than 90 days without being asked to leave. I believe he had to solve some issues so he could continue training this year! Anyway, he did win this year, and established a new record (19:37:43) – way to go Jim 🙂

I can’t stop this article without mentioning that there is a new USA mile record by Yared Nuguse, who ran a 3:43:97 to erase Alan Webb’s 3:46:91 set in 2007. That record stood for 16 years! The new record happened at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, Oregon. The current world record is still held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco (3:43:13). So Americans are now only 0.84 seconds away from mile glory.

Nuguse is on the left, winner Ingebrigtsen (Norway) is on the right and won in 3:43:73. Via runnersworld.com/news/a45172962/yared-nuguse-breaks-mile-american-record

Thoughts On Technology-Aided World Records

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

I’m no longer trying to set world records. So now I can fully pontificate on those who achieve world records in a surprising way. It’s called “Wavelight.” Remember reading about the various marathon world record stunts which used laser-produced glowing red squares moving ahead of runners cast by a vehicle moving at exactly world-record pace? All you have to do is follow the red square, and you’ll end up in the Emerald City….errr, the finish line! Well, this latest invention installs LED lights set-up on a track oval every meter, with the lights turning on at the prescribed pace to achieve whatever you need! It could be for interval training on a track, or for elite world record attempts. They say the audience loves it – they can see if the lead pack or front-runner is going to set a WR. Here’s a little history of this newest innovation using the latest technology to the aid of runners.

Just Follow the Moving Lights! via reddit.com

I have to speak out on this recent development. The “Wavelight” system became official in 2020 when the World Athletics granted its approval for use in track meets. There has been an uproar, since world records are being set on such tracks – offering an obvious unfair advantage not available in previous world record attempts. A little history – Robotronix Europe and Sport Technologies developed the system, though it had been used before on tracks not worrying about international rules. Originally it was banned by the World Athletics (rule 144.3) – considering it “pacing by any kind of technical device”. Then in 2020, the WA added a new “rule 144.4” which allowed the moving lights around the track, because it was not considered assistance to pacing. Why? Because it was not an aid to runners but a “new service” for the spectators. (?) Wow. Suddenly the moving lights weren’t seen as an assistance “of any significance to the athletes”. It appears the track world was needing spectators, thus this was a financial decision! Oh, the purity of running just got smeared. Will all local tracks start saving up their funds to purchase a “spectator-enhancing” gimmick to spur on ticket sales? I hope not. It’s pretty hard to imagine the MSU’s athletic department requesting extra $$ in next year’s budget to install the Wavelight system. Okay, I might buy a ticket to one of their track meets just to see it in action…but on 2nd thought, I think not!

Wavelight during a track meet. Via trackandfieldnews.com

As an NCAA Div III track coach back in the ‘80’s, I attended a track and field workshop (I think in Kansas City) where Sebastian Coe (who held the WR in the 800 meter) was speaking, along with his dad and coach Peter Coe. Their British accents made their presentation all that much more riveting. Their topic revealed how Sebastian was able to establish the WR due to his dad’s grueling workouts based on uphill “fartleks”. I paid rapt attention, and included their advice with my distance runners. So I was crestfallen when I found out the president of the World Athletics Council was none other than Sebastian Coe. The organization started out as a governing body (IAAF – International Amateur Athletics Federation) for amateur running events in 1912. Being an amateur organization (receiving no money for running), and trying to keep the sport from being a way to earn money, used to be so important. Runners were banned from competing if the IAAF discovered money had changed hands.

Coe winning an 800 meter race. via historyofsports.org.

His WR 1:41.73 stood for 16 years. That race was held June 10th, at 11pm in Florence, Italy.

At a press conference 2 years ago, Coe concluded this new lighting technology was a useful information tool to help spectators better understand and appreciate the efforts of the athletes. GRRRR. I might be overreacting here. How about the invention of the stopwatch mounted on a regular ‘ole wristwatch? Aren’t they “technology” too? Just one more technological aid, I guess. And Timex watches have never been banned! My Timex definitely “aided” me in running faster, by knowing my exact splits so I could compare my progress toward setting a new PR on a run. Heck, I used it yesterday to establish a new PR on a 2 mile course up here in the Cathedral Mountain Ranch (3 miles past Nye, Montana). Of course it won’t be found in any published record book…but still deeply meaningful to me! That device on my left wrist spurred me on to dig deeper than before, and I reveled in the triumph when I got home. So, now there’s a 29:29.34 record to memorialize the effort: Dry Lake Trail to CMR Trail, to Elk Park Trail –

turnaround at the very top (highest point in CMR), and retrace back to the front door of 8 Dry Lake Trail.

You see, I wouldn’t be trying to break personal records if there were spectators around. That would be embarrassing. Running is not a spectator sport, or at least shouldn’t be … or….wait a minute, I’d love to watch an Olympic T&F meet! I’m glued to the screen anytime an elite marathon is on. So, I’m guilty. And knowing exactly (to the split second) where the about-to-be-broken WR pace is….again, I’m guilty. It would thrill me no end. So I’ve just debunked the whole premise of this article! Free reign to the latest technology! Bring it on! Where’s the limit? I suppose World Athletics might be checking elite runners to see if they’ve implanted some silicon chip in their bodies to overcome pain? Sigh. Just putting that in print almost guarantees it’ll happen some day. But not on my watch.

PS: Well, I just checked the internet, and this is already being done – all the tests on animals have perfected the procedure, and I’m sure human guinea pigs were used as well. What’s to keep well-meaning scientists (entrepreneurs…) from developing a clientele of willing innovators to hook humans up with chips in the brain, to turn-off the pain centers? My daily dose of Ibuprofin is so tame!

Brain Chip! Why not get hooked up to AI – why not be superhuman?? Via istockphoto.com

Two Types of Able-Bodied Runners Make The News

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

The following two stories have to do with runners depicted as “disabled” or “challenged” in one way or another. Ha! These runners are hardly; their training makes them head-and-shoulders above us more normal runners.

First, there’s Makenna Myler, an Asics sponsored runner, who has been paving the way for women to keep running all through their pregnancies. I will relay the facts as I have found them, and let you make your own conclusions! I found the article at “yahoo!life,” written by Korin Miller. The title caught my eye: “Don’t be afraid to challenge reality.” Makenna ran a 5:17 mile while 9 months pregnant (a few weeks before her due date). Here is the picture that came with the article.

Nine months pregnant, no problem – photo courtesy of Makenna Myler herself.

As a professional runner, Makenna ran the 10,000 meters at the 2020 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR, and came in 14th. Her PR is 32:03 at that distance. She also has a 4:42.40 mile to her credit (as well as a 15:31 5km PR). She decided in 2020 to run a mile within a week of her due date. It turns out she loves running timed miles on the track to celebrate important events – like running a mile on her wedding day (she would become a “Myler” – her husband’s last name – so it seemed appropriate!). She had the blessing of her obstetrician, and kept training right up until the delivery. She had a bet with her husband, who said she couldn’t run a sub-8 minute mile under those conditions. So, she ran a 5:25 on a $100 bet. Then, three years later, and being 3 weeks before the due date (this time it was February 21st – and due on March 15th), she ran a 5:17 mile! I found a Runner’s World interview written on March 13th, by Kells McPhillips (and taken from an NPR interview) with these quotes from Makenna: “It’s kind of funny. The weight almost just catches up to you in a sense. Like, all of a sudden, it hits your body that, like, you’re carrying this much weight. You need to slow down, even though you can kind of start out at a similar cadence.”

She added that while her midsection wasn’t shaking too much, her hips, quads, and lower back had to work overtime to propel her from one step to the next. She knew from her first timed mile (the 5:25 in 2020 before her first birth) she would get a lot of criticism for doing this; being irresponsible, endangering the life of a newborn, etc.

“There’s so many people who think I’m an absolute idiot,” she said. “And this time around, it’s just been quite a laugh with what people have to say. The comments are just absolutely ridiculous. The best is, ‘if men could run while pregnant, they would be running a four-minute mile, so this isn’t impressive.’”

And this leads me into one more story for April where an elite marathon runner saw a handicapped runner fumble trying to get a drink at the 10km table and helped him hydrate, and then ran with him 28 more kilometers, to make sure he had the water he needed. The report I read stated that Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo ran beside the unknown Chinese runner for 28km, and left him with 5km to go. She raced ahead trying to catch the front pack, which she did! The Chinese runner was listed as an elite runner, but in the “disabled” category.

Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo races alongside a Chinese runner and helps him along the course. (Photo from Skeptics.StackExchange.com)

Doing a little research, I found out that the Kenyan runner (Kiplimo) actually did finish this race in 2nd place, earning $6,000. The winner took home $15,000. They were 68 seconds apart at the finish (winner Chepkemoi, also a Kenyan, came in at 2:36:54). This all took place at the International Zheng-Kai Marathon in China on March 28th, 2010. There was some controversy with the veracity of the news article, but apparently it was thoroughly researched and everything checked out fine.

According to the story, Kiplimo came upon the “disabled” Chinese runner at a water stop and noticed he was having trouble handling the water cup. So, Kiplimo helped him out, and they ran side-by-side until the 38km mark, at which Kiplimo put on the afterburners, and caught back-up to the women’s front pack, almost pulling off the win. Of course there’s a lot of online comments about this incident, but the picture above is all I need.

These two articles inspired me to not take anyone’s (especially my) apparent difficulties in running as normal and then do something about it, like change the reality one is looking at. I would never call myself a “disabled” runner, though I often feel like one. Looking at the Chinese runner holding down somewhere around a 2:40 marathon pace, he certainly wasn’t laboring under any reality that said he shouldn’t be there in an “elite” category.

Hmmm, that gives me an idea; why not create my own category; I’m in the “Over 75 Beartooth Foothills Super Category.” So what if the vast majority of those I pass on the trails are all deer? Yes, they look a bit askance at me, and often scatter as I approach, but mainly they just stand there and stare. They must know they’re witnessing a miracle happening, right in front of their eyes!

These are my spectator deer, witnessing the miracle of my accomplishments!

My New Marathon Hero, Ed Whitlock

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

Due to Stacy and my trip to Canada this October, I had to find out about Canadian runners. We were mostly in Nova Scotia, which has its share of great runners, but I then realized Ed Whitlock (born in London) had emigrated to Quebec and then Milton, Ontario, and further research revealed what a wonderful person he was. He died in 2017, but reading some interviews with him, he instantly became my overall hero. He was known for his gentlemanly demeanor, gracious smile, and flowing white hair. But what got me hooked was his total lack of ego in the face of recording world records over the course of several decades.

(20 year old shoes work perfectly well! “perfectbodybywil.blogspot.com”)

In his youth he did compete a lot (shorter distances) and I couldn’t help but notice his height/weight (something I’ve become a little bit too obsessed with lately). He only weighed 112 pounds at 5’7”. Those statistics seem to be the preferred ones for fast times (see previous articles concerning record-breaking Kenyan and Ethiopian runners). As is the case with the normal lot, he put aside “serious” running for his professional career as an engineer, graduating from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College. He landed in Ontario when he was 41, and only started marathon running when his youngest son had been training to run a marathon himself (his son had run everyday for over a year as his training). He talked his dad into running with him – Ed had tried to dissuade him – but surprised everyone by running a 2:31:23 marathon as a 48 year-old. Yikes. Yes, he enjoyed running fast times on the track throughout his life, but he got really serious about running when he retired. His stated goal was to be the 1st person over 70 to run a marathon under 3 hours. Ed made sure he could do that by running the Columbus (Ohio) Marathon way under 3 hours for the 1996-2000 years. He got his goal when he was 73 at the Scotiabank Toronto Riverbank Marathon by running a 2:54:48. And in Rotterdam the next year “…some of the world’s best marathon runners, Kenyans in their 20s and 30s, could not fathom why a person my age would be running a marathon and certainly not in that time. I did 2:58:40 that day and it blew their minds,” Whitlock wrote in a story for iRun magazine. “This needs to change,” he said. “Because if they can’t imagine themselves doing the same thing, it will never happen. Why don’t they think they can do the same thing?” I like this guy more and more!

(Ed Whitlock’s record “canadarunningseries.com” at age 85).

Here are some of my favorite quips from the National Post interview (Mar 13th, 2017):

“What do you think about when you’re running?” he was once asked. “When will this be over?” he replied. Another one: What makes a good marathon runner? Whitlock’s response: “Shine a light through their ear. If light comes out on the other side, odds are they’re up to the task.” Ed doesn’t use a GPS watch, and his training regimen was doing laps in the local Milton Evergreen Cemetery. He would just do laps until 3 hours were up, and that’s all he needed to do. Alan Brookes (Toronto Marathon race director) said most world record holders would be wearing free shoes from their sponsors. Not so for Ed. Alan noticed Ed’s shoes, and swore they must be 20 year-old shoes. He obviously was running for the pure joy of running, though he did admit to enjoying all the attention he got – but it stopped there. As he “slowed” down (sub 4 hour marathons in his mid-80’s), he adjusted his cemetery loops to just loops around a gravestone. “I like running in the cemetery,” Whitlock reasoned. “Compared to everyone else there, no matter how you look when you’re running, you look pretty good.”

(I’m looking pretty good…in comparison! (The Age of Simplicity “www.runnersworld.com”)

How to describe my new hero? Just don’t make a big fuss about what you do. Just do it, and be consistent about it all. When asked about what he eats, he just shrugged it off as not important. This implies there are no “Whitlock secrets” to running amazingly fast times for an octogenarian. From what I learned, he was obviously born with a good, sound body (I do believe we all are, to some extent). He trained in the rather “normal” way – doing faster-than-normal repeats in his 40’s (this was before he retreated to safe gravestones), some hill work (though all the pictures of him running in the cemetery show nothing but flat, grassy plots), and honing his pace (his engineering background came in handy – floating endless numbers in his head to keep that pace steady). He also chose marathons with very little to no elevation gain (hence Cleveland, Ohio, Rotterdam, and Toronto). But “google” him and see his age-group world records in all distances, from 800 meters and up.

Then I found an article (Ed Whitlock and the Age of Simplicity) written by Scott Douglas forRunners World (Feb 15, 2010). It’s a wonderfully revealing article about the real Ed Whitlock! Here are my favorite parts:

“Whitlock lives two and a half blocks from the cemetery, and does all of his training there. Speed work, daily maintenance runs, long runs of up to 3 hours, everything, meted out in loops that take no more than 5 minutes. He leaves his house with his day’s assignment decided and runs loops until his time is up. He doesn’t count loops or time them. He does look at his watch frequently and think, ‘What is taking so damn long?’ The day’s loop varies occasionally, sometimes dictated by the presence of grounds crew or gravediggers. He never runs the full perimeter loop. The last little section on the southwestern side of the cemetery would add another minute or so, but it includes a rise, perhaps 50 yards long, with the steepness of a handicap-accessibility ramp. ‘I choose not to tackle this hill,’ Whitlock explains. ‘I don’t like hills.’”

“When at the height of marathon training, Whitlock does cemetery loops for 3 hours a day, every day. He doesn’t do pick-ups or progression runs or marathon-pace work. He doesn’t even stop for water. Just 3 hours a day of what he calls ‘plodding’ or ‘jogging.’ ‘I run to race,’ he says. ‘I don’t do it primarily for my health or anything else.’”

“Living in Quebec in the ‘70’s, Brenda was at a school sports day when a teenager told her the running club was looking for a coach. ‘My wife said, “My husband used to run. He knows all about running,” Whitlock says with a laugh. ‘A, I don’t know anything about running. B, I have no ambition to be a coach. I’m too selfish. But I had been committed. When I went to practice, nobody showed any interest in me. I would just lean against the fence. I thought I might as well do some jogging around the track. This was quite a sight, because old men of 40 didn’t run in those days. I kept showing up and jogging around and ended up racing again because of that. It just kind of happened.’”

“Less than six months shy of his 70th birthday, Whitlock ran 2:54 at the 2000 Columbus Marathon. ‘I thought, “We’re okay now,” he says. “Maybe foolishly, I decided to try for sub-3 once I was 70 in London, Ontario. There were only about 300 people in the race, and I got hung out to run by myself the last half of the race.” Whitlock missed the mark with an agonizingly close 3:00:23. The 2- and 3-hour runs built on each other, and at the 2003 Toronto Marathon, at age 72, Whitlock met his goal with a 2:59:09. The following year, with several months of plodding buoying him, he returned to Toronto and ran 2:54:48. About that race, Whitlock, who is not given to rhapsody about life‘s endeavors, says, ‘That was a good day. It was never a struggle.’”

“Whitlock, who says, ‘I stay away from doctors, they’re bad people,’ last had a physical exam when he was 40. His uncle Arthur was Britain’s oldest man when he died in 2000 at age 108. Whitlock last took an aspirin during World War II.”

“‘Running should be a pastime,’ he says. ‘All sports should be a pastime. There shouldn’t be all this professional stuff. I believe that Paula Radcliffe is drug-free, but I do think she pushes the envelope of being a professional runner to the extreme. I don’t mean to single her out, but she’s living an artificial existence. She’s always away from home or sleeping in an altitude chamber. She has this entourage of people constantly around her poking and prodding. That’s so far away from what I do and how I would want to live. Monomania leads to terrible things.’”

(Famous World Record old shoes “timenote.info”)

All I can say at this point is….are there realistically any world records left to be achieved? It’s hard to come up with any for me. Darn. Maybe if I just keep on “doing my thing”, one will present itself, and I’ll get back to hone my body to do the impossible. And I hope I can find a handy cemetery nearby. I like the idea of just getting out there, no counting of miles, loops, or hours. Just jogging along. And I’ve accumulated enough “not worn-out enough Hokas” to last me several more decades. I’m all set. Don’t count me out, okay?

The Mature Runner: What World Record Fell This Month?

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By David Summerfield

At the Eugene, Oregon World T&F Championships, Sydney McLaughlin (USA) ran a 50.68 in the women’s 400m hurdles – and was just 1:57 behind the winning 400m, without hurdles! And Noah Lyles just lowered the American 200 meter dash time to 19:31. Great…these quick short, little runs were well shy of going 26.2 miles.

Anything else? Well, the fact that I eeeked out one more marathon this year, yes – that’s a Summerfield 2022 Record. Ha! Must I bore you with the details, obviously! Since ending my “real running exploits a few years ago, I only jog downhills anymore. Now all I do is pick a course that gets measured accurately (I used to be a certified USA T&F course measurer, and I would “sanction” races, really). Then I build up to it, and pull it off. I used to do this using Frank Newman’s marathon course going to Livingston (yes, walking the whole way). Moving to Nye, Montana – I found a great course, measured it, and did it last year, with Stacy’s help who did the last 16 mile with me (if you ever need a new marathon course, just get to Absarokee, park near the intersection of the only blinking light going through town, and take off going toward Red Lodge.

(the Absarokee blinking light starting line “everipedia.org”)

After 2.8 miles, turn West onto the Nye Road, and go the 24 miles to the Cathedral Mountain Ranch gate…exactly 26.3 miles. You have the thrill of seeing the snowcapped Beartooth Mountains as a backdrop – just like seeing the Absarokas going over to Livingston).

(CMR Gate Finish Line, “cmra.us/photo/cabins/gagte1a.jpg”)

Back to this year’s 2022 marathon. Instead of the traditional FNM on Memorial Day weekend (we were in France then), we kept waiting for decent weather – not hot, not on a weekend. Too many days in the 90’s, so I got impatient, and decided to start at 2:30am, on the coolest day (only 85°) for weeks.

The next challenge was to find the perfect cache sites for my smorgasbord every 5 miles or so. This year, I discovered that all those metal guardrails along highways always have little curved endings, with hollowed-out cupboards behind, perfect for storing food and drink, and a flat spot on top to sit on while dining along the roadway. Suddenly, “doing a marathon” turned into a stroll along the road in style. What’s in the cache? The obligatory 14oz, 30g Premier Protein drink à la Franklin Coles, a used Coke bottle with Gatorade refill, a banana, a GU packet, a Kirkland chewy granola bar, and a little crisp apple. The last 3 caches had a wonderfully honeyed (moist soaked-through) peanut butter/honey sandwich. I discovered that much food is great for a much longer distance! At the end of the walk, I found out I weighed a pound heavier at the end than at the beginning! That’s something new. (Perhaps I’m putting out too much food.) Oh, I also carry a Scott Jurek inspired waist belt which holds 3 pouches – one for the ibuprofen and HammerNutrition ecaps, the others for the nasty GU packets.

If you’ve gotten this far in the article, my apologies. Here are some of the highlights: at 2:30am July 19th, the moon was high in the SW over my shoulder, with Neptune right beside it. This picture doesn’t do justice to the sight. It was like a huge flashlight.

(Moon with Jupiter “www.theweathernetwork.com”)

I could easily see the white lines telling me where the asphalt ended. The Pleiades rose further to the West around 3:30am. There was NO traffic. I was in my own personal paradise. I wore a headlamp, but only used it to find the various mileage markers so I could compute my pace. My 1st cache was across the street from the Fishtail General Store, next to a perfectly flat sitting rock. 6 minutes later, off I went into the night.

Fishtail General Store “www.whereiscookie.com”)

Around 5:30am, the 1st of 6 big white buses roared by – taking the daytime shift workers to the Stillwater Mine, located just 2 miles down from my finish line. That’s when the traffic started to grow. It wasn’t until past my 2nd cache (mile 11) that I entered the 1st direct sunlight. With a good headwind, I was kept quite cool as I got to the 1⁄2 way point, where Stacy and Morgan (daughter) joined me for the last 1⁄2 of the route! The 3rd cache was by the “Fishtail Creek End-of-the-metal-guardrail Smorgasbord station. I was too full to take much, realizing I wasn’t burning as many calories as I imagined. Up and over the pass, there’s a 5 mile long winding downhill with gorgeous views of the Beartooths. Yes, getting hot, but that headwind was a Godsend. Realizing we were going to go faster than the year before (8 hrs 47 min) we pressed on with blistering soles yelling away. We finished at our car parked next to the Cathedral Mountain Ranch gate in 8 hrs, 28 min. A wonderful walk on a beautiful day, and whew – the 2022 marathon is history – and I’m consciously wondering why I have to do this every single year. Yes, the streak is unbroken since my 1st marathon in 1980. (digression: the 1st marathon was the “Marathon de Martigny”, Switzerland – run entirely on narrow cobblestone, gravel paths through their vineyards…done in 2:59:36…yes, I was trying to get under 3 hours!) Back to streaks, they are made to be broken….just like world records? We’ll see. Frankly, making it a huge production is sorta fun, and with a willing family to put up with this kind of stuff, we’ll keep it going 🙂