Weekly RunDown #17

Ian Coreless interviews Peter Ksotelnick - Run Across USA Full and In-Depth Interview.  Also, Ian has a Review of 2016 in Trail, Mountain, Ultra and Skyrunning.

How about running the Dolomiti Extreme Trail race in 2017 .  See the 2016 video below.

While I posted about Miruts Yifter a couple weeks ago that the announcement of his death was premature, it appears now he truly has passed away:  Miruts Yifter "the shifter" Dies

Now this is some holiday Strava art

Some good ideas from Steve Speirs - What's Your Secret? - Oh yea I agree that Injinji socks are the best:)

Peter Defty Coaches Keto Endurance

Not sure how many international readers I have that live in England or those that want to travel there for a race.  If you fit the bill you can enter here for an Entry to the Surry Half + Kit .

A collection of comments at Mario Fraioli's Morning Shakeout page on the Sub 2 Hour Projects

From Dr. Maffetone a host of articles on Fat-Burning: Fat-Burning Journal Archives

Lots of Ultra info at this UK site: Run Ultra

And from RunUltra here is their 2016 Round Up... What a Year it Was

Another good article on Ed Whitlock from The New York Times:  85-Year-Old Marathoner Is So Fast Even Scientists Marvel

Haile Gebrselassie meant business when racing and now as head of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation he also means business.  "Distance-running great Haile Gebrselassie, who was elected head of the EAF last month amid discontent over mismanagement, told Reuters his administration has adopted a "zero tolerance" approach towards doping." 

This is Part 2 for the Podcast on The Intelligent Racer with Jeff Browning and in case you missed it here is Part 1


Santa going for an FKT on Camelback Mountain



Running Down a Record// Pete Kostelnick
Running Down a Record // Pete Kostelnick from Neal Johnson on Vimeo.



DXT 103 - Dolomiti Extreme Trail 2016 Official Video



Nice video from Salomon on Kilian Jornet



And lastly just because I think it is funny

Weekly RunDown #16

What would you add to this list: The World's 8 Toughest Races

Ian Corless writes about Jim Walmsley's Record Breaking Year of 2016

Nice, Flanagan, Keflezighi and Rupp are running Boston in 2017.  See below for a video of all the Americans running in 2017, looks like a great group.

Would seem pretty clear there was some course cutting in Honolulu, sad what people will do to get a BQ.

Doyle Carpenter won the Endless Mile 48 Hour in Alabama at the age of 77

If your reason for not running a Beer Mile was that you just do not have the right shoes, well your excuse is gone:  Brooks Unveils "Beer Mile" Hyperion Racing Flat.  Here is this years Men's Race & Women's Race

If you are running Boston in 2017 here is the jacket you can purchase to commemorate it: Sneak Peek: 2107 Boston Marathon Celebration Jacket

More on Nike's 2hr Marathon Project:  Running's Greatest Minds on Nike's Two-Hour Marathon Project

As we enter those cold winter months here are the 10 Commandments of Winter Running

Ivan offers basic concepts he uses to develop a training plan in 4 basic steps

Interview with Jeff Browning on Intelligent Racer

Tips for uphill running, or walking: A Trail Runner's Guide to Uphill Running

“This idea that long-distance running is bad for your knees might be a myth.” -  Study: Running actually lowers inflammation in knee joints


Americans running Boston in 2017





Sure would like to see this: 2017 Trails in Motion Film Festival




2016 Skyrunner World Series Round Up





If all goes well I will be able to run this race in 2017

Hood to Coast Relay & PDX to Coast Walk-Relay from Hood to Coast Race Series on Vimeo.



The latest Mountain Outhouse




Straight from Poland - The Lemkowyna Ultra-Trail

Weekly RunDown #15

Not sure how many of you remember Miruts Yifter, aka Yifter the Shifter, the Bronze medalist In the 72' Olympic 10,000 and winner of the 10,000M and 5,000M at the 1980 Olympics.  At 72 he is in the hospital and not doing well:  Celebrating a Living Legend: Miruts Yifter.  There are a couple videos below of Yifter and when you see him take off you will know why they called him "Yifter the Shifter."

What do you think; a publicity stunt or are they actually looking for this to be done? - Nike’s Audacious Plan: Break the 2-Hour Marathon Barrier in 2017 - Sure would seem the three would need to work together and leave it to one of them to get it, sort of like having super pacers.  That said I am not really for this idea.  Sure I would like to see someone go under the mythical 2 hours and I realize this is what was done, in some respect, to go under 4:00 in the mile by running a set up race.  But that is track and this is a marathon and what I think is missed, well I miss it, is the element of a race to the end.  While I like to see how fast one can go in the marathon I would personally rather see a 2:09 where the guys are duking it out to the end than a guy run alone for the last 10K to run a 2:02.  There is just something about the marathon and the element of survival and seeing who can win that makes a good race, not just a fast time.  Also, here are comments by Toni Reavis on the subject of a Sub 2 Hour Marathon as Nike is looking to do.  I like his referring to it as more of a Lab experiment than a race.

Phil Maffetone also writes on the 1:59 Marathon.  He has written a couple books on this subject.  One is  1:59: The Sub 2-Hour Marathon is Within Reach and the other is a short story called  Million Dollar Marathon.

Nice story about a guy, Gary Allen, who puts on a free marathon in Maine to help a town: “Who wants to run 26.2 miles through the Maine North Woods in the middle of December? And who really believes that doing so will make a lick of difference for a mill town on the ropes? This guy does.”

And here is an article on this years race: The Magic of Millinocket: Runners Get Warm Welcome on Cold Maine Weekend

Last weekend was a big one for women as Caroline Boller ran the fastest 50 mile trail run for a women at the Brazos Bend 50 in 5:48:01.  Meanwhile Gina Slaby ran a (pending) world record 100 mile at Desert Solstice in AZ.

As I contributed to this Kickstarter Campaign looking forward to see how they turn out in April - Enda shoes

Atsede Baysa and Lemi Berhanu Hayle of Ethiopia to return to defend their titles at the 121st running of the Boston Marathon on April 17, 2017 - also at the link is a short video

Steve Speirs' recap of his 2106 Cayman Island Marathon marathon win


Miruts Yifter's win in 1980 Olympic 10000M



Miruts Yifter's win in 1980 Olympic 5000m



The Ginger Runner talks to Caroline Boller about her 50 Mile best at Brazos Bend


2016 Girls Footlocker X-Country National Championship Race (Dec 10, 2016)


2016 Boys Footlocker X-Country National Championship Race  (Dec 10, 2016)

2016 Nike Cross Nationals Boys Championship Race (Dec 4, 2016)

2016 Nike Cross Nationals Girls Championship Race (Dec 4, 2016)

Weekly RunDown #14

Jason Fitzgerald interviews Travis Macy: Finding Adventure with Ultra-Endurance Pro Travis Macy.  Also, some good links from the show on his page.

Jacob Puzey Runs a World Record for 50 Miles on a Treadmill @ 4:57:45 (5:56/mile pace), broke the old record by almost an hour  Jacob even ran a 2:38 marathon on the way to the 50 mile time.

The Fukuoka Marathon n Japan was this last weekend (12/4/2016) and you probably did not hear much about it.  Back in my day 70's and early 80's it was one of the go-to top marathons that many top marathoners from all over went to.  This years winning time was 2:08:48 by Yemane Tsegay and second was 2:08:57 by former world record holder Patrick Makau.  Here is a short video of the race.  It is in Japanese but you do not need to speak the language to tell the announcers are rooting for the third place Yuki Kawauchi who ended up running 2:09:11.

iRunFar.coms recap of the 2016 North Face 50 Miler

Some good tips for older, err... I mean more mature, runners:  Getting Better With Age

LetsRun.com's Week That Was for Nov 28th - Dec 4th, 2016 with stuff on Nike NXN, Fukuoka & an update on Ryan Hall.

Also, here is Runners World's article on Ryan Hall at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championships

33Shake article on Protein for Endurance Athletes

If you do not know much about fell running here is a good post from Strava: The Fells - Home, community and running in the Lake District.  I encourage you to read up on the Bob Graham Round as the 34 year old record of Billy Bland is pretty amazing and Ricky Lightfoot is looking to try and beat it in early 2017

Because diet is one of those uncontroversial topics, NOT, here is an article on the "D" word: The Importance of being a Furnace

News from The Running Event in Orlando Nov 28 - Dec 1, 2016: Whats New and Cool at The Running Event #TRE16 Part 1  &  Part 2

Joe Gray gives his Mountain Goats O' the Year Awards


Last 2+ minutes of Zack Miller finishing up this past weeks North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler where he set  a course record of 5:56:03



More from The North Face Endurance Challenge



How to be an Ultra Runner


The Crown Traverse



How about running this ridge, not me I got queasy just watching it

Interview with Kilian Jornet from 2014

Weekly RunDown #13

If you live in the Elizabethtown KY area, or want to stop by for a race, there are a couple great races you can sign up for.  First is a Trail Series at Freeman Lake (June, July & August) with races of 5K, 8K & 10K and the second is October   7th, 2017 and is the Elizabethtown Half Marathon.  Till 11:59PM on December 4th you can enter all three races in the trail series for $45 as well as enter the Half marathon for $45.

Wow, 197 guys under 66 minutes at a half marathon in Japan: Takeda Follows Osako as Fourth Man to Break 62 Minutes at Ageo City Half

Looks like Ryan Hall still wants to do some racing so it will interesting to see how he will do with his new training routine:  Ryan Hall to Run at XTERRA Trail Worlds in Hawaii

The Week That Was from LetsRun.com

While you may have already checked this out if not here is iRunFar.com's This Week in Running: Nov 28, 2016

A look at some trail shoes coming out in 2017: Best New Trail Running Shoes from the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Show.  From the same show here is the Best Trail Running Gear

More gear info from Ultra Running Magazines - Our Favorite Things 2016: Gift Guide

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile Championships are this coming Saturday (Dec 3, 2016) and it should be a great race.  Hoping Jim Walmsley is doing well after all of his hard racing because if Zack Miller goes out hard like he usually does and Walmsley goes with him a record may fall and it will be one fast race.  Here is a preview of the race from iRunFar.com:  2016 The North Face 50 Mile Championships Men's Preview & here is the women's preview.  Update 12/3/16 - Jim Walmsley decided not to run as he was not rested enough after the JFK 50 - can't blame him with all he has done this year, it was a smart move to not run.

Mark Cucuzzella's reflection on his run at the JFK 50 miler.  Lots of good info and pictures of his run :  Happiness is Finishing the JFK 50 Mile and Still Feeling Good:)

Interesting to find an article such as this in a Business magazine, but good to see: Why a Guy who Runs 100-Mile Races Eats a High Fat Diet While Training

Thanks to Mario Faioli's The Morning Shakeout I cam across a page at teh Runner's World site that has posted 50 of what they see as their best articles from over the past 50 years: RW 50 Selects.  Wished they had some of their older original articles from farther back.

Looking like Under Armour wants to maybe break into the running market on a bigger scale: Dave Larson Joins Under Armour.  I know for me I like their tops and run in them pretty much all the time.  Have not tired their shoes but it will be interesting where they go with this and who will be the first big names in distance running to sign up with them.

Do you have journalistic skills Trail Runner magazine is looking for an Assistant Editor

On the longest day of the year (June 21st, 2017) ASICS Beat the Sun 2016 race took place in Chamonix
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Because I am not sure one can see too many videos of the UTMB.  This is not in English but you can turn on CC in English



Latest Mountain Outhouse: Quad Dipsea, Lottery Season, North Face Endurance Challenge Race Preview



Running On Air with Budd Coates | Altra Run Talks Episode 1

Two Week Test – LCHF Reset – Week 2

For info on the fist week you can go the previous post: Two Week Test – LCHF Reset – Week 1

So two weeks is done and all in all it went well.  As I said when I started this it was a somewhat modified TWT in that while trying to hold to the usual TWT items you are allowed to eat a few times I diverted from the list, as with an Apple, Walnut and Cranberry salad and a few other small items.  Even so I was pretty diligent to avoid the main items to avoid and to keep carbs low.

I think this second time around it went much easier since I was already much lower in carbs than I was when I did the TWT a year ago.  Thus there was a lot less stress from removing carbs from my eating.  Even so there were still times I wanted something sweet and had to just say no.  I think often this comes from eating something savory as for me at least that makes me want something sweet:)

One thing I found, that is sort of frustrating, is that when you eat out many places that have “healthy” food often go over the edge to in their desire to limit the fat.  For example; when you get a good salad with veggies and such all the fat you can get is in the Avocado, if you can get them.  If chicken is available it is seldom ,if ever ,dark meat as people feel to be healthy it has to be low fat chicken breast.  Even the steak is lean so this creates an issue since when you remove carbs you need to up the fat intake and the current view of eating can make that more difficult than is should be.

Here is how I ate for the second week.  I should add where I list a snack it is not for snaking all day but just an item or two I may have had between meals if for some reason a meal went out longer than planned or may have eaten at the end of the day if dinner was early.

Day 8
Breakfast – MPC, 3 fried eggs and a piece of cheese
Lunch – Salad (Seared steak, Mixed Greens, Portobello Mushrooms, Tomatoes W/Balsamic Vinaigrette)
Snack – Small helping of mixed nuts (No Peanuts) and a Meat Stick
Dinner – Mix of ground pork and seasonings with broccoli, Slaw mix, Cauliflower all mixed together and heated and toped with Parmesan Cheese.

Day 9
Breakfast – MPC, Egg scramble with spinach and bacon
Lunch – Salad with grilled chicken, tomatoes, egg, carrots, cheese and an oil & vinegar dressing
Dinner – Salad of mixed greens, cucumber, kale, carrots, radishes with Oil and Balsamic Vinegar with a side of fresh chicken in butter.
Snacks -  Small amount of mixed nuts, pork rinds, 2 meat stick

Sausage Link, Eggs and Kale and Onions

Day 10
Breakfast – MPC,  Egg Scramble w/Spinach and Bacon,  No Grain Porridge w/Walnuts (See Week 1 Post for Recipe)
Lunch – 2 Pork Patties with Cranbery/Walnut/Apple Salad (Probably a little more fruit than usual for the TWT but went with it as it was what we had.)
Snacks – Meat sticks and Pork Rinds
Dinner – Ground Pork, Onions, Cole Slaw mix sautéed & 3 Prosciutto and cheese wraps

Day 11
Breakfast – MPC , Ran 5.6 miles then had a sausage with sautéed Kale & onions w/ a couple fired eggs
Lunch - 1 Prosciutto and cheese wrap and a serving of Chocolate/Coconut Primal Fuel
Dinner – Brussels Sprouts cooked with bacon and bacon fat and 1 Chicken Sausage topped with Parmesan cheese
Snacks – Pork Rinds

Brussel Sprouts W/Bacon and Sausage

Day 12
Breakfast – MPC – then ran 5.6 miles
Lunch – 2 of the Real Good Pizzas
Snacks – Meat Stick and few mixed nuts
Dinner – Stir Fry with Lamb meet and mixed veggies

Day 13
Breakfast - MPC & a serving of Chocolate/Coconut Primal Fuel
Lunch – Tuna Salad with Romaine lettuce and an Avocado, with Pork Rinds on the Side – Fat shot from  Adapt Your Life (has small amount of cashews in it which is not on the TWT list but was a very small amount and carbs were very low in shot)
Dinner – Mixed veggies and Park Roast
Snack – A few freeze dried apples – not the best for the TWT but only a few and not as big an issue for what I am using the TWT for

Day 14
Breakfast – MPC before 8 miler then had a sausage link and 3 fried eggs
Late Lunch/Dinner – Smoked Turkey, Lettuce, Pickles, Onions, Tomatoes, Home Made Cranberry/Orange Spread, ½ a Home Made Wheat Sourdough Roll, Butter, Apple salad – As tis was my last day had a few extras to start the coming off the TWT.  Even had a slice of Homemade Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll
Snack – Pork Rinds, mixed nuts & 1 Prosciutto and cheese wrap

Well that was the week, sorry not as many pictures.  As I said in the beginning this was not exactly the same TWT as I did a year ago, but very close.  I was not as strict on a few fruit items but still worked to keep carbs down and as little sugar as possible.  End result is that I am where I want to be going forward to be at a LCHF way of eating for the year ahead.  I also can see that super low carbs for me does not work as even though I was not running until the last week my energy levels were OK but not where they should have been.  My body just seems to need a little more in the way of carbs than say a Ketogenic diet provides, but that is me – N=1.

The main take away is that you can lower their carb in take and make it a sustainable diet.  The usual claim by many who questions a LCHF way of eating, I want to avoid the "D" word where I can, is that even if it is good it is not sustainable.  Now that may be true if you are an average 21st century individual who rarely eats real food and lives on processed offerings but with some effort, and not much at that, you can be lower carb than the average person and actually much lower without a lot of fuss.

Weekly RunDown #12

I do not know John Morelock and up until a few days ago had not heard his name, that said he is well known in the trail and ultra running community.  John has recently been diagnosed with incurable cancer and will have the numerous medical bills to deal with and as a way to help out you can buy his book "Run Gently Out There".  You can find a link to the book and info on this here: Support John Morelock – Run Gently Out There or here is his book at Amazon: Run Gently Out There.  I have not read the book but it gets great reviews and I have mine on the way please buy yourself a copy.

In case you do not already go there here is This Week in Running: November 21, 2016 at iRunFar

Good article on Jim Walmsley in light of his record at the JFK 50 Miler: Jim Walmsley's Sudden Rise to the Top of Ultrarunning

And here is one on the race, as well as what you will have seen at iRunFar above: Walmsley Redefines What's Possible in JFK 50 Mile

Looks like he is starting out well:  Eat Like an Elite:Drew Hunter and 10 Others in HIs Immediate Family

Ok, by now most everyone has probably seen the video of the guy getting hit by a deer during a X-Country race, if not you can see it here or in the following article, so here is an interview with him: What It's Like to be Run Over by a Deer During a Race & and here is a video interview with the runner

Here are links to the NCAA X-country action this past weekend:  Mens 2016 NCAA D1 X-Country Championships Recap  & Women's 2016 NCAA D1 X-Country Championship Recap.  Here is the Runner World article on the Men's race & the Women's Race.

Interesting article on strengthening your feet that was shared by Mark Cucuzzella of the Natural Running Center. on FB the other day.   Not saying we all need to run in Vibram shoes, I do not, but more about how to deal with foot issues other than just relying on the standard ways of using orthotics or standard stability shoes.  If they work for you that is great, they do not for me. This is the reason I am working on making sure I walk more in my Xero Sandals and shoes as well as running in them when I can:  Study Demonstrates Vibram FiveFingers Will Strengthen the Feet 

Along the same lines, Xero shoes is having a sale that ends Dec 4th at 11:59 Eastern Time and the Umara Z-Trials are 50% off.

Check out the Natural Running Centers USAF Efficient Running Course  - There are 3 Modules and a number of short videos in each.  This is what Dr. Mark Cucuzzella teaches and uses himself.  Mark, at 50, just ran the JFK 50 miler in 8:31 running in sandals the whole way as well as for the first 43 miles running at a HR <100.

Thanks to Mario Fraioli and his The Morning Shakeout for pointing me to an online magazine I had not seen before.  While having a focus on New England running there is good stuff here for everyone :  Level Renner


Principles of Natural Running with Dr. Mark Cucuzzella




Jamil Coury talks about his getting ready for The Barkley Marathons about 5 months from when he did the video




And in case you missed it here is a short documentary on The Barkley.  You can also watch the full length documentary The Barkley Marathons: The Race that Eats its Young online on Netflix or buy it.




The High Pass:  Trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal




5 Things We Can All Learn From Elite Runners with Budd Coates