Trip, race & hunt reports

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Data dump: Boston Marathon course GPX & vertical profile; plus pacing, heart rate & workout details

By Andrew Skurka / April 27, 2017 /
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My Boston Marathon coverage finishes with a data dump. It’s mostly for my purposes, so I can quickly access and compare the information in the future; but there are a few resources that will be useful for any Boston participant. Boston Marathon course GPX file During the race I wore a Suunto Ambit GPS sport…

Boston Marathon || Notes for next time: Tips, advice & reflections on training, pacing, spectating & more

By Andrew Skurka / April 24, 2017 /
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I thought Boston would be a one-and-done affair. I’m not so sure now. For the  next time, here are some tips, advice, and reflections that will be useful for first-timers and veterans alike: General Until race day, I didn’t fully grasp the scale of the event. The numbers help convey this: Nearly 30,000 runners participate. At…

Race Report || Boston Marathon: 2:32:01, 72nd overall

By Andrew Skurka / April 22, 2017 /
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Two weeks out from the Boston Marathon, I had my heart set on sub-2:30, or 5:43 pace. I thought my workouts proved that it was within reach. But as the race day forecast solidified — high-60’s/low-70’s, sunny, and low humidity — I wisely gave up on that best case scenario, and honed in on 2:32,…

Risk vs. Reward: Pacing conundrum for Boston Marathon & endurance events generally

By Andrew Skurka / April 11, 2017 /
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At this point in the training cycle, within a week of my first big race of 2017, I have as clear an understanding of my  current fitness as I will get. While the taper does include some workouts, they are less telling than near-max efforts weeks and months ago. So this is an appropriate point to settle…

Fastest I’ve been in 16 years || Boston Marathon: One week out

By Andrew Skurka / April 9, 2017 /
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The 121st Boston Marathon is now just a week out, on #MarathonMonday, April 17! Live tracking The Elite Men and Wave One (mine) start at 10 AM. You won’t see me on TV in Galen Rupp’s slipstream, but if you want to track my progress you can sign up for text or email updates. I’m bib #703.…

Race calendar 2017: Boston, Bighorn, and Blanc

By Andrew Skurka / January 25, 2017 /
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In March I will turn 36 years-old. Sadly, for a male long-distance runner I am thought to be at the end of my physical prime, if not already beyond it. Sure, many older runners do phenomenal things. For example, last year 85-year Ed Whitlock ran a sub-4:00 marathon, and 44-year-old Jeff Browning was the second-ranked ultra runner in the…

Trip Report: Kings Canyon High Basin Route || Loop 1: Tablelands & GWD

By David Danylewich / January 20, 2017 /
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Chris Barrett, Paul Bennett, and I met on one of Andrew’s guided trips in 2015. Out of a group of eight, the three of us seemed to really hit it off. By the trip’s last day I was already lobbying for us to meet up again on one of Andrew’s trips the following year. Unfortunately,…

Race Report: Indian Creek 50M || 9:46, 1st place

By Andrew Skurka / October 17, 2016 /
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If the Indian Creek 50M had been held 72, 48, or even 24 hours earlier, the outcome for me would likely have been very different. I woke up on Tuesday with a sore throat and had full-on cold symptoms by the end of the day: coughing, wicked congestion, body aches, and a slight fever. I…

Notes for next time || My first successful elk hunt: Lessons, advice & tips

By Andrew Skurka / October 12, 2016 /
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Fall is arriving quickly in Colorado. Snowfall is sticking on high and northerly aspects. My last ultra marathon of the season is on Saturday. Of course, the days are shorter, the leaves have turned, and my raised beds are no longer producing. And, finally, I’m also dusting off my hunting equipment for the upcoming big…

Finishing it up || Trip report: Wind River High Route, Loop 6

By David Eitemiller / September 26, 2016 /
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A panorama from the Gannett Glacier Last summer I attempted to thru-hike the Wind River High Route with Douglas Wahl and Chris Austin, traveling north from Bruce Bridge Trailhead outside of Lander. We made it to Dinwoody Creek — the start of Section 4, which is considered the crux of the route — in four days, but an…