My wife went for a massage after I got home from work today so I was watching the daughter. I tried getting my run in on the treadmill when she fell asleep but something woke her up after I got in 2.9 miles. About a half hour later my wife got home and I did another 4.5 miles outside plus some strides.

Gonna be a hot, sweaty week which I like for running but not much else.

Back from Phoenix, where I didn't run for the past week given the 105° to 107° temperatures. Today in Mill Creek, WA it's a much more comfortable 58°. I did an easy 3 mile run.


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7 at 7. It was getting hot and humid out there.

Bit of a day off work and a morning run to beat the building heat & humidity. 16.5K

The long-running debate on whether some random Kenyan runners could fly over and dominate Western States is bubbling up on Letsrun again. It's kind of like where (men's) marathoning was in the early 70s, women's in the early 80s when better athletes with a track background started taking over and running around 2:10 and 2:30 respectively. Ex college athletes like Walmsley and Lichter are breaking through and we're going to see more of that. Although trail running as a phenomenon seemed to start in the US, the Europeans are upstaging us at the world events like UTMB. I think it's only a matter of time before some Africans also start breaking in. 

But at the same time we have seen that just because someone is fast at track or cross country, or even marathons, it doesn't automatically translate to running ultras well.

Just over 12 miles this mid morning. I had planned 13 but I took a good spill and landed on my hip around 9.5 miles. Not injured but definitely feeling a little bruised.

59.4 miles on the week. Below last week's 70 for a mini taper for my 3 mile race on the 4th of July.

The historical progression is remarkable. I was an OG Scott Jurek stan back when 17 hour finishing range was often good enough to win. For his 6th straight win in 2004 he ran 15:36 for a course record, which people thought was insanely fast and cemented his GOAT status at the time. This year he would've placed 12th and been beaten by F1.  The first year he won he ran 17:34, which would've been good for 33rd this year and outside the top 10 for women.

Granted this year was off the charts good due to conditions and competitive races up front down to the wire, but nonetheless the needle has sharply moved over the last decade plus. Obviously popularity/PR/marketing/social media plays a big role. In the 90s these were such below the radar fringe events that nobody knew how to run. You plodded along on your flats, walked your uphills, chugged your chicken/beer/soda at the aid stations and had a merry ol' time. Jurker really become one of the first specialists (and Ann Trason before him) who made a real racing event out of it, focused on nailing effective fueling strategies and relentlessly attacking the course.

Now you've got a whole market around fueling, gear, fast shoes, GPS/racing technology, running influencers etc., leading an influx of specialists from all over the world who are taking this on as a career in their youth. I think the change has been mostly good and makes for compelling race atmospheres, but there has definitely been change.

6 miles, just ahead of rain and thunderstorms this morning.

44 miles on the week. Marathon block officially kicked off with yesterday's long run. We have a hot muggy week ahead.

I think the Euros are going to be more of a factor going forward.

Had not heard of Jenn Lichter before this, amazing back story. Basically orphaned as a child in Columbia (father dead) mother a drug addict. Her and her brother adopted in the US (Wisconsin), where she took up running and eventually wins Western States. In record time.

Americans are obviously superior at everything, but it's a testament to our superior sportsmanship that we let others have the victory sometimes. 

Bhearn just nailed down a golden hour finish!