All That Jazz

I've beginning to sound like a broken record, but so is the weather here in Hog Heaven.  Continued hot & humid and bone dry.  Most of the state (Iowa) is now officially in a moderate drought.  I know that farmers are suffering mightily, but it's not easy for runners.

Nonetheless, I've managed to get in most of my scheduled runs this month.  I've cut back a bit on my long runs, but that's the only concession I've made so far.  This week is an easy week for me:  no long run but a hill workout (Tuesday) and a race (the Bix 7-Mile) on Saturday.  The Bix is a big deal locally.  (Its namesake, Bix Beiderbecke, is a Jazz Age musician from right here in the Quad-Cities.)  The race draws upwards of 20,000 runners including some of the world's top distance runners.  Past winners include Olympians Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, and Lisa Uhl.  (Lisa, who made the U.S. team in the 10,000 meters is an Iowa native.)  I haven't decided how to approach the hilly race: as a race or a training run.  Right now, I'm leaning toward training run. 

I've run one ultra marathon: last fall's North Face Endurance Challenge 50K at Madison, Wisc.  I tried to go out slowly, walk strategically, and avoid any hydration or blood sugar issues.  It worked fairly well and the race didn't seem much harder than a marathon.  Of course, I suffer in marathons because I refuse to do the same smart things.  But, that's another story.

This fall, I'm registered for the North Face 50-Mile at Madison.  With the extreme weather here in Hog Heaven, I'm not sure that my training has been/will be up to the task.  So, if necessary, I'll drop back and run the 50K again.

I love trails and I like the idea of ultras.  But, I know my limits.  Imposed mostly by my age.  And, as much as I find iconic ultras like the Western States 100 intriguing, it's not likely that I'll ever run them.  My goal is to pace my son at Western States or another biggie someday.

Anyway, two of the country's most iconic--and grueling--ultras were contested in the past couple of weeks.  If you weren't paying attention, here's what you missed. 

The Hardrock 100 is history.  Hal Koerner won the men's race in 24:50:13, the third fastest time in Hardrock history.  Darcy Africa was the first woman finisher in 29:09:47.  See more results here: http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/2012-hardrock-100-results.html

Here's a brief race recap of the race from UltraRunning magazine: http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/news/koerner-and-africa-winner.shtml 

Hardrock winner Hal Koerner reprises his race here:  http://www.irunfar.com/2012/07/surprising-myself-and-others-hal-koerners-2012-hardrock-100-race-report.html

Another of the country's masochist magnets wrapped up this week: the Badwater Ultramarathon.  Badwater runs 135 miles from Death Valley, Calif.--the lowest point in the U.S.--to Mt. Whitney, Calif.--the highest point in the Lower 48.  This year's run saw relatively cool temps with a high of "only" 109 degrees.  Here's a brief recap:  http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/07/17/2912087/oswaldo-lopez-of-madera-finishes.html