100 Miles In 7 Minutes: The Angeles Crest 100


Terrazzo and Desdemona relive the agony and ecstasy of running 100 miles at the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Race.

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Leaving that behind, now you’re in UltraLandia. But not so fast with that Bad-Ass Prom King or Queen crown. Here’s a convenient checklist to help out.

If you…
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Try running a 100mi solo. You get to manage your own shit. All of it. You don’t get to drift along behind/in front of your pacer, who might be muling shit, etc. Afraid of the dark? Problems with being lonely? This gets right to the core of it all.

Do a bunch of these like that and then, maybe, you’re bad-ass.

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Hello Burnout, My Old Friend

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Everyone is mystified why modern ultra Bobs & Betties burn out after 3 years. Every new crop of young champions rise, burn brightly, then fall out of the heavens back into darkness, as everyone stares at their phones. Jason Koop has some sharp observations on this.

It boils down to race proliferation, #FOMO, social media, and sponsors wanting max exposure.  If you look at Ann Trason’s peak career, or Tim Twietmeyer you’ll see they didn’t race all the time. Or maybe some races didn’t make it into the database.

Ultras have changed mightily in thirty years. What used to be low-rent is now high dollar on both ends of the spectrum. We’ve gone from aluminum lawn chairs and a stopwatch to blowup arches and timing chips.

Here’s the arc: hot young Bob or Betty wins a name ultra. They become a social-media influencer. Winning is a stoke, kid you not. And they race. And race. The season never stops.

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Ultra-Cheating

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Ultras have now matured so that people work at cheating on them. It's always something. I've suspected it in various 50ks, 50-milers, and a few 100-milers. Marathons had their wakeup with Rosie Ruiz, and her 1980 subway-assisted Boston Marathon win.

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