End of July celebration run!

Come join us on for an hour+ run in the beautiful mountain preserve of Phoenix. This will be the last Wednesday of July and another day closer to the cool fall temperatures just on the horizon. Park at the top of Squaw Peak Drive (About a mile north of Lincoln) at 5:16 a.m. It's the coolest time of day! When else were you plan on running? If you joined us last week, plan for more of the same fun unless someone else steps up to the plate to set the pace. I'm still mad at the world, so the run will be fun! Hopefully I won't break any more appendages. Runner of the week goes to Kirk for surviving (barely) his fall during the training run with the rest of the gang up in Flagstaff this past weekend. ...Joe G.

WMRC 7/22

We are on for an easy 1:04 run in the Phoenix Mtn Preserve on Wed am at 5:16am. Park at top lot of Sq Pk Drive about 1 mile n/o Lincoln.

Runner of the week goes to Perry Edinger for his great showing at The Badwater 135. This 135 mile race starts in death valley at 280 ft below sea level and finishes at the Whitney Portals at 8300 ft. Temps during the day at Badwater get to about 128 degrees. Perry finished in 9th pl in just over 29 hours. Great job Perry!

Runner up is my stellar performance this morning going 5 miles of flat bridal path along Central ave. I just dominated that thing, passing trees and old people like they were standing still. Blue is taking the summer off and resting up for his return to the trails when the temps get below 140 degrees next fall.

We'll see everyone on Wed.

Man against Horse 50 or 25 mile trail run

Hey team, Jeff Jones here. We are 11 weeks out from Man Against Horse 50 and 25 mile trail race held on October 3, 2009. This is a great first 50 for several reasons (see below). I would like to encourage all of you that have thought about doing a 50 to set your sights on this one, start training and send in your entry. Would be a real kick to see the field dominated by WMRC shirt wearing runners. My training schedule for this race is provided, the same one I have followed to prepare for all my 50’s. I don’t do all the fancy foot work just run the distance called for throughout the week. Also a couple links to articles that helped me prepare for my first ultra. With WMRC at your disposal you are not lacking for running partners and friendly, enthusiastic answers to your questions.

Tim Twietmeyer Go Ultra Article and The Ultimate Ultramarathon Training Plan

Jeff Jones MVH training Schedule

1) Commute is minimal.
2) Entry fee is fair.
3) Little elevation gain.
4) Can camp at the start or stay in nearby Prescott Valley.
5) Pretty easy for your family to get to the start/finish and some of the aid stations to cheer you on.
6) Nice scenery.
7) Low key, small field of runners, easy parking.
8) Could become a star at Vimeo.com

Hardrock 100 Video

Very cool video from Kelly Korevec who was a pacer at this year's Hardrock. Check it out.

Hardrock 100 - Pacer's View from kelly korevec on Vimeo.

Perry Finished 9th at Badwater!

Perry Edinger Badwater 135 miles 9th place 29:19:04

Hardrock Hangover Run

Reminder: we are on for a group trail run in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve Wednesday morning 5:17 AM. Meet at the very top parking lot of Squaw Peak drive north of Glendale Ave. Plan on a little over one hour run in 90 degree heat. That is better than 114! Right??

Another Hardrock 100 mile run has now come and gone. A big thanks to Joe G, Liz, Aaron, Steve, Karen and others for posting reports and sharing photos for those back home during the event. Nice Hardrock article and video from the Durango Paper

Runner of the week: “Lived my life in one day” That is how Hardrock veteran Roch Horton describes the event. Jamil Coury, Andrew Heard, Honey Albrecht and Robert Andrulis experienced Hardrock and are one of the few that understand. They all had very good times and finished Hardrock!!!

In every 100-mile run things happen. You multiple those issues 10 fold when you run an event at an 11,000’ average elevation. Aaron said it best “it almost seems like the mountains randomly pick who gets to continue and who doesn’t”. One set of runners can go over a 14,000’ pass in clear weather and an hour later, another group will get pounded by hail, wind and cold. Kirk is a two time finisher of Hardrock and Jody has completed many 100-mile races. I have no doubt they will be back to Hardrock in the future.

Nice picture that Bourque sent a little bit ago. He is vacationing with the family in Ouray and was able to watch some of the Hardrock runners. Today he run up to the Imogene pass 13,114”. Difficult run especially if you carry the other guy in the picture:>)

Perry is still running strong at Badwater. Just under 26 hours at mile 122. Only 13 more miles to go!!

Badwater Update

From Honey: Got a quick update on Perry from Vianne. He went through 100 miles in 21 hrs., things are heating up, and he has the big climb ahead. She said he is doing well.

From the Badwater Twitter page:

13:26 #82 Perry Edinger-he's going strong-solid food is grapes, oranges, bananas, chicken sandwich and PB&J

Badwater 135 update - 41 miles

Leaders through Stovepipe Wells (41 miles)

Marcos Farinazzo 5:31
Jorge Pacheco 5:31
Dean Karnazes 6:42
PERRY EDINGER 6:44
Lorie Hutchison (F) 6:45

Go Perry!

More Hardrock Photos

Here are more Hardrock photos from Aaron: Aaron Hardrock Photos

Perry at Badwater

Badwater starts today. Check out the article in today's: Arizona Republic

Badwater Webcast

Good Luck Perry!!!

Robert has finished 46 hours, 2 minutes

Honey has finished 42 hours, 8 minutes

Honey just made the final river crossing. She has about 2 miles to go.

Andrew has finished in 39 hours, 10 minutes

Honey thorugh 82 miles

Jamil is a Hardrocker!!

Jamil finished in 15th place at 3:19 PM Colorado time. total time 33:19:00. Great Job Jamil.

Honey is through Chapman Gulch (82 miles) at 3:00 p.m. and is headed up Grant Swamp Pass as a thunderstorm rolls in.

Honey is through Telluride

Honey pulled into Telluride (72 miles) looking great. She picked up Liz as her new pacer and is headed off at 9:40 a.m.

Honey and I made it over Engineer Pass and into Ouray. The weather was clear and cool. She moved strongly the whole way while battling nausea. She left Ouray with Aaron as her pacer over Virginius into Telluride at 2:50 a.m. She is in good spiriits and told me to tell everyone, "Honey says hey!" .......Joe G.

Taking a toll

Trying to put it all together here back in Phoenix. Wardo reports that there was a big hail storm on Handies (+14,000 ft). Kirk and Jody had to drop. Jody battling altitude sickness and Kirk stomach and hypothermia.

According to the webcast Jamil ended up staying in Ouray for some time but left with Andrew. This will be a good team. So the four amigos would be Jamil paced by Nick and Andrew paced by Chip. They can all have a group hug on top of Virginius to stay warm:)

Honey went though Engineer at 11:21 PM. Looks like she is continuing with a steady pace. She should arrive in Ouray mile 56 around 2:20 AM or so. Look forward to hearing Joe's report.

Robert was about 40 min or so behind Honey. He is one tough dude!

If anyone can fill in the blanks please do!

Art Bourque reports from Ouray: Jamil went through just after 9:00 PM, doing ok. Brother said not eating much.

Let the pacing begin

This may be the last post for awhile. Depending if my iPhone gets a signal heading up the mountain. I'm headed out the door to pace Honey over Engineer. Looks like we may get some weather. Honey and Kirk are still together and we expect them into Grouse Gulch (42 miles) at around 8:00 p.m. Andrew should be through around 6:00 p.m.

Everyone is through Pole Creek (19.6 miles). Kirk, Honey & Bob Bachani are all running together. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Andrew into Cunningham Gulch

Just realized that the Karl and Scott going through Sherman are about 20 min ahead of the 2007 pace of Jurek and Meltzer at the same point.

Fortune favors the bold

Courtesy of some new photos by Nick, I noticed Jamil is running this race on a single bottle. Here's how he's doing it.
According to the webcast, the leaders, Karl Meltzer and Scott Jaime, are through Sherman (28.7 miles), Jamil and Andrew are through Pole Creek (19.6 miles). The reports from Maggie (15.3 miles) are sketchy, so we'll have to wait till everyone makes it through Pole Creek for some reliable data.

Leaders through Cunningham Gulch

Hardrock Update from Cunningham Gulch (9.2 miles)

Watching the runners come into Cunningham Gulch was amazing. The aid station was located in a valley with steep cliff walls on each side and a waterfall flowing down one side. The runners would appear way up high, above the waterfall and we could watch them as the worked themselves down the switchbacks to the valley floor where they would cross a small stream into the choas of the aid stations. The lead runners were:
Scott Jamie at 1 hour, 56 minutes, followed by Karl Meltzer 20 seconds behind. Then it was Jared Campbell, Sam Thompson, Troy Howard, Diana Finkle (leading woman), Ryan Burch, and Andy Jones Wilkins. This is the order as I witnessed them. It differs from the webcast which I have noticed is not 100% accurate. Jamil came thorugh in 19th place at 2:24, Andrew at 2:29 (34th). Honey and Kirk came in close together at 2:42, followed by Robert and Jody. All looked good, although Jody was complaining about not feeling well before pressing on.

Everyone is through Cunningham (9.2 miles). Uploading stuff now. Stand by.

Hardrock Start

Prerace photos added to the gallery

They're off!

WMRC Hardrockers

There's barely a cloud in the sky. It's a crisp morning and the air is thick with anticipation. The Silverton gymnasium is filling with tan muscled earthy ultrarunners. Donned with running hats with sunglasses on the brim, and water packs on their back. Thirty minutes before the start, and the nervous energy is electric at 5:30 a.m.

3:30 a.m. Wake up call.

The beginning of a long journey.

More Hardrock photos have been added to the gallery (Quick link now added to right side of this Blog)

"May be least amount of snow on the course in race history"

Pre-race briefing: "If there's a mountain, run up it. If there's a stream, run through it. If there's a bear, run from it"

The Hard Rock

Bib numbers: Honey 102, Robert 45, Jamil 122, Jody 114, Andrew 139, Kirk 160

T-minus one day for Hardrock 100

Today is runner check-in and medical check in Silverton. We're headed out there in a few minutes. Congratulations to Honey and Ron. Today is their 26th wedding anniversary. This video was taken earlier in the week.

Hardrock prayer run

Reminder: We are on for a group trail run in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve Wednesday morning at 5:15 a.m. Meet at the very top parking lot of Squaw Peak Drive past the main trailhead of Piestewa Peak. Plan on a little over one hour at a reasonable pace. Followed by a group hug to pray for Honey Albrecht, Andrew Heard, Kirk McCarville, Robert Andrulis, Jody Chase and Jamil Coury who are running Hardrock starting Friday morning. They will be paced and crewed by Liz, Joe, Steve, Chip, Aaron and Debbie, Kate, Karen, Nick and Nathan.

The Hardrock 100 trail run starts Friday 6:00 AM in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The big loop starts in Silverton to Sherman, Ouray, Telluride, Ophir then back to Silverton. 33,000' total elevation gain, 11,186' average elevation, high point 14,048'. Holy Crap!!!

Joe Galope keeps on adding photos of the WMRC gang. Check out the photo album here: WMRC Hardrock photo album

Be sure to follow along with live real time runners' progress here: Hardrock 100 Webcast
Also, be sure to check the WMRC Blog frequently as our correspondents in the field will be posting live updates from the event!

Also, good luck to Perry Edinger who is running The Badwater 135 mile Ultra Marathon starting Monday morning. You can follow along here: Badwater Webcast

Hardrock parallel parking

Hello from Hardrock!

Hello from Ouray, Colorado. The drive from Phoenix was rather uneventful. I arrived with Honey, Liz, Aaron and Debbie on Friday. We met up with some other WMRC’ers who arrived earlier Krik and Kate , Jody who was with her son Zach, and Andrew who was with his family. We strolled around town and even got in some brief hiking to get a lay of the land.
On Saturday, the town hosted a 10K run that Liz, Andrew’s wife Karen and I participated in. The Hardrockers cheered us on from the road side. Later that day, Jody rode on a zipline that was strewn across Box Canyon gorge. The town really takes their 4th of July seriously and had all sorts events and celebrations going. Some of the gang ventured out onto the course and got a few hours of hiking and running on the Bear Creek Trail out of Ouray. Honey unfortunately tripped and landed on her face leaving a nice cut on her chin and lip along with a nice black & blue mark. It looks like she just joined a Fight Club.
Today we got into some serious course exploration. We met up with Julie and Duane Arter from Tucson, along with Betsy Kalmeyer to go up and over Virginius Pass (13,100’). We drove to Governor Basin went up and over Virginius and down into Telluride. The participants included Julie, Honey, Andrew, Liz, Kirk, Aaron, Jody and her pacers (Rick & Dale), Betsy and me. ....Joe G.
I'll be continuing to post photos at this album:

WMRC gang at Hardrock 100

What happened to Michael's head?