Montrail Athlete, Matt Hart

Matt, you’ve had an epic summer so far. Setting the Zion Traverse Speed Record, a Colorado Trail speed record attempt, pacing and crewing at several 100-mile races, huge runs in the Wasatch. And now you’ve got Wasatch 100 coming up. How are you feeling mentally and physically heading into the race?

Mentally I’m in a very good spot. A lot of things in my life are going well right now, so I’m in a good head-space to race. I love my life. my friends and family and feel fortunate to be able to even attempt to run 100 miles. Physically I picked up a strained glute/piriformis on the Colorado Trail that I’m a bit worried about for race day. It’s felt ok, but at times it’s sharp pain, so we’ll see.

With the Wasatch mountains being your backyard and all, do you have an advantage against other runners who don’t know the trails as well?

All things considered I don’t know the course that well. If you compared me to my running partners like Jared Campbell, Christian Johnson and Roch Horton I am a newbie here in the Wasatch Mountains. In 2008 I lived here for a few months and I ran all but the first 25 miles of the course. This year I’ve really tried to not stress about it and overdue it. Honestly there are so many other great routes to run I’ve been enjoying other terrain for the past 5 weeks I’ve been back here in Salt Lake. However, I have run Big Water to Lambs, and just last night we ran the last 25 miles of the course in the dark to Midway. Really though, those runs were more about who I was running with, scouting the course was just a bonus.

What’s your favorite section of trail along the Wasatch 100 course?

I think up high on the Wasatch Crest, the section by Desolation Lake and Red Lovers Ridges is just spectacular single track. No roads or access, just beautiful views West towards Salt Lake and East towards Park City.  I did some backcountry skiing up in that area this winter too and it’s just really pretty.

When the going gets tough out there, what keeps you going?  How do you persevere through pain and fatigue?

As I said above first and foremost I’m just thankful to be able to run period. A point really driven home last year when I spent the whole season sidelined with injury. There aren’t a lot of people out there who are able to run a 500 mile piece of trail or a 100 mile race. I’m just happy to be out there, and I remind myself of that when the unpleasantries of ultra distance racing are front and center. As for persevering through pain and fatigue, they are part of the job description. I know they are coming and I welcome them. There is a masochistic part of me that really thrives when the going gets tough, the conditions get nasty or shit just hits the fan and I’m physically falling apart. I feel like I’m build for this.

What’s your goal for the race?

I really want to run my own race from start to finish. I want to focus on my effort and my time and how I feel and not worry about the fast guys up front. If I do that I think I can run top 5, and on a good day top 3. With that said I also don’t want to have anything left when I finish. I plan to leave it all out there on the trail. “Race my guts out”.. as they say.  Or maybe just I say that.

Tell me a little about your training over the past month or so.  You’ve been running serious vertical all summer, and clearly with the Colorado Trail adventure, you have plenty of miles under your belt. But how do you specifically alter your training regimen for a 100-mile race?

Coming off the 500 miles of Colorado trail I pretty much had the biggest base of my life. I ran my biggest mileage week ever, at 358 mountainous miles. So what I needed to do was sharpen. I could run for 18-24 hours a day no problem, but I lack any speed whatsoever. With all that in mind I was going to push my long run out to every 10 days, and run more shorter faster efforts. But all of that sort of went out the window when I realized the glute injury I sustained on the trail wasn’t going away. So I’ve just been doing what I can without aggravating it, with the main goal of showing up at the start line on September 10th. I did have the distinct pleasure of pacing my buddy Bill Huggins to 3rd place at Cascade Crest 100 Miler last week. At 33 miles this was my last long run two weeks before Wasatch and my glute behaved.

Who is crewing you at Wasatch 100?  Will you have a pacer?

I’ve got a great crew. Ellen Parker is heading up the crew and will pace me as well.  We’ve known each other for 10+ years, long before either of us were serious endurance athletes. She’s just a great friend and a great runner (she just took 1st at TransRockies open women’s division). My crew will also consist of Miriam Rabitz and her husband Darryl. They are long time coaching clients of mine from Seattle and have never witnessed anything like this before. This should be quite the experience for them!

Your buddy (and teammate) Geoff Roes crushed the course record at Wasatch 100 last year. Is his record in jeopardy this year?

No. Certainly not by me, and in all honestly I don’t think there are many out there who are capable of touching that record. I mean Karl ran his best time on the Wasatch course chasing Geoff last year, and ended up 2nd.  Karl has won the race 6 times. I will say I think Nick Clark is FAST and he’s gotta be the favorite for the win this year.

Tell me about your fueling and hydration plan for this race.  How will you stay fueled, and what will you eat/drink?

I try and keep it very simple.  I’ll eat a clif shot gel every 20-30mins. One bottle will have 2 nuun tabs in it for electrolytes, the other bottle just water. My crew will give me Roch’s turkey sliders, which is avocado wrapped in turkey. That will give me some protein and good fats and the satiety of eating some real food. I’ll also graze fruit through the aid stations. Oh and ginger chews, I love ginger chews. I usually have my crew divert me away from the aid station so I don’t decide that Doritos and Mountain Dew are a good decision.

First 100-mile race in a few years for you. You feeling confident?  Apprehensive?

Yeah I’m pretty good at getting hurt before 100 milers, so honestly I’m an unknown entity. But I’m also pretty good at suffering for long periods of time. Being 100 miles fully supported means it will feel catered compared to what I did on the 500 mile Colorado Trail. I feel like I can run forever, so I’m confident I’ll have a good race.  Really I just can’t wait to get to the start line!  I get serious taper tantrums.

What gear will you use for the race? Head to toe

Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Poles for the first 18 miles. Mountain Hardwear Refueler Advanced shorts, Wicked T, mh visor, gloves, arm and calf sleeves at start. Rudy Project photochromic sunglasses, Montrail Rockridge shoes, Teko Socks, Nathan backpack and handhelds.

Good luck at Wasatch 100 Matt. We’ll check back in after the race for a post-race interview.

First and foremost, the 2010/2011 Montrail Ultra Cup series kicked off in Willamette Pass, Oregon with the Where’s Waldo 100km.  The race was won by Timothy Olson of Ashland, Oregon in a time of 9:25:04.  Last season’s female Ultra Cup champion Meghan Arbogast is at it again, as she runs to the win at Waldo in a time of 10:52:50.  Montrail athlete Erik Skaden took 4th place overall.  Congratulations to all the runners who finished.  Western States 100 auto-entry spots were awarded to Timothy Olson, Dan Omstead, Amy Sproston and Jenny Capel for their top finishes at Waldo.  Next up, Run Rabbit Run 50 in Steamboat, CO on 9/18/10

In Colorado, the Transrockies stage race kicked off Sunday morning, with the first leg being 20.6 miles of relatively flat terrain (2700 feet of climbing).  Veteran competitors Max King and Andy Martin, comprising Team Montrail-Hammer Nutrition, went on to win the first stage in a time of 2:26:03, putting a 7-minute gap on the field.  Keep up with the race here.

Montrail ultrarunning superstar Gary Robbins completed his Conquer the Coasts project by running the East Coast Trail (220 km) in Canada in a record time of 35 hours, 17 minutes.  He now owns the speed record for both the West Coast Trail (70km) and the East Coast Trail.  Congratulations Gary!

Read Gary’s Blog for the full story.

Did you race this weekend?  Or maybe you just went out and challenged yourself?  Where were you?  How’d it go?

Things have been fairly calm here at Montrail headquarters in the few weeks after the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City.  If you haven’t already seen, check out the photos from the Wasatch Wobble 5k.  More photos are being added to the Montrail facebook page daily.

The storm is brewing however, and in this case it’s a storm of excitement and anticipation heading into a few major events in the upcoming weeks.

The Montrail Ultra Cup 2010/11 season kicks off this weekend in Oregon at the Where’s Waldo 100km near Willamette Pass.  This gorgeous setting plays host to the kick-off Ultra Cup series race for the second straight year and once again the competition is strong on both sides of the field.

TransRockies starts August 22nd and Max King and Andy Martin will be competing for the win.  Max is running very strong right now, coming off a win at the Trail Runner Uphill Challenge (15 minutes at 10% incline on a treadmill) during Outdoor Retailer and a course record run at the Ashland Hill Climb, 13.2 grueling uphill miles, with an elevation gain of 5,600 feet.  We’ll be following Max and Andy throughout the week during TransRockies in Colorado.  Good luck guys!

Also kicking off next week is the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in France.  This race is the world’s largest mountain ultra (2300 runners) and certainly one of the toughest (166km with over 9000 meters of elevation gain).  Two-time defending champ Kilian Jornet will be back to defend his title, and he’ll be challenged by the likes of Montrail athlete Geoff Roes, as well as other Americans Karl Meltzer and Scott Jurek.  Irunfar.com’s Bryon Powell will be there to cover the race and keep us posted on how Geoff is doing.  We can’t wait for this one!

Canadian Gary Robbins will be out trying to break another speed record.  A few weeks ago he took down the 80km West Coast Trail and next Friday he’ll head out on the 220km East Coast Trail and go for the record.  Follow his blog for more info.

Then in September, we take the Montrail Ultra Cup to Colorado for the very first time, as the Run Rabbit Run 50 hosts the 2nd race in the series in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on September 18.

Enjoy the action!

We added one new race to the Ultra Cup series this year, Run Rabbit Run 50 in Steamboat, Colorado on September 18, 2010.  This race has been full for a little while now.  However, registration will reopen tomorrow, August 11th at 9am Mountain Time for 25 entries, and all remaining entries are contingent upon registering for the Montrail Ultra Cup.  Register for the Ultra Cup series first, then register for Run Rabbit Run 50.

A major thanks goes out to the Forest Service near Steamboat Springs, CO and the Run Rabbit Run 50 crew for stepping up to increase the field size for the race this year.

Montrail Ultra Cup Grows in the 2010-11 Season

New Colorado race, bigger cash purse and tougher competition

Richmond, Calif. (July 27, 2010) – Montrail celebrates the 10^th year of Ultra Cup competition, and in honor of 10 great years, we’ve expanded the series and increased the cash purse for overall series winners. Building upon the most successful year to date, Montrail will increase the overall cash purse from $8,000 to $16,000, and expand the series to 12 races to include a 50-miler in Steamboat Springs, CO. A bigger overall purse and slight changes to the scoring and guidelines will continue to attract top-level runners and deepen the competition for the 2010/2011 season.

“To compete in the Ultra Cup series requires an immense amount of dedication, hard work and talent and Montrail wants to reward those runners who continue to push the limits of human potential,” said Jesse Malman Montrail Promotions Coordinator.  “The growth of the series over the last few years directly reflects the growth of the sport and Montrail is proud to be the leading supporter of trail running nationwide.”

The 2010-11 Ultra Cup season kicks off in mid-August with the Where’s Waldo 100K and will be followed by a new race in the series. On September 18^th, Steamboat Springs, CO will host the Run Rabbit Run 50. With 9,000 ft. of climbing and spectacular autumn scenery, the mountain course starts at the Steamboat ski area taking you up and over Mt. Werner across the Continental Divide to Rabbit Ears Mountain.

2010/2011 Montrail Ultra Cup Schedule

1. Where’s Waldo 100k – August 21, 2010 – Willamette Pass, OR
2. Run Rabbit Run 50 – September 18, 2010 – Steamboat Springs, CO
3. Vermont 50 Mile and 50k –September 26, 2010 – Brownsville, VT
4. Mountain Masochist 50 Mile – November 6, 2010 – Lynchburg, VA
5. JFK 50 Mile – November 20, 2010 – Hagerstown, MD
6. Bandera Trail Runs 100k/50k – January 8, 2011 – Bandera, TX
7. Mt. Cheaha 50k – February 26, 2011 – Cheaha State Park, AL
8. Way Too Cool 50k – March 12, 2011 – Cool, CA
9. American River 50 – April 9, 2011 – Sacramento, CA
10. Miwok 100k – May 7, 2011 – Marin Headlands, CA
11. Ice Age Trail 50 – May 14, 2011 – LaGrange, WI
12. Western States 100 – June 25, 2011 – Squaw Valley, CA

Cash Purse

The overall cash purse will increase from $8,000 to $16,000 and will pay out in the following way:

1^st – $5,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

2^nd – $2,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

3^rd – $1,000, Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

4^th – Montrail shoes, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

5^th – Montrail sandals, Mountain Hardwear Fluid pack, nuun tablets

Changes in Scoring, Rules and Regulations

New for the 2010/2011 season:

• Bonus points will be awarded for winning a race.  The first place male and first place female runner will receive 15 bonus points.

• When a runner finishes 1^st or 2^nd at a Montrail Ultra Cup race longer than 50km, he/she earns an automatic entry for the Western States 100 Endurance Run. If the runner is already entered in the WS100, the entry will slide down one slot to the third place runner. If that person does not wish to take the entry, it will not slide down any further.

For more information and to register for the Montrail Ultra Cup, visit: http://ultracup.montrail.com

About Montrail:

Montrail is a premium outdoor brand known for its high performance trail-specific and recovery footwear.  Serving as the trail running authority since 1993, Montrail is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company based in Richmond, Calif. Montrail distributes its products through specialty outdoor, running and sporting goods retailers throughout the United States and over 30 countries worldwide.  Montrail is committed to delivering innovative performance footwear with outstanding runability for the New Breed of Runner.  To learn more about Montrail, please visit: www.montrail.com.

Hey Colorado, you asked for it, and now you’ve got it.  The Montrail Ultra Cup will be coming to Colorado!!  More specifically, to gorgeous Steamboat Springs, where the Run Rabbit Run 50 takes place on September 18, 2010.

The Run Rabbit Run 50, also known as the Steamboat 50, will take place for the 4th time this year and features a race limit of roughly 150.  The race currently has plenty of openings left so get registered right away.

“The course is a spectacular 50 mile run through the beautiful mountains and fall colors of the Routt National Forest of northern Colorado.  The race starts bright and early at the Steamboat Springs ski area (elevation, 6,900 feet) and proceeds up, up, up to Mount Werner (elevation, 10,568 feet) then goes up and down and up and down some more and then across the Continental Divide to Rabbit Ears Mountain (elevation, 10,500 feet) before heading back and way down to the ski area. ”

“The course will have nearly 9,000 feet of climbing. This course will test the endurance and spirit of any runner, whether you’re a tortoise or a hare.”

As with all Montrail Ultra Cup races longer than 50km, the Run Rabbit Run 50 will be awarding Western States spots to the top 2 men and women finishers at this year’s event.  The course record is 7 hours and 26 minutes, held by Colorado’s own Ryan Birch.  See you in Steamboat in a few months!

The full schedule and official launch of the 2010/2011 Montrail Ultra Cup will take place next week.  Stay tuned!  At that point you’ll be able to go online and register for the 2010/2011 Ultra Cup series.  In the mean time, get registered for Run Rabbit Run, as well as Where’s Waldo 100k and Vermont 50, our first three races of the series.

Photo Credit: Luis Escobar

As I write I am on the plane heading home from this adventure. Though this was not a focus race for me, it was fun and hard and joyful and now that “race weekend” is over, I am feeling tired and relieved and just a little lost….

Many amazing things happened out there for many people. The men’s race was a true dual of fitness and tenacity and passion. A record number of runners finished. Some dropped. What I am writing is just a glimpse of this past Saturday from my own little world…http://annettebednosky.blogspot.com/2010/06/staying-in-bounds-of-my-training.htm

As we knew would happen, the standings shifted based on finish times at Western States 10o.  Congratulations to the champions and to the top 5 men and women in the Ultra Cup standings.  Here’s how it shook out:

Men:

1. Glen Redpath – 248.85 points

2. Geoff Roes – 229.65

3. Rod Bien – 215.99

4. Erik Skaden – 214.08

5. Victor Ballesteros – 204.20

Women:

1. Meghan Arbogast – 253.48

2. Annette Bednosky – 247.69

3. Pam Smith – 243.28

4. Jill Perry – 203.01

5. Joelle Vaught – 186.63

Complete standings can be found at Real Endurance.  Stay tuned for announcements regarding the 2010/2011 Montrail Ultra Cup series.

Congratulations to Geoff Roes on his win and new course record at Western States 100!!!  Geoff turned on the after burners at about mile 75, where he was 12 minutes behind the leaders, Anton and Kilian.  Geoff eventually caught them at mile 89 and never looked back, en route to a new course record time of 15:07:04

Here’s how the other Montrail athletes finished:

Gary Robbins – 6th place overall

Erik Skaden – 11th place overall

Joelle Vaught – 7th place female

Annette Bednosky – 8th place female

Luanne Park – 13th place female

Jill Perry – 23rd place female

Congratulations to all the runners of the 2010 Western States 100!!

Montrail Athlete Max King

Setting His Sights on U.S. Mountain Running Championships

Max, the ultimate weekend warrior, works his job during the week and wins races on the weekend. Last weekend, on June 13^th, he dominated the field at the USA Half Marathon Trail Championships in his hometown of Bend, OR. The home crowd cheered him on as he smashed the previous record by three minutes with finish time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 53 seconds. View the clip from the local Bend news station here.

This coming weekend, Max heads to New Hampshire to compete in U.S. Mountain Running Championships at the Mount Washington Road Race. He’s hoping to do well and grab one of the six men’s spots on the U.S. Mountain Running Team. If all goes his way, Max will be travelling with the U.S. team to Kamnik, Slovenia to compete in the 26^th Annual World Mountain Running Championships on Sunday, September 5^th.