Barkleys here again...

[Blueblaze]

Good luck to Trail Dog (AT) and all the others running, crawling, stumbling and desperatley trying to finish the Barkley tomorrow. Thoughts and prayers are with you!

 

[The Lisa]

Send my good wishes too - my but that is a tough race. Not sure if I even want to put it on my list of 'possible future races'

 

[Tarencil]

Agreed, good luck to everybody competing!

If you're not familiar with the Barkley, I highly recommend reading up on it even if you're not a runner. Matt Mahoney has probably the best site on the race (check out the stories from past years) and the Washington Post did a feature back in 2007.

http://www.mattmahoney.net/barkley/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/why-we-compete/2007/04/curiosity_1.html

 

[woodsxc]

That looks like a race I might want to do down the road...

 

[Snowflea]

Traildog... and a little Barkley history

Current Appalachian Trail speed record holder and New Hampshire's own Andrew "Traildog" Thompson is currently on Loop 5 and, needless to say, the only participant left on the Barkley course. At the start of Loop 5, he had about 14 hours to cover the "20" mile loop. He is well situated to become the 8th 100-mile finisher.

[VFTT content: Traildog joined Frodo and me a few days during our W48 record in '04. Here's hoping he finishes this Beast!]

Past finishers have included David Horton, previous AT and current PCT record holder; Cave Dog; and current record holder Flyin' Brian Robinson, first to complete the Triple Crown: the PCT, CDT, and AT within a calendar year. Thus far there have been no female finishers of the 100 miler.

The Barkley is the hardest of 100 milers, with somewhere around 10,000 feet of climb per loop, navigational challenges, ubiquitous sawbriars, and geographical names such as Rat Jaw, Meth Lab Hill, the Testicle Spectacle, Big Hell, and Son 'o Bitch Ditch. It takes place in beautiful Frozen Head State Park near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Completing 3 loops constitutes the "Fun Run." The 100-mile time cutoff is 60 hours (sounds do-able enough, eh?).

This year's event was Twittered: http://twitter.com/keithdunn Ah, technology! (But don't even think of bringing a GPS: the RD forbids them.)

Traildog has been to the Barkley most of the past 10 years or so, with multiple Fun Run finishes, so it would be super cool to see him finish the 100!

Sue, Fun Run finisher x 2

 

[Blueblaze]

Thanks for the update. Bethany and I have been trying to keep tabs all day.

 

[The Lisa]

Sue,
congrats on finishing the 'Fun' Run twice - that must be a gruelling 60-miler that runs like a 100-miler.
Here's hoping Andrew gets through the sleet and rain that was falling earlier and finishes strongly.

 

[Blueblaze]

HE DIDI IT!!!! In only 57:37 Congratulations and great pride to my soon to be brother in law!

 

[The Lisa]

That is great news! He must be so happy, and so tired. Being out there for almost 60 hours - whew.

 

[woodsxc]

Congratulations to Traildog!

When people do this, do they sleep on their feet or consume ungodly quantities of Gu and caffine to stay awake for the entire 60 hours?

PS, I'm looking for some real trail running/hiking shoes and would appreciate advice on less expensive options.

 

[Snowflea]

When people do this, do they sleep on their feet or consume ungodly quantities of Gu and caffine to stay awake for the entire 60 hours?

People have their own formulas for success. Some take short naps, others use caffeine in various forms (soda, coffee, NoDoz, caffeinated gels, etc.), and sometimes if you're lucky, you just don't get sleepy. With the new day's sunrise, usually runners will get a second wind. Some people think the body is tricked into "waking up" once it gets light again.

As for trailrunners, the best trail shoes are the ones that are most comfortable on your own feet (not to be flippant). What works for others may not work for you. Unless you've tried on a specific pair of shoes before, I would not order them online. Just my opinion. Good luck.