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New World Ultra News website location

Thanks for supporting this blog over the last 15 months.

Please could you redirect your WUN link to:

http://www.freewebs.com/worldultranews/

I still welcome your contributions to my email address:

pessam@bigpond.net.au

This blog will stay on line as an arcihval log for all to enjoy.

Phil

Short history of the Colac 6-Day race

http://www.freewebs.com/worldultranews/wun206.htm

Enjoy

Ultras in Germany

http://www.steppenhahn.de

http://www.erlebnislauf.de

http://www.d-u-v.org/

Crewing at Badwater

Denise Jones and Theresa Daus-Weber (who between them have a combined total
of 22 times crewing, planning, and/or pacing Death Valley ultra events
including two double crossings, multiple solo Death Valley crossings, and crewing
and pacing the record 160-mile south to north crossing of the Death Valley
National Park) have written a book: "Death Valley Ultras: The Complete Crewing
Guide." It is the only book ever written on the subject. I thoroughly
recommend it to any ultra runner. As an ultra runner, even if you are just curious
about Badwater or Death Valley, you will enjoy their book. It gives you a
completely different perspective on the experience.

But if you are running or crewing Badwater this year, you really "must" get
the book. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you'd be foolish not to get it!
Just the idea that an entire book "could" be written on such a seemingly small
subject should tell you that there is a lot more to be learned than meets the
eye. Even if you are a veteran at crewing Badwater, I'm sure there's a lot
in the book that you haven't thought of. It is available at Lulu.com for only
$19.99. I know if I was running Badwater again, I'd want my crew to know
everything in the book.

I feel a little foolish saying so, but I have no financial interest in the
book. How could I? Can you imagine the kickback, after expenses, from a $20
book that only has a potential of a few hundred copies! That's another reason
for buying the book... to support these two people whose only real reason for
writing the book is to contribute to our sport.

I also have a free 30-page booklet that I wrote last year, called "Running
Badwater." There is also a section in it on crewing and, surprisingly, there
is very little overlap with the above book. So, if you are running or crewing
Badwater this year, you really should get both, their's and mine. If you want
me to email a Microsoft Word version of my booklet to you, just ask me for
it by email at ultramike5@aol.com.
-Mike Henebry

2006 Massanutten Mountain 100

2006 Massanutten Mountain 100

http://www.relentlessrunner.com/index/MMT_100

Geoff Hains

Dear Phil,
Just a few lines on Geoff Hain at the Isle of Wight
in August,Geoff will be attempting to become the first
Australian to finish the British Centurion 100 mile walk in under 24 Hours and in doing so will hold centurion badges in 3 Countries.

Fred Brooks

New front page for World Ultra News

Go to http://www.freewebs.com/worldultranews/index.htm to see the new front page for World Ultra News. This blog has been an excellant way to impart information on ultrarunning and ultrawalking from around the world, but very soon it's going to use up it's article quota and I will have to start deleting articles.

All of the information will still be on this blog for now, but over the coming months you will see more and more at the new location. Sorry about the advertising on the new site, but I think it's a small price to pay for the services it will be able to provide.

Any feedback is appreciated to myself at pessam@bigpond.net.au (this includes the template, as I will be varying it slightly in the next few days to see what works and what doesnt).

Shadow of the Giants 50km

http://www.shadowofthegiants50k.com/

Shaking, baking and fighting cancer

Shaking, baking and fighting cancer

By Claudia Bigelow

A Millwood doctor will attempt to walk the entire 18 hours during this weekend’s Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fund-raiser to be held at the Johnson-Williams Middle School.

Carolyn Wilson may be the first person in the country to repeat the performance of the man who started Relay for Life 20 years ago, said Bette Marchese, one of the local co-chairs for Relay for Life.

Dr. Gordon Clatt in Washington State walked 81 miles for 18 hours and raised $27,000 in 1985. “That was the beginning of Relay for Life,” Bette said. “That’s exactly how the event got started. And I don’t think it’s ever been repeated.”

“I think it’s great especially in a county the size of Clarke that we’ve got someone who’s going to do the same.”

Carolyn, 46, is a gynecologist in Winchester who lives with her family in Millwood (husband Chip Schutte and children Sara, Grace and Scott). She has been into endurance sports all of her adult life. She started running marathons in medical school.

She’s one of a half dozen Clarke residents who call themselves “ultrarunners,” she said. For fun, she participates in 32-mile marathons. Sometimes she runs in 50K and 50-mile marathons.

Last October she was in the Iron Man Triathlon on the Eastern Shore where for 13 hours she swam 2.1 miles in the Choptank River, got out and jumped on a bike to ride 112 miles through a wildlife preserve and then finished with a 26.2 mile run on foot.

“See why I think that’ll be a piece of cake” to walk for 18 hours, she said.

But the doctor has never done an event for that long of a period. “That’s why I’m excited.”

Carolyn is participating in Relay for Life with her mother’s club, the Greenway Garden Club in Clarke County. They’re calling themselves, Team Greenway.

Most members are well over the age of 50, “and they can’t do it,” she said, meaning the relay all night long.

But some of the members will come down to the middle school this weekend and take turns walking with her for an hour, she said.

Carolyn said her motivation is not just for the sport, she wants to support a good cause.

“My father had lung cancer...Chip’s sister had colon cancer,” she said.

“Every week I talk to patients regarding their own or family member’s cancers.

“Anything we can do for cancer research is important.”

But will it be healthy for her to walk for 18 hours?

She says she has never had any injuries in her marathons. Ultrarunning usually takes place off-street at a non-competitive pace and does not pound the joints like other running events. “I’ve never had bad knees or bad ankles. The only time I got hurt was when I fell off my bike and broke my arm.” They go over back country courses, she said. Most ultrarunning races are not about how fast you go but just that you simply finish.

“It’s out to have a great day in the woods.”

At the middle school the Relay for Life will start at 1 p.m., Saturday, and besides the relay, there will be many games and activities for families and children. The different teams will set up camp and offer fund-raisers.

Each hour the relay walkers will be doing fun things like wearing hats, costumes and cutting up. There will be the crazy hats lap, the Country Western Lap, the Mexican Fiesta Lap, the 1950s lap, and on and on.

Carolyn doubts she will participate in the foolery. She will enjoy the companionship of the others and she will be smiling as she always does during endurance contests that she so loves.

But it will be a challenge, and she’ll need to just keep going.

She’ll eat little (Cliff bars and peanut crackers) and drink a slimy thick drink called “Clip,” that she specially orders. It tastes terrible but it gives an ultrarunner easily digested proteins and other nutrients.

And she can stop for a couple of personal minutes at a Porta-John when the need arises.

But otherwise, the doctor will be walking for the cause straight through -- and no doubt -- there will be a lot of people cheering her on.



Contact the reporter at c2bigelow@hughes.net