Scott Jurek on Appalachian Trail

[Venchka]

Don't Y'all know nuthin?
Red Beans
Andoulille
Smoked Sausage
Ham
Ham bone
All simmered together for awhile
Served over Konrico Pecan Rice.
That's what you with rice.
If Scott wanted a secret weapon, he would have a

new-mexican-apple-desc.gif

flown in from the Pie-O-Neer Cafe in Pietown NM. Home of the Pie of Champions.

[tdoczi]

The section from Lafayette to South Twin that Scott did in the dark is just nasty. Always wet, at one point going down a stream at a 45º angle (or close to it), often off camber, lots of slick granite; harder in the night than the day. I think almost anyone familiar would have said to rest at Franconia, run up Liberty in the cool morning, and then take the ridge during the day. You could get to Galehead by 9 am, but get some sleep in not on a rock by the hut.

wait wait... i have it on good authority the trail from the summit of lafayette to galehead is easy? (thats dripping with sarcasm)

[Noircorbeau]

I think almost anyone familiar would have said to rest at Franconia, run up Liberty in the cool morning, and then take the ridge during the day. You could get to Galehead by 9 am, but get some sleep in not on a rock by the hut.

That's what i thought. Sleep from 10pm to 3am at Franconia Notch, then make-it fast in the day light to Crawford Notch, Mizpah Hut or Lakes of the Clouds.

[Venchka]

Scott is approximately halfway between Hwys 17 & 4 at noon CDT. Not exactly "already blasted through there."

Wayne

[Josh D]

Yet looking back at SJ's Facebook post from June 2 (day 7) he said

"Covered over 300 miles in 6 days, the most I have ever done in a week and feeling some effects."

I wonder if ultramarathoners really are the population to look to for lowering the AT FKT by a significant amount. Perhaps it will take the development of a new athlete (ubermarathoners?) who train for (and understand) the complexities of running 50 mpd for 42 days straight, which would seem to be different from what today's ultramarathoners do.

You bring up a good point. it's been my thought that there probably hasn't been anyone who has really trained specifically before an AT FKT attempt. sure, ultrarunners can be in top "100 miler shape" but has anyone done, lets say a couple rounds of week long 50+ mile days in the mountains, then taper before starting an FKT? I think it is possible for someone to hike the AT in 40 days, but for the best chance of success they will need to have a focused 6 months or so block of training specific to the record, on top of an already very solid fitness and ultrarunning background.

[rocketsocks]

So Whats the record for 90 marathons in a row? 2 a day for 45 day straight...pretty gal darn impressive of ya ask me.

[rocketsocks]

Don't Y'all know nuthin?
Red Beans
Andoulille
Smoked Sausage
Ham
Ham bone
All simmered together for awhile
Served over Konrico Pecan Rice.
That's what you with rice.
If Scott wanted a secret weapon, he would have a

new-mexican-apple-desc.gif

flown in from the Pie-O-Neer Cafe in Pietown NM. Home of the Pie of Champions.

oh so your talkin' "Wind assisted"

[OwenRunning]

You bring up a good point. it's been my thought that there probably hasn't been anyone who has really trained specifically before an AT FKT attempt. sure, ultrarunners can be in top "100 miler shape" but has anyone done, lets say a couple rounds of week long 50+ mile days in the mountains, then taper before starting an FKT? I think it is possible for someone to hike the AT in 40 days, but for the best chance of success they will need to have a focused 6 months or so block of training specific to the record, on top of an already very solid fitness and ultrarunning background.

JPD trained specifically for the AT record. I don't think you can look at training for a long attempt like this as typical ultrarunning training. We forget that this takes a HUGE toll on the body - and having weeks of training with weeks of 50+ mile days might be adverse on the body. Scotts body is breaking down - so was JPD's. Maybe to different extents, but these attempts are unfathomable by anyone but those who have done it. Very few have ever traveled this many miles over the course of this many days (no matter the terrain and trail, road).

We shouldn't really focus too much on Scott's perceived bad planning or decision making in the Whites. This is a hard attempt. Not everyone will make it. No matter what happens (maybe Scott just broke down before JPD) this will be the best attempt at JPD's record since it happened.

[Josh D]

JPD trained specifically for the AT record. I don't think you can look at training for a long attempt like this as typical ultrarunning training. We forget that this takes a HUGE toll on the body - and having weeks of training with weeks of 50+ mile days might be adverse on the body. Scotts body is breaking down - so was JPD's. Maybe to different extents, but these attempts are unfathomable by anyone but those who have done it. Very few have ever traveled this many miles over the course of this many days (no matter the terrain and trail, road).
.

I'll just put it this way: If there was a $100,000 prize for a new record, like there is for winning some of the world's major marathons, we would see the record drop to 40 days within two years. Gotta love making comments you never have to worry about getting proven wrong. anyone want to pool our money to try and make this happen? I'll throw in the first 5 bucks.

[Malto]

JPD trained specifically for the AT record. I don't think you can look at training for a long attempt like this as typical ultrarunning training. We forget that this takes a HUGE toll on the body - and having weeks of training with weeks of 50+ mile days might be adverse on the body. Scotts body is breaking down - so was JPD's. Maybe to different extents, but these attempts are unfathomable by anyone but those who have done it. Very few have ever traveled this many miles over the course of this many days (no matter the terrain and trail, road).

We shouldn't really focus too much on Scott's perceived bad planning or decision making in the Whites. This is a hard attempt. Not everyone will make it. No matter what happens (maybe Scott just broke down before JPD) this will be the best attempt at JPD's record since it happened.

Scott actually could have trained better for this. Simply hike the AT at a fast pace. I suspect he would have learned a good bit about pushing for duration and certainly would have learned the trail. I think this was an advantage that Jen had in her run, she was traveling on familiar territory.

whether he gets the record or not, it is clear that Jen set a very high bar.

[tdoczi]

left 17 at about 10am and not to rt 4 yet... is he trying to set the FKT for doing that section on his hands or something?

[tdoczi]

13 of the easiest miles in northern NE, ***? seriously, like this is worse than i was even thinking.

[Dogwood]

You only get that eating

Umm, um I do like fish. Save the cow muscle though for someone with that preference.

[Dogwood]

OK based on this thread some new FKT AT categories will be recognized: Fastest overall, fastest overall mens(18yrs+), fastest overall womans(18 yrs+), fastest SOBO, fastest NOBO, fastest unsupported mens, fastest unsupported womans, fastest Vegan, fastest omnivore, fastest carnivore, fastest over 50 ys old, fastest rock hopper, fastest running/walking backwards, fastest on a pogo stick, fastest redhead, fastest under 18yrs old, fstest while maintaining a waking pace(5.5 mph-), fastest runner(must have ran at le4st 50 of thtrail at 5.5+mp), .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...........

[Dogwood]

Keep moving in this direction and the Kenyans will start showing up. The FKTs will start falling by the wayside.

[ariof]

it should be. yes. zealand notch should be also. rattle river to rt 2 should be, the southern presis should be. he hasnt blown through any of them. he doesnt have "blow through" speed left in the tank. watch and see, he will pull 2mph from 17 to 4, thats my prediction.

That's a problem. He needs to average 1.85 mph to get to Katahdin for the FKT. Not average that speed when hiking, but he has 132 hours to go 244 miles, any sleep or rest included. Maybe his goal is to go 2 mph 24 hours a day until then, but that seems foolhardy (even if it's kind of what he did in the Whites, which was foolhardy). Considering there's some tougher terrain along this route, he probably would want to be able to get some extra time on the fast sections. 13 miles at 4 mph vs 2 mph is the difference between 3 and 6 hours, i.e. the difference between 3 hours of sleep and no sleep at all.

It will certainly be interesting to watch from afar.

[colorado_rob]

My quick/dirty math shows he's gone 11 miles in the last 4 hours over what looks to me like "medium" terrain (judging by topo, I haven't hike that stretch). Not too shabby. About 43 MPD will get him there (~222 miles in 5 days ~4 hours)

[colorado_rob]

My math must be off... seems like FKT is Sunday at 5:16pm, is it not? And 22 miles to go, is it not?

[colorado_rob]

My math must be off... seems like FKT is Sunday at 5:16pm, is it not? And 22 miles to go, is it not?

I meant 222...

[ariof]

My quick/dirty math shows he's gone 11 miles in the last 4 hours over what looks to me like "medium" terrain (judging by topo, I haven't hike that stretch). Not too shabby. About 43 MPD will get him there (~222 miles in 5 days ~4 hours)

Route 17 to Route 4 is the easiest section between Moosilauke and past Little Bigelow.