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Pencil_Pusher

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Pencil Pusher and I have been batting this idea around. The only record I've seen posted has been about 29 hours, and it didn't even specify if that was in a single push. To do it in under 24 hours would be a record of sorts, although the Western States endurance run in California is slightly longer, has about the same elevation change, and has been done in 16:40 or so by Seattleite Scott Jurek. To do 93 miles in under 24 hours would only require a 4 mph pace, meaning a fast hike at all times, increasing to a slow jog for the flat and easy downhill parts.

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I haven't made any solid plan, except to carry a waist pack, probably my usual 3 liter camelbak plus food, a light extra clothing layer, probably iodine tablets instead of a filter. You can cache food at 3 different places along the way. I would feel a lot more secure if I had a few people checking on me at the main trailheads, mainly so they could decide to force me to stop if I was too out of it to make my own decision. I will only pursue this goal if the Chuckanut Mountain 50 K in March (31 miles, 5000 ft elevation change) goes well. If I bag the idea of the Wonderland, I might go for a Stevens to Snoqualmie PCT run, or an Olympic range crossing. Then there's always Olympus again, this time a dawn-to-dusk run in under 14 hours.

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Pencil Pusher and I have been batting this idea around. The only record I've seen posted has been about 29 hours, and it didn't even specify if that was in a single push. To do it in under 24 hours would be a record of sorts, although the Western States endurance run in California is slightly longer, has about the same elevation change, and has been done in 16:40 or so by Seattleite Scott Jurek. To do 93 miles in under 24 hours would only require a 4 mph pace, meaning a fast hike at all times, increasing to a slow jog for the flat and easy downhill parts.

Course record for the WS100 is 15:40:41 ('97) Mike Morton. If you didn't have the right time for a well-covered race, you might not have the right time for a non-race circuit.

 

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When I cited Jurek's time, I was only mentioning the winning time from last year, because I didn't actually know the course record for the WS100. It's easy enough to find out the record for an organized event, as you say, but might be harder for the Wonderland trail. This brings up other issues about verification of times. I have not forgotten the skeptical responses to Dan -'s first speed climb of Rainier, which caused him to do it a second time with a GPS on his person. The added weight of a GPS would be unwelcome, but might be necessary to quash naysayers.

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Go for it Norman!

About the GPS weight ... i think he used one of those 5.5 ounce Garmin's, and also superlight lithium batteries, which are like 1/5 the weight of regular batteries i think. So the total weight would be around 8 ounces i think , maybe a bit less or a bit more -- not bad. (Check out those lithium's -- Wallgreen's has them -- definitely more expensive. You'll be amazed by the weight difference).

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I dropped a line to Mike Gauthier, to see if he knew the record or the record holder. He's not sure, but he thinks that Rainier climbing ranger (of course) Dan Ostrowski did the trail in under 24 hours back in 1991. Now the big question is how much under 24 hours. I will be more motivated to go for it if I think I have a shot at the record. I start out on these ventures with the purest of motivations, seeking only unity with nature, but I find that a little competitive urge adds spice to the mixture and keeps me going.

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27 hours 56 minutes is pretty good, but not even close to the fastest it could be done, in my opinion. If he followed the route that is 93 miles long, that's only a little more than 3 mph the whole way, or a fast walk. A few hours of running on the flatter sections would give you the chance to walk the rest of it, if all you wanted to do was beat the record. (Of course, you would have to keep up the fast walk even on the steepest sections, on a continuous basis, for more or less 24 hours.)

If I do all right on the Chuckanut run, my next goal will be to hike/run the 30 miles or so from Longmire to Mowich Lake, which is apparently the most challenging in terms of elevation gain and loss per mile. Most years I think it's not in hiking condition until June, but given the lighter precip this year, maybe it'll be clear by May.

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I may be one of your support crew, Norm. 20 credits and working full time sure puts a damper on exercise. Maybe what Norm was alluding to insofar as the competitive edge... anyone else wanna go along for the ride and see what they're made of?

Lurkers check out profiles for e-mail addresses if hesitant about posting. I bet mikebell and Swissman would be in on this. I know Mike wants to pull off that Olympic traverse in a day. That guy's in excellent shape with an 8km peak under his belt. I'm sure there's plenty others that are reading this that are up for it as well.

I was thinking Cytomax should sponsor a 24hr Wonderland Trail race. I wouldn't touch organizing that with a ten-foot pole, but it's an idea. Either way, having some other runner out there within eyesight ought to be stimulus enough to push harder. mushsmile.gif

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I have thought about talking to sponsors, but I'm not planning that yet. After all, if too many people get interested, someone's going to finish ahead of me. cry.gif I don't want to do it all by myself, though, especially the night portion. It's going to be very hard to do any real running on the Wonderland at night, I bet. I think the best plan is to start and finish at Longmire, head out clockwise, to get the steepest part done first, and so the last portion from Panhandle Gap to Longmire is more generally downhill, and close to the road in case assistance is required. PP, if I actually do this and you're interested, you can run the night time portion with me. I am sure I will need the company at that hour.

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You can count me in for cache-site support and evaluation. Glad to help!

 

Funny Norm when we talked this morning, I had no idea you were considering doing this or the Stevens-to-Snoqualmie in a day. grin.gif I still think I will do Stevens-to-Snoqualmie as a fast trip at some point, maybe 2-3 days, but the one day thing seems a little brutal to those of us not in the business of running marathons and whatnot. cantfocus.gif

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