A couple of months ago we had some kids over at our house. One of the kids, a 6 year old who we’ll call Joey, wanted us to play a board game with him. We had been told by his mother that he was having issues with losing. He would often pout, [...]

Guest Post By lowercase
Craig’s note: While this report was written some time ago, I thought it would be fun to post this at the start of the 2010 Western States 100 entry period.  Go to ultrasignup between Oct 1 and Oct 15 to put your name in the GU2O bucket for the drawing on Dec [...]

Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland, Oregon is arguably the capitol of ultrarunning in the US these days.  Sorry Seattle Running Company and Auburn Running Company, but have you seen the caravan of ultrarunning gypsies that owner Hal Koerner has assembled down there?  Let’s see, there’s Ian Torrence, Erik Skaggs, Kyle Skaggs, Tony Krupicka, and the [...]

Years ago I heard my buddy Ed Willson’s hash name was Mr Ed Sucks.  If you know Ed you should realize how good a name that is, because, well, it just is.  While I never joined the Hash House Harriers, their penchant for giving members interesting, usually crude names is right up my alley.  So, [...]

Are you a 1980s Western States 100 video junkie?  Have you watched all the videos so many times that you can impress your friends by spouting classic lines even while in a food coma on a 50 mile training run?  Well, here is your chance to show off your knowledge, or an excuse to go [...]

Giving away my spot at Western States, but not giving up on Ultrarunning
Guest Post by Greg (Cougarbait) Eyerly
Ultrarunning in the Midwest is harder than one might think for three reasons. 1) There are no mountains, just lots of hills, lots of runnable hills, therefore one has no excuses to walk, not to run, because you’re [...]

Did you hear about the Arizona woman who was recently attacked by a fox while out jogging?  Worried that the fox might be rabid, she jogged back a mile to her car with the fox locked to her arm.  When she got to the vehicle, she threw it in the trunk, then drove to the hospital.  [...]

Have you noticed how many fast ultrarunners live in Oregon these days?  How many good races there are in Oregon these days?  Now, I realize our California friends to the south may still be a little sensitive after losing the bid to host the 2008 US Olympic Track and Field Trials and then not even [...]

Last year I was asked by several first time Western States runners in Eugene what they needed to do to prepare for the race and that prompted me to write these thoughts down.  If you’re running WS this year for the first time this might help you.  If you’ve run it before but bombed then [...]

Open letter to Lord Balls from lc
November 24, 2008
Dear Lord Balls,
Let me start off by reminding you that I am the King of Cool.  No, not Steve McQueen you shallow idiotic spunkbite.  Remember that race in California that you have been running for years and can never break four hours at?  The one you say [...]

Javelina Jundred
November 15, 2008
Fountain Hills, Arizona
I went to Javelina Jundred this year because after the cancellation of Western States I didn’t want a year to go by and forget what a 100 miler feels like. I got a good reminder on Saturday: 100 milers hurt … for a long time.
November is not an ideal time [...]

Javelina Jundred 100 mile race report
October 26, 2007
Fountain Hills, Arizona
“I’m sorry sir but I’m going to have to confiscate your pork and beans.” OK, guess I can buy beans in Arizona. Apparently my two 8-ounce cans of pork and beans are dangerous weapons in the eyes of TSA. I’m at the Eugene airport headed to [...]

After missing last year due to an injury I got 21 days before the start of the 2006 race, I was determined to get to the starting line of the 2007 race healthy so I could run when Dr Lind fired the shotgun at Squaw Valley. I really wanted to get in the top ten [...]

Phelan Owinge
Week before AC. I’m talking to my Urologist who, when he finds out I’m 3 days away from running Angeles Crest 100 miler, asks if I’m nervous. “Hell yeah I’m nervous! You’re cutting my testicles in a week!” Perhaps I was a little distracted, but I really was more concerned about my upcoming balls-be-gone [...]

For 2006 course onward
At the suggestion of OD, the one-eyed guy that has a stride that looks like he’s hopping over newts, I recently wrote a detailed description of the Western States Endurance Run course (beginning in 2006). If you’ve never run the race this might help you visualize the course. It is difficult to [...]

Executive Summary: I run my normal conservative pace early and work up to 15th by Michigan Bluff (55 miles) and into 9th just past Green Gate (80 miles). A bad patch between 83-91 miles slows me down and I fall back to 11th before rallying to finish strong in 18:25, a 21 minute PR, in [...]

My Reflections on “States”
This one was fun. Not that my previous four 100 milers weren’t fun, but I have never been able to run as consistently through the full 100 miles. The short story is this. I see a rattlesnake, puke for the first time in about 35 ultras, run Cal St in three hours, [...]

Flying into Los Angeles and not being able to see the ground because of the smog was definitely strange. Why the heck am I coming to this place to run 100 miles I asked myself? YUK! How do people live down here, let alone run 100 miles in this stuff?
The reason I am here is [...]

I could summarize my 2002 Western States 100 run as solid.  Not bad, but not exceptional.  Finished in 19:44 in 15th place overall and 13th male. The field was very good, building upon last year and approaching the depth of fields seen in the 80s.  My time this year would have placed me in the [...]

It’s about time.
In the summer of 1977 or 78, I can’t remember which, I’m camping down at American Canyon Creek near Auburn Lake Trails with my brother and step brothers when we see a very tired dirty looking guy running on the trail. He stops at the creek and wets himself down. He [...]