Thanks for starting up the 2025 thread! I have not been actively posting here much recently, but I've been following along the 2024 thread and it's nice to see the trail and ultra community grow here.

I don't remember if I shared any 2024 goals, and I don't care enough to go back and look. For us, 2024 was all about moving out of a location where we were not happy. We did that in March and after making the move we jumped right back into lots of mountain trail running and it was great.

I had a solid build-up in March, April, and May culminating in some fun adventures in late May and early June:

• Silver State 50k: nothing special but it was my first ultra finish in 2 years
• 40 mile birthday run
• Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay: our team placed 3rd overall
• 33 miles of pacing at the Tahoe 200

After that, I started having some injuries flare up, some new and some old. One old injury in particular was some nagging ankle pain that had been lingering around for 5+ years. It got bad enough that I finally decided to get it checked out in November; the docs found a partially torn ankle ligament and a few bone spurs.

So that brings us to 2025. I have ankle reconstruction surgery scheduled for later this month. Rehab is looking like 2-3 months, but the doc is optimistic that I can be running in the 2nd half of the year. So the 2025 goals are:

• Successful surgery, rehab, and PT
• Lots of cycling to maintain fitness during recovery; 5000 miles A-goal, 3000 miles B-goal
• Attempt a 50k by the end of the year (assuming the docs approve)

Looking forward to seeing everyone's running adventures this year!

In reply to coop-aero-06 I was wondering why you were doing so much time on the bike. Good luck with the surgery and recovery!

was poking through the Leona Divide 100K list and noticed Ben Gibbard is registered. Would be awesome to be lucky enough to share some miles with that guy.

In reply to AggieOO He's also about half way down the western states wait list.

Has anyone here done the UTMB Chihuahua? My training partner is entered in the 100-Miler and she asked me to go a long as support/crew (since they don't allow pacers).

The UTMB website provides great info on where to fly into, the train ride, shuttles, etc., but I've seen conflicting info on whether it's a safe place to travel for this event.

Surprising to no one, Hans Troyer won "Bandera" 50k.

In reply to AggieOO I'm really rooting for him at black canyon. I hope he gets his golden ticket.

In reply to aggiespartan Absolutely

He ended up beating Ryan Miller (2021 bandera 100k champ) by about 45 mins. I know Ryan hasn't been running as strong as he was a few years ago, but that's 45 mins in a 50k. Impressive.

In reply to AggieOO It seems like he's fixed the problems he had before. I don't know who else is registered, but Black Canyon is going to be fun to watch.

In reply to aggiespartan He'll have some competition. It's not as stacked as last year but it is a pretty strong field.

Eli Hemming
Jupiter Carrera Casas
Anthony Castales
Tim Tollefson
Makai Clemmons
Seth Ruhling
Ryan Miller

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.

in 2024, I tried to get a clip of every single run. on off/rest days, i tried to get something or sub in a picture/video of something going on at or around that time. It was all compiled into this:



I'm glad I did it, but it feels good to not have to carry something on me every run and remember to get a shot. And yes, i realize 2024 was a leap year, so the title is technically incorrect.

In reply to AggieOO Hyperlite is one of his sponsors and they were at one of the aid stations.

In reply to AggieOO It's crazy how far out ahead he was at that first aid station. That section was probably the hardest.

In reply to aggiespartan yeah, he was at their HQ in the video and called them out as a sponsor. Its obvious Altra is sponsoring him, but at the end he said something to the effect of "i'm not sure if i'm allowed to say that" so i don't think that one has been announced.

Unsurprisingly, Sean Obrien races have been rescheduled for Feb. Currently trying to see if we can even make that work so my wife can still run this year....assuming the fire doesn't end up spreading into the park.

In reply to AggieOO That's a real bummer, but it looks scary out there. I hope you guys can make the rescheduled date work since she's done all the training.

In reply to aggiespartan might send her next weekend anyway if there's somewhere they can drive into the mountains where the air quality isn't terrible and let them do some training, then have her go back out for the race next month. Would be fairly perfect in that regard. throw down a bunch of miles next weekend, then come back do one last true long run and then start tapering. I'm starting Leona Divide training, but its early enough in the cycle that I'm not going terribly long, so it actually lines up nicely if we can make it all work.

I also have to look at my work schedule and/or find someone who can help with the kids if I can't take off while she's gone though, so that's the wildcard.

In reply to Dafstun I will be out there as well at RR. The night after MN is when the pacers earn their stripes.

In reply to agdoc-ultrarunner I'll be at the RR 100 as well (but pacing not running). Hoping for nicer weather than last year.

If anybody has some free time and wants to come out to Arizona to pace Cocodona, let me know. I have one already that will do a few sections. I don't necessarily think I need more pacers, but hbc seems to think I do.

In reply to Sweep4-2

Sweep4-2 said:

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I'll be at the RR 100 as well (but pacing not running). Hoping for nicer weather than last year.

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That mud pit of a course last year did me in, I had to raise the white flag at mile 78. I have some Salomon speedcross shoes just in case this year. Hoping for a dry course though.

I don't know if anyone else is following Jamil's attempt at the Chipotle segment challenge, but I'm strangely hooked on it and can't wait until he drops new videos. Maybe its b/c I had the same idea, but we couldn't pull it off due to schedules. The LA segment is super close to my brother-in-law, and we toyed with the idea of him doing exactly what Jamil is doing. But at the time, Sean O'Brien was still scheduled for this saturday and he couldn't risk the crazy miles before the race.

In reply to AggieOO I listened to him talk about it on single track and I saw a reel of him and his main competitor. He's putting down some ridiculous miles on that tiny segment.

In reply to aggiespartan there's 4 videos on YT as well. He's been posting every 1-2 days since the first one went up. None of them are super long. 8-10 mins.

I watched the first one and then went for a run, and listened to that podcast. Been addicted since.

In reply to AggieOO Yeah I'm strangely interested in it too. That segment looks miserable though. A street crossing and weaving around fire hydrants and street lights and people. Yikes.

In reply to coop-aero-06 Looks like Kevin took the lead.

In reply to AggieOO Black Canyon video was great. Admittedly, I did chuckle at the creek crossing scene picturing myself doing the same exact thing.

In reply to johnson2012 appreciate it. Fun times on the river crossing

this chipotle challenge is off the rails. I LOVE IT!

jamil was live streaming from the segment today.

anyone interested in Fantasy Freetrail? Black Canyon are the next races. If there's interest, I'll start a league. Probably would be a few non-texags folks, but could still be fun to see how we do.

went ahead and set it up. If anyone wants to join: https://fantasy.freetrail.com/leagues/join/6979fe3b55

In reply to AggieOO In!