Ryan Haebe went from top collegiate runner with an OTQ to someone fighting for his life. Then he won a 55k last year in Arizona and it got me thinking if we'll see his passion and fierce talent on the MUT scene any time soon. The post Ryan Haebe ...
Ryan Haebe dominated D2 Cross Country and Steeplechase in 2011 and 2012, earning himself and his tam National Champion titles and nearly every award in collegiate athletics. He then earned himself a spot at the Olympic Trials. Ryan was firing on all cylinders and according to those who raced against him, he was a fierce competitor, hard worker, and above all, a good guy and great teammate.
During Ryan’s time at Colorado Western State University (yes, that’s a place), he ran with Tyler Pennell, David Goodman, Ian Butler, and Gabe Proctor a group of guys with varied backgrounds who all coalesced into a truly incredible team. Additionally, a notable college friend and competitor was Matt Daniels who attended rival Adams State.
Within two weeks of qualifying for the trials, he made a decision that nearly cost him his life and he’d spend the next four months in the hospital, much of it a coma and the ICU. Ryan had to relearn life, one step at a time.
Ryan Haebe in the hospital.
So what’s he been up to? Ryan popped up on my radar last year when he won Canyon de Chelly ultra in Arizona, and I’ve been curious if we’ll be seeing him line up at any other races. Where’s his head? What’s his relationship with running and racing? Does he remember running collegiately? And is he a different person and/or runner than he was prior to the accident?
Below are some of the products mentioned in our extended gear chat. Some are affiliate links that’ll kick a few nickels into the UPR coffers, some are just links. Thanks everyone.
Kilian vs a BASE jumper sounds really lame and gimmicky, doesn’t it? Check it out…it’s awesome. Both guys look they’re having a ball and damn, KJ is fit right now!
Japan Running News: Neat post about the pacer who helped bring Hitomi Niiya beat the National Record at Houston Half.
UROY and UPOY voting always draws comments from people, and instead of just complaining about the list, Scotty Kummer posted his own thoughts on who should win and it’s got some surprises.
Sylvia Ravaglia was a mainstay female ultrarunner on Hawaii’s big island and tragically lost her life during a run two weeks ago. This past weekend at HURT, her husband ran while their daughter, Tiffany, helped crew. A Big Island local, Joe, paced him the third loop, one of his former students Sydney paced his 4th loop (her longest run ever, her first time to run overnight, and first time on the full HURT course), and Paul and Meredith Terranova split loop 5.
LetsRun: Part one of how to become a professional track athlete. I’d love to see a similar post for MUT runners. Like they say…all situations are different.
Help her help us: An ultrarunner and Geographer (Nadine Schuurman) is working on a survey of runners designed to try and determine what makes an urban or suburban environment “runnable”. The research group is hoping to recruit runners from across North America to participate in this project, with the ultimate aim of understanding what variables contribute to “runnability”. Such knowledge could potentially help public health officials, urban planners, fitness enthusiasts, and other interested parties plan for the future and alter present day urban communities. A parallel study seeks Strava authorizations in order to understand how runners describe different surfaces, trails and efforts. Anyone who participates in either study will be entered into a draw for a $300 gift certificate. The website for both is: runnerstudy.ca.
ORM: The Spartan/Tough Mudder merger gets closer to being a done deal.
Runners World: As if Australians don’t have enough to deal with today, now some asshat is leaving home made landmines on the trails.
There’s still a lot of talk about the “State of Ultrarunning 2020” study that claimed there’s distance at which women are faster than men. Before you read others’ analysis, hit the source document first.
SCMP: Milk Li started running in 2017. She DNFed three hundred milers in 2018 and figured it was due to lack of training and direction. Then she took a blood test, noticed her low WBC count, and won all of her races in 2019. Now she’s ready for 2020.
Guy from Brooklyn registers his beer as an emotional support animal.
SCMP: Mixing politics and sports is wrought with problems, especially in China.
Interviewing Ryan Haebe today, and though many of you may not be familiar with his name, I have a feeling you’ll remember it after you hear his story.
CTS: Nine coaches give their very best tips and advice.
Women’s Running: Exercise may reduce menstrual pain and cramps. The very…last…thing my wife would want to do is go work out.
I’m fully comfortable running in the dark, but if there’s even the slightest chance of a FREAKING IGUANA falling out of a tree on me, I’ll be inside, curled up on my couch reading.
The Hakusam Geotrail (video, and website) is a 7 day self supported stage race in Japan that looks pretty cool. Cultural pride, beautiful scenery, and 15k meters of positive height gain. Looks like a great race. NFI.
Yay science! New study shows relationship between caffeine consumption and increased pain tolerance.
Podium Runner: He makes an argument for why the half marathon gives the best pleasure to misery ratio. I’d say mine is the 30k…I have to push the entire time, I’m miserable for most of it, but always lucid at the end.
Fegy writes a loooong and detailed post about his trail shoe choices over the years, and how he never quite found the perfect shoe…until now. Not sponsored, not an ambassador, just an honest opinion from a guy who knows a little thing about the trails. These are also shoes Ben and I have been raving about for years…stay tuned for a new show this week where Ben digs deep into his gear closet for a comprehensive review of winter running gear.
Mountain Outhouse News: New beer mile record…sort of, Spine and Bandera recaps, FKTOY awards, and a tribute to Laura Kosokoski.
Paul from RunRepeat responds to your questions about the recent “sex differences in ultra results” study from two weeks ago.
Treeline Journal: Chase catches up with Jared Hazen after HK100 and asks about the race and also includes some info on the growing Chinese ultra scene. The culture is strong, and with nearly 1.5 Billion people, there are sure to be some standout talents. Also, I check South China Morning Post (SCMP) every day for MUT news…Mark Agnew does a great job sharing stories and analysis from the region.
…like this article about which stretches we should be doing after a trail run or ultramarathon.
Trailrunner/Roche: Want to get faster, but also make sure you’re healthy for the long term? David Roche has the answers for you.
Treadmill: Over the weekend, Márton Darvas from Hungary set a new World Record for 24 hours on the treadmill with 286km…that’s 177 miles. Wow!
A quick perusal shows overall dislike and distrust of the Leadville lottery draw. Couldn’t really nail down any specifics…what was/is the issue?
When Jornet’s Everest accomplishment broke on social media and other outlets, one of the more interesting comments came from Italian mountaineering legend Marino Giacometti, [who] told Runner’s World magazine, “a great achievement of both endurance and survival. In trail-running terms, this is one of the great performances. No ropes, no oxygen.” Yes, Everest had been referred to in trail-running terms.
—Rock and Ice: Will the future of alpinism and mountaineering belong to runners? Interesting story on how SkyRunners like Kilian and Karl are making an impact on those sports.
Bummer: Rock and Roll Arizona Half Marathon screwed up with a misplaced cone and now results are inaccurate. Ugh.
ICYMI: If you haven’t heard our interview with Jim Walmsley from 2017, I’d highly recommend finding an hour run and plugging in today. He opens up about his past and how some major issues pushed him to take control of his own destiny. Check it out.
A family was on a hike in Massachusetts when a coyote grabbed the three year old and tried to run off. Dad answered back by killing it with his bare hands. “Dad, what have you ever done for me?!?” now has an easy answer.
Broadcast Now: I’m hoping this press announcement about Kilian’s new documentary isn’t a harbinger of its theme: Extreme sports!…Danger! EXTREME!!! Yawn.
Flotrack: Kipchoge and Bekele will go head to head at London. This should be massive sports news and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.
SCMP: Well this should be fun to watch. Jared Hazen taking the Zach Miller approach to HK100 this weekend. Giddy up.
What I’ve discovered is the therapeutic effect trails have on me. Getting out to trail run or XC ski is like a warm blanket of comfort wrapped around me. I find escape on trails, I find the ability to think clearly, I find answers to questions that have been unanswerable. I need the mental space that trails provide me. The room trails give me to fully breathe. That place could be different for everybody- it could be the gym, hiking, yoga, biking, etc., but for me, trails are my oasis.
Ultrarunning UPOY: Camille’s WR and Jim’s CR win Performances of the Year. Man, that’s a tough one. While Jim’s Western States was awesome, I would’ve given the nod to Zach’s 100M WR and it looks the voters (myself included) basically called it a tie. Both were phenomenal. A category that I vote silently on each year is the best finish line celebration, and that undoubtedly goes to Courtney’s UTMB win.
rabbit: Eric Senseman writes a powerful piece about what happens when your race doesn’t go as planned, the accompanying mental anguish, and ultimately, the lessons learned. Great read.
Semi-Rad: Head on over to Brendan’s Friday Inspiration for a few more funny links.
Music: If you haven’t checked out the Nathaniel Rateliff album, do so soon. While not the uptempo party music that he records with The Nightsweats, it’s heartfelt, warm, and masterful. More music: Dude, Em, just stop. I got excited about your latest drop, but it’s time to hang it up.
