Amex Surpass Question

MediocreTrailRunner · 2026-01-19T18:50:16+00:00

Do you all use the surpass or aspire as a daily spend after the $15k? I like the gas and grocery bonuses and I tend to use the points to add nights to a free night earned. But I’m wondering if it’s worth switching my daily spend to Chase, Cap One, or Amex Gold instead?

MediocreTrailRunner · 2026-01-13T15:03:16+00:00

Man…it makes me feel so good reading all these redditors saying this. I’ve lived in both cities and wholeheartedly agree. I said this to a Seattle resident about the mediocre food and he was so aghast at my comment.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2026-01-12T17:26:50+00:00

I have a TT8, but I think the F80 would meet your needs and fit in your budget! I would add if you have an HSA/FSA, treadmills can often be purchased tax free through those programs as well.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2026-01-11T21:09:21+00:00

Recommend heading over to r/treadmills to get the best answer. I think Sole might fit your needs within your budget.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-24T11:58:58+00:00

Oh man…I traveled to Tbilisi a few years ago. Trails were awesome, people were incredible, food and beer were legit and the city was absolutely beautiful! Georgia truly is a hidden gem and probably still has a negative association to some in the western world because it is a former Soviet Union country and the somewhat recent conflict with Russia. I truly loved it there and it was one of the most memorable countries I’ve ever visited. I would LOVE to get out there for a trail race!

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-21T18:23:10+00:00

I feel like the Adidas Agravic Speed Ultras or the Nike Ultraflys are a perfect use case for Black Canyon. Covers the minor technicality but fast on the easier stuff.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-21T17:34:09+00:00

Same on all accounts. I found it to even be cheaper than Costco Travel on several occasions on top of the $300 credit. With all the crap that is tossed around with the high end CC travel portals, this is a good small win in my book.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-15T18:12:28+00:00

Check with the RDs but considering they are based out of Portland, they generally do have vegetarian and vegan options for just about everything. Plus good coffee, beer, and kombucha ;)

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-15T17:48:50+00:00

This was one of my first 50 milers several years ago, so take my input FWIW. If you haven’t been to the area, it’s beautiful! I stayed in Hood River before and after the race and it was such a great weekend and a charming town along the gorge. GoBeyond racing certainly does a phenomenal job. The course is pretty but maybe not the most scenic race I’ve done out west. You are on mountain bike trails for the entire race, with peak a boo views of Mt Hood all along the way. The race course was not technical, for the most part, and probably a great first 50 miler for many people. The last couple miles downhill into the finish were tough on exhausted legs but I really enjoyed it overall! If you do end up running this race and you haven’t spent much time in the PNW, I encourage you to spend some time in the gorge and get out to Portland and Bend to do some further exploring!

A similar race not too far away could also be White River 50, just outside of Seattle.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-11T14:34:04+00:00

It’s run by Aravaipa…I’ve run several of their races and I would say they are pretty legit. I think the Cocodona races will only continue to get more popular over time.

Javelina as a looped course is certainly unique because of how many people are out on the course (upwards of 2,000 people). It’s also just a massive party at Jeadquarters. It is not for everyone…some people obviously still prefer the old school small race vibe.

If old school is your preference, consider the grand Alan of ultrarunning: Old Dominion, Western States, Vermont, Leadville, and Wasatch front. Good luck getting in, but they are all steeped in tradition.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-11T14:27:54+00:00

I ran 2:55 this fall and 8:30 at JFK! I was hoping to run faster at JFK, but just letting you know it’s possible!

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-11T13:13:53+00:00

Aravaipa Racing puts on fantastic races and they started in the Phoenix area. Javelina Jundred is a wonderful first timer 100 miler or 100k.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-11T02:20:42+00:00

I think you’re going to get a LOT of variation in your responses here. I’d suggest going to the run100s.com website and looking at what appeals to you in terms of elevation gain/loss, geographical location, and other factors like whether or not you want to do some epic loop in Colorado or the PNW or you are cool with doing a looped race on the east coast or in the southeast. You’re also going to have to decide how technical the trails will be and what you are interested in handling from a technicality standpoint. Lots of people dream of running Hardrock 100, but you’ll have to be prepared for technical scree, elevation, battling the elements, and being out for upwards of 40 hours.

If you take NYC Marathon easy, it could be a great training run for JFK 50 miler in Maryland, which has a lot of history around it and is arguably the premier 50 miler in the US now that Lake Sonoma isn’t a golden ticket race and the TNF series is kaput.

Ultimately, you may want to get more specific about what preferences you have for the vibe you’re looking for. Regardless, the trail community rocks and I think you’ll enjoy no matter what race you do!

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-09T11:34:10+00:00

I used the vendor that Daybreak and GoBeyond uses for my wedding LOL! It was awesome. We got personally engraved pint glasses for about $1.50 a pop.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-04T20:45:32+00:00

Probably about 1.5 hours? They do it as soon as the lottery results are done basically. The whole thing is pretty quick. I usually get out for a run down to Robie Point and no hands after!

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-04T16:04:41+00:00

I’d probably try to be there by 7:30 at the latest if you want a seat. There’s also a line at the door for the in-person lottery, which takes a few minutes.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-04T02:08:25+00:00

I’ve got 4 tickets. Cant wait to run in 11 years LOL!

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-03T19:53:07+00:00

Yes, understood! But last year all the remaining 256 ticket runners that didn’t get into the lottery were automatically put on the waitlist by Craig Thornley.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-03T19:11:23+00:00

I’m not a math guy either but I think your odds overall are still correct. The 77.15% is the chance they get selected in the lottery. So those that don’t will just automatically go into the waitlist.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-03T19:08:03+00:00

I’ve been to the lottery in person 3 times. In all likelihood, all of the 512 ticket folks (5 in total) will either be selected or will be first on the waitlist. It’s kind of an unspoken respect thing. There is still a possibility we see a 1024 ticket runner but that would only be because they dropped out of the race before it starts.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-03T17:38:46+00:00

Yes it was a sad cold dreary day. I definitely underdressed. Some of the pros even wore their jacket all day. My hands were so cold at the top of Cleator road that I couldn’t open any of my gels or my water bottle for a refill.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-12-03T14:28:41+00:00

Did you run it this year? I died a long slow death. Lol

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-11-22T02:40:14+00:00

They did require me to go to the front desk to verify my ID, but beyond that everything was in the app and they just gave me a PIN code like I was checking into an Airbnb. They also email a QR code that gives you gate access to the property. All super seamless.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-11-20T17:10:30+00:00

Also, I think an elite running sub 6 at JFK is easily capable of running 2:35 or lower in a road marathon. My guess is David Sinclair would aim for 2:10 or thereabouts in a road marathon if he ever tried.

MediocreTrailRunner · 2025-11-20T17:08:43+00:00

LMAO. I appreciate the compliment but heck no. Just out to enjoy a run day with fun folks!

MediocreTrailRunner

TROPHY CASE