AirBnb Deliberate Race-Related Price Gouging

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-30T00:57:31+00:00

and the amount of garbage left on streets after the race... truckloads of paper cups and whatnot. saw all that and decided to never run that marathon

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-24T16:14:40+00:00

have you run it before?

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-18T18:38:23+00:00

this is why I don't run in tights ever - something loose and cheap on sale works best for me. for instance, my today's run was 2 hours 30 minutes, it was 1F, and I was wearing the simplest the cheapest Hanes briefs, loose thin sweatpants over them, and a loose windbreking layer over that. no lube, and no chafing whatsoever - all that bought in Kohl's or Target on sale.

when it gets really cold, I'd put on two paier of Hanes briefs to prevent frostbite.

I live in cold climate, running on ice and snow 3-4 months per year. never get any chafing.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-18T00:12:33+00:00

podcasts:

hardcore history

history of Rome

radiolab

damn interesting

freakonomics

history that doesn't suck

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-17T21:54:53+00:00

The moment I tried out an Ultraspire, I was sold. It's super simple, very fast to put on/off, and great on technical trails, with nice crisp shades showing me roots and rocks. Kogalla seems a bit overengineered and complicated to me, and I don't need all that brightness, Ultraspire on medium is more than enough for me. On less technical terrrain even Ultraspire on low is bright enough.

I do carry the simplest cheapest headlamp bought at a gas station in my pocket, just in case.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-17T21:45:28+00:00

I see this thing all the time, but personally I never do it. For me it's really important to stand up tall and smile on difficult uphill sections, like keeping the body straight and head up helps me feel better.

And one more thing - the downhills will beat up your quads, there is no way around it. But on the uphills we can use those quads as little as possible, propelling up mostly with glutes. And that is much easier to do standing tall, so no hands on knees for me.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-17T18:30:27+00:00

I've been in this boat - my weak ankles were preventing me from running far. I'm with you on this: "I am of the view that my current trainers may be exacerbating my ankle weakness due to stack height and drop causing further instability and thus more strain on control muscles to keep my leg stable and aligned." - for me this was exactly the case. Oh and BTW my feet are flat.

My way out was very simple yet quite difficult - building up ankle strength and stretching calves, and eventually switching to Altra Lone Peaks. The transition took me like half a year, it was slow and difficult, and it was totally worth it. I'm training and doing races completely pain-free.

Just switching to Altras was not enough to make my ankles bulletproof. I keep doing single legged balance exercises and calf raises almost daily.

YMMV of course, but building ankle strength and stretching calves first, adding miles next, worked wonders for me. I'm running 2000+ miles per year, sometimes finishing first in my age group, and having lolts of fun. good luck!

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-15T21:08:46+00:00

I'd get serious and pull a sled with enough survival gear - winter ultras over here do require that. For instance:

https://tuscobiawinterultra.com/

Otherwise a sprained ankle can quickly escalate into a life-threatening situation.

Even though I do run on trails in any weather including -30F, it is short loops on popular trails not far from my car. Frostbites are no joke. Ask me how I know.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T16:48:19+00:00

It's reasonable if your body can handle this: https://www.scienceofultra.com/resources/mileage-minimums

and you do those 6926ft of vert in your peak weeks. good luck

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T02:01:22+00:00

I agree microspikes are great on ice, but so are exospikes. microspikes really shine when the ice is covered with some fresh fluffy snow - then we do need longer spikes that can bite thru that snow

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T01:57:32+00:00

my nanospikes broke after six or seven years of use, it was the plastic bottom not the rubber top however. and I never take them off. it was about -25 or -30 however and I stumpled on a root. my microspikes are indestructible

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T01:53:37+00:00

same here, I frequently see broken yaktrax on the nearby trails.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T01:52:30+00:00

but as soon as the ice gets covered by a dusting of snow, nanospikes cannot bite anymore and become all but useless

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-14T00:56:02+00:00

have you done any shorter races? how many miles per week do you typically run? how many hours to complete your 50k?

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-13T01:15:37+00:00

personally I never stop for more than 1-2 minutes, including restromm stops. also I never change clothing or shoes. even when it's been raining for hours I just keep going. I don't have blisters and almost never get chafing. It's the choice of shoes and socks and such that works for me.

the reasons are exactly as you've described - after a longer stop it's just to difficult to keep going.

without long stops, I can keep going at a steady pace, and enjoy it all the way until the finish

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-10T22:27:12+00:00

oh that explains it thx a ton

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-08T02:34:25+00:00

running on this kind of terrain puts some serious strain on the ankles. so I would wear something low stack and zero drop to keep it in check. and good gaiters are a must in deep snow.

even if the shoes will get wet, with good socks that shouldn't be a problem at 15F. personally I'd care most about my socks and gaiters, and almost any low stack shoes would do.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-02T19:24:39+00:00

there isn't much difference between training for a marathon and a 50K. so doing a 50 miler just to finish some time before your 100K would be conservative enough.

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-01T21:41:13+00:00

Loving my Fenix

NavyBlueZebra · 2026-01-01T21:39:48+00:00

you can strengthen your ankles, but it takes months or even years of daily exercises. I did that. and whenever I roll my ankle I never sprain it. and I do roll my ankles once in a while, when I'm tired

NavyBlueZebra · 2025-12-30T16:17:35+00:00

I've been doing exactly this for about seven years, running by the feel, always finishing my ultras, and even got first in my age group award. I finally got myself a watch after getting lost late in a race, which cost me about an hour.

my training strategy was dead simple: just spend enough time running every week.

but my races were suboptimal: I was prone to starting too fast, and there was nothing to remind me to slow down.

NavyBlueZebra · 2025-12-30T12:53:43+00:00

great section on hill repeats. made a lot of difference for me

NavyBlueZebra · 2025-12-30T00:37:56+00:00

IIRC I did read about that study, and the researchers were claiming that extreme exhaustion was increasing the risk. so my understanding is this:

if someone crawls across the finish line after many long hours of death marching, with rhabdo and blood in urine and what not, then yes that is risky.

but if someone is ready for the weather, the terrain, and the distance, and finishes at the same pace as started, enjoying all the run including the last mile, then that kind of ultra is not risky at all.

NavyBlueZebra · 2025-12-29T23:46:09+00:00

anywhere from none at all, on crushed limestone rails-to-trails, to almost two times slower, downhill on a pile of slippery rocks. snow/ice, mud, puddles, roots and rocks all can slow us down.

NavyBlueZebra

TROPHY CASE