If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough.

When something bad happens, you have three choices: let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

My UltraList Bio

Occupation: Research Scientist
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135
Birthplace: Russia
Date of birth: 10/9/69

Years running: 5.5 (May 13, 2001 - first 5k)
Years running ultras: 3.5 (March 13 2003 - first 50k)

PRs: road 50k - 4:47, trail 50k - 5:08, road 50M - 8:17, trail 50M - 9:49 (Masochist), Umstead 100M - 18:46, WS100 - 23:14
For the bloggers: 1M - 6:20 indoor track, 5k on roads - 22:32, 5k on trails - 22:08, 10k on roads - 46:46, 10k on trails (after a 20 mile training run) - 46:22, 15k - 1:18, 20k - 1:40, half-marathon - 1:43, marathon - 3:45 (between-ultras, but after first all of them were like that:)), Escarpment 30k god-damn trail run that got me started on trails (in Upstate NY) - 4:31, over 50 various short races - and it was a l-o-n-g time ago

Shoes I run in: Montrail Odyssey, Brooks Cascadia

Favorite running surface: trails on PNW

Some ultras I have completed: 40 total (plus 16 marathons), 8x100M, 2x100km, a bunch of other trail runs

Ultra achievement I am most proud of: first 100M at Umstead in 2004, WS100 in 2005, SD100 in 2005, Zane Grey in 2006. forgot to mention Miwok 100k in 2005

Ultra I haven't done but really want to: AC100, Bighorn 100, CCC100, Waldo 100km, and many 50 milers

Typical training week: in training - 80-90M/week, 2 long runs, 2 double/days, 1 medium run, x-train with spin class and weights, yoga is great addition too, I just need to find an extra few hours a day:)

Injury history: anything in the book - not that I should be proud of it.

Favorite ultra foods: Carbo-Pro, E-Crank gels, soup at night
Favorite ultra beverages: ice water tastes good

Things I like most about ultras: "A race is just a race, but a friend who paces you is a friend for life." - Joseph Franko
Pushing the limits, a sense of achieving impossible, hanging out with friends
People that I met while doing ultras are the most wonderful and the friends I've made are the most true. That's not to mention that places I visited for races leave memories for life.

Things I hate most about ultras: huh?
That my family doesn't understand it

What got me started doing ultras: feeling great after first marathon and meeting a friend who just finished VT100 and got accepted into WS100 - the movie drew my undivided attention

Why I do ultras: not sure, it's a bug that doesn't go away, see "what I like about ultras"

Where I found out about the list: run100s.com

Short-term ultra goal: come back after injury (tear in hamstring in July) and do well
Long-term ultra goal: keep running and enjoying it even if slowing down to the point of pushing cut offs every time

Fantasy ultra goal: run all the races on the list:)

Favorite ultra quote(s):
"The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
- Pierre de Courbertin
When I come back from a race, no matter what the final result was, the most important thing for me is to look back and honestly say myself - I gave it all I had that day.

p.s. I got the most beautiful and sofisticated stationary bike as a present I've ever seen! Just perfect for the dark hours upon us and my self-imposed resting mode! The best part - it was a total surprise!

p.p.s. to Rob: I never planned to post my bio to the list, I liked been a lurker, and if I ever respond to a post, I do it privately. Recently a couple of things ticked me off: bashing a kid who DNF'd at his first 100 from veterans and quietness about Scott Jurek while spending a ton of time discussing Dean (who I don't care for, but enough is enough!). Too many people use the list as their private chat club, I don't want to participate. But since I did respond, I felt I had to introduce myself. And hey, I didn't know you were such a good boy posting your resume (that needs to be updated, by the way)!

18 comments:

D said...

Happy Birthday Olga (yesterday). I love the last sentence of this post. I need to practice saying that after each race. You're an impressive runner.

Exam-exam-exam said...

Happy Birthday Olga!
May you and your family be blessed with health and joy and many accomplishments!

I didn't even know people could run 50ks and 100Ms (from an endurance point of view). And you achieved this level of performance in 5-6 years...impressive.

Sarah said...

Is it a spin bike? I'm jealous. Enjoy!
: )

Kurt in Boston said...

Hey, we have the same birthday! Happy Birthday!! (Only I've had a few more than you.)

The Pierre de Courbertin quote is great -- your version is a much more eloquent translation than what I've seen ("It is less important to win than to take part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."). I like your version much better.

You should appropriate his other famous quote -- "Citius, altius, fortius" (Faster, higher, stronger) -- only change it to "Ulterius, fortius, certius" (Farther, stronger, more resolutely).

Wes said...

Woohoo! Got ya a knew toy! Sweet!! Thanks for the insights into your running. I don't know if I'll ever do an ultra, but the world will have to wait and see :-)

tryathlete said...

Have fun on that bike - something different from running!

Rick Gaston said...

Awww late as usual. Happy Birthday Olga.

seagull junker said...

happy birthday friend. See you at Autumn Leaves.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! Saw your post on "the list". Happy running.

Unknown said...

I can't believe you did not have a bio written for the ultra list. Glad to see you sent one in. I hope the injuries are on the mend.

Backofpack said...

Happy, Happy Birthday! Reading the bio was fun - thanks for posting it. Happy biking!

Ryan said...

Happy belated birthday...I enjoyed reading over your Ultra Bio you've been kicking some ultra ass over the past few years.. thanks for the inspiration..I hope that injury gets better and like the great Neil Young sings "long may you run"

Jack said...

You have accomplished a lot in a short time, I hope you can continue for another 39 years+

Legs and Wings said...

Happy Birthday Olga! Your Ultra List of accomplishments is amazing - and, with more on the horizon!! Awesome. Take care.

Kim said...

Happy Birthday Olga!!
I get a little tired of the UltraList too..not much ultra content alot of times.

Hilda said...

What an impressive list Olga, we know you are something special, but still watching it all together is hard to analize.

Hope you enjoy your bithday, fantastic runner!

Kelly S. Nichols said...

I find it interesting that very few trail/ultra runners did not run at the college level. I ran track and cross-country in college for 4 years. I also had a full Athletic Scholarship. I have never had a running blog,or posted my bio on the internet for all the world to see. Uli Steidl is the greatest trail/ultra runner I have ever seen. He ran for the Universty of Portland and was All-American in Cross-Country. I have never seen him self-promote himself. Alysun Deckert ran for the Universty of Kansas. I don't see her self-promote either. (she lives in Seattle.(sp?). I think that the question that trail/ultra runners need to ask themselves is why they feel the need to tell everyone what they have done. Just my 02. cents!!!

Anonymous said...

Olga, let's hear it for us October 9th Ultra Babies! I'm glad you've started to post to the ultralist. It needs more people like you.