Breathe in the future, breathe out the past. No matter where you are or what you’re going
through, always believe that there is a light at the end of the
tunnel. Never expect, assume, or demand. Just do your best,
control the elements you can control, and then let it be. Because
once you have done what you can, if it is meant to be, it will happen, or
it will show you the next step that needs to be taken.
Life CAN be simple again. Just choose to focus on one thing at a
time. You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it all
right now. Breathe, be present, and do your best with what’s in
front of you.
Let others take you as you are, or not at all. Speak your truth even if your voice
shakes. By being yourself, you walk your path confidently and don’t
expect anyone else to understand your journey, especially if they have not
been exactly where you are going.
You are not who you used to be, and that’s OK. You’ve been hurt; you’ve gone through numerous
ups and downs that have made you who you are today. Over the years,
so many things have happened – things that have changed your perspective,
taught you lessons, and forced your spirit to grow.
Everything that happens helps you grow, even if it’s
hard to see right now.
Circumstances will direct you, correct you, and perfect you over
time. So whatever you do, hold on to hope. The tiniest thread
will twist into an unbreakable cord. Let hope anchor you in the
possibility that this is not the end of your story.
Do not educate yourself to be rich, educate yourself to
be happy. That way when you get
older you’ll know the value of things, not the price.
Be determined to be positive. Understand that the greater part of your misery
or unhappiness is determined not by your circumstances, but by your
attitude. So smile at those who often try to begrudge or hurt you,
show them what they can’t take away from you.
Sometimes you have to let a person go so they can grow. Because, over the course of their lives, it is
not what you do for them, but what you have taught them to do for
themselves that will make them a successful human being.
Sometimes getting the results you crave means stripping
yourself of people that don’t serve your best interests. This allows you to make space for those who
support you in being the absolute best version of yourself. It
happens gradually as you grow. You find out who you are and what you
want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see
things the way you do. So you keep the wonderful memories, but find
yourself moving on.
It’s better to look back on life and say, “I can’t
believe I did that,” than to look back and say, “I wish I did that.” In the end, people will judge you in some way
anyway. So don’t live your life trying to impress others.
Instead live your life impressing yourself. Love yourself enough to
never lower your standards for anyone.
If you’re looking for a happy ending and can’t seem to
find one, maybe it’s time to start looking for a new beginning. Brush yourself off and accept that you have to
fail from time to time. That’s how you learn. The strongest
people out there – the ones who laugh the hardest with a genuine smile –
are the same people who have fought the toughest battles. They’re
smiling because they’ve decided that they’re not going to let anything
hold them down, they’re moving on to a new beginning.
Rather a mild case of depression. Which I end up getting into every damn August since I moved to Texas! I can adjust to heat, pretend to get along with it, and even train in it...for a few months, but not for 6 in a row! And when the temps hit 100's for a stretch of weeks with no break, and even walking to the gym becomes a burden - the Universe tends to send me a signal and I get injured...since I can't darn pull myself back off! So, I end up not running because I physically can't, what doesn't help with that depression state - since running is the only way I know how to deal with depression!
Anyway, the hamstring strain is not healing, the sciatica nerve got bunged up inside it and inflamed from knee to glut, I make my morning outings at 11 min/mile pace (I dipped sub-10 on one run for 8 miles and was thrilled! on the road!), the 5 miles of rocky trails we have here (ok, may be 15 miles) are run in the last 4 years across and over every inch (and even that only happens once a week on Saturday, the rest is stuck to flat road loops around house)...the goals get fuzzy, and I am not a happy camper.
I am not too concerned about Grindstone, but may be it's not a good thing. As long as I get healthy by then, I plan to hike it up and jog it down (and pray for not many flat parts I am technically required to run, since that's the hurting part). I need a finish under 36 hrs (cut off) to qualify for Hardrock 100 lottery. I do hope to make it sub-30 - I'll be lying if I say I am ok to walk the whole thing, but if I need to, I will.
Because this winter will be my last time applying for Hardrock 100 lottery. It's just not working out for me here. And you can tell me to get excited, and keep on going, and suck it up...and if you think I haven't said that, or heard that, or done that, think again.
But sucking up still requires at least an inspirational point, which I ran out of. And as I tell my coaching clients, if the goal doesn't inspire you and doesn't mean something personal to YOU - forget doing anything serious and just power through. Like last season, when San Diego 100 turned in by accident and my whole first half of the year lit up all kinds of great colors...ain't happening now. Hardrock is changing, I am changing, my life is changing.
I am running low on mental and emotional fuel. The job job, the daily 8-5 one, provides security and stability (and means to run). The other things provide emotional and mental blessing, but little pay off. We can all talk about money in high-spirited terms, but the truth is, I am here, in this country, all with no relatives to help, with kids, future (very near retiring) and responsibilities to my partner in life and his goals. So, floating on dreams is not going to make me feel better if I can't pay for food - at the ripe age of almost 44 - or for those runs that still fill my soul. Lets set aside the "Ah" moments and get into real life. I work a lot and am totally wiped out, and the summer heat makes it worse, and the hard training overwhelms right now. This is THIS moment. I "coached" through this kind of moments my running clients - and I told them to drop me and pull back. So, who's gonna tell me that?
I took 8 yoga classes in the last 12 days, went to my chiropractor for some digging (and have 2 more sessions), got a massage, I stretch, I weight train per PT advice, and I shuffle flat roads to not aggravate the injury. It doesn't get better, nor does it fill my heart.
For a lot of other reasons, my life seems to be upside down right now, and I can't find a course. I will, of course, I always do...that "suck it up" part works like a charm, but right now I need to break down, to be able to re-build.
I wanted to plan on Bryce 100M next summer, and they cancelled a 100M option. No other 100M course inspires me enough in this country (or other country, which I wouldn't go to anyway) to train for. I had the same feeling last year, until, as I said many times, that email from Scotty Mills about SD100 came in. So, if I don't get into Hardrock 100 via lottery, the 100's are over. Should have done it on a high note after SD100, but wanted to give HR one last try, and signed up for qualifier...:) Well, lets make it happen then.
I never learned how to depend on anybody, and I don't know if I ever will. Sometimes I wish I could, actually, I often wish, it would make so many lives easier. But it can't happen at the snap of a finger when for 40 years nobody gave a damn.
So, here is my yearly angry post, take it for what it is. Tomorrow I am going to make 4 hrs of 3,500 feet of climb with hill repeats on trails, and I hope there will be running, but if I need to - I'll hike and suck it up. This could be my only chance to do so as a "long run", God willing. Gotta have one, right? (Actually, #4 for the 5 weeks span!)
Somebody throw some inspiration, or something. If I lived close to the mountains, I could have at least hiked up - and not care a tiniest bit about injuries, heat, training...but I don't, and I won't for a while. So, every summer, by the time August rolls around, and I am done with traveling to the mountains for the year (I only have so much vacation and spare change for that to happen), I am about to scream my head off - although more likely I end up crying my eyes out:)
Deep breath. See you on the other side of this crazy time.
Every time I am in the mountains, it is sacred. Even when I lived near by and was able to get there 2-3 times a week, it was special. I called it My Church, Sanctuary, Soul...It is my life, plain and simple. I can not imagine it without being IN the mountains, seeing them in a backdrop, knowing that whenever I want to, I can be there...
And so past weekend Larry and I flew to Colorado and played in the Front Range. I won't be describing blow-by-blow the 9M hike near Loveland, a 22M full-day in Rocky Mountain National Park with a trip to Flat Top and a loop that included views at many lakes and ever-changing surroundings, or a local short Boulder trail, or the cutest town of Longmont with its Historic District. I will just share that hiking is my all-time favorite activity, a way of life, a most natural way to exist for me. I can walk forever. And when I do, thoughts from the "real me" come spilling out. As the more I re-discover (what I knew always), I rather be in the mountains either alone or with one other person whom I know understands me from inside out. Larry surely fits that description. We talked, non-stop, about our dreams, aspirations, future...and how different they might be from what is often expected. And even though our (well, mine for sure) butts hurt big time from 10,000 feet of climb over 3 days, training was far from the main thought (or the second...).
It was blissful, we ate food without regards what it does to our "athlete's body" or allergies and forbidden items, we drunk lots of awesome coffee, pocked fun of each other, and hoped that our dreams get closer every day. We stayed with good friends, walked lazily around town(s) and ran very little out of so many miles done total. And that felt right.
While I am quite depressed being back, I am an adult, and I made a choice of being here, in TX, right now. For one reason or other (those who know know, and those who don't, well...) we are in Austin for 6 more years. The trips to the mountains shake things up - yet while make us want it more, also make us long it more and be sad more immediately after coming back.That is life, and we make the best of it. Step by step.
While on the 8-hr wandering up high in Rocky Mountain National Park, I came back to my original plan to not train hard for the Grindstone. I am simply not in that state of mind. I know of plenty of quite serious ultrarunners who had gone through periods like that, and the community (at least through the internet) seems to be accepting, although who knows what each of them truly thinks. But it doesn't matter. I don't need a burn out, injury and other possible things arise from trying to do things I don't want to. All I need is a finish within cut off's - and hopefully without much of a second night involved. Ozark will just be a jog too, as well as Hellgate. Bottom line is, I'll keep in shape, and do things in good standing order (and quite frankly, I get bored to "just run" living here, in Texas, and running on roads 5 days out of the week), but I am wearing thin, and would like to do stuff that comes from burning desire, not because that's what I am expected. If it happens to come - great (it did, for couple of weeks, in July). If it doesn't - my body's memory should carry me through.
On a technical side, I wore Perl Izumi's M2 shoe, and while I don't need motion control, and they are pretty beefy, they felt great for what we did. VFuel gels always deliver, and EnduraFuel was out choice for recovery (as Pam Smith smartly said in her WS100 win report, as long as you get something after a hard/long run, you're golden, even if it's Gatorade with Whey protein mix, but in my case this one works just fine). I am off Epo-Boost until further notice. The SJ UD pack (I wrote the review on at EnduranceBuzz) worked fine, but when I did run/jog downhill, despite all the tightening I did, it still moved around too much. I am getting a hang on drinking it though, reminding taking it out, and hands-free is sweet for picture taking and waving your "wings". Larry took a whole bunch of video material with our new GoPro camera (delivered courtesy of Teva) and I hope to figure out how to link it up.
We had horrible (most horrific in my life) experience at P.F.Chang for the first night's dinner - and my gut is still plugged with all the corn starch they put in every dish in amounts enough to kill a horse. Serving sucked big time as well, but the price was obscene. It was so bad, I wasn't even obsessing about overpaying - I had to laugh. We ate huge portions of ice cream from DQ to shove the taste buds dead. In general, I ate a lot of ice-cream:) A little Thai place next day restored our faith in food industry.
Lots of coffee and latte consumed (I learned a new term, Breve: anything with half-n-half instead of milk, in your coffee drink!) and various scones too. I gained 5 lbs, and have no regrets - although do plan to get back on a horse once get around shopping and cooking this week...not for anything but I do feel ill right now.
I need to learn to cut down on my tasks. Reduce "other" work hours. And (God, I've been talking about it since the beginning of the year!) begin those various hobbies that get swept under the table with ultrarunning training. More house projects to be done as well - though, honestly, it is my man's territory, and he does it well. I just stand there looking pretty:)
I am in a good state of mind (even if sad of coming back to TX). Good for so many reasons. My therapists would have been so proud. I know I am.
I work at the University in an academic science environment. For my real-life job I do basic research in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the bench with a bunch of PhD's and PhD students. We have weekly "meetings", where a couple of said "scientists" report to the rest of the folks on their progress, break-through and problems, as well as discuss various lab business. So, today, at the beginning, a manager talks about some new equipment coming, and, looking DIRECTLY at me, says: "And we need all the strong guys in the lab to participate in moving furniture and heavy stuff around to make sure this new machines fit in to spaces". I turn to the girl sitting next to me and ask "Why me? Why even the Boss is starring at me?". She lowers her voice and whispers: "Look around. We have Science guys. You are our only chance to move this shit around". (p.s. when the push came to shove, we all moved stuff together. They are funny this way, guys I am working with. As my previous boss in Oregon used to call himself, SNAG - sensitive new age guy).
Funny, yet true story...and no, the state of Science is not that bad, but in my lab even a student whom I personally coached (as a Personal Trainer designed a workout and nutrition plan for him to build serious muscle from skinny Jewish/Irish boy) comes to me when a bottle cap froze and needs to be opened or when something rolled over under the fridge and it has to be moved...I think it's their way to actually make fun of me:)
This just happened, and happened on a tail of me breaking out of Facebook silence (so much for the previous post!) about an exciting news - a GIRL is breaking/had broken an unsupported record on PCT today! Heather Anderson (trail name Anish) is at the Canada border today, hiking from Mexico in less than ANY man (male or female) ever had done! That is to add to the last year's Jenn Parr-Davis supported break-through record on AT! Girls rock!
HERE is where I heard first of Anish' through-hike, but the Facebook is buzzing (although I am back on "vacation").
THERE you can learn all about Jenn Parr and her inspirational adventures.
I have to be honest and tell you that not to be outdone by ladies, Matt Kirk (a guy who won Umstead 100M the year I won it, 2004) had broken the UN-supported AT record yesterday, and another guy, Josh Garrett, is finishing his PCT supported record-time hike today.
Records are made to be broken.
These particular things inspire me by far more than any 50k in 3 hrs or 100 milers in 15 hrs ever did. I had come to the sport of trail ultras from a backpacking background. With a family and a full time job I could never "afford" the luxury of doing such things. When, in 6 years, we move to the town of our dreams, I intend to work part-time per my own schedule, and hope to do some of the "shorter" fastpacking through-hikes. I don't see full-blown 3-months at a time PCT, AT or CDT in my future, as Larry will still be working (plans to) full-time, and leaving him behind feels unfair, but 1-2 weeks trips into wilderness is what keeps me cranking 8% hill repeats at 6 mph (like this morning, when, I think, I managed, with my loud breathing, get a guy next to me become interested in this weird sport of ultrarunning).
Anyway, on a much smaller scale, Larry and I reviews on Ultimate Direction new pack line has been published in EnduranceBuzz.com. A spoiler - I wasn't very thrilled, but the idea is nice. The design requires more work though.
I took a break from facebooking. I didn't, like in 2009, shut down my account. I actually managed to simply stop opening the page every 5 minutes, as often as I sit down, and to keep it open when I am working at the desk. And strangely - really is - I didn't die or miss it that much. And the longer I keep the break (5 days? 6?), the less I want to jump in. Funny, since I didn't get any scared emails, I don't think anybody even noticed. Did I miss anything out there? Well, according to Larry (who took his break a month prior that) - not really. The world rotates as it did, the rah-rah is still the same, the groups are exchanging advice, and runners, well, run the races. And just like when I cancelled email subscription to Listserve Ultralist (the GrandDaddy of ultrarunners' emails) and visited it, daily at first, then weekly, then may be twice a month, until finally I realized it's not what it was - for me, doesn't mean much for me, not anymore. Not that running, or ultrarunning, or trails don't - but the list doesn't.
So, the Facebook thing...after 3.5 years of absence, I came back - actually, partially by accident, and partially to keep up with my grown up kids (or sneak on their lives kind of thing). And while I cut my "friends" to bare minimal number to only those whom I know in life AND had have a real conversation about life (not simply "How was your last race?" type of thing, what hurt a lot of folks trying to be-friend me), I was still getting overwhelmed. Yes, I, myself, made poor choices and got sucked in. I do get addicted rather quickly. Part of my side-business is all about being loud and visible. It was nice to support runners and be supported, too. It still is.
But in a meantime, while staying away, I think I am re-learning valuable lessons of "splurging" on all that social media stuff only on occasions. Re-learning on getting back into more "personal" level of support via, at the least, emails, those that can only be seeing by a receiver and a sender, not their 500 friends...meeting with few folks here and there...and thinking so much, it hurts! I'll be back on Facebook, absolutely, there is a value to it - but I will do my best not to be a Facebook wh#$*e. I will do my best to use it wisely.
So much time happened to be freed! It is amazing! And I slowly figure things out for myself, without the pressure of "performing" for others, impressing clients, and having Fear Of Missing Out! And I still love working hard!
I managed to make a decision to pull out of my scheduled 38M night race at the end of August - I suck on rocky twisted trails, and at night the danger of getting injured is grand - I am still not even half-recovered from the hamstring pull at 22 miler I ran 10 days ago. I also made a very difficult choice for me to NOT serve Cactus Rose 50/100M one and only aid station I have had at this "unsupported" race for the last 3 years (and one that runners hit a total of 8 times and which I "ran" practically single-handed). That race falls on a weekend 3 weeks after 2 sleepless nights at Grindstone 100 and 1 week prior 2 sleepless nights at Ozark 100. Sometimes we need to be selfish. This is my time...Besides, as I corresponded with a couple of old-timers, only "vets" will miss me, as my personality, and newbies wouldn't even have a clue - although they could be ticked off for not having aid they heard exists...Oh, well, hopefully they read the race document:)
And so here I am. Some things are changing in life as well. There was a decision made of having Stephen move and live in Portland with his Dad. I am not sure how this will go, but it is final, and it is a very good call for all involved (Stephen, first of all, and then all of us adults). That took a lot of mental and emotional adjustments, regardless that it was basically my push for that - and was the only choice that existed in a state where Stephen was. The workload at my real job is big, or, may be, I am paying more focus to it now that I don't have to be overly worried about my kid(s) (or choose not to go crazy about it would be more proper way) - and I don't Facebook up a storm. Other things are making my life filled to the brim too.
And I train. While my hamstring is doing quite poorly, and I need to heed my own advice, I only backed off for a few days and had completed a weekend's back-to-back and workouts this week so far as well, plus 4 Bikram classes, 1 massage (for myself) and a lot of rolling and stretching. I got plans, but while my brain re-wires to take care of ME, I simply go through the motions of doing what I know how to - train.
I had my favorite nutritionist have a chat with me and scold me for a lot of things too, and that's another thing on my list to take care of. Thanks, Meredith! Sometimes it seems I know a lot, but information for oneself often gets buried, and I need a reminder, a refresher - often new knowledge, and absolutely certainly a kick in a pants.
I am learning to take care of me. For the first time in the last 22 years (and 9 months), I am at least PLANNING to begin thinking of me first.
And to celebrate it, Larry and I are going to visit this weekend our possible dream future, that even carries an awesome name: Loveland, CO. No races, nothing crazy. We are going to dream on...
My first pack was the Ultimate Direction Wasp. Well, technically, my first pack I got as a gift from a friend who also signed me up for my first 50 km was a CamelBak. But I quickly figured out I don’t like sucking on a tube coming from a bladder and I like having a bunch of pockets in front of me for various stuff I carry – so, the first pack I searched for, was recommended and purchased, was an Ultimate Direction Wasp. That said, I have a special feeling towards it – and its “nipple” bottles, which I used ever since they came on the market.
Ultimate Direction Wasp
Things moved ahead, and from that first Wasp, as a part of the Montrail Ultrarunning Team, I was able to be fully equipped with every Nathan hydration vest you can dream of – but always running with those same UD bottles and using packs to store extra water bottles, extra clothes, and certainly gels and other fueling in those very much appreciated front pockets. Eventually, I moved on to UltrAspire packs, and was in love ever since. (p.s. – waist packs never made it into my gear list as my tummy gets extremely aggravated from all that bouncing, and chafing is something I couldn’t deal with)
Because I run with water bottles, often carrying two and occupying both hands, sometimes I wonder how is it to run “free”? I mean, I’ve gotten used to it over the last decade, and while I tried a bladder a few more times, I could never be its user as I can’t control how much I am drinking, sucking takes effort and interrupts the breathing pattern, and the tubing can malfunction (per various race reports, including elite runners).
Suddenly, a buzz in a community – Ultimate Direction made new packs, and they have a design that provides hands-free running via storing water bottles in front pockets! Yeah! Before you knew it, everybody and their mother was wearing Anton Krupicka (AK), Scott Jurek (SJ) and Peter Bakwin (PB) Ultimate Direction Signature Series vests! Not to mention, the names were SCREAMING good deal! Just check out a photo-stream at the latest Western States 100 – seems like all front runners and half of the rest of the field is in it!
I was a lucky one to be able to get my hands on a SJ for some testing and a review. So, here it goes…
It’s hard to begin to write on a product which is so highly regarded when you (I) have a negative start with it. Our relationship wasn’t getting off to a good start. When I placed an order, I asked for a size Medium – I am not a small girl to begin with, and have a cup B+ to boot (TMI, but important). I even measured whatever was suggested on this video (and you should watch it before thinking about measuring!). :
Why am I stressing this? Because my pack happened to be HUGE for me! Like, tight straps all the way – and hanging loose!
But first, let’s take a look at the pack itself.
Specifications (Per Ultimate Direction Website): World-renowned ultra-runner Scott Jurek designed the Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest to be the ultimate pack for any occasion. Featuring the best volume to weight ratio of any pack ever made, the 7.5 ounce SJ Ultra Vest can carry a half-day of gels or bars in the easily accessible front pockets, along with a unique expandable or compressible main compartment utilizing Cuben-Fiber, for a total capacity of an amazing 9.2 liters. Options to carry trekking poles and an ice axe complete the package.
Sizing At Chest (Unisex):
SM: 25 – 31 in / 63.5 – 78.7 cm
MD: 31 – 38 in / 78.7 – 96.5 cm
LG: 38 – 43 in / 96.5 – 109.2 cm
Measure wearing the clothes you intend to wear
A vest full of gear will fit smaller
Specs:
Volume Capacity: 47 in3 / 9.2L
Fluid Capacity: 2 x 20 oz bottles / 2 x 591 mL & a 70 oz reservoir
Weight: 7.5 oz (13 oz with bottles) / 212 g (368 g with bottles)
Height: 12 in / 30 cm
Width: 9 in / 23 cm
Depth: 2.5 in / 6 cm
Materials/Design:
Cuben Fiber: Used for the sails of America’s Cup racing yachts, this non-woven fabric is 15 times stronger than steel and 40% stronger than Aramid fibers, and is extremely resistant to moisture, UV, and chemicals
Hex Mesh: The structure of the vest is totally breathable, while also being extremely strong, lightweight, and will not absorb moisture.
Power Mesh: All pockets are super stretchy, so small loads won’t bounce and the vest expands as you need it to.
First impression: The Cuben-Fiber material felt funky and made noises. I was concerned that when on the run, the “shish” sound would annoy me. The first person to actually test the pack in the family was my step-son Harrison, who took it “for a ride” when he hiked down (and back up) to the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon (yes, 12 years old, 16 miles in half a day). He said the pack was OK, but the “nipples” in the bottles not so much, so he ended up replacing the bottles with “normal” ones. Other than that, free hands provided him with freedom to take a lot of pictures!
My turn came around a couple of weeks later, as Larry (who was testing the PB pack – review below) and I took sails to the Wasatch Mountains-Wind River Canyon-Grand Teton adventures.
And this is where the ill problems begun! Because, you know, we wanted to run on those beautiful trails – and in theory, because the pack is made for RUNNING, run we did – and I kept getting ticked off how much movement was happening! Upside-down, from side to side, back and forward, it was driving me nuts.
Note how much movement it is from side to side on this photo (left), and how much space between my body and the pack on the next (right) – even though I had the front straps all the way in. And maybe because I had the front straps all the way tightened, the bottles were sitting right on the breast area and the top of them too close to my face.
Getting ahead of the “real time” of usage, and after talking to many, many other runners who had encountered the same problem (from elite to every-day plodder, from tiny to rather busted gals), I did a modification by tying a string pulling two sides together (see photo below – some used bungee cord or S-hook). Yet even with that, while the side-to-side shaking was eliminated, the front-to-back stayed (putting strain on my shoulders and rubbing my neck raw). And only – only – when (with the ties) I packed the back pockets to the brims, did the pack finally feel right!
It shouldn’t be THAT difficult, and the lack of some kind of adjusting on the sides was a sad discovery – but rest assured, from a source, the Female Pack is coming out soon, and the sizing will be provided in “normal” definitions!
Anyway, the fact that in my experience I had to squeeze the front straps all the way in, the bottles set somewhat uncomfortable right on top of my breast, and the Velcro from the shoulder straps was rubbing my neck. Note in the video above that in reality the bottles shall go to the side from the center or your chest/sternum, and almost like in a Salomon pack (pictured below), but not quite.
Back to the material – the squishy sound never happened! That was a (good) surprise. It was lightweight, breathable, and washable. The back pocket (which there were 2 – two – of) fit a lot! You could put two extra 20 oz bottles, a water proof jacket, gloves, hat, arm warmers, emergency blanket, first aid kit, headlamp and flashlight. I’m sure I could fit even more; the mesh had some stretch left. That was good – for, say, a full day adventure that includes high altitude mountains where the weather changes and you potentially may get stuck longer than intended. Why would I need it at a race (besides Hardrock 100 or UTMB) – I don’t know. Although those pockets could also be used to put lots of ice into and keep your body temps down on a hot day.
Side pocket – the ones on the lower parts of the side stretchy straps, was another huge disappointment! While they were large and fit plenty of power bars if desired, reaching easily (or not so easily) to get anything out of there “on the run” (or while stopped) was very uncomfortable, not to say worse, and as the race/run would progress and the body gets more stiff, that pocket was out of question! Not to mention there are plenty of men out there who’s shoulders and elbows can’t do that acrobatics even in a good state of life.
Let’s move on…The little pockets at the top of the straps. Way too high! Reaching for items in those, too, needed some wrist bending. And the Velcro seemed to be fading its capacity to open fast and close snag was deteriorating quickly after literally a few uses. On the other hand, the Right pocket fit a camera nicely, what was helpful for those who love to “stop and smell the roses”, and the Left pocket had a Bear Whistle included – and yes, plenty of us run around mountains with wildlife. I liked that part.
There is another set of pockets, underneath the bottle holders, also with Velcro. I am not quite sure what was the idea for those and used it to put gel packets and other garbage that I happened to produce on the run – and I had the same thought as above, hard to open on the fly, things may fall out.
Gel pockets” described on the side of each bottle holder. More negative emotions! It wasn’t easy to “slide” a regular size gel in with a bottle already in the holder, and during the run the gel(s) kept coming out of the pockets! Since I wasn’t using it in a race, I was able to monitor and see one that fell out, and kept pushing back in the other one, but it would really suck to lose your fueling when it’s important.
And last, but not least (in fact, the most important reason for designing this particular series of the packs) – bottle holders! What can I say? Besides the jiggling (a.k.a. moving too much due to not being properly sized up for the pack), I did like the idea of hands-free running! I forgot how it feels. You can grab the trees on the turns, flop your arms wide to the sides on the technical downhills, take pictures, eat gels – all while not having to “hang” your bottles on your hands or wrists. BUT – you knew I’ll have something negative to say – as I went for real runs with the pack (finally fully fitting), I noticed I am having somewhat similar problems as I did when I gave up drinking from the bladder: when you run holding bottles IN the hands, they constantly remind me to keep on drinking. When the bottles neatly tucked away, I forget about it until I am actually thirsty, and in Texas – or at a hot race – drinking “to thirst” is only good for the book writing. Another one – even if I force my memory to be “on top” of “sip every few minutes” task, getting the bottle out is not a swift motion (and it probably shouldn’t be, it may fly away, but there is got to be a solution for that!), and sticking it in is even more difficult – not THAT difficult, but does take time and practice and force. AND it feels like an extra waste of energy to reach-pull-bring bottle up-shove back in, as opposed to swing arm just a touch higher – straight into the mouth – gentle swing back, repeat.
I actually decided to test the pack with the bottle pockets empty of bottles (using handhelds) and just putting fueling and a camera in those compartments – and that worked wonderful, but defeated the purpose of hands free running.
With that I conclude my review by saying – great idea, and many, many folks seem to benefit from it! Me? I’ll wait until the female version of AK comes out to do more testing!
Ultimate Direction PB Vest Review – Larry King
Specifications (from the Ultimate Direction Website): The pack Peter Bakwin always wanted did not exist – so he designed this one. So well thought out and comfortable to wear, National Geographic Adventure gave the 12 ounce PB Adventure Vest at 2013 Gear of the Year Award! With the same abundant storage options as the SJ Ultra Vest, the PB Adventure Vest also features a larger 8.5 liter main compartment and a unique one-piece pull cord for instant expandability or compression. With a special pocket for a locater beacon, and a system for readily attaching trekking poles or an ice axe, this is the most comfortable pack ever for hiking, running and climbing.
Features (Front):
GPS Pouch (buttons accessible)
Bottle holsters can carry 26 oz.
Gel or bar pouches (4)
Electrolyte or valuables pocket (2)
Fully adjustable Sternum Straps (2)
Emergency whistle
Features (Back):
Cuben Fiber bellows for large or small loads
Secure Lat Pockets, with full pocket behind (2)
Two sizes main compartments
Single pull bungee compresses entire pack
Trekking pole (2) and Ice Axe loop (1)
Sizing At Chest (Unisex):
S/M: 28 – 36 in / 71.1 – 91.4 cm
M/L: 36 – 40 in / 91.4 – 101.6 cm
Measure wearing the clothes you intend to wear
A vest full of gear will fit smaller
Specs:
Volume Capacity: 61 in3 / 12L
Fluid Capacity: 2 x 20 oz bottles / 2 x 591 mL & a 70 oz reservoir
Weight: 12 oz (17.5 oz with bottles) / 340 g (496 g with bottles)
Height: 16 in / 41 cm
Width: 9 in / 23 cm
Depth: 4.5 in / 11 cm
Materials/Design:
Cuben Fiber: Used for the sails of America’s Cup racing yachts, this non-woven fabric is 15 times stronger than steel and 40% stronger than Aramid fibers, and is extremely resistant to moisture, UV, and chemicals
Velvetex: The edge banding is very soft for greater comfort
Power Mesh: All pockets and super stretchy, so small loads won’t bounce and the vest expands as you need it to.
One thing is certain. A lot of thought went into the design of this pack and anyone considering it should fully understand the features before spending the money on items you don’t need. This isn’t a pack I would use for a normal ultra, even if it was a mountain 100 miler. Aid stations are plentiful during races and I honestly wouldn’t want to carry the load this pack could handle during such a race when I prefer to go as light, as possible. I didn’t come close to testing all the features of the pack and wasn’t aware of many of the features until after using it several times on one-day adventure runs/hikes—Grand Canyon, Wind Rivers, and the Tetons.
As an ultra runner who dabbles in adventure running, this pack would have everything you could possibly need, and more. The most obvious feature is the two water bottle holders which are located on the front of the pack. While this allows a hands free configuration, I still carried two handheld bottles, since that is the way I have been running for the last several years. In my mind, I just saw the bottle holders as additional water storage for those times when I am a long way between water sources. But, for those accustomed to hydration bladders, this could be a great alternative.
The first thing you’ll notice is the lightness of the pack. The Cuben material, which is an ultra strong fabric used in sails for yacht racing, gave me cause for concern. Just when handling the pack, it seemed “loud” when jostling the pack around. But, while running with the pack, I never detected any annoying sounds. And, the material is highly resistant to moisture, which is a huge benefit when you’re emitting lots of body heat while running. The pack always stayed dry.
The two main pack compartments can handle anything you’d ever want to put in a day pack. I, even, put a fully filled one liter Nalgene bottle in it and it never moved around while running and I never noticed it poking into my back.
There is chest pocket above each water bottle that can be used for various items. I carried my camera in one pocket, but the other, I was hesitant to use since the zipper opened up from the bottom. After watching the video about the pack, it is intended for the use of a GPS beacon transmitter, such as SPOT, which has the button at the bottom of the device. And, while there was a bellows pocket inside the bottom of this pocket, I would have preferred an identical pocket that zipped downwards. The emergency whistle, which is attached with a lanyard located inside the left chest pocket, is a nice touch. A few times, when getting my camera out of the pocket, the whistle came out and I began running with the whistle flopping annoyingly around. But, that is remedied by just opening the pocket and storing the whistle inside the pocket where it rightfully belongs.
Front view – Correct size adjustment with straps and bottles nested to the side of the center of the chest. Both straps can be adjusted up or down along a fabric rail, ensuring complete fit customization. The sternum strap is elasticized, ensuring the expansion of the chest while breathing doesn’t constrict the wearer.
View from the back – At the top are elastic adjustment straps to keep the pack compressed and minimize bouncing. The straps, also, ensure the weight is kept close to the body. Normally, you only find this feature in full-featured backpacks (known as “load-lifter” straps) for multi-day hikes.
Side view – What you cannot see are the bellows pockets, which are fastened with Velcro, located behind each zippered pocket. They’re so well hidden–I was unaware of their existence until I had finished my testing and watch a demo video of the pack. A side compression pull located above the zippered pocket further allows the pack to be fit close to the body, preventing movement of the pack while running.
Reaching into side pocket – This was my main complaint about the pack. I’m not that flexible and, while I would eventually locate the zipper pull, it took me more time than I would have liked to consistently find the zipper pull. It seemed like an awkward motion to access a pocket while wearing the pack.
Top pocket with a zipper going up – potential falling out of items? Main design concept is to hold an emergency GPS locator transmitter, such as SPOT.
Overall, the pack works, and while I didn’t put it through the rigor of maxing out the capacity, I’m not certain I would like to on a one day outing in the mountains while running. Hiking with it at full capacity would be great. But, I am curious about its capability in this area and believe it could handle an overnighter, in a pinch, for those interested in fast packing.
– Olga and Larry King
Campfire Ultimate Direction Vest Chat
Have you worn the Ultimate Direction SJ or PB Vest? What have you thought about fit and usability?
If you are interested in the Ultimate Direction Signature Series Vests, you can purchase them at Running Warehouse (Shoes, Packs, Clothes, Lights, and more…plus 2-day free shipping!).
My first pack was the Ultimate Direction Wasp. Well, technically, my first pack I got as a gift from a friend who also signed me up for my first 50 km was a CamelBak. But I quickly figured out I don’t like sucking on a tube coming from a bladder and I like having a bunch of pockets in front of me for various stuff I carry – so, the first pack I searched for, was recommended and purchased, was an Ultimate Direction Wasp. That said, I have a special feeling towards it – and its “nipple” bottles, which I used ever since they came on the market.
