I noticed this interview a while back and I thought I'd get around to post about it. During one of our long training days in Sherando, we were surprised to discover an ultra-run in the progress. About half way through the day we started to encounter packs of runners with race bibs on and, judging by their expressions and their gear, we could tell they weren't out on a 5K lark. This was one of many ultra events that take place in the Virginia mountains each year.
We were mountain biking and stopped at one of the aid stations for the ultra run to catch our breath and take in the scenery -- we talked a bit with the staff at the aid station and next thing you know a small lady with a blue Montrail shirt comes flying in, grabs a cup of water, and shoots out of the aid station in no time at all. She was really moving, particularly for such a long ultra endurance race; 10 minute miles can be considered good time for those long mountain runs and I'll bet she was well under that pace. The volunteers at the aid station told us that she was in the lead and, as we hung around the aid station for 10 or 15 more minutes and didn't see anybody else, I'd say she was way in the lead.
I forgot about all this until I read the interview with 2005 Western States 100 Champion, Annette Bednosky. The picture of Annette at the top of the page sure resembles that blue flash we saw that day out in Sherando. As I read on I realized Annette is based in the mid-Atlantic and does a lot of the VA ultras. Sure enough, Annette Bednosky is the blue flash that we saw earlier this year! The whole interview is worth a read, but here are a few key items that stood out to me:
- She has done some adventure racing (notably the 30-hour NGAR that Team HRAdventure did last year and will tackle again in February 2006)
- Last weekend was the Central Va Hellgate 100K; this is one of her favorite ultras -- and one that another friend of mine did as his first ultra run. It sounds like I missed out.
- She doesn't like to race on pavement (amen to that!)
- Annette really studies the courses before she races on them, and tailors her training to suit the circumstances of each race.
Maybe we'll coerce the Blue Flash into doing an HRAdventure event in 2006 -- but by the looks of her training distances she'll have to do the adventure race as a "rest" day.