HERE's the link if you want to check it out for yourself.
In a nutshell it's a link to an interview with Kyle Skaggs after he'd pretty much annihilated the HR100 course record set by Scott Jurek. As I read it I learned a bit more about Skaggs and the way he lives while training for his races.
What I didn't really know is that he too, like many of the top ultra runners today is what I consider a "minimalist". When I first saw pictures of people like Anton, Geoff, and others, I couldn't help but notice how "minimal" for the most part, they like to race.
Not only did I notice that, but when I started diving deeper into this trend and reading different blogs, I realized these guys not only run minimal, but they LIVE minimal. It seems Anton lives wherever he feels and could pretty much live out of his car. I saw a really short "documentary" on Geoff where he was pretty much camping out next to a lake every night in the Alaskan wilderness. Then I read the interview with Skaggs, and realized he too is of the less is more train.
He mentions taking all his water during the HR100 out of lakes and rivers, rather than aid stations cause they take too long. He talks of how everything he owns could just fit in the back of his car. That most of his belongings consist of running shoes (possibly sarcastic, but probably not). He mentions how all he really needs is some gels and his running shoes.
In this article he also mentions not having a computer, Ipod, and a cell phone that really isn't much of a cell phone.
I guess, what I'm getting at here, is that I'm unbelievably intrigued by this idea of running and living minimal. When I race, I try to goes as minimal as I can safely, but when it comes to living, I'm absolutely nowhere near minimal.
My cell phone never leaves my pocket, my mac laptop is never turned off, and my phone gives me Facebook updates on a regular basis.
I'm curious about this lifestyle, because I wonder if it's just that ultra running and minimal lifestyles go hand in hand? Just like peanut butter and Jelly, or triathletes and big paying jobs?! (Just kidding!) What I do know is that ultra running and some of the suffering I've dealt with out there on the trails, have given me different perspectives on different parts of life.
I've realized, maybe certain things in life weren't as big a deal as I once thought. That the pain we sometimes go through makes us that much tougher and resilient in our daily life.
These big time 100 runners often times remind me of "Alexander Supertramp".... I was just as intrigued by him and his story as I am the lifestyles a lot of these runners live.
I'm not saying that any one lifestyle is superior to another, but I wonder how many others would choose to live this minimal lifestyle if given the chance?
I'll stop rambling on for now, but wanted to share that interview with you guys and get your thoughts on it.
-Jacob
I've lived out of my car for a while, and absolutely love it. I'm, yes, one of those triathletes but as long as there's space for my bike, and all my gear is separated into swim, bike, run, and "life" bags, living out of a car and in a minimalist lifestyle is very doable. I haven't lived in one place for more than 4-8 months in the last 2 years and don't intend to for the next few years either. I've got my gear, I have 1 pair of jeans that have been sewn and re-sewn repeatedly, and gels stashed to the brim in empty water bottles. I LOVE IT.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I like to take periods of "disconnect" where I don't use my computer or phone for a couple days, but nowhere as minimal as these guys.
ReplyDeletedon't go all weird on us! just kidding...kinda. :)
ReplyDeleteYou should try it, go without. Larry and I cancelled out Facebook accounts almost 3 years ago. You'd be surprised to realize how many of your "friends" are just bored people who justify their own self-worth by how many status updates and hits they will get and post. We each have a cheapest flip-phone and pretty much only call each other on a minimal minutes plan (no internet on that), and a few of "real folks". I'd love to go without cable (2 weeks waiting to get connected were my most productive, even kids started to read!) and I used to not have it, but it doesn't work with the rest of the family. I won't lie, I like internet and have a list of websites I check daily when waiting on my experiments at work, and when having coffee at home before the run. But I also enjoy vacations without laptop. If you look in my closet, you can use fingers on your hands to count my clothes beyond running (and for those use toes). I hate materialism and consumerism and too much technology. Have you noticed how doctors can't diagnose and treat anymore? Because they are taught to use new machines, but insurance doesn't allow them and they are stuck not knowing how to use brain, knowledge and common sense! Anyhow, that's my fav topic to dwell:) And yes, ultrarunning brings (most of) us closer to the roots and "use less".
ReplyDeleteHere's a pic I snapped of Kyle coming off Handies the weekend before he won HR.
ReplyDeletehttps://picasaweb.google.com/olgav100/HardrockCamp#5222913791152238802
Minimal? Yeah. We caught up with him later that day at dinner and he said it was a "one gel run". Filling bottles in creeks at HR isn't a big deal, though. That's what Olga and I do, you just have to have knowledge of where you are to ensure you're getting the best water possible. If you haven't been on the course you may not realize how plentiful water is. It's a "wet" course by yours and my standards, even in a dry year.
I have discovered that running without an iPod, not wearing an HR monitor, or even a watch for that matter (got my 50k PR doing that and ran Rocky 50m in February without one and PR'd that one, too), results in less distraction when I run.
A lot of us have things we don't need, a garage full of "stuff" used a a storage room, pay for storage unit to keep of our "stuff", et al. I had the unfortunate experience of my Grandparents home burning literally to the ground when I was in high school. I spent a lot of time at their home and even had my own room. You learn not to get too attached to things when something like that happens. And, in the end, the only "things" that I still miss are the hundreds, if not thousands of pictures that are forever lost capturing the majority of my childhood moments.
I'm far from minimal, but try to be conscious of what I have and purge occassionally. It is very helpful to have a partner who shares the same philosophy, too. Everyone's circumstances are unique, nonetheless, but having an awareness is a great thing to acknowledge.
I try to run minimally but one can't tell with my big pack. But they don't know I left my Iphone in my drop bag and that I carry extra water when fellow runners in the heat are out of water.
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