Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon: Catching up with Sully

The mighty Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon is once again drawing near. On February 14, a multitude of multisport athletes will swarm upon the little town of Grants, New Mexico to test their inner fire and fry the shit out of their quads to get to the top of a mountain the hard way. A few days ago, I caught up with one of the top contenders and international adventurer racer about town, Eric “Sully” Sullivan, to see what his plans were for this year’s sufferfest.

Best damned quote of the week

In Direct Lines , Steve Ilg, coach, yoga & meditation instructor, tells a masterful tale of his return to the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathalon as a soloist. After writing about the various mountain spirits and the near-religious experience of racing up and down the mountain, comes this gem on the final leg of the [...]

Mt. Taylor Profiles: Eric “Sully” Sullivan

Tomorrow marks 25th anniversary of the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon. It should be an epic race and true test of the men and women who truly embody the spirit of multisport endurance athletes. All eyes, however, will be on the battle between four-time champion Josiah Middaugh and top challenger Eric “Sully” Sullivan. I had the pleasure of chatting with Sully a couple of weeks ago about the race, his preparation, as well his tips for first-timers.

Mt. Taylor Profiles: Lisa Goldsmith

To say that Lisa Goldsmith lights up the room is an understatement. Her life force, energy, aura, chi, whatever you want to call it, was apparent for all to see. Even after a grueling day running up and down the mountain, she had the smile and vibe of someone who had just come back from a week at the spa.

I wanted to talk to Lisa for this series on Mt. Taylor athletes under the assumption that she was returning to the mountain this weekend. Unfortunately, her training for the Boston Marathon in April has pushed the Quad to the backburner for this year. Lisa, however, does provide a great perspective on the race and endurance training in general. Just one look at her resume should impress the hell out of anyone who has ever toed a start line.

Mt. Taylor Profiles: Josiah Middaugh

The first time I saw Josiah Middaugh he was running down a mountain at Mach 3. We were at the 2007 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathalon and were somewhere close to three hours into the epic event where athletes race 42 miles to the top (and back) of the highest peak in northwest New Mexico. With the 25th Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon only days away, I had the good fortune to chat with this remarkable athlete about his training and plans for this year’s attempt at a fifth consecutive victory.

Ready for a Wee Bit of Winter Fun?

Yes, the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon has opened its doors for 2008. Sign your name on the dotted line and come join in a bit of Nordic suffering and a whole of fun. After all, it will be the 25th anniversary of the event so look for a lot of festivity from the townspeople [...]

Best Pre-Race and Post-Race Restaurants

I am once again on a quest. I want to compile a list of the best pre-race and post-race eateries. Everyone seems to be looking for a nice starchy, carb-heavy restaurant the night before the big race and I know that I am usually starving by the time I get my gear packed up after [...]

The dog days of pre-season racing

Man, coming out of a base season I feel like I never really started is rough. My motivation level throughout March was low and three weeks out from my first sprint triathlon of the season, I’m still not as fired up as I should be to get out and train.
Over the years, I’ve come to [...]

Flight without Wings

Coach Ilg just set up his YouTube site so keep your eyes peeled for more tempting training teasers!
For those aspiring to improve their winter fitness, check out his new snowshoe video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CAZXD6A_q8  
Keep dancing your edge.
hak

Getting ready for the 2007-2008 season

What a busy, busy week this is turning out to be. Everything that I put off to the side in my life as I prepared for the Mt. Taylor Quad is now coming to the forefront and demanding my attention.
After returning from Grants, New Mexico on Feb. 18th, I spent the next 36 hours wrapping [...]