Nature In a Blur
Tim Long
Ultrarunning star, Karl Meltzer, released his itinerary today for his attempt at the Appalachian Trail speed record on the 2,175-mile path, which currently stands at 47 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes, set by Andrew Thompson in August, 2005.
Karl is known as one of the best and most consistent 100 mile event runners in the world. In 2007 he won five 100 mile races, setting course records at four of them. He announced his A.T. speed attempt in January. This isn't something you just wake up and decide to do that day. The planning involved is daunting and critical with crew support, places at which to sleep, good days, bad days, and very long days. Beginning on August 5th, Karl will need to average 46 miles per day [everyday] for a month and a half. To put this into perspective, think about running over 83 marathons in 47 days!
Most record attempts on the A.T. are run from South (Georgia) to North (Maine). Karl is running North to South, which will get the very rugged terrain of the Northern sections out of the way early on, a strategy used successfully by Thompson.
I plan to run most of North Carolina with him, and continue into Georgia if I can manage it. I admire Karl probably more than anyone running ultras today. His prolific race schedule is overshadowed only by his ability to show up at every event as one of the favorites; his recovery after events is amazing. As soon as I heard about his attempt, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, if even in the smallest capacity.
Karl Meltzer's A.T. itinerary and other information may be found on his site, www.karlmeltzer.com
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