It’s one thing to have goals for your outsider pursuits, and then a Big Hard Ass Goal pops up and you think about joining the BHAG Season crazies doing fun stuff.
BHAG season is upon us, as the endurance events out west and in Europe are in full swing for summer. Iconic trail runs such as Western States and Hardrock are on the agenda. Biking events through the flat country of the Midwest and woodlands elsewhere. Across the pond, fell running events, special things to test mind and body, and championships such as the UTMB Mont Blanc in August are on tap.
A solid BHAG doesn’t have to involve overseas travel, 100-mile rides or runs, or even travel from your hometown. It could be as simple as deciding you’re going to train for and complete your first 10K. Or a half-marathon. Or a long bike ride you’ve never done before. Perhaps a duathlon is on the agenda (they’re fun!). Your BHAG is yours … everyone has different goals, training, desires and achievements.
Last summer I completed the 20-mile event in the Blue Heron Hundreds. I’d never done that distance on foot. But I knew the Wheeler NWR roads were flat. The aid stations were set about every five miles. My mindset was to finish four 5-mile chunks. I wasn’t thinking, “Ohhhh, I have twennnyyyy milesssss to gooooo” and making it terrible. Four 5-mile chunks. Did it. Felt good. Learned a few things, mostly that I knew I could finish and also to not get chatty with slower people. This year my early BHAG was to finish Grand Vidtuta (which I did). I’ve since signed up for a couple of other bigger (to me) events in 4-7 months that will be good goals.
Simple point: while we here at TVO celebrate some of the bigger BHAGs below, I damned sure am encouraging you to enjoy your own goal-setting. Find something new, big and challenging, and get after it. It’s fun to do that and then complete it, and have a sense of accomplishment. Maybe, even, a nudge to do something a little bigger the next time.
Here are a couple of ongoing BHAGs we know about with Huntsville outsiders. We’ll have more throughout the year as they pop up.
Denali 135: Fritz Cruising
Melissa Hopper Fritz of Huntsville started the Denali Ultras 135-mile endurance event Tuesday, June 20, at 5 a.m. (Alaska time) and has been cruising along quite nicely. She’s one of 34 runners in the event, which is on the Denali Highway. Those 34 include the 135-mile and 100K runners. Fritz is one of four women in the 135-mile run. Only seven men are doing the 135-mile, too.
The event started in Paxon and ends in Cantwell, adjacent to Denali National Park. The scenery is stupendous. The weather has been chilly enough for thin gloves and a light jacket. The 135-mile runners have 48 hours to complete it. If you look at the main photo above, she’s in the gray jacket smiling at the start.
You can follow Fritz’s progress via GPS on this tracking map.
“I’m excited for the beautiful course,” Fritz told TVO via email after arriving in Alaska. “The scenery in Alaska is always incredible, and the Denali Highway looks to be pretty spectacular. Being over Summer Solstice, the near-constant daylight will add a fun change from most longer ultras where you usually spend at least 8+ hours in the dark. Here I’ll have about 4 hours of twilight, but it never gets really dark.”
Her husband, Eric, is crewing via RV. We’ll update after the finish.
Burke in LAHOTS (again!)
Matt Burke of Huntsville put his long stride and endurance to the test in 2022 at the Last Annual Heart of the South endurance event in Tennessee. Staged by Gary Cantrell, the selected partcipants drive to the finish line in northwest Georgia and then are bussed to the starting line.
Where is the starting line? Only Cantrell knows, until the day before when the location is revealed. Participants have to fend for themselves: no crewing, no aid stations along the way, nada. Take what you need in packs, sacks, vests and pockets. Cash and credit cards to stop at a shop ‘n rob for food. Need sleep? Find a park bench or ditch or curl up behind the shop ‘n rob.
Burke can be tracked here on the official LAHOTS tracking sheet. He currently has more than 215 miles; runners have to check in twice a day to give locations.
It’s every man and woman for themselves. Participants may help each other. But otherwise, you’re hoofing it for 351 miles by yourself with your brains, wits and body. Eighty-two were selected this year. More than a dozen already have quit or been caught by the Grim Reaper, who Cantrell sends out to scarf up slower runners. There’s not an official time limit but if you’re not moving along, making appropriate progress and getting it done, the Grim Reaper will say hello.
Participants have 10 1/2 days to get to the finish line. This year’s route took them from just over the line in North Carolina into Tennessee up around Bristol, Morristown, Knoxville and down south.
Results already are rolling in. Bob Hearn of California completed the LAHOTS route in four-plus days. That’s a record. That’s also insane to think about. Actually, all of the 2023 finishers so far have posted Top-10 times. Here are the results so far, and more will be updated.
Montane Spine Race
Martin Schneekloth of Huntsville is in Appleby, U.K., for the annual Montane Spine Race, a 268-mile trail event along the Pennine Way. Its organizers claim to be “Britain’s most brutal” but Schneekloth’s buildup to the start was possibly more brutal.
His passport arrived only four days before departure. His main gear bags with all equipment weren’t delivered on time (i.e. with him) to Manchester, England. This event requires more than shorts and a water bottle like summer trail runs here. Schneekloth’s bags were supposed to go from Atlanta to Manchester; instead, they went to a small airport in Orlando and sat there for 3-plus days. He had tracking tags in the bags and knew exactly where they were.
Finally, the bags made it to England and he could get started with everyone else. Runners are self-supported, with only five checkpoints. The 268-mile route is one of the most famous treks in history. The Pennine Way is Britain’s first national trail. It takes you from the Peak District to the Scottish border amid stunning scenery and challenging routes.
Schneekloth’s social media post Tuesday offered cool photos (below) and a little insight: 75 hours in, less ground covered than hoped. Feet are badly blistered, doubts crept in last night, BUT I knew to wait until after a short sleep and medical care before making the call. As it stands, I’m still out there trying to make my way to Scotland. Weather had been less than ideal resulting in many runners dropping due to runner’s trench foot and blisters.
Remember, we’ll update more BHAG events this summer and beyond. Stay tuned.
