Conrad Stoltz Wins XTERRA Grabouw

Suunto Ambassador Conrad Stoltz just racked up another great win in the XTERRA race series, this time in South Africa.

The XTERRA Grabouw is described on the race site like this:

Grabouw, situated in the Western Cape atop the Sir Lowry’s Pass, is a mountain paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. It offers the opportunity to mountain bike in widely varying conditions, from gravel fire roads to rough jeep track and technically challenging single track, pine plantation to Cape Fynbos.

For the Trail Runners, the challenge does not stop.The trail run leg will take the Xterra athlete up slopes and along certain trails that are not accessible to the mountain biker, thus offering spectacular views not normally seen by the casual visitor to Grabouw.

This is how the Caveman recorded his thoughts about the race on his blog:

"Stunning bike course. Other than the all rocks and single track, I really like the Fynbos here. (Indigenous Western Cape vegetation) Checked it out on the pre rides as, there are more rocks and sand here than on the back of the moon."

Picture courtesy of ConradStoltz.com and from Total Sports and www.oakpics.com

"I had a 2 minute lead on Dan Hugo going into the final single track, but he chafed the sidewall on his rear tire and lost air and time the last few minutes. Too many rocks and ugly high speed sections to safely ride light weight Sworks tyres. A lesson learned before methinks."

You can read Conrad's full post and see some great photos on his blog, or see other photos at the race photo gallery.

Congratulations, Conrad! Another great victory - Four out of four in the series!

Greg Hill Core Watch Giveaway!

Adventure Skier and Suunto user, Greg Hill, is a big fan of keeping a track of how many vertical feet he skis--and now so can you. Suunto is giving away a Suunto Core Everest Edition Altimeter/Barometer/Compass Watch this week as a part of his Guess How High Greg Hill Got contest through Backcountry.com. Greg is attempting to ski two million vertical feet within one year. His quest is coming to a close, and now it is your chance to participate in the excitement as he nears his goal.

For the next three weeks you can enter the contest at Backcountry.com and guess how many vertical feet Greg will ski in a week. The closest guess will win some sick prizes, including a Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest. Greg uses his Suuno to keep track of his vertical gain every day as he skis his way to two million feet. Click here to enter the contest.

You can (try to) keep up with Greg Hill at his website here.

For more Suunto products and accessories visit our website here.

NYC Marathon Recap

Just like a good blockbuster flick, the NYC Marathon continued to live up to all the hype. Full of drama and suspense this past weekend, the legendary marathon offered up some great watercooler talk come Monday. With top contenders including reigning marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie and Japanese runner Fujiwara not finishing the race, and Gebrselassie’s retirement announcement, then possible retirement reconsideration, there was drama! We had a great time taking it all in. Suunto also had several ambassadors running the race; some first timers and some returning. The event was a perfect way to start November off on a good foot. For complete results of the NYC Marathon as well as news articles on the event click here.

Interview with Karl Meltzer after the Human Express

Not too long ago we told you about Suunto user Karl Meltzer’s attempt to run the historic Pony Express route. In a recent interview, Nick Davidson of Outside Magazine talked to Meltzer about the epic run. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Ultra-marathoner Karl Meltzer can outrun a horse. To prove it, Meltzer recently completed the first-ever run of the full 2,064-mile Pony Express route in 40 days, finishing on October 25. The run commemorated the 150th anniversary of the old delivery route. Horses employed on the historical Pony Express ran no more than ten to 15 miles before a fresh horse took over duties, meaning riders used scores of them for a single delivery. Meltzer, at the pace of roughly two marathons per day—with a 100-miler to wrap it up—tested the limits of human endurance, dubbing his Red Bull-sponsored run from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri the "Human Express." I

You were burning more than 5,000 calories a day. What did you eat to compensate for that level of exertion?
I ate as much as I could, any time. Calories, you know? Primarily it was a fat and protein breakfast—eggs, French toast, yogurt and granola. We mixed it up so I didn't get sick of the same food. For dinner, it was anything from steak strips to a can full of peaches. Chicken tenders. Ribs. Left over pasta from the night before. A lot of ice cream at night, just to throw some calories in me, and maybe a couple of cold beers before bed—always good after a 50-mile run.

How did a typical day unfold?
We'd wake up before daylight. I'd prick my finger and take some blood, then give a urine sample. My crew would have breakfast ready, and I'd grab some coffee. Then I'd get my gear together and be out the door by sunrise. I'd run 50 miles in just under ten hours, power shower, ice my shins, and start eating till I couldn't eat any more. Meanwhile, the crew were shopping, gassing up, dumping the RV and all that kind of thing, which gets nuts. The runner has the easiest job.

Where did you sleep at night?
We had a 28-foot RV. I got the master bedroom.

The Pony Express was all about delivering messages. Is there a message you hope to deliver via the Human Express?
Just that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. People are blown away, but they don't really understand what you're doing sometimes. Doing something like this is just a mind game. If you keep moving forward, you'll get there.

So it was a satisfying experience for you.
It's like living in a dream world. I'm a professional athlete. I get to go run for 40 days across the country. People called me the modern-day Forrest Gump. That's fine. I'd say I was a little faster than Forrest.

Great job Karl on completing such an amazing feat!

For more on Karl visit his website here.