Dauwalter hits GOAT status, Iden returns, and a Pro’s feelings on AGers after IM Texas

👋 Good morning and happy Friday! Welcome to the Front Pack newsletter, your source for all things endurance. Click here for the web edition.

Tell me I’m wrong but it feels like an “off weekend” after an epic race week in which we saw Dauwalter take Mt. Fuji, 3,000 athletes tackled IRONMAN Texas, Swenson took the Whiskey Off-Road Classic, and BWR crowned it’s champions. May everyone get some much needed rest.

Do me a solid and share today’s edition with one friend (or 10). If they like what they read, ask them to subscribe.

Stay moving…✌🏼 – Scott

Headlines

GOAT status: Heading far west was no problem for Courtney Dauwalter (USA) as she reached a new high, winning the Mt. Fuji 100. With almost 23k feet of elevation change, the legendary ultra runner smashed all her female competitors by 4+ hours, and finished only 30 seconds behind the second place male finisher, Qin Guidu (CHN), and 10 minute back from the champion, Guomin Deng (CHN). Her first Mt. Fuji 100 race since 2018 where she finished in 23:57:48; she completed the course in 19:21:22 this go around. Read more…

Beers in San Marcos: At BWR California, Matt Beers (ZA) and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (ARG) surged away from their 2nd place competition in Alexey Vermeulen (USA) and Courtney Sherwell (AUS). Each posted up long solo breaks to claim victory by 30 second and 15 minutes, respectively. As the last race in the BWR Tripel Crown Series, Beers won the race but it was Peter Stetina who won the war, claiming the men’s Tripel Crown while SGV dominated all three races (AZ, Utah, CA) to grab the women’s title. Both split a $25,500 prize purse. Read more…

A First for Mexico: Tomas Rodriguez Hernandez (MEX), the top professional Mexican triathlete won IROMAN Texas with a blistering 07:42:38. As the first Mexican pro to win an IRONMAN, if you don’t know Tomas, you’re not alone but don’t let his lack of name recognition fool you. With his Clark Kent glasses, Tomas turned in a Superman level performance on race day with a blistering 2:34:14 run split to beat Patrick Lange by less than 2 minutes. In the women’s race, Kat Matthews (GBR) overcame a five-minute penalty to win Texas for a 2nd year in a row, finishing at 8:42:22. Both collected their $28K paychecks for the win. Read more…

Meanwhile

The Champ Returns: With a $50K prize pot, IRONMAN 70.3 Mallorca will be the first IRONMAN Pro Series race in Europe. And on the start list, Gustav Iden. After a devastating 2023 for the Norwegian both professionally and personally, the champion makes his return. The event can be seen live in person and will be available to watch for free across proseries.ironman.com, and Outside TV. Read more…

Enve sold to Private Equity: If you’re a fan of the well-established wheel, and component brand, I’ve got some potentially bad news. Enve has been acquired by Utah-based private equity firm PV3. But. The potentially good news is that PV3 is headed up by Mark Hancock, a cycling enthusiast, who is on record as being committed to maintaining the Enve brand heritage. But you and I know, words are cheap. Let’s see if the brand gets gutted. Read more…

Pro’s versus Joe’s: For every piece of Race Ranger drafting technology supposedly keeping track of how close pros are, there are “groups of 20 – 40 people riding together along the course.” Whether you have your Pro card, or are an everyday Joe, don’t use others as an excuse when you have a bad day, or crash. Frankly, I’m a little tired of Age Group bashing but read Caitlin Alexander’s thoughts on how biking on the Hardy was at IRONMAN Texas. Read more…

Nike’s best shoe in years?: After unceremoniously discontinuing the Pegasus Turbo in 2019, Nike is releasing the Pegasus Plus. The Turbo shoes gained something of a cult following among runners who remember its propulsive ride and do-it-all reputation for short, easy runs and uptempo efforts, alike. Read more…

Recapping my First 100 Mile Gravel Race

With Unbound Gravel less than a month away, I needed a tune up, so I raced my first 100 miler at the Jailbreak 100 in Iola, TX. My thoughts below.

💪 – It’s the Engine, Not the Age. Five of the Top 10 100 mile finishers were between 50-55 years old. Never judge a book by it’s cover because it’s not about age, but the experience and years of cycling that matter.

🎶 – A 6+ Hour Race is Tough. A 6+ hour ride without music would have been mind-numbing. I cannot say enough about having my SHOKZ Open-Run Pro with me. The battery lasted the entire race and because of the bone conduction fit, I could hear everything around me, talk, and hold conversations.

🏁 – Distance Determines Mindset. Like an IRONMAN which is 70.3 or 140.6 miles, the 50 mile gravel race would have been a fast and fun battle from start to finish. The 100 mile race was about nutrition, pacing, and mental and physical toughness.

❌ – Tech is Great, until it’s Not. Technology is a great resource but trust your gut. With only .4 miles left in the race, I could literally see the lights to the finish line but my Garmin computer was telling me to turn left. Instead of trusting my instincts, I turned left and tacked on an extra 8 miles. No bueno!

⛽️ – Fuel properly. Whether it is 30 minutes or 100 miles, I’m always an advocate for game planning my nutrition. I cannot understand how people are just taking two bottles with them, expecting to re-up at mile 50, and then finish strong. I had two bottles with 75g of carbs (RAW endurance) each, a 2L pack of H2O, and ate 12 gels over the full ride. Though generally exhausted, I did not bonk.

🙆🏻‍♂️ – Something Nobody Tells You. Your feet are going to kill you after 100 miles of gravel. Mine were destroyed. In the moment I didn’t feel it but the second I got off the bike, I was hurting! Not only that but be sure to stretch your wrists and fingers. Take them off the drops and hoods every once in a while. Flex them. Get the blood flowing because I’m confident I gave myself Cycling Palsy in my left hand. Totally numb, goofy pinky days later. Wish I put aero bars on my bike.

Training Tips

Because training is life.

Why Cyclists Should Take Creatine: I’m a big Drew Dillman fan. He’s straight down the middle but with his experience and knowledge, I can appreciate and listen to what he says. I also know a lot of endurance folks, myself included, who believe in creatine for health, growth, strength, and recovery. Check it out.

Tips From The Best Ultramarathoner In The World: From training techniques to mental strategies, dive into the world of ultra-running with Kilian Jornet, a legend of the sport. Kilian shares his invaluable insights and tips on mastering the art of an ultramarathon.

4 Common Freestyle Mistakes Swimmers Make!: As a good swimmer, there are a million tips and tricks videos. I thought these 4 tips we’re good enough to share. Don’t over rotate, breathe properly, keep the lead arm high, and look forward, not down or up.

Rewatchables

Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.

The Good Line – A Gravel Cycling Film: Totally relatable, the Good Line is a short film about the intersection of gravel cycling and mental health, particularly as it relates to men.

BWR CALIFORNIA 2024 – A cinematic recap of the final Belgian Waffle Ride of 2024. A 3-part race series that started in AZ, made its way to Utah, and finished in California.

WALMSLEY | THE FILM: Jim Walmsley discovered ultra trail running through an unconventional journey. After participating as a track athlete in high school and college, he transitioned to the military, serving in a nuclear missile silo in Montana. He was eventually dismissed, leading him back to running, where he emerged as one of America’s top ultra trail runners. In 2023, Jim attempted to become the first American man to win UTMB …