Remember Karl Meltzer? He's the incredible endurance athlete that we followed last year as he attempted to set a new speed record for running the Appalachian Trail. Of course, since making a run at that record, Karl hasn't exactly been sitting at home on the couch, and he recently won the Big Horn Trail Run, competing in the 100 mile, full course version.
For Karl, this was his 25th win in a race of 100 miles in length, and he managed to set a new course record in the process, crossing the finish line in 19 hours, 15 minutes, and 26 seconds. Pretty damn impressive. There are some days where I can't drive 100 miles in 19 hours. You can read Karl's account of the race in his latest blog post, where you'll learn that one of the challenges of these epically long trail runs is that you have to deal with some unexpected surprises along the way. In this case, it was a rather pissed off momma moose who didn't appreciate Karl infringing on her territory.
It seems that while leading the pack, Karl came across plenty of wildlife including deer and a close encounter with a skunk. But that was nothing compared to his showdown with the moose that included him ducking behind a tree, and playing peek-a-boo until said moose wandered off into the woods. Thinking he was safe, the ultrarunner proceeded down the trail to a waiting aid station, only to look back and find the moose hadn't given up, and was now chasing him down the trail! She ended up kicking him in the shin and hand, and giving him quite a scare before it was all said and done, and you should read Karl's account of the story to get the full effect.
Needless to say, I now know how he set that new course record! Thanks to The Goat for this one.
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