Sean 'n Me

in response to sean's post "matt 'n me".


i first met sean meissner at the where's waldo 100km in 2006.  i crewed and paced krissy moehl that day.  she beat everyone, guys included, sean included.  that was the year i made the move from endurance cycling and adventure racing into ultrarunning.  along the way i had heard sean's name quite a bit.  i had this picture of him in my mind with a skirt on, which he was rumored to run in on ocassion.  i also figured he complemented that skirt with a yellow marathon maniacs singlet, of which i was certain he was a pretentious member.  i figured he wasn't going to be my kind of guy really.

i couldn't have been more wrong.  not having had even as much as a real conversation sean jumped into my van for an ultra adventure that took us to run bighorn, play in the tetons for a few days, then head to tahoe to pace at western states.  many more adventures followed.. and now i consider sean one of my best friends.  you'd be hard pressed to find a more loyal, honest and genuine person.  

in 2008 we consummated our relationship by running the trans rockies together, as team montrail.  this put our running strengths in stark contrast.  day one was flat dirt road for 13 miles.  i stared at the mhw bolt on the back of sean's montrail jersey as the world blurred by on the sides like i was going into hyperspace.  doods got leg speed.  on the hike up hope pass at 12,500 feet i ran and pushed him from the waist, adventure racing style.

today i woke up in seattle, went out for a run with the thursday threshold crew, my first threshold run in months.  before i left the house i saw sean had made a blog post called "matt n' me". i cringed. you see he's been taunting me about this orcas island 50km for about a month. telling me he's going to "kick my ass" and calling it a "grudge match".  in the blog he calls for suggestions to what we should wager on the two races we face each other in this year.  orcase island 50km and the pocatello 50 miler ~ lowest overall time wins. 

i haven't raced since august 2008, when sean and i ran the transrockies race together.  this fact caused @masonham to comment "Seems kind of suspicious that he wants to make the bet on your first race back after surgery." 

i've been accused of sandbagging in the past, so rather than say i've been skiing more than running, etc, etc i'll give my true unfiltered opinion.  the slow runnable climbs and flats favor sean.  the steeper climbs and more techincal trail favor me.  i think there is more runnable climbing than there is technical on this course.  however i have course knowledge, sean does not.  sean is more fit than i am right now.  but i have gotten some good training in and i've been at altitude a lot lately.  honestly though i'm not sure i have the high end fitness to run 50km flat out.  with all that said... i will run as hard as i can. i will enter the pain cave and not come out until i am bleeding from my eyes or i have beaten sean meissner.  i will turn myself inside out if need be and we'll let the blogosphere decide what the stakes are.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." ~ King Solomon

Geoff Roes 2009 Wasatch Front 100 Checkin

Caught Montrail UltraRunner Geoff Roes on his way to checkin (with the new iPhone video) to see what he had to say about the big showdown.

Montrail's Go To Girl Contest

Mountain Hardwear and Montrail have launched an online Mountainwear promotion for women! Go To Girl

We want to know who that Go-to-Girl is that motivates women, and we’re giving away head to toe outfits for the pair of them!

4 weeks. 4 sets of gear.

· Visit Site
· View Prizes
· View Entries

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Opening Video For Montrail Presentation

lot's of hours put into this.. i hope you enjoy it.

Video For Montrail Presentation - Seattle 2009

i'm sitting here on a sunny sunday putting together video for my montrail presentation with sean meissner. the presentation is wed may 13th at the mountain hardwear store in seattle. here are some of the good video clips i've dug up over the last three or so years of my life in the ultra scene. i'll be sure to publish the whole thing at some point, but i thought i'd share the good clips.













i am overwhelmed with video and reformatting it to be able to edit it. ugh.
this is the last one i'll post.

in august 2008 i joined karl meltzer during his appalachian assault. he made a valiant effort to break the 47 day appalachian trail record (2,174 miles). i joined him from the start on mount katahdin through maine and into new hampshire, where we are both from. the maine section is considered the roughest section of the appalachian trail. we also had the misfortune of having monsoon weather, which caused higher rivers than anyone had seen in 40+ years. at least it made for good video!

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Montrail Presentation

MARK THE CALENDARS FOR THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!
May 13, 2009 6pm at the Mountain Hardwear Store Seattle

so far i've given two presentations on ultrarunning for montrail at their mountain hardwear stores. it's always good fun to show some pics and video and geek out talking about running.

this time around it will be even better.. because sean meissner and i are doing it together! here is the montrail press (.pdf w/more info on it).

for me this is simply about putting my passion on display in hopes you will catch the bug. my goal is to simply inspire you to run trail... period.

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Montrail Shoe In - Win Some Shoes!

Every day in May, Montrail will award a free pair of shoes to a Facebook fan, as part of our Montrail Daily Shoe-In promotion. What does that mean for you? Well, become a fan of Montrail on Facebook, and your name will be in the hat. If you win, you can choose from all our styles, any color. Find Montrail on Facebook, click on the "Become a Fan" link, and you're automatically entered. The sooner you sign up, the more chances you have to win. Good luck!

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Montrail Recognized in Outside and Backpacker

Montrail® Recognized in Outside and Backpacker for Mountain Masochist and Hardrock 09

Richmond, CA (April 7, 2009) – Montrail, a leading manufacturer of trail-inspired footwear, is honored to receive recognition for the Mountain Masochist and Hardrock 09 by the prestigious outdoor publications Outside and Backpacker. The Mountain Masochist won the coveted Gear of the Year Award from Outside magazine in the trail running category, and the Hardrock 09 was named the Best Run/Hike Crossover in Backpacker’s March 2008 Gear Guide.

Mountain Masochist – Gear of the Year, Outside

“Lisa Jhung had a team of 30 testers testing about 30 of the year’s new trail running shoes. Whatever the terrain or type of run, the Masochist was the shoe that they simply reached for most often. That was the most telling sign. It’s light and fast, but has enough cushioning, padding and underfoot protection for both technical runs and epics. For most runs, on most kinds of terrain, the Masochist was our favorite performance trail running shoe of the year,” says Buyer’s Guide executive editor Justin Nyberg.

Men’s Mountain Masochist Women’s Mountain Masochist GTX

Designed for the off-road runner who wants exceptional fit, performance and breathability, the Mountain Masochist is lightweight and responsive with killer traction. “We listened to what trail runners had to say and they were calling for something trail-worthy, flexible and nimble. The Mountain Masochist embodies that insight delivering a lightweight, flexible feel without sacrificing stability or support,” says Todd Lewis, Montrail Product Lead.

Tech Specs:

● Midsole - Triple density “Vapor Response” EVA for a responsive ride

● Protection - Trail Shield™ provides a full-foot, lightweight/flexible co-molded material for underfoot protection

● Outsole - Gryptonite™ for great traction and durability

â—Ź Upper - Light, breathable hydrophobic mesh with gusseted tongue to keep the dirt out and the feet cool

â—Ź Medial post for a smooth transition and mid-foot support

● Optional GORE-TEX® bootie construction,

● Price and Weight (per shoe) - Women’s 9.2 oz., Men’s 10.8 oz.; $95

GORE-TEX® - Women’s 9.8 oz., Men’s 11.4 oz.; $115

Hardrock 09 – Best Run/Hike Crossover in Backpacker’s Gear Guide

The ultimate ultra-runner receives kudos from Backpacker Magazine for its thoughtful upgrades and versatility on the trail. “People who put in the long miles love the stability and protection of the original Hardrock, but they were always wishing for something a little lighter and faster. We feel we found the sweet spot. The Hardrock 09 is lighter, faster and more flexible without sacrificing the support and stability signature to the Hardrock,” says Montrail Sales Manager Donna Williams.

Men’s Hardrock 09 Women’s Hardrock 09

Tech Specs:

● Midsole - 360° Perimeter™ technology for comfort and stability on uneven surfaces

● Protection - Trail Shield™ extends through the forefoot into the midfoot arch to protect from rocks and trail debris

● Outsole - Gryptonite™ GT for great traction and durability on trail

â—Ź Upper - Highly breathable mesh with gusseted tongue to keep dirt and moisture out

â—Ź Dual-density midsole posted on the medial side

â—Ź Molded mid-foot shank for support and torsional rigidity

â—Ź Additional cushioning at heel

● Price and Weight (per shoe) - Women’s 10.5 oz., Men’s 11.8 oz.; $110

About Montrail:
Established in 1993, Montrail is a premium outdoor footwear brand known for its technical, high performance trail running and hiking footwear for outdoor enthusiasts. Montrail sells footwear to retailers in the United States and in 29 countries worldwide. In 1996, Montrail embarked on a mission to improve the standard for comfort and fit in footwear by creating IntegraFit™, its proprietary fit technology. To learn more about Montrail visit www.montrail.com.

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Montrail at Backcountry.com

Win A Free Pair of Montrails - Climb The Guru List Contest

WANNA WIN A FREE PAIR OF MONTRAIL SHOES?!?

well here is your chance. enter the "climb the guru list" contest.

backcountry.com has a rating system for all it's users. if you've ever bought anything there then you have a user account. the more products you review on the website, the more questions you answer and the more your reviews get helpful thumbs up, the higher you climb on the leaderboard of gurus.

so the contest is simple. in 1 week, 7 whole days who can climb the highest on the leaderboard. the easiest way to do this is review your favorite shoes, backpacks, jackets, skis, etc. the winner gets a certificate that you simple mail in for any pair of montrail shoes!

some rules:

• you must post a comment here with your entire backcountry.com profile url
  mine is - http://www.backcountry.com/store/profile/2463838/Matt-Hart.html
  
  ** this is my indication you are in!
  ** the deadline is friday nov 21st at midnight (tomorrow night at midnight)
  
  
• you must be a new user - this contest is from scratch (next weeks will be for current users, which everyone who entered and did not win this week will be for eligible for (and you'll have a head start too).
  

TransRockies - Day One

I ran into Adam chase before the race today. Michelle Barton and Adam won the mixed category last year. He told me about the 2:09 marathoner and just how serious the competition was in the men's open race. Because today's stage does not suit our strengths as runners, I told myself (but not Sean) that top 10 would be good. Adam said the same and he knows the competition better than me.

We started a bit hot. Both of us breathing pretty hard. We started at 8,000 and ran most of the race at 8,700 ft. We settled onto a just over threshold pace and ran in 6th for a bit. Before the first and only control at mile 7, a couple teams passed us. We hung just behind them through the control. I surged ahead to get in and out fast (Sean thought I was surging for the camera). We dropped nuun tabs, grabbed a gel and were gone. I looked back and couldn't see 9th place. Up until then we ran the dirt road side by side. For the last 6 miles, I sat right behind Sean, basically drafting him. He was setting the pace and I was just holding on. I told myself I just needed to suffer for at most another 45 mins. So I stared at the Mountain Hardwear bolt on the back of his Montrail jersey and got to suffering.

We finished in 8th overall in 1hr 34 mins.

WTF?! Sean and I struggled to get all out gear in the 3 "official" race bags. That's three total for us two. Bryon used his own massive bags, and way more than his alotted 1.5 - that's some bullshit!

Walking to the start in downtown Buena Vista.

After the race, we just arrived at tent village.

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Anorak Review

mountain hardwear ghost anorak (mhw link)
i am a big fan of super light weight versatile pieces. adventure runs don't typically necessitate heavier jackets and they add to much weight anyway. assuming you are actually running the whole time even if weather rolls in or gets windy i've found that a light weight wind jacket/shirt can provide enough protection from wind and rain in most conditions.

so this mhw ghost anorak first grabbed my attention when it was named "gear of the year" by trail runner. when i was down in portland to speak at the mountain hardwear store i was hoping to check it out, and maybe take one home. but they weren't carrying it. so i was stoked to find out it was part of our montrail ultrarunning team kit. it's only 4oz!.. and has proven to be a fantastic wind protector and seems to be pretty breathable. unfortunately there is an inverse relationship between the amount of protection a jacket provides and how breathable it is. but i've been running in the anorak when it's colder out with great results. it breaths better than i expected actually. i've been road riding in it too because it's less baggy than my actual lg team dart-nuun riding jacket... so it doesn't flap around. i think it's perfect for adventure races and i'll be taking it as my rain jacket/extra layer on my long distance adventure runs this summer. sweetness.

aditional specs
• Articulated sleeves
• Reflective patches
• Adjustable hem drawcord
• 12" welted zip with chin guard at front neckline
• Stretch ripstop with DWR finish
• Concealed zipper side pocket
• Full elastic cuffs

Speaking At The New Montrail/Mountain Hardwear Store

recently the decision was made to move montrail directly under hardcore gear company mountain hardwear. i think this is great news. keep the core products together, and far far away from anything called bugaboo. that means montrail is moving from portland down to the bay area where the mountain hardwear offices are located. they are also opening a montrail/mountain hardwear store in portland, oregon. the grand opening is this weekend, sunday 4.13.08 and they have asked me to speak about ultrarunning. come check it out.. if nothing else there will be some cool photos to look at! =)

below is the press release they created. i had nothing to do with writing this!.. and it's hard to post because it makes me sound cooler than i probably am...

montrail announcement - mountain hardwear announcement - msn money

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Elite ultrarunner and endurance coach Matt Hart is giving a 40 minute presentation on Sunday, April 13th at 2 p.m. Matt’s joining us from his hometown of Seattle where he’s an endurance coach and ultrarunning ambassador for Montrail and nuun active hydration. The ultrarunning presentation will be held at the new Montrail/Mountain Hardwear Store, 722 SW Taylor in Portland. Matt will present his experiences at events such as the Grand Teton 100 Miler and the HURT 100K in Hawaii. You’ll learn what it takes to finish your first ultra (50K) and advice for racing fast 50Ks to 100 milers. Matt says, “Don’t rush into high mileage weeks because you read that is what all the top ultrarunners are doing. It takes years to build the body to be able to handle that kind of load. Build gradually and intelligently.” Matt will discuss race nutrition, training recommendations, and apparel/footwear needs. Following Matt’s talk, Stephen Hatfield and Jeff Hough from the Forest Park Conservancy (formerly known as the Friend’s Of Forest Park) will share their favorite trail running routes and discuss volunteer opportunities and the importance of stewardship. Montrail will provide a stylish beanie to all attendees, plus we’ll have a raffle for additional prizes – including two pairs of free shoes! Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. Your raffle donation will be given to the Forest Park Conservancy. Limited seating, please arrive in advance.
Learn more about Matt at http://coachingendurance.com/

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