This quote was taken from the Irunfar SpeedGoat race review link below. I would say it pretty much sums up the Ruby effect on an unsuspecting USA trail running community. We know that Ruby did struggle with the altitude a lot, one week was just not enough time to aclimatise but.....New Zealand you should be so proud! Dom says: July 28, 2013 at 4:12 pm I had exactly the same experience as Andy. I passed Ruby — for the first time — on the first big climb. I gasped at her choice of footwear, which already seemed ridiculous even though at that point we’d only run on relatively smooth trails and some dirt road. I also noticed that she was breathing very hard, and it sounded labored and wet to me. So much so that I was worried that she might be developing pulmonary edema. I thought about warning her to pull out if it got any worse, but decided not to be a busybody. I mention this because I think not having had time to acclimate to the altitude was a big factor in her race. She came flying past me on the first short, steep downhill. I was shocked how fast she was running downhill. That was a short stretch, but overgrown, rocky and loose. That set the pattern for the day. I would pass her on each uphill and she would come flying by me on each downhill. It was a breathtaking sight, and one that will long linger in my memory. She looked like she was skipping down the mountain. As Andy said, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone run downhill that fast. And certainly not early in a long race. And certainly not in *those* shoes. We encountered almost every running surface under the sun, but there were miles and miles of steep, loose, rocky, sharp descents. I was wearing a mid-weight shoe (Brooks Pure Grit) and I wanted much more foot protection. In short *exactly* the kind of terrain where FiveFingers would be the worst possible footwear imaginable (except maybe completely barefoot). I’ve run with other FiveFinger wearers, and they’ve been very fast on the flats and smooth sections, but as soon as it gets rocky, they have to slow down and pick their way through. When they hit rubble, there’s literally nowhere comfortable to place their feet and they’re wincing in pain. In the Speedgoat, Ruby did not discernably slow her staggeringly fast pace no matter how bad the surface became. I’m fond of remarking “When someone beats me in a trail race wearing FiveFingers, I’ll take them seriously.” That almost happened yesterday. Ruby flew by me on the final descent, but ran out of juice on the final flatter section at the bottom. She had come all the way from New Zealand for this race, and I felt sorry for her. She was the third woman to cross the line, but only 8 minutes behind the winner. Ruby lives at sea level and was struggling with the high altitude. (I’m not suggesting that the other women didn’t, but response to altitude is very variable.) I really struggle to put into words what a dazzling and inspiring display of downhill speed and mental toughness this was. I guarantee you that anyone who watched her yesterday will be talking about it for years. Amazing.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:45:26 +0000
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