Rock/Creek

JOHN ANDERSON

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Age: 33
Number of years running: 21
Location: Boulder, CO
Occupation: Emergency medicine resident physician

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Favorite trail race(s):
Hardrock 100

Favorite trails to train on:
Grand Lake Loop Rocky Mtn National Park — a 36ish mile loop up and over the Continental Divide, dropping into Grand Lake for a swim at halfway.

Also, running in Prentice-Cooper in the fall.

Favorite trail running shoe:
Montrail Rogue Racer

Lifelong running goals:
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” — Steve Prefontaine. I always hope to remember the gift and embrace the joy of it.

Biography:
I grew up tramping around the mountains of Tennessee, and the enthusiasm and direction finding skills of my running friends and brother resulted in some unintentional ultras.

Conversations, jokes, and even silent support abound in every race I’ve run (although the jokes seem to get funnier around mile 70, which is good for me because the only people that seem to laugh at my jokes are ultrarunners and very small children). Even the periods of solitary miles allow time to connect with the inner being through the pain of the body.

There is a root communication shared in miles spent in the woods and a seemingly paradoxical camaraderie among runners that comes from individual suffering and elation. I find ultraraces to be a family affair.

Essentially, running is simple, running is primal and running is fun.

2011 season summary:
2011 was a bit of a frustrating year, but one that I think is needed periodically to further develop myself as a runner and a person. After
coming off a busy winter at work I ramped up my training, but I managed only one full race, 4th place at the Zane Grey 50, before being injured off
and on for the better part of the season.

I shut it down after the North Fork 50, a race that I was winning at 40 miles and then re-injured my foot. The lessons: when you need time off, know your limitations and take enough time off instead of pushing to get back.

Now, after a good rehab period, training has been going well, and I’m rearing to go for 2012.

Proudest running accomplishments:
Coming from 10 minutes back at halfway to win the Old Pueblo 50 miler and finishing the Hardrock 100, a race in which I dropped from 2nd place at 60 miles to 12th place at the finish and was unable to take in any liquids or solids for miles 60-90. I thought about dropping out a lot but learned that keeping moving when you’re beat down is sometimes more satisfying that winning. I also have some pretty fond memories with my old cross country buddies from back in the day.

Planned races for 2012:
Ray Miller 50 (California)
Quad Rock 50 (Colorado) or North Face 50 (New York)
Bighorn 100 (Wyoming)
Leadville 100 (Colorado)
Steamboat 50 or 100 (Colorado)
Stumpjump (Tennessee)

Past races & finishes:
2010:
5th, Way too Cool 50K 3:57
3rd, Collegiate Peaks 50 mile 7:12
12th, Hardrock 100 31:41
Grand Lake Loop in RMNP — Fastest known time 6:38

2009:
3rd, Wasatch Front 100 miler 21:39
1st, Collegiate Peaks 50 miler 6:58
3rd, Headlands 50 miler 7:34

2008:
1st overall Old Pueblo 50 miler 7:20
2nd overall Zane Grey 50 miler 9:38
2nd overall Wasatch Speedgoat 50k 5:56
1st overall Rock/Creek Stumpjump 50k 4:19
Grand Lake Traverse Rocky Mtn National Park

2007:
6th overall 2007 Wasatch Front 100 23:15
2nd overall 2007 Spring Desert Ultra 50 7:47
2nd overall 2007 Old Pueblo 50 7:29
4th overall 2007 Ashland Mountain Climb
Farthest Projectile Vomiting–2007 Hardrock 100