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'Speedgoat' eyes 2K mile record
Local business honors star runner with own brand
The Appalachian Trail is a challenge to outdoorsmen everywhere.
The 2,189-mile trail runs through the Appalachian Mountains from Maine into Georgia.
It's hiked annually by hundreds, but run by very few and very elite athletes.
Scott Jurek set the Appalachian Trail speed record last summer in 46 days, 8 hours and 7 minutes. And Jurek immediately threw down the gauntlet to his friend and ultrarunning legend Karl "Speedgoat" Meltzer.
"When Scott broke the record, he called me from the top of Mount Katahdin and handed me the baton. "He said, 'Karl, it's your turn now,'" Meltzer told Outdooronline.com.
So while U.S. Olympians go for the gold in Brazil, South America, Speedgoat Karl will attempt to break the Appalachian Trail supported speed record.
"Breaking the speed record would be such an awesome capstone to my [running] career. It's something I've always wanted to do," Meltzer said.
Meltzer's career is the inspiration behind a special blend of coffee produced in Greencastle.
Through a relationship between Meltzer and Chris Williamson, owner and founder of Jameson Coffee, Jameson Coffee created the "Speedgoat Karl 100-mile blend." Jameson Coffee roasts and packages and sells Speed Goat Karl 100-mile blend coffee.
Jameson Coffee sells the "SpeedgoatKarl's 100-Mile Blend" at select running stores and ultrarunning events, nationwide and offers it on line at JamesonCoffee.com.
Williamson, also a trail and ultra runner, met Meltzer at an ultrarunning race. In addition to running, the two had a shared passion for coffee and that led to the special blend of coffee imported to Greencastle and roasted for Karl and "SpeedgoatKarl's 100-Mile Blend."
Karl's career has been one of great success. The 48-year-old has won 38 races and counting at the 100-mile distance, including six victories in the Wasatch 100 and five at Hardrock, making him the winningest 100 mile ultrarunner of all time.
Karl is also the race director for the Speedgoat 50k in Sandy, Utah, labeled the toughest 50k in North America.
And to add some diversity to his life, Meltzer recently broke his own world record for speed golf -- playing 230 holes of golf in 12 hours.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy recommends hikers take five-to-seven months to complete the trip. Meltzer hopes to do it in less than 46 days. He must average 50 miles a day to break the record.
But the Appalachian Trail run has been on Meltzer's bucket list for a long time. This is his third run at the record, the first coming in 2008 when he ran the 2,189 miles in 54 days. He tried again in 2014, but did not complete the trek due to injuries.
But Meltzer learned something each time that he believes will help his latest record attempt. Taking care of himself is a priority.
"I've got a very specific protocol for this run. At the end of each day, while I'm eating dinner, I'll have ice on my shins and my crew will clean and tape my feet. I've rehearsed this to a tee with my support team," Meltzer told Outsideonline.com.
Plus, Meltzer knows the course and where to make the best time. He loves to run through a terrain of mud, roots and rocks.
"The ugliest junk in the world is where I do great. This allows me to be patient early on while I wait for by body to adapt to the daily grind of speed-hiking 50 miles," Meltzer said.
Meltzer will also take a different approach than Jurek said. The Speedgoat will start at Mount Katahdin in Maine and travel south to Springer Mountain in Georgia.
"It's all freaking hard. It's just that I know the trail really well and am more comfortable heading South," Meltzer said.
Those interested can follow Speedgoat Karl's run via a comprehensive tracking website. http://atrecord.redbull.com/karl-meltzer-appalachian-trail/p/1
"If I can stay healthy and the weather is favorable, I'll have a good shot," Meltzer said.