Karel Sabbe supported attempt

[TrailRunnerGuy]

Strava has become the common tool for runners that has won, over other options. For me, it's a nice way to log my training mileage, and track my shoe mileage. I like how it shows the map and the elevation profile, and I like to see what runs others are doing. I can even export the GPS and put it into a custom Google map so people can navigate with their smartphone and not get lost.

It's also got a social/competitive aspect where people can leave comments or kudos, and you can compete for best time on a segment, and in contests like "most miles this month". btw, Karel is running second to Pete Kostelnick this month, who is running roads from Alaska to Florida. I had a friend who constantly bugged me about where segments were on my mountain that he wanted to take. Big deal, buddy, you hammered a mile a few seconds faster than Ian Sharman did during a 100K, and he wasn't even the fastest, just the only elite on Strava for that race. Needless to say I stay out of that part of it.

To me, where it falls a little short in the FKT aspect is that I think actual sightings can help. What's to keep 2 guys from splitting time with one watch? Or in the case of a road run, hoping on the back of the RV for a number of miles, like that Young guy apparently did. Selfies with metadata helps, but unless you take one between each crew accessible point, there is still some question. I like the idea that I could see the tracker coming toward me, and I could hop on the trail unannounced and see that it was Karel running with the watch. If you're running in stealth mode, it's a lot harder to prove. Again, not that I suspected any fakery, but it was nice to see for myself.

[Just Bill]

Yar... I played with Runkeeper for some time... easy to plug into the phone with no fancy watch required.
I certainly understand the video game/app/leveling up aspect that helps these devices appeal. Strava's network is a nice bonus and from what I hear the data is pretty well untouchable (in production) as well. So it can't be filtered or messed with when viewed on their site.

Regardless of method- the simple handing off of a device has always been a concern.
Overall- I think as a group FKT folks have less sympathy or understanding when discussing a fully supported effort. Hikers are used to miserly consumption of precious electrons in our devices so having a vehicle and charging port handy makes it seem as if there are zero excuses for device failures. Reality is the folks on the ground are running just as hard and forgetting to plug in a device or simply messing up when doing a gear change happens.

That's why this device appeals to me. Seems to sip batteries and with on board memory doesn't rely on constant interaction with cell tower or satellite to function. I wish they had turned down the frequency of pings to test that theory better in the field. At this time it seems this is more of a service one employs than a device the general public could use and play with so it might be the only shot we see for some time to try it.

Going double deep on Karel's part is the kind of thing I can respect and almost expect from a supported effort. We'll see how it shakes out but sounds as if he will have a few ways to back up/fill in the holes.

I like the GPS. I'm not a complete Luddite.
I just know that this sort of stuff was recorded pretty darn well before this technology came along and it all goes hand in hand to build a nice solid effort.
As the GPS expands and becomes even more reliable my concern is we'll lose the stuff that not only made these easier to verify, but also more interesting.

At the end of the day it comes down to a gut check. You either believe the person or you don't.
There is no perfect. As JPD pointed out; start adding video crews, third party pacers, drones, surveillance cameras or whatever other flights of tech fancy you'd care to add and you bring added 'publicity pollution' to the trail.


If you want to find (or make up) flaws you can do it.
In some ways a very impersonal GPS log makes that easier to do.
We can all imagine a reason for devices to 'fail' or miss a small section, get handed off or used to cover an afternoon nap. You got people, vehicles, sponsors and opportunity. Means and methods; ability and motivation.

The more forms of personal communication employed; the easier it is to know it on a personal level.
It's easy enough to sit on a forum or online hidey hole and bash someone if all you know is a blip and an insty post.
Getting the sense of a person from photos, trip reports, eye witness encounters, and all that follows... puts a face to a name. And ideally integrity you can associate with that name.
If it's there for real; you can't ever fake that.

[pbakwin]

The new tracker is working on all networks which is why it is performing better. The Gl300 he had first is just a better tracker but all networks except t-mobile dismantled 2G. Current tracker goes on more than just 4G.
Gl300W is the new one

Given that it's now just about 24 hours without any signal from the tracker, I would say it's not working better.

[Lgvdoorn]

hello,
Here mum Emma. Thanks for all your supports!
We also lost contact with tracker and Karel. This morning (K slept on trail) supply at 3059, route 17. Around15hrs ?? supply at 3079; route 4.
It is getting harder for Karel but he is still ok. His trailname is deerfoot.
Wish him Luck! ��

[pbakwin]

hello,
Here mum Emma. Thanks for all your supports!
We also lost contact with tracker and Karel. This morning (K slept on trail) supply at 3059, route 17. Around15hrs ?? supply at 3079; route 4.
It is getting harder for Karel but he is still ok. His trailname is deerfoot.
Wish him Luck! ��

Thank you Emma! Can you tell us where about he slept? In a shelter or... ?

[TrailRunnerGuy]

hello,
Here mum Emma. Thanks for all your supports!
We also lost contact with tracker and Karel. This morning (K slept on trail) supply at 3059, route 17. Around15hrs ?? supply at 3079; route 4.
It is getting harder for Karel but he is still ok. His trailname is deerfoot.
Wish him Luck! ��

Thanks for the update, Emma! Best of luck onto the finish! Deerfoot is a great trail name for him!

[pbakwin]

From Emma's sort of cryptic report I have to assume he slept at Bemis Mtn shelter? If so he did 60 miles yesterday??? Whoa!

[TrailRunnerGuy]

Assuming he very recently crossed route 4, which is mile 1970, that's 50 miles in almost exactly 24 hours since the last tracked point. Still moving very well!

[greatexpectations]

I like the idea that I could see the tracker coming toward me, and I could hop on the trail unannounced and see that it was Karel running with the watch. If you're running in stealth mode, it's a lot harder to prove. Again, not that I suspected any fakery, but it was nice to see for myself.

this is why i would happily vouch for karel. i met him on trail unannounced at a moment it would have been quite easy for him to cheat if he had wanted to.

I can't say if someone like Karel would carry a phone or not actually. Many people like a small ipod shuffle or similar and a minimal communication device might be preferred.
However your average backpacker is choosing the smart phone as the device of choice. It does too many useful things to ignore.

he paused for a photo with his phone at least once while i ran with him. he has also posted a bunch of photos to instagram so i would guess he always has a phone with him.

[Lgvdoorn]

From Emma's sort of cryptic report I have to assume he slept at Bemis Mtn shelter? If so he did 60 miles yesterday??? Whoa!

Sorry, it is not Emma, but the mom of Emma!
He did 42M or so. On day 37.

[Odd Man Out]

Sorry, it is not Emma, but the mom of Emma!
He did 42M or so. On day 37.

That would put him near what is shown as East B Hill Rd/Cascade Trail on my data set. It shows up as Andover Rd on the OSM layer of his tracker. Stringbean took 1.05 days to cover that section so that pace is spot on with what he was doing just about every day up to the White Mtns. The resupplies were at ME 17 (km 3059) and ME 4 (km 3079) which is 85% of what he would need to do to keep up his pace for today.

[Lgvdoorn]

Goodmorning,
Still no connection, so this is what he should do today: day 39:start Perham Stream to Botownroad(Pierce Pond)=54M
Yesterday he did 51.9m (andover to perham) the first part was vers tough he said !! Still looking Good. He sleeps on trail, camping
Thanks for the support, the mom of Emma

[TrailRunnerGuy]

Goodmorning,
Still no connection, so this is what he should do today: day 39:start Perham Stream to Botownroad(Pierce Pond)=54M
Yesterday he did 51.9m (andover to perham) the first part was vers tough he said !! Still looking Good. He sleeps on trail, camping
Thanks for the support, the mom of Emma

Great! Tracker just had him pop up near route 27, which is 2002 miles. Does he have a target date to finish yet? It seems like Tuesday is possible if he pushes hard. Thanks for the update!

[pbakwin]

Off to the Bigelow Range Traverse!

[CalebJ]

Great! Tracker just had him pop up near route 27, which is 2002 miles. Does he have a target date to finish yet? It seems like Tuesday is possible if he pushes hard. Thanks for the update!

I'm definitely voting for a Tuesday finish and clearing the 42 day bar. Unbelievable performance no matter what happens at this point.

[Lgvdoorn]

Karel Will traverse Kennebec river this evening and Will sleep at Karatunk (near km 3184 on trail). No sign of tracker indeed. Tomorrow afternoon to Monsoon and the the Wilderness of Maine!!!
Greetings, mum of Emma

[black chucks]

Thanks we appreciate all the updates!
Best of luck to Deerfoot! Go for it

[CalebJ]

So he's doing 58 today and starting tomorrow on the north side of the river? Unbelievable!

[Odd Man Out]

Karel Will traverse Kennebec river this evening and Will sleep at Karatunk (near km 3184 on trail). No sign of tracker indeed. Tomorrow afternoon to Monsoon and the the Wilderness of Maine!!!
Greetings, mum of Emma

That will give him a 4 day lead over Stringbean with about 150 miles to go.

[black chucks]

And if he can finish by around 1230 Tuesday, he beats Scott’s time by 5 days. Might be possible!
The tracker showed up between Pleasant Pond and Moxie Pond about 748 today.