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Re:Are Kilian Jornet's Speed Records Too Good to Be True? by mereel on Friday July 20, 2018 @03:05PM (#17577914)
> For some of these people, the fact that there's natural splendour there isn't the point and isn't relevant

I can't think of a single climber, mountaineer or ultra runner I know that any of that applies to (including myself). Do you have any actual examples of people like that?

> setting is just a convenience

Nothing about ultra running in the mountains is a "convenience"... in my experience the opposite is true, and almost everything done in the mountains is done easier on flat ground.

Re:Are Kilian Jornet's Speed Records Too Good to Be True? by EliRivers on Friday July 20, 2018 @03:56PM (#17578386)
Do you have any actual examples of people like that?

The grind and checkboxing mentality extends to many walks of life. Game players. Bird watchers (I think such people are explicitly known as "tickers" in that field, but I couldn't tell you where I picked that up). Collectors.

and almost everything done in the mountains is done easier on flat ground

Sure. And how many mountain ultramarathons are on flat ground? None, I bet. The flat ground ones attract the obsessive marathon runners; those who have a target of fifty or some such and grind away at them.

I'm not decrying these people. The event happens inside their heads. They're clearly getting something out of it.

Re:Are Kilian Jornet's Speed Records Too Good to Be True? by C7H8N4O2 on Friday July 20, 2018 @04:15PM (#17578539)
> And how many mountain ultramarathons are on flat ground? None, I bet.

Seems like a safe bet.