tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post112622311543002121..comments2024-02-11T00:54:20.373-08:00Comments on A Trail Runner's Blog: The Blazing Fast Kami Semick (An Interview)Scott Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16096284778835123584noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1133305439237860982005-11-29T15:03:00.000-08:002005-11-29T15:03:00.000-08:00Kami is the 2005 Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Seri...Kami is the 2005 Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series Ultra Overall Champion!!!!<BR/><BR/>http://www.trailrunnermag.com/Trophy%20series/Ultramarathon/trophy%20standings%20ultra%202005.htmlScott Dunlaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16096284778835123584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1129156044286743232005-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:002005-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:00Great interview...I ran/trained with Kami on her f...Great interview...I ran/trained with Kami on her first marathon in FL when we were in college - she was way fast...even back then.<BR/>BryanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126540716080732682005-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:002005-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:00Justin -Thanks for your comment (and good luck wit...Justin -<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comment (and good luck with econ class!). Your thoughts about the economics of trail running are very interesting. But I would suggest thinking about it slightly differently.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure you have heard of the term "utility" in economics. It is roughly described as "the advantage or fulfillment a person receives from consuming a good or service". All economics is based on how people deal with scarcity of assets (like time, available product, etc.) in order to maximize utility. Money can be both an asset and utility (which is why it makes the world go 'round)- you are describing it above as a utility, since it is a benefit.<BR/><BR/>The utility received from trail running is composed of things like peace of mind, accomplishment, simplicity, health, and entertainment. For trail runners, this utility far outweighs the utility gained from money, or from working an extra hour that produces money but none of the above benefits. You can actually think of it as proof that utility must be something other than money, since otherwise no logical person would do it.<BR/><BR/>But it also raises the question of why folks like Kami run so far. One would expect the marginal utility for running an additional mile to decrease, and for most people, the utility would be almost nothing once you've gone 20 miles or so. At some point it provides no value, and you are motivated to do something else that produces more utility (like sleep or go back to work). Whatever this utility is beyond mile 20 is only recognized by a small group of people (about 20,000 ultra runners in the world). But it clearly is a large return for them.<BR/><BR/>The best part about the utility of ultra running is there is little scarcity of supply. You just go outside. So if your demand curve for mileage is fairly flat (ie, you get high utility from running lots of miles), you can just keep running and never run out of supply. <BR/><BR/>The real scarcity in the equation is time. Given a fixed amount of time, everyone will look to maximize utility for that period of time. Adam Smith (and Abraham Maslow) would say that a person focuses on their basic needs first, and once that is covered, find the activities that maximizes utility. So you work just enough to get outside and run.<BR/><BR/>My two cents, anyway. Keep blogging, Justin - this is exactly why this hobby is so fun because you can think about things in new and interesting ways.<BR/><BR/>SDScott Dunlaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16096284778835123584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126298355209434532005-09-09T13:39:00.000-07:002005-09-09T13:39:00.000-07:00Just to answer Emma's question, I'm not sure what...Just to answer Emma's question, I'm not sure what the prize is for the montrail ultra cup 100k series, maybe a pair of shoes or something;-)<BR/><BR/>KamiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126288845694284282005-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:002005-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00What a great story. I happen to know this incredi...What a great story. I happen to know this incredible person and can't say enough great things about Kami. In addition to being an amazing athlete she it truly an incredible human being!<BR/><BR/>Love you much Kami!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126288725028292192005-09-09T10:58:00.000-07:002005-09-09T10:58:00.000-07:00I hadn't heard of the Montrail Ultra Cup Series. W...I hadn't heard of the Montrail Ultra Cup Series. What is the grand prize if you win the whole thing?<BR/><BR/>Kami is leading the 100k competition, btw. Here's the link (http://run.montrail.com/RaceResult/WOMEN100K.htm).<BR/><BR/>EmmaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126268364070704562005-09-09T05:19:00.000-07:002005-09-09T05:19:00.000-07:00Nice Story, really enjoyed it. Check out our blog...Nice Story, really enjoyed it. Check out our blog/site if you get a chance. <BR/><BR/>http://www.pop2go.com/Index.htmAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13786855800244509032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126238760442878362005-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:002005-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:00great interview..enjoyed reading it.Karthikgreat interview..enjoyed reading it.<BR/>KarthikAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8860166.post-1126229540512242772005-09-08T18:32:00.000-07:002005-09-08T18:32:00.000-07:00Another deep water running recovery nut! I think y...Another deep water running recovery nut! I think you're cracking the secrets on these super-athletes. <BR/>Charlie1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com