During the running boom in the 1970’s, running was gadget-free. Pull up any running or racing photo from this era and what you don’t see are watch-laden wrists, arms strapped with iPhones, chests with heart monitor straps or headphones dangling from ears. Today it’s rare to see a runner leave the house without one or…
Your running shoes are your best friend. -Emily Harrison The beauty of running lies in its simplicity. All you need is your favorite pair of shoes and you’re on your way. This simplicity has been overshadowed lately with the explosion of technology, ranging from GPS watches with options for tracking heart rate, cadence and oscillation,…
Good things, like race finishes, PRs, and victories, come to those who wait. Ultramarathoners often overlook how crucial patience is to maintaining a consistent and healthy running routine and, ultimately, to race-day success. However, there are numerous examples of what happens when ego, wishful thinking, and adrenaline consume our running. Cases in point include: Staggering…
This two-part series is intended to assist you with improving your performance by providing strategic workouts aimed at strengthening your uphill and downhill running. You can read part one here. We all love the downhills on race day or otherwise. We can move quickly with little effort and catch our breath while doing so. If…
Ever bite into a cupcake wrapped in cellophane? Every weekend, thousands of runners do just that. We often want the prize without doing the work. But, to enjoy that cupcake, you’ve got to unwrap it. Proper training will help you sink your teeth into that sugary confection and avoid the suffocating inhalation of plastic. Hill work…
The win was within my grasp, but I knew if I backed off even a smidge, he’d catch me. Every time I turned around, Tom Nielsen was right there, only a few minutes back. All I had to do was to keep on running to maintain my lead, but my head hurt, my legs ached, and it…
When I was working for the National Park Service, I took a mandatory four-wheel drive safety course. I thought the class wouldn’t pertain to me much, because I’d been driving since high school, without incident, on the country’s interstate highway system. As it turned out, I learned that I knew very little of the nuances…
The transformation from first timer to experienced ultrarunner is an evolution that can’t be rushed. After my first ultra 20 years ago, I couldn’t climb or descend stairs without holding onto walls or people for support, and I had to crawl into the bathtub. It took weeks before I could run without every muscle and…
The Importance of Stamina Distance is not the ultramarathon’s absolute challenge. Rather, the challenge lies in covering the distance within a limited time frame. Most everyone reading this column could complete 100 miles in several days without much issue; however, running 100 miles in less than 30 hours would be a much greater test. Add…
The long run: It’s the chance to spend hours on your favorite routes and do what sets us apart from most other runners: run far. Elite marathoners seldom run more than 24 miles in one session, but ultrarunners typically run farther than that on a regular basis. There are three endurance-based workouts that can enhance…