UltraRunning Dec 2019/Jan 2020
- Our Favorite Things
- Challenges of Cold Weather Running
- Run Rabbit Run
- Mountain Lakes 100
- Tips to Avoid a Mid-Race Divorce
- Yeti 100
- Through Ultra Obstacles
Our URM team was on the scene at The Running Event, an industry showcase in Austin, TX. Here is a preview of the items that caught our eye which you’ll be reading more about in 2020. This installment is focused on shoes and apparel, and our next one will be hydration vests and accessories.
Paramount to any race day achievements for Kate is to keep her running lighthearted and adventurous. “There are a lot of longer trails I want to start running on without a clock and a race bib next year. I have plans to do a little more fastpacking too, but the most important part of all of this is making sure it’s always fun.”
In the fall of 2014, Maribel Dichard felt herself hitting rock bottom. Outwardly, she had it all. A successful career, loving marriage and two healthy children. However, she also had a drinking problem, “I hit a point where I realized my kids could see it.” That evening, she took her last drink and quickly discovered running.
Cold weather running shares at least one similar challenge which occurs in warm or neutral conditions. For instance, in a 161k ultramarathon taking place in extreme cold, nearly half of the 16 athletes that were followed ended up with hyponatremia.
With 6,500 feet of vertical gain and loss over 31 miles through the rugged and technical terrain of the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, it is understandable why race director Michael Whisman of Next Opportunity Events (NOE) cautions against making the Rough Trail 50K your first ultra.
I’m in NorCal, few thousand miles away from home, running on a smooth dusty trail surrounded by giant trees. Once in a while, the green opens up and the sight of Lake Tahoe fills my eyes.
Well-stocked and friendly aid stations, serene trails and a low price point make Stone Mill 50 a great event to race, run your first 50-miler, or simply take a scenic tour of the best trails and volunteers that Montgomery County, Maryland has to offer.
Jonathan professes to be a slightly too heavy, slightly too flat- footed, slightly too pronating, slightly too slow runner of ultras. He came to running in his late twenties, and enjoys all distances, though his particular favorite is the 100 mile. He has run 18 marathons and at least “run in” 10 ultras.
Petzl’s new compact, reactive lighting headlamp features improved lighting technology, easier operation and increased comfort compared to previous models.
For music fans of a certain age and disposition, it’s impossible to run past the legendary Folsom State Prison and not hear the distinctive voice of the “Man in Black,” whose performances inside of this place are legendary.
Located an hour outside of Pittsburgh, the Baker Trail UltraChallenge is a 50-mile foot race spanning single-track trails, dirt roads, pavement, footbridges, farms and forests.
I would never have seen my cousins if I had slept in on those mornings in North Carolina instead of going for a run. And who knows, I may have gone the rest of my life without getting the chance to meet both of my cousins’ children since we all live on opposite sides of the country.
Runners love Pinhoti. It seemed like everybody I talked to at packet pickup was either returning to run this race in Alabama because they couldn’t get enough of it or they were out to avenge a DNF. Pinhoti is like a flame in the night – drawing in moths, but also, ready to burn them into oblivion.
If you’ve been running ultras for the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve picked up a BOCO hat. The Boulder, Colorado-based company designs custom hats for endurance athletes that are constructed with moisture-wicking fabrics and technical innovation.
The Aussie spirit looms large at the Blackall 100 and for an outsider, it was all very captivating and magical. Would I ever return? Heck yes! Would I do anything differently? Yeah, I’d bring a bigger backpack. A person could live like a King off that checkpoint food.
Prior to volunteering at White River 50 in 2017, Gus Gibbs’ perception of ultrarunners was that they were beyond “crazy,” but unbeknownst to him on that summer day in late July, the madness instantly became appealing. Fast forward to March 2018 and he found himself on the rainy start line of Way Too Cool for his first 50k.
Many people know about the HURT 100 – the Peacock 55 is put on by the HURT 100 family (Ohana). I was not ready for 100 miles, but thought 55 was attainable. Little did I know that while some people are able to complete the HURT 100, some have not been able to finish the Peacock 55.
In 2017, Vin Framularo’s marathon plans were derailed when a snowboarding accident sent him to the emergency room with a broken back. Now he has a ritual that he follows each time he toes the starting line of a race. “I tell whomever is around me, guys, the hardest part of the race is over.”
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will host an exhibition of documentary photographs by artist Larry Gassan entitled, 100 Mile Runners & Dead Man’s Bench.