Articles

It all started about 10 years ago while visiting the Grand Canyon National Park with my wife. We took a quick look at the majestic canyon, did the touristy things, bought souvenirs and then drove back to Phoenix. I always carried this sense of guilt inside me, always knew that somehow I had violated the grandeur of that place by not even setting foot in its entrails!

A lightweight hooded external shell designed to be worn with a hydration pack, with the capability to be put on and taken off without removing the hydration pack. The entire jacket also compresses down into a very small pocket that is stashed on your front waist area for easy access when conditions require an extra layer.

There is no question that fatigue is the result of physiological compromises in a host of bodily systems (muscular, nervous, hormonal, skeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, etc.) during an endurance event. However even more critical to this weakening of the systems is the perception of fatigue being encountered. It is the brain that continuously monitors endurance performance and it this organ that eventually determines how far fatigue will be endured.

Devon Yanko and Paul Terranova have won the UltraRunning Race Series Overall Ranking in its inaugural year. The Series applied a formula to score every ultra finisher at every ultra race in the 12 months ending April 24, 2016. Top scores for four races – one at each classic ultra distance – were added to tabulate every ultrarunner’s score. The talented and experienced Terranova and Yanko took different paths to the top of the rankings.

I am a member of a special club. You pay the membership dues with grit, tenacity, stubbornness and courage. The members of my club understand each other on an unspoken level. We feel each other’s pain. We relish each other’s accomplishments. We know each other’s struggles. This club is called the Back-of-the-Packers.