Articles

Manufacturers make all sorts of claims about the benefits of compression apparel, including improved strength and agility, increased oxygen delivery, decreased lactic acid buildup, more efficient cardiovascular performance … just to name a few. The research behind some of these claims is tricky, and has historically delivered mixed results on the question of whether compression gear functions fully as advertised.

I could see the plank was tilted. I could see the slip marks in the black mud on the end of the board. I could see the footprints next to the plank where other runners had stepped to avoid the danger. I was telling myself, “Don’t put your foot on the board.” But I put my foot there anyway…

It’s always tragic when a BIG run gets taken down by a LITTLE culprit! Such is the case with blisters. While blisters can feel like a mystery, there are four solid basics to avoiding blisters that you should know about.

You know those times when you innocently say something and are met by a really odd look, and then you realize that you’re not talking to an ultrarunner? Well, that was the case when I was talking to a local newspaper journalist recently and referred to running the Vancouver marathon as “a good, middle distance effort.” Well what else do we ultrarunners call a mere 26.2-mile jaunt other than “middle distance”?