Ian Sharman

Over the last four years, we have seen a noticeable increase of fast times in elite ultrarunning. What’s behind these improvements? Are there key factors that could help all runners …

I’ve noticed most runners identify as either a road or trail runner with their event choices falling into one of these two categories. Throughout your career, you’re likely to have …

As a coach, I spend a large proportion of my time discussing recovery to avoid over-training and maximize adaptation from harder workouts. Historically this has been a more subjective concept, …

A high-level overview which aims to prepare runners for the specifics of dealing with high altitude races. In particular, I’ve used Leadville Trail 100-miler as an example since it’s one …

There are many reasons why athletes take on ultras, whether it’s looking for a new challenge, different terrain or reading an inspirational book. One of the key components underlying all …

Odds are that for the really long distances, like 100 miles, almost everyone will need to power-hike at some point during a race. To put it in context, each time …

When life or health issues get in the way, one of the hardest choices runners must make is whether or not to run a race. Sometimes it’s for logistical reasons …

I often get asked if there’s a secret to maintaining consistency. This question usually has the undertone of having your cake and eating it too, i.e. doing excessive training and …

At the end of the year, most of us back off training and allow for a little downtime and reflection, plus, family commitments are especially time consuming (and fun) during …

I’ll admit I have a bias on this topic, since when I first started running ultras in 2005, I also got hooked on road marathons. However, one thing I noticed …

As we get into the middle of summer, many races involve running in severely hot weather. The most experienced runners use several tricks to deal with this, which are most …

Summertime means the mountains are open for runners and hikers, and the majority of the high alpine races are during this time of year. However, many runners, especially city slickers, …

One of the simplest improvements a runner can make to his or her training is to approach every run with a simple question: “What am I trying to achieve today?” …

Do you find your running mojo runs low sometimes? That every run feels the same and you’re pounding familiar paths again and again? It can be easy to get stuck …

Around the end of the year we all look forward to a little downtime from running. Then after about five minutes, we get itchy feet and want to get right …

No matter what mileage you run per week or how many races you have in a year, it’s helpful to have an off-season, and this is the time of year …

One thing I’m frequently asked about is how I incorporate weight vests into training, since it’s a tool I use for myself and for those I coach. It was especially …

Races can be very useful training arenas as alternatives to solo long runs. There’s certainly a tendency for ultrarunners to race a lot more frequently than the traditional spring and …

Through winter we all struggle to fit in any type of run with less daylight, icy roads and snowy trails. This becomes even more difficult for city dwellers in cold …

At the end of the year most runners think about their plans for the following year, including their target races. This early planning is exacerbated by the number of lotteries …

Ian lays out tactics for optimizing your performance for racing multiple ultras with less than a month between.