What is grit? Wikipedia defines grit as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” But where does it come from? Are we born with a certain allotment of grit? If it’s …
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A friend asked me, “Why would you enter a 100-mile ultramarathon? It just seems so outlandish for an otherwise rational thinking person to wish to endure such torture.” My answer …
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Participation in mountain, ultra and trail (MUT) races continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year. However, many people in the sport have little understanding of the role that …
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“3-2-1… Have Fun!” Without a crew or a pacer ahead, I am able to just run along. There was a spreadsheet, but I don’t need it now – I’m not …
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Do I trust myself to do the training, to put in the hours required? To show up for myself, even if that means pulling the plug when my ego really …
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Rules; who likes ’em? Nobody. Who needs ’em? Everybody. Running ultras is supposed to be fun. The last thing we want to deal with is having a bunch of rules …
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Without trails our sport would not exist. Sure there are road ultras and many “trail” ultras entail portions along fireroads, tow paths, running tracks and, gasp, even pavement. But if …
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Coming off a year of successful ultramarathons, I was pretty jacked. My plan was to complete more of my “bucket list” races for the summer. Could I complete three more …
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Whether you’re an ultrarunner, a musician, or in my case, both – you’re never ready for The Call when you get The Call.
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There are many things about ultrarunning that are hard to describe, and even harder to understand. The Spartathlon, a 153-mile race from Athens to Sparta, is one of them.
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This is the story of how our running club developed a comprehensive trail work program that we call TrailFit. Each year we clear brush on 25 miles of trail, remove …
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You’re not supposed to look good after you run a hundred miles. Didn’t matter. It was still the worst race finish photo I had ever taken, yet it was the …
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Many comparisons have been made to modern-day ultrarunners and the Pioneers who crossed the continent in covered wagons back in the 1840s and 1850s. The Pioneers risked everything and took …
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I stood at the finish line of my first half marathon, confused. I was surrounded by people who had somehow found a singular, defining experience that morning. Was this why …
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Let’s face it, ultrarunning is a really difficult activity. It requires a huge time and lifestyle commitment. But many people are attracted, like moths to flame, to the opportunity to …
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It all started when I was a teenager. I would see people out “going for a jog” and it looked so carefree and enjoyable. I wanted to be able to do …
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The Terror was not about Leadville. It was my subconscious awareness that every difficult emotion I had been avoiding was coming with me out on that course.
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After leaving Cal 2 and reaching the river with what I thought might be food-poisoning-like nausea, something loud came barreling down the mountain through the understory – headed my direction.
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We’re all trying our best in life. We set personal goals, we work, we have careers and we care for others. It’s ok if we don’t reach perfection in every …
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If you’re an ultramarathoner, chances are that you started with a marathon. An informal survey of ultarunning friends reveals that most of them did at least one marathon before moving …
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Maybe a setback every now and then makes one humble and helps us appreciate the unique gift that every day has to offer.
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Urban running on asphalt and concrete can be a beautiful and joyous experience. You just have to be a little careful out there.
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Few have completed the challenge that consists of the Tevis 100-mile Endurance Ride, the Levi Ride and Tie (now known as the World Ride and Tie Championships) and the Western …
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When everything you need is on your back, and your only task is to reach the finish line each day, life becomes beautifully simple.
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Get out the door and smile at the thought of the foolish mistakes that are waiting for you.
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When I first started running ultras, I was looking to extend the joy I received from running the roads, but without the crush of the urban environment. I saw a …
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“I think I might throw up,” I heard Shacky mutter during the steep climb. My friends Vanessa and Shacky and I managed to make it to the top of Gooseberry …
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The Badwater 135 is an endurance course that tests how well we prepare to run the race, both the 135 miles and the life course. Your life course is decided …
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We hadn’t attended the Western States lottery in a few years and I was not expecting the spectacle that was ahead of us that morning in the packed auditorium at …
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The calendar was my first running “tool.” When I began seriously training, a simple wall calendar provided a handy place to record what I had done. These days, the old …