Training and Racing

Ultramarathon races take hours, days. What’s a few lost seconds, right? Wrong. Seconds really do matter. Let me share with you a little story that illustrates this point. The race …

Because this race is out-and-back and because the return has a net elevation loss I expected most runners would run close to even splits but a comparison of the halfway …

Running consistently, logging at least a moderate number of miles, and including high-intensity sessions each week—all part of a balanced running schedule—are difficult enough to incorporate into one’s daily life …

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, …

Aid stations are a critical component of ultras. They serve as not only the lifeline for many runners, but are also a telling reflection of a caring community. They are …

Sure, runners can get snarky in the heat of the moment—at race officials or at their own crew and pacers when things don’t go their way. But this has more …

Time… wouldn’t we all love to have more of it? This can be particularly true when we have a full-time job, family and social commitments and we decide to sign …

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?” …

Efficiency is a very good way of gauging a runner’s aerobic fitness. The problem is that measuring efficiency in a lab is not only inconvenient, it’s also expensive. Fortunately, there’s …

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 …

Bill Tharion, a Research Psychologist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, was explaining to me some research that he was conducting on the psychological factors that limit …

How you handle aid stations can have a significant impact on how well your race goes. If you are speeding through a 50k looking for a PR, the emphasis at …

If you ask most ultra runners about their training, many will acknowledge working with a coach at one point in time. Why? Well, the obvious reason is to have someone …

The sun is barely up as fifty-odd runners gather for the Fort Ordnance 100K in Monterey, CA. The gun fires and they patter off, mentally setting their sights on the …

What’s the most overworked piece in your ultra kit? In mine, it’s the elevation profile – marked up with notes, folded in a baggie, and stuffed it in a pocket. …

Although the word is occasionally overused, it’s no exaggeration to say that there’s a renaissance of sorts developing within the athletic apparel industry. In particular, wool performance clothing is more …

I’ve been fortunate to have remained healthy, motivated and passionate about long-distance running over the years. I believe some of this longevity is due to training principles and guidelines derived …

The word inspiration has almost become cliché these days. It’s so overused the true meaning has been diluted and cheapened. Yet there’s no denying that the words others say to …

There’s truly gold in them thar hills and it ain’t the shiny kind. It’s the super-efficient, multi-faceted, demanding workout kind that hills deliver. Lifting yourself up the slopes is strength …

by Cheryl Yanek Years ago, I was at a fatass 50k when ultra newbie said, “I’m not telling people I ran a fatass. I don’t like the name.” I probably …

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 …

As best I can tell, the GPS mile is somewhere between eight and nine tenths of a mile as measured by a steel tape, a wheel, a surveyor or even …

By Peter Defty, President VESPA Like the Bob Dylan song, there is a “change is coming on” in sports physiology and it is the ultrarunning community showing the way. A …

by Dr. Duncan Simpson, Barry University As a runner and a professor of sport, exercise and performance psychology, I am fascinated by individuals who push their physical, psychological and spiritual …