Training and Racing

by Sarah Koszyk, M.A., RDN, Registered Sports Dietitian/Nutritionist Success. Completion. Accomplishment. Congratulations, you’ve just finished running an ultramarathon, most likely about 31, 50 or 100 miles. The time it took …

Dear Ann, Some of my friends make me feel guilty about using a pacer. What do you think?  Paul Dear Paul, There’s no easy answer. They’ve been controversial since the …

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 …

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 …

A novel new addition to race week at this year’s Western States Endurance Run was the first-ever Medicine & Science in Ultra-Endurance Sports Conference. Medical research is one of the …

Located at the highest point in Dallas, Prayer Mountain, the Big Cedar Wilderness offers runners a 100% single track running experience. 100 milers will run four 25 mile loops, 50 …

I have many clients who are runners and they come to me with similar stories: my lower back hurts, I tire easily, I’ve hit a wall in my training, my …

Race Directors Chances are you feel pretty good about your aid stations and course markings, but how prepared are you to address the following potential medical needs at your event? …

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 …

Of all the ‘other things’ than just running to train and prepare for & racing ultras, what single thing should one add to one’s regimen?

You’re in Virginia running through a dark forest on a ridge above the Shenandoah Valley. You’re exhausted. It’s about 24 hours into the race and the first hint of dawn …

Ultrarunning is an endurance sport and as such it requires you to push yourself up to your limits. As you approach these limits and work to overcome them, you will …

As a reader of UltraRunning magazine for the past several years, one of my favorite issues has always been the January “Year in Review”; a look back at the past …

Whoa, whoa, chill out. First, don’t be messin’ with my tunes. Second, don’t ever be messin’ with my tunes. Lots of ultrarunners plug into music while they’re training and while …

Late last year Zach Bitter emerged as the fastest American in the history of long distance ultrarunning, setting an American record for 100 miles on a track in 11 hours …

Mention race walking to a runner or ultramarathoner and they usually have one of two reactions: they laugh and mock the hip-wiggling, much-maligned Olympic event, or they speak of it …

In an effort to make the most of my limited vacation time from work, the opportunity to combine a family vacation with a destination race just seemed too perfect to …

Hyponatremia is defined as a blood sodium concentration below the normal range. Depending on the laboratory, that value is generally around 135 mmol/L. When hyponatremia occurs during or shortly after …

Why, exactly, do we as ultramarathoners need to drink so much fluid? What is so magical about being hydrated? If you think about it, the result of the human body …

Strava, the website and mobile app that first got its start in the cycling world, has slowly infiltrated the trail and ultra communities as runners become more comfortable merging technology …

We are on the cusp of summer and some of the hottest ultra races are coming up fast. Last year both the San Diego 100 and Western States 100 saw …

Oh, if only running and racing to one’s potential was just about running, wouldn’t that be wonderful? It would make life so much simpler and I truly believe that many …

One great thing about our sport of ultrarunning is the variety of places and conditions that we have to choose from when we sign up for a race. Running 50 …

Last month I described some fun ways to get to know your new training partner, your heart rate monitor! The goal this month is to let your training partner explore …

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 …

There really is no big secret to improve our results as ultrarunners. For all the time and energy we expend on nutrition, gear, cross training, and other peripheral aspects of …

By Rob Krar Like most things in life the past few years, I somewhat stumbled upon my circuit routine early in 2012. I had just returned to running and racing …