The desire of humans to consume foods that aid performance is not a new phenomenon. Ancient Greek athletes were known to eat figs and other nutrient-dense fruits, olives, seeds and nuts and a particular concoction compos...
Articles by Dean Karnazes
The call I made was quick. “Topher, put your running gear on, it’s time to try yoga.” “Yoga? Isn’t that for old people?” “I’ll be there in five.” “Wait, here, at my house? You’re coming here…” I interrupted, “Ge...
A dramatic shift is occurring in the way people choose to spend their disposable income. Who dies with the most toys no longer wins. Memories matter most. And the best way to create memories is through experiences. Rathe...
Man came out of darkness and into the light, and that was my experience during the 2003 Angles Crest 100. Not a lot of planning went into the race. The prior couple weeks had been a hectic whirlwind of travel and there w...
If history is any indication, the sport of ultrarunning is doing just fine. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that people first started making a career out of our sport over 2,500 years ago. That’s right, the ancient...
Having recently returned to California from a rather punishing ultra in Portugal, I can attest firsthand that travel and running don’t always make compatible bedfellows. Still, there’s something magical about seeking uni...
There’s no question that a new crop of runners is emerging on the ultramarathoning scene, a fresh breed with wicked leg speed and laser focus. If you puruse the race results of ultramarathons across the country it’s not...
Heat is the runner’s enemy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to mitigate the ill effects of hot weather and maintain consistent performances even as temperatures rise. Think of running in hot conditi...
Long distance runners are getting faster – and slower. For instance, in 1969 the world record for the marathon stood at 2:08:33. Today it’s down to 2:02:57. But the average marathon finishing time in 1969 was 3:29, while...
For better or worse, I’ll probably always best be known as that guy who ordered a pizza while out running. For some reason that particular story seems to resonate with casual runners and non-runners, alike. When I did it...
Many endurance athletes and nutritional scientists have searched for the Holy Grail of electrolyte replacement to help stave off dehydration during periods of prolonged exertion. It’s an important pursuit. After all, we’...
The popularity of ultrarunning is growing. That much we know. Just read this issue and you’ll see that fact reflected in the numbers. There were more finishers of ultras in 2016 than in any prior year. We have good stats...
Traditionally the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is held on the last weekend of June, summertime in the Northern Hemisphere. The race is notorious for its brutally hot canyons at the midpoint and the dry dusty con...
Over 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great pioneered a trade route through Central Asia that became known as the Silk Road. Being of Greek descent, I had long dreamed of seeing the terrain and landscape he traveled – and...
When I first heard the term “getting chicked,” I thought it was fairly comical, albeit somewhat sexist. The expression succinctly explains the phenomena of a female ultrarunner passing and beating her male counterpart. I...
Our feet take a pounding during an ultramarathon. Like the wheels of a car, they’re the point where machine meets earth, those feet of ours. For many of us, finding relief post-ultra is a never-ending pursuit. I’ve tried...
Every ultrarunner knows there will come a point when things get tough. Just as smooth seas do not make a skilled sailor, smooth roads do not make a good runner. It is during these defining moments that we build our runni...
What do running, public nudity and democracy have in common? More than you might think. To understand why, let us step back in history to the original Olympic Games of Greece. Early Olympic athletes competed in attire...
We always remember our first time, and that’s true of our first ultra, too. We have a certain measure of innocence when we experience something new; a journey into uncharted territory heightens our senses and makes us ac...
This issue of UltraRunning is filled with valuable insights and advice about how to deal with heat during extreme exertion. Important stuff, because pound for pound, humans are among the most needy when it comes to our b...
The ancient Greeks believed that strength was the soul manifested through the body. A strong body spoke of a soul that was pure. They would spend their days training and conditioning, for sports and athletic performance,...
Why do some people consistently excel while others fall by the wayside? What are the qualities that make a champion? It’s a question that’s been intensely examined throughout the ages, perhaps more so than any other topi...
It’s a common question today, one asked not just by elite athletes but by “everyday” runners as well. So, what’s the right answer? Truthfully, it all depends. Whether or not to work with a running coach is largely a p...
Every time we sign up to run an ultramarathon, we have a race director to thank. These are the men and women who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that all the elements necessary to make the race happen are...
First, let me say that I hope my mother isn’t reading this story. She’s an English teacher and would be quick to point out the fact that there’s no such word as “funnest.” But perhaps it’s just as well, since the purpose...
We hear a lot about the benefits of cross-training these days. It can help improve overall fitness, reduce injuries, hasten recovery and boost performance. Combining running with exercises from other disciplines, such as...
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 wasn’t a traditional ultramarathon, b...
Nothing can derail a good effort more than the psychological stress of pre-race anxiety. No matter how much training, no matter how much preparation you’ve done, if you’re overly nervous at the start of a race, the physi...
The gear review in this issue of UltraRunning is dedicated to the latest innovations in hydration, so I thought I’d take a contrarian approach and share with you what is perhaps the worst design in the world for dispensi...
Having just finished an hour-and-a-half session of Bikram yoga, now seems like a good time to write a column about dealing with the heat. Many runners don’t like it when temperatures rise, but as my high school cross-cou...