I first heard about ultrarunning in 2004 when I saw a documentary about the Marathon des Sables (MdS) in the Sahara Desert. I never thought the sport would dominate my life in every way, but it turns out that many runner...
Articles by Ian Sharman
While much of what you do each day seems like it takes deliberate thought and willpower, your habits dictate more than you realize. Daily bad habits can lead to negative cycles. While it’s tough to change these for the b...
Speak to any runner and you’ll quickly see how our sense of self is wrapped up in the sport. This is most visible when we can’t run, especially during an injury or when we simply can’t find the time to fit in a few miles...
Whether you’re new to ultras or have been running for a long time, it’s common for goals to change. One of the best things about endurance running is that it’s possible to keep improving strength and speed well beyond yo...
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 that are out of your control, such as starting a new job or t...
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 getting away with it. Yet, it’s a fairly...
Whether coming back after an injury, an off season or a break from training, most runners have a tendency to try to do too much, too soon. I recently had a chance to contemplate this while coping with the worst injury I’...
There are many ways to measure elements of training and health that it can become confusing at times. I’m a strong proponent for learning how to make judgments based on the signals your body gives you, especially when ma...
Depending on the source, somewhere between 50% and 85% of runners get injured each year. So there’s a lot of information about how to fix any ailment, but what about the psychological side of coping with it? This is ofte...
I always begin coaching my runners by going through the core philosophies for the coming months. One of the most fundamental concepts is that consistent, regular running is vital for improving. Yet there are three main i...
One of the most common topics that comes up with the runners I coach is about how many races to enter and whether to race the weekend after an unexpected development such as injury, illness, work/family emergency, poor t...
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, since any individual’s idea...
Unless you’ve only run a couple of races, the odds are that you’ve suffered a DNF (“Did Not Finish”) before. There are many potential reasons for a DNF, but with smart planning and tactics most are avoidable. Some ult...
Every ultra takes grit to complete but no matter how many times you race, there are always times when you ask yourself whether you want to push or give in. So I thought it’d be useful to share the specific rationalizatio...
Major ultras have become increasingly international, with more than 200 Americans heading to UTMB this year. Euro races are typically steeper, more rugged, can include off-trail sections and can have thousands of runners...
Last month we discussed how to improve your mental toughness. However, ideally only a portion of a run will require that grit, whether it’s the end of a speed session or a rough patch in a race. We also want to find a wa...
Many factors contribute to successful ultra finishes aside from pure physical fitness. Very often the weakest link in a race is the mind, not the body, so there are big potential gains for many runners. Below I’ll examin...
An old adage at Western States 100 is that familiarity with the course can shave off hours from your finish time. There are many reasons why this can help you to prepare better, both physically and mentally, thanks to kn...
In ultras we rely heavily on others to help us get to the finish. That includes volunteers and staff at races, as well as family and friends who crew or pace. Even if you prefer to run with minimal assistance, there’s a...
In the January edition of UltraRunning we discussed GPS watches and Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs), two established, older forms of tech used by runners. Now we move on to Power Meters (PMs) and Fitness Trackers (FTs). Do th...
Running is essentially a simple activity with a very low barrier to entry – a pair of running shoes and some athletic gear are all that’s required. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to improve, avoid injuries or get t...
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 the holidays. It’s also lottery season for many...
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear about a friend or well-known ultrarunner suffering from over-training. Although the exact medical mechanism that causes medium-term and long-term tiredness hasn’t been discovered, i...
As runners, we focus on what will allow us to run and race better, identifying ways to be quicker and to avoid slowing due to numerous potential problems in the later stages of an ultra. Although there are myriad reasons...
As runners, we set ourselves many targets. However, when we constantly push our boundaries, there’s some inevitable disappointment along the way. This isn’t a sign of weakness, but an indication that we’re challenging ou...
Writing this, I’m on a plane on the way back from my favorite race. It’s an event that draws me year after year to travel across the world in cramped planes. Every time, it offers something unique and special to me. It c...
Some of the hardest lessons are learnt during the first attempt at a given distance. The more experience you build up before taking on a new challenge, the better it’s likely to go, but there are always unexpected diffic...
In a recent discussion with one of my clients, I was asked if I ever have issues with motivation, especially for long runs. The question surprised me, since I always assumed that everyone has tough days getting out the d...
We all know that to get faster, we need to push ourselves with some form of speed work, but the advice varies greatly on which sessions to include, how often to include them and why. In fairness, that’s because it depend...
For many across the world, there are certain times of year when it’s much harder to run outside, especially in winter. Yet endurance running requires commitment and consistency to improve fitness, and we all need to grin...