Race day catalyst or Kryptonite it depends on what you pack, and your aid station plan. courtesy author Two hypothetical runners of comparable ability and similar training line up for their goal 100-miler. Each athlete’...
Jasmin Paris sits in front of the infamous gate at Barkley after her finish in 2024. Howie Stern The UltraRunner of the Year (UROY) and Performance of the Year rankings are essentially meaningless (to me). There, I said...
The most unfortunate, albeit self-inflicted, outcome of this fall’s Wikipedia editing debacle has yet to occur. The real fall-out awaits in a future some time from now when a world-class athlete that continuously raised...
Every December, during that week between Christmas and New Years when the present feels delicately suspended between the past and the future and time seems to briefly slow, I sit with my training journal and reflect.
Caught in an ocean of vinyl and CDs inside Tower Records in the late 90s, my fingers paddled through the Pacific-sized body of Neil Young’s music that I thought I knew in its entirety, and an unfamiliar album grabbed my...
A pair of strategically deployed collapsible carbon fiber poles might just save your next “A” goal and place you in a pole position you never dreamed of.
Back in 2013, I found myself in a chance conversation with rock climbing legend, Alex Honnold, when he stopped by the outdoor gear shop where I was working in Bishop, California. He was in the area reconning an upcoming...
Every December, during that week between Christmas and New Years when the present feels delicately suspended between the past and the future and time seems to briefly slow, I sit with my training journal and reflect. It’...
Returning from a mountain run last fall, I could barely get inside the house because of the furry blonde bundle of energetic joy burrowing sideways into my legs at the door. Leaving my trail shoes in the entry, I had dis...
Third time's the charm. John Trent at the finish of the 2023 Wasatch 100 with his faithful family and friends (L to R: Lauren, Katie, Jill, John and Jeffrey). courtesy John Trent John Trent has alway...
Jeff Kozak pays tribute to well-known and respected ultra runner Chris Scott, who was known for his wonderfully crazy races and who touched the hearts of many in the sport. Wherever his spirit roams now, you can bet there’s a novelty trick involved.
In September of 1995, as a rudderless senior at Ohio University, I randomly purchased a copy of UltraRunning Magazine. Although I knew stepping into the sport was inevitable, my existence at the time was exceptionally he...
A shift in perspective can arrive in unexpected ways. When Rob Cain, captain of the mile 90.7 Quarry Road aid station at Western States—a place where I’ve had the good fortune of being a part of the team over the past...
The author runs near the rounded summit of Mazourka Peak in the Inyo Mountains, looking west across the Owens Valley near Independence to the Sierra Crest and two 14'ers: Mt. Williamson and Mt. Tyndall. Howie...
Adventure running needs no definition and, unless you are going for a fastest known time (FKT), it has no rules. In a world suffocating under the weight of rules and regulations, and the incessant need to define, label and redefine everything, this realm of running feels increasingly sacred.
The White Mountains, with 14,252 foot White Mountain Peak, dominate the eastern skyline from the high point of Fish Slough Rd. Author Somewhere around 3 a.m., one of several black bears paid a v...
Approaching the aid station at mile 80 of the 2014 San Diego 100, I had no idea what place I was in. I only knew that the preceding marathon had passed in a state of flow that, up until then, despite re...
I’ve got four three-ring binders that sit on my bookshelf, each representing one year of high school cross country—the arena where my lifelong love for running was ignited. The fact…
Clyde Minaret, the majestic high point of this jagged, metamorphic sub-range of the Sierra, reflects in the evening light of Minaret Lake. author For well over an hour, a plane had been circling...
Tony Torres runs to a ninth-place finish. Josh Wray This is a unique single-loop course with no out-and-backs or reused trail, at an average elevation of over 9,100 feet. The trail is a mix of buttery...
Hanging out at the Chilao aid station of this year’s Angeles Crest 100, I had the pleasant surprise of bumping into Scotty Mills, the ultrarunning and race directing legend. He was commenting on the Hardro...
When 57-year-old Ninette Banoun of Oslo, Norway, entered the Quarry Road aid station at mile 90.7 of the Western States 100 at 8:21 a.m. on Sunday morning, she was 11 minutes on the wrong side of statistical history....
In early June of 2009, prolonged storminess had left me feeling restless and trapped in the Owens Valley. All spring, after excitedly realizing that my planned route was 100k in round-trip length, I had been patiently...
View from Gooseberry Mesa onto the Virgin River lowlands that comprise the middle miles of the Zion 100K. Before 2019 was fully in the rearview mirror, I had decided to step away from ultras for a year....
I keep a duffel bag in my truck at all times with the essentials I need to run – anytime, anywhere. It’s a small bag for such a boundless pursuit and a continual reminder that the fundamental beauty of running lies in...
The beat-up SUV barreled southbound through the early September high desert heat, as Springsteen’s blue-collar baritone clawed at my “itchin’ for somethin’ to start” soul through scratchy speakers: “The dogs on Main S...
The text arrived, immediately conjuring up an ultra career’s worth of nostalgia: “Hey Jeff! I saw you at States! I was running in with a client in the Golden Hour. I’m going to be in Bishop Wed-Friday. You around?” Th...
My head leaned heavily against the window of a teammate’s car as he drove several of us back to campus after another sweltering South Carolina afternoon cross country practice. Piling out of the vehicle, someone pointed...
Long before Theodore Solomons envisioned a continuous trail paralleling the granite crest of the Sierra Nevada while gazing eastward from the Central Valley lowlands in May of 1884, the range had been well-traveled by...
There was a period of time, several years ago, when Weird Al Yankovic would join me on most of my easy runs. Okay – not literally – but his characteristic long curly hair, porn star mustache and Coke bottle glasses we...
On paper, a 20:41 100-mile finish time would be the obvious performance choice over a 21:57 result at the same race. Both of these efforts led to second place showings, at the 1988 and 1987 Western States 100, respect...
The dream goal was to inspire all 25 kids at the inaugural High Sierra Running Camp. The tiered, more realistic goal was to inspire a few… as I had been so many years and memories ago.
As ultrarunners, naturally we love to run. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm for the primal act of running, and its Dr. Feelgood of Fitness-endorphin-effect is often not tempered enough by sensibility. More is only better to a certain point; then the law of diminishing returns kicks in.
Seeing some of the Golden Hour finishers I had assisted in some small way successfully complete their journey to Auburn was a pinnacle moment for me after two decades of ultrarunning. There always will be, no matter how mainstream this sport goes, the nowhere-near-first multitudes comprising the heart of Ultra quietly grinding it out for the simple satisfaction of proving to themselves they could do it.
A cornerstone of being in the zone is freedom from expectations. Expectations are projections into the future, based on the past. They are not in the moment. The present moment is a heady place to be. But that is the only place we will ever find the zone, ever find the fleeting feelings of freedom; on the run, or anywhere.
For those of you, like myself, who are potentially facing triple digit temperatures to match a triple digit race distance, here are some things to consider to keep your ‘A’ goals from evaporating.
I began mentally rewriting song lyrics as a way to pass the miles, entertain myself, and poke a little fun at the absurdities and idiosyncrasies I see within the subculture of this sport I love.
To remember the past is to respect it. Even the most independent of us in this most independent-at-times of sports, do not live in a bubble of rugged individualism feeding the fire of progression alone. We are all interconnected, and we all need each other.
In the modern world, decisions on what to eat and drink and when, can be as confusing as they are convenient.
Was it really possible in the modern world to use the feet more than fossil fuels to get around? It sounded like a life adventure worthy of an attempt and, as a longtime ultra runner, Phil Kiddoo had always thought it somewhat ridiculous how many miles he drove simply to go for runs.
“When you backpack the JMT you explore the outer world; when you FKT the JMT you explore your inner world.” Going as fast as I could on the JMT, as it turns out, I explored both, and in nearly overwhelming quantities.
Feeling a lack of motivation? Feeling uninspired? Listen to your heart. It is the wellspring of emotional engagement, and it will tell you what to do.
The urban dictionary defines “more cowbell” as ‘an extra quality that will make something or someone better.’ My raceday cowbell was patience, and I needed a lot more of it, especially to see those changes through, even when they appeared to be ineffective midrace. We all have a cowbell we need more of in order to progress in running, and in life. What is yours?
I have known Krissy, Hal, and numerous others through the sport, for many years, but the totality of our interactions would likely barely rate ‘acquaintance’ status in most other walks of life. Yet somehow whenever the trails of our lives do intersect, that limited time spent at the junction yields a sum of experience much greater than the timepieces would seem capable of producing.
The line of ultrarunners that have come forward over the years to speak openly about their battles with depression is long and illustrious; and that darkness is often confusing when held against the light of their accomplishments and the boundless energy and enthusiasm permeating this sport. And it is impossible to ignore the implications; it seems no kind or amount of success or communal recognition affords illimitable immunity.
We’re all essentially on David Byrne’s road to nowhere, often wondering, ‘How did I get here?’ A choose your own adventure novel where we’re constantly being forced to decide which page to turn to before continuing a story of which we desperately want to sneak a final paragraph peek.