It was day four of the infamous Marathon des Sables – the stage race of the Saharan sands – about two-thirds through the brutal 80k stage. After a water shortage, a 90-minute bout of nausea and more dunes than I cared to...
Nick Tiller, PhD
Dr Nick Tiller is an exercise scientist and author of The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science, named one of Book Authority’s “Best Sports Science Books of All Time.” He’s a columnist at Ultra-Running Magazine, an elected Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and an avid ultramarathon runner. www.nbtiller.com
I’ve seen several cases of people racing without eating, and drinking only water. Is there a benefit? – MichaelIsran47Like alchemists in search of the Philosopher’s Stone or Sir Lancelot in his quest for the Holy Grail,...
My question is a difficult one to answer, but it centers around being able to discern when you are injured or when it’s just a niggle and your mind is playing tricks. My calf is a perfect example. – @timgavanWatch boxing...
Take a deep breath. The air you just inhaled took only a few seconds to travel from your nose to your lungs in a system of tubes so extensive that, if you lay them end to end, it would stretch from New York to Miami. The...
Should I be eating protein when racing long? What are the pros and cons? – Ferno G.Milo of Croton was an Olympic wrestler born in the 6th century BC (no prizes for guessing where). Standing nearly 7 feet tall, he was a g...
The sun had stolen below the horizon, leaving dozens of weary warriors to continue their race bathed in artificial light. I’d watched from the margins as the energy and enthusiasm they’d exhibited at the start had slowly...
How much flexibility do runners need for good body mechanics and running economy? – @fenixfeet The Olympic Summer Games are in the rearview mirror, and what a spectacle they were. Among the astonishing feats of spor...
I recently became pregnant and would like to know if I can continue training and racing. What’s the best approach? –Ana Until the early 1900s, pregnancy was a risky business. There was a basic lack of unders...
The marathon is a physiologist’s dream. Because if you put muscle cramps, toilet stops and other anomalies aside, it’s a predictable event. With just a few lab-based measures—maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), lactate thres...
What would you recommend for the female master’s athlete (55+ years), for longevity in the sport? - @carolyndavis_2 Training and recovery become harder with every revolution of the body’s mileage counter. Still, for t...
There’s no obvious physical reason why women and men cannot race ultramarathons in equal numbers, just as they do in nearly every other sport. We hope the examples set by the Baker Ultra and the High Lonesome will steer the direction of the sport toward greater female participation.
Women made up 52% of the entrants at the Baker Ultra 50-mile last year Phil Light | Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy Before the female ultrarunning superstars of today had muddied their sneakers on the...
How low is too low for resting heart rate?" -@ultrarunnertom via email Doctors plying their trade in ancient Egypt could feel the body’s pulse “speaking out of every limb.” (1) They knew that pulse rate had s...
I like to race quite often, maybe 6-8 times a year. How much is too much? - Katie Greene I have a friend David who’s been smoking since his early 20s (he’s now in his late 30s and, no, he’s not an ultrarunner). He’s a...
After returning from the inaugural UESCA Ultrarunning Coaching Conference in Colorado Springs, I felt inspired by the rolling trails and sandstone monoliths, the knowledge and experience of my co-presenters and the passi...
I had an unorthodox but interesting mix of questions this month, so I’ll start by indulging one reader’s request for speculation on the one factor most predictive of ultrarunning performance. I then will give some pointe...
If you could get runners to do one strength/conditioning routine what would it be? @moorendurance With two competing goals in ultrarunning and weightlifting, how would you optimize we...
Gausta Peak, 1,183m above sea level, is the final climb of the Norseman triathlon. From there, volunteers headed for the tourist cabin to begin their post-race medical assessments. Jørgen MelauA box of mouthpieces slid a...
This article was originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of UltraRunning Magazine. Subscribe today for similar features on ultra training, racing and more. What training is better for getting…
What training is better for getting into ultra distances: muscles or miles? –@kerriwbrady Endurance sports like ultrarunning, adventure racing and obstacle course racing place considerabl...
Many of us contend with training in cold weather, some of us even in polar climates. In these regions, just setting foot out the door can be a challenge. In this month’s column, I explore how training in the cold can affect your physiology and the steps you can take to minimize the impact on your sporting longevity.
Many of us contend with training in cold weather, some of us even in polar climates. In these regions, where very cold temperatures (-22 degrees), snowstorms and strong winds are commonplace, just setting foot out the do...
What causes the ultramarathon “side lean” and what can be done to prevent and/or correct it? – Beth M. Lateral trunk lean—when a runner leans to one side while running—is often observed during ultramaratho...
I try to build endurance during the winter by increasing my mileage and then running ultras in the spring. How much slow running should I do, and how do I determine training intensity? @talehorunner This training sched...
Can you clarify whether ice baths are worth the trouble and whether they help with recovery from training? I have heard mixed reports. @royjonesruns Ice baths have been popular with athletes for...
After my first marathon, would it be right to continue with a 50k ultra in three months? @asafmiller It wouldn’t be wrong. But whether you should run a 50k just three months after your fir...
How long does it take for the heart to recover after a 100-miler? @droliviaaffuso This is an important and timely question, but it’s a very difficult one to answer directly. It depends how we define “recover” and w...
How do I ensure I eat sufficient calories for my needs? (@jmbarbit) There are numerous challenges to overcome as an ultrarunner and one of the greatest, at least from a nutritional perspective, is consuming enough calor...
We asked readers to send us questions for an exercise physiologist. Here are a few of the questions and the answers that follow. When cramps and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) come knocking at the door after an...