Vermont 100 runners and riders cross the the Ottauquechee River in the 2019 event. Ben Kimball Over the course of 22 years of ultrarunning, I’ve had a hate-hate relationship with 100s. I would...
Articles by Sean Meissner
I was all set to head to the Rhode Island coast for a weekend of fun and exploring (queue Barry Manilow, “Weekend in New England”) with my wife and dogs, but winter decided to return to New England. So instead of long...
I was talking with two of my coaching clients today about treadmills. One of them commented how her perceived effort on the ‘mill is higher at any given pace than it is at that same pace outside. I agreed with her. Well,...
Sean Meissner On May 9, I dipped the tires of my gravel bike into the Pacific Ocean in Pacific City, Oregon. On June 9, after 3,267.9 miles of pedaling, I dipped those same tires into the Atlantic Ocean...
Runners and their dirt-loving canines are all part of the Peterson Ridge Rumble experience in Sisters, Oregon. Paul Nelson It began on May 4, 2003. That was the date which started what has become my pe...
In July 2020, in the middle of the initial COVID lockdown, my wife and I moved from our little slice of paradise in Durango, CO, a few hours north to Fruita, CO. And really, we had no idea where we were moving. On...
Last June, I reached a big goal in my ultrarunning journey by finishing my 200th ultra. It was a goal that had been 20 years in the making, so when I finished it, I felt a bit tired. Not just tired because of the race...
Before diving head-first into the wonderful world of ultrarunning, I was seriously involved in winter multi-sport racing in the small mountain communities of Moran/Jackson, WY, and Steamboat Springs, CO. In the summer...
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first ultrarunning team in the US (and probably the world). One Sport’s origins go back to the early 80s in Europe as an off-shoot brand that specialized in boots, incl...
Nineteen years, ten months, four weeks, one day, five hours and six minutes. That’s how long it took me to run—and finish—200 ultramarathons. Yep, that’s about 10 ultras per year for 20 years. I know I am far from the fi...
If you’re like many runners, you likely took it a bit easy over the winter, as well as throughout much of 2020. Now it’s time to get back outside and get yourself in shape for upcoming races. But where to start? Grad...
Winter running adventures can come in many different forms. There’s the stereotypical Rocky Mountain winter run which includes snowshoeing through 3 feet of fresh powder. Winter runs in the Pacific Northwest bring to...
As a reader of this magazine, you’re likely an ultrarunner. And as an ultrarunner, you’ve probably run at least one ultramarathon race that’s a standard ultra distance: 50k, 50 miles, 100k or 100 miles. Or perhaps you’ve...
I don’t have a single coaching client who hasn’t expressed frustration about the hard work they’ve put in, not knowing when their next “official” race will be. This is definitely a very common thought amongst runners. To...
As late spring morphs into summer, it’s time to think about adventure runs. For me, adventure runs are the best part of running long. Often times, it’s just me and my wife or dog, playing in the mountains all day. It’s a...
As the dark and cold winter months slowly start to fade, a new season of mud and sun begins to surface. If you’re like many runners, you likely took it easy over the winter with some skiing, time in the gym, chilling wit...
There’s an old saying that goes, “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear.” Well, I’m here to tell you that saying is wrong. There is bad weather, and often times it’s in the winter when the temperature is minus 20 degrees...
Ultrarunning has had a major impact on my life for almost two decades, and there are a few people who have been part of my journey from the beginning. I remember training for my first ultra in the summer of 2001. I was l...
The sport of ultrarunning is pretty cool for many reasons. For me, people are at the top of that list. I’ve met amazing people and made great friends over my almost two decades of running ultras. Here are stories about t...
Making a living as an ultrarunner can be challenging and fun and with some hard work, it can be done. I’ve been fortunate to make a living as a sponsored runner, race director and running coach – three things that I neve...