Transporting your body on foot for 100 miles in one go seems like an intensely personal and individual experience. And in many ways it is – only you can cover the miles, one step at a time. The physical pain and mental a...
August 2018
Features
Dear Ann, You had so many great races and big wins in your career, and although I’ll never win an ultra, after a big race that goes well, I sometimes hit a real low because the training and excitement of the event is go...
In late 2011, I decided to make a change in the way I fuel my body. After years of following the standard endurance protocol of high carbohydrates, I needed a change (for more information on why please see my piece in th...
Taking on your first ever ultra might have been a daunting prospect – sure, a 50k is “just” five miles more than a marathon but as we all know, with the uneven terrain and all too often hilly course profiles, a 50k is of...
Recently a friend sent me a frantic e-mail: “I got my Inside Tracker report and I am basically the most unhealthy individual ever. I am surprised I am able to get out of bed based on the results.” This wasn’t a first for...
He has speed at the short distances and has found great success at the 100-mile distance as well. And, if you don’t know him by his racing resume you might just know Dylan Bowman from his sweet dog and running companion,...
In April 2018, Dylan Bowman won the 100-mile Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji in dramatic fashion. After trailing Pau Capel for 97 miles, he overtook Pau for the win, winning the race by a mere 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Once back...
There’s a joke between me and Brian about his training habits. If it’s a Saturday, he’s probably running the Seven Sisters. If it’s a Sunday, he’s probably running the Seven Sisters. If it’s a holiday, day off from work...
The first time you run an ultra you’re probably going to get a whole new perspective on what it means to suffer. Getting way out beyond your training at speeds and distances and numbers of hours you’ve never experienced...
Particularly for a green ultrarunner or one who’s tackling a new distance, there’s a natural tendency to get to the starting line, look around and think, “Wow, all of the these other runners look like experienced veteran...
The age of fully integrated GPS watches with optical heart-rate equipped activity trackers has arrived. Runners now have more performance metrics and physiological data available at their wrist than ever before. Here are...
Welcome to the Three-Dot Lounge, where we annually regale you with Western States deep thoughts, cheap shots and bon mots… First and foremost in everyone’s mind every year is the weather. Heat is what makes Western State...
If there’s one thing that scares me, it’s flying in airplanes. I hate them. If there are two things that scare me, they are flying in airplanes and getting my blood drawn. I have this pesky little habit of passing out wh...
There’s no denying that technology has changed the way we run. When once we “guesstimated” the distances we were running, or used a car’s odometer for measurement, we now know down to the precise footstep how far we’ve g...
There are few real adversities to contend with when running trails. Running the trails and racing with others presents challenges and setbacks, but it’s what we do for fun. But life outside of running can be fraught with...
Feature Races
The small wood table of broken dreams sits not far from the 78-mile checkpoint on the course of the Western States Endurance Run. There is a step-over for horses at a pole gate nearby, and as you pass by the quiet of...
The 17th Annual San Diego 100 (SD 100) was again greeted with hot and dry conditions that ruled the race. There was little respite for our 268 starters who battled high heat indices across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT),...
The Facebook post read: “The Hardest 50k in the U.S.” If “the hardest” doesn’t pluck your muscle strings, try the tallest peak in the east and throw in the Black Mountain Crest Trail, a lofty cloudswept battlement of...
In 2009 I was attending the 27th Annual Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships, an event dedicated to bringing together the very best in the sport of snowboarding. As I watched the field of world-class athletes, surpr...
Race Reports
You don’t often see the words “Iowa” and “ultrarunning” in the same sentence. And, we understand. The Hawkeye State has no mountains and little gnarly single-track to attract hardcore masochists. But, there are a few...
Watching the parade of trucker hats, race shirts and overstuffed drop bags come into the campground on race morning, I knew we were in for a good day. The weather gods had even called a truce and the first Salomon Outdoo...
There is a theme for every race and this year for Promise Land (PL) it was the high stream crossings. On Monday and Tuesday of race week, there was a huge rain event. When we marked the race course on Wednesday, I was so...
The Ancient Redwood Running Festival takes place in sylvan Hendy Woods State Park in the Anderson Valley, the “beer crescent” of Northern California in Mendocino County. The event offers 12- and six-hour timed events tha...
One look at that smile and you can tell that the top ultrarunner in the sport is pleased with his record-setting performance on the sport’s biggest stage. Photo: Myke Hermsmeyer