Ultrarunning involves a lot of unknowns. As much as you train, dial in your equipment, rework your nutrition, scout the course and read all the race reports, it’s nearly impossible to turn over...
Tag: Racing
This month’s issue is filled with racing opportunities galore. Stories of the triumphant elite and gritty, everyday athletes combined with majestic imagery of our outdoor playground makes for a potent elixir intoxicating...
“Should I do another race this year, Coach?” It’s one of the most common questions I receive this time of year, and the answer can be more complex than we might initially think. Maybe you enjoyed a great race (or a few)...
It’s May, and that means ultra season is in full swing; I hope you’re having a blast out there so far! Odds are you’ll be toeing the line sometime soon, so this month we’ll take a look at some of the most common question...
Most ultramarathons only require you move at an 18 to 20 min/mile pace to finish. If you can hike briskly, you should get a belt buckle. But hundreds of runners miss time cutoffs at ultras every year. Twin Lakes Inbound...
My mind before the LOViT 100 was like a cavern of floating fortune cookie messages. I was Charlie Bucket in the Gene Wilder version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, floating amongst the bubbles of one-liners. On...
You’ve done the physical work. You have put in the vertical, put in the miles, put in the time and yet come race day it can all come undone by a lack of energy or other nutrition issue. Race day nutrition can be complex,...
The race is about to start and you are ready to run for miles and miles on end. You’ve been training for months to get to this point. Don’t ruin your race by skimping on one of the most important aspects: fuel and fluid....
As I’m writing this article, I will be starting a 100-mile race in less than 24 hours. I am not a stranger to this beast called the Zion 100 with whom I have a brunch date scheduled tomorrow. I’ve run the race many times...
For more experienced veterans of our sport a local 50k might seem like a walk in the park and something they could knock off without much prior planning and specific training, but for the majority of us taking part in an...
It’s no doubt that you are aware of the latest fad that seems to be sweeping the world of ultramarathon. You’ve probably heard about the legendary athletes of our time and how they are able to go from podium finishes to...
As a kid I remember by mum having a packing list for our annual camping vacations to Europe. This was a seemingly huge list of all the essentials from tents to clothes to food that we would bring in our trailer for a fun...
Zach Miller thrills. He bursts from the line like his life depends on it, accelerates through aid stations as if chased by a specter, crosses the finish line limbs flailing, elation and agony twisted across on his face....
It was zero-dark-hundred and I was driving to a 100k event that I'd be working for the next 14 to 16 hours. I reflected on the many times over the years that I'd gotten up at such an hour to work or run a race. I thought...
Little is more deflating to the spirit of a suffering runner who has struggled to get to what he or she thought would be an oasis, only to find that what they craved most—ice and cold drinks—is not there, or has been adu...
Hi Ann, I know this is a bit cheeky, but I wanted to ask your advice about racing. Your success in ultrarunning is legendary, and I have found it really interesting reading how you approach racing. I appreciate that...
Injury is a dreaded condition that every runner fears, but there is a certain inevitability about it: the more we run, the more likely we are to suffer some sort of running-related injury. Depending on its severity, we m...
In the earliest days of ultra-distance races, food and water were essential, if not life-sustaining. For years, aid stations have been central to the ultrarunning experience. But food and water aren’t the only nourish...
Ultramarathon races take hours, days. What’s a few lost seconds, right? Wrong. Seconds really do matter. Let me share with you a little story that illustrates this point. The race wasn’t a traditional ultramarathon, b...
As we get into the middle of summer, many races involve running in severely hot weather. The most experienced runners use several tricks to deal with this, which are most evident at two Californian races renowned for the...