The Gunksrunner Ultra Rankings arose, as most anything important does, out of a conversation on a training run several years ago. (By which I do not mean to imply that …
Commentary
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Muddy shoes, a wet shirt, torn shorts, and a bloody bandana pretty much some up my running career in Hawaii and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. From the …
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I never run with music on. This seems counterintuitive, because I’ve read the millions of articles on how music helps pump us up, run faster, breath stronger. But I don’t …
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When the clock was to strike midnight and signups for all of the San Diego Ultras opened – I knew I was going to sign up for the PCT 50, …
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Late last year, I was pacing the leader of a 100-mile race when we went off course at mile 75. I had joined her at mile 68 and she was …
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Do everything that you humanly can to get up on the game before you take on the course. Recently, I participated in a very popular 50k, and as one would …
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We recently had a “strategic planning retreat,” which in our case really meant that four of us got together in a fun setting (Sunriver, Oregon) to do some running, eat …
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Like many utrarunners, Colby Wentlandt is motivated and inspirational. What differentiates Colby from the rest of the ultra-gang, though, is that at 14-years old, he has accomplished more than many …
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Could it be that our strong hearts keep us filled with gratitude? A recent study by U.C. Davis showed that ultrarunners on average, are a healthy bunch of folks. With …
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The first good advice that most of us receive, regarding the running of an ultramarathon, is to “break it down” into manageable pieces. And good advice it is. Once the …
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At age 62, having just completed a grueling 100-mile mountain race in which he finished first in his age group, Fred Brooks died suddenly when his car crashed on an …
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There sat 17-year-old David Hedges, smack in the lead pack at the Twisted Branch Trail Run, a 100k race on the Bristol Hills Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail in …
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I had never been on top of a mountain before, which added to the excitement. Engineer sits at 12,972 feet in the San Juan National Forest in Southwest Colorado. It’s …
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Two days in a row I couldn’t find the trailhead I was looking for. The first day I wasted almost two hours driving around looking for one. When I parked …
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Here at UltraRunning, we get all sorts of race reports, and they have always been a key part of the magazine. Amongst our team, we read and edit each one …
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I’m not an avid reader of poetry, but the words in this Dylan Thomas poem have always resonated with me, and I think they express what I’ve done and what …
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Joe decided to throw a DNF party for Veronica, and I decided to sing her a song. When I told an old girlfriend what I was planning, she said, “But …
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By Chiara Nanni To be honest, I have never watched him run for more than a couple of seconds at a time. And that is because I don’t run. So …
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Long hours with sweat in my eyes, salt on my lips and the pain of the run have taught me a lot. As a high schooler in a town where …
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An ultrarunning adage says that after you start the sport, you improve for seven consecutive years. Your body and mind need that much time to figure it all out and …
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Running Times published an article earlier this year entitled “Is 100 Miles The New Marathon?” That made me smile—so the rest of the running world has finally found our crazy …
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Of all the important relationships in life, my relationship with the trails is one of the most complex and profound of all. Some days running the trail is like a …
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“Since when is running 40 miles in under 6 hours the mark of a failure?” my wife asked me — for about the fifth time. I didn’t respond. I was …
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What am I doing here? And why did I decide that this was the race to “go for it?” Now I just wish I were at home between my own …
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By Katrin Silva I enjoy running with music. I don’t do it all the time, and never while racing. But on days when weather conditions keep me off the trails, …
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Your great victories seldom make entertaining stories. What people want to hear about are your appalling errors and grievous miscalculations.
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When I was facing a huge life decision, my mom encouraged me to choose my destiny over my fate. I really didn’t know what she was talking about and when …
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A recent Wall Street Journal article looked at the use of marijuana to mitigate the challenges of ultrarunning and enhance performance. The point was that THC is a banned performance-enhancing …
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Ultrarunning is growing. Growth is good, but growth can be painful. With the rapid growth of trail ultrarunning, there is a confluence of forces: on the lands that support us; …
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As the years fly by, I’m increasingly appreciative of what I was once capable of, especially compared to what I’m able to do now. For years, I took what I …