The Runner's Trip: Run Long, Travel Far, Discover More
trail running and travel blog by Sarah Lavender Smith
I have run many 10Ks but none quite like the European XC Challenge in Ventura, the inaugural event by an eco-conscious upstart company called Compete Green. I signed up to walk the talk (or better, run the talk) of this blog’s message to keep improving and to cultivate meaningful experiences as a runner by trying […]
Every race on these calendars presents an opportunity to take a detour and experience a little stretch of the country. If you plan to travel to a different region for business or vacation, then you might think about working one of these events into your itinerary.
Two words I’m loathe to utter: “I’m injured.” Acknowledging the pain, getting a diagnosis, and altering my training to manage it reminded me of five lessons I’ve learned repeatedly while developing as a runner for the past fifteen-plus years.
How does a fortysomething suburban working mom prepare to spend six days camping and running 155 miles through Costa Rica’s jungles and mountains? I found out by getting to know Tamara Buckley Johnson. She’s one of 67 runners doing the strenuous six-day Coastal Challenge Rainforest Run starting Jan. 30. She talks about why she’s doing […]
Bart Yasso has what many would consider a dream career. His title is Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World (how cool is that?). Over three decades at the magazine, he became a high-profile and well-liked ambassador for the sport, getting paid to travel and run races in remote areas all over the world. When I […]
Imagine living in rain-ravaged Queensland, Australia. Would you keep your commitment to run if you lived in those conditions? Ultrarunner Andy Bowen of Noosa, Queensland, is sticking with his training plan even if he has to build an ark to reach land to run on. He offers good advice for dealing with drenching conditions.
At around the same time I lost my snowshoes, I discovered a traction device even better for snow running: Kahtoola Microspikes. They’ll let you run on icy and snowy trails as naturally and easily as running on a dry road. Check out this video post.
The Epiphany Ultra is more like a loosely organized escapade than a race. I wondered again, “Why am I doing this?” No answer came. Epiphanies take time.
Maybe you, too, dream of a running- and adventure-oriented trip to New Zealand in 2011 or ’12. When I hear Americans talk about New Zealand, they tend to focus on the South Island, so I decided to spotlight a fabulous Kiwi destination and event on the North Island instead: Rotorua and the Tarawera Ultramarathon.
I love to travel but hate to fly. Thankfully, I found a person to help me cope with my irrational fear (but is it really irrational?) that I’m going to fall out of the sky.