Over these past four weeks, I kept asking myself how the heck could I find time and energy to train at a peak level and get ready to run across the back country between Arizona and Utah. Then my mind sharpened its focus on the task of getting every detail of food and gear figured […]
Archive | Destinations
Getting Ready for the Grand to Grand: I Need to Be Committed
I’m getting serious about this training. With only about 37 days left, I’d better if I’m going to do it. I still say “if.” My hesitancy stems from three things: fear, guilt and injury.
What I Learned at Geoff Roes’s Alaska Mountain Ultrarunning Camp
What’s it like to spend several days in the mountains around Juneau at a champion ultrarunner’s camp, and how can it change you? It’s hard to describe how amazing it is, but I try.
Trying to Break the Busy Trap Through Summer Training and Travel
What happened to my running and state of mind the past two months? In this post, I take a deep breath and reflect. Also included: “Training for a Self-Supported Stage Race,” a reprint of a recent article on preparing for the Grand to Grand Ultra.
How to Train and Gear Up for Mountain Running and Fastpacking Adventures
This guest post by Karen Schwartz of Sage to Summit is useful for anyone planning a challenging mountain run or hike. Here’s what you need to do and take with you before heading out all day or many days in the wilderness. Plus, recommendations of trails to run in the Eastern Sierra.
Q&A with Rickey Gates on Trail Running, Traveling and Living the Dream
In a sport not lacking offbeat characters with exceptional endurance, Rickey Gates stands out. Trail running’s Kerouac-quoting, motorcycle-riding nomad with the serious ’stache and tangled tresses talks about mountain running, ultra distances, global travel and what inspires him.
The G2G Ultra: A Grand Adventure Is Calling
Seven days, 160 miles, Arizona to Utah, carrying my food and gear. Can I do it? I don’t know, but I do know I can’t pass up the opportunity to attempt and report on this amazing inaugural event.
Q&A with Running Stupid’s Ken Michal: How to be Happy on the Trail, All Day, No Matter What
Call me a “Stupidhead”–I’ve become a fan of Ken Michal and his podcast Running Stupid. Find out how he went from being an overweight smoker to one of the most likeable guys in the sport.
An “Adventure Marathon” in Argentina’s Lake District Lives Up to the Hype
Registration just opened for the November 17 Salomon K42 Adventure Marathon in Villa La Angostura, a picturesque village in the Lake District of Argentina. Here’s info on the event and my report from that magical, crazy day in 2009 when I traversed a peak in the Andes while racing it.
Running Ramage Peak and Discovering the East Bay’s Incredible EBMUD Trails
Many runners and hikers don’t know of or don’t use the treasure trove of East Bay trails maintained by EBMUD. Here’s what you need to know to run or hike on them—along with a guide to my favorite, Ramage Peak Trail.