What the heck happened to summer and to my running? My training totally fell apart as I experienced a double whammy of injuries and had to re-learn the importance of moderation and balance.
Archive | Training & Racing
Four Reasons to Race
Racing four very different races in a six-week period gave me a lot of time to ask “Why?” Why do I repeatedly register for something that sort of feels like taking a test? This post recaps the races and gives four reasons why.
In Awe of Ann Trason
The Trail Runner blog symposium prompt this month is, “Tell about someone awesome you’ve met through trail running.” A lot of runners think Ann Trason is more than awesome; she’s considered legendary because of her unparalleled accomplishments at the peak of her running career. But I think she’s awesome for what she’s doing now, and […]
Why I Hired An Omniscient Hardass Coach
I’m entering a new phase in my training: being coached. I hired Matt Hart three weeks ago to dictate how I run. We barely know each other, but, like Santa Claus (though not at all jolly or fat), he knows when I’ve been bad or good.
A Q&A with Scott Dunlap, Master Trail Runner & Blogger
Longtime trail-running blogger Scott Dunlap was named USATF Masters Ultrarunner of the Year in 2010, and has won Masters titles in the 10-mile, half marathon, marathon and 50k distances. Then he went and set a new marathon PR last month (2:44:35). He also has a very full career and family life. How does he do […]
Lake Sonoma 50 Race Report: It Worked!
It really mattered to me to have a strong, solid 50-miler this season to build confidence in advance of the 100-miler this September. If I had another inordinately difficult 50-mile effort, then I might pull the plug on the 100-mile-debut plan. This post details the key things that worked for me for the Lake Sonoma […]
Road Marathon vs. Trail Ultra: Which Is Harder?
The Oakland Marathon followed by a long run on Mount Diablo gave me an apples-and-oranges kind of comparison between road marathoning and trail ultrarunning, making me contemplate, which is “harder”? Which is better for me, and which do I like more?
Way Too Cool 2013 Race Report: A Few Crappy Miles, But Overall Just Right
I decided it was finally time to run Cool, which is widely viewed as the spring kickoff to the year’s ultra racing season. Could I make it a PR?
Comfort Running
Sometimes it’s important to shelve a rigorous training plan and use running simply for solace. Last month was one of those times for me. This is the story of how I said goodbye to my dad, and how running helped me through it.
Fateful Steps in 1995
Inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild, I look back at the year 1995 when I was 26. I understand more fully now why I got hooked on running and racing marathons that year: it gave me something my fizzling career didn’t.