Category Archives: Racing

My favorite shoes

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I have always felt one of the beauties of running is the lack of required gear. Feel inspired, step outside, go. Unless we’re running barefoot and naked, which some of us nuts are, we require only simple clothing and shoes. I’ve commented some in previous posts about shoes I’ve raced with, but I’m frequently asked what shoes I wear for training. I’ll comment again on both. Here’s the scoop.

Most of us don’t have the exact same biomechanics side to side, which is also true for me. I am a strong supinater on one side and a neutral pronater on the other. I alternate a bit from a neutral cushion shoe to a mild stability shoe when training on the roads. For optimal performance on the trails I feel it’s important to run with a lower profile shoe without as much consideration to pronation and supination, unless severe, as the foot and ankle are continually adjusting to the varied terrain. Continue reading →

“Extreme Running”

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I recently received a copy of a new book featuring select endurance running events on all seven continents. “Extreme Running” is beautiful. The photography says plenty on its own. From the top of the world to the bottom, it captures the “extremes” in foot races- from the hottest to the coldest, the wettest to the driest, the highest to the lowest. Beauty everywhere. In addition, authors Kym McConnell and Dave Horsley capture the human spirit through the athletes’ experiences.

As well as making for a great coffee table book, it’s a way to travel from the living room, gaining inspiration to explore new environments and cultures, something I value greatly. When we travel and race in “extremes,” we explore inward, the ultimate journey.

Season finale & beyond

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Coming off of a spectacular season filled with new adventures, tough competition, successes, lessons, and a couple of bizarre traumatic injuries, I’ve decided to call it a year. Having been eager to try a 24 hour race for the unique ability to “race” against all other previous 24 hour runners, I had been thinking I’d make my first attempt at Across the Years this 31st of December. However I usually take at least four weeks off this time of year to recover mentally and physically and quite frankly I feel like doing just that right now rather than waiting until January to do so. Continue reading →

NYC Men’s Marathon Trials

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Tomorrow, Saturday November 3, is the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Men’s Marathon. More than 130 Olympic hopefuls, the fastest field in history, will start at Rockefeller Center at 7:35 AM, run through Time’s Square, and continue with five loops of Central Park. Usually a small-field, stand-alone race, I’m envious of anyone there to watch it before Sunday’s NYC Marathon. But the event will be broadcast live on NBCSports.com. I’m not going to miss that!

Yiannis Kouros on DVD

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Recently I had the opportunity to view the documentary “Forever Running” which chronicles the life and running pursuits of the legendary ultramarathoner Yiannis Kouros. While including archival race footage and interviews with Yiannis in his home, at work, and while training, Yiannis shares with us his upbringing, historical events, and inspirations that led him to amazing feats of endurance. Over the past thirty years Yiannis has set many world records that may, in his own words, last for centuries. His records span from the 200K to the 10 Day distances. These include his spectacular marks which no one has come near for the 24 Hour road at 290.2 km and 24 Hour track at 303.5 km (188 miles, 7:38/mile)!

Having great respect and admiration for this great Greek runner, I feel he is an inspiration for all runners aspiring to explore the depths of their endurance and inner abilities.

“Forever Running” is available for the first time in the US and can be purchased online through ZombieRunner.

My 2007 Spartathlon race report

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The award ceremonies are over and most runners are back home following another successful running of an event we’ve come to know as Spartathlon. This year’s event was extra special being the twenty-fifth anniversary. But it was also an emotional one due to the disaster of forest fires that just a few weeks earlier brought enormous devastation to Greece, including the Peloponnese Peninsula where the race runs through. Nearly 500,000 acres were burned and the fires took 65 lives. Although the affect of the fires was felt by the runners and event organizers, the spirit and celebration of the race was alive and well. I’d like to make special note to the German runners who raised 10,000 euro for aid relief as well as point to a link on Daily Frappe with more information and links to numerous ways of helping.

BubbleShare: Share photos – Halloween contest

Continue reading →

2006 Spartathlon video & race report

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In making final preparations for Spartathlon, which starts the morning after next, I took a look back at last year’s video of the race for inspiration. I also dug up the report I wrote for UltraRunning Magazine and took a look back at the photos taken by Glenn Tachiyama.

Spartathlon: A Journey of History, Culture, & Peace
by Scott Jurek (story reprinted here was originally published in UltraRunning Magazine) Continue reading →