Not only did it deal with the very subject that occupied my mind at the time, it was just full of gripping stories. Reading the blurb alone will leave you in no doubt what the book is all about (“I’m 95 miles into a 100-miler…”); my wife took one look at it and could only mutter “and I thought you were bad.”

Neal Jamison may be listed as the author of the book, however virtually all of the content was provided by members of the ultra running community. It contains about 40 essays, all of them telling about personal experiences while running an ultra marathon. The mixture is intriguing, top stars like Tim Twietmeyer are listed right beside some less talented runners, but all of the stories are equally worth reading. You get a glimpse of the same event from more than one angle; e.g. the race director of one race describes his event, and a few pages later you come across a runner that partook in the same race. You can read two stories from a father/daughter combination, and there is a husband/wife angle as well.

I found it almost impossible to put this book down. The elite racer’s account of a famous win at Western States is just as fascinating as the failed attempt at the same distance by a different runner, who later questioned his decision to quit (and probably still does). This should be required reading for anyone who thinks about running more than 26.2 miles, but even runners who feel at home at much shorter distances should find this a very pleasurable read.

Among the runners of this year’s race will be our very own Running and Rambling Donald.

Anyone else?

Today’s video is an interview with a woman who is running this race for the second time. Tune in to learn what really motivates these runners to spend 23-60 hours of running through hell.

Tired of boring and dull race reports? Then you need to make your way over to The Run Down. This growing site with talented writers puts a whole new spin on race reporting. Currently the site recaps ultra-marathons (and only in California so far), but as the audience grows so to will the scope and variety of the reports.

Site excerpt: “In a way, I feel sorry for the lead runners. How many times do they have to say ‘looking good’ to half-dead zombies going the opposite direction? It’s really like telling a migrating salmon you know is going die to have a nice day. It doesn’t really make much sense, though I understand the good intention. Akos is the consummate professional but you know he sees some of us and thinks, ‘Maybe lawn bowling would be a good sport for you.’ Now, after also winning the Lake Hodges 50K, I wonder if Akos will be going for the San Diego Triple Crown by winning the San Diego 100. Being the big-purse sport that ultra running is, I’ve heard that winning all three ultras gets you a digitally re-mastered copy of ‘Howard the Duck.’ Wow, what motivation.”

Some recent races The Run Down has covered include:
PCT 50 Mile
Leona Divide 50 Mile
San Juan Trail 50K
Lake Hodges 50K

The Run Down may be entertaining, but it is also informative. It is a great stop to find out what REALLY happened at a race, and maybe to do a little research on an event you plan on running. There is nothing like doing a little homework and getting some laughs in the process!

Adventure Racing has it all—Trail Running, Mountain Biking and Kayaking in this Collegiate Championship.

No matter what your discipline, life is an adventure—go race!

Speaking of big events, right now there are 700+ people out in the heat and sand storms of the Sahara Desert running the 22nd Marathon des Sables or (literally) Marathon of the Sands (if you speak French, read all about it here). The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, 151-mile endurance race, requiring participants to carry all their own gear (except tents) in packs. Oh and temperatures routinely reach 120°F during the day. Plus, the race has strict water rations. Expect Sand. Lots of Sand. And yes, there really are more than 700 crazy people who take part in this event and pay over $3,000 US for the privilege.

Thanks to YouTube you can take a peek at last year’s Marathon des Sable.

Bon courage, mes amis!

Dean is by no means the only guy in the country who suffers from a certain version of lunacy that compels him to run in 100+ mile increments but he’s the only one I’ve met personally. For 2006 his shtick was to run 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 different states. When he got done with that and pondered the question, ‘what’s next?” he decided to run all the way home – from New York City to Marin County, Ca. He didn’t make it. On December 17th he wrote “Last month, in New York City, I made a fairly insane and irrational decision, to run across the country. Today, I made a very sane and rational decision, to go to the beach.”

Win some lose some – it’s nice to know he’s a mere mortal like the rest of us.

1. Extreme Ultrarunning is David’s Horton’s site. He is legendary in the world of ultrarunning and known for being the only American to ever complete the nearly impossible Barkley Ultra and setting the Pacific Crest Trail speed record (66 days – 2,659 miles).
2. Charlie Engle has a blog and website and is currently in the middle of running 4,000 miles across the Sahara Desest.
3. Krissy Moehl chronicals her running adventures in her personal blog. She is on fire and has set 4 course records this year, including the new women’s record at the grueling Santa Barbara 9 Trails last week.
4. Ever controversial Dean Karnazes has a blog, a website, and you can currently track him as he runs across the United States on the way back home from running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.
5. Known for a 7 year winning streak at Western States and a current 2 years streak at Badwater, Scott Jurek is a force to be reckoned with.
6. Stehpanie Ehret may only be 100 pounds (according to her site), but she was first overall (men & women) at the 2003 Javelina Jundred.
7. Photographer, runner and now race director – Luis Escobar’s site is called All We Do Is Run
8. Peter Bakwin is Stephanie Ehret’s husband and recent finisher of the impressive double Hard Rock.

That is the list I have come up with. Who am I missing? It’s hard to determine who is considered “elite” in ultra running circles. I tried to stick to well known names and runners who finish in the top 5 or 10 of their races. I’m sure I’ve missed some. A listing of some ultra runners web pages can be found here.

Related Articles

1. 25 Celebrity Marathon Runners
2. Blogs by Elite/Famous Runners Courtesy of Runner’s World
3. Runners on MySpace
4. Elite/Famous Runner Web Sites

The speaker, Neil Runions, was one of three Canadians chosen to compete in the event. Runners must apply to this event and are chosen based on minumum qualifications—officially finishing a 100-miler, running history, training, health and several other factors.

The race has a cut-off time of 60 hours. Finish in 60 hours or less and you get a medal. If you finish in under 48 hours, you get the medal and a cool belt buckle. Neil finished in just under 43 hours. He went through 4 pairs of runners and survived with only a couple of blisters. He had a 2-vehicle, 4-person support team. No aid stations are provided during the race, rather, each entrant must provide their own support team which must consist of a minimum of two people.

The article, “Veterans Triumph at the 135-Mile Kiehl’s Badwater Ultramarathon,” by Chris Kostman, offers some interesting details and facts about the race.

Of course don’t forget to check out the news section or the great photos and more in the downloads section. Checking out this site might just give you a new goal to train for … or not.

Got a Web site you would like featured, leave a comment with the details.

Eyes intently focused, a black wool cap pulled down over his head, Mike Pierce jogged in a steady rhythm. His rituals were typical for a distance runner—until he passed pallets of frozen unbaked pies and sweet red pepper pesto and a thermometer whose red hand pointed to minus-2 degrees.

This story in today’s Los Angeles Times reminds us of what it’s really like to be cold—and committed to a goal.

Pierce is training for the Antarctic Ultra-Marathon, a 62.1-mile race to be contested in December in perhaps the world’s harshest climate. There being few places in his hometown of Encinitas to simulate the conditions he will face, Pierce trains an average of two days a week in a commercial freezer tucked away in an industrial park near the 805 Freeway.

He trains in a commercial freezer. In an industrial park.

I am never complaining about anything again.