NYTimes-The Human Body is built for Distance

Great article from the NYTimes Well Blog found by my friend Eddie Knapp. If you are a runner and have not read "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall you should as this book gets to the essence of why we run and why it is so elemental to humans. These insights into why we were Born to Run are helping me get back to the basics of running: run for fun, simpler shoes, and varied surfaces. The

Mid Mountain Trail: Park City UT

One of my favorite all time trails and Runner's World thinks so too as their October 2009 trail of the month Totally run able or easy walking as it really does stay pretty close to "level" . Start at Deer Valley at about 8000 feet and end at the Canyons at about 6600 feet. The whole trail is actually 30 plus miles if extended to Pinebrook. The Mid Mountain Marathon in September every year is a

"Plodders Have a Place but is it in a Marathon?"-NYTimes

A provocative article in the NYTimes about slow marathoners. I believe that with training most people who do not an obvious handicap or are advanced in age, can Run a marathon in under 5 hours. It is great that the participation is 3X since 1980 ... while average times are getting slower, 40 plus minutes slower. While slow is fine, I do question if it is really wise or healthy for some to

Trail Running Technique

From the June Inov-8 Newsletter. Inov-8's have been my favorite trail shoes for several years due to their nimble trail feel climbing and descending."Guide to Trail Running: TechniqueTrail running requires a better sense of running technique than running on the roads. Try to stay light on your feet as if you are running over eggshells. Relaxing your body improves form and technique more than

ClifBar Shot Blocks-It's all in the Packaging

Clif Shot Bloks used to come in a square package. Open and with sweaty hands instant sticky mess. Now they are packaged in cello tube, squeeze one out a time. The Bloks also don't seem to be as greasy on the surface when damp.3 flavors have caffeine: Cola, Black Cherry, and Orange. 1 flavor has extra sodium: Margerita. I prefer the Black Cherry. I find Bloks easier to handle than gels for

Atlas Run Snowshoe

I have been snowshoeing and running for over 30 years and I have never found a snowshoe which I could comfortably run without thinking I had wide obstacles to trip over at every stride. The new running/racing snowshoes such as the Atlas Run solve this problem. Of course they do not have a tremendous amount of float over deep snow but for groomed trails or harder pack with the potential for post

GoLite Hydro Speed 2 Bottle Belt

Until I got the Hydrospeed I struggled with a comfortable way to carry more than one water bottle but less than a 70-100 oz bladder while running 2 hours or more. Belt bladders were uncomfortable and even one bottle in a all the belts I tried tended to bounce. The key to the Hydro is a thin and relatively stiff foam on the back and the angle of the bottles which rest well and steady and also

Patagonia Wool 1 T-Shirt

One does not often associate T-shirts with incredible technology but the Wool 1 is such a case. Somehow they have blended wool and polyester into a very light T-shirt which wicks like none other I have ever tried. Wool handles the temperature regulation and the poly strength and wicking. Stays mostly dry when exercising, far dryer than any other material I have tried. Light enough for running in