I actually think it would be harder to get away with cheating in most ultras because the fields are small and so many of the racers and volunteers know each other. While it's natural to be suspicious of individuals who have cheated in the past, that's on us either to be extra-vigilant or to otherwis...

Meanwhile, my alarm clock figured that today would be a good day to switch to Daylight Saving Time, and by the time I figured out what had happened, I was wide awake. That's so funny because that has happened to my parents before. I blamed it on them not having the clock set to the right country an...

14K in the cold blowing snow (-21 WC -31 SS=434). Meanwhile, my alarm clock figured that today would be a good day to switch to Daylight Saving Time, and by the time I figured out what had happened, I was wide awake.

"Loose shoes" aren't a good idea but you definitely want some space between your toes and the end of the toe box. A good-fitting model for you can give you this space while still feeling snug everywhere else in the shoe. Of note, this extra toe room is more of an issue with longer runs or ...

We're about 20 degrees too cold for rain here. 14K done, legs felt fresh from a rest day.

Short answer: from a fitness perspective, there is negligible difference between 5x8 and 4x10 and you should do whatever fits best with the rest of your life. More nuanced issues: - Do you have aspirations of improving beyond your current fitness, particularly at longer distances? If so, that will l...

Snow, wind, cold, and lots of hidden ice here for a very slow 20K that ended with a bonk (not the falling kind).

Shivery indeed: a gusty north wind with tiny snow pellets all on top of smooth ice from the week's thaw. 16K done, -12 WC -20.

(heaven help us all if that becomes a thing)

Gentle 14K recovery run.

I forewent an early morning run at -17 in exchange for some afternoon speedwork at -1. 3 x {2.15K threshold @ ~3:45/K + 2 min jog recoveries} for about 10K total. Not as strong as I'd like to be at this time of year with two months of hay in the barn, but if I can get to spring racing season with a ...

Sunny but too cold (-17 WC -22) for speedwork, so an easy 14K instead.

Loops aren't everyone's cup of tea but I wouldn't chalk it up to "laziness on the part of organizers" if it means that they can do a better job marking the course, managing the aid stations, and coordinating a finite pool of volunteers. Whenever I've raced looped trail races, I've apprecia...

14K in the cold (-17 WC -23). At one point, I was running northwest as the Sun was coming up and I saw another long shadow bouncing beside mine. One of my running buddies has been known to sneak up on me during morning runs, but when I turned around, it was a deer trotting a few seconds behind me (b...

A stiff winter wind and a stiffer achilles convinced me to check my ambition after 13K.

Habs4ever wrote:Why do short weeks always seem so long?

When this week is a break from the regular routine, it seems quite short.

14K done, chilly wind.

Sunshine here, although we did get some wet snow last night. 14K done, legs still tired from Monday.

Habs4ever wrote:Have a great 50k race Ian. I'm sure your pacee will appreciate your pacing efforts.

We negative split an ultra (?!), basically easy-ish pace (5:00/K), ending up around 4:13. The 42K mark was almost an unofficial marathon PB for him.

Damn right it's a thing, and if you don't like it...

The usual early morning 14K.

chunkymonkeymelonhed wrote:As Ian would say - it's as thing.

9K done.

I'd have been too lazy to add the extra "s". I think you're innovating...

(it's a sweet thing)

The usual 14K, lots of melt/freeze underway.

The usual 14K loop, spiced up by a couple 5 minute tempo surges when I ran through a pack of high-school phys-ed students.

Beautiful morning, 35K in the books.

16K in the warm sunshine.

-22 when I left, -14 when I got back. 14K done.

They did a 5000m version of this during a big track meet in Edmonton a few years ago. The racers were local sub-elites (one of whom I train with) while they had an elite Kenyan dressed up in a devil costume who tapped the last-place runner with a pitchfork at the end of every lap.