“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings recognized his conflict with convention and fully embraced the fundamental American value of individualism, stretching the soul to cover enough space in this world to resist getting lost in mediocrity or someone else’s dreams. This proclamation of uniqueness and the call […]

In some circles, it has become taboo to declare that men and women are biologically different. Acknowledging this fact is not an assertion that one is inherently superior, nor is it a dismissal of the grand overlap of traits between them. Both sexes evolved together and have varying skills and social strategies based on reproductive […]

All communities, from ants to the digital sphere, depend on a system of rules and only remain functional as long as its constituents adapt and maintain regularity. These are complex groups that exhibit cooperation and dynamic behavior that result in structure, replication, and progression. The community of ultra-runners is relatively new, though many of its […]

As athletes, we tend to obsess about our sport and how our training is progressing, or even how our personal workload compares to others’. We plan, log, sweat, fuel, and prepare. Sometimes this leads us to invest too much in the available numbers; we ignore fatigue and feel ashamed if heart rate or power falls […]

      Inside Trail Racing (ITR), Northern California’s premier trail-running event company, announced today their partnership with compression outfitters, OS1st. For all of 2018, ITR will be issuing OS1st compression socks and sleeves as awards and giveaways at each event; base-layer compression gear will be used by members of the ITR racing team. The union will […]

Humans are infatuated with differences. At first face, it appears we are unique in awarding prizes to exceptional talent and ability. We note the performances that are striking in how unusual, influential, and precise they are. Likewise, we herald the performer as being a creative or athletic idol, someone to whom we should aspire, a celebrity […]

Written by Christopher Thomas Round 3 – NorCal 100K Grand Prix Quicksilver 100K 62.2 miles – 13,000’ e.g. Quicksilver Park – San Jose, CA Here we are one more week and it’s over. There are only three of us left out of seven who started, Stacie Riddle and Satpal Dalal. This is what the last […]

Written by Christopher Thomas Round 2 – NorCal 100K Grand Prix Miwok 100K 62.2 miles – 12,000’ eg Stinson Beach – Marin Headlands, CA Coming off my big run at Canyons I was not sure how my body would react. My coach, Bob Shebest of Point Positive Coaching continually told me trust in the process, […]

Written by Christopher Thomas Round 1 – NorCal 100K Grand Prix The Canyons 100K 63.6 miles – 15,000’ eg Western States Trail – Foresthill, CA Canyons is deemed as one of the hardest 100K courses in California did not disappoint. At 15,000’ of elevation gain including Devil’s Thumb about 1,600’ in a little over a […]

The Woodside Ramble this past weekend elicited a few inquiries about Lance Armstrong’s participation last year. Some were hopeful to race against him while others were looking for a photo or story. Days prior to the race we were asked about our position regarding anti-doping policy and if the experience of allowing a former doper […]

You arrive at a race and find yourself engulfed by runners bouncing like boxers, lunging around the parking lot, trotting down the road to bring blood to the muscles, and then you spot them. They are deliberate and methodical in their approach. They appear confident and convinced of their routine. You may even feel as […]

As the year comes to a close and the holidays are thrust upon us with glittering urgency, like many Americans during this time, I feel anxious, exhausted, and even a little unrestrained. The pressure of tradition and social obligations, along with the general hum of unrelenting responsibility make what is supposed to be a joyous […]

Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. Similarly, they are told with emphatic confidence that they can be anything they imagine, and they can be the best. While it is important to encourage every youngster to dream and pursue goals, it is also false that every one of us […]

Exercise is good for you, but there can be severe consequences in demanding too much from a body designed for moderation. As more insight and research is conducted in the field of exercise physiology, old ideas are discarded and the public gets to feast over new controversies in data while the verdict is still out. […]

The internet is bustling with articles and news flashes about the grand importance of sleep, and how without it we experience shrinking hippocampi (which leads to impaired memory), weakened immune system, depression, irritability, digestive issues, along with other deleterious consequences. In a world that is so connected, so buzzing with information, this need for sleep […]

Bishop High Sierra 100k Race Report By Luke Garten The Bishop High Sierra race was very close to being a race of the past. The original race director was retiring from taking the heavy work load so the race was open for someone new to take on the responsibilities. I tried to not get too excited about […]

How Thoughts Influence Performance: An Overview by Tanya DavisUnlike most other animals, humans have a high level of consciousness which imparts both positive and negative consequences on our performances in just about everything. Our brain, though genetically and structurally similar to other animals, can actually plan parties, hold grudges, categorize ourselves and others, dwell on […]

La Sportiva Helios by Luke Garten To start this review I would just like to say that I was not given these shoes in order to write a positive shoe review. This is my honest opinion of this shoe.  I have been wanting to write this review since September 2013 after my first couple of […]

When nailing down nutrition and balancing athletic training programs, it is best to view our bodies in the most basic physical form: a colossal colony of cells, genes, and foreign strands of DNA. Genetic activity — turning genes on and off; locking them in with changes in environment — is part of our adaptability and […]

Part I “You are what you eat”: a familiar maxim that has been frequently broadcast in popular health publications. The truth to this declaration is that our cells are directly affected by the quality of the foods we consume. A doughnut laden with Trans fats and fructose will introduce aluminum into the cells and cause […]

Woodside Ramble 50K – Trail Jealousy Luke Garten I had the pleasure of running the Woodside Ramble 50k on a beautiful spring day last weekend. It was yet another great race put on by Inside Trail Racing. This is the second time I have been able to come to these great trails to race. The […]

There are many discomforts a runner can experience during training and racing. Usually it involves the gastrointestinal system, and sometimes, it can be quite embarrassing. Most of us have encountered some form of GI distress during a run and have taken steps to remedy the cause so we don’t have another discomfiting moment. The cause […]

After hours of sleep or sitting at a desk, the most common action upon standing is to stretch. The muscles are relaxed and have experienced decreased blood flow as there is less demand for strong circulation while immobile. Stretching helps to stimulate circulation and bring newly oxygenated blood to the tissues. The heart rate increases […]

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with founders of Tailwind Nutrition, Jeff and Jenny Vierling. The company is a grassroots venture that is morally invested in their product and committed to serving the athletic community an optimal nutrition solution. I was excited to plow right to the core of why Tailwind is a superior […]

I’ll admit it: I like to restrict calories. Well, I don’t “like” to restrict calories, I do it because I’m neurotic and obsessive and a perfectionist, and I want to be an ideal weight in fanciful hope of delivering a speedy, flawless performance. Too many calories would mean I’d put on weight which would hamper […]

Getting race-day nutrition balanced is a science, and because we don’t all have our own personal physicians, chemists and nutritionists locked away in our medicine cabinets, it takes quite a bit of trial and error to find the optimal arrangement. The following are some general guidelines both men and women can adhere to as a […]

Mother Earth, Venus, Triple Goddess, protector, siren: women are temptresses and nurturers. It is not a duplicity but a congruency that is imperative to our spirits and our ability to provide, strengthen, and guide. Women should have the dignity to uphold this duality and claim their status as the fierce Empress–she does not submit to […]

As our waist sizes increase and our rear-ends flatten under the weight of a sedentary body, you’d think that the existence of endurance/ultra sports would be threatened.  Apparently, sitting like a lump on a log is only a fraction of the story and demands further scrutiny.  It is true that most Americans do not participate […]

Americans are obsessed with status, acknowledgment/approval, comfort and excess. Acknowledgment isn’t limited to Americans, that is a very human motivation and a colossal incentive for progress. Status and excess are also desired by other peoples, though it is typical of American culture and something that we are defined by. It then isn’t a surprise that […]

Photo courtesy of Jesse Jay Jimenez, 2013 Chris began 2013 with a near 2-week running respite, primarily to recover after a New Year’s Eve 24-hour run–pamper and provide some muscular rehabilitation after having had a heavy racing season in 2012 which included winning the ITR racing series. With renewed enthusiasm, he decided to ease back […]