Athletes

Setting a Fastest Known Time (FKT) can be an awesome adventure because you can make it your own thing with a personal approach. Unlike during a race there is no fixed time or date to start and there are no aid stations at fixed locations. You can create a plan that looks best to you personally. This can be challenging because it can take a…

I have always enjoyed the idea of developing and testing product. We wear it for so many miles, day after day. We want it to be right. To feel ‘that’ rub or the need for a pocket bigger, smaller, higher, etc. But this hasn't been the usual year of product use and testing for me. We have a firecracker of a baby. She doesn't really…

Weather is arguably the single most important aspect of a successful and enjoyable adventure in the mountains.  That’s because the weather in the mountains is more inclement and volatile: thunderstorms are more severe, winds blow stronger, and snow piles up higher. Weather can showcase the beauty of the mountains and can also make for a miserable experience for the unprepared. But what’s the reason for…

I had the opportunity last week to set the female unsupported fastest known time (FKT) on the magical Kalalau Trail in Kauai. The trail is a mind blowing, technical out and back shoreline bonanza that covers a little over 20 miles with around 9,500 feet of climbing. It begins at the island’s most northern point at Ke’e beach and continues onto the turnaround point at…

If you're a runner and your only activity is running, this is my "how-to" and "why" guide to cross training. As an ultrarunner myself, I absolutely include cross training in my regimen. As a coach, it’s essential to include cross training built into my athlete’s programs too. It should be in good proportion to the athlete’s strengths, base, as well as goals and race distances. For…

Like most runners, if someone asked me if I enjoyed a good challenge I’d say “of course!” without a second thought. However, if I would have given that answer a few years ago, that answer wouldn’t always hold true. If fact, that answer only held up when I had come up with the challenge myself and everything went right. If it was an unexpected challenge…

When the world's best runners gather in Chamonix each August, it can only mean one thing: Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). In the season finale of the adventure running and travel series "Run Around the World," UD ambassadors Jason Schlarb and Merejune Edwards (and son Felix) come together to attempt a career-best result at UTMB. With a fourth place on his resume, could Jason…

As athletes when asked "what's your favorite social media platform," many of us would excitedly reply: Strava. It's social (you can like and comment on athletes' posts), it's utilitarian (it's a digital training journal), and it's motivating to be able to follow the best athletes in the world right alongside your local friends in your feed. Many UD ambassadors have impressive digital trophy cases so we asked…

Late last fall something bit me. It didn’t hurt, but rather it fired me up. The previous two running season (2017 and 2018) were really good ones for me that included lots of steep and mountainous100-milers. I seem to do pretty well at this kind of event and was pleased to record wins, or top-5 finishes, at races like Hardrock 100, Orcas Island 100, Bighorn…

UD Ambassador Ashleigh Thompson is a trail runner, PhD student and member of  Miskwaagamiiwi-zaaga’igan (Red Lake Anishinaabe Nation). Ashleigh is committed to telling the stories of Native culture and sharing Indigenous perspectives, particularly on running. This story covers intergenerational trauma – an unfortunately too common affliction affecting Indigenous peoples – and how running has helped break the cycle in her family. “Do you think Alta will have a lift open…