Tag Archives | books about The West

5 Recommended Books About the West, Plus My Grandpa’s Ultra Report

By Sarah on October 31, 2017 in Destinations, Training & Racing

The summer, I read about the West to deepen my understanding of Colorado, California and states in between—their history, culture, politics and myriad pressures. Rest assured, these books are good reads.

Welcome

Sarah Lavender Smith is a long-distance runner, coach, mom and author of The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras. She publishes a weekly post, "Colorado Mountain Running & Living," at sarahrunning.substack.com. This older blog spotlights training advice, race reports, MUT (mountain/ultra/trail) stories, family travel and personal musings. Visit her business site to learn about her professional background. New to The Runner's Trip? Start here for a brief tour.

My Race Calendar

2022
Ventura Marathon, Feb. 27. Report.
Behind the Rocks 50K, Mar. 26
Desert Rats 50K (Fruita), Apr. 16
Miwok 100K, May 7
Durango Skyline 50K, June 4
San Juan Solstice 50, June 25
High Lonesome 100, July 22
Telluride Mountain Run 40M, Aug. 27
Hanging Flume 50K, Oct. 1

2021
Coldwater Rumble 100, Jan. 16. 3rd F. Report.
Behind the Rocks 50K, Mar. 27
Bears Ears Ultra 50M, June 26. Report.
High Lonesome 100, July 30. Report.
Telluride Mountain Run 40M, Aug. 28. Report.
Kessel Run Ultra 20M, Nov. 13. Report.

2020
Running Up for Air Grandeur Peak 12-hour, Feb. 21. 1st F, 13th overall. Report.
~~Behind the Rocks 50K, Mar 21~~ (cancelled)
"Skidola" inaugural winter hill-climb race, Mar. 13, 4th F
~~Lake Sonoma 50, April 11~~ (cancelled)
Aravaipa Strong Virtual Race, April 17 - 26, marathon division
~~Mauna to Mauna Ultra~~ ~~self-supported 250K stage race, May 17 - 23~~ (cancelled)
Limitless Vertical Challenge, May 25 - 31, Double Everest level. Report.
Rundola, Telluride's July 4 hill climb race. 1st age group, 8th overall. Report.
~~Pacing part of Hardrock 100 for Tina Ure, July 17~~ (cancelled)
Speedgoat 50K, July 25. Report.
~~High Lonesome 100, July 31~~ (cancelled)
~~Telluride Mountain Run 38M, Aug. 22~~ (cancelled)
Virtual Boston Marathon, week of Sept. 7
Ouray Mountain Trail Run half marathon, Sept. 26
Whiskey Basin 91K (56M), rescheduled to Nov. 7. 6th F. Report.
Dead Horse Ultra 50K, Nov. 21

2019
Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon, Feb. 3
Napa Valley Marathon, Mar. 3. Report.
Whiskey Basin 90K (56M) in Prescott, AZ, Apr. 13. Report.
Sasquatch Scramble Half Marathon in Redwood Regional Park of Oakland, Apr. 28. 4th F, 1st masters
~~Bighorn 100M in Dayton, WY, June 14~~ (did not start due to back injury)
Rundola 1.3M hill climb in Telluride, CO, July 4. 2nd age group
Silverton Alpine 50K, July 14. 1st age group, 9th F
Silverton Ultra 55K, Aug. 3. 1st age group
Imogene Pass Run in Telluride, CO, Sept. 7. 2nd age group
Grand to Grand Ultra 170M self-supported stage race around Kanab, UT, Sept. 22-28. 1st F, 10th overall. Report.
Dead Horse Ultra 50K, Moab UT, Nov. 16. 1st age group

Race calendar with links to reports, 2011 - 2018

My Bookshelf

Some good books I've read recently:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Exercised by Daniel E. Lieberman
The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Friend: A Novel by Sigrid Nunez
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Small Fry: A Memoir by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Running Home: A Memoir by Katie Arnold. See review.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail by Scott and Jenny Jurek
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
Nowhere Near First: Ultramarathon Adventures From The Back Of The Pack by Cory Reese

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