The Runner's Trip: Run Long, Travel Far, Discover More
trail running and travel blog by Sarah Lavender Smith
I thought about writing a race report on the Oakland Marathon but decided instead to spotlight 26 reasons why Oakland is a city that runners—and tourists—would love. Besides, I boiled my race report down to a haiku (click through to read the three-line poem).
I interviewed Born to Run author Christopher McDougall, who’s touring the country and talking about the barefoot running debate in advance of his paperback release. He opened up about his running, the experience of writing his bestseller, and his belief that the running shoe industry hawks a lot of “junk” that causes injuries. Here’s our […]
I was skeptical about whether it’s worth the time and effort to work yoga into my training routine. Then I took a six-week class with top Bay Area endurance runner Caitlin Smith, who’s back to winning races and training for the Olympic Marathon Trials after recovery from injury. In this interview and video, she demonstrates […]
The best-laid plans of runners oft go awry. The other day I studied the American River 50 Endurance Run website and had a minor freak-out because I felt woefully unprepared, under-trained, and uninformed about this race on April 9. Then I made a list of do’s and don’ts to get ready and banish the thought […]
In an extreme sport filled with athletes who keep redefining “extreme,” Lisa Smith-Batchen stands out as a superwoman whose accomplishments and setbacks chart a course as steep and painful as the ultras she won. She talks about running 50 miles in 50 states in 62 days, breaking her foot, and planning a comeback.
This guest post from a roving European runner spotlights the Fim da Europa, a 17K race where you can enjoy in a single day one of the best national parks in Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the westernmost European place.
If you identify with the symptoms of Post Personal Worst Disorder, a clinical form of post-race blues marked by dwelling on a lackluster performance and wallowing in loserdom, you might benefit from this perspective drawn from my time at the Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon.
Every race on these calendars presents an opportunity to take a detour and experience a little stretch of the country. If you plan to travel to a different region for business or vacation, then you might think about working one of these events into your itinerary.
Two words I’m loathe to utter: “I’m injured.” Acknowledging the pain, getting a diagnosis, and altering my training to manage it reminded me of five lessons I’ve learned repeatedly while developing as a runner for the past fifteen-plus years.
How does a fortysomething suburban working mom prepare to spend six days camping and running 155 miles through Costa Rica’s jungles and mountains? I found out by getting to know Tamara Buckley Johnson. She’s one of 67 runners doing the strenuous six-day Coastal Challenge Rainforest Run starting Jan. 30. She talks about why she’s doing […]