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TNF 50 Mile Race Report: Reflections on pacing, nutrition, training, and a lot more

By Andrew Skurka / December 8, 2014 /

It almost certainly will not be another four years until I race again. But overtime my recollection of The North Face 50 Mile Championship will change: I’ll forget the finer details, and my reflections will be influenced by future developments and conversations. So my race report is meant to be as instructive to me as…

Gear List — The North Face 50 Mile Championship

By Andrew Skurka / December 3, 2014 /

The North Face 50 Mile Championship is now just three days away. I began thinking about the clothing, footwear, and equipment that I would use months ago, giving me ample time to obtain, test, and familiarize myself with different options during my ultra running training. And now that I have a good sense for race…

Reminder: Reddit “Ask Me Anything” tonight at 6 pm MST

By Andrew Skurka / December 3, 2014 /

A quick reminder about tonight’s AMA at 6pm MST (8pm EST, 7pm CST, 5pm PST). Here is the thread. Please tune in and participate. If you do not have one already, you will need a Reddit account to submit questions.

Pace charts for TNF 50. And how everyone starts too fast.

By Andrew Skurka / December 2, 2014 /

The two weeks before a big race can be challenging in the enforced inactivity. Between mid-October and mid-November I ran about 14 hours per week on average, but during my taper for The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championship this weekend I’m running less than half that, creating a lot of free time. However, I have found it…

Metabolic Efficiency Testing: Explanation and motivations

By Andrew Skurka / November 30, 2014 /

Tomorrow I am having tested my “metabolic efficiency” by Dina Griffin of eNRG Performance in Denver. In this post I will explain the concept and its relevance for backpackers and runners. In a second post, I’ll share my results. What is Metabolic Efficiency? Our bodies rely primarily on two sources of energy: Carbohydrates Fat Carbohydrates are most quickly…

Reddit “Ask Me Anything” event: December 3 at 6 pm MST

By Andrew Skurka / November 20, 2014 /

I’ll be hosting an Ask Me Anything event on Reddit — December 3rd at 6pm. Questions about gear, skills, trails & locations, lifestyle, and future plans will probably be the most common, but ultimately it’s driven by those who tune in, so please do! The thread will be located here: http://www.reddit.com/r/WildernessBackpacking/ You’ll need a Reddit account to participate,…

7 hours, 20 minutes: a realistic goal for 50 miles based on training runs?

By Andrew Skurka / November 3, 2014 /

Before every high school cross-country and track meet, my coach Frank Mooney gave each runner an index card with a goal time and suggested splits written on it. A goal time was meant to be challenging but within reach on a good day, and the suggested splits helped us stay on track through the start,…

MYOG: Bipod shooting sticks for hunting using trekking poles

By Andrew Skurka / October 27, 2014 /

Background I never go on a serious hike without trekking poles. With them, my arms can help propel me forward and upward, and brake on descents, rather than my legs bearing all of the load. Also, poles give me extra stability on rocky, rooty, sandy, muddy, icy, and snowy ground. Needless to say, my backpack…

Top tips: Efficient backpacking trip planning, preparing, & packing

By Andrew Skurka / October 23, 2014 /

The first year I offered guided backpacking trips and courses in 2011, preparations for them were disastrously inefficient. My systems were nicely refined for solo thru-hikes, but I learned that groups of up to 10 clients for 3, 5, or 7 days at a time entail much more: more logistics, more food, more group equipment,…

How I’m training for a 50-mile ultra marathon trail race

By Andrew Skurka / October 22, 2014 /

Six weeks from this Saturday, I’m racing The North Face Endurance Challenge GORE-TEX 50-Mile in California’s stunning Marin Headlands. I ran this same race in 2010, a few months after the Alaska-Yukon Expedition, and it will be my first ultra marathon since. With $30,000 in prize money for the top 3 male and female finishers, this…