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I got a sneak preview of Marshall Ulrich's new book, Running On Empty, which chronicles his extraordinary life and journeys in ultrarunning and adventure racing. Ulrich is the real deal - accomplishing any one of his jaw-dropping endurance exploits could provide lifetime bragging rights, but to do them all is simply stunning.

If you're like me, you primarily know Ulrich as the guy who had his toenails removed to proactively prevent toe issues (I once thought this was crazy, but post-100 miler, I am a bit jealous of his commitment). But there is so much more! He can win the Badwater 146 four times, then come back and run a self-supported 4xBadwater adventure. The Pikes Peak Marathon is fun, but not as fun as the Pikes Peak Quad (4x) or doing Pikes Peak and the Leadville 100 in the same weekend. He's competed in all nine Eco-Challenges, set the record for running across Colorado three times, reached the top of all Seven Summits including Everest, and the list goes on. Honestly, one book isn't enough to capture what Ulrich's eyes have seen.

As exciting as the accomplishments are, I found Ulrich's humbling account of his early years to be the best part of the book. One often wonders what drives a person to push the limits like he does, and he's very open about the combination of hard work as a teenage farm hand and the loss of his first wife to cancer that created a cauldron of energy that would push him into and through races, a marriage, and more. He took a nod from his heroes like Ted Corbitt, and just went for it. A quote that sums it up well:

"As for me, sure, there's an underlying compulsion: survivor's guilt and a need to punish myself, to prove myself, to face down my own mortality, to defy death. But my running is also a reflection of my upbringing, a work ethic, a personal challenge. My love of history gets interwoven, too - the feats of other people in other times - coupled with the alluring possibility that I might be able to go farther, faster, today."

A majority of the book chronicles his record-setting 3,000+ mile race across America that he did as the ripe age of 57. If you think the battles between runner and crew on a 100-miler are tough, this account is simply stunning. At one point the pain in his foot is so bad that he "disowns it" to move on, and friends come out of nowhere to crew when the politics heat up. He holds nothing back, including some behind-the-scenes notes on Charlie Engle that explain a lot about tension levels in the movie Running America. You live through it with them all day by day, see the thousands of things that would make a normal person quit, and tear up when he reaches New York City with hours to spare. It's hard to put this book down once you get going.

The appendices are also fascinating - training plans, food plans, and more. There is a lot here that I think many would enjoy, and highly recommend it. Pre-order now, or get at your local bookstore on April 14th.

This week I had the great privilege of getting a sneak preview of the book Mile Markers - The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run, by Kristin Armstrong, due out March 1st. I've been a big fan of hers for years, both as a friend and as an insanely talented writer, so I was thrilled to see that she had compiled some of her best blog entries into a deep and thoughtful tome full of insights, stories, and quotable moments. I was not disappointed.

This book wastes no time reflecting on the deeper side of running, and how this simplest of sports has helped build her character, a community of close friends, and an appreciation for anything life throws her way (which happens to be a lot). The chapter titles indicate the broad range of emotions of the journey - Friendship, Healing, Play, Body, Freedom, Identity, Confidence, Fear, Burdens, Peace, Purpose, Passion, Clarity, Balance, Roadblocks, Gratitude, and more.

My first thought was "chick book!" - way too many emotions about one subject for a dude. Even a dude like me, who can't possibly read or write enough about the subject of running. But her honest and humble narrative makes each topic approachable, and I found myself realizing I feel similarly, albeit not as openly, about many of the big questions she addresses. Her gift of writing often leaves me speechless, the silence reflecting my gratitude for the sagacity (yes, that's a word).

Her writing also leaves me face-planted on the ground on occasion. The true test of any book is whether it is insightful enough that I am distracted from my steps on my long trail runs, receiving a face full of dirt for my pensiveness (pensivicity?). Mile Markers is a two-digger read, I'm happy to report! The same question got me each time - "do all women runners feel this way?". If so, I feel like apologizing to all of you. I knew we were all in this for some adventure, fun and laughs, and connecting with nature, but my God, I didn't realize the cauldron of emotions that lie within constantly redefining and reexamining who you are. Kristin describes herself as a "mom, writer, and runner", but after reading this, I feel the commas do her (or any women for that matter) an injustice. Perhaps the word "MomWriterRunnerWomanFriendDaughterWarriorConfidantCoachTeammate" is a bit closer (take that, dictionary.com).

So if you want an insightful read, go pre-order this book (now available on Amazon.com for $9.89 for a limited time). And if you've forgotten to get a Valentine's Day gift (it's Monday!), there's nothing faster (or cheaper!) than a pre-ordered book to show you understand her sensitive side, be she friend or spouse. Believe me, you can't go wrong with this one.

A pre-ordered book AND a box of chocolates, that is. ;-)

Wow. I just finished the audio book of Unbroken - A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (author of Seabiscuit), and I think endurance athletes are going to love it. It's a biography of Louis Zamperini, a miler/5k runner who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as the youngest US athlete to make the team, and then went on to a life of staggering tests of courage and endurance like going to WWII, 47 days lost at sea, and years as a savagely abused prisoner of war in Japan. If you thought ultrarunning was hard, wait until you hear this insane story of survival.


This book baited me with stories of Zamp's troubled youth and how running helped pull him out, and the detail of every step is much like Hillenbrand's other books. It keeps for a brisk audio pace that makes for good commuting or treadmill running. I should warn you, however, that the dozen or so detailed chapters of his harrowing days in the POW camps are simply shocking. His main adversary, a POW Camp iron hand named "The Bird", was so scary he even showed up in MY dreams. On more than one occasion, I nearly tripped over my jaw as it hit the ground as the details of his torture went on and on with rich and vivid narrative. It shows you what real courage and persistence is.

This one is a keeper for sure. Put it on your list for all that winter treadmill running! Or you can just wait for the movie - Universal Studios has already bought the rights.

Here's a CBS special about him too (part 1 of 4):




On a side note, the story of Laura Hillenbrand making this book is also a tale of unique persistence and courage. She suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, and rarely makes it out of her house. Assembling this book took nearly 10 years.

I gotta tell ya, I'm a huge fan of Chris McDougall's new book, Born To Run. I just finished the audiobook on my iPod (expertly told by Patrick Lawlor), and all of the facts and characters are still swimming around in my head. Chris really did a phenomenal job of combining the history and unique lifeview of the Tarahumara indians, the experience of ultrarunning, the conspiracy of the multi-billion dollar running shoe industry, his personal experience fixing injuries with barefoot running, ultrarunning characters like Ann Trason, Scott Jurek, Barefoot Ted, Luis Escobar, the crazy antics of Jenn Shelton and Billy Burnett, all cumulating in "the greatest race the world has never seen". Chris is a total pro, and each chapter is packed full of facts, quotes, and antics that will get you laughing, thinking, and inspired to run. I think it's one of the best running books I have ever read.

This is definitely on the "must" list. If you're tapering down for States, get your long runs in vicaruously through this great read/listen! It's on sale at Zombie for $17.



And if you're out running, watch out for bears.

- SD