The Best of iRunFar in 2013

With all that’s happened in trail and ultrarunning this past year, it’s sure flown by, huh?! Along with racing coverage from around the world, we’re awfully proud of the content our ever-growing team of contributors has shared with you. Here are a few of our favorites.

…Okay, here are a LOT of our favorites. It wasn’t until we started compiling this (and after some of iRunFar’s editors and writers weighed in) that I realized the amazing wealth of articles iRunFar published this year and just how much the site has grown. If my math is correct, this is the 516th article we’ve published on iRunFar in 2013. Wow!

One last thing, thanks to all of you(!) who followed our race coverage, read our articles, and left great comments. It’s because of you–your running, your excitement about our sport, and this community–that we’re here. We’re excited about where 2014 will take us all!

General Editorial Content

Getting Heady

How to Enjoy? – Joe Grant tries to explain how to enjoy running.
The Head and the Heart – AJW tries to answer, “What do the voices in your head say to the voices in your heart?”
Mandatory Reading: Psychology of Gel Use – Evan Honeyfield exemplifies psychological frameworks… with gel-use concepts.

The Third Rails of Trail Running

Food – Clearly not afraid of any subject, Dakota Jones tackles the human diet.
Shoes and Minimalism – Dakota Jones leads a discussion on minimalist shoes, Born to Run, and trail ultrarunning. In 2014, we’re looking forward to his series on sex, politics, and religion.
Why Do You Have to Run So Much? – Leon Lutz wrote this touching letter to his children in response to their question.
Cupless Concerns – Geoff Roes raises the difficulty of balancing trail running, races, and environmental stewardship.

Real Good Writing

Matterhorn of the Gods – Vince Carter, Everest, Matterhorn, Kilian Jornet, Beowolf… all in Andrew Titus’s exquisitely written piece on the Matterhorn and its inspiration.
Things Done Changed – Willie McBride writes an excellent tale of (sorta’, but not really) a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run.

Potpourri

Western States Announces Changes – AJW puts it out there and the people take it, hook, line, and sinker… on April Fool’s Day.
The Rise of American Ultrarunning Speed – Nick Coury briefs us on the incredible resurgence in American ultrarunning on the road and track.
Running and the 10,000-Hour Rule – AJW looks at applying Malcolm Gladwell’s theory on achieving mastery.

Resources on Running

Overtraining and Getting Over It

Overtraining Syndrome – Part 1: An Overview; Part 2: Treatment and Prevention; Part 3: The Trail Ultrarunning Specifics – Joe Uhan’s seminal look at overtraining.
One Story of Overtraining – Geoff Roes gets specific on his ordeal with overtraining and its ongoing after effects.
Reigniting the Fire – Anna Frosts writes about how she got her legs back under her.

Injuries and Issues

Cramping My Style – A fresh look at the causes and cures of cramping while running.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – Stephanie Howe explains DOMS and its treatments.
When a Running Injury Is Not a Running Injury at All – Ellie Greenwood reminds us that our ‘running injuries’ might not be caused by running after all.
Navigating the Pain Trail: Concepts of Pain Physiology in Running Injuries and Tissue Sensitivity, Defusing the Threat – Joe Uhan explains all you need to know about running and pain.

On Training

Ultramarathon Training Volume – Ian Torrence takes a look at optimal ultrarunning training volume.
Ultrarunning Off-Season Considerations: Time Off & the Return to Training – Matt Hart helps us make the most of the off season.
Sleep and Running Performance – A look at optimal sleep practices for training, racing, and travel.

On Racing

Your Ultra-Training Bag of Tricks: Taking Control of Your Race – Ian Torrence looks at all the factors that go into racing and explains how to own them.
Your Ultra-Training Bag of Tricks: Troubleshooting on the Run, Part One, Part Two, and Part Three – Everything you need to know about dealing with in-race ultramarathon issues, from Ian Torrence.
Peak Performance and The Selfish Brain: The Central Governor and Its Role in 100-Mile Performance – From Joe Uhan. Title says it all.
Dreaded Stomach Issues – AJW takes off his Cloak of Sheehanism and talks dirty details of ultrarunning stomach issues.

The Personal: Interviews, Profiles, and Race Reports

Race Reports

How the West(ern) Was Won – Pam Smith details how she prepped for her Western States 100 win. She also wrote a stellar race report, Running Like a Porn Star.
On Believing: Meghan Hicks’s Marathon des Sables Race Report – Holy sh¡t, Meghan won MdS! Here’s her excellent report.
Bryon Powell’s 2013 Western States 100 Race Report – I DNFed. I wrote about it. Others enjoyed it.
Imagined Conversations: Dakota Jones’s 2013 UROC 100k Race Report – Dakota took second at UROC and then shares these humorous conversations (real and imagined) from the race.
The Fight: Nickademus Hollon’s Tor des Géants Report – Nick’s soul-bearing take on running Italy’s 200-mile monster of a race.
Sean Meissner and the Ultramaratón Caballo Blanco – Sean Meissner travels to Copper Canyon to run with the Tarahumara at the Ultramaratón Caballo Blanco.

Interviews and Profiles

She Went That-Away: The Rory Bosio Interview – Run Tramp helps us get to know Rory Bosio a bit better.
The Road Less Traveled: A Rickey Gates Interview – Run Tramp profiles trail running’s professional vagabond.
Rob Krar: In Pursuit of Speed, Smarts, But Not Superstition – Leon Lutz looks behind the beard to see who Rob Krar really is.
Zach Miller, 2013 JFK 50-Mile Champion, Interview – Zach Miller basically interviews himself in this hilarious introduction to this cruise-ship dwelling youngster.
Zeke Tiernan: On His Own Schedule – Meghan Hicks profiles Zeke Tiernan, his running obsession, and his choice to step away from racing for a year to spend time with his family. (He’s planning to race again in 2014, though!)

FKTs

Rob Krar’s Grand Canyon R2R2R FKT Report – Rob Krar destroyed the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim record… and lived to write about it.
Mike Wolfe and Hal Koerner’s John Muir Trail Supported FKT Report – Mike Wolfe shares the story of this duo’s struggles and triumphs.
Jez Bragg Completes 3,054-Kilometer Te Araroa Trail Expedition – Meghan Hicks brings Jez’s amazing journey to life.
Doing What She Most Wants To Do: Heather Anderson’s Pacific Crest Trail FKT – Meghan Hicks introduces us to ‘Anish’ and her incredible feat.

Gear

Shoes

Best Trail Running Shoes of Summer OR 2013 — A heads up on the best new trail running shoes of spring/summer 2014… most of which hit shelves in January or February.
Brooks Cascadia 8 — A review of the latest version in the standard of trail running shoes.
New Balance Leadville 1210 — New Balance’s answer to the Cascadia.
Altra Superior Review — A zero-drop, minimalist shoe… with cushioning and protection!
Pearl Izumi E:Motion Trail N1 Review — The spearhead of the Pearl Izumi trail running turn around. (The Trail M2 has also been well received.)
Salomon Sense Ultra Review — Salomon makes a more durable, slightly less expensive version of the groundbreaking Sense.
SCOTT T2 Kinabalu: A Shoe That Can Relate — The shoe that put SCOTT on the trail running radar.

Other

Suunto Ambit 2 and 2s Preview — A preview of the Suunto’s headline trail running products of 2013.
Mountain Hardwear Fluid Race Vest Review — At $60, the best value among the new breed of racing hydration vests.

Call for Comments

What were your favorite iRunFar articles of 2013?
What were your favorite on-camera interviews?
Which races did you most enjoy following on iRunFar?

Bonus: Best On-Camera iRunFar Interviews

Ok, each of these interviews is informative… and also hilarious in its own way. So, take a look and end your year with a laugh!