I’ve read too many boring ultra running blogs. The ultra marathon is a crucible that demands reverence and contemplation. These events are where I go to unlock something new of myself, to learn something. I explore my mind and body and I return to society a more thoughtful person.
Sometimes the thoughts are good, sometimes they’re stormy.
I want to give you a glimpse inside those sometimes good, sometimes stormy thoughts.
With this ultra running blog, I want to take you with me into the heart of my ultra marathon journey: the blood, sweat, tears, and laughs that make up this strange adventure sport.
You won’t read much about race stats or course details, and I may not stuff my race photos throughout these posts (okay, maybe a few), but I hope my ideas and musings are enough to make you think. Perhaps they’re enough to make you act. Putting these words down in the following posts has changed my life, and I look forward to impacting yours.
Welcome to the Wicked Trail.
PS. If you like our ultra running blog, check out our favorite books for ultra marathon runners and shop our inspirational prints.
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Ultra Running Blog: Recent Posts
Ultra Running Matters
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Dukkha: Ultra Running Philosophy
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Kill Comfort
I write this on day 2 of a 3 day juice fast. Just raw, cold-pressed juice for 3 days. It’s...
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Unsympathetic Discomfort
I think I'm pretty tough. You probably think you're pretty tough. I train intentionally, eat for performance, and structure my...
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55 Ultra Running Quotes Every Runner Must Read
These are our favorite ultra running quotes. Authors, explorers, and--of course--ultra runners themselves have offered their wisdom and perspective to...
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Stranded on a Desert Island
It's a silly, simple question. No, it's more than that. It's a question that has tugged at my mind, manipulated...
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White Knuckles
The blue sky turned grey, the concrete turned to ice, and our wandering eyes, exploring the Virginia mountainsides, turned to...
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The Timing of Chaos
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Torture Your Faults
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Ask Yourself One Question
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Don’t Uber Through Life: An Ultrarunner’s Reflection
At mile 70, I said I'm done. I didn't want to go on. The race hadn't gone the way I...
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Instinct For Meaning: My Journey to 100 Miles
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3 Lessons of a 100 Mile DNF
I was 8 minutes shy of the 30-hour cut off. It was not how I imagined finishing my first 100...
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Afraid to Run That Ultra Marathon?
Fear is a jester. He dances around the hall of greatness and mocks passersby, planting doubts and insecurities in the...
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My Dirty Hat
“I thought about buying a new hat, a fresh and clean one, but it wouldn’t be the same. It’s my...
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So Long, And Thanks For The Suffering
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Shawn Livingston: Be Somebody’s Pacer
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Victims Die Slow
Casting Call The Victim strolls through life, uninhibited by his own tragic state, unaware of the folly of his existence....
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Bleed For It
It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and watch it all go by. I’ve done it. You’ve done it. People...
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Cape Cod 50K: A High Five and a Seashell
Written By Michael MoranCape Cod 50K: A High Five and a Seashell By the time I reached mile 28 of...
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Synthetic Trance
Written By Erik Hamilton Back in my day --because all good stories begin this way-- I was a child of...
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Ultra Runner Candice Burt: Read the Fine Print
Mile 92 When I reached mile 92 of my first 100 mile race, the Burning River 100, I was told...
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Creation Trail
I smell the trees and taste the sun. Have you ever tasted the sun? The hairs on my arms stand...
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Barbed Wire
Written By Scott Waldrop Scott has completed numerous ultra marathon distance races (including a Badwater 135 finish and an Arrowhead...
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Grounded By Home Trails
Written By Michael MoranI’m not lost. I’m grinding to the top of a pine-lined logging road, only 2 miles from...
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![My Top 3 Ultra Marathon Tips [Mental Hacks]](https://wickedtrailrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ultra-Marathon-Tips-and-Tricks-Hack-Your-Mind.png)
My Top 3 Ultra Marathon Tips [Mental Hacks]
My Three Tips and Tricks for ultra marathoners The top three Tips and Tricks I used in the beginning of...
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My First DNF: Umstead 100
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Let’s Cut Back On Tolerance
There are moments in a person’s life when he or she says, “Why am I tolerating this?” He knows he...
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You DNF Months Before Your Race
When you toe the line for your first ultra marathon, or any race after, there will be someone running with...
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Run 100 Miles With No Pain
If a person hasn't experienced physical pain in union with mental and emotional pain, an ultra marathon could be a...
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Bel Monte 50 Mile Race Report
We didn't expect snow, and we didn't expect my sister's SUV to be anything less than AWD, but (just like...
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5 Things Your First Ultra Will Teach You
You've signed up. You've decided the Wicked Trail is meant for you; you want to experience your first ultra marathon...
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Light 2 Light 50 Race Report
Ultra marathon running isn't about winning, unless it is. Ultra marathon running is subjective; a person's journey through the darkness,...
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Training and Expectations
Most people running their first, or second, or third ultra marathon carry expectations into the race. They had training expectations;...
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Light 2 Light 50: One Week Out
My third ultra marathon, in my home state of North Carolina, has nearly arrived. The Light 2 Light 50 Miler...
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3 Reasons To Practice Fasted Running
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The Best Ultra Marathons Aren’t What You Think
"What's the best ultra marathon?" Is it the most remote or adventurous like Marathon des Sables, the most challenging like Badwater...
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![Ultra Marathon DNF: Yes, You Failed [But It’s Ok]](https://wickedtrailrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Ultra-Marathon-DNF.png)
Ultra Marathon DNF: Yes, You Failed [But It’s Ok]
MediocrityI was perusing some online ultra marathon running groups last weekend and came across a post about DNFs in ultra...
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Blame Yourself Blindly: Ultra Runner’s Mentality
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5 Ways to Be Your Own Culture
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One Breath Of Air
People fear what is inside them. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. You probably fear what is inside you....
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The Pain Cave: You’re On Stage
The pain cave is a place in your mind, but it's also where people watching you in the ultra marathon...
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How Ultra Marathon Runners Find Time to Train
"I'd love to sign up for an ultra marathon! I just can't find the time to train or be away...
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Zero-Drop Shoe Transition
I ran my first marathon in Brooks Glycerin 15s. I ran my first ultra marathon in Brooks Glycerin 15s. I...
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Patience: Why Ultra Marathon Runners Need It
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Become An Ultra Runner: The First Step
Imitiation I have a quick story to share that will frame the main point I'll make about becoming an ultra...
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Why Run An Ultra Marathon? The Taller Peak…
I know what it's like to fall asleep while running. I've rested my hands on my knees as I trudged...
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How to Run 100 Miles: Action
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Dismantle Your Wall
The Wall. You've Hit It. Fatigue is the ultimate mental battleground. Your body is pulling one way and your tapering...
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“UltraRunners Are Crazy.” Or Maybe You Are…
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Are Ultra Marathons Bad For You?
"Ultra Marathons Must be Bad for You..." I remember the first time someone asked if I ever wanted to run...
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5 Ultra Marathon Workouts You’re Not Doing
5 Ultra Marathon Workouts to challenge your mind. Are you ready?The following 5 ultra marathon workouts are not for the...
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How NOT To Train: My First 100 Mile Run
I can do this, I thought. Four months is plenty of time to train adequately for my first 100 mile...
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Go Farther So You Can Go Further
Opinion and Visual The mantra of the ultra marathon runner: Go Farther So You Can Go Further. This idea holds...
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You’ll Regret Not Running An Ultra Marathon
Regret is a festering negativity, a self-blame for mistakes that have come and gone. Leave regret behind: run the ultra...
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The Mind of an Ultra Runner
The Mind of an Ultra Runner Ultra marathons, these mythical beasts of endurance, are spoken of in hushed tones between...
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Ultra Marathon Training Groups Are Overrated
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Burning River 100 Race Report: My Wicked Trail
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Tapering Before My First 100 Mile Ultra Marathon
I’m tapering for my first 100-mile ultra marathon. It's a practice to show up for a big race rested, refreshed,...
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Your First 100 Mile Race: Are You Ready?
Running your First 100 Mile Race will come with a lot of questions... “What’s your weekly mileage?” “Are you ready?...
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Motivation Is Not Real: Run Without It
To an outsider, the ultra marathon community appears to lean on motivation. To the outside world, motivation drives an ultra...
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Comfort Is A Lie
The man looks around at his life. Not much to worry about. Not a lot of sweat. No real adversity....
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Cowards Are Realistic
The Common ManBe realistic. Think of the consequences. Proceed with caution. Be like us. The common man wants you to...
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Be Your Own Culture
When a person embraces mediocrity and settles into a complacent existence, he or she admits an unpreparedness for life and...
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