Colorado Runner

On May 6, 2012, Libby James ran the 3rd fastest 75-79 half marathon of all time in 1:50:43 at the Colorado Half Marathon in Fort Collins.  She missed the world record by 44 seconds. This 75-year old speedster didn’t enter her first race until her 40’s, but she quickly began to make her mark.  Out of her long list of life accomplishments, possibly close to the top is her recent induction into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame. The mother of four and grandmother of 12 set national records in the 5k (both 70-74 and 75-79 age groups) as well as the [...]

Boulder resident Kenyon Neuman has a long, bright and prosperous future ahead of him.  At only 25 years young, Neuman has been climbing the running ranks ever since his successful years on the Track and Field Team at CU Boulder. But this articulate Nike Racing Team runner isn’t just out to win races, he’s also a part of various up-and-coming training programs to help others achieve their goals as well.  As Vice President at Zone Sports Management, Neuman develops training videos for runners and other athletes.  He trains in Boulder with Hudson Training Systems, and he’s also a Cross Country [...]

Introducing Mountain Mama! Think high performing, active apparel for women with a baby bump. This company exists for a simple reason…to encourage women to get outside and play throughout their pregnancy. Not only that, Mountain Mama believes expecting ladies shouldn’t have to sacrifice their simple pleasure of wearing stylish, functional apparel. Winner of the 2011 Outdoor Inspiration Award and the 2010 Polartec APEX Award, all Mountain Mama products are made in the USA and produced with a minimal environmental footprint in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. Designs employ Polartec® fabrics that comply with the independent [...]

2011 USATF Female Triathlete of the Year Christine Anderson already has a number of top podium finishes under her racing belt. After coming back from a career-ending injury in 2011, this Boulder resident not only earned top honors from the USA Triathlon Federation, but she also moved up to professional status for this year’s 2012 racing season. Christine finished third in her Pro racing debut at the Leadman 125, competing under the Timex Multisport Racing Team.  While her finish – under seemingly very tough race conditions – was impressive to say the least, Christine still thinks that there’s room for [...]

You may not have heard of Kerrie Bruxvoort before, but you will now.  This up-and-coming long-distance Colorado runner has been climbing the podium for the past couple of years, and plans to keep on climbing in the future.  She finished third overall and first female at the Mesquite Canyon 50K in Arizona in a women’s course record time of 4:24.  Other notable podium finishes include 2nd place at the 2007 Creck Crest Mountain Marathon, 1st Place at the 2011 XTERRA Cheyenne Mountain Marathon and 2nd place at the 2011 Tucson Marathon. You can catch Kerrie at Colorado Runner’s Greenland Trail [...]

Millions of triathletes have trusted Joe Friel to help them achieve their goals in triathlon and cycling. Now the most trusted coach in endurance sports can help anyone become a triathlete in just 5 hours a week with the new edition of his best-selling book Your First Triathlon. This clear and comprehensive book makes preparing for sprint and Olympic triathlons simple and stress-free. Your First Triathlon: Race-Ready in 5 Hours a Week is now available in bookstores, running and triathlon shops, and online. For a free preview, please visit www.velopress.com. Full of friendly advice and Joe’s proven approach to training, Your First Triathlon will help aspiring triathletes quickly gain [...]

Colorado Native Megan Lund-Lizotte is best known for her mountain running accolades.  This busy mom-to-be has notched two Olympic Marathon Trials on her belt, as well as three consecutive World Mountain Running Championships.  In 2007 she was ranked the #1 USA female marathoner under twenty-five years of age. Besides Megan’s ridiculous running resume, she is also the President and Head Coach of her own online running coaching business called Hit the Ground Running:  “I love working with people and helping them reach their potential and goals in the process.” Read on to find out how Megan juggles a busy life of training, [...]

Heart Rate Watch Company has named its list of the top 5 GPS watches for 2012 after thorough evaluation and testing. Here is the list: #1 – Suunto Ambit Coming in at number one on this year’s list of top 5 GPS watches is the new Suunto Ambit GPS watch. The easy navigation, ease of use, phenomenally durable construction and overall usefulness made the Suunto Ambit tough to beat. It is ideally suited to outdoor adventures like mountaineering, distance running and cycling. Ambit does lack for watts and cadence on the bike but that is about the only place it is lacking. [...]

The time has come to say goodbye to bulky and disposable plastic water bottles and hello to your new hydration helper: the ultra-durable Vapur Anti-Bottle. Cool, clean and collapsible, the reusable Vapur Anti-Bottle™ makes toting any revitalizing liquid in the outdoors a thing of beauty. Today, Vapur® is introducing the first Anti-Bottle® specifically designed for the outdoor lifestyle. The Vapur Element will make its debut at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2012 January 19-22 in Salt Lake City, UT. Vapur is the maker of the AntiBottle: a portable, foldable, reusable, freezable, washable and attachable alternative to other clunky, heavy and disposable bottles out there today. “The Element is designed to be the everyday, go-to hydration solution for active outdoor [...]

Wendy Thomas is a mother first and a runner second.  This 33-year old native of Colorado Springs has only been in the competitive racing scene for 3 years, but already she has racked up some amazing running credentials. Before qualifying and taking part in this year’s Olympic Trials in Houston, Thomas placed seventh at the USA 10K Championships in Boston and is a key component to the American Distance Project out of Colorado Springs. While Thomas’ love for running doesn’t surpass her love for her family and two sons, Chase and Tripp, she has successfully found a way to juggle [...]

Among the advantages of barefoot running extolled by many of its devotees is that running unshod is more efficient than running with clunky shoes. But a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado’s Locomotion Lab — which has studied the metabolic costs of running and walking for decades — has found that running with shoes is actually more efficient, using a measure of how much oxygen people consume (and how much carbon dioxide they produce) while running. “Running in lightweight shoes requires about 3 to 4 percent less energy than running barefoot,” said Jason Franz, a CU doctoral [...]

Tyler McCandless has a pretty impressive running resume.  From breaking high school records to achieving college All-American credentials, Tyler’s history and experience in the running world has led him to not only be one of the top distance runners in the country, but it has also created a solid foundation of knowledge and confidence to help others achieve their running goals. This humble and talented individual puts others’ goals before his own, which is apparent in his outlook as the assistant coach at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado.  He recently helped organize and promote the Warrior Marble Relay, a 12-hour [...]

Heather Utrata has been dominating the racing scene this season. With wins at the Frosty’s Frozen Five Mile, the Yeti Chase 10K, the Super Bowl 5K, the Valentine’s Day 5K, and the Snowman’s Stampede 10 Mile, Heather just captured her sixth win of the 2012 season at the Canyonlands Half Marathon in Moab, UT. We caught up with the energetic speedster to find out why she loves Colorado, where she likes to train and how she stays motivated.  You can also check out Heather’s blog at http://26point2etc.blogspot.com/. Quick Stats Name:  Heather Utrata Age: 30 Hometown & Current: Bay Village, Ohio – [...]

Kelly Whitley had a banner week last week after being named USA Triathlon’s Junior Triathlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year for 2011. She then went on to finish second in the women’s race at the Clermont ITU Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup, edging out fellow U.S. standout Sarah Haskins by two seconds. Whitley, who is currently living in Colorado Springs and training with the Elite Triathlon Academy, shared what her past two weekends of racing have been like and what has changed for her now that she is in college. USA Triathlon: You just finished second against a [...]