Colorado Runner

Littleton’s Jamie Donaldson has set numerous course records (for both male and female divisions) and can boast of accomplishments at the United States’ major ultra-marathons including Badwater, Leadville, Lost 118, and Rocky Racoon (see below for more). She credits her friends and family, her support system, for her accomplishments. Recently, Jamie took a short break from her busy life as a middle school teacher, cross country coach, and champion ultra-runner to share some of her story. When did you start running, and why? I ran in high school (Freeport High School ’92) and was a state scorer in cross country [...]

MapMyFITNESS, Inc., the premier provider of web and mobile health and fitness-related software applications, recently launched its new Nutrition Center—a comprehensive resource aimed at helping MapMyFITNESS members get better educated about their food choices and more committed to their nutrition and weight loss goals. “Our Nutrition Center is another innovative and powerful MapMyFITNESS tool aimed at helping our members live healthier and more active lives,” said Robin J. Thurston, chief executive officer of MapMyFITNESS. “Historically, we’ve provided users with the practical tools and content they needed to achieve better fitness; the Nutrition Center ups the ante and delivers a great [...]

Picking the perfect menu to enhance your performance can be a difficult task. While many athletes know the words carbs, proteins and fats, they often don’t know how  to translate those words into food choices. Hence, the goal of this article is to offer specific food suggestions to fit a variety of exercise situations. Try to experiment with new foods to learn which ones settle best in your gut, don’t “talk back” and enhance your performance. Pre-marathon carbo-loading dinner: #1. Pasta with tomato sauce, meatballs, green beans, French bread, lowfat/skim milk, frozen yogurt with strawberries. #2. Turkey with potato, stuffing, [...]

MapMyFITNESS Inc., a premier provider of online and mobile fitness apps, and Wahoo Fitness have partnered to integrate iMapMy apps with the Fisica ANT+ 30 pin Sensor Key, offering fitness enthusiasts the ability to track heart rate data using iPhone. “We’re turning iPhone into a powerful tool that helps fitness enthusiasts achieve their health and fitness goals,” said Chip Hawkins, president of Wahoo Fitness. The free MapMyFITNESS apps—iMapMyRUN, iMapMyRIDE and iMapMyWALK—use the built-in GPS technology of iPhone to enable users to record and chart their daily fitness activities and routes. The apps seamlessly interface with Fisica Sensor Key, a small [...]

Armpocket is the ideal accessory for active, eco-conscious people outdoors, at the gym, store, school or traveling. Expertly engineered by runners for runners, the water-resistant Armpocket securely holds multiple items such as keys, phones, energy bars, credit cards, iPods and IDs, to make hands-free activity possible. Memory foam padding ensures comfort and a snug fit, while a proprietary touch-through screen allows “on the move” smartphone application and iPod/MP-3 player music operation. Made from recycled water bottles and natural bamboo rayon, Armpocket’s eco-friendly fabric keeps valuable electronics protected while providing a “no-slip” ergonomic design and 2 strap sizes for added comfort.  [...]

A relatively unknown runner at the time, Kim Dobson burst onto the running scene in 2009 with a sub-3 hour marathon in Fort Collins and a shockingly fast first-time Ascent on Pikes Peak. The 26-year-old is a second grade teacher, passionate outdoors-woman, wife of a medical student, and a rising star in the Colorado running scene. Humble Beginnings Dobson’s running career soft-launched in high school, where she ran varsity cross country and track for Arapahoe High School. While she loved running, Dobson says, she ‘wasn’t a standout’. In college, her bent for strength and distance started to play out, and [...]

Patient persistence, affection for the trails, and a strong endurance gene: descriptors that are otherwise known as traits that makes a ‘good’ ultra-runner. And if one combines ‘good’ traits with aggressive goals, a drive to leverage his personal exceptional abilities, and an unconquerable spirit? The result could be 27-year-old ultra-runner and Boulder resident, Anton Krupicka. Krupicka, who has several ultra titles to his name, took second place at last year’s Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. He considers his second place finish to be an accomplishment and a turning point in his young ultra-running career. Krupicka says, “I really think [...]

Largest National trail running listing on the Internet. Information on all things running by serious runners for serious runners including running shoe reviews, races, training plans, mapping tools, forum, and blog. www.SeriousRunning.com Seriousrunning.com was inspired by the experience of an Army Officer who returned home from a deployment to Iraq. He used running to simplify and slow down his rapidly changing post-military life. We at seriousrunning.com strive to enhance your rapidly moving lifestyle with running advice and information. We intend to motivate individuals to become both physically and mentally healthier, inspire runners to achieve their goals, and build a community [...]

Some athletes do not particularly enjoy training on the treadmill as it mitigates the stimulus, the fresh air and even the social aspects of running outdoors. However, it is a valuable tool that can be used in a variety ways to improve your running. The first thing to note is that not all treadmills are created equally. Many commercial-grade treadmills perform such a good job of reducing impact forces, that I consider the treadmill a “soft” surface similar to trail or crushed gravel. If you are in the market for a treadmill and consider yourself a “career” runner, I suggest [...]

BoldRunning , the official training program of the BolderBOULDER 10K, will be offering a new training program that will operate all winter long in an effort to keep runners motivated over the cold and dark nights. The 12 week program will start on November 8th and finish at the end of January, covering the three essential months of fall and winter. The aim is to “provide a support network of fellow runners and coaches to meet up with as the light starts to fade. Training with others is the ultimate motivation mechanism and helps you to stay accountable.” Say’s Ewen [...]

At Denver races, especially if it’s a marathon, you might hear cheers of ‘Go, Heather, go’; possibly, they are encouraging Heather Utrata, a 28-year-old member of the Runner’s Roost running team and ambitious runner and marathoner. Utrata began running to ‘restore balance to her life’ after a wild freshman year at CSU. In 2011, balance includes working as a front counter supervisor at the Englewood Recreation Center, enjoying time with Mars (her pet cat) and eyeing a berth in the 2012 Olympic Trials. You won your first marathon, the 2009 Colfax Marathon. What was that experience like? It was unforgettable! [...]

The 5K foot race has become ubiquitous on any given weekend. Check your local race calendar and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to lace up your shoes, don some lycra, and feel smug about doing something good for your health in less than an hour. Ready to race a bit further? Off to a half marathon or marathon go most runners, leaving the 10K the black sheep of the foot-race family. A long time ago (20 years) in a land far, far away (the East Coast), I was a 10K specialist. It’s still a distance for which I hold a [...]

Triathlon legend Sally Edwards has published a newly updated edition of the best-selling women’s triathlon training book, Triathlons for Women. For over 20 years, Sally Edwards has cheered, prodded, and even pushed hundreds of thousands of women across the finish line of their first triathlon. This newest edition of Triathlons for Women can help any woman rise to the challenge of beginning a healthier, more active lifestyle. Women make up the fastest-growing demographic in endurance sports, especially in the red-hot sport of triathlon. According to USA Triathlon, women now comprise nearly 40% of participants in the sport. Sally Edwards’s inspiring [...]

Everyone knows listening to music while exercising outside helps to make working out more enjoyable. However, ear buds can be uncomfortable and can drown out other important sounds such as traffic and other people. RunPhones, a new washable, comfortable headphones designed specifically for exercise, provide the perfect compromise of music, comfort, convenience, and safety. RunPhones are manufactured by AcousticSheep, LLC, the creators of SleepPhones. Like SleepPhones, they have an innovative design that features small, removable speakers inside a soft headband that rests on the user’s ears. This makes the RunPhones washable, secure, and comfortable. They are compatible with the iPhone, [...]

Nanotch LLC recently announced the launch of their new watch band for iPod Nanos® (6th generation), Nanotch. Nanotch allows wearers to easily pop their iPod Nano in and out of the watch face. Made from 100% silicone, the watch band is comfortable and fashionable to wear. Unlike other watch bands, the Nanotch also comes with a traditional watch clasp and protects the iPod Nano from possible damage. Made from durable materials, Nanotch is ideal for athletics and exercise. Additionally, the Nanotch can be worn by men, women and children alike! Nanotch Highlights: – 100% silicone. – Prevents possible damage. – [...]

Though running is essentially a solitary endeavor, runners share many common interests, stories, motivations and philosophies. These communal elements of running are compiled in a new book, The Running Life, by Donald Buraglio and Mike Dove, competitive runners and sports columnists from the Monterey Peninsula, California. The 268-page book includes a collection of columns written for the local Monterey County Herald newspaper over a six year span. The Running Life includes humorous vignettes, motivational stories and philosophical views along with articles on youth running, technology and gear, and running advice. It’s essentially a ‘greatest hits’ compilation of articles from the [...]

Natural Running is the middle ground runners have been looking for. By learning to run the barefoot way, while wearing shoes, runners will become more efficient, stronger, and healthier runners. Backed by studies at MIT and Harvard, running form and injury expert Danny Abshire presents the natural running technique, form drills, and an 8-week transition plan that will put runners on the path to faster, more efficient, and healthier running. In Natural Running, Abshire explains how modern running shoes distort the efficient running technique that humans evolved over thousands of years. He reviews the history of running shoes and injuries, [...]