Kit: My First Ultramarathon

July 16, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Gear

Last Summer I ran my first 50 mile ultramarathon, the North Face Endurance Challenge, in Massachusetts. Up until then, I had only ran two marathons and had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up to run 50 miles. To prepare for the ultramarathon, I read and researched a LOT. While the thorough research helped, I still didn’t feel super prepared. In my reading, I knew I’d need certain gear, but beyond that, what gear I bought was determined by people writing reviews and me hoping that their reviews didn’t suck. In our world of almost unlimited choice, it was very difficult to feel like I was doing the right thing…

Nose Breathing Hot Take (Part 2) - Heart Rate

June 21, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Training

I’ve been reading articles about what nose breathing is supposed to do regarding heart rate, and it seems that they are contradictory. Some have said that it helps lower heart rate, while others indicate it increases heart rate. I previously wrote that nose breathing is supposed to naturally reduce heart rate, but I’m not fully convinced of that anymore. Heart rate seems to mostly track with my effort. Using my nose helps reduce pace, reducing overall effort, which in turn reduces heart rate…

My Heel Recovery Journey

May 12, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

I can’t imagine anything worse than sustaining a running injury that sidelines my running. Nothing makes me more sad than to not be able to run. Unfortunately, I’ve had a few common runner’s injuries over the years. The most painful the IT band issues. The first time I experienced IT band pain was in the middle of a marathon. I tried to run through the pain (a really stupid idea), but it became so painful I couldn’t keep running…

Every Mother Is An Ultramom

May 10, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

In the ultra running world some of the fastest runners, both men and women alike, can run 100 miles in less than a day. Times vary depending on the course and the runner, but the pros are ridiculously fast. For the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, the course records are 14:09:28 for the men, set by Jim Walmsley and 16:47:19 for the women, set by Ellie Greenwood. If you are an average runner like me, 100 miles can take well over 24 hours to complete. For reference, I was able to complete a 50 mile race in 13 hours and was pretty sure I was going to die. Jim Walmsley essentially ran twice the distance, almost twice as fast as me, and probably didn’t regret his life choices as much as I did…

Nose Breathing Hot Take (Part 1) - Winter Sucks

March 12, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Training

Of all the posts that I’ve posted this far, my nose breathing articles have been my most popular. I’m not particularly surprised by this, since there’s not a lot written about using breathing for regulating running pace. Most articles that I’ve read address proper breathing techniques, the negative affects nose breathing has on overall performance, or why breathing through your nose can be healthy for your body…

Book: Running Home - A Memoir

January 27, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Reviews, Books

Memoirs, especially running memoirs, seem to more often than not, revolve around the success of the writer and their running. As if greatness is all they’ve ever known, or if everyone did what they did, they’d be amazing too. Running Home is not one of those books. As the chapters unfold, I kept wondering when I’d get to the part about running, but with each chapter I became more and more engrossed in the narrative of Katie’s life. Her writing went deep into my own heart and put words to my own inward battles…

Stop and Dream

January 01, 2020 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

There was a day when I’d slip Side A of my cassette tape into the deck, sprawl my awkward teenage body out on the couch, open up a magazine and dream. I dreamt seemingly impossible, yet fantastically amazing dreams of what I envisioned my life would be like. Some day I’d be a professional mountain biker shredding down epic mountains, winning trophies and earning fame. Or maybe if that didn’t work out, I’d be designing and programming the latest and greatest video games for Sierra Entertainment. Of course I’d have a fallback career as an architect. People would flock to the revolutionary houses and buildings I had designed, I would be the next Frank Lloyd Wright or Frank Gehry…

Book: Running Outside the Comfort Zone

December 12, 2019 by Stephen Hallgren in Reviews, Books

Right from the beginning of the book it is clear that Susan’s writing exudes a raw authenticity in how she presents herself and her own journey in running. While this and other running books have been super inspiring, I feel like I’ve been able to connect on a different level with this particular book. One of the questions that Susan asks herself is, “am I a real runner?” This question is one that I many of use fellow runners grapple with. Our digitally connected society makes it so easy to compare our own abilities and bodies with those around us and frankly the majority of us will always be able to find someone better than ourselves…

40 & Beyond

December 02, 2019 by Stephen Hallgren in Life

I’m 40. I’ve been told I don’t look 40. I definitely don’t feel 40, in fact, I’m in better health both mentally and physically than I’ve ever been. But, I checked my birth certificate and it does indeed confirm the fact that I am 40. The clothing and hair styles of my parents in my baby photos also confirm that I was born at the end of the 70s. While 40 seems old to some, or that it indicates years of decline, I see something different. I see years of growth from my 20s and 30s that I’m excited about continuing well into the rest of my life...

How To Use Your Nose To Go Slow

October 01, 2019 by Stephen Hallgren in Training

Being slow is not usually what runners want to be, but the virtues of training with slow runs is well documented. The only issue is that running slow and easy on the runs that you are supposed to take slow is possibly one of the harder parts of running.

Like most runners, I struggle with going slow. I have tried many different techniques to keep myself slow, but no matter how hard I try, I still seem to run too fast. I’ve tried stopping, walking, shorter strides, sheer willpower, but nothing works. I end up resuming my previous pace or sometimes going even faster…