Adharanand Finn's Blog, page 3

A little piste of Christmas in the Austrian Alps

The high Alpine resort of Katschberg proves perfect for a family of mixed abilities, and December’s lantern-lit advent trail leaves everyone feeling festive

I’m zig-zagging slowly down a beginners’ slope trying to avoid the three-year-olds zipping across my path and under the outstretched arms of a giant Mr Man. My two daughters, age 12 and 10, glide along behind me. As we pull to a stop I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn’t fall over that time.

“High five,” says Nico, our instructor. My daught...

Ultrarunner Zach Miller: ‘I love digging in the pain cave’

In the world of ultrarunning, he is a cult figure, winning his very first race in record time and charging towards the finish line while others jog. What’s his rush?

Zach Miller is stirring porridge on top of a wood-burning stove. Outside, snow lies on the ground surrounding his log cabin. We’re halfway up Pikes Peak, a 14,115ft mountain in the Colorado Rockies. The front door opens and a runner steps in, a man in his 50s, red-faced from the effort of getting up the mountain. Through the door,...

Extreme kit testing: which gear is best for 24 hours of non-stop running?

Running round and round in circles for a full day and night? The things Adharanand Finn will do in the service of the running blog ...

Many years ago, I worked as a writer for Which? magazine, and often had to visit its testing laboratory in Milton Keynes. Without giving away any secrets, they test things vigorously at Which?. There were rooms for overheating microwave ovens until they exploded. There were sound labs peopled with experts sitting with their eyes closed. They had a bumpy treadmi...

How was your weekend running?

135 miles, but with sleeps in between stages - how hard could it be? Come share your tales of weekend runs, whether they were round Mont Blanc or round your local park

In ultra running, ridiculous numbers are bandied about so much - 100 kilometers, 24 hours, 3,100 miles - that it’s easy to get blasé and begin to think it’s all possible and reasonable and sane. If other people can do it, surely you can too, right?

So when I signed up for the Ring O Fire, a three-day race around the entire cost...

Why do my nipples hurt? You asked Google – here’s the answer | the panel

Every day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries

Nipples are sensitive to touch, temperature and vibration – as any breastfeeding mum or nipple-pierced teen will tell you. It’s one of the parts of the body, like the clitoris or earlobes, that has lots of nerve endings that respond to sensation. That’s good when you want to be stimulated but bad when nipples start to ache with no obvious cause.

Conti...

Dean Karnazes: 'When you’re struggling, that’s when you feel most alive'

In his latest book, the ultramarathoner takes on the ancient Greek 153-mile Spartathlon. He talks about the magic in misery and why he has stopped stoking up on pizza

Hi Dean. You have a new book out, The Road to Sparta. What is it about? It is the story and the lore of the marathon, from its genesis in ancient Greece 2,500 years ago to the modern marathon. It’s how the marathon became the marathon.

And in the book you take on the Spartathlon race [a 153-mile race from Athens to Sparta] in Gree...

London marathon: the runners for whom 26.2 miles is not that far

If you’re an ultra marathon runner, the standard 26.2-mile marathon must be a breeze, right? Well, it depends

I have run the London marathon twice before, and I have also stood on the Embankment cheering runners along those last few miles before the finish. For most people taking part, this is a place – the last few miles of a marathon – they have rarely, if ever, visited. It’s etched across their faces in grimaces or manic grins. Each step is a small mountain, the crowds are a blur ... everyt...

Scott Jurek: 'Being uncomfortable brings us back to our roots'

Ultrarunning legend Jurek on his toughest race, his love of tempeh and why he’s running the Boston marathon

You’re a famed ultramarathoner. How come you’re running the Boston marathon? I’m a lover of all distances and I love to jump into marathons. Boston is such a special race, the energy, the people, the history [Boston is the world’s oldest annual marathon]. I usually run guiding a blind runner or helping a friend. It’s my chance to give back. This time I’m running with my wife, Jenny, and...

Running away: revelling in the birthplace of the marathon

Finishing the Athens 10K at the Panathenaic stadium, ahead of runners making their way from the town of Marathon, is an elating experience

I like a run that finishes in a stadium. It can bring a sense of grandeur, of occasion, to any race. The crowds banked up high. For a fleeting moment you can pretend you’re Mo Farah or Jessica Ennis-Hill.

As stadium finishes go, few can match the experience of entering the almost 2,000-year-old Panathenaic stadium in Athens. Made of marble and with a seating...

Running on snow: the gear, the technique, the slipping over

Going off-piste in a ski resort ends in a stern lesson not to underestimate the environment – and that’s after seeking expert advice

If you live in a snowy part of the world, you probably already have a solution for running in the stuff. But for those of us who live in regions such as the south of England, where snow flurries are rare, it can be a little intimidating when we do find ourselves faced with a trundle across the lovely white blanket. Will I slip and fall? Will it be too hard, like...