The Art of Ultrarunning

Ian Sharman is an ultrarunner, coach, and journalist from the United Kingdom who lives in the trail running hub of Bend, Oregon. He founded Sharman Ultra Coaching (SUC) in 2010, bringing together a team of some of the best ultrarunners as coaches. SUC has coached hundreds of runners, from back-of-the-pack participants to winners of the most prestigious ultras in the world. He has written for a wide variety of running and fitness magazines, including an ongoing column in Ultrarunning Magazine since 2013. Hes also known as a frequent guest on ultra podcasts, especially Trail Runner Nation, in addition to hosting PodiumRunner Magazine EndurancePodcast. Sharman was voted as high as second for Ultrarunning Magazines Ultrarunner of the Year as well as fourth for Ultrarunner of the Decade for the 2010s. Some running highlights include the all-time record for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning; four wins in the Leadville Trail 100 Run; three wins in the Rocky Raccoon 100, including setting the record; nine top 10 finishes at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, including being the only person to complete the race 10 times with a combined finish time of under a week; multiple top finishes at Comrades Marathon in South Africa, including a Wally Hayward Medal; and a marathon best time of 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Foreword by Don Freeman and Scott Warr, hosts of Trail Runner Nation Podcast Part I. Training Concepts Chapter 1. A Purpose for Every Run Chapter 2. Consistency Is King Chapter 3. Active Recovery and Power-Hiking Chapter 4. Improve Your Judgment of Effort Chapter 5. Stamina Versus Durability Part II. Racing Concepts Chapter 6. Adapt and Overcome Chapter 7. Keep It Simple Chapter 8. Find Flow Chapter 9. Control Your Ego Chapter 10. Patience, Discipline, Confidence Chapter 11. Maintain Motivation Chapter 12. Split Races Into Thirds Chapter 13. Learn From Failure Chapter 14. Considerations for 200 Mile or Longer Races Part III. Beyond Racing Chapter 15. Your Identity as a Distance Runner Chapter 16. Why We Need Adventure Chapter 17. Avoid Burnout

“In The Art of Ultrarunning Ian combines his love for the sport and his meticulous knowledge of the intangibles to transcend the magnitude of the unknown in order to achieve measurable success at any distance. Through nuanced self-reflection and by citing techniques used by the most accomplished ultrarunners in the world, he is able to weave an argument for why you should never settle for anything less than your best.”

—Hal Koerner, Author of Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning

“The Art of Ultrarunning offers an in-depth look into the minds of some of the most talented athletes in the sport. By exploring their training methods, author Ian Sharman uses his personal experience as a professional ultrarunner and coach to offer readers invaluable insight into how to tackle some of the most difficult challenges in ultrarunning.”

—Amy Clark, Editor in Chief of UltraRunning Magazine