Wow. What a trip. I just had one of the most amazing breakthroughs I have had in quite some time. The Up and Over 10k race was the finale of the La Sportive Mtn Cup National Series. And what a race it was. I went there not certain who would show up as there was also the Pikes Peak Accent and Marathon, Leadville 100, and Transrockies beginning this weekend. But being a national series race, plenty of competition made the journey to Taos, NM.
This race was especially important for me …

Rachel Cieslewicz 2010 Trail Running Clinics
Prep FOR XTERRA 2010

Note. This coming week will be the 3rd of 6 clinics. If you are interested in coming to 1 or all of the final 3, let me know and I will prorate your cost of clinic. They have been so much fun and educational. Otherwise next clinic I offer will be early spring!
Are you a road runner longing to hit the trails but don’t know where to start? Or perhaps you run trails, but can’t quite figure out how to …

Here was my solution to the perfect training weekend in preparation for my bigger races coming up.
On Saturday morning I woke up and felt as though I was preparing for a triathlon minus the swim. I got my bike and gear in my 4 runner and grabbed my Newtons and running clothes. First stop of my morning was the Law day 5k held on the University of Utah campus. I was invited onto a 5 man team to race it. I decided to rename the race …

Put together my favorite trail run distance, arguably the best race promoters (Team Unlimited) out there, a beautiful Hawaiian setting, and over 300 of the worlds most talented trail run racers.  What does this equate to?  Hands down, one of the most difficult, beautiful, hot, humid, amazing trail run races I have ever been honored to compete in!
I knew based on my experiences racing in Hawaii before, that proper hydration, clothing, and footwear would be of utmost importance.  Not to mention the preparation that came well before I even made …

Amazing video Over the last 10 years I have noticed how as I ride the waves in the ocean of life, sometimes I fall with my face buried deep into the sand. Just when I am about to give in to the relentless force of the turbulent water, it pulls away and I am left on the shore catching the deepest breath I could ever imagine.  The ebb and flow of life and what we consider to be “good” and “bad” are the things that make life the richest. …

One of my favorite workouts I look forward to each week is a great speed workout. So many struggle with these. I hear comments that they are too hard, boring, or they can’t keep pace the entire time, and on and on. The solutions can actually be so simple. My first recommendation to solve the problem is to either meet up with a running group on their speed workout days or to find some friends with similar abilities. This will help two things. Motivation and …