Check out these homemade electrolyte drink recipes for runners to supply your body’s needs during long runs in the summer. It is a humid summer in Albuquerque with a better than usual monsoon season. With these ideas, you will definitely enjoy your run more – from beginning to end. Fuel […]
Rich Dafter
70 posts
The importance of stretching for runners goes beyond just feeling good to reducing your risk of injury and increasing your range of motion. For most of my running career, spanning almost 59 years, I only did minimal if any stretching. Now I am paying the price, being tight and inflexible […]
My Training Log – Week of July 28th, 2025 starts with no DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) since I only did a rest day walk on Saturday. It was a pleasant change from how Monday runs usually feel! Monday July 28th, 2025 I started doing something new this morning, hoping […]
Knowing the most important muscles for runners will help you to supplement your training with workouts to target these muscles. At the top of the list when you scroll down to read more, are the glutes and the core, and I am concentrating on each. I searched in Beachbody On […]
Altitude’s impacts on runners come not from having less oxygen, but less pressure, allowing all the oxygen molecules to spread out. I have lived at around 5,500′ (more than a mile) for close to 30 years, but I still feel the effect of the dispersed oxygen molecules when go into […]
Vests for trail runners and all long-distance running are a necessity. They carry your phone, food, water, and even first aid supplies. Even on my shortest runs, I wear my Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek even if it is only to carry my keys and conveniently carry my phone. I use […]
My training log for the week of July 21st, 2025 got off to a good start for a Monday morning with a close to sunrise run heading east toward the Sandia Mountains. Monday, July 21st, 2025 I did an out and back, mostly on the suburban singletrack that I run […]
The best surfaces to run on are the ones that put the least stress on your joints and connective tissue, such as dirt and trails, but these are not always available. There are other surfaces to run on which have advantages and which will also fit into your training the […]
The Polar H10 transmitter accuracy comes from using ECG (Electrocardiography) the same technology used for medical diagnostic tests. From the beginning, August 5th, 1986, using my Polar Vantage XL, until today I have worn the Polar chest strap. I have used a variety of Polar watches with optical sensors, but […]
My Training Log for the Week of July 14th, 2025 starts with a post about a new dirt and road loop that turned out to be challenging and beautiful. It brought back great memories of running on Thursday mornings with a group of local ultrarunners. We met at Steve Mahieu’s […]
The history of the Hardrock 100 began well before the first running of the race in 1992. It started with the need of the people of Silverton as the mining boom faded in the late 20th century. The race began this morning at 6:00 am just as it has almost […]
The benefits of drinking beet juice are considerable. From improved cardiovascular efficiency to enhanced endurance. Beets may not be glamorous but whether you eat them or drink beet juice they definitely pack a nutritional punch. Scroll down to learn more about how they are “unbeetable”! The Unbeetable Benefits of Drinking […]
Among the best performance supplements for runners are creatine, beetroot juice, caffeine, and beta-alanine, all of which I use, as well as high-quality protein for recovery and repair. Training 7 days a week at 74 isn’t easy, but if train sensibly, nourish my body properly and use these performance supplements, […]
My training log for the Week of July 7th 2025 begins a new phase of my training after I have completely eliminated gluten from my diet. It is has been easy because I have fueled my running like every runner (vegan runner) and that meant bread, pasta, and for me, […]
Knowing the best gluten-free foods for runners is essential if we are experiencing the debilitating symptoms of gluten intolerance. Many of the foods that we are so accustomed to fueling with contain gluten, but we can no longer eat them. That means we need to turn to other foods and […]
Gluten intolerance in runners is very challenging, considering the amount of food and variety of foods required to fuel running workouts. I began to suspect that I was experiencing gluten intolerance when my running times began to slow substantially, I was very fatigued all the time, and I had muscle […]
After yesterday’s hike with my daughter on the Piedra Lisa Trail in Albuquerque, I knew that my legs would be sore. I also knew that the day would heat up quickly, so I got out the door before sunrise. Monday June 30th, 2025 Before sunrise run to start the week. […]
The idea for the foam rolling vs The Stick post was born out of the need to ease my sore muscles and to wait on myofascial therapy. I learned about a myofascial therapist in Albuquerque this week, but I know that I can’t afford the $130.00 session right now. That’s […]
Hot weather running advice starts with common sense. Only you know your heat tolerance and whether you should run on very hot days. I don’t tolerate heat or humidity as well as I used to, so I simply start running as early as I can, and preferably before sunrise in […]
The value of running streaks cannot be underestimated. I ran my absolute best during the running streaks that I’ve had. At 74, my streak is to run and/or work out every day. In 2023, that was 363 days. In 2024, that was 365 days. I don’t know what 2025 has […]
With monsoon moisture in the forecast, I knew that this could be an off week for mileage. My daughter also left for camp this morning at 9:00, so I decided to just do a rest day walk. That idea didn’t last and I ended up running! Monday June 23rd, 2025 […]
HRV (heart rate variability) matters for runners because it provides insight into the state of your autonomic nervous system. I have been measuring HRV for about 9 years – ever since I became a Polar Ambassador and learned about it. I have been using the Elite HRV app and measuring […]
A secret weapon to running faster is strength training. Since we lose muscle mass as we age, regular strength training workouts will help us replace that lost muscle. For most of my running career, I relied on hard workouts, but I soon realized that if I wanted to improve or […]
Heart rate training and running is something that I have been doing for almost 39 years, starting with a Polar Vantage XL on August 5th, 1986. That is when I got the one thing that I wanted from the settlement money from a car accident. I have been with Polar […]
A week of heat with way above normal temperatures has settled over Albuquerque. Getting out before sunrise is a necessity and I hadn’t gone far before I realized that we were also going to be dealing with wildfire smoke today. Monday June 16th, 2025 I was determined to get out […]
Fueling for ultrarunning workouts is a choice between whole foods and energy gels and bars or a combination of them. After 58 years of running and over 40 years as a distance runner always experimenting, I have found that whole foods work best for me. Scroll down to read about […]
The Tarahumara iskiate energy drink has been consumed by the people in the Copper Canyons of Chihuahua, Mexico for centuries. I found out about it the first time that I read “Born To Run” and know its benefits from years of drinking it. Scroll down to learn more about it […]
My training log for the week of June 9th, 2025, began at my house which most of the time it does, and headed east toward the Sandia Mountains. When you realize that there is no shade, you understand why this little spot on the trail is so inviting! Monday June […]
I discovered the power of Jeffing out of necessity. Running at 74 doesn’t come easily when the mind is willing but the body is not. I tried adapting the Japanese interval walking technique of walking easily for 3:00 and then fast walking for 3:00 but it didn’t adapt to running […]
“Finding Ultra” by Rich Roll is the book that I read that convinced me to become vegan and developed a passion in me for ultrarunning. I bought the Kindle version on Amazon and then got it on Audible. I am currently listening to it for the third time. Scroll down […]