Needless to say, Liz is no stranger to hard work and dedication. After pacing a friend during an ultramarathon, she decided it was something she would like to try. She has since embraced the sport of ultrarunning, and since 2015 has powered through three 100-mile ultramarathons. Her short time in ultrarunning has already changed her life and taught her lifelong lessons. “I'm realizing that the most I learn after each long-distance race is how to be a kinder and more flexible person. I bring too much of my Type A personality to these events and have to keep improving my ability to compromise, goal-set on the fly, and most of all, smile,” says Liz. Watch the video below to see how running has changed Liz’s life.

Record-breaking ski mountaineer, adventurer and Suunto ambassador Greg Hill has always been a foodie. Eating well is about enjoyment, which also serves his nutritional needs. He approaches it in that order, not vice versa. “Nutrition has always been important but more so because I really enjoy eating great food,” he explains. “Yet I also understand that the fuel we put in our bodies determines how well it runs. Much like an engine, if you put bad gas into it, it will run poorly.” Photo by Angela Percival/ Arcteryx Fresh colors Greg tries to eat fresh vegetables with a variety of colors, which he says indicates nutritional richness. Whenever possible, he also cooks with food from local sources. “I do grow a small garden every year, with tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, carrots, broccoli, beets, just your basics,” he says. “It’s so nice to go and grab them directly from my yard.” Week day diet Greg and his family are following the “week day vegetarian diet”, meaning they only meat on the weekends. This contributes to personal health and reduces their impact on the planet. “The personal health side is pretty clear, there are so many articles about reducing red meat in your diet and the benefits involved, from a reduced potential for cancer to lower cholesterol, to living longer,” he says. “One of the simplest way to decrease my family’s carbon footprint was to decrease our meat intake; livestock farming is responsible for 20-50 per cent of the greenhouse gases, so this was an easy way to become better earth dwellers. If you ever look into livestock it is amazing the deforestation involved, the extreme water usage and over un-sustainability of it. Photo by Angela Percival/ Arcteryx Healthy balance While the Hills like to keep it fresh, they also allow themselves to indulge in a fast food meal once a week, like ordering a pizza on Friday movie night. Perfection is not the goal, Greg says, just as long as the the bulk of their diet is fresh, healthy food. “Like every family we have certain meals that are staples, enchiladas, lasagna, salad rolls, pad thai, pizza on friday nights, and my favourite – the glory bowl,” he says. Tofu glory bowl In the bowl 2 cups cooked brown rice1/2 cup grated beetroot1/2 cup grated carrots1/2 cups almonds, toasted1/2 cups spinach leaves1 cup tofu, cubed Dressing 1/4 cup tahini1/4 cup apple cider vinegar1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes2 gloves garlic3 tablespoons tamari1 tablespoon maple syrup1/4 cup olive oil1/4 cup water Instructions Prepare the brown rice and set aside.Fry tofu cubes in a pan.Add dressing ingredients into a blender to prepare the dressing. Add oil in a steady stream. Taste, and thin with water if required.Assemble the bowls by placing cooked brown rice into two bowls, top with beets, carrots, spinach leaves, almonds and fried tofu cubes.Drizzle bowls with dressing.  Lead image: Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash. Click below to read articles in our Fuelling the Engine series: Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Lucy Bartholomew Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Emelie Forsberg Fuelling the engine: a commonsense approach to nutrition Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Ryan Sandes Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Ultracycling Man Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with Mel Hauschildt D.I.E.T (disaster imminent every time), and three unchanging principles of nutrition for athletes

New roles for everyone: As Emelie heads out training, Kilian stays home with Maj. After nine months of pregnancy, resting and recovering after birth, Suunto ambassador Emelie Forsberg is training again in the mountains and fjords of Norway where she and her partner Kilian Jornet live a life filled with adventure. True to her background in seasonal farming, gardening and eating, Emelie understands well there is a season for everything, and is taking her time to come back to elite mountain running and skiing form. “I don’t push my boundaries because I prefer to take small steps and to do it really healthy and slow,” she says. “That might mean my way back will be longer, but that’s who I am. I would regret it so much if I took too big a step and got injured. I want to take things slow.” Watch below and see how Emelie is balancing the joy of being a new mum with finding her legs again as one of the best mountain athletes on the planet. WATCH "BEING AN ATHLETE AND A NEW MUM"

© Jared Paisley The summit of Table Mountain towers 1054 m above Cape Town below. The keystone of Table Mountain National Park, the peak is famous for its biodiversity and incredible panoramic views. This is Suunto ambassador Ryan Sandes’s home training ground. It’s where he prepares for the ultra marathons he races in around the world. He’s know this terrain like the back of his hand. “Table Mountain is one of the few places where you can go from the city to the top of a mountain in under an hour,” Ryan says. “There’s something really magical about it and the whole Cape Peninsula – the combination of really technical trails, beautiful landscapes and ocean views.” © Jared Paisley After running in locations all over the world – Antarctica, the Gobi Desert, the European Alps, the Himalayas, and the jungle of Central America – Ryan felt called to explore his own home turf more fully. “We so often search far and wide for adventure, when epic backyard adventures are waiting right on our doorstep,” Ryan says. “It doesn’t take a lot to create them; it’s just using your imagination a little bit, and going out and having a good time. “There is so much potential for backyard adventures, whether it involves surfing, a long distance swim, a kayak paddle, or doing a crazy mountain bike. There’s just so much out there. Even if you live in a massive city, you can still create a fun backyard adventure. The opportunities are endless.” The 13 Peaks Challenge all started with Ryan sketching a route on a notepad. With pen and pad, he linked up 13 peaks in the park to create a backyard adventure for locals and tourists alike. Then he convinced a friend to run it with him. “I told him it would only be 40 or 50 km,” Ryan says. “It ended up being an epic adventure, over 108 km!” © Jared Paisley With that huge day out, the 13 Peaks Challenge was born. The route is 108 km, and includes 6500 m of vertical gain. It can be done in 24 hours, 48 hours or as a multi day challenge. About 20 people have completed it so far. A group of runners is currently attempting to do the 13 peaks in 13 weeks. Ryan’s friends Ryno Griesel, Ruan van der Merwe, and Jock Green hold the fastest known time (20 hours), but maybe not for long. “In some ways I’m more looking forward to giving that another go than any other races or events,” Ryan says. People living in Cape Town have caught on to the challenge more quickly than Ryan expected. Enthusiasts are making merchandise for finishers. The challenge is collaborating with charity the Southern Lodestar Foundation to help feed schools in the area. And the people who have completed it are helping those undertaking it. “I’ve been blown away by how many people have become passionate about it,” Ryan says. “It’s become really community orientated. It’s creating camaraderie.”

With a stellar cross-tri career, including being the 2015 XTERRA World Champion, Josiah Middaugh combines his elite competition experience with his university education in sports science to provide cutting-edge coaching to his clients. Josiah Middaugh is both an endurance coach and a pro athlete.   For endurance athletes, a central component of their training programme is the long run. “Running aerobically past the hour mark, the magic starts to happen at the cellular level, primarily increased capillary density and an increase in the size and number of mitochondria, the aerobic powerhouse of the cell,” Josiah explains. “This lays the foundation so you can achieve better adaptation from your specific race pace training and interval training.” Long run benefits Josiah says the list of benefits and adaptations coming from regular long runs is long. Here are his top three. Efficiency improves as your body more efficiently burns fat at low to moderate intensity Running economy improves so you are running faster at sub max heart rates. The strength of your heart also improves resulting in a larger stroke volume and lower resting heart rate. Common mistake Athletes commonly believe unless they’re pushing hard, there are no benefits. It’s the “no pain, no gain” mentality. With the long run, slowing down is key. “Most people start too fast and fade,” Josiah says. “Most of your long runs should be easy and it might feel painfully slow if you are new to them.”     7 tips to help you do them right Keep it aerobic Aerobic refers to light exercise you can sustain over a long time. “Keep your long runs at least two minutes per mile slower than your current 10k race pace,” Josiah says. Set a heart rate “Set a heart rate ceiling for your run,” Josiah says. “Start with a low heart rate and watch it gradually tick up one beat at a time until you are in your target range.” Keep it there. However, and this is important, don’t base your heart rate on the common age based calculation: heart rate zone minus age. “Age predicted equations will only work for about 20 percent of the population and the margin of error is plus or minus 20 beats,” Josiah says. “That's a 40 beat range!” Instead, perform a four mile field test to find your functional threshold (FT) heart rate. Find your average heart rate for your best four mile (6.5 km) effort or use a 10k race pace. Check out Josiah’s spreadsheet to help determine heart rate and pace zones. Consistency over frequency Many athletes believe they need to do multiple long runs per week. This isn’t the case, Josiah says. Once a week is enough. “It's the consistency over time that makes the difference,” he says. “Results from incorporating a consistent long run can be noticed after about four weeks.” Increase gradually The duration and distance of your long run depends on what you are training for. “Progress your long run gradually adding only 10-15 percent per week until you approach your target long run distance,” Josiah says. “If you are training for a marathon or beyond, it might be necessary to undulate the distance of your long run if you are approaching 20 miles and/or three hours.” 5k/10k runners: there is no need to run for more than two hours.Half marathon runners: keep it race distance or less.Marathon runners: gradually build long run distance to just over two-thirds of the race distance, no more than 18-20 miles (29-32 km). “For most athletes I have a rule of the longest run being no more than around three hours or 20 miles, whichever comes first,” Josiah says. “You have to weigh up the increased risk of injury and length of recovery needed when one runs over about 20 miles.” Stay fuelled For the best recovery and adaptations, fuelling before, during and after is important. Start fuelling early into your long run and ensure you’re also getting enough fluids. Fuelling during is especially important for runs 90 min or longer. “Fueling during a workout can improve the performance of that workout, help you recover faster from it, and boost your immunity,” Josiah says. “Shoot for about 200 calories per hour, or about one energy gel every 30 minutes with adequate water – roughly one 20 ounce water bottle (600 ml) per hour.” Fuel well post run “Your post-run nutrition is equally important,” Josiah continues. “Attempt to take in a quick 300 calories within 30 minutes of completing your long run with a focus on carbohydrates along with some protein and of course water. The primary goal of recovery nutrition is to restore your muscle and liver glycogen so you can recover faster. Do more with more, not more with less.” Run in the morning Morning is almost always a better time of day for your long run. “Elite running coach Joe Vigil advocates a long run early in the morning because you have more fluid in your intervertebral discs,” Josiah says. “Also, you are not yet fatigued from the days activities or from a long day at work. Most races are contested in the morning so it is ideal to set your biorhythms to the time of your next event.” More running related articles: 7 tips for running hot weather Learn how sleep can make you a better running Improve your running with high intensity hill repeats The lazy runner's guide to a marathon  

© Martina Valmassoi Running for nearly a full revolution of the Earth brings up a whole palette of emotions and experiences. Elation, pain, resistance, boredom, wonder, blankness – repeat. Suunto ambassador and Australian ultra runner Lucy Bartholomew has experienced the full range. One of the things that keeps her going are the incredible flow states she has experienced while running against the sun. “The best way I can describe this feeling is like meditation,” she says. “It’s a state where there is no energy being exhausted and it’s a state of flow where you move, but time feels like it stands still. It’s hard to explain until you find it yourself.” Lucy is currently preparing for the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. In last year's race, she unconsciously entered into a flow state, losing track of time. At one point she thought she had a very long way to go, and then in what seemed like moments later, most of the course was behind her. “It was like I was watching myself dance over the terrain and all I could think was, ‘I could do this all day’,” she says. © Martina Valmassoi Lucy’s three rules of flow You can’t control it As seductive and blissful as flow states are, Lucy doesn’t expect to experience them. She has no control of when they come and go. When they come, great, when they go, she remains detached. “They are part of the beautiful adventure of running and I just let them come and go as they do; like good moments and bad moments, you realise that nothing last forever,” she says. Don’t chase it Having a detached attitude is important because chasing flow states simply chases them away, Lucy says. Being present, happy and calm is her focus, which is the right mental state for a flow state to emerge from. And while she doesn’t chase them, they do support her running performance. “Especially in the longer stuff I think they provide a time where it feels effortless and wonderful,” she explains. “They give you confidence and reassurance that body and mind are comfortable” Flow is not an excuse to space out One potential downside of flow states is becoming so thoroughly immersed in the moment that you forget to take care of the basics. “During these moments I tend to forget about fuelling and pacing,” Lucy explains. “I run with blissful unawareness of what’s ahead because it’s all about focusing on the ‘now’. But when that moment passes, the reality of what you have got yourself into can hit you really hard.” While tasting the bliss of flow, make sure you remember to take care of the basics. Lead images: © Damien Rosso / Droz Photo © Martina Valmassoi Click below to read the articles in our series on flow: Finding the flow 7 principles to help you find the flow