You may think you've run or biked some tough hills but you don't fully appreciate the meaning of the word "incline" until you've been introduced to Skyraces. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from the president of the American Trail Running Association, Adam Chase. Chase recently travelled to Canazei, Italy for a conference of the Federation for Sport at Altitude. There, he competed in the SkyGames and took in some spectacular views...while grasping his burning quads.

28-year-old restaurant manager Ben Davis had more right than most people to enjoy a couple extra helpings of Thanksgiving dinner. Before the holiday he completed a run on the Appalachian Trail...from Maine to Georgia, to raise money for ALS. Today on Endurance Planet we hear about the 2,175-mile journey and the people who inspired it.

Completing an Iron-distance race takes dedication, disclipline, patience, and a lot of hard work. No wonder age-grouper Kevin Jermyn describes the experience as "earning the Ironman degree." Today on Endurance Planet, a Breakaway Friday edition, we hear Jermyn's account of completing the ultimate endurance event. The story is one of many included in Kara Douglas Thom's book, Becoming an Ironman.

She just missed making the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team but she finished her season with a big win in the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island. Today on Endurance Planet we get to know 27-year-old Sarah Groff, one of the odds-on favorites to represent the United States in the 2012 Olympic Games.

One of our members recently asked about strength training for endurance athletes. "Can it improve performance?" The answer is, "You bet it can." In this article, Championship Triathlon Training authors George M. Dallam and Steven Jonas address the issue of how to improve your run with strength training.

Stephen Brown was a healthy, vibrant triathlete when his doctor told him he needed to have his tonsils out. No big deal. But pre-surgery tests revealed that he had a bigger problem than swollen tonsils...he had leukemia. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from Stephen Brown about his journey from Ironman to Remission Man.

A few years ago Tim Wilson of Carlsbad, California was toiling away at his job...working long hours and putting on weight. Then a co-worker in his late 30s' had a massive heart attack. Tim knew

It's Breakaway Friday on Endurance Planet, our weekly opportunity to hear an audio excerpt from a great tale of endurance, courtesy of Breakaway Books. This week we open The Elements of Effort by the late John Jerome and hear his reflections on the art and science of running. Don't forget Endurance Planet members also receive an extended audio excerpt every Wednesday from the Human Kinetics library via our new podcast Human Kinetics Corner.

One week ago today Endurance Planet changed in a big way. Some of you have seen it, most of you have heard it, but we felt like a bit of background might be appropriate. A look down the road is appropriate now too. So today on Endurance Planet we fill you in on what's going on with us...on the additions we've made to the site...and the bumps we've encountered that just play to the strengths of any true endurance athlete.

The race was called The Ultimate Runner and it pitted track stars against ultramarathoners in a one-day battle to see who was the best. While that unique race hasn't been held in two decades, the stories remain. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from Don Kardong, one of The Ultimate Runner participants. Don shares his remembrances of the race, the runners, and the ugly bird who hovered over the event.

Participation in duathlon pales in comparison to the participation levels seen in triathlon. That's just something we have to face, right? Well veteran endurance athlete Celeste Callahan has faced it...and she's determined to change it. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from Callahan, who serves on the USA Triathlon Board, about a three-year plan that's been developed to give duathlon it's due.

Running Through the Wall by Neal Jamison is a terrific compilation of ultramarathon stories. On today's Endurance Planet, a Breakaway Friday edition, we hear one of those tales. It's called Joel's Story and it's written by Robert B. Boeder. It's about the life of Joel Zucker, a 3-time finisher of the Hardrock 100-Mile Endurance Run, who died the day after completing the 1998 Hardrock. He was the only runner to die during or immediately following one of these events. But, as you'll hear

Chris McCormack was back atop the podium this past weekend. He won the Nevada Silverman half-distance triathlon. But the outspoken Aussie is still trying to come to grips with what happened in Kona a month ago...he lost his title through no fault of his own. Today on Endurance Planet we hear from the 2007 Ironman World Champion about his heartbreaking '08 loss and

We've heard about how he trained his body and his mind to win a double Iron-distance race. Today on Endurance Planet we hear about what unfolded when Hywel Davies finally towed the line.

By any standard, Hywel Davies was already an accomplished athlete when he entered the Enduroman Double Iron UK. He could already complete an Iron-distance event in under nine hours. But he wanted to push himself a bit more...and that he did.

Age-group triathlete Patrick Connor gave up mountain climbing for something he thought would be easier: an Ironman. In this week's Breakaway Friday taken from Becoming an Ironman by Kara Douglass Thom, we hear about

The second time was the charm for Australia's Craig Alexander who won the 2008 Hawaii Ironman World Championship after finishing as the runner-up in his first attempt on the course last year. The 35-year-old used a 2.45 marathon to capture the title. See the video of "Crowie's" amazing performance here!