A couple of months back I wrote a story about David and Katharine Lowrie, a husband and wife team who were running the length of South America, south to north. The couple set out in July of last year with the intention of running 5000 miles (8046 km) along their planned route. Yesterday they announced that they had completed the run, reaching the Caribbean Sea in Carupano, Venezuela. The actual distance they ran? An astounding 6504 miles (10,467 km)!

The run, which David and Katharine had dubbed the 5000 Mile Project, began in Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost town on the continent. From there, they began traveling north, passing out of Chile and moving into Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and finally Venezuela. Along the way, they passed over the Andes Mountains and through the Amazon Rainforest, two natural obstacles that are daunting under any circumstances.

As if running 6500 miles across a continent isn't an impressive accomplishment on its own, the couple also managed to launch their Big Toe Classroom along the way as well. This portion of their website is filled with lesson plans and other educational tools for teachers. These free resources are designed for 7-11 year olds and were created to help them learn more about South America and the plants and animals that live there.

All told, it took David and Katherine 14 months, 23 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes to run from the southern tip of the continent to the northern coastline in Venezuela. That's a lot of time on the road and I'm sure they are relived to be done.

Congratulations to the Lowrie's on the completion of an impressive expedition. Well done!

When we last checked in on Philippe Gatta, the ultrarunner attempting to run the length of the Great Himalaya Trail, a distance of 1700 km (1056 miles), in just 40 days, he was waiting out the weather. Philippe had gotten caught in the mountains just as Cyclone Phailin was hitting the mainland. That storm ended up dumping an unbelievable amount of snow across the region, burying portions of the trail in waist deep powder. It has gotten so bad in fact, that the Frenchman said that the snow was actually reaching the second story of some of the taller buildings in villages that he was passing through. When he returned to the GHT late last week, he found some of the higher passes blocked and impassable. Those conditions have caused him to reassess the expedition and come at it from a different direction – quite literally.

On Saturday, Philippe posted a note on his Facebook page that said that all the passes above 5000 meters (16,404 ft) are closed and would not reopen for sometime. Possibly not until spring. So, he decided to abandon his run where he was at and return to Kathmandu temporarily and then head back out to the trail, launching the next portion of his run from Lukla in the Khumbu Valley. That's the starting point for climbers and trekkers heading to Everest of course. His plan was to run from Lukla to Namche Bazaar and from there head to Island Peak, a 6165 meter (20,226 ft) mountain in the Khumbu region with the intention of climbing to the top. Island Peak is a trekking peak without any technical climbing involved, but considering how much snow it is currently buried under, it will still be a real challenge at the moment.

Another update came yesterday that indicated that Gatta had arrived in Namche after running just 3 hours and 15 minutes to get there. Anyone who has made that trek will tell you that is an impressive time considering it usually takes the better part of two days to walk there. That includes hiking up the famous Namche Hill, which includes some substantial gains in altitude. He'll likely spend a day there resting before beginning the hike to Island Peak.

So, while the objective the run has changes, Philippe is still pushing ahead with his adventure none the less. It appears an attempt to run the entire GHT is done for now, but he'll continue to apply his unique skills to explore the Khumbu Valley. It should be interesting to see how the trek to the mountain goes and if he finds success on Island Peak.

Good luck Philippe!

On July 28, David and Katharine Lowrie set out on a run like no other. The pair have hit the road to run the length of South America. Yes, you read that right. They are planning on running south to north across the entire continent and they're doing so to raise awareness and funds to protect the wildlife that lives in threatened areas there. Their expedition is aptly named the 5000 Mile Project, as that is the distance that they will cover before they are through. (That's roughly 8046 km for most of the world.)

The began their epic adventure last month by setting off from Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost settlement in South America. They'll now work their way north through Patagonia, crossing between Chile and Argentina as they go. Eventually they'll cross into Bolivia before continuing on to Brazil, where they'll face one of the biggest challenges to the expedition – a crossing of the Amazon Rainforest. If successful there, they'll emerge into Venezuela and finish the journey with a run to the Caribbean coast.

The Lowrie's hope to wrap up their journey approximately a year after they started. That seems rather ambitious considering the difficult miles that lie ahead. The couple aren't just out on the road running unencumbered. They're pulling specially designed carts behind them that carry all of their gear and supplies as well. David and Katharine are hoping to cover roughly the length of a marathon each day (26.2 miles/42.1 km), which is a challenge but highly feasible while on roads. But once they hit the Amazon, things will be completely different and much more difficult in general.


The husband and wife team have undertaken the 5000 Mile Project to raise funds for Asociacion Armonia, BirdLife International and Conservacion Patagonica. The hope is to collect enough money to help fund the purchase of threatened habitats in South America to protect the wildlife that lives there. As part of the project, they are also recording the various animals they see along their run including the many bird species that inhabit the continent.

Their efforts don't end there however. They've also launched the BigToe Classroom which contains lesson plans and projects for teachers to use with their students to get them engaged with conservation projects as well. There is even a way to contact David and Katharine and set up a video conference call with them directly from the road.

You can learn more about the 5000 Mile Project in an interview that the couple did with Explorers Web earlier in the week. You can also follow along with David and Katharine's blog or on Twitter and Facebook.

Ultrarunner Kilian Jornet continues to demonstrate that he is amongst the best endurance athletes on the planet by once again setting an impressive new speed record. This time he made short work of the Matterhorn, crushing a record that has stood for 18 years in the process.

This latest test of Kilian's athletic abilities also marked the final phase of his Summits of My Life project. The speed attempt started and ended at the Church Square in Cervinia, Italy with the turn around point being the summit of Mount Cervino, which sits at a height of 4476 meters (14,685 ft). The round trip journey covered 17.48 km (10.86 miles) with a total ascent of 2469 meters (8100 ft). Kilian was able to cover that distance in a time of 2 hours, 52 minutes and 02 seconds. That easily beats the previous record set in 1995 by Bruno Brunod, who finished he same route in 3 hour, 14 minutes, 44 seconds.

As always, Kilian never fails to impress. The guy is simply an incredible athlete. This latest record comes on the heels of him setting a speed record on Mont Blanc in July when he ran up and down that 4810 meter (15,781 ft) peak in 4 hours, 57 minutes and 40 seconds. That was 13 minutes faster than the previous best time set by Pierre-André Gobet in 1990. I guess it would be an understatement to say that he's had a busy and productive summer, huh?

Congratulations to Kilian for another amazing run. Thanks for reminding the rest of us that we are just mere mortals.

Next month a new television network will launch called Esquire TV. It will feature all kinds of programming aimed at a predominantly male audience but with a little something that will be of interest to just about everyone. One of their first original shows will be Boundless, an eight-part documentary series that will follow friends and endurance athletes Simon Donato and Paul "Turbo" Trebilcock on a series of adventures around the globe. For instance, they'll take part in an seven-day stage ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert and and a 46-mile foot race across the Serengeti in Kenya.

The show begins airing on Sept. 25 and for a taste of what to expect, check out the video below.

Mountaineer turned ultrarunner Ben Clark has set an impressive goal for himself this summer. The man who has climbed multiple Himalayan peaks, including Everest, will be facing an entirely different kind of challenge when he sets out to complete Nolan's 14 – a 100-mile long route in Colorado that features 90,000 feet of vertical gain, linking 14 different mountains of 14,000 feet (4267 meters) in height or more. If he can complete the route in less than 60 hours, he'll add his name to a short, but distinguished, list of other runners who have managed to finish the grueling run as well. 

The state of Colorado has 54 mountains that rise above 14,000 feet. Locally they are known as the "14'ers" and many climbers take great pride in adding some or all of those peaks to their resume. One of those climbers was a man named Jim Nolan who discovered that the highest number of those 14'ers that a person could bag in a 100-mile stretch was 14. Thus the idea of Nolan's 14 was born with the challenge of completing a 100-mile long run up and over all 14 peaks in a quick of a time as possible. 

The concept of Nolan's 14 was strong enough to attract a field of ultrarunners for an unofficial race that ran between 1999 and 2001. Since that time, only seven runners have managed to complete the full course, navigating between Mt. Massive and Mt. Shavano along a path of their own choosing. This freedom of route finding allows the runner look for the most efficient way to cover the 100 miles while still topping out on as many of the 14'ers along the way as they possibly can. Ben hopes to get all 14 and still finish in under 60 hours.

Training for such an event is no small feat and last week in a post to the Osprey Packs Blog, Ben shared some thoughts on what he has been doing for the past two months to prepare for this epic run. He has spent a great deal of time in recent weeks scouting the route and picking the lines that will work best for him so that he can cover the distance in as fast of a time as possible. The best part? He isn't doing this to raise funds for a charity or to draw attention to one of his sponsors. He's taking on the Nolan's 14 strictly for the challenge of it. He wants to see if he can do it in under 60 hours with no other motivations other than just pushing himself to test the limits of his own endurance. 

Ben will begin his Nolan's 14 run next Sunday, August 25 and with any luck, he'll wrap it up two-and-a-half day later. I'll keep you posted on his results. Good luck Ben! 

The Swiss Irontrail ultramarathon, now in its second year, is the longest and highest single-stage running event in Europe. The race, which takes place this weekend, covers 201.4 km (125.2 miles) through the Alps in the Graubünden region of Switzerland. It promises to be a tough and demanding event that will test both the mental and physical endurance of the athletes.

One of those athletes is ultrarunner Rebecca Byerly who has been prepping for the Irontrail and creating a series of training videos for Mammut in the process. In the video below, you'll see Rebecca and friends running a 222 km (137 mile) race known as La Ultra - The High, which takes place in the foothills of the Himalaya. The race climbs through the Khardung-La pass, which falls at an altitude of 5395 meters (17,700 ft), making this a truly difficult high altitude challenge. Just another day in the life of an ultra-runner who is preparing for even more challenging races to come.

There was good news from the Gobi Desert this weekend as ultrarunner Ray Zahab has successfully completed Expedition Gobi, his 2300 km (1430 mile) crossing of the desert on foot. It took him 34 days to complete the journey, averaging nearly 68 km (42 miles) per day during that time.

As with any expedition of this nature, the run included a number of major challenges. For instance, when he first set out, Ray was running with Kevin Lin, a fellow ultrarunner from Taiwan. Kevin was hampered by injuries however and eventually had to abandon his attempt at crossing the Gobi. That forced Ray to carry on by himself, which required a great deal of mental toughness. Covering all of those miles on a daily basis is tough enough, but to do it mostly by yourself is even more difficult.

The terrain in the Gobi certainly lived up to its billing, particularly near the end. Ray ran through all kinds of varying conditions along the way, but his final days were often spent running up and down massive sand dunes. Those conditions made it tough going in those last few days, but with a little help from some local military officials, Ray and his support team were able to find a faster and more efficient route to get them through the final leg.

The team is now en route back to Ulaanbataar, a journey that will take three days to complete in a 4x4 vehicle. That alone should tell you how remote the Gobi is and how difficult the conditions there are. Despite all of those miles and challenging environments, our intrepid runner managed to complete the expedition without a single blister, which is an impressive accomplishment on its own.

Ray can now add the Gobi to his growing list of deserts that he has run across. Previously the Canadian adventurer has also run across the Sahara and Atacama Deserts, as well traveled to the South Pole and across Death Valley on foot. Not bad for a guy who use to smoke a pack of cigarettes per day.

Congrats Ray! Well done once again!

Outdoor Retailer is less than a week away and the product announcements are already arriving in my email inbox with surprising regularity. One of the latest press releases to catch my attention comes our way courtesy of The North Face, which has announced a new line of apparel specifically designed to meet the training needs of outdoor athletes.

The new line of gear will be available starting in January 2014 and will fall under the "Mountain Athletics" brand which will include both clothing and shoes. TNF will offer four products at launch including the Kilowatt Jacket, short sleeve shirt and shorts. The Killowatt Ultra, a lightweight minimalist training shoe will released later in the spring of 2014.

Each of these products is the result of a collaboration between The North Face and Mountain Athlete gym located in Jackson, Wyoming. The facility is a strength and conditioning center that focuses on preparing outdoor athletes for big challenges, with a particular focus on skiing and snowboarding, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering and ultrarunning. A number of TNF sponsored athletes train at the gym and played a role in creating and testing the Mountain Athletics line.

The new gear will get a tough field test later this fall when ultrarunner Mike Wolfe will attempt to set a new speed record on the John Muir Trail. The current record was set by Brett Muane, who completed the 211 mile (340 km) route in just 3 days and 9 hours back in 2009. Brett, who will be joined by fellow endurance athlete Hal Koerner, will be training for the record-setting attempt using the new Kilowatt gear. The rest of us will have to wait for it to be released next year before we can give it a go.

I'll be on hand at OR next week to check out the gear for myself. I'm looking forward to seeing the new line and what it brings to the table for outdoor athletes. I'll try to snag some photos that I can share on Facebook and Twitter while I'm there.

Ray Zahab has been in the Gobi Desert for a month now as he continues his attempt to run through that massive and demanding environment. When he's done, he hopes to have covered 2300 km (1430 miles) in approximately 35 total days, averaging roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. Along the way, he has been interacting with the locals that inhabit the Gobi and learning about the effects of desertification on their lives and homeland. As is typical with one of Ray's expedition's, he is also sharing those insights and experiences with classrooms around the globe.

Yesterday was a rest day for Ray and his support team as they prepare for their final leg of this journey. With just 320 km (198 miles) left to run, the toughest challenges may still lay ahead. The route will now take our intrepid ultrarunner into one of the most desolate and difficult regions of the Gobi yet. A region that is seldom visited and largely unexplored. So much so, that Ray says that the team will share their video with the Mongolian government to help them understand the environment he'll be running through much better.

As he enters the stretch run, Ray is planning on reach the finish line this coming weekend. It won't be easy however as this next segment is incredibly dry, warm and utterly devoid of places to resupply. They are leaving the last settlements behind as they move into this "No Man's Land." Over the next few days, they'll have to rely on themselves and the supplies they've brought along to see them through to the end.

Stay tuned for updates and check out the video below to see what Ray has been dealing with on his run so far. The Gobi looks incredible but I'm not sure I'd want to run for 35 days across it.


Expedition Gobi - Khongoryn Els (Singing Sands) from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Yesterday I posted the results from the 2013 Badwater Ultramarathon, a grueling race that covers more than 135 miles (217 km) through Death Valley and up to the Mt. Whitney Portals that features more than 13,000 feet (3962 meters) of vertical gain. If you're not already familiar with the race, you'll want to check out the video below. It was shot in the 2010 race and features runner Jamie Donaldson, who set a course record 0f 26:16:12 on that run. The short film will give you an idea of what the runners deal with while out on the course.

Badwater from David E. Anderson on Vimeo.

While we're on the subject of ultrarunning today I thought I'd mention that the Badwater Ultra, one of the toughest running races on the planet, has been taking place over the past couple of days. The race begins in Badwater, California, which is located deep in the heart of Death Valley and runs for 135 miles (217 km) through that harsh environment before ending at the Mt. Whitney Portals. Considering Badwater falls at 280 feet (85 meters) below sea level and ends at 8300 feet (2530 meters) you get the idea of how much vertical gain is involved over the course of the run.

While a few racers will continue to cross the finish line today, the leaders have already wrapped up their runs and have done so in impressive times. This year's winner is Carlos Alberto Gomes DeSá of Portugal who completed the run in just 24 hours, 38 minutes and 16 seconds. Second place went to Grant Maughan of Australia with a time of 24:53:57 and third place was claimed by Oswaldo Lopez who crossed the line at 25:27:03. The fastest woman was Catherine Todd, who finished in 29:55:29, with ultrarunning legend Pam Reed not far behind at 30:39:58.

It still amazes me that anyone is capable of running 135 miles through conditions like those found in Death Valley in as little as 24 hours. These runners are supreme athletes in fantastic condition and I admire their dedication and determination. It was also nice to see Charlie Engle back in the game and coming in 5th place over all at 26 hours, 15 minutes and 35 seconds. If you know anything about Charlie's story over the past few years, you'll probably understand what an accomplishment that is.

Congrats to all the runners. Amazing efforts all around. I'll be thinking of each of them tonight when I do a mere 8 miles.

No one ever said running across a desert would be easy, but ultrarunner Ray Zahab seems to have a way of making it look that way. In the past, he has run across the Sahara and the Atacama Deserts, as well as skied to the South Pole in record time. Now he's taking on the Gobi and three weeks in he's having an amazing experience, although some of the toughest days are still ahead.

When he set out back on June 23, Ray estimated that it would take approximately 35 days to complete the run, covering about 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. He's done a good job of hitting those distances so far despite some difficult conditions at times, while also finding time to connect with the locals who call the Gobi home. He was suppose to be running alongside fellow-ultrarunner Kevin Lin, but Kevin has been nagged with injuries almost from the start, so Ray has been doing most of the miles by himself, something that probably makes all of his interactions with the Mongolians all the more special.

What is a typical day running the Gobi like for Ray? Check out the video below to get an idea. Don't let the green, lush looking environment fool you however, as this is still a dry desert that can be very demanding. In the next few days, Ray will move into some very large sand dunes, which will add a new challenge to his efforts. Hitting those 70 km goals on a daily basis could become a much more difficult prospect.

Stay tuned for more updates as Ray continues this journey on foot through the Gobi. He still has a couple of more weeks to go until he's done, so plenty of running yet to be completed.


Expedition Gobi - No Language Barrier from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin are continuing their journey across the Gobi Desert and are now a little over a week into their run. So far they've been pretty diligent about hitting their average of 70 km (43.4 miles) per day, although they have taken some liberties here and there to enjoy some interaction with the locals and absorb the Mongolian culture. The plan is to cover 2300 km (1430 miles) in just 35 days and to do that they must maintain a steady pace.

Beyond the adventure of simply running across one of the largest deserts on the planet, the point of Expedition Gobi is to learn about life in the desert and share that experience with others. With that in mind, Ray and company are taking every chance they can get to connect with those who live in that environment. The video below is a great example of that as a young man joins the team for a portion of a run and a personal bond is formed even though neither runner speaks the others language.

While Ray continues to knock off the miles, his partner Kevin remains hobbled a bit with an injury that has prevented him from running as much as he would like. He seems to be recovering however, although he continues to limit his mileage while he works himself back into the groove. With more than three weeks to go until they wrap up their adventure, he still has plenty of opportunities to add up the mileage and they haven't even gotten to the most difficult stages just yet.

Follow Ray and Kevin's progress at Gobi2013.com.

Expedition Gobi - The Magic of Running from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Earlier this week I noted that ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin had begun their attempt to run across the Gobi Desert. They are hoping to average around 70km (43.4 miles) per day, for 35 days, in order to cross the 2300km (1430 mile) expanse of the Gobi at its widest point.That is quite an undertaking to say the least and if you've ever wondered what it is like to attempt such a long run, take a look at the video below to get an idea of what conditions are like out on the trail. This was shot on Day 2, so the terrain still looks relatively green and lush, but as they go along, it is likely to change dramatically.

This first week of running hasn't been without its challenges. Kevin has already suffered an injury to his one of his legs and has had to take some time off. Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon and he can rejoin Ray on the run. With five days down, they still have a month to go!

Expedition Gobi - Day 2 70Km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Yesterday, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin began their 2300 km (1430 mile) trek across the Gobi Desert. The two men, who once ran the length of the Sahara together, hope to spend the next 35 days running an average of 65 km (40 miles) per day. Along the way they'll face remote and difficult terrain, extremely dry conditions and a host of other physical and mental challenges.

One of the biggest obstacles to their success is simply the logistics of being resupplied. Because the Gobi is so remote and lacking in infrastructure, Ray and Kevin's support team will have very few opportunities to provide them with fresh water along the way. They expect to receive just one supply drop each day, which isn't much considering the locations they are traveling through.

On their first day out, the two endurance athletes were able to cover 61 km (38 miles). That's not too bad for what these guys call a "warm-up." The video below gives you an idea what the start of their journey was like and we can look forward to similar videos moving forward as they continue the run.

You can follow Ray and Kevin's adventure at Gobi2013.com or on Facebook and Twitter. I'll be thinking of these guys tonight on my run, which will be a mere five miles.


Expedition Gobi - Day 1 61 Km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin, who once teamed up to run across the Sahara together, are collaborating once again on another desert crossing. This time the two men will take on the remote and foreboding Gobi in an attempt to cover 2300 km (1430 miles) in just 35 days.

Ray and Kevin plan to run between 70-80 km (43-50 miles) per day on this epic journey through the Gobi. They will have a support team with them helping to provide the water they'll need to keep moving, but due to the remote and rugged nature of the region, they'll only be able to receive one or two resupplies each day. That means they'll need to carry plenty of water with that at all times as it will be uncertain as to when they'll be able to get more.

While crossing the Gobi, the team will also interact with the Mongolian people who still make their home in that wild place. They hope to learn from about the effects of desertification from these tough and resilient people, who are seeing its effects first hand. Ray, Kevin and the rest of the squad will share those experiences, as well as insights into life in the desert, with youth groups back home via satellite broadcasts. The hope is to educate and inspire those young people following along with a healthy dose of adventure.

The plan is for the run to actually begin on Sunday, June 23. Ray is leaving from Canada for Mongolia today and he'll connect with Kevin, who will be coming from Taiwan, later in the week. They'll spend the time leading up to start of the expedition by organizing gear, resting their bodies from the travel and acclimatizing somewhat to the climate. After that, it'll be full steam ahead for 35 days. You'll be able to follow their progress on the Expedition Gobi website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Good luck Kevin and Ray!

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

I'm the first one to admit that my gear closet is packed full of far more stuff than the average outdoor enthusiast could ever need. Writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to test a lot of great equipment and use it on my own personal adventures. But one item that I had been hoping to add to my collection for some time was an Ambit GPS watch from Suunto, a high tech piece of kit that is versatile enough to be used in everyday workouts, weekend treks or excursions to far flung destinations across the globe.

Before I say anything about this watch, it is important to point out that this review is based on the original Ambit, which I was able to grab at REI recently when they gave it a 25% discount following the release of the Ambit2. By most accounts, the Ambit2 takes the winning formula of its processor and refines it nicely, providing more functionality in a slightly slimmed down form factor. Since I haven't tested that model yet, I can only share my thoughts on the Ambit, which I must say lives up to its reputation as an excellent multi-functional watch for all of your outdoor adventures.

In its basic form, the Ambit is a sports watch and as such it has all of the functionality you would expect out of such a device. Obviously it tells time (in two locations no less), and includes day, date and alarm functionality, as you would expect. It also has a stopwatch, interval timers, a countdown timer and more. It is rugged enough to be used at altitudes extending beyond the summit of Everest and as much as 100 meters (328 feet). In short, it is everything you would expect out of an outdoor watch and more.

At the heart of the Ambit is a powerful GPS chip that interfaces with the other functions of the watch, providing all kinds of real time data to the wearer. For instance, when running or cycling, the GPS feed information about your current speed, distance, pace – all of which is helpful when training for an event. While hiking, the watch can mark waypoints and help you navigate back to them using its onboard mapping capabilities. These capabilities put a powerful outdoor computer on your wrist that can help you in a variety of ways, particularly if you're an avid outdoor athlete or your adventures take you regularly into the backcountry.

Of course, GPS watches are nothing new and there have been a number of excellent products from other companies for years. What sets the Ambit apart in my book is that its user interface is super easy to understand, making it a breeze to navigate through the dizzying array of options and put them to use. I was impressed with the UI on this watch and commend Suunto for doing such a great job in making it so simple to operate. The operating system that makes this possible is also easily updatable, which means the watch continues to be refined and improved long after its release. In fact, a new firmware update is due before the end of the month, showing Suunto's commitment to continuing to support this watch even though the Ambit2 is out.

One of the major improvements the new Ambit has over its predecessor is that it has more onboard memory to support more functions. But that said, the original Ambit has free space as well and the user can add functionality to the watch themselves by downloading "apps" of a sort from the App Zone at Movescount.com. That website it he only home for Ambit users, allowing them to upload data from their watch to track performance and improvements over time. It's a nice site and easy to use, but it would be nice if the Ambit data was able to be shared on other fitness sites that are used by more people and allow uploads from a variety of devices from different manufacturers.

Performance of the Ambit has been excellent overall, although it can be slow to connect to the GPS satellites at times. I've found it is best for that initial connection if you have an unobstructed view of the sky and don't move at all until after the watch achieves GPS lock. Once it does find the satellites however, the Ambit seems to hold that connection well and begins to quickly track your movements. It can "ping" the GPS satellites on a 1 second or 1 minute basis. The faster rate provides more accurate readings of course, but it also puts a bigger hit on the battery. There are times when both levels of accuracy are nice to have. For instance, when running you want very accurate readings of your distance but when hiking the 1 minute intervals are probably fine since you're moving a much slower rate.

Speaking of the battery, the Ambit features an internal rechargeable cell that can be powered up by connecting the watch to a USB port on your computer or some other charger. When used strictly as a watch, Suunto says it can go up to 30 days between charges, but since I haven't been using it just as watch, i can't confirm or deny that number. I have been using on almost daily runs with GPS on the entire time. My runs are between 5-10 miles in length and the Ambit was able to survive two weeks without need a recharge. I found that to be pretty solid performance all things considering. We know that GPS always strains a battery, but considering  how small the Ambit is and how much functionality it has packed in, it really is impressive that it can last that long.

This is just scratching the surface of what the Ambit is capable of. It also has built-in automatic GPS time checks, temperature and barometric pressure readings, current altitude and change in altitude recordings and a lot more. In fact, I could go on forever about all of the features of this watch, but the most important things to know is that it is tough, rugged and performs incredibly well. It is also very easy to use, which isn't always the case for a device with this many features in such a small form factor. Suunto has delivered a versatile piece of technology that outdoor athletes will love, and whether your "settle" for the original Ambit (now available for as little as $350) or the more powerful and slightly trimmer Ambit2 ($550), you not only get a great piece of gear to accompany you on all your adventures, you're getting a watch that will last for years as well.

For me, the wait for getting my hands on the Ambit was worth with it. It is a great gadget and performs beyond my expectations. After just a few runs I felt completely comfortable using it without thinking twice and as a result, I can't imagine heading out without it on my wrist.

In June, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawke will travel to the Gobi Desert where they will attempt to run more than 2300 km (1430 miles) through one of the most demanding environments on the planet. They plan to cover roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day while a support team tries to keep them supplied with plenty of food and water to keep them going, something that will be a logistical challenge to say the least.

In preparation for the start of the run, which is still a month off, the team released the teaser video below. It serves the dual purpose of both inspiring us to pursue our own adventures while also giving us a glimpse of the challenges the runners will face along the way. This will certainly be a challenging endeavor for Ray and Ferg and fascinating for the rest of us to follow.

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

A month ago the New York Times ran a great article on Kilian Jornet that was surely an amazing introduction to ultrarunning for the uninitiated. It seems the "paper of record" isn't done introducing the mainstream readers to amazing endurance athletes, as earlier this week they also ran an excellent profile of Lizzy Hawker, perhaps the best female endurance athlete in the world today.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Lizzy, her resume is certainly an impressive one. She has won the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc on five separate occasions, and finished first in over 35 other ultra-length trail races. She recently ran from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu in just 71 hours and 25 minutes, a new personal best for a run that she has done in the past. She'll run on trail, pavement and track and sometimes logs as much as 150 miles (240 km) in a single week. She was also named a 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and perhaps most impressively of all, she holds a doctorate in polar oceanography from Cambridge. In short, she's smart, athletically gifted and very driven.

In the New York Times article, Hawker talks about her first major trail race, the very tough UTMB that she entered on a whim and ended up winning. It was then that she discovered that she had a real talent for running long distances and the rest is history. After that race she accepted an offer of sponsorship from the North Face, but to this day she trains on her own, doesn't have a coach and doesn't run with a club. Her own work ethic, instilled in her at a young age, continues to drive her forward and she seems to thrive on the solitude of running in remote places.

For many of you who read this blog, Lizzy is a well known athlete. But for the average person she is a complete unknown. Most have never been exposed to the world of ultrarunning which makes these profiles from the Times extra special. These athletes deserve the recognition that they are getting and I'm glad that mainstream press is sharing their stories, if only to expose them and their sports to a wider audience.