iRunFar: Bryon reviews some of the top trail shoes hitting the market this year.

What happens when a couple of elite marathoners takes off on the 485 mile Colorado Trail? Here’s a fun story.

Whatever path these people take to the top of the athletic world, it’s vital to realize that they aren’t cheating by any reasonable definition. A situation can be brazenly unfair without anyone in the mix doing anything actively diabolical, and that’s part of everyone’s frustration in adjudicating this issue once and for all: When all of the right rules are in place, intersex people are ultimately forced to suffer enormous athletic and personal setbacks in the name of fairness to the very sport that has done their young lives a great service. No one but a sadist wants to see that movie play out in real life.

—This is an excellent analysis and breakdown of what’s going on in the Olympics with regards to sex, biology, gender, and DSD athletes.

Don’t depend on GoogleMaps to find your running/hiking/climbing routes.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been running, hiking and paddling with this new hydration pack. Designed by adventurers who wanted a better product, the Drankful team has launched a Kickstarter to start manufacturing.
What I like: The bladder sits low on the back, preventing the top heavy sloshing of traditional packs. I love the fit. Don’t know much about garment/gear design, but they’ve made it hug my chest without it feeling tight or strappy and at the same time, made the top pouch very open and accessible. And I love the pockets. Though I wish they were colored or textured more (vision sucks in the lower periphery), they’re sized well and easy to access.
Definitely recommended for weekend runs, shorter ultramarathons, hiking, etc.
(No financial interest other than a test pack.)

I’m listening to this podcast about Rosie Ruiz right now, and though the hosts are shockingly ignorant of the sport of running, they did have a funny comment: “Cheating in a race is like faking an orgasm while you’re masturbating.”

New podcast with a totally new format coming this week. Let’s see how it goes.