The North Face

Ultrarunner | Nikki Kimball

The sport of ultrarunning is largely a series of humbling moments. As much as Nikki Kimball is amazed by what her body can do and the extremes it can handle, the sport constantly reminds her that she inhabits a body which requires constant upkeep I may have to slow my pace in response to relatively minor changes in temperatures or trail topography. Nikki says, "I cannot race ultra distances without aid stations providing thousands of calories and liters of water. I cannot race fast without race volunteers and my own crew. Basically I cannot do any of the things I’ve done without constant governance of my innately human physical weaknesses and the selfless help of volunteers and crew."

Learn more about Nikki Kimball.

Jul 02 | Tales & Tips of the Triple Digits

By Nikki Kimball

Naturally this conjures images of WS 100. 2006 was hot, really freakin’ hot. Well before 50 miles I thought I’d drop prior to dunking myself in a cool river for about 3 minutes (I should have stayed longer, but saw teammate Guillermo passing by on an overhead bridge and was just too competitive to let the boy go). I believe staying 5-10 minutes in the river would have been time well spent given the level of heat related problems we were all having. I was gaining weight at every station. And an aid station around 50 mile I kept receiving advice to take in more salt. Fortunately a volunteer pulled me aside and said, “I think you’ve been getting the wrong advice, stop the salt and don’t drink too much until the next aid.” This was the best advice I had all day. I think people need to recognize that hyponatremia is a very real threat, but that too much salt can be detrimental as well. I won’t go into the physiology or specific advice here, but people need to understand risks of heat, relation of electrolytes to heat-related problems, symptoms of various heat-related problems, etc. There is plenty that is not known in this area. But educate yourself as much as possible, before attempting hot weather ultra-running. - Nikki Kimball

Jun 26 | Anchorage - 1994 Biathlon Olympic Trials

By Nikki Kimball

My most memorable wildlife encounter occurred in Anchorage during the 1994 Biathlon Olympic Trials. My coach and I were warming down post-race on groomed trails. I remember flying around a downhill corner only to find a bull moose taking up the entire trail! I skidded to a stop at what seemed like millimeters from the big guy. Fortunately, he simply looked at me, unalarmed, as I slowly backed up the one-way trail until I was far enough away to feel safe turning around and skiing as fast as I could to a less biologically interesting trail. - Nikki Kimball

Jun 14 | Feel Comfortable Exploring

By Nikki Kimball

I’m pretty careful with studying maps and carrying them with me when running new terrain. If I move to a new area, I will do several out-and-backs or relatively simple reconnaissance run until I’m pretty comfortable with my environment (particularly in areas in which trails are not well mapped). From this base I feel more comfortable exploring. - Nikki Kimball

May 16 | Vice & Addiction

By Nikki Kimball

I think running itself is a vice and has the potential to be an addiction. I think my love of Diet Coke and Margaritas provides a bit of balance. - Nikki Kimball

May 07 | First Ultramarathon Training

By Nikki Kimball

I trained the same way I trained for shorter races. I think that people often make the mistake of increasing their training distances when they jump up to higher mileage races. I find it better to continue my speed and sharpness training as if I’m racing marathons. The only change is going a bit farther on my once-a-week long run. - Nikki Kimball

Mar 20 | Peaking this Year

By Nikki Kimball

I typically try to peak for two races a year.  I’d like to run a very fast time at WS 100, and set a course record at Tour de Mount Blanc this year. - Nikki Kimball