This race report was originally posted on The Ultimate Direction Buzz. Everything was steep at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail—notably the 19k of long, grinding ascents and absurdly technical descents—but my greatest challenge in the Dolomites of Italy was the steep learning...

One of the challenges of being an athlete is always trying to find ways to improve, to take things up a notch, and not get caught in complacency. That requires almost constant introspection, being honest with yourself, and not being afraid of making big changes. Going...