Four separate occasions between 1997 and 2008 found me in Argentina attempting a summit of Aconcagua, the 22,834-foot peak that’s the highest mountain outside of Asia. I’m often asked why I would spend thousands of dollars and three months of my life just to surmount it. 

Ahh spring. More daylight, warmer temperatures and tons of mountain bike trails just calling your name—yours and the names of thousands of other hikers, runners, cyclists and equestrians. Trail etiquette can make or break access rights for mountain bikers, so using common sense and manners is always wise. 

What’s the appeal of endurance sports? It’s hard to say, but it’s easy to see that more and more athletes are getting hooked on 24-hour bike rides, ultraruns and any other way they can get an endurance fix.

The Midwest is blessed with triathlons of every distance for every type of athlete. Now’s the time to plan your season and find the perfect event for you to swim, bike and run.

Champaign-Urbana will become running grounds for an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people for the inaugural Illinois Marathon set for April 25, 2009. 

For this issue, I set out to answer a pretty common question: Why do we do it? My goal was to get some answers as to why more of us are being drawn to endurance sports. 

For endurance athletes of all levels, sleep is a key to recovery and performance. But how do you know when enough is enough? And what can you do to get more?

The Bank of America announced yesterday that registration for the Chicago Marathon has closed nearly six months before race day, as 45,000 runners have signed on, marking the event’s established capacity.

Two miles of new hiking trails, a new springtime bicycling option, and thousands upon thousands of beautiful, blooming plants promise to make this spring a special one for visitors of the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill. 

What used to be a season-ending injury is now a lesser frustration.