Vancouverscape, a Vancouver based blog covering travel, tech, and lifestyle

“Get out and stay out—as often and for as long as you can”. These are timely words spoken by Marshall Ulrich, author of the new Both Feet on the Ground: Reflections from the Outside. This is his latest release following Running on Empty.

Ulrich, an ultra-runner who’s also scaled the Seven Summits and competed in multi-day adventure races, shares stories of his expeditions in such far-flung places as Borneo, Tibet and South Africa, as well as his lifelong commitment to farming his land in Colorado.

If you’re looking for an entertaining summer read during these unprecedented times of COVID-19, look no further. Within its pages are insights gained from Ulrich’s adventures as well as tips from other experts. The book is organized by themes of air, earth, fire and water.

Imagine completing the equivalent of 117 back-to-back marathons (running an average of over 400 miles a week), climbing 84,430 feet (25,734 meters) in temperatures ranging from below freezing to the upper 90’s F and crossing 3,063.2 miles (4,929.7 km) and 12 states on foot from California to New York — all in your mid-40’s!

And while in his fifties, he achieved climbing all Seven Summits, including Mount Everest. At 57, he set two transcontinental speed records of his own, attempting to beat a world record previously set by a 28 year old.

I found this read both engaging and inspiring, as I discovered just what drives some of us to go to physical extremes and to keep going no matter what. At the core of Both Feet on the Ground is the universal spirit and overcoming life’s tough challenges.

For every one of us, experiences and not acquisitions are what last; material things are expendable, and what we accomplish in life is everlasting; no one can ever take that away.

What I loved most about the book is discovering Ulrich’s tenacity and goal-oriented mindset. His farm upbringing has put him in the enviable position of an elevated appreciation of nature, where our food comes from and keeping our minds and bodies fit for life.

About Marshall Ulrich

Author Marshall Ulrich is an extreme endurance athlete, Seven Summits mountaineer and adventure racer who loves sharing his exploits to entertain and help motivate others to reach their goals. Dubbed The Endurance King by Outside, he defies the ideas of “too far,” “too old” and “not possible.” An acclaimed speaker, Ulrich has lectured on various elite cruise lines and given talks at businesses, schools, race expos and professional conferences, including the Royal Geographic Society, Morgan Stanley and Wilderness Medicine.

Published by DNA Books, Both Feet on the Ground: Reflections from the Outside is available via Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other online retailers across North America. You can also download it via Audible.