The multiple world champion loves variety and pushing boundaries, as Jessica Whittington discovered

For Jonathan Albon, variety is the spice of life when it comes to running. So much so, that the 30-year-old dryrobe brand ambassador holds multiple world titles across different events, including skyrunning, obstacle course racing and trail running, the discipline in which he landed gold for Great Britain in Portugal this summer.

Having only taken up running aged 20 when he entered an obstacle race, the Norway-based athlete’s life now revolves around the sport. He finished fourth at last month’s World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships, while he was among the nominees in the recent AW Readers’ Choice Awards, and here he shares some insight into the highs and longs of being one of the world’s best ultra runners.

AW: One of your many world titles won came in June at the IAU Trail World Championships. How do you reflect on that experience?

Jonathan Albon: The whole experience was really cool. It was really fun to run in the race wearing GB kit alongside the other best trail runners in Great Britain.

At the beginning of the race we were all running in a pack and it was a great feeling. After around 16km the first big technical downhill came and that’s when I managed to push ahead and up into second.

From there I carried on pushing and managed to get into first place about half way round. For some reason I managed to find it in myself to just carry on going!

Over the years I’ve been wondering whether I’ve still got this real drive in me to really push like when I was younger, to just push everything out, go to the max and continue going and I think I managed to find that, so that was really satisfying.

AW: What do think it was that gave you that edge, gave you that drive again?

JA: I think my preparation was really good but from the very beginning – I did ask the team “look are we here to get a good team placing, where we all should run a little bit conservatively so none of us completely blow up and die, or should we just go out and give it everything from the start?”

Normally I start races really nice and slow, controlled and boring, and try and build up towards the end.

I found that you can do really well like that but you rarely win these really big races. You need to be a bit ballsy at the start so I started really aggressively, stayed at the front – which isn’t really much like me – and then once you do take the lead you get this extra push, a bit of extra energy, so I managed to have all those feelings at the right time in the race.

Everything just went completely perfectly.

AW: How much is to do with mindset, as well as physical ability?

JA: I think psychological preparation is absolutely massive and it’s also one of the harder things to get right. A few races I had done earlier in the year helped me get my head set in the right place and prepare myself.

Something I’ve always been thinking about but never really been able to perfect is getting the big race right and doing it well.

I think wearing the GB colours makes it a bit easier – you see the little flag on your shorts and it gives you that extra bit of a boost.

AW: What is the team aspect like in ultra running?

JA: It does feel like an individual sport but it is nice when you do have a little bit of a support team around. If anything, sometimes I feel like the people there to support me want me to win more than I do, so that’s a funny feeling.

AW: Your career is very varied. How did you start out initially?

JA: I played skate hockey as a kid, which is just the same as ice hockey but on wheels, but I quit when I was 20 and started running.

I initially got into doing a few events, mainly obstacle races, just because it was a really fun and different thing.

From there I discovered other types of running – I did road marathons, trail races, mountain races – pretty much I’d say yes to anything because I thought it would be fun to try.

I found skyracing as well and once I became a full-time athlete I settled on obstacle racing and skyrunning or trail running as my two main sports.

AW: Do you have an average training week?

JA: In the winter I do a lot of skiing. I was doing somewhere between 12-15,000m of climb a week on skis.

Then in the summer it all switches to running and biking. I think there’s a big thing about overtraining but I’m starting to realise it’s more about over-running – running isn’t the best thing for you, some people can handle more than others. My body definitely prefers less running but it still wants the load so I’ve tried to replace that with cycling.

AW: Where do you run? Do you mix up the terrain?

JA: I always try and keep it really varied – from track running to road running to gravel paths to mountain. In the three weeks before the race I do try and specify the type of running I’m doing to the race I’ll be doing.

AW: You’ve talked in the past about the 80/20 principle – 80% at slower zone one and 20% harder. Do you still apply that to your training?

JA: The only thing that has changed is I’ve found zone one is still a bit too hard. So I think my zone one is up to 140 beats a minute or something around that.

If I went out and cycled or ran for three, four or five hours at that heart rate, I’d probably still be quite tired afterwards and my training the next day wouldn’t be as good, whereas going out and cycling say 1000m climb and descent, just at 120 heart rate, that feels a lot nicer.

AW: Do you log your training miles and ascent?

JA: If I’m going to be counting anything, especially in the winter, it’s normally climb. In the winter it was 12-15,000m a week and then in the summer maybe 5-8,000m of climb a week. That’s across everything – running, skiing and biking.

I built up my running mileage for the Trail World Championships over two or three months and in the winter I went from doing like 5km a week up to 110km was my biggest week before I started dropping back again.

I think most runners would probably do more but then with the cross training and with the amount of climb I do and the fact that it’s in the mountains, it still amounts to quite a few hours.

AW: How important is nutrition for you?

JA: During everyday eating I try and eat as little processed food as possible but apart from that I haven’t got any special diet like being vegan or vegetarian or lactose intolerant or anything.

AW: Do you have key pieces of kit?

JA: I’m really happy that I’ve found a footwear brand (VJ Sport) that I’m super happy with – I think it’s almost mechanical doping with the amount of grip you get from the rubber on stone!

That’s been a massive thing for me. They’ve got the grippiest rubber you can possibly imagine on wet rock.

They’ve got three main models – the Irock, XTRM and the MAXx – and between those three I can pretty much find the shoes for any type of mountain race.

My other kit changes from race to race. Gore have really good waterproof jackets – living in Bergen, it’s like the rainiest city in Europe I think!

AW: You’ve travelled to some incredible places to run. Where have you enjoyed the most?

JA: I have been to a lot of places but to be honest I still really like running in Norway. From where I live, within a two-hour drive or even just from my doorstep I can run in some pretty crazy nice places.

(I can) drink from streams as I go, eat blueberries which are just growing in woods. It’s got softer trails as well, which is nice.

AW: Do you do a lot of training on your own?

JA: Mostly alone but it is fun to do sessions with my wife and with friends. Going on adventures together is really cool.

We did one run which is about a two-hour drive away. We parked the van, slept over and then ran up to a cabin, ran over a glacier to another cabin and then down to another fjord on the other side.

Then we hopped on a bus and the bus took us through a tunnel under the glacier back to where the van was. We did it in five hours but it would normally take a two-day walking trip.

Doing stuff like that is really fun adventure type of running which is almost as satisfying as going and doing a race.

Each month in SPEED SPORT Magazine we highlight some of our favorite Twitter posts from racing personalities from various disciplines. Here is the SPEED SPORT Twitter Me This from December 2019.

Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22): Really curious what you guys think…if a few IndyCar drivers got in some sort of pit lane brawl, proper NASCAR top-10 play type scuffle, what do you think the reaction would be here on the internet? I mean…I find it wildly entertaining. Emotion. Intensity.

Danny Dietrich (@dannydietrich): Took the wing off the car to wash it. Was carrying across the blacktop when the top wing and I decided to completely topple over a tire/wheel I couldn’t see…Hello Monday (and every other damn day of the week lately).

Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan): So we’re sitting at the gate on a @SpiritAirlines plane and the 70 year old lady next to me breathing over my shoulder looking at my texts says “Can you put your phone on airplane mode so you don’t glitch out the plane and we crash?” Ma’am, the plane hasn’t even started.

Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace): People ask me all the time what the difference between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram is. #1. Twitter is a shit show. #2. Facebook is for staying in touch with family/friends. #3. Instagram is the best. Because you cannot hide.

Ashley Sanford (@AshleyRacerGirl): Just had four Kangaroos run through the pits…What’s more Australian than that?!

Robby Lyons (@RLRacing2): None of my ex’s live in Texas. Therefor, I’m going to @TXMotorSpeedway.

Jesse Little (@jesselittle97): Biggest pet peeve…people who can’t merge on the interstate.

Austen Wheatley (@austenwheatley): Boneless wings are just chicken nuggets, right?

Nick Hoffman (@nick_hoffman2): It’s now the part of the year when almost everyone in racing is selling their race car and every single car “has the best parts money can buy.”

Anthony Alfredo (@anthonyalfredo): Nothing like starting the week with three mid-term exams all back to back.

PEEBLES, Ohio – It has been some time since the Brushcreek Motorsports Complex has been listed on a national sanctioning body’s schedule.

That will change in a big way next year as the three-tenths-mile oval will play host to the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series on April 25.

The Southern Ohio area has long been known as a hotbed of late model racing and a race like this should draw cars from West Virginia, Kentucky and the entire state of Ohio to give the World of Outlaws regulars all they can handle.

Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame promoter Carl Short will be handling the promoting duties.

“I am extremely pleased to be working with the Morton Buildings World of Outlaws and Brush Creek Motorsports Park,” said Short. “I have long thought Brushcreek was worthy of an event like this and I am glad to see it finally happening.”

Short promotes two of the biggest and most prestigious late model races in the country, the Hillbilly 100 at West Virginia’s Tyler County Speedway and the Dirt Track World Championship at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Ohio.

“I hope the fans that support the Hillbilly 100 and DTWC every year will come out and support what we are doing April 25 and I think they will leave happy they made the trip,” said short. “Brushcreek is one fast and racy track.

Among those expected to take part in the event, which will be called Carl’s Common Man 100, are tour regulars Scott Bloomquist, Chris Madden, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss and Darrell Lanigan, among others.

Fans in attendance will also have the opportunity leave as winners. Fans who purchase tickets and merchandise in advance will be entered into a drawing, with each driver in the feature drawing a name out of a hat. The driver who wins the race will not only earn the cash prize, but will also earn one lucky fan a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

In addition, First Turn Trucking’s Owner Operator Division and Allied Construction have come together to offer a $2,000 bonus to any driver outside the top-10 in World of Outlaws points should they win the event.

Support classes, start times and additional details will be announced at a later date.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Already woeful thanks to a season marked by injuries and inexperience, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense took more hits in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the New York Jets as their playoff hopes dimmed.

Injuries to running back James Conner, center Maurkice Pouncey and quarterback Mason Rudolph -- who replaced starter Devlin Hodges in the second quarter after two interceptions, and then left the game late in the second half with a left shoulder injury -- contributed to the loss that leaves the Steelers with a win-at-all costs game in Baltimore next week.

If the Steelers beat the Ravens, they'll clinch the final AFC wild-card spot. Lose, and they'll miss the playoffs for the second year in a row. It would mark the second time in eight years the Steelers missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Despite his four-interception game in the loss to Buffalo a week ago, Hodges remained the Steelers starting quarterback Sunday afternoon. His leash was short, though, and he was pulled for Rudolph after throwing two interceptions on the first three drives, including one in the end zone that forced coach Mike Tomlin's hand in pulling his undrafted rookie.

With Hodges' second pick, Steelers quarterbacks now have four interceptions on throws into the end zone this season, tied with the Chargers for most in the league. Hodges is responsible for three of those picks in the past two games.

Hodges' afternoon got off to a rocky start when he was intercepted by linebacker Tarell Basham on third-and-10 as he targeted Vance McDonald over the middle. Hodges' throw into triple coverage wasn't high enough, and Basham jumped up to pick it off underneath. The Steelers went three-and-out on the next drive, during which Hodges was sacked for a 5-yard loss.

The Samford product opened up his third drive with a convincing 18-yard pass to tight end Nick Vannett. Aided by a 12-yard run by James Conner and a horse collar penalty against the Jets, the Steelers reached the red zone for the first time. Instead of scoring, though, Hodges lofted a floater into a crowded end zone, and free safety Marcus Maye came down with it.

Rudolph began warming up on the sideline soon after, practicing taking snaps from center Maurkice Pouncey.

Rudolph couldn't get anything going in his first drive, but led a field goal drive on the next series. He connected with a Jaylen Samuels for a 27-yard catch-and-run play on that drive, eventually setting up for Chris Boswell's 49-yard field goal.

Rudolph then capitalized on T.J. Watt's strip sack and fumble recovery with 28 seconds remaining in the half when he hit Diontae Johnson in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown with four seconds remaining in the half.

His success was short-lived, though. The offense was stagnant in their three third-quarter drives. They reached the cusp of field goal range at the end of the first drive, but Rudolph's third down pass to Vance McDonald lost five yards and forced a punt. The Steelers went 3-and-out on the next series.

In his final drive, Rudolph completed a 14-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, one of the wide receiver's two catches in his return, but that was largely it.

The Steelers also lost Pouncey on that drive when the center went down with a knee injury on the first play. He limped off the field, but was eventually carted off from the sideline.

After the Steelers punted, Rudolph never returned. He went into the injury tent at the beginning of the fourth quarter. When he exited the injury tent, Rudolph mimed a throwing motion. When the Steelers offense came back on the field with 13:25 remaining in the game, Hodges was the quarterback. Rudolph remained on the sideline with his helmet on, talking to a team athletic trainer.

Though he didn't throw an interception in his second stint Sunday, Hodges was ineffective. He was sacked once and had to fall on another ball when the snap from replacement center B.J. Finney was bobbled.

Hodges got the ball back with a minute and a half to go and hit Johnson and Deon Cain with two quick passes for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-7 with a minute to go, Hodges let one fly to Washington in the end zone. He hit Washington in the hands, but Maye was there to break it up. With one more chance, Hodges targeted Smith-Schuster over the middle on the fourth-down throw, but Smith-Schuster couldn't come down with it, sealing the Steelers' loss.

The Steelers also lost their top running threat in the first half when Conner went out with a thigh injury.

Prior to his exit, Conner had six carries for 32 yards, including one 15-yard gain.

Conner missed five games throughout the season after injuring his shoulder against Miami on Oct. 28. He attempted to return Nov. 14 against Cleveland, but lasted only a quarter. After sitting out three more games, Conner played in 58 percent of the offensive snaps in the loss to Buffalo.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The sweet memories of perfection are still best served with a glass of champagne, and the 1972 Miami Dolphins shared a Dom Perignon toast while being honored during halftime of the Dolphins' home finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The NFL named the 17-0 1972 Dolphins the greatest team in NFL history as a part of its "NFL 100 Greatest" series. Many of the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins were at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday to be honored, including coach Don Shula, fullback Larry Csonka, quarterback Bob Griese, receiver/returner Mercury Morris, offensive lineman Larry Little and defensive back Dick Anderson.

Perfection.

Celebrating the 1972 team with a ? of Dom Pérignon. #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/L8ZHkfg28H

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 22, 2019

Many of those former Dolphins players enjoyed being celebrated but bristled at the suggestion that being named the greatest team was anything other than a foregone conclusion.

"I'm tired of people saying we were named the greatest team. We took that s---. We earned the god---- thing," a riled-up Csonka said before the game. "Only one team can claim perfection: us. That came from our hard work. Nobody elected us to perfection. We were the first definition of that in the NFL. Nobody gave us s---. We took it. We took the hilltop and put the flag up. Now anybody is welcome to join us. But there will be two of us, and we will always be the first."

Donning green perfection jackets, the 1972 Dolphins were celebrated one-by-one on the field with personalized golden footballs. Fans erupted in cheers when some of their favorites were called out by name.

Coach Shula receiving his personalized golden football to honor the perfect season and the @NFL's greatest team. #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/IPrL9z169v

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 22, 2019

There is still a great joy for many of those 1972 Dolphins whenever the last undefeated team goes down. There's something about being the only perfect team that makes that season even more special.

"See this ring here. It means out of the 100 years in the NFL, there's only been one team that has been able to go from A-to-Z and not miss a step," Morris said. "Our back-to-back run started from nothing. It ended up being everything."

Fans joined in singing an early "Happy Birthday" to Shula, the NFL's winningest coach, who will turn 90 on Jan. 4.

Cheers to the @NFL's only undefeated team. pic.twitter.com/nCWyauUNUu

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 22, 2019

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Marvin Harrison's NFL record of 143 catches in a season was so impressive that it stood for 17 years -- and no one even came within six catches of it.

Until Sunday, when New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas broke Harrison's mark with one game to spare.

Thomas caught his 143rd pass of the season with his 11th reception of the game Sunday in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans.

It is the ninth time this season that "Can't Guard Mike" has caught double-digit passes in a game.

The three-time Pro Bowler could potentially become the first receiver to get NFL MVP votes since Randy Moss in 1998 -- especially since his performance didn't drop off one bit when backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater replaced injured Saints starter Drew Brees for five-plus games early in the season.

Thomas is also a candidate to become the second receiver ever to win the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award (Jerry Rice won it in 1987 and 1993).

However, Thomas has insisted throughout this historic season that, "I'm not really focused on that. I'm just trying to go to the Super Bowl."

"It's cool. I mean, it's a blessing, I guess, to be in that category," Thomas said of the MVP talk. "But the individual awards don't last as much as a championship and being able to celebrate with your team and just that whole experience.

"When you play at a high level, a lot of good things come with that."

Thomas, who was drafted in the second round out of Ohio State in 2016, briefly became the highest-paid receiver in NFL history this summer when he signed a five-year extension worth between $19.25 million and $20 million per year.

Thomas has already shattered the NFL record for most catches in the first four seasons of a career (he is now at 464 catches -- 64 ahead of Cleveland's Jarvis Landry in second place). In fact, Thomas needs just 18 more catches to pass Landry for the most catches in the first five seasons of a career.)

Thomas also passed Randy Moss on Sunday for the most receiving yards through a player's first four seasons.

Thomas has led all NFL receivers in catch rate over the past two years, catching nearly 85 percent of the passes thrown his way.

The physical 6-foot-3, 212-pounder has a great catch radius because of his size. He also has reliable hands -- as he has demonstrated with just one drop in his past 25 games.

Saints coaches and players also rave about his intensity and drive -- how he treats every practice rep like it's the Super Bowl.

"Well, Mike Thomas gets open. So that's first and foremost," Brees said recently. "Listen, I've got so much trust and confidence in him. And we've got a lot of time on task together. So much of our offense has nuances to it, as far as the route being run and the direction that you can go or the angle that you can take based upon how the defender is playing you or the defense or the safety or whatever it might be. And we've just had a lot of time together, so there's that trust and anticipation. He knows when the ball is coming out. He knows where it's gonna be. He knows where he needs to be.

"And I think when things are clicking, (his numbers are) the result."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Alvin Kamara ended his touchdown drought in a big way Sunday with a 40-yard run that gave the New Orleans Saints a 17-14 lead over the Tennessee Titans early in the third quarter.

Kamara had not scored a touchdown since Week 3 and had only two on the season. The 40-yard run was the third-longest of his career -- and his longest since Week 4 of last season.

HOT SOUP COMING THROUGH!!!! ?#Saints | @A_kamara6 pic.twitter.com/fiGjpEytok

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019

Kamara had not quite looked like his usual dynamic self after missing two games with ankle and knee injuries in Weeks 7-8. But his TD run, combined with his downfield block on tight end Jared Cook's 61-yard TD catch in the second quarter, could help him break out at the right time.

It was Kamara's first touchdown with Drew Brees on the field this season. Kamara followed that up with a 1-yard TD run on the Saints' next possession.

Two fans who were part of a confrontation with Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas during Saturday's game in Philadelphia have been banned from the Wells Fargo Center for a year, a 76ers spokesperson said Sunday.

Thomas was ejected from the 76ers' 125-108 win in the fourth quarter after he went into the stands to verbally confront one of the fans during a timeout.

Thomas said he was running back after making one of two free throws and that a fan had "both of his middle fingers up and said, 'F--- you, b----,' three times."

"I said: 'Don't be disrespectful. I'm a man before anything. Be a fan.' His response was, 'I'm sorry, I just wanted a Frosty,'" Thomas said, adding that he believes the fan's behavior stemmed from a 76ers promotion for which fans are awarded a frozen dessert if an opposing player misses two free throws in the second half.

A 76ers spokesperson said the fans acknowledged using inappropriate gestures and language toward players last night, which is a violation of arena policy.

The season-ticket holder for the seats has had them revoked and will receive a refund for the remaining games, the spokesperson said.

In October, the NBA instituted a zero-tolerance policy for abusive or hateful behavior by fans. The new policy followed high-profile incidents involving Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Cousins, Kyle Lowry and others during the 2018-19 season.

World sprint record-holder takes part in ‘One Race’ relay alongside other Olympic and Paralympic stars

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt returned to the track this weekend to help celebrate the official opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium.

The new National Stadium will host the athletics events at next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

The eight-time Olympic gold medallist and world record-holder in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m retired from athletics in 2017 but got involved with the Tokyo 2020 event, which also included music and cultural performances, after success at the past three editions of the Games in Beijing, Rio and London.

This time he teamed up with Britain’s five-time Paralympic champion wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft in a ‘One Race’ relay involving Olympic and Paralympic stars.

“It was a great experience,” Bolt later told media in Tokyo. “I was happy and excited because I won’t be getting to compete at the Olympics so the fact that I got to run on the track was an experience in itself.

“It was wonderful that everyone could come together and compete.”

Well I can’t say I didn’t run in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium #OneRace #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/AClQHEiZai

— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) December 21, 2019

It is not the only racing Bolt has done since retiring, however, as earlier this year the sprint great reportedly clocked 4.22 to match the fastest NFL 40-yard dash time.

Usain Bolt just ran 4.22 to match the fastest NFL 40 yard dash time. Wearing trainers. After retiring from track in 2017. pic.twitter.com/gnJwcQX0is

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 2, 2019

Following the event in Tokyo, Cockroft, who won T34 100m and 800m gold medals at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai last month, setting a world record in the shorter sprint, said on Twitter: “Amazing to be a part of the #onerace event tonight and be team blue with @usainbolt! Never thought I’d be passing a baton to the GOAT in my career. #helloourstadium”

Cockroft was recently voted British female para athlete of the year in the AW Readers’ Choice Awards.