It was approaching sunset on a mid-February Saturday in the mountains of Flagstaff, Ariz. A couple hundred people were at the base of the local ski resort, ready to race-not downhill, but up the slope ...

A few years ago, a new friend explained to me the concept of the “Fun Scale.” We had just finished a particularly unpleasant workout on a rowing machine, aka erg, that our coach had tried to make fun.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of heading off on an idyllic vacation where everything is pristine, put together and perfect. Maybe you wined and dined in Italy or took photos fit for a ...