Whether you are preparing for your first 5k or tackling a technical mountain ultra, our collection of Racing & Training articles provides guidance and community wisdom you need to succeed. These articles cover everything from mastering vertical gain while living in flat terrain to the essential mental strategies required for race-day resilience. These empowering personal narratives aim to support every athlete in reaching their goals.
Adventuring and exploring new places are two of the things that drive our love of trail running and the outdoors. So naturally, we want to run races that are sometimes far from home, and present very different conditions than we are used to running on/in. So how do you train for a race that will throw things at you that your body is not used to?
Whether you have a specific running goal in mind or are just looking for a different training perspective, there’s a lot you can learn from working with a coach…
The start of my forties has proven to be my best years of running. Why? I have continued to push through hurdles, barriers, and stayed committed not only during the good times but also through tough times. Adjusting, pivoting my training to flow with the season of life, but never giving up the goals I have set forth to accomplish.
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The year I turned 50, I was managing a lot of change in my life. I moved to a different state, lost my 15-year-old dog, got a new puppy, and was adjusting to life with much less structure. After a 30-year career, I found myself without a job and privileged enough to think about early retirement. While this newfound freedom was exciting, it was also terrifying to no longer have career goals, a set schedule or expectations about how I spend my time.
“Beginning of the 2024 Cocodona 250…….. Let’s Go!” Corinne Shalvoy’s voice rang out on the livestream as runners surged over the start line, their headlamps slicing through the predawn haze in Black Canyon City. I was watching live from a world away, steaming through the Caribbean Sea aboard a Coast Guard cutter, on a mission to deter illegal migration and drug trafficking before it reached America’s shores.
Does fast equal better? For me, I am 51, so I’m headed away from my peakest of peak years of speed and strength. By this “fast equals better” metric then, I’m looking at becoming a “worse” runner. But the reality is, in many ways, I’m becoming a better athlete all the time.
When you’re dreaming of pushing yourself further than you’ve ever gone before, you must do things you’ve never done before. This is scary and exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time…
You put in the work getting your fitness ready to take on an ultra, why wouldn’t you do the same to prep your mind? Taking the time to create a race plan and do the necessary background research can provide you with the mental fortitude to not only execute a strong race but also navigate the unexpected. Understanding the big picture of a race and putting it in a personalized context will also help you stay confident in yourself, the journey, and the decision-making process that will take place throughout the day. The goal of this article is to share some tips and tricks for putting a race plan together, including some of the key pieces of information to include as well as the background research necessary to create this document.
Often when you think of the off-season, taking time off or stepping back a bit from running might be the first thing to cross your mind. While both of these options may have a place during the off-season, it’s important to understand that training year round plays an integral role in the success of your in-season training and racing.
Growing up in the Midwest, running in the mountains was far from anything I ever thought about doing. But my running progressed throughout my adult life and I entered the world of ultramarathons in my 30s.
If you live in Boston, and you don’t have a car, and you want to get on dirt, this is your spot. So this is where we went. I hated it. It was technical with not just rocks, but jagged rocks. Everywhere.
My years as a ultrarunner taught me that how I feel now will change, showing up is an essential part of short-term and long-term success, running builds mental toughness and helps me solve problems, and offers an amazing way to explore the world around me out my own door with a fresh perspective.
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