As welcoming as the ultrarunning community is, there can still be a lot of intimidation related to the unknown for new-to-the-sport athletes. The following are a few specific tips for negotiating aid stations and may help you develop a successful race strategy come race day.
There is a wealth of information on ultrarunning nutrition, what to eat in training and how to consume calories during your race. But not a lot is mentioned about how to practice eating in a way that simulates a race environment and introduces your body to the stresses you’ll be experiencing. Here are a few ways to practice nutrition during training to better prep your gut for race day.
As we start to ramp up to race season, most trail and ultrarunners are increasing their training volume. Warm weather and long days beg for more time on the trails. This increased training load, in turn, can pose an increased risk of injury. Here are some helpful hints to stay injury-free for those who are new to the sport of trail and ultrarunning.
As ultrarunning becomes more popular, it’s imperative that we learn, follow, and share Leave No Trace (LNT) principles with our running buddies. There’s never an excuse to litter and we must continue to hold each other to these standards whether we’re in an urban park, a remote wilderness or at mile 85 of a 100-miler. Here are the seven basic tenets.
Ultrarunning is not easy on the body, but if you give it enough time to gradually adapt to the stresses, both the body and mind will deliver. Once you finish your first ultra and decide to keep at it, start to think about longevity. That can mean running fast for years, slow for years or taking time off for family, but coming back when time allows.
While running far, climbing mountains and moving for hours on end are keys to success for ultramarathons, we should not overlook the benefits of running faster as we traipse over the trails. There are basic drills and tactics which all trail and ultrarunners can deploy, even in the depths of winter, that have considerable benefits.