On this month-to-month article collection, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and all the pieces working. Study extra about this ask-the-athlete columnand be sure you fill out the shape under to submit your questions for a future article!
On this article, Gabe solutions questions on uphill coaching frequency, discovering crew members, and embracing studying alternatives. Additionally, snacks!
Gabe’s Tip of the Month
If you’re studying this text, for higher or worse, there’s a strong probability you might be the kind of one who will get recommendation from the web. There may be certainly quite a lot of good data on the market, however definitely, it’s muddled in with all types of questionable opinions and beliefs as nicely. Quite than incomes your path working training by way of seemingly genuine and dependable Instagram content material, YouTube movies, or Reddit posts, kick it old style and end up a path working mentor. Hunt down your personal native legend — that neighborhood chief who has been there and carried out that for years — to glean a little bit of their hard-earned information and expertise for your self, too. You’ll acquire infinitely extra knowledge than you’ll from yet one more social media publish, and also you simply may make some associates for all times as nicely.
Class is in session on the College of Arduous Knocks with Ty Draney (middle) and Jared Campbell (left), two of Gabe’s (proper) mentors within the sport. Photograph courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
Uphill Coaching Frequency
What number of days every week ought to I be doing uphill coaching for a mountain extremely? -Jeff
You aren’t alone in questioning this, Jeff, as I get this query loads! It’s a bit difficult to reply, as it may rely loads on the place you reside, the kind of terrain you will have entry to, and the way a lot climbing you will have carried out up to now. Nonetheless, as a common advice, intention to have your lengthy runs and common coaching runs have related elevation acquire and loss per mile as your aim occasion. For instance, in case you are coaching for the Arduous Rock 100with roughly 33,200 ft of climbing and descending over 100 miles, you need your runs to have about 332 ft of elevation acquire and loss per mile.
That is simply a median, so it doesn’t must be exact. Once I educated for the 2025 Hardrock 100, most of my lengthy runs averaged someplace between 290 and 360 ft per mile — completely shut sufficient to that 332 aim quantity.
Practice your legs for each the ups and the downs of mountain working. Photograph: Niko Carste
The maths is a bit totally different for restoration runs and high-intensity exercises. The purpose of a restoration run is to assist your physique really feel higher, to not add extra coaching stress. Even when you’ve got a climbing-heavy race on the schedule, doing restoration runs on principally flat terrain is a savvy alternative to assist shed some muscular fatigue. For top-intensity, interval-type exercises, I’d counsel the full elevation acquire and loss per mile be lower than your aim race. Persevering with with my Hardrock instance: I’m not in a position to do many intervals on tremendous steep terrain and nonetheless preserve my working tempo and cadence excessive, so I lose the pace good thing about the exercise as a result of I merely can’t go that quick. As a substitute, I did my uphill intervals on hills within the vary of 150 to 250 ft per mile. That’s steep sufficient for lots of power improvement from working uphill, however at a grade the place I may really run and never simply really feel like I used to be spinning my wheels and going nowhere.
With this strategy, your weekly common elevation acquire and loss per mile will probably be lower than your aim race, however you’ll positively nonetheless be ready for the calls for of race day. Many runners make the most of treadmills for vertical coaching — both as a result of they lack entry to steep terrain or for comfort — however I’d urge you to take a measured strategy to this. More often than not, when runners’ legs fail them in steep terrain on race day, it isn’t on the up, however on the down. Treadmills are an awesome instrument for uphill intervals and supply a implausible coaching stimulus, however as a result of they lack the descent and terrain specificity — your race isn’t on a easy rubber mat — they need to be used as a coaching instrument, and never a whole substitute, for vertical coaching.
Gabe discovering terrain-specific downhill coaching useful within the Brecon Beacons mountains of Wales throughout the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race. Photograph: @nolimits.photographs
Crew Conundrum
I’ve carried out a pair path races however haven’t approached the extremely distance but. One in all my massive hang-ups about attempting an extremely is asking folks to crew for me. Not solely does it really feel considerably egocentric to ask folks to commit their time in such a manner, however I don’t have very many associates who’re acquainted with extremely racing. How would you go about this? -Matt
From the skin wanting in, ultrarunning can look like a egocentric act, however I don’t purchase into that form of considering. Numerous athletes have discovered that ultrarunning actually is a crew sport, they usually couldn’t do it with out the assist of associates, household, and volunteers.
Think about going to a theatre for a present. There most likely is a lead function, however that doesn’t imply the supporting actresses and actors, extras, gentle crew, sound crew, director, and costume designers don’t all serve vital roles. If you put collectively a assist crew for an extremely, it isn’t for these folks to serve you, however to be a essential a part of the crew and be on the journey with you. As you make your race weekend plans, be considerate about methods to create a enjoyable, memorable expertise in your assist crew and the way to make sure they really feel appreciated and valued. When speaking to your potential crew, be sure to talk about plans by way of “we” and never “me.” Lastly, give your family and friends an opportunity. I’ve discovered that most individuals are actually enthusiastic about supporting others who’re pursuing a giant, scary aim. Actually, a few of my favourite race experiences are as a part of a assist crew, and never as a racer.
My crew on the 2025 Hardrock 100 proving as soon as once more that ultrarunning is a crew sport. Photograph: Niko Carste
Studying From Failure
What’s the worst climb or descent you’ve ever needed to do? -Gilbert
Ah, Gilbert, I respect this query! Nonetheless, I admit I may not be capable to provide the reply you might be on the lookout for, as as a substitute, I’m going to inform you about one among my favourite descents ever. About midway by way of the primary day of the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race in Wales, runners climbed up Tryfan, a craggy and rock-strewn mountain within the coronary heart of Snowdonia. A lot of the ascent, I used to be under the clouds, however someplace close to the summit, I used to be engulfed in fog that made macro navigation unimaginable, and I may barely see a number of boulders in entrance of me. It had been raining a lot of the day, and every rock was slick in a manner that I had by no means skilled earlier than. Moreover, for my part, there was no outlined path on Tryfan, and I used to be shifting blindly ahead within the dense fog. Descending the mountain was an immense problem for me and required a stage of focus and emotional administration I had by no means skilled earlier than: I tensed up, may hardly breathe, and moved with zero confidence in my footing or myself.
Later that night time, as I lay in my tent, my head was spinning as I went over all the expertise I wanted to enhance to get by way of the remainder of the race — and to by no means transfer so poorly in terrain like that once more. That descent off Tryfan was the catalyst for me to enhance my technical descending expertise, pursue sneakers with higher rubber compounds, and work on my respiratory, physique management, and self-talk whereas descending. I can draw a direct line from that day on Tryfan to improved descending expertise in related slippery, rocky circumstances. Though tough on the time, I’m so glad I had that have!
For sure, Tryfan is one among my favourite descents ever!
Gabe working full-on technical terrain throughout the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race. Photograph: @nolimits.photographs
Snacks
Greatest fuel station working gasoline or help station meals? -Annabelle
Behold the nice trifecta of ultrarunning gasoline: Potato chips, Peanut M&Ms, and Coke! It’s a high-calorie, cost-effective, and satisfying trinity of extremely processed and simply accessible working gasoline. For sure, it has the candy, salty, fatty, and yummy all occurring.
Unpopular opinion: Nerds Gummy Clusters are profoundly overrated.
Your creator not even the slightest bit embarrassed by his potato chip consumption on the 2025 Canyons 100 Mile. Photograph courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
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