On this month-to-month article collection, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and all the things working. Study extra about this ask-the-athlete columnand remember to fill out the shape beneath to submit your questions for a future article!
On this article, Gabe solutions questions on worldwide racing, coaching transitions between marathons and path ultras, and the variations between wind and rain jackets. Additionally, gels.
Gabe’s Tip of the Month
Typically, spring lengthy runs are tough to maintain fascinating and adventurous as a result of lingering snowpack or wildlife-related path closures. In case you are like me, contrived routes with a number of out-and-backs are simply a part of spring. To keep away from getting caught in an early-season rut, wrangle up some buddies and a few vehicles and scheme a point-to-point long term that may not be possible by yourself.
Jenny Joyes, Kelly Halpin, and Amy King wrapping up a point-to-point 30-mile spring enjoyable run. Photograph: Gabe Joyes
Many people bought into ultrarunning due to the sheer thrill of masking an infinite quantity of floor between factors A and B, and creating an aesthetic line to make that occur with some buddies is a pure and enjoyable journey. For further pleasure, depart some donuts, or a cooler filled with guacamole and chips — or no matter else sounds satisfying — within the automotive at your end line so you may have a post-long-run celebration collectively as nicely, and nobody drives residence with dangerously low blood sugar!
Worldwide Racing
I signed up for my first abroad extremely in Switzerland, and I actually have no idea what to anticipate apart from stunning mountains. I do know everybody says that European races are completely different from American races, however how so? How do I put together for the unknown? -Claire
Very cool of you, Claire, for stepping exterior your consolation zone and looking for one thing new. Most People touring to a European race will definitely expertise cultural variations, in addition to variations in panorama and atmosphere.
In case you haven’t already, do some little bit of analysis on YouTube or social media concerning the specifics of the race. What number of members are there? What does the beginning line appear like? What sort of snacks and drinks are you able to count on at help stations? All of those particulars will start that can assist you visualize your race-day expertise, which can go a good distance towards serving to you put together for the day(s).
In case you are on the lookout for a brand new and completely different expertise, be ready to embrace that as nicely. I vividly keep in mind working into a serious help station on the Lavaredo Extremely in Italy, looking forward to my first salty, satisfying hit of potato chips, however after I appeared round, I couldn’t discover any. With determined eyes, I requested a volunteer, “Potato chips?” The strict-looking Italian woman declared to me, “No potato chips!” As a substitute, I pivoted to a handful of cubed cheese and dried apricots, which was a stunning salty, candy, and gentle combo.
Your writer going native by swapping out potato chips and Coca-Cola for San Pellegrino and Italian plum muffins on the Mont Blanc 90k. Photograph courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
Relying on the place you reside, you would possibly discover the panorama a stark distinction to what you might be used to as nicely. I do the vast majority of my coaching on the rainshadow facet of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains, a semi-arid, high-desert panorama with relative humidity frequently beneath 20%, and I’ve discovered the Swiss Alps to be virtually unbearably humid as compared. However if you’re touring from someplace like Virginia, you won’t assume that European humidity is a giant deal in any respect.
It’s most likely a protected guess that if you’re working in Switzerland, you may count on mega-long, dramatically steep, and intensely rocky climbs and descents. My notion is that I get pleasure from technical trails greater than most People do, and I nonetheless usually discover some European trails to be an eye-opening expertise. Many are tons of of years outdated, and American-style path work and switchbacks are clearly not a lot of a factor. To create the same expertise in your coaching, you would possibly contemplate off-trail hill repeats in a canyon or a equally steep panorama.
Lastly, keep in mind that a part of the enjoyable of this sort of race is that there are lots of unknowns, and you’ll not have all of it found out earlier than you arrive. Don’t let this gas anxiousness, however embrace it as one thing fascinating and as a part of the expertise you might be on the lookout for. Enable your self to attempt new issues, be uncomfortable at occasions, and nonetheless have a little bit of amusing about all of it as you spend a while being humbled.
Street to Trails Transition
I simply ran the Boston Marathon, and I’m quietly proud to say that I set a PR. I like World Marathon Majors, however I like mountain 100-mile races, and I’m working the Bighorn 100 Mile in lower than two months. What are your solutions for switching from highway marathon coaching to 100-mile path coaching? –“J-Dawg”
Woof! Congratulations, J-Dawg! A spring highway marathon coaching block earlier than a 100-mile mountain path race is a superb platform for achievement, so nicely performed and positively wag your tail about that.
My first suggestion is, regardless that Bighorn isn’t all that far out, remember to take a little bit of a break and permit your physique and mind to recuperate from and take up the marathon expertise. The ceaselessly high-intensity coaching — and racing — that comes from highway marathons usually burns athletes out sooner than the comparatively decrease depth and longer coaching of ultras, so remember to let your physique totally bounce again from Boston earlier than going all-in on Bighorn. Keep in mind, you received’t get any bodily advantages from the marathon if you happen to don’t truly recuperate from it.
When you do recuperate, that highway marathon may have helped enhance your working economic system, leg pace, and stamina at larger efforts. However because it sounds such as you already know, working on mountain trails isn’t fairly the identical factor. When you do get again into coaching, spend as a lot time as you may on trails and terrain that look extra just like the Bighorn Mountains. In case you don’t have each day entry to this sort of terrain, I like to recommend including plyometrics to your schedule a few occasions every week to assist put together your physique for the off-kilter, dynamic actions of path working. Be further diligent to maintain your effort and depth low, as your 100-mile race tempo can be dramatically slower than it was in Boston.
Invoice Ditman wrapping up the 2026 Boston Marathon earlier than leaping right into a coaching block for the Hardrock 100 in July. Photograph: Dave Hashim
Many people can get by a highway marathon with just a few gels and paper cups of a thriller sports activities drink, however that fueling and hydration technique received’t work at some point of a 100-mile race. Observe consuming and consuming in a manner that’s sustainable for 18 to 36 hours — relying on how briskly you hope to complete Bighorn. You need to maintain energized mile after mile, and this takes effort and apply to get proper!
Good luck at Bighorn, considered one of my favourite 100-mile races ever!
Wind Versus Rain Jackets
What’s the distinction between a wind jacket and a rain jacket? I solely discovered not too long ago that they don’t seem to be the identical factor. -Sarah
The principle distinction, Sarah, is that I like wind jackets and usually dislike rain jackets. Kidding! Type of.
At first look, wind and rain jackets look remarkably comparable, however they’re made of various supplies and serve completely different functions. Within the context of path working, a wind jacket is often constructed from a single-layer, extraordinarily light-weight, porous material. The itsy bitsy teeny tiny holes within the material are crucial as a result of they let moisture by, each from precipitation and from sweat. Which means if precipitation is falling from the sky, it should soak by your wind jacket and get you moist. Most wind jackets have a sturdy water repellent (DWR) coating that helps maintain somewhat moisture from soaking by, however truthfully, don’t rely on that to maintain you dry in any actual rainfall. The sweat that you just work up whereas working may even evaporate by these pores in your wind jacket, however don’t count on it to be as ethereal as a tech working t-shirt both. Wind jackets block the wind in some capability, with some being almost fully windproof, whereas others take extra of a chew out of the breeze.
Rain jackets block the wind and maintain precipitation out as nicely. Does this imply they may maintain you fully dry? Not precisely. Rain jackets use microscopic membranes or coatings that intention to permit water vapor — sweat — to flee whereas stopping liquid water — rain — from getting into. This fancy material depends on the truth that water vapor molecules are considerably smaller than liquid water droplets. If it appears like a giant stretch to you that water can journey by the material a technique and never the opposite, then you might be positively on to one thing.
Whereas rain jackets do “breathe” in some capability, it’s unrealistic to count on a rain jacket to let your perspiration from exhausting uphill working escape. My expertise is that rain jackets not often, if ever, maintain me dry whereas working, however they certain do maintain me heat. Rain jacket materials entice a lot of the warmth you generate whereas working, and even if you’re soaked beneath your rain jacket, you’ll keep heat reasonably than chilly.
Photograph: Gabe Joyes
So, when would you utilize one jacket over the opposite? I take a wind jacket on virtually each run as a result of it’s light-weight, takes up little house, and retains me comparatively comfy in a variety of situations. However in sure conditions, a wind jacket alone is certainly not sufficient to maintain you comfy and protected. I keep in mind occurring a long term in Grand Teton Nationwide Park with two buddies, and each of my buddies packed the Patagonia Houdini wind jacket, which weighs about 3.7 ounces, and I packed a correct rain jacket, which weighed about twice as a lot. We had been attempting to pack gentle so we might transfer shortly, however the climate forecast and the clouds advised the opportunity of chilly, extreme afternoon storms.
We had been eight miles and three,700 toes uphill when the clouds let unfastened with lashing rain, hail, and wind. All of us layered up, and whereas I wasn’t “comfy” in my rain jacket, it was adequate, and I used to be blissful to maintain profiting from the day. My buddies within the wind jackets had been chilled to the bone with chattering tooth, and desperately needed to return to the trailhead. I completely rely each ounce that I pack, however attempting to save lots of two to a few ounces together with your jacket will be the distinction between a sensational mountain day and a tragic slog again to the trailhead — or your personal security!
To take a look at some choices for rain and wind jackets, check out iRunFar’s Finest Working Rain Jackets and Finest Windbreaker Jackets guides.
Gel Flavors
What’s your favourite gel taste? What style is essentially the most tolerable for ultra-trail races? –Jurien
Taste fatigue is an actual problem in ultras, particularly if you recover from 100 kilometers in. I’ve discovered the way in which to keep away from it’s to attempt to keep away from a lot taste in any respect! As a lot as I like consuming, taking in sugary energy each half-hour for greater than 20 hours is a real problem. I’ve discovered that the much less I style my path snacks, the extra I can maintain taking them in, mile after mile. Unflavored gels have been a game-changer for me, significantly when I’m racing exhausting, and I actually depend upon them for the overwhelming majority of my vitality.
I usually advocate that athletes eat like they’ve the flu throughout ultras — essentially the most delightfully bland but high-calorie and easy-to-digest meals out there. If I do have something stronger-tasting, like sensational and calorically dense Peanut M&Ms, I’ll instantly rinse my mouth out with plain water to get the sugar and taste off my tooth and tongue. For decrease depth adventure-oriented runs with buddies, I’ll positively combine up my snacks with extra enjoyable and fascinating flavors, textures, and selection. However for higher-intensity racing and XXL durations, taste falls into the “much less is extra” class.
Your writer on the point of eat 55 unflavored gels over the course of HURT 100. Photograph courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
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