On this month-to-month article sequence, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and every part operating. Be taught extra about this ask-the-athlete column, and you should definitely fill out the shape under 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
Generally, spring lengthy runs are difficult to maintain attention-grabbing and adventurous attributable to 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 mates and a few automobiles and scheme a point-to-point future 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. Picture: Gabe Joyes
Many people received into ultrarunning due to the sheer thrill of protecting an infinite quantity of floor between factors A and B, and creating an aesthetic line to make that occur with some mates is a pure and enjoyable journey. For further pleasure, go away some donuts, or a cooler filled with guacamole and chips — or no matter else sounds satisfying — within the automobile at your end line so you may have a post-long-run celebration collectively as effectively, and nobody drives house 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 moreover lovely mountains. I do know everybody says that European races are totally 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 searching for one thing new. Most Individuals 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 assist stations? All of those particulars will start that can assist you visualize your race-day expertise, which can go a great distance towards serving to you put together for the day(s).
In case you are searching for a brand new and totally different expertise, be ready to embrace that as effectively. I vividly bear in mind operating into a serious assist station on the Lavaredo Extremely in Italy, longing for my first salty, satisfying hit of potato chips, however after I regarded 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 an alternative, I pivoted to a handful of cubed cheese and dried apricots, which was a beautiful salty, candy, and comfortable combo.
Your writer going native by swapping out potato chips and Coca-Cola for San Pellegrino and Italian plum truffles on the Mont Blanc 90k. Picture courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
Relying on the place you reside, you would possibly discover the panorama a stark distinction to what you’re used to as effectively. I do nearly all of my coaching on the rainshadow facet of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains, a semi-arid, high-desert panorama with relative humidity often under 20%, and I’ve discovered the Swiss Alps to be virtually unbearably humid compared. However in case you are touring from someplace like Virginia, you may not suppose that European humidity is a giant deal in any respect.
It’s in all probability a secure wager that in case you are operating in Switzerland, you may count on mega-long, dramatically steep, and very rocky climbs and descents. My notion is that I get pleasure from technical trails greater than most Individuals do, and I nonetheless usually discover some European trails to be an eye-opening expertise. Many are a whole bunch of years previous, 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, do not forget that a part of the enjoyable of this sort of race is that there are numerous unknowns, and you’ll not have all of it found out earlier than you arrive. Don’t let this gas nervousness, however embrace it as one thing attention-grabbing and as a part of the expertise you’re searching for. Permit your self to strive new issues, be uncomfortable at instances, and nonetheless have a little bit of fun 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 really like mountain 100-mile races, and I’m operating the Bighorn 100 Mile in lower than two months. What are your strategies for switching from street marathon coaching to 100-mile path coaching? –“J-Dawg”
Woof! Congratulations, J-Dawg! A spring street marathon coaching block earlier than a 100-mile mountain path race is a good platform for fulfillment, so effectively performed and positively wag your tail about that.
My first suggestion is, regardless that Bighorn isn’t all that far out, you should definitely take a little bit of a break and permit your physique and mind to get better from and soak up the marathon expertise. The regularly high-intensity coaching — and racing — that comes from street marathons usually burns athletes out quicker than the comparatively decrease depth and longer coaching of ultras, so you should definitely let your physique absolutely bounce again from Boston earlier than going all-in on Bighorn. Bear in mind, you gained’t get any bodily advantages from the marathon for those who don’t truly get better from it.
When you do get better, that street marathon can have helped enhance your operating financial system, leg velocity, and stamina at larger efforts. However because it sounds such as you already know, operating on mountain trails will not be 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 every day entry to this sort of terrain, I like to recommend including plyometrics to your schedule a few instances every week to assist put together your physique for the off-kilter, dynamic actions of path operating. Be further diligent to maintain your effort and depth low, as your 100-mile race tempo shall 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. Picture: Dave Hashim
Many of us can get via a street marathon with a couple of gels and paper cups of a thriller sports activities drink, however that fueling and hydration technique gained’t work all through a 100-mile race. Apply consuming and consuming in a manner that’s sustainable for 18 to 36 hours — relying on how briskly you hope to complete Bighorn. You wish to hold energized mile after mile, and this takes effort and apply to get proper!
Good luck at Bighorn, one in every 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 lately that they aren’t the identical factor. -Sarah
The primary distinction, Sarah, is that I like wind jackets and customarily dislike rain jackets. Kidding! Kind of.
At first look, wind and rain jackets look remarkably comparable, however they’re made of various supplies and serve totally different functions. Within the context of path operating, a wind jacket is often produced from a single-layer, extraordinarily light-weight, porous material. The itsy bitsy teeny tiny holes within the material are essential as a result of they let moisture via, each from precipitation and from sweat. Meaning if precipitation is falling from the sky, it is going to soak via your wind jacket and get you moist. Most wind jackets have a sturdy water repellent (DWR) coating that helps hold a bit of moisture from soaking via, however actually, don’t rely on that to maintain you dry in any actual rainfall. The sweat that you just work up whereas operating will even evaporate via these pores in your wind jacket, however don’t count on it to be as ethereal as a tech operating t-shirt both. Wind jackets block the wind in some capability, with some being practically utterly windproof, whereas others take extra of a chunk out of the breeze.
Rain jackets block the wind and hold precipitation out as effectively. Does this imply they’ll hold you utterly dry? Not precisely. Rain jackets use microscopic membranes or coatings that purpose 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 feels like a giant stretch to you that water can journey via the material a technique and never the opposite, then you’re 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 onerous uphill operating escape. My expertise is that rain jackets not often, if ever, hold me dry whereas operating, however they positive do hold me heat. Rain jacket materials lure a lot of the warmth you generate whereas operating, and even in case you are soaked beneath your rain jacket, you’ll keep heat slightly than chilly.
Picture: Gabe Joyes
So, when would you employ 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 snug in a variety of situations. However in sure conditions, a wind jacket alone is unquestionably not sufficient to maintain you snug and secure. I bear in mind occurring a future in Grand Teton Nationwide Park with two mates, and each of my mates 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 making an attempt to pack gentle so we might transfer rapidly, however the climate forecast and the clouds instructed the opportunity of chilly, extreme afternoon storms.
We had been eight miles and three,700 ft uphill when the clouds let free with lashing rain, hail, and wind. All of us layered up, and whereas I wasn’t “snug” in my rain jacket, it was ok, and I used to be blissful to maintain taking advantage of the day. My mates 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 making an attempt to save lots of two to 3 ounces together with your jacket will be the distinction between a sensational mountain day and a tragic slog again to the trailhead — or your individual security!
To take a look at some choices for rain and wind jackets, check out iRunFar’s Greatest Working Rain Jackets and Greatest Windbreaker Jackets guides.
Gel Flavors
What’s your favourite gel taste? What style is probably the most tolerable for ultra-trail races? –Jurien
Taste fatigue is an actual problem in ultras, particularly while you recover from 100 kilometers in. I’ve discovered the best way to keep away from it’s to attempt to keep away from a lot taste in any respect! As a lot as I really 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 hold taking them in, mile after mile. Unflavored gels have been a game-changer for me, notably when I’m racing onerous, 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 — probably the most delightfully bland but high-calorie and easy-to-digest meals accessible. 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 mates, I’ll positively combine up my snacks with extra enjoyable and attention-grabbing 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. Picture courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
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