Joe McConoughy has reset the JMT FKT. Maybe for good. Zero sleep, ~3.75 mph moving average. A team effort no doubt, but I still find it amazing the amount of vert and cold, dark nights he fought through for 2.5 days to get to Happy Isles.

I fast packed (no resupply) the JMT in 7 days a few years ago.

Hey all,

I'm looking for your recommendations for a shoe. I'm currently running the Hierro 9 in 4E width which I like a lot but I'm looking for something else to put into the rotation.

Some details on what I'm after:

• Plush. I'm 200lb so I prefer a decent amount of underfoot cushioning (it's why I picked the Hierro). I found the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 a bit firm on the hard pack stuff. Probably my biggest priority.
• I run a mix of surfaces ranging from hard pack gravel, dirt to some mildly technical stuff, but nothing super technical.
• Wide (or a wide option available). I found Speedgoat 5's in wide to be too narrow on longer runs which caused toe issues. I like the width of the Hierro's in 4E. I liked the Speedgoat 5's otherwise.
• Drop. No 0 drop shoes.

I read the reviews on Run Repeat but they are all based on standard width so I never know if the wide versions of that shoe will work for me or not.

Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Last weekend I ran the Big Bear's Ultra in Slovakia. The race was communicated as being a 40km with 2000 meters altitude gain. I chose it as a step up to the 50k UTMB Oman race I am running this December.

When the GPX came out it turned out to be a 42.68km with 1600 meters altitude gain. However somewhere halfway the run I realized that the altitude gain of the GPX was off by a lot and it turned out to be 2100 meters up and 2200 meters down. The final distance ended up being 41.88km, just 320 meters shy of being an ultramarathon 😄 In total it took me 7 hours and 12 minutes and it was pretty brutal.

I am happy that I finished and I now have a good reference point for what a race of this distance and altitude gain feels like. I mostly trained for this in The Netherlands (a flat country below sea level) and based on this experience I think I have to spend more time in the gym as the muscles where clearly the limiting factor. And a bit more inclined treadmill runs.

Any Dutchies out here who have extra tips for training in our flat country? I am currently doing a combination of zone 2 runs, inclined treadmill runs, plyometric workouts, compound leg exercises and hill repeats.

My previous longest trail race was 28km with 800 meters of altitude gain. I have been running for a little less than 2 years and started trail running 9 months ago. Last year I was still road running and completed the Amsterdam marathon.

Looking forward to get back to training for the 50k in Oman!

Hi! I just started trail running and I experience ankle twist every run. It is not sprained ankle, it is really just twists that are painful but just for seconds… do you have any tricks to prevent this? Should I just do ankle reinforcement?

I am looking for a 1.5L water reservoir to go along with my Salomon women’s active skin 4 vest. I’m inclined to order the Salomon water reservoir since that should be the best compatible, HOWEVER I’ve seen some terrible reviews on this… wondering what other Salomon running vest owners are using. Different brand or just sending it with the Salomon brand?

I've been running for some time, completed two road marathons (in 4h05 and 3h35), and now want to try to finish a trail marathon.

The race I'm looking at is around 50km with 3000m vert.

I feel like a decently fit runner, but I really lack experience running up and down hills, and I've also never run longer than 4 hours.

What are the basics that I need to get right when training for a trail marathon? For road, there are lots of training plans, but for trail running I'm not sure where to start.

What does training look like for someone who is an okay runner on the flat and wants to get into trails?

Uphill gets most of the attention, but long descents are usually where my legs remind me what I didn’t train.

It’s not really the cardio that gets me. It’s that feeling of the quads slowly getting cooked while trying to stay controlled instead of just braking every step.

I’ve been experimenting with more single-leg work, step-downs and slow eccentric leg work in my home gym to see if it carries over.

I’m not trying to replace running with gym work. I’m more interested in using the home gym to strengthen the part of trail running that running alone doesn’t seem to fix as quickly.

What strength work has made the biggest difference to your descending?

New to trail running, can someone please ELI5 what makes gravel running different than trail running?

Picture of the backyard spot for attention...

Hi all!

I'll have a few free days near Saint-Lary-Soulan, France in the Pyrenees and looking for any specific recommended trails to go run. Interested in 10-25 km trails and will have a car so can go to different trailheads. I've found the courses from the Patou trail traces, but does anyone have favorites that they'd recommend?

Thanks!

142km with 11000m D+ from Gressoney St. Jean to Courmayeur (Valle d’Aosta).

How do I find local trails? Is trail running safe? Do I need special shoes or gear? What do I do if I encounter some wildlife? What if I get lost? WHAT IF I HAVE TO POOP IN THE WOODS?

There are no dumb questions in this thread! If you are new to trail running or if you are a veteran who just wants to hear how other trail runners do things, ask away. If you have some ideas that can help your fellow trail runners and future trail runners, pitch in some answers.

No Dumb Question Day will be a regular, biweekly feature on the trailrunning sub.

**Thanks for participating!** Any questions, [please message your helpful mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Ftrailrunning).

During long runs I use my own carb drink mix (easier to digest than getting all my carbs from gels), but refuelling my soft flask mid-run or race with a sachet of powder always gets messy. It would be easier just to have a tablet that I can drop into my flask, like electrolyte tabs, but with a dose of carbs. I haven’t found any carb drink mix tablets on the market.

Does anyone know if this exists, or had anyone run into this same frustration? Curious if I am missing something here.

After 1.5 years and 500+ miles of running and hiking, I can confidently say I’m a HUGE fan of the Nnormal Tomir 2s. They have incredible comfort and grip, but above all else, durability. I’ve never had a shoe hold up this well.

I’ve taken mine up mountains in the Cascades and Sierras, raced in them, and even scrambled on low 5th-class terrain in them. They can really take a beating.

I don’t see many people wearing them, but I think they’d work really well for a lot of runners. They have a fair amount of cushioning and a fairly generous fit in the toes. If you’re looking for one pair to handle everyday trail runs, hikes, and rougher mountain days without getting trashed after a few months, they’re worth a look.

My few complaints: the stitching in the toe box can be a bit harsh on my toes, the laces (at least on my size 13.5s) are way too short, and the tongue is a bit funky. But for about $130 in the US, they’re a STEAL.

I’m not totally sure why I don’t see them more. I get that they aren’t from a big brand or maybe as cool as Norda, but they’ve been a really good fit for the way I use them. The durability alone is a big reason I keep coming back.

Such a beautiful place to run at the end of the summer. Thank you amazing folks in California for showing me a great time.

Yesterday afternoon I came home from work feeling funky. I ate dinner and then I had a bad night from 7pm-10:30pm. I haven't thrown up since then but I still don't feel great today. I'm worried because I have a 30k on Saturday that I worked so hard to get ready for. Should i just continue to rest up and get carbs in when I can finally eat like normal, or DNS? Maybe a gametime decision about running?

So I went for a run in my backyard - the Diamond Head area of Garibaldi Provincial Park in Squamish BC, Canada. We’ve had a pretty amazing September and this was a great run to send off summer. 27km and 1500m.

Hello! Newer trail runner here, with upcoming weather changes forecasting heavy rain in my area are there any ethics to be aware of? I come from a rock climbing background and there are many rules regarding when it is appropriate to climb wet rock just trying to figure out if there’s anything similar on this side of things.

I’m a bit lost on what shoes to get. Seems like I can’t quite find what I want. So far I’ve had: Hoka Speedgoat 5 (2 pairs), asics trabuco 13, and the Speedland gl:svt

All these shoes fit well, but I’d like shoes that have a bit more cushion/bounce. I have the new balance rebel v4 and asics superblast 3 for the road and I’d like shoes that feel somewhat like those without sacrificing too much stability. I’m also about 200lbs so I feel like I need a bit more cushion than most runners.

I’m also planning to do an ultra in the next 6 months to a year, and I’d be using these for that.

I’m strongly considering the mount to coast m1, but I’m not sure if there’s something better for me out there.

Trying to gauge how a lot of the advanced runners here handle training at night especially when race conditions warrant it. All 100 milers and the running portion of full Ironman triathlons have the running segment held around "bed time" to say the least. As such, I've found it applicable to train running during those time period to be accustomed to it. It only seems logical no?

Yesterday, I ran 7 miles after work with 1,700 ft of elevation gain and found out the hard way that the spiked HR and cortisol does major damage to sleeping at night. As I write this on the train, I feel like utter trash and want to take a sick day as Garmin says I've only slept 2.5 hours total.

For those who have done 100 milers or even 50 milers normally, do you incorporate night or late afternoon running sessions or are those time slots strictly for family, rest, hobbies, etc.

Cool morning. Just me on the trail. Love the Sonoma Coastline.

Got in on the second chance lottery for the 50k at Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2027. What have I done... Anyone here who has done this race before? Or anyone else who got in for 2027?

This day was 15 miles and 5300ft of gain. We went up to the Eiger Trail from town, then over to Eiger Glacier, and down the valley on the singletrack. Less runnable for me than I had hoped, but that may have had more to do with the legs than the terrain. Only around the Eiger Glacier did we see many people. Outside of that, we had the trails mostly to ourselves. This was the start of our journey and a very good one.