Last updated: 24-Aug-18
By Elsa Trujillo
Summer in the northern hemisphere is all about the heat and that great mountain festival of running – UTMB. If you’re heading that way, you probably know all about what we’ve selected this week but it’s never too late to learn something new.
If you’re not, but you would like to, we think these articles will put you on the right (trail) track.
We have some advice on focus during training and pre-race nerves. We also have some very practical pieces on how to run, walk and pole properly. Finally, some useful scientific explanations about high altitude, oxygen levels in blood and running, and to top it all our very own Andy Mouncey has the key to getting all your running right. Enjoy.
Pre-race jitters
Don’t overthink it. If you’ve followed your training all you need now are David Roche’s five tips for the hours before your ultra race. Read them here.
Learn to run
Do you actually know how you run? Read Anna Wetzel’s article on the biomechanics of running and then go out and try it out on the trails. Read it here.
Pole it!
Some runners don’t like them and in some races you can’t use them, but do you know how to run with poles and how they can actually improve your performance on the trails? Read this article and find out.
Learn to walk
If you know how to run and how to run with poles, your next step is to find out if you know how to walk your way through a race, specifically on an upward trail. Read this article.
Losing perspective
Are your running goals too ambitious? Are they affecting your training and mood? Elinor Fish says you should look away from the goal itself and focus on the process to get there. Read her article.
Breathe in
If you live and run close to sea level (or are thinking of training for some serious mountain running), this article explains how the difference in pressure at certain altitudes means less oxygen actually makes it into your bloodstream. Read on about acclimatisation and how altitude can affect your running performance.
Goldilocks and the three bears
Our favourite RunUltra coach Andy Mouncey has four tips to ensure your running is neither hot nor cold, but just right. Read them here.
