Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

7 Keys to Being A Stronger Ultrarunner Next Season - CTS

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 2d

❝Fear of losing fitness prevents a lot of athletes from taking a meaningful break from training. […] The reality is, a prolonged (3-4 weeks) period of rest and unstructured exercise can be very beneficial […].
—Ryne Anderson
trainright.com/better-ultra...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

There is nothing more powerful in endurance sports than accumulated training time. You can be a better trail and ultra runner next season because the season

trainright.com

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 4d

❝Sure, I knew there’d be things out there that I couldn’t predict that would almost inevitably happen… but as my mantra (picked up from Stephanie Case) dictated, ‘what if it all goes right?’
—Rachel Entrekin
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/2025/10/04/m...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Mammoth 200: Go Big or Go Extinct

I am exactly one week removed from the inaugural running of the Mammoth 200. What a ride that was. A race this long deserves a long blog post, so grab a cold one and let’s get started. GAME T…

blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 5d

❝To me it’s about curiosity. I’m just deeply curious to see what’s possible. Can I do The Thing? How can I do it? What will it feel like?
—Damian Hall
www.ultradamo.com/blog/25-solo

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

2.5 Solo: This Splendid Defeat — Damian Hall

When is a failure a success?

www.ultradamo.com

Since I started trailrunning (15 yrs ago) I’m routinely asked about fear.

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 9d

❝I have immense respect for the outdoors […].
And so I prepare.
I do research.
I listen to seasoned professionals and educate myself.
—Sally McRae
open.substack.com/pub/theyello...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Afraid of it all.

Fast Women: The shifting identities of competitive runners

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 12d

❝Know that running will evolve with you, throughout your life, and it doesn’t have to be static. […] It doesn’t always have to look the same. That in itself is really exciting.
—Mattie Webb/Alison Wade
open.substack.com/pub/fastwome...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Katie Schide, Tove Alexandersson, and Nina Engelhard win world titles

So many shoes but only two feet

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 15d

2/2 ❝I think the numbers are real. I don’t think it’s a big scam to get people to buy new shoes. It’s a limit of the physical materials […].
—Richard Kuchinsky/@runningsucks.bsky.social
www.runningsucks101.com/p/richard-ku...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

I speak to footwear designer Richard Kuchinsky about the confluence of running shoe design and run culture

www.runningsucks101.com

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 15d

1/2 The age-old question: Do #running shoes really only last a few hundred miles?

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 22d

Midpack FTW!

❝As the half-marathon club runners stretched their athletic legs, led by an elite Kenyan no less, we girded our middle-aged loins.
—Craig Lewis
open.substack.com/pub/runningt...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Is there such a thing as a ‘vulnerable’ race? And could an average runner win it?

Imagine if an everyday runner could actually win an event… this mid-packer set out in search of the seemingly impossible

Nutrition Strategies to Aid Recovery for Mountain Athletes

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 24d

A short and sweet guide to recovering better.

❝Recovery isn’t just about taking a day off. It’s about giving your body the resources it needs to repair, adapt, and come back stronger.
—Alyssa Leib
uphillathlete.com/nutrition/nu...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Learn how proper nutrition supports recovery and performance for mountain and endurance athletes. Tips on carbs, protein, supplements, and sleep.

uphillathlete.com

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 25d

❝So yes—I’m an ultrarunner.
Not just because I run far, but because I show up for the sport I love.
—Shalini Bhajjan
ultrarunning.com/featured/im-...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

I'm an Ultrarunner - Ultra Running Magazine

As I floated between PTA warriors and snack table philosophers, one question kept pacing through my mind: What actually makes someone a well-rounded ultrarunner? (Aside from questionable life choices ...

ultrarunning.com

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · 27d

❝Does our body actually work harder or more efficiently in a group setting? The scientific evidence presents a compelling and somewhat unexpected picture.
—Niki Micallef
open.substack.com/pub/bornonth...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Can Run Clubs Make You a Better Runner?

A deep dive into studies on run clubs, motivation and training quality, showing how group runs can help or hinder long-term success.

In Praise of the Big Hairy Audacious Goal

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 11

❝Beyond mere existence, what a wonder that we can walk and run, and run for an hour, and run for days.
—Bryon Powell
www.irunfar.com/in-praise-of...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Some reasons why you might want to make sure you have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal on your running calendar.

www.irunfar.com

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 10

❝Strangely though, I think I enjoy getting grumpy about running in the rain. […] Compared to a lot of the unnecessary hate and ill will in the world, rain is a pretty safe thing to grumble over […].
—Jonathan S. Bean
open.substack.com/pub/vengarun...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Rain rage

276 days to 100 miles

Ultra-Trail Harricana 28K Recap – I don’t hold hands

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 9

❝And when I felt like I wanted to faint, I told myself it wasn’t real. Over and over again until it wasn’t real.
—Rhys Desmond
rhysdesmond.com/2025/09/07/u...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

When it comes to trail running, I don’t hold hands. It sounds lovely and sportsmanlike, and all. But I much prefer to fight to the death. And I had so much fun doing so this weekend at the Ultra-Tr…

rhysdesmond.com

Concentrated Volume: The Secret To Getting Faster Without Adding Training Hours - CTS

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 8

Bahaha, you gave her homework, love it!

I’m curious, did she read it? Does she agree with what it says in general? Always good to have another opinion from a knowledgeable person.

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 8

A wise woman, your physio.

Koop’s book is great, don’t know if you’ve read it. I’ve used it extensively to inform my own training, as well as give unsolicited advice to friends. 😁

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 8

2/2 ❝A wiser way to “do more” is by rearranging what you’re already doing so your efforts can be more effective within your existing training volume.
—Jason Koop
trainright.com/concentrated...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Concentrated volume is a method of rearranging ultramarathon training to increase training stress from existing weekly hours.

trainright.com

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 8

1/2 Life advice as well as training tip:

❝You can’t simply add more of everything, and people who try end up injured, exhausted, and burned out.

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 5

❝It was hard. But it was only *too* hard in the cumulative. In the Right Here and Right Now it was manageable.
—Chris Russell
runrunlive.com/right-here-r...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Right here, Right now – RunRunLive

runrunlive.com

I Hope You Like Mountains

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 4

❝You don’t spend 46 hours through the dark of two nights, in the rain and cold, grinding it out, up and down, up and down, by accident. Every one of those people had been on a journey.
— @semi-rad.com
open.substack.com/pub/semirad/...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

postcard from a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 3

🤭

❝However, a closeup of my hairy, mud-caked legs induced a violent bout of projectile vomiting. Trail running is all about giving back to the environment […].
—Stuart Mann
runningmann.co.za/2025/09/01/s...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

runningmann.co.za

Essay: Redefining Bravery

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 2

❝But endurance isn’t the same as healing. And pushing forward isn’t the same as knowing why you’re going.
—Steve House
uphillathlete.com/voiceofthemo...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

with guest Peter Metcalf

uphillathlete.com

Finding Happiness and Awe in Movement

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Sep 1

❝In a world that focuses so much on exercising as a task or even a means to an end (‘Stay hard!’ and ‘Discipline equals freedom!’), we often overlook what movement does for us spiritually and emotionally.
—John Maynard
open.substack.com/pub/runandge...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

How moving our bodies — especially over long distances — makes us more resilient, connected, and courageous.

Lost: How a double Paddy Buckley Round led me down the wrong path

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Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Aug 31

❝I’d completely lost my way, my ‘why’ had completely changed, and it had become all about the performance. This is not why I started and continue to run.
—Ben McGovern
open.substack.com/pub/outandba...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

What happens when you lose sight of why you started

How small gestures set the tone for your stride.

Read before You Ultra @readbeforeultra.bsky.social · Aug 27

I’ve never thought about what my hands are doing while running (and it shows). Fascinating.

❝What we do with our hands while running is both an indicator and regulator of how much tightness we’re carrying.
—Mike Hahn
open.substack.com/pub/runningl...

#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Hands Run the Show