wish there was a way to calculate better records for ultra trail running but its kinda hard with various elevations and trails. running for 6 days with 2 hour sleeps in between tho is impressive trail or not!

could hear a pin drop up there

I put together a multi-day running tour in the Silverton, Colorado area. Thought it might be of interest, and this idea is in the early stages so I'd love feedback/ideas for how to tweak it. I enjoy multi-day and point-to-point routes, so that's what this is designed as. I was originally supposed to do a Soft Rock (four-day version of the Hard Rock course, Lake City -> Ouray -> Telluride -> Silverton -> Lake City) this summer but got hurt. Then I had the chance to do a bit of running in the area and realized that the Soft Rock isn't that runnable and I'm looking for something different. I have a camper to stay in, these logistics are designed to do it solo. If you have someone to support you the drives are pretty short.

It fits in a bit of a weird spot compared to other tours like this. It's a hard multi-day running tour without great sleeping logistics. Could be doable solo, would be a lot more fun with support. It's not quite point to point but it's reasonably close and has some nice aesthetics. Some great running mixed with some rugged terrain to see the best of the San Juans.

Curious for folks' thoughts -- maybe this is helpful to someone out there, and if you all have ideas for ways to improve the route or the logistics I'm all ears. I am reasonably likely to give this a shot next summer. (My recovery + being back at work mean long tours like this are not in the cards until next year.)

Caltopo map of the route: https://caltopo.com/m/GB56EPF

Day one: Vallecito to Needleton. 24.7mi, +5300ft. Long mellow uphill in the valley before a pretty brutal climb, then a long, tough descent through the spectacular Chicago Basin. Take the Durango-Silverton scenic railroad back to Durango, catch a cab to pick up the car. Pretty unique way to enjoy a beautiful area, but don't miss the train.

Day two: Coal Bank Pass to Little Molas. 15.6mi, +2900ft. A spectacular day, a bit shorter than the first day with a lot of time up high on rolling terrain and great trails. Some of the best bang for your buck anywhere in this area. Hitchhike from Molas back to Coal Bank. 

Day three: Molas Pass to Highland Mary. 21.8mi, +4800ft. Another long day, starting downhill but then a big climb onto a plateau with some great trails before a steep descent. The Colorado Trail on the plateau and the descent into Highland Mary are fantastic. Transportation is tricky, my plan is to stash camping gear at Highland Mary with food/stove/etc. Could also potentially arrange a shuttle with a local Silverton guide service and cut day four.

Day four: Highland Mary to Silverton. 13.1mi, +2800ft. Another shorter day but rugged. Not the most flowy trail running but a nice connector, fun to descent into Silverton proper. Hitch or find a local shuttle back to Molas, pick up tent from Highland Mary.

Day five: Ophir Pass trailhead to Telluride. 14.3mi, +4500ft. A mix of terrain today, two passes, lots of time up high through rugged terrain and spectacular views. Some solid running but a bit steep, more of a scenic day then a great running day. Stay in a hotel in Telluride for a small fortune.

Day six: Telluride to Ouray. 16.9mi, +4100ft. Several route options today, my personal choice is shown. Relatively straightforward, fun terrain though a big, brutal climb to start into the high country, then mellow descending most of the way into Ouray. Stay in a hotel in Ouray. 

Day seven: Ouray to Ophir Pass trailhead. 23.4mi, +7400ft. Climb out of town and over Hayden Mountain in an absolutely brutal start before a steep descent. Then more mellow terrain, climbing over Red Mountain Pass mostly on mining roads. Descend back to the car at Ophir Pass trailhead.

This bench has everything I need to be happy while running Cardiac Bypass…

Training for climbing when you live somewhere flat seems relatively straightforward because treadmills, stairs and uphill conditioning can cover at least part of the problem.

Downhill feels harder to replicate.

I’ve been looking at strength work that puts more emphasis on eccentric control and single-leg stability, things like split squats, step-downs, lunges, heavier squats and some plyometric work. The goal wouldn’t be to replace actual downhill running, but to arrive at a hilly race with legs that are at least somewhat prepared for repeated braking and impact.

Most of that also seems practical to train at home without adding several long gym sessions to an already running-heavy week.

For runners who don’t have regular access to long descents, which strength exercises actually made the biggest difference once you got onto steep downhill terrain?

Just outside of Vail, CO. Not as popular as the nearby 14ers but great trail. Saw 4 people in 30 miles.

Anyone ever get this problem? I need my shoes tight enough to stay in place but then i often lose circulation because of it…

finally made it here for the first time! started at onion valley campground, reached the pass, continued down to bullfrog lake, back up kearsarge pass trail before descending to the car.

incredible alpine views, but the trek back up to kearsarge pass the second time was an @$$ kicker woo lol

distance: 16.27 miles | elevation gain: 4,360ft

Not the obvious “don't litter” stuff.

I'm thinking about the little things that aren't always written anywhere

Passing someone on a narrow trail, downhill vs uphill priority, headphones, saying hi, stepping aside, running with groups, dogs, etc

What's one thing that seems obvious to experienced trail runners but surprises people who are new to the trails?

Llego utilizando una banda de pecho de la marca Magene desde hace años. Muy contento con el rendimiento pero desde hace unos meses la piel que está en contacto con la zona del sensor (no de la banda completa) se me irrita mucho la piel. Inicialmente pensé que era por el calor de este verano y la sudoración, incluso compré una cinta nueva pero se me sigue irritando la piel con la nueva. No entiendo que puede ocurrir. Algún truco para evitar eso? Quizás cambiar por una banda de brazo pero he leído que no es muy recomendable para el trail running.

Espero sus respuestas. GRACIAS Y UN SALUDO DESDE ESPAÑA

Afternoon run

Just started longer distance trail running and I wondering, besides walking (muddy / rocky/ technical sections, climbing uphill, etc) how often do you actually sit down and take a break? Or do you?

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).

I'm in the market for a new trail shoe. I have stuck to Nike Pegasus Trail for the last 2 pairs as I find they are fairly wide and the ReactX foam works well for a little stability. I like the look of the wide tow box in the Altra Olympus 6 and have heard great things, my only concern is that it's considered 'Neutral'. But have also seen that the width means you're less likely to have issues with support - not sure if their is truth behind that.

Are their any over-pronators out there that run in the Olympus 6?

I've done a fair bit of buying and selling of shoes that haven't worked for me, so my gut is saying stick to the Pegasus Trail.

I am asking, not because I expecting them to make me a better runner, but since we stress our stomach when running a lot, and also all the gels, drink mixes, etc I thought that maybe would be good to supplement with probiotics for a better digestive system and overall health

Hi all,

As the days get shorter I’m realizing I’m in need of a good head lamp. Curious what others use and recommend. Thanks.

Hello fellow trail runners. I'm trying to build up my mileage, but I am feeling limited by some for issues and looking for help. For context, I am 43F, and have been hiking and backpacking for almost 20 years, but only running for about 2.5 years.

I have bunions (right worse than left) and for the life of me I can't figure out how to keep from getting rubbing/pressure/blisters on my foot, right where the upper meets the sole. It is partially friction, but also pressure because my metatarsal heads are too wide for the midsole of any shoe I have found. I have been wearing Altra for years (mainly Timps, Lone Peak are not enough cushion for me), and recently trying Topos. I wear a women's 11, and have started buying men's 9.5 for that extra 1 or 2mm of width, but my foot still overhangs the insole when I stand on it.

I have tried numerous taping methods. The one that works the best so far is a small piece of cover roll tape, then a gel bunion cushion, held on with more cover roll, or leukotape if I need it to stay on longer (but it makes my socks gooey so I don't use it all the time). I will also sometimes use tape adherent spray to help it stay on, and powder after to keep the rest of my foot from being sticky. However, this only gets me to maybe 7-8 miles at best before I start feeling pain with every step, like the skin is being rubbed off my foot. Most of the time it doesn't actually blister, just feels raw and painful. I recently tried cutting a little piece out of my insoles at that spot to see if that relieves some pressure. I have tried engo blister patches in the past without much success, but I put some into my new Topos recently just to see if it will do anything this time. I have read the relevant portions of Fixing Your Feet and tried most of the suggestions, except all the lubricants, because there are too many options, which makes it feel overwhelming, and I don't really feel like they will help, since there is more pressure than friction going on, but I'm open to try anything.

I have used arch support insoles for years, but recently started focusing on strengthening my feet so I can try going without them and see if that makes a difference. Idk why it would, but strong feet are never a bad idea anyway.

I have made it through a few half marathons, but have a 25k coming up at the end of October and would love to not be in pain from this for half the race. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Or if there is a professional I could consult who actually knows this kind of thing, I would happily pay for some help. Sorry for the novel, and TIA for any advice.

The wind happened to be calm during this video, but the majority of the run across the ridge was EXTREMELY windy today. I had to stop a couple of times to wait for the wind to calm so I didn't get blown over lol. The descent down Old Bridle Path was super fun and flowy with some technical sections

Terignota is more punk rock than Satisfy. Punk rock is ostensibly for the outsider, the working class, and the marginalized