Trail Reflections

Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Trail Running.

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Trail runner and Patagonia ambassador Jenn Shelton gives a brief tour through the range of physical and emotional states she experiences during a trail ultramarathon and insight into what moves her past "never again"...

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With the recent Vibram FiveFingers shenanigans... every man/woman for its own... the question is rather... is the barefoot running fad "era" on its way out? 

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Knowing When to Quit

Nobody likes to give up or have a DNF behind their name, as trail runners we pride ourselves in being tough, rolled ankle? So what! “The pain will go away after a few kilometers!” Muscle cramp? “Screw that, I will stretch and continue!”. Blood? “Where is my Super Glue!?” Sharp pain? “I will take a couple of painkillers!”

The problem that most of us face... we are controlled by our mind and not by our body. Your body feels the pain and discomfort but your mind tells you NOT TO QUIT. The trick is to listen to your body and to know the difference between pushing the boundary and overstepping it.

Some warning signs to look out for:

Consistent sharp pains

Muscle cramps

Nausea and vomiting

Dehydration

Electrolyte imbalances

Disorientation

The inability to speak coherently (although some people talk in circles all the time...)

Struggling to breathe or catch your breath

Bloody urine

Injured ligaments, fractures, broken bones etc.

Hyperthermia

Persistent headache

Its all about making smart decisions, the problem is often that we don't make smart decisions... On the other hand, and the reason I think we all relate to is that we know we are in trouble but still continue. Call it pride, stubbornness, FOMO, whatever... Only you as a runner (or maybe the Race Director) can make that choice... pride vs stupid? NS.

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Garmin is giving 20 lucky people a chance to test the new VIRB Elite, an action video camera that captures every adventure in high definition and lots more!

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Into the Light - Salomon Running TV S03 E08

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Second installment of photos from my motorcycle trip to the Copper Canyon in February and March of this year. If you like this type of athlete-driven...

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If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.

John Bingham