Ask the Pro: Hill Training, Crews, and Favorite Snacks

On this month-to-month article collection, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and every thing working. Be taught extra about this ask-the-athlete column, and remember to fill out the shape under to submit your questions for a future article!

On this article, Gabe solutions questions on uphill coaching frequency, discovering crew members, and embracing studying alternatives. Additionally, snacks!

Gabe’s Tip of the Month

In case you are studying this text, for higher or worse, there’s a stable probability you’re the kind of one that will get recommendation from the web. There may be certainly quite a lot of good info on the market, however no doubt, it’s muddled in with all kinds of questionable opinions and beliefs as properly. Quite than incomes your path working training by way of seemingly genuine and dependable Instagram content material, YouTube movies, or Reddit posts, kick it old fashioned and end up a path working mentor. Hunt down your individual native legend — that neighborhood chief who has been there and completed that for years — to glean a little bit of their hard-earned data and expertise for your self, too. You’ll achieve infinitely extra knowledge than you’ll from yet one more social media put up, and also you simply may make some pals for all times as properly.

Class is in session on the Faculty of Exhausting Knocks with Ty Draney (heart) and Jared Campbell (left), two of Gabe’s (proper) mentors within the sport. Photograph courtesy of Gabe Joyes.

Uphill Coaching Frequency

What number of days per week ought to I be doing uphill coaching for a mountain extremely? -Jeff

You aren’t alone in questioning this, Jeff, as I get this query quite a bit! It’s a bit tough to reply, as it will possibly rely quite a bit on the place you reside, the kind of terrain you’ve gotten entry to, and the way a lot climbing you’ve gotten completed prior to now. Nevertheless, as a common advice, intention to have your lengthy runs and common coaching runs have related elevation achieve and loss per mile as your aim occasion. For instance, in case you are coaching for the Hardrock 100, with roughly 33,200 ft of climbing and descending over 100 miles, you need your runs to have about 332 ft of elevation achieve and loss per mile.

That is simply a median, so it doesn’t must be exact. After I skilled for the 2025 Hardrock 100, most of my lengthy runs averaged someplace between 290 and 360 ft per mile — completely shut sufficient to that 332 aim quantity.

Gabes Joyes descending during 2025 Hardrock 100

Prepare your legs for each the ups and the downs of mountain working. Photograph: Niko Carste

The mathematics is a bit totally different for restoration runs and high-intensity exercises. The purpose of a restoration run is to assist your physique really feel higher, to not add extra coaching stress. Even when you’ve got a climbing-heavy race on the schedule, doing restoration runs on principally flat terrain is a savvy alternative to assist shed some muscular fatigue. For top-intensity, interval-type exercises, I’d recommend the overall elevation achieve and loss per mile be lower than your aim race. Persevering with with my Hardrock instance: I’m not capable of do many intervals on tremendous steep terrain and nonetheless maintain my working tempo and cadence excessive, so I lose the pace good thing about the exercise as a result of I merely can’t go that quick. As a substitute, I did my uphill intervals on hills within the vary of 150 to 250 ft per mile. That’s steep sufficient for lots of power improvement from working uphill, however at a grade the place I may truly run and never simply really feel like I used to be spinning my wheels and going nowhere.

With this method, your weekly common elevation achieve and loss per mile shall be lower than your aim race, however you’ll undoubtedly nonetheless be ready for the calls for of race day. Many runners make the most of treadmills for vertical coaching — both as a result of they lack entry to steep terrain or for comfort — however I’d urge you to take a measured method to this. More often than not, when runners’ legs fail them in steep terrain on race day, it isn’t on the up, however on the down. Treadmills are an important software for uphill intervals and supply a improbable coaching stimulus, however as a result of they lack the descent and terrain specificity — your race isn’t on a easy rubber mat — they need to be used as a coaching software, and never an entire substitute, for vertical coaching.

Gabe discovering terrain-specific downhill coaching helpful within the Brecon Beacons mountains of Wales throughout the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race. Photograph: @nolimits.images

Crew Conundrum

I’ve completed a pair path races however haven’t approached the extremely distance but. One in all my massive hang-ups about attempting an extremely is asking folks to crew for me. Not solely does it really feel considerably egocentric to ask folks to commit their time in such a means, however I don’t have very many pals who’re aware of extremely racing. How would you go about this? -Matt

From the skin trying in, ultrarunning can look like a egocentric act, however I don’t purchase into that type of pondering. Numerous athletes have realized that ultrarunning actually is a crew sport, they usually couldn’t do it with out the help of pals, household, and volunteers.

Think about going to a theatre for a present. There in all probability is a lead function, however that doesn’t imply the supporting actresses and actors, extras, mild crew, sound crew, director, and costume designers don’t all serve necessary roles. Whenever you put collectively a help crew for an extremely, it isn’t for these folks to serve you, however to be a essential a part of the crew and be on the journey with you. As you make your race weekend plans, be considerate about learn how to create a enjoyable, memorable expertise in your help crew and the way to make sure they really feel appreciated and valued. When speaking to your potential crew, ensure you focus on plans when it comes to “we” and never “me.” Lastly, give your family and friends an opportunity. I’ve discovered that most individuals are actually enthusiastic about supporting others who’re pursuing a giant, scary aim. In reality, a few of my favourite race experiences are as a part of a help crew, and never as a racer.

My crew on the 2025 Hardrock 100 proving as soon as once more that ultrarunning is a crew sport. Photograph: Niko Carste

Studying From Failure

What’s the worst climb or descent you’ve ever needed to do? -Gilbert

Ah, Gilbert, I admire this query! Nevertheless, I admit I won’t be capable of provide the reply you’re on the lookout for, as as a substitute, I’m going to let you know about considered one of my favourite descents ever. About midway by way of the primary day of the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race in Wales, runners climbed up Tryfan, a craggy and rock-strewn mountain within the coronary heart of Snowdonia. Many of the ascent, I used to be under the clouds, however someplace close to the summit, I used to be engulfed in fog that made macro navigation inconceivable, and I may barely see a number of boulders in entrance of me. It had been raining many of the day, and every rock was slick in a means that I had by no means skilled earlier than. Moreover, in my opinion, there was no outlined path on Tryfan, and I used to be shifting blindly ahead within the dense fog. Descending the mountain was an immense problem for me and required a stage of focus and emotional administration I had by no means skilled earlier than: I tensed up, may hardly breathe, and moved with zero confidence in my footing or myself.

Later that evening, as I lay in my tent, my head was spinning as I went over all the expertise I wanted to enhance to get by way of the remainder of the race — and to by no means transfer so poorly in terrain like that once more. That descent off Tryfan was the catalyst for me to enhance my technical descending expertise, pursue sneakers with higher rubber compounds, and work on my respiration, physique management, and self-talk whereas descending. I can draw a direct line from that day on Tryfan to improved descending expertise in related slippery, rocky circumstances. Though tough on the time, I’m so glad I had that have!

Certainly, Tryfan is considered one of my favourite descents ever!

Gabe working full-on technical terrain throughout the 2025 Dragon’s Again Race. Photograph: @nolimits.images

Snacks

Finest gasoline station working gasoline or assist station meals? -Annabelle

Behold the good trifecta of ultrarunning gasoline: Potato chips, Peanut M&Ms, and Coke! It’s a high-calorie, cost-effective, and satisfying trinity of extremely processed and simply accessible working gasoline. Certainly, it has the candy, salty, fatty, and yummy all happening.

Unpopular opinion: Nerds Gummy Clusters are profoundly overrated.