On this month-to-month article collection, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and all the pieces operating. Study extra about this ask-the-athlete column, and remember to fill out the shape beneath to submit your questions for a future article!
On this article, Gabe solutions questions on easy methods to reframe your effort when the end result isn’t as you’d hoped, easy methods to keep away from palate fatigue throughout lengthy efforts, studying about sweat fee, and extra.
Gabe’s Tip of the Month
“That run felt tougher than it ought to have.”
Have you ever ever uttered this assertion after a run? Let’s break it down for a second. Is what you actually imply, “This run felt tougher than I anticipated?” The reality is, a run feels precisely the way it ought to primarily based in your coaching standing, health, fueling, hydration, sleep, and all the pieces else occurring in your life. What’s the huge deal right here? “Ought to” is a phrase that’s loaded with worth and judgment. If you’re saying, “I ought to have been higher,” it’s a sly method of placing your self down and telling your self that you’re not ok. Reframing it as, “That exercise didn’t go in addition to I anticipated,” opens the door so that you can discover options — like saving the spicy enchilada soup for after the exercise quite than earlier than, or ensuring you bought within the correct warm-up earlier than coaching.
Nobody has the best to “ought to” on you, so don’t “ought to” on your self both.
Luke Nelson accepting and feeling all of the feels on a giant day (or two) within the Gros Ventre Mountains. All images courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
Palate Fatigue
How do you take care of palate fatigue throughout longer adventures and races? — Amanda
Alas, expensive reader, you aren’t the one one that has ever been fully repulsed by one other sip of your favourite watermelon-flavored sports activities drink that by some means will get its style from so-called pure flavors — but by some means tastes nothing like watermelon — and incorporates sufficient sugar to make a weight-reduction plan tradition social media influencer have a tantrum. The battle is actual, and I’ve been so burnt out on overly flavorful snacks and sweets on the tail finish of 100-mile races that I opted to eat nothing for the final 30 miles. I don’t suggest this technique.
I’ve discovered that the most effective fueling technique for ultrarunning is to think about your physique as being in an nearly flu-like state. What do you eat when you find yourself attempting to place your self again collectively after the flu? Probably the most bland, flavorless, but high-calorie and easy-to-digest meals obtainable — usually with loads of salt. Give it some thought: Have soda, broth or soup, and potato chips ever been all you possibly can abdomen in the course of the late struggles of a race? Something that has a robust taste — even flavors you’re keen on — shall be unpalatable after many hours. My finest recommendation is to go for flavorless gels and drinks paired with principally bland and salty snacks. Save the enjoyable and scrumptious meals and snacks for the times earlier than and after, and maintain race day all about attending to the end line with out swearing off one more sports activities diet firm.
Save the flavorful snacks for after the race!
Sweat and Sodium
Do you will have a sodium consumption objective for lengthy and/or arduous efforts? — Cameron
Superb timing with this query, as simply this previous week, I visited Skratch Labs in Boulder, Colorado, for a correct sweat take a look at. Hydration has been the foremost performance-limiting issue for me whereas racing, and with the HURT 100 Mile developing in January, I wished to ensure I used to be getting issues proper.
For years, I’ve been simply guessing on how a lot sodium to absorb, going off the truth that I’m all the time probably the most salty and crusty wanting man on the end line of each race — each actually and figuratively. When my pet was excited to see me come dwelling from runs this summer season, simply so she may try and lick the salt off my legs, I knew it was time to dig deeper.
Your writer contending for probably the most salty and crusty wanting man on the race.
The sweat take a look at solely took about half-hour, was completely nice, and proved an attention-grabbing expertise. The chemical pilocarpine was rubbed on my arm to induce sweating, and the sweat was collected and analyzed utilizing some fancy-looking science lab gear. My sodium sweat focus ended up at 1,200 milligrams of sodium per liter, which, as suspected, is on the upper facet of common.
It’s essential to notice that the sodium focus of your sweat doesn’t change with temperature or humidity, however your whole sweat fee does. If I’m sweating out two liters of water per hour on a sizzling summer season day — which I do — meaning it’s really helpful that I soak up 2,400 milligrams of sodium an hour. It’s no surprise I’m all the time craving salty snacks after lengthy runs. Your sweat sodium focus may be completely totally different than mine, and the one method to know is to do your homework. Previously, I’ve tried a sweat take a look at with an affordable patch I ordered off the web, however the outcomes have been wildly inaccurate because it recommended my sweat’s sodium focus was solely 10 milligrams per liter, so I don’t suggest that. Precision Gasoline and Hydration has extensively obtainable licensed sweat testing facilities you can observe down on the web, however in any other case, I had a superb expertise at Skratch Labs.
Getting a sweat take a look at carried out at Skratch Labs in Boulder, Colorado.
Submit Your Questions
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