photo credits: Jesse Lee Keenan (@jessefive)
As 8 AM neared, a chill still clung to the air. But yet again, despite some less-than-ideal weather (and parking) conditions, more and more women began to fill the Valley Green Inn parking area for the start of the second Women In Ultrarunning event.
We reviewed trail etiquette and set off on a 75-minute trail run. Before starting we prompted the group to consider how you’re talking to yourself today throughout the run, as a warmup exercise for our discussion later. As we neared the top of our first (and biggest) climb, the sun began to crest through the trees. I heard chattering behind “oh it’s warming up!” “The sun is super pretty” and it felt like the sun was rising just for us. Despite one wrong turn (I really shouldn’t scout out routes in the snow), we had a beautiful sunny trail run in the Wiss, complete with a creek crossing too!
We all regrouped back at Valley Green Inn and grabbed coffee and donuts to prepare for the discussion. This month’s theme was mental strategy with Michelle Goldberg as our special guest. Michelle is an accomplished ultrarunner, UESCA certified ultrarunning coach, and psychologist. I just knew she would be the perfect partner for this event. While the area of “mental strategy in ultras” is vast, we focused on three areas: nerves & self-talk, the mind body connection, and conceptualizing time. We discussed mantras and considering how you talk to yourself, we learned about the importance of food and fuel for your mood, and we talked about how to break down time or miles in an ultra as to not get overwhelmed. We truly could have discussed for hours on end and have barely scratched the surface. Michelle was an invaluable partner in this event, and I can’t thank her enough. Until next time, happy trails!
The full notes from our discussion are posted in the Women In Ultrarunning Heylo community, which I strongly encourage everyone to join! Once you join you have access to an online community of like-minded women interested in the world of ultras, chat forums to discuss topics and find training buddies, AND access to an exclusive free 2-week trial of coaching with me (if you so choose)! Join here: https://heylo.group/women-in-ultrarunning
The next event is Sunday March 3rd at 8AM! We will be in Valley Forge this time (meet at the Yellow Springs parking lot). Topic is Hills & Technical Trails with special guest Emily Fisk! Please expect a 90 min trail run (with time built in to learn about running with trekking poles), topic discussion, and refreshments & raffles from HOKA! Please register here: https://link.heylo.co/a2yW
Lastly, we just added a bonus event to the series! There’s been an interest in learning more about running trails at night. Many ultras incorporate running at night in some capacity, maybe just for an hour in the morning or maybe over the course of multiple nights! The best way to get more comfortable with night running is to practice. But running at night can feel intimidating, scary, or uncomfortable! Please expect a 60ish minute trail run, followed by discussion about night running. Wear trail shoes & bring a headlamp/lights if you can! Space limited to 20 people. Register here: https://link.heylo.co/ZuMZ
