Drop Bag

Entry into UTMB and Western States can be confusing! Let Kelly and Sarah help you! Follow along for some how to tips!

Drop Bag: Get your caffeine and sodium in one with SaltStick Caps

Congrats to Sarah Gage on her New Course Record (1st woman, 3rd overall) at Zion 60k!!!!!

We talk slick rock, white dots, trail moglus, and quads.

Give a listen for things Sarah did to get her the big WIN!

Drop Bag:

Consider making a A and B drop bag - one has essentials, the other has extras

Sarah gives us an overview of the Grindstone course and recaps the nutrition, gear, and strategy that led to her women's 3rd place finish and automatic entry into UTMB!

Inspiration: Mental energy is the most powerful thing you can bring to a race. Stay excited - Find joy!

Drop Bag:

Saucony Women's Endorphin Edge (these shoes keep getting through races!)

Noogs

TTWR:

Sarah is tapering for Grindstone!

Kelly is sitting on her butt

Here we recap Kelly's Habanero 100 effort and new women's course record race! As racers, we all shared some beef about the sand on the trial, but from Sarah's pacing eye what feels like 80% sand is 5% ...ha! Do you agree?

Inspiration

Lots of inspiration from friends on and off the trail! Running buddy Victoria's words stuck around for the race: May your feet be blister free and your mind unbreakable!

Y'all! Buckel up for a fun ride with the Joanna Fortier LiPuma (is it fair that one girl gets two cool last names?!)

Joanna's Drop Bag: Chap stick!

Joanna's TWWR: Running in Chamonix! Check her insta out for all the gorgeous sites! @jfortier603

Joanna and Sarah do some entertaining reflection on Vermont 100:

-Highs and Lows from the course

-Favorite nutrition

-Confessions

For all the details from the race also check out Women of Distance podcast!

States of Racing!

Vermont:

-Vermont course (of course)

-Runamuck 50k

-Catamount Ultra 25K and 50K

Shout out to New Hampshire

-Chocorua 25k

and Canada

-Quebec Mega Trail

How to travel and still get your run done:

Joanna shares her how to pack process and recommends keeping an outfit in your carry on!

K- now go listen!

Kelly and Sarah catch up on trail race news, training, and the weather!

Drop Bag:

Mount to Coast BITR H1 -very cool, but a little hot

Treat yourself to some topical cooling- use an ice bandana!

Sarah shares some details (and promises more) on her bike ride along Quebec's P'tit Train du Nord!

Drop Bag:

Sarah reminds us to drink water and maybe use some nasal spray if dealing with dry climate/allergies

Kelly tries some new nutrition

TWWR: Sarah hits the hills in Austin, TX

This week we talk about how to travel and still get your run done! Here's a quick rundown:

-Be flexible

-Prepare

-Take advantage of what you can do even if it's less than usual

-Give yourself permission

Sarah and Kelly catch up in this episode with training and all the racing news!

Drop Bag

Kelly: bought meal planning from Lille Eats and Tells and is loving it!

Sarah: lovin' the New Balance SC Trail V2

We talk Tyler Andrews Mt. Everest summit, Broken Arrow, and more vert.

And then I (Kelly) apparently stopped taking notes....Enjoy!

Sarah and I had a great time talking with Gibson Kelley!

Gibson's Drop Bag: Salty Britches! which she got to use at Cruel Jewel recently and Nauzene tables for upset stomachs and nausea (smart!)

TWWR: Gibson recovers/tapers from Cruel Jewel before heading into War Eagle Trail races

States of Trail: Gibson shares 3 races from Tennessee!

-Walking Tall

-The Barkley Fall Classic

-Mamba Trail

Inspiration: You either in or your learn. You never fail!

Gibson is obviously incredibly motivating and experienced! Luckily, she's willing to share through her coaching platform Bandit Coaching Go check it out!

Drop Bag: Sarah shares the anti-inflammatory properties of Turmeric

TTWR: training with poles and new friends

States of Trail Racing: Sarah shares 3 great trail races in New Mexico and Kelly shares 3 from Texas

We wrap it up with some ideas for working on vert in flat places (like Houston)

Now go get you some Salty Britches!

We recorded this too long ago and I can't find my notes. So here you go!

We talk shoes, plants, and FKTs...for a while, so get your long run on!

Join Sarah Gage and Kelly Swanson while we talk in circles about how to approach fitness and metal performance.

Drop Bag: Hot dogs!!?? (are they for you?)

TWWR: Chill week for Sarah while she recovers from her 1st place finish at Sierra Vistas Trail Run 50K. Kelly's timing is off during her run on a road with no shoulder and cars passing in opposite directions all at the same time...every time!

Hope you have a long run planned for all the good tidbits shared in this episode! Our discussion on resetting after a race or when pressure runs a little too high is clutch!

Since running Hurt 100 Aimee has already added layers with a win at Pricky Pear 50K and some great training/pacing/lifing. She's pretty much crushing it...so give a listen to learn from a great!

Drop Bag: While Aimee is a Precision Gel kinda gal, she also utilized the old faithful - to potato. And since I'm an Idaho gal, I solute this.

TTWR: I finally get to meet Aimee on the course of my Lone Star Hiking Trail FKT attempt! She was so helpful and fun to have pacing and crewing her runner on the course but wound up with a sprained ankle. Boo!!

Listen up as Aimee shares about her experience on the Hurt 100 course and how she came out on top as this year's women's champion! She even shares a few songs from her queen playlist (not just a playlist with Queen):

Animal - Lucy Spraggan (the river crossing song)

Strut - DITA

Queen Bee - Rochelle Diamante

The massive mental game of a trail loving ultra runner trying a marathon (again).

Drop Bag:

Kelly shares some mittens she's using for these cold Texas days Active Fleece Wind Mitten - Smartwool US

Megan shows off the Mountain Racer Waist Pack - UltrAspire she's loving.

Kelly recaps her ALMOST sub 3-hour marathon and the mental battle it took to get to the finish.

We talk mental v fitness while we puzzle over Francesco Puppi's quote "People overestimate the mental part of running. Fitness wins races. Not the mental part."

Next up it's back to the woods! Kelly has Sam's Last Stand, a 96 miler, on an iconic Texas Trail and Megan won the lottery to Cascade Crest 100!

Interested in running a Backyard Ultra style race? Megan walks us through her Last Woman Standing finish at The Backland by Texas Outlaw Running.

Drop Bag:

Megan used the Oiselle and Nathan jackets to run in the misty, cold weather.

Kelly bought anotherJanjii long bra with the rear phone pocket for the Houston Marathon.

Megan tries her first Backyard Ultra with plans to reach new miles. A tricky problem surfaces and reminds us that one of the most important things to do in endurance sports is PROBLEM SOLVE!!

Ditto that for the inspiration!

Let's talk long run strategy!

Drop Bag:

Kelly shares the Janji Long Bra with Rear Phone Pocket. If you haven't tried the rear pocket sports bras you NEED to! It's the perfect no bounce way to carry your phone.

Megan gets a backup battery for her Ultraspire 600lm 5.0 waist light in prep for her Last Man Standing!

Megan and Kelly share the evolution of building miles and how you can scale up or down depending on your current running foundation. Find some tips and tricks that will work for you!

Inspiration:

Obstacles are not inherently negative but can be viewed as opportunities for growth and self-improvement

-The Daily Stoic

Megan and Kelly talk speed workouts (for distance people)

Drop Bag:

Winter time? Get ya Salty Britches! Good for lips, noses, and all the other places that rub!

Megan is loving the Janji W's Rover Merino Hoodie because it stays smelling good longer!

Megan and Kelly share a bunch of speed(ier) workouts that they like and keep coming back to. On the treadmill, track, and road. Give one a try! We share the deets on the Blog

Meet you two new best friends on the trail...Aimee Jacobs and Courtney Rouse. Two of the coolest gals who just conquered Javelina Jundred! You can find them on Instagram as @a_jacobs89 and @court_knee_mouse

Drop Bag Items:

Aimee - Precision Gels (and if you're having a flat race, don't be afraid to get in some caffeine).

Courtney: Ginger Beer found at most grocery stores (Whole Foods usually has lots of good options) ...maybe the key to staving off stomach issues!

Although Aimee and Courtney had different experiences on the course, they both found ways to do their best and enjoy the trail.

Aimee held on strong to her cause with Christus Children's Cancer Center when things got tough. Aimee shares her powerful story of battling bone cancer while continuing to run and cheer on others.

Courtney runs her own race with confidence that pays off in an 8th place finish!!

Inspiration:

Aimee shares how her mantra evolved from Run with Joy to Suffer with Joy and reminded herself that There will be a day you can't do this but today is not that day!

Courtney kept herself entertained on the trail with the ABC game and also reminded herself to "Be who you thought you wanted to be"

Listen to all the details plus the upcoming races where you can look for these two!

This week Kelly and Megan catch up on impressive races, gear, and upcoming events.

Drop Bag Items:

Megan run 20 miles without a bathroom stop thanks to GoMacro bars!

TWWR:

Kelly winds up hiding behind a neighborhood sign to avoid being murdered (probably not, but a bit weird/scary)

Megan has to be on the lookout for crazy drivers

Stay safe runners!

We have lots of fun discussing the running scene and all the impressive performances.

Inspo:

One of the most difficult things for me has been to show vulnerability and weakness. The irony of that is that being strong physically almost always demands a willingness to show everyone your weakness

-Sarah Whitmore

Let's talking running, changing bodies, and aging with the girl who's leading the way - Krissy Moehl!

Drop Bag of the Week:

Megan's loving her new Naked running band

Ok...then we skip all the normal stuff to get to it!

Please check out Trail Runner Nation as they host the Aging Athlete series. You'll be able to find the everything we reference on their channel.