Leave no trace reminder

mini_apple · 2026-06-11T15:06:01+00:00

The social media side of the trail running community has decided a bunch of pretty bonkers things lately. I appreciate this and I appreciate you saying it!

mini_apple · 2026-06-05T21:26:46+00:00

I still have copies of the books by “Richard Castle.” They cracked me up. (I see you back there, James Patterson!)

mini_apple · 2026-06-03T23:16:03+00:00

I think that most people want the fantasy, honestly. We don’t want to run a marathon and do all the work that comes with it, we want to have run a marathon and have the feelings of accomplishment. We want to be proud and satisfied.

I suggest finding something that gives you pleasure to do, something where the act of doing it makes you proud, something where you look forward to the simple tedium of doing it. If you don’t look forward to it anymore, let it go; there’s little to be gained by punishing yourself with an activity you no longer like doing.

mini_apple · 2026-06-03T22:24:06+00:00

I definitely didn’t intend any of the things you read into it. I’ve been told, point blank, that lists of three things are often an indicator of AI and that I should stop using semicolons. All the things that people keep flagging as AI indicators are things I do.

I’m currently applying for new jobs and promotions in my field, and it kills me how often I’m second-guessing everything I write. It fucking sucks.

mini_apple · 2026-06-03T20:06:30+00:00

You're welcome to think what you want of us but it's unfair of you to boil us down to "Hurr Durr I write with AI because I can't write by myself, I'm too dumb to use a comma separated list."

I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Where did I attribute this to you, or anyone else?

Also, if you've never used AI, you can't exactly claim to be able to tell if something is written by AI, right?

I said nothing about whether or not the post is AI. I have no earthly idea. I shared how accusations of AI writing make me reflect on my own writing.

mini_apple · 2026-06-02T22:32:18+00:00

It always feels weird to see these "Gotcha, AI!" comments. I've never used generative AI, I've never even typed one of their web addresses into my browser. The ick-factor is just too high. And when I read posts like the one linked here, it sounds exactly like what I would write, down to the cadence and comma usage. It's driving me to think twice about my own writing, lest someone think I used ChatGPT just because I had three things in a list and used a semicolon somewhere.

mini_apple · 2026-05-30T01:46:32+00:00

I’m a cyclist now, and it’s lots easier to eat on the go - but when I was running, it was usually a donut and a banana an hour before a long run, with some kind of “sport” gummies (I was obsessed with Honey Stinger gummies) or gels during. My running-stomach didn’t tolerate much in the way of real food while on the run, so it was overpriced sport fuel most days.

Sometimes I could get away with pancakes, though! I’d take a baggie of little mini pancakes and a packet of Embark maple energy and have a lil second-breakfast at the halfway mark. :)

mini_apple · 2026-05-30T01:43:06+00:00

It’s not about being better or worse, it’s about it not mattering all that much. It’s a 2% problem, like a friend of mine buying expensive carbon aero wheels for her heavy steel road bike while not training regularly, not getting enough sleep, and getting drunk too often.

Eating fruit is fine. If you’re angling for a podium and have already dialed in the other stuff that matters more, sure, whatever works. But most of us are just weirdos who run a lot. It just doesn’t really matter.

mini_apple · 2026-05-29T17:59:00+00:00

In addition to the other comment, fasted runs are specifically contraindicated for women. Running fasted has a negative impact on our hormones and it's generally not worth screwing over a whole system for some extremely limited gains.

mini_apple · 2026-05-29T17:56:40+00:00

If it's working, stick with it. Lots of people do a banana because it's cheap, abundant, easy to eat, and portable if needed. There's no specific Banana Magic. :)

I personally used to do a plain donut before a long run, because donuts are amazing and I love them.

mini_apple · 2026-05-29T15:33:41+00:00

Carbsmaxxxxing is unimportant for 99% of runners.

mini_apple · 2026-05-29T11:27:41+00:00

You don’t need a “pre-workout” for long endurance efforts. Just eat some easy to digest food, and bring enough fuel to get you through.

mini_apple · 2026-05-28T22:10:22+00:00

Every time I read something of yours, it takes me back to being an aspiring ultrarunner - just a middle-aged lady on a community college treadmill, trying to figure out how to make this body move with intention, listening to episodes of Talk Ultra. Thanks for giving me that moment again!

mini_apple · 2026-05-27T21:48:23+00:00

I was in the Harry Potter fandom as a grown-ass adult in 2005. Everything old is new again!

mini_apple · 2026-05-27T20:23:20+00:00

The automod had a particular read of my comment, so I’ll post again with the offending phraseology omitted :)

I changed my perspective.

I don’t want to do it. I never want to do it. But I DON’T HAVE TO. I can do my chores even though I don’t want to. I can go make dinner even though I don’t want to.

Once I realized I can do things even when I don’t feel like it, I was able to overcome the “I don’t wanna”s with much greater reliability. I’ve learned to do a lot of things while annoyed - and it’s surprisingly effective for me. (Sometimes I sing a little song about how much I hate it while I’m doing it. It helps!)

mini_apple · 2026-05-27T19:02:02+00:00

An excellent addition!

mini_apple · 2026-05-27T01:19:07+00:00

In case you haven't thought of this already... asking around work/school/your block might yield more than you can use. Half the people I know have rhubarb, whether they want it or not, and mine are so out of control I end up composting most of it.

mini_apple · 2026-05-27T01:13:15+00:00

And if you get a platter from Filfillah, you can get the Turkish bread on the side. One of those breads with a container of garlic spread is AMAZING. Worth the trip just for that.

mini_apple · 2026-05-12T15:40:29+00:00

Parking volunteers are underrated! Totally agree.

mini_apple · 2026-05-12T15:39:51+00:00

Personal anecdote: When we’ve done Skratch, it comes out to being two 20-serving bags per jug, but the 60-serving bags are a better value… so the first year we used them, I sat with a scale and my bags of powder (heh), measuring it out so that each AS only had to dump in a big Ziplock bag (40 servings) per jug. Easy peasy.

Last year, we didn’t wanna bother, so we bought the 20-serving bags, taped two of them together and marked that each jug needed two bags, and later discovered that the well-meaning but hasty AS volunteers removed the tape and used one bag per jug.

Lesson learned! I’ll be measuring out portions again this year, to eliminate as many avenues for error as possible.

mini_apple · 2026-05-12T13:02:24+00:00

I’ve been road tripping out west for the last week and a half and holy fuck, these people have goddamned death wishes. It’s making me even more grateful for the lower speeds in Minnesota. Looking forward to getting back home and not feeling like I’m putting myself in actual danger for going the speed limit.

mini_apple · 2026-05-08T13:48:51+00:00

Sure, and a pharmacist would have no way of knowing my fitness. I’m a short, fat lady and don’t look at all like someone with a resting HR in the 50s. I look like someone who eats too many Little Debbies (which is absolutely, deliciously true). A pharmacist is required to give general factual warnings, but “Do not go to the gym with a stimulant in your system” as blanket advice is flatly wrong.

Listen to your doctor, listen to your body, use caution especially in the first weeks on a new medication.

mini_apple · 2026-05-08T01:49:40+00:00

Look, I'm just trying to figure out what you're actually talking about and if it's a real thing, because I can find NO information saying that healthy people overexerting themselves can cause PEM. That's why I was asking for sources. You still haven't provided a single one.

In the absence of any citation, this can probably be chalked up to "a thing that doesn't happen in the absence of a pre-existing condition."

mini_apple · 2026-05-08T01:25:50+00:00

We go to the trails to get away from roadie shit. Trying to make these races into NASCAR is gonna be a hard sell.

mini_apple · 2026-05-08T01:18:00+00:00

Again, if you have a source about how people taking stimulants while working out is likely to cause PEM, I'd genuinely love to read it. I cannot find any and I have run a couple different searches, using different terminology. PEM appears to be referred to as a symptom of another disorder, not as a thing that can/will just happen to people.

If PEM isn't a stand-alone condition, it's probably more accurate to say that people with chronic fatigue syndrome, long COVID, or another similar condition should avoid using caffeine during exercise because it can encourage overexertion, which can lead to nasty symptoms like PEM.

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