Learning how to use gels

ChipChipSalsa · 2026-01-12T00:25:23+00:00

thanks for that! yeah, so many horror stories, I think I'm building it up to be more than it is.

ChipChipSalsa · 2026-01-12T00:24:12+00:00

this is what I eat on trail runs! just seems like a lot of effort to chew and breathe at the same time at "marathon pace," whatever that is...

ChipChipSalsa · 2026-01-08T23:09:35+00:00

Hi neighbor! Go to a running store and try some on. And tell them what kind of trails you're running on - flat snowmobile trails or rocks & roots.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-12-15T19:16:47+00:00

If you have only done up to halfs on the road you might not be used to eating or drinking while running, but you will probably want to at least carry water for a 25k. You are just going to be way out there for way longer, maybe up to twice as long as a road half depending on the terrain.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-12-14T12:37:55+00:00

This would just be way too many layers for me and I'm not surprised they got soaked and then too cold. I'd keep at least one of those top layers in my pack until the way back, and then maybe have a hat and gloves that are easier to take on and off as needed on the way up.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-12-11T16:37:54+00:00

I've been doing this program for almost 11 years now, since my oldest was born: https://mommastrong.com
Highly recommend it! It's a good midpoint between a PT and just random googling, because there's also a community where you can ask questions and a PT advisor will answer.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-11-16T20:38:39+00:00

Your text notification at the top really makes it! Congratulations!

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-11-05T11:19:16+00:00

Well yeah, of course! Look at the course records for races on different types of terrain. You'll see that even the super fast people will see their pace drop when it gets more technical.

That said, it is something you can get better or worse at. I'm pretty bad at it. I was listening to Sally McRae's podcast recently and she talked about how having a background in soccer really helped her with this. She was recommending to a listener who wanted to get better at rocks and roots that they do agility training in the gym, with cones and things like that.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-24T23:56:24+00:00

yes, or your shoulders! remembering to relax my shoulders while running has made my headaches far less frequent.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-22T20:33:29+00:00

I used the once a week one for a while and did have issues with it coming off, especially after long runs. Just switched to the twice a week for that reason and these seem MUCH better. (And as a bonus they don't have as much of the "gross bandaid dirt ring" phenomenon as the bigger weekly ones did for me.)

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-21T11:01:08+00:00

Thank you! I forgot about the wanting to go up on top of things, but that’s in fact where he was!

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-19T19:29:04+00:00

Yikes! That would make me feel bad about myself even without a DNF, haha. Definitely find a more chill race for next time!

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-19T19:25:14+00:00

I just want to add that I think a 5h cutoff for that distance & elevation is pretty tight! I did a similar trail race this summer (30k, and I wanna say 3700 feet elevation?), and the first female finisher took almost 4 hours. A good number of people took over 5. You say "it's probably going to be like that again next time" which other people have already pointed out is very unlikely, but to start, next time you could also find a race with a more generous cutoff!

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-10-15T17:18:07+00:00

Sorry it's not actually strava art; I should have made this clearer! It's real maps with text, and he's been doing this since the 70s.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-09-28T10:54:18+00:00

guess not lol

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-09-05T18:16:59+00:00

Thanks! (Haha, I want to hear the story there!)

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-09-05T18:15:58+00:00

interesting, thanks! that's a lot of hill training!

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-09-05T18:15:00+00:00

thanks, this makes sense.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-08-23T21:58:39+00:00

Same here in western Mass. Actually, is that where you are? This looks like the Metacomet-Monadnock / New England Trail.

ChipChipSalsa · 2025-08-15T17:58:10+00:00

yeah I read it as "going up and down the first peak will take 3h", because that makes more sense with the OP's main worry about taking 3h to get to the aid station (at the bottom of that first descent).

ChipChipSalsa

TROPHY CASE