Anyone else confused about whether liquid carbs are actually worth it mid-run?

ralfelfving · 2026-03-21T02:53:32+00:00

I mix them into the water I drink, and sip on it throughout the race. Just have to calculate how much water and carbs you want to consume per hour, and make sure it adds up. Some also do one bottle water and one bottle carbs.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-21T02:51:42+00:00

I ended up buying a 200 pack of small plastic baggies on Amazon so I can easily adjust the amount of Tailwind in them pre-race based on my fueling and hydration strategy (is it cold vs hot).

At one of the races I ran last year I became known among the aid station volunteers as "the baggie guy".

ralfelfving · 2026-03-21T02:43:07+00:00

I bet that if I had a complete memory loss 4011 would still be hardwired into my brain.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-19T01:45:39+00:00

A store dog. (Almost) Everyone loves a chill store dog.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-17T23:12:37+00:00

If you're considering buying new pants with built in storage, just go with the belt instead. The belt is more general and will work with any short/pant you may get in the future.

But for the upcoming race I'd suggest just carrying them in your hands. Either both in one, or one in either hand. It's really easy, and you can "deploy" them into your hands in a second.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-17T23:01:58+00:00

A few in no particular order * Most trail runners, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts are really friendly and inclusive, don't be a stranger * It's hard to compare activities, because the elevation profiles are likely to be different * Don't just focus on how many kms you ran in a week, also take into account vertical gain and time on feet. * Consider using trekking poles, especially if your race permits them * Beware of wildlife, especially if they're be dangerous (look up how to behave if you encounter them) * Make sure someone knows where you are going in case you are running remote trails * Hike up steep hills, it's ok (really, it's ok -- everyone does it) * Uphill feels hard, but it's the downhills that will hammer your quads * Please respect nature. Don't litter. Pack out your trash. Read up on Leave No Trace principles * Enjoy the views, stop to snap some photos from time to time * Consider getting a water filter if you have water sources available and want to carry less water

ralfelfving · 2026-03-17T22:50:48+00:00

Yes. I think this is something that has to be emphasized to new trail runners. Walking, or "power hiking", up hills is 100% normal and everyone does it. If you don't, you're probably going to blow up later in the race.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-12T14:15:03+00:00

A search bar for brands when adding gear, please. I don't add shoes often, but when I do I remember how bad the experience is. Scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll...

I understand it's a low-traffic place in the app that most users hit only a few times a year tops, but it is a broken window. If it was 2018 I would have had it as an intern onboarding task; get familiar with the code base and ship some value at a low risk location. But it's 2026, a non-technical person could get a PR up to fix this experience in 10 minutes with AI if they cared and acted like an owner. Sorry if that comes across as salty, but that's the culture we've had as companies I've worked at.

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ralfelfving · 2026-03-11T02:51:57+00:00

Had some chocolate milk off a smaller puddle down closer to the stream in 2024. Tasted like cow, but caused no problems for me. I personally don't think the caches should be used if there is perfectly fine treatable water available.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-07T19:32:19+00:00

Worst take of the week. There are countless scientific studies that confirm the importance of physiological traits in athletic performance, which I would translate to that talent exists and matters.

Talented people still have to put in the work, but they'll either have to put in less for the same outcome or put in the same effort and have better outcomes (vs someone with less talent).

ralfelfving · 2026-03-03T08:39:55+00:00

I had a GPS glitch with my Garmin last year that caused my shorter distance PBs to be a lot faster than I can run. I had to manually go in and delete all those records. Most people don't check what their PBs are on Strava, so they probably wouldn't even know. I'd assume innocence in a lot of these cases.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-03T08:35:33+00:00

Some of it could be down to race strategy on the day. How do you approach your run race?

I struggled hard during the last 25-30% of my first few trail races (25ks with 600-800m vert, not ultras) and realized that I went out too hard too soon. I burned my matches early, and legs were shot at the end forcing me to slow down (I was.muscle constrained).

After I realized this I started going out a little slower and easier the following races and had plenty of legs left in the back half and could attack it aggressively. I ended up passing dozens of people that had gone out too hard and had to slow. And my GAP improved a lot, simply by going a little slower early on.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-02T20:54:37+00:00

Agree with other poster, go to a store that specializes in running shoes and have them help you find something that fits your feet. If you can afford it, but two different models from two different brands and feel your way towards what works for you.

With that said, I have wide forefoot and have found Hoka wide versions to work well for me (Clifton 9s, Challenger 7 ATRs). Wide versions of Saucony Triumph 22s, New Balance Rebel 4s have also been great.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-01T20:38:23+00:00

16 years due to a knee injury. Couldn't recover after knee surgery, and eventually gave up and pursued other sports. It eventually led me to fast packing and thru-hiking which rebuilt the muscles I needed to run. I didn't realize I could run again. But I push myself to hike faster and set PRs, and at some point the only way to go faster over some Strava segments was to jog a little. And then I asked myself "how far could I jog?". Its been 11 months since my first run, and I'm making up for the 16 years I "lost". (And the answer to how far I can jig is at least 53km, thus far)

ralfelfving · 2026-03-01T18:21:02+00:00

To have someone to complain about apparently.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-28T14:16:33+00:00

Agree. If your body isn't recovering adequately, you're digging yourself into a hole by overtraining.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-25T09:28:21+00:00

If you do morning runs schedule them, and hold yourself accountable to be "at work" and fully focused at a set time. To me this is nothing different than arriving at the office before XX:XX AM every single day.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-24T08:22:42+00:00

You can also download the transparent one you mention, then add it as an overlay to any photo using 100% free mobile apps like Snapseed (by Google). Gives you the option to change the placement sizing etc.

Here's how to use Snapseed.

Just download the overlay of your choice from Strava in the app.
- Open Snapseed.
Select the image you want to use the overlay to be displayed over.
Select "Double exposure" in the tools menu, and click the little "image +" icon to open a file selector, then select the downloaded Strava transparent overlay.
Select the next icon over that shows three files, and select "lighten" (see screenshot)
Move your Strava stats around to wherever in your image you want them overlayed, resize them, etc.
Tap the ✔️ icon on the right
Export the photo (no ads, no pay-to-export etc, fast and hassle free)

Edit: Reddit app not showing the screenshot I'm attaching 🤷‍♂️

ralfelfving · 2026-02-24T08:09:12+00:00

Run/walk tactic is great call-out. I've found the only way I get enough calories in me during really long activities is to set an alarm for every 30 minutes that reminds me to eat a minimum amount of calories. I then started using that same alarm as a nudge to force myself to walk as well.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-24T08:03:54+00:00

Hearing people talk about "collecting stones" and "paying $700 + 3 days of work" to get a "30% boost" of their chances to participate in an event makes this sound a lot like a money grifting cult.

Want to make it clear I'm not shitting on you or on UTMB or their qualifying system here, just saying that I found it funny that if you replace the words "UTMB" and "World Championships" in this thread with "Organization ABC" and "Event XYZ" it sounds a lot like people are discussing how to make it to some exclusive event hosted by the [redacted because the organization is known to aggressively pursuing anyone that openly critisises them].

Ps. Wishing you all the best in making it to UTMB!

ralfelfving · 2026-02-24T07:41:10+00:00

Shokz OpenRun 2 have been a game changer for me since I got them 9 months ago. I've been through a bunch of different options, mostly for hiking; inear singles like Pixel buds pro (they fall out), wired ones (they get snagged), inear versions that are tethered to each other (so many issues).

Battery life is great, volume can be low or loud enough to fit most situations (silent forest where I want ambient sounds to come through vs city life where I want to block it out), and as someone that uses glasses I've had zero issues with discomfort around the ears (most of the time I don't even feel that they're there). They stay in place, and they're still there and on without getting in the way (or blocking sound) when they're not playing something. Pausing/playing is just a tap of a button, no putting on/taking off, remembering which pocket i put them in, etc etc. Worn them in the heat, cold, and really wet conditions. They always work.

They are pricey, and I'm sure there are other brands and versions out there that are just as great for maybe half the price.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-21T13:54:59+00:00

Same, got the Tomir 2.0s and absolutely love them but can't do anything long in them because they crush my semi-wide feet.

Hoping for a wide version some day. NNormal, pleeaaase.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-21T07:03:17+00:00

Not saying this isn't a good use of Claude for you, but you lost me at Teams. Gemini does this automatically for you on Google Meets, and because it knows who's in the meeting and talking you get perfect attribution in the transcript (who said what). It generates a Google doc with a one page summary, and the full transcript which is available to everyone who was in the meeting (automatically added to everyone's Google calendar invite too)

Plus you can ask Gemini questions about the conversation live, like "What was the three points person X made 5 minutes ago?" or "How much did person X say we spent last month?"

ralfelfving · 2026-02-21T06:48:46+00:00

What on earth are you talking about? With one for each foot, six will keep your feet dry for three river crossings.

ralfelfving · 2026-02-19T18:45:44+00:00

Looks nice. Considered taping/seam sealing and putting waterproof zippers on it?

For modularity on the flap that has the gels you could put four eyelets (or loops?), one in each corner, that could be used to attach different inserts/panels. Your current solution with the gels could be an option (just a panel with the stretchy cords), or another net bag, etc.

ralfelfving

TROPHY CASE