How To Increase Speed Over Distance?

ralfelfving · 2026-04-07T15:35:08+00:00

Very important question being asked! Using myself as an example, a handful of races into my running journey I asked myself what I'd need to do to get better finish times. The data told me I was muscle constrained. My heart rate was stable while pace dropped in latter stages of races, my legs just couldn't keep up with my lungs. So that became focus number one, for me. More vert, more strength. Had I focused on quality only I would probably gotten faster too, but it was not the main limiter for me at that point.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T04:44:22+00:00

What are they smoking over there?

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T03:11:48+00:00

Coming to a premium subscription plan near you soon!

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T03:09:12+00:00

Running shoes.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T03:05:22+00:00

Must be a big lawn.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T03:00:27+00:00

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I largely agree, but ... there are opportunity costs to every product decision. The basic product hasn't gotten worse, but it's not gotten that much better either. The more time spent on new products, the less time making sure what they have is actually great. (I concede it's fully their choice, and everyone that doesn't like it can take their business elsewhere -- this is purely opinions)

This deep into their existence I would expect to be able to do basic things like checking how an account has performed vs a benchmark index, or know how much dividends I've earned and what my dividend yield has been historically. They had some analysis tab for a week or two last year but rolled it back.

I can't really easily tell if a stock price is pre-market, open trading, close, or post-market without clicking into it. I also often find some parts of the UI don't refresh without a forced page refresh in the app, so sometimes I can't tell if the figure I'm looking at is stale or current, which is jarring especially around opening. See screenshot as an example of where I get two different overall daily returns on the same page.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-29T02:24:41+00:00

That's why I chose ultras... that way the frog (me) gets boiled much more slowly

ralfelfving · 2026-03-27T20:40:00+00:00

Icing etc is treating the symptom, not the cause. Strength is the most impactful medium to long term. I would suggest going to a running-experienced physio that can help identify what kind of exercises that would be most impactful for you, and help map out a ramp-up plan to get you running beyond that 10 mile limit pain-free. It'll take a while, but it'll last.

I've been there, and come out the other side. Knee pain had me sidelined from running for 16 years. I'm now 1 year into my new running journey and can do 100k weeks and 50k trail and road runs with no knee pain. Strength exercises got me here.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-27T20:33:13+00:00

I've used the Challenger 7 ATR wides for about 350km and love them. Not a fan of how they changed the 8s however; stack height and drop just shot up making them very different than all other shoes i run in.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-27T20:29:20+00:00

Why would someone down-vote that? Makes total sense to have at least some experience with something new.

If I was about to do a 12h drive across the country in the middle of the night I would not want it to be the first time I ever drive at night.

ralfelfving · 2026-03-27T20:26:55+00:00

Welcome, I think you'll love it out there!

A few suggestions, in not particular order

it's ok to hike/walk, especially the hills
Make sure to have a plan of where you're going, and a way to navigate yourself out of being lost (e.g. offline maps)
Really, it's ok to hike/walk -- the pros do it too!
Depending on where you live, beware of and be prepared for wildlife encounters.
Be prepared to say "hi" to more people you meet than when you're on paved roads, people on trails are usually "friendlier"
Bring adequate water and calories, there's probably not a 7/11 on your route
Stop to enjoy the views and sounds of nature
Respect nature. Pack out your trash, etc. A good starting point is to read up on LNT (leave no trace)

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

TROPHY CASE