Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 - January 2023 i Trail Running

START LINE WELCOME WHEN I STARTED RUNNING in 1978, little did I know that fully 44 years later I’d still be looking forward to that next outing. But I am! And perhaps even more amazing is the fact that the guys I ran those first easy miles with are also still at it, despite all the things life has thrown at us. My mate, Barry the train driver, has a heart problem, but still taunts me with tales of easy two-hour runs over the White Cliffs we ran most Sundays. And then of course there’s the famous Mike Gratton, winner of the London Marathon in 1825, or something like that. He’s still heavily involved with the sport and perhaps is the man who can claim responsibilty for introducing Barry and…

To develop a lifestyle and routines that allow you to consistently train should be your main focus when you are looking to get back into training. Here are Jon Albon’s top tips to help you nail that consistency. FORGET HOW FIT YOU THINK YOU USED TO BE It is easy to compare your performance and times to the past you, which will likely leave you unmotivated or result in you racing every workout, instead of executing sessions at the correct intensities. Plan and train for how fit you are in the present, which will lead to sustainable improvements. Trust that training works and in time you will be better than ever before. DON’T GO IN ALL GUNS BLAZING By gradually increasing the amount of training you are doing you can…

IT’S A PLEASURE Green routes boost mood It has previously been established that natural settings encourage running enjoyment. For a study published this year by Shenzhen University, authors analysed 545 routes uploaded by 249 runners. Using surveys, they found the perceived satisfaction with running routes was positively associated with the amount of natural exposure, including eye-level greenness, top-down greenness and ‘blue space’ density (water features). Traffic-related features such as traffic lights lowered satisfaction. This is all backed up by previous studies and, of course, our own anecdotal experience. “The belief that lockdowns made everyone less active is an overly simplistic viewpoint. Sitting time did increase, but so did physical activity.” Dr Lindsy Kass from University of Hertfordshire after analysing survey data from April-May 2020. Use a tailored programme While there…

Strava king Kilian Jornet’s UTMB victory recently gave the super-human runner another sizeable record, by becoming the post on the platform to receive the most ‘kudos’. 120,000 fellow Strava users gave him a virtual high-five for his exploits in and around Chamonix! Briton Ali Young ran to the third-fastest ever time by a Great Britain athlete at the famed Spartathlon in Greece. She covered the 245km course from Athens in a staggering 28:57:04! The World Skyrunning Series champions were crowned, with Lindsey Webster (CAN) and Nicolas Molina (ESP) topping the women’s and men’s podiums, respectively. Ever had a trail running trip go bad? Well maybe not like Darin and Denis McCartin of Pennsylvania, who ended theirs with gunfire after an argument! Luckily no one was hurt. It seems COVID-19 still…

COLUMN Eleven hours in with another 35k to go and the going’s starting to feel tough. You take in the alpine scenery – watch people doing sensible things like swimming and hiking – and ask yourself why you didn’t just come on holiday instead. But that would be far too easy and obviously not half as much fun as running up mountains. In the lead-up to the race, ticking off trails including the Ultra X 125 England, Endurancelife, and Maverick Adidas TERREX UTSJC, had all given my confidence a boost over the past couple of years. But the Mozart 100 ultra-trail – at 108 kilometres and 5000 metres of positive elevation on a loop over two mountains in Salzburg, Austria – was something new and felt like a big step…

TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE#RUN 1000 MILES 1 Plan a race. The colder weather and nights drawing in often don’t make running seem very inviting. Picking a target that will give another reason for your running will spur you on to the finish line. 2 Light your way. Running in the dark doesn’t have to rule out trail running. With a headtorch such as one from #Run1000Miles partner Silva, you can get off-road well into the evening or be seen better on the roads. 3 Get the right kit. It may be getting colder, but with the right clothing this should be no excuse. Layer up if it’s really cold. Check out Montane and sportsshoes.com for the best cold-weather kit. Besides, the optimum temperature for running is actually around 7°C so,…

OUR EXPERTS We use in-house and independent experts with sports and exercise backgrounds and many years of trail-kit testing under their belts so you can trust our kit reviews. MARC ABBOTT Marc gets the lowdown on cult American running brand Tracksmith’s new ‘all roads’ shoe, below PAUL LARKINS Editor Paul selects the most exciting and useful new kit – from jackets to baselayers, starting over the page JEN AND SIM BENSON Our intrepid duo selects the best running kit for autumn trails and changeable climes, p76 MATT WHYMAN The popular trail running author turns shoe tester for our real-world assessment. Discover his winners on p82 Tracksmith Eliot Runner, £198 Long famed for its collegiate aesthetic and timeless running kit, Massachusetts-based brand Tracksmith has now taken the plunge into footwear, and…

PAUL HALFORD He discovers that despite adversity, you definitely can succeeed, p44 MARC ABBOTT He was keen to test the latest kit from Tracksmith and you can see why, p73 VERITY OCKENDEN Always look ahead and keep your eyes on the prize. Great advice, p60 EMMA HARRISON The best place in the world to run trails? Emma believes she has the answer, p104 LIAM DEE Can the world of fashion really get to grips with trail running? p20 FATIMA PAINDA Conquer every mountain. Even a sprinter can do it... and brilliantly, p64 /trailrunningmag @trailrunningmag tr@bauermedia.co.uk…

Need a super-quick and healthy bite to eat to recover from a run? Look no further than this. Servings: 4 Time: 30 mins Nutrition: 547kcal, 75.7g carbs, 29.4g protein, 14.5g fat INGREDIENTS ■ 370g red lentils ■ 960ml store-bought spicy tomatosauce ■ 1200ml water ■ 4tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds ■ 120ml plant-based yoghurt(2% fat) ■ 1tsp salt ■ 1tsp chilli flakes METHOD 1 Add lentils, tomato sauce and water to a saucepan. Bring to boil and let it simmer under the cover on low heat for about 15 minutes. 2 Mix smoothly with a stick mixer. 3 Season with salt and chilli flakes. Add more water for increased liquid texture. 4 Top it off with pumpkin seeds and yoghurt.…

Read this Damian Hall’s We Can’t Run Away From This charts how running impacts the climate and how to be a better eco-conscious athlete. Run in these Kilian’s long-awaited first shoe from his brand NNormal has been released for pre-order. The Kjerag saw Jornet to victory at Zinal, Hardrock and UTMB this year! Watch this Did you see the viral video of a flock of sheep following a trail runner in France?! If not, you need to check it out on YouTube. Cheer for this The first combined World Mountain and Trail Running Champs will take place from November 3-6 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. GB&NI will send a full team of 36 to the champs. Listen to this From prisoner to Ironman... John McAvoy was a recent guest on The…

COLUMN Since I decided to swap the track for the trails this year, I’ve been slowly trying to edge up the distance of my races. The jumps between distances are so big, so I’ve done a few 20km races this year but the next one up is 50km. I ran the world trials in Scotland recently, and qualified for that so by the time you read this I’ll have been racing that event in Thailand. In fact, the only time I’ve been on the track recently is to get some specific training in for the worlds. That race starts and finishes with a mile on the flat, so I’ve been running a mile on the track, running straight to the inclined treadmill, then when I’ve done that, I finish with…

1 SIGN UP ONLINE Visit run1000miles.co.uk to register. We have special 2022 #Run1000Mile ruffs for you to wear while you complete your challenge. They’re on sale now for £9.99 – so make sure you order yours today. Stock is extremely limited! 2 DO A PLEDGE Visit the website, download the #Run1000Miles pledge, sign it, take a picture of it and post it on social media to commit to the challenge. 3 JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Sign up at facebook.com/groups/run1000miles. You’ll be part of a buzzing community sharing the joys and toils of the experience, boosting you to achieve your aims. 4 FILL IN THE TRACKER Download the mileage tracker from run1000miles.co.uk to record how you’re progressing towards the big 1000. 5 GET SOCIAL Tag your social media posts with #Run1000Miles…

ASK THE EXPERTS Email tr@bauermedia.co.uk, post on our wall at facebook.com/trailrunningmag or tweet your question to @trailrunningmag MICHELLE MAXWELL Endurance running coach with more than 12 years’ experience maxwell-coaching.co.uk DAVID MILLER Photographer, runner and regular contributor to Trail Running. IAN SHARMAN Four-times Leadville 100 winner and ultra-running coach.sharmanultra.com ROB HOBSON Registered nutritionist at Healthspan Elite healthspanelite.co.uk KRISTEN KENNEDY Doctor of physical therapy, kinesiologist, yoga teacher madebymovement.org Q Should I try a low-carb diet for better performance? Paul Wilkinson, Bolton A A low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet could sound appealing to some endurance runners. The idea is that limiting carbohydrate in the diet to less than 50g per day and consuming mostly fat trains your body to use more fat as a fuel. This would in theory mean lasting longer without the need…

UTMB Last issue we introduced Fatima Painda, who was keen to turn her passion for track running into something altogether more hilly. We enlisted the help of UTMB superstar Jon Albon and from there it’s been nothing but an amazing success. Fatima takes up the story... “Running is such a beautiful gift, with endless benefits, that I am grateful to have, and it has shaped every aspect of my life. My drive is to inspire people to chase the impossible, but trail running is so much more; a form of meditation where the mind, soul, spirit and body become present in the moment, embracing the wildness, absorbing the pure magical beauty of nature and mountains. Most importantly, trail running gives me the chance to challenge my internal drive to thrive…

More gear reviews online! www.trailrunningmag.co.uk/gear-reviews FABRIC Versatility is key. Go for fabrics with high breathability combined with good protection from sun, wind and rain. FIT Tops that work well as part of a layering system are always a good choice for unpredictable autumn days. FEATURES Look out for thumb loops, zips, reflective details and hoods, or even lightweight gilets, for year-round versatility. WOMEN’S LEGWEAR HAGLÖFS L.I.M. FUSE SHORTS 140g (M)haglofs.com £65 Made from lightweight, quick-drying recycled Nylon, they’re a nice length and incredibly comfortable to run in. They’re also perfect on the beach, over cycling shorts on the bike, out paddleboarding and loads more. Handy zip pockets. VERDICT Versatile, light, comfy all-round adventure shorts. 8/10 BAM ENDURO BAMBOO CAPRI LEGGINGS 205g (S)bambooclothing.co.uk £44 Made from a soft, supportive bamboo viscose,…

10 NEW EASY-TO-FOLLOW RUNNING ROUTES WITH FULL MAPS!ROUTES SEE YOUR FAVOURITE RUN IN PRINT... Do you have a favourite run that you’d like to share with other Trail Running readers? We’d love to hear all about it! Send your route suggestions along to: tr@bauermedia.co.uk Green and pleasant This issue we’ve worked with The Green Runners to bring you trail running adventure inspiration from Cornwall to Corrour, all accessible by public transport. A community group co-founded by runners Damian Hall, Jasmin Paris and Russell Bentley, alongside partners Trees Not Tees and ReRun Clothing, The Green Runners’ aim is to encourage us all to consider the impact of our running on the planet. We spoke to Damian Hall, whose new book, We Can’t Run Away From This, is out now,…

It’s just about this time of year we all feel the urge to dust off our trainers and get going again. It’s not an exact science but I think it’s something to do with September and going back to school, and then of course, those New Year’s resolutions are beginning to loom! At Trail Running we devote plenty of space to new runners, advising them how to get into our magnificent sport or, at the other end of the scale, we talk to experts about how you can fine-tune those skills and the fitness you’ve learned and developed over the years. But all too often we kind of brush over what it takes to get back into running. Personally (the editor, Paul), I can report it takes time! Do not…

Ditch the drink Trying to cut down on alcohol consumption? Exercise can help there, too. Scientists at Loughborough University divided 60 participants into three groups to test out circuit training (five minutes) and distraction (colouring in a picture book for five minutes) techniques. They found those in the exercise group had significantly reduced alcohol cravings whereas those in the distraction group did not significantly reduce cravings any more than the control group. Live longer Physical activity may play a bigger part than genes in determining how long you live. That was the finding of scientists at the University of California San Diego based on studying the activity of more than 5000 women aged 63 and over since 2012. An author of the study said: “Even if you aren’t likely to…

/trailrunningmag @trailrunningmag @trailrunningmag Get in touch tr@bauermedia.co.uk GET OUR DIGITAL MAG Get Trail Running magazine on your Apple or Android device, for a great read on the go. Visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/tr 34% To experience nature 4% To socialise 3% To lose weight 26% For mental health 24% To stay fit 4% For fun 3% To get faster/race #TrailShoeSelfie Send us your shoe selfies and hashtag them on social media for a chance to be featured…

BEING YOUR BEST MEET THE EXPERT Verity Ockenden Is Trail Running ’s resident world-class road, track and trail athlete. Ignoring her considerable achievements at world level, Verity’s adopted home of Tuscany is where she now trains off-road to achieve her goals. Whether you have a coach, are self-coached, run for fun or for serious fun… setting a little time aside for smart goal-setting is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Structuring the time you have based on what you want to achieve can not only help you figure out a healthy and effective training plan, but the process will also help clarify what you truly want from both the sport and from yourself. Personally, as my summer track season draws to a close after a…

Matt Whyman is the author of Failure is an Option – a superb read about his running and how it's taken him on a not necessarily succesful journey. So, first things first, it's a great read and make sure you put it on your Christmas wishlist. But, what was also very clear from reading it is that Matt loves running – and more importantly, trail running. Indeed, you might even call him a shoe geek such is his passion for footwear. All of which made us think: maybe we should get him to test some shoes for us... "People have called me a princess when it comes to my search for the perfect trail shoe," says Matt, happy to put five pairs of the latest shoes through their paces over…