One-trick trail runners beware. Many of us set goals based on what we’re good at and pursue these to exhaustion. Some examples: I’m an uphill specialist. I run 100-milers. I run road marathons. I run track. I only run trails that are smooth as butter. Others might set goals based on particular events or challenges that continue to give their running meaning. This is especially common in “groupie” races that attract near-religious followings from participants who compete year after year at the same events for the honor of overfilling their closets with Leadville Trail 100 belt buckles, UTMB SWAG, Spartan Helmets or to earn bragging rights for how many times they have kissed the finishing rock at the historic Hardrock 100 (good luck for that last one because many of us will never get even one kiss).
And even more examples: I’ve run the Pikes Peak Marathon fifteen times. I’ve run a marathon in all 50 states. I want to earn enough Running Stones to race at UTMB (if I actually understood what Running Stones were, I’d try to help you but I’m sorry you’re on your own). My point: many of us are set in our ways, addicted to our favorite events or specific styles of racing, and never experience other types of running that might bring new meaning to our running journeys.
Undoubtedly, it’s impressive to see the dedication and progress amongst runners who are aware of their strengths or purpose in pursuing a particular type of running and commit to this above all else in their training. However, what is the outcome when “life” happens to these runners? Burnout, age, injury, or major life changes such as a new job, starting a family, or moving to a different location, can get in the way of training and racing. This has prematurely ended the careers of many runners who couldn’t find meaning in their running when they became unable to do the one style of racing or favorite races they had always done in the past. Hunched backs, ultra “shuffling” (as opposed to ultra “running”), countless broken toenails or enough rejections to the Hardrock 100 lottery eventually take their toll on even the most dedicated runners.
Alaska’s Mount Marathon Race. Photo: Tayte Pollmann.
Some runners press on, moving more slowly, yet continue to pursue their same preferred races and goals which define them as runners. Some are tough cookies. I think of Chad Resari, who became the oldest finisher at the historic and incredibly challenging Mount Marathon race in Seward, AK in 2022 (read my full race recap story and history of the race here.) This was a most impressive feat and was also his 52nd consecutive finish! Who wouldn’t want this man’s knees and ability to run proudly shirtless at age 86? I support chasing streaks and dedicating oneself to your favorite races, but I also support those of us who want to see our running careers evolve in new ways.
What can be said for those of us at a crossroads in our running careers who want to experience new race distances or new types of races? Maybe we’re a dedicated “roadie” and haven’t yet run trail races but we want to get our shoes muddy for the first time. Maybe we’re a young sub-ultra racer who’s ready to test out our endurance in a 50-kilometer race. Some might see this attitude of changing disciplines as not as “tough” as sticking it out in the type of running that we’ve always done. I disagree. It takes a different kind of toughness and bravery to go into the unknown. Allowing ourselves to broaden our previous running identity, recrafting it into something new, and rediscovering ourselves as a different kind of athlete, is just as impressive as committing ourselves to running Mount Marathon fifty-two times in a row. And who knows, when we’re Chad Resari’s age we might still look as good shirtless too.
Dani Moreno winning the 2021 Birkie Trail Run. Photo: Lin Gentling.
Learning From The Elites: Finding Success at Career Crossroads
Learning from past running experiences can help shape our running journey (and life journey) into the future. This is how many young talented trail runners discovered trail running in the first place. Successful collegiate or road athletes who have transitioned into trail running, such as Dani Moreno, Hayden Hawks, Ashley Brasovan, Bailey Kowalczyk, and Renee Metivier share a similar story: burnout in the NCAA, overly competitive team environments and/or lack of fun and adventure in the professional track or road running world led them to the trails where they found new community and success. Letting go of the runner they were or the type of running that brought them scholarships or careers, allowed them to overcome burnout and saved many of them from developing negative attitudes towards running. Imagine if these athletes had stuck to the draining world of running they were used to and never discovered trail running? Embracing the new with the same passion and enthusiasm that attracted you to sport in the first place, is the secret to never letting your running get boring. Never let running define you, instead run toward a journey to rediscover yourself, filling your life with curiosity and purpose from new challenges. While you’re at it, embrace ATRA’s 2023 theme and find ways to Celebrate your Youth on the Trails.
BREAKING NEWS
One of running’s most popular influencers, former professional athlete for Brooks Running and mental health advocate, Allie Ostrander, announced a professional trail running contract with NNormal on February 22, 2023. Ostrander, like the other incredible athletes listed above, aims to redefine what professional running means to her by competing on trails instead of track or roads. Ostrander competed in trails earlier in her running career as a member of the 2015 US Junior Mountain Running team and holds the Junior record at Mount Marathon in her home state of Alaska. The trail community will be excited to have her back!
Allie McLaughlin winning gold. Photo: Richard Bolt.
Another lesson I’ve learned from elite runners is recognizing that expressing your best self as a runner may look different at different times in your career. I saw this first-hand with World Champion mountain runner, Allie McLaughlin, who not only has incredible running talent but a keen awareness of what types of running/training suit her at different moments in her career. When she first found success in the trail running scene in 2014, it was in short uphill running. She won the 2014 Pikes Peak Ascent and proclaimed to avoid downhill running whenever possible. In 2020 and 2021, McLaughlin raced her first marathon and ultra-marathon at the 2020 Pikes Peak Marathon and the 2021 Broken Arrow Skyrace Triple Crown. The triple crown involves racing the Vertical Kilometer, 50-Kilometer and 26 Kilometer skyraces all in one weekend. McLaughlin won two of the three events. In 2022, she found success again at shorter events, and as a surprise to her former self, became a master of technical downhill running. She won gold at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Vertical Kilometer, set a new course record at Mount Marathon, and won the first and fifth stages at the Golden Trail Series final. Currently, in 2023, she’s found success again at the ultramarathon distance with a victory at the Tarawera Ultramarathon 50K.
I share McLaughlin’s story because it highlights an important message for any trail runner looking to branch out of their comfort zone: your skills and strengths may change throughout your career. The key to making the most of yourself as a runner is being open to testing yourself in new ways and aware of how your body responds to these challenges. Train and race to your strengths and you’ll find success.
Magdalena Boulet at the 2014 USATF 50K Trail Championships. Photo: Richard Bolt.
Magdalena Boulet, like McLaughlin, is another elite runner who has found success in a variety of distances and racing styles. Read my interview “Magdalena Boulet Running With Curiosity Towards a Crossroads” to learn more about her transition from NCAA All-American, Olympian in the road marathon, Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run Champion, Marathon des Sables stage-race winner, and much more. I’ve never met a runner who has found success across as many disciplines as Boulet.
The courage of these elite runners going into the unknown is what allows them to reach their full potential as athletes. For recreation and elite runners alike, pursuing our passions to the best of our abilities means being brave. Even if that also means changing how we race or train, and going out of our comfort zone. Are you stuck in your ways as a runner? If change sounds scary, then the message in this article is for you. Run your first trail race, 50K, 100-miler, vertical kilometer, etc. A fulfilling career as a runner might not only be how many finish lines we cross, but how many different kinds of start lines we show up to.
