Ruth’s race results include winning Western States, winning Tarawera Ultramarathon, and another win at Les Templiers. She definitely deserves a mention among the best female trail runners of our time.
I’ve definitely had other low moments where I’ve struggled mentally with motivation like when I injured my ACL and went through a bit of rehab for that. When I get down, I try to remember just how lucky I am to see the sunrise or sunset, or see beautiful flowers bloom in the spring, or simply to be able to breathe fresh air. I try to focus on being in the moment and on little things that bring me joy even if they are small and recognise that it truly is such a gift to be alive. I know this might sound cliche and sometimes this is so much harder than it sounds but I do try to just focus on the small things in life.
What drives us—and why we founded Vert.run Ever since we discovered that we loved running in the mountains, our time on the trail has always
No matter where you are, build strength for the mountains with our jumps routine.
A jumps routine is a vital part of trail running training—especially if you don’t have daily access to the mountains. Jumps exercises aren’t a replacement for training in the mountains, but they sure are a good way to prepare ourselves for them.
When done correctly and methodically, this routine will help you feel stronger and more prepared when heading to the mountains to train or race.
Our routine aims to train two things: your strength and your competence in different types of terrain. These skills safely enable you to run farther and more consistently in the mountains.
The point of doing strength exercises isn’t to look good: it’s to prepare ourselves to run efficiently and reduce risk of injury.
A strength routine plays a key role in your development as a trail runner. We need to prepare our bodies to withstand the impact of running long downhills; to avoid fatigue (and thus avoid falling) in technical sections; and to be a strong, compact ally to our minds during climbs.
Quality > quantity. Don’t be shy about cutting the number of repetitions. It’s way better to do fewer repeats, but to do them with control. Then, you can keep building from there.
Even though at-home exercises aren’t as as fun as running down a mountain, you can’t do the later without first dedicating yourself to the former.
A good core routine builds strength in our upper body (our “core.”) This strength keeps our bodies aligned, which helps us maintain good posture while running. Good running posture = more control = safely cruising those downhills we talked about.
Do these exercises at least once a week ( (but don’t exceed three times per week.)
Don’t be shy about cutting the number of repetitions. It’s way better to do fewer repeats, but to do them with control. Then, you can keep building from there.