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The Black voices we’re learning from in the running community

The Black voices we’re learning from in the running community

Like many around the world, the three of us behind Vert.run have been outraged by–and then looked very much inward after–the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who are just three names in an endless list of Black lives lost to white supremacy.

For those of us who are non-Black runners, we’ve got a lot of work to do. Right now, it is time to: 1.) listen with intention, 2.) use our platforms to elevate the voices of Black runners, especially in the running and trail running world, and 3.) to make a long-term plan of action for how we will become real, lifelong allies moving forward. 

This list-in-progress is entirely meant to further strengthen the Black voices in our trail and running communities who have already been saying these things for their whole lives, and is by no means comprehensive. We have been learning a lot from the words of these Black athletes and individuals the past weeks, and especially these past days, and donating to each place that we’ve learned from. (Also, these are just run-specific suggestions. For some bigger-picture, concrete actions please read Rozalynn S. Frazier’s piece, the first on the list below.)

Systemic and personal change–not just calling out overt racist acts, but constantly calling out and then working to change the covert racism within ourselves, our communities, our running clubs, etc.–must not be a sprint. It must not go away in a day, or a week. It must be a lifelong ultramarathon, and will require constant, real work. 

Below are a few good places to start, about which we have learned from Black voices in the running and trail community. 

A final thought: these Black runners and outdoor people are providing tremendous value and resources. This work is being done for free, and is work that should not fall on their shoulders in the first place. Consider compensating these fine people, organizations and athletes for the value and learning they’re putting into the community by supporting them directly (for example, on Patreon), by purchasing the books and material they’ve created, and/or supporting their organizations.

You can read:

You can listen to/watch: 

You can donate to/support on Patreon: 

You can virtually attend: 

  • The “Meaning Thru Movement” Tour created by Alison M. Désir, which is a free series of online events that aim to bring the conversation about mental health into the running space (the next event is June 20th and is called “Let’s Talk About Whiteness.”) 
  • The fireside chat (Sunday, August 9th), also a part of the Meaning Thru Movement tour, that Alison M. Désir  will be hosting with Dr. Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility. (Tickets are $10, and you can also “pay it forward” by buying your ticket for $20 so that someone else can have the opportunity to attend for free).

You can buy workout apparel from: 

Join us on our first small step towards lasting work:

Starting now, each month, we will be–and invite you to, too–donating to a different organization led by or that supports Black runners based on how many miles we run each month. You can give what you can, but a good place to start is by donating anywhere between 10 cents and 1 dollar for each mile you run during the month.

Want to join us? Email us at team@vert.run and tell us you want in. We’ll email you at the end of each month with a reminder and direct link to each organization’s page to donate.

    • June 2020: Black Men Run
    • July 2020: Black Girls Run
    • August 2020: The National Black Marathoners Association
    • September 2020: Melanin Base Camp
    • October 2020: Black Running Organization 
    • November 2020: WeRun313
    • December 2020: South Fulton Running Partners

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Keep yourself inspired:

Est-ce que tu cours trop vite ? Échelle de perception de l’effort + guide pour les trails et ultras

Peu importe ton niveau d’expérience en trail, tu as probablement un temps limité pour t’entraîner. Même les traileurs professionnels doivent presque toujours équilibrer leur entraînement avec un emploi à temps bien rempli. Ainsi, puisque ton temps est précieux, tu devrais tirer le meilleur parti de chaque minute de tes séances d’entraînement en trail.

Alors, quel est le meilleur moyen de savoir si une séance d’entraînement est efficace ? Notre réponse : en prêtant attention à ton niveau d’effort perçu à l’entraînement. Chez Vert.run, nous appelons cela RPE ou “Échelle d’Effort Perçu”.

pre-season training for trail runners, base-building training for trail runners

La importancia de armar una base sólida como trail runners

¿Cuántos corredores se inscriben en una carrera, se dicen que van a empezar a entrenar más tarde y terminan apurando la preparación cuando se dan cuenta de que se está acabando el tiempo…? Tal vez te haya pasado a ti o a alguno de tus amigos cercanos.

El problema es que no tienes tiempo para construir una base sólida que te permita absorber el entrenamiento más específico. Puedes terminar lesionado, sobreentrenado y ni siquiera llegar a la línea de salida de tu carrera.

En un programa de entrenamiento periodizado, la fase de construir una buena base está diseñada para desarrollar tu capacidad aeróbica y prepararse para entrenamientos más específicos.

En este artículo, vamos a explorar los beneficios de construir una base sólida para el trail running.