trail running

Dani Moreno on Stepping Up In Distance, Spearfishing, & Planning for Podiums (Ep.154)

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As a newly minted thirty-year-old, Dani Moreno has already been racing trails professionally for the better part of a decade. Over the last couple of years, she’s solidified her status as one of the world’s best sub-ultra distance trail runners. We sat down with her just after the New Year to recap some memorable performances from 2022; dive into topics such as spearfishing, pain tolerance, and what to look for in a college track & field program; and much more.

Scarpa Ribelle Run

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The Ribelle Run represents an important step forward for Scarpa’s line of trail shoes. With its smartly designed upper and dialed-in outsole configuration, the Ribelle Run is more than just competitive against fixtures in the technical mountain running shoe category. Check out our full review to learn what we think makes it such a good option for alpine excursions, both on and off trail.

Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Trail Lingo

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Trail running culture has a language all its own, full of slang terms, expressions, and phrases that add character to the sport. Here's another update to our Trail Running Lingo glossary, in an attempt to define and explain some of the common, curious, and often-confounding vocabulary of the sport.

Trail Running 101: How to Run With Poles

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While plenty of runners never break out a pair of poles, they can be a big help when it comes to navigating efficiently up and down steep terrain. When used properly, they can increase propulsion going uphill, more evenly distribute the impact from running downhill, and keep you steady on tricky, off-camber surfaces. So in part nine of our Trail Running 101 series, we offer some tips on how (and when) to wield them like a pro. 

Leah Yingling on Chiang Mai Trails, World Champs, and Running Long for Team USA (Ep.146)

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Off The Couch’s reporter-at-large, Leah Yingling, returns to the show to catch us up on how she rounded out her summer season, including her experience taking in the scene at UTMB this year; a recap of her run for Team USA at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand a couple of weeks ago; and a whole lot more.

Canyon Woodward on “Rural Runners,” Life on the Campaign Trail, and the Value of Showing Up (Ep.143)

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The key to both trail running and politics is mostly about just showing up, something Canyon Woodward knows well. As a seasoned political strategist, passionate climate activist, trail runner, and published author, he’s been asked to do that quite a bit. So, we sat down with Canyon to hear about how his new film, Rural Runners, captures what it takes to show up for yourself and your country, rain or shine; the importance of grassroots organizing; and a whole lot more.

Trail Running 101: How to Choose a Headlamp

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For many runners, headlamps are no mere accessory; they’re as indispensable to trail running at night as properly fitting trail shoes are to running during the day. Yet much like footwear, finding a lamp that best suits your needs can be a process cloaked in difficult jargon, numbers, and minutia. So in part eight of our Trail Running 101 series, we help explain some of the main things to look for when choosing a headlamp that will best suit your needs.

Petzl Bindi

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The best pieces of gear are often those you forget about, products that integrate so seamlessly into your experience that they become, quite literally, afterthoughts. With the Bindi, an ultralight, ultra-compact headlamp that doesn’t compromise on features despite its size, Petzl offers a capable lighting option for daily use that does exactly that. Functional, intelligent, and smartly designed, the Bindi will benefit just about every type of runner.

Trail Running 101: How to Run Uphill

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Hills can pose a challenge to runners new to the trails. Steep and sometimes rocky inclines have a way of disrupting the rhythmic stride found on the roads, often leading to frustration, less efficient running, and the following fatigue. Confronting a climb doesn’t always have to feel like a tremendous obstacle though, and in part seven of our Trail Running 101 series, we cover a few techniques for how to navigate them with ease.

Alex Nichols on Coaching College Cross Country, Pikes Peak Streaking, & Beekeeping (Ep.132)

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After being named the head coach of Colorado College’s cross country program last year, trail and ultrarunner, Alex Nichols, has made a habit of inviting some of his athletes out to support his own racing endeavors, including his 8th-place finish at the Western States 100 back in June. So, we talked to Alex about the intersection between coaching full-time at his alma mater and running trails professionally, and a whole lot more.

La Sportiva Karacal

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La Sportiva is synonymous with hardwearing shoes for running in difficult, mountainous terrain. However, the brand has lately focused on making more accessible models for runners who prioritize comfort over technical performance. With the Karacal, we think they’ve mostly succeeded in meeting that demand.

Paddy O’Leary on Racing Horses, Fell Running, Lacrosse, & Community Building (Ep.128)

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Paddy O’Leary’s path from the farm he grew up on in Wexford, Ireland to becoming an elite runner for The North Face is by no means a linear one. So we sat down with Paddy to talk about how he ended up racing on the trails (with and without a horse); growing the sport of lacrosse in Ireland; community building; fell running; and a whole lot more.

Altra Timp 4

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Altra could have easily gotten away with making a few minor tweaks when updating their high-cushioned Timp; instead, the brand completely reengineered the Timp 4 from the ground up. Check out our review to see what we think of all the new changes.

Roxanne Vogel on Lightning Ascents, Flavor Science, and GU Energy Labs (Ep.125)

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Ultramarathons are sometimes called eating competitions with a bit of running thrown in, and with so many different nutrition products and approaches at our disposal these days, it can be hard to know how to fuel properly. So, we talked to GU Energy Labs’ Nutrition and Performance Research Manager, Roxanne Vogel, about the ins & outs of eating on the run; how GU’s line of products fit into that equation; and much more.

Altra Lone Peak 6

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The original Altra Lone Peak debuted over 8 years ago, and after quickly gaining prominence among trail runners and thru-hikers alike, the shoe helped to further legitimize Altra’s unique approach to footwear design. Now in its 6th iteration, the latest Lone Peak received some considerable updates — check out our review to see where the latest Lone Peak slots into the running market.

David Laney on Ice Baths, Adventuring in the North Cascades, & Craft Footwear (Ep.124)

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David Laney was already running 5 to 6 days a week by the time he turned 10, and has run professionally since bursting onto the trail scene in the early 2010s. He recently left his longtime sponsor and joined a relatively new player to the trail space in Craft Sportswear, and soon after doubled down with a full-time marketing job with them as well. So we talked to David about how it came about, what to expect from Craft Footwear, and much more — including, his signature ice bath routine, adventuring in the North Cascades, and running 100 miles for charity.
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