Read before You Ultra
@readbeforeultra.bsky.social
Sharing fun-sized quotes about running crazy-sized distances. Subscribe to my regular-sized newsletter!
✍️ → readbeforeultra.substack.com
💙 → buymeacoffee.com/ReadbeforeUltra
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
✍️ → readbeforeultra.substack.com
💙 → buymeacoffee.com/ReadbeforeUltra
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Pinned
Inspired by Ultrarunning × Occasional × Free
A short introduction to 100 lessons
open.substack.com
👋
I’m here to share useful, insightful, or simply relatable writing about (ultra)running.
My other goal is to tempt you to check out my newsletter. It’s about #running, in a way; in a different way, it’s about anything that’s a part of running but isn’t running.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
I’m here to share useful, insightful, or simply relatable writing about (ultra)running.
My other goal is to tempt you to check out my newsletter. It’s about #running, in a way; in a different way, it’s about anything that’s a part of running but isn’t running.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
❝[Y]ou can crash into your ceiling of potential with great, dramatic efforts. […] Or, you can patiently turn the screws a little at a time, trusting that change will arrive on its own schedule.
—Mike Hahn
open.substack.com/pub/runningl...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Mike Hahn
open.substack.com/pub/runningl...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
What If You’re Not a “Dig Deep” Runner?
Striving vs. surrender, and how acceptance can still lead to breakthroughs.
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:10 PM
❝[Y]ou can crash into your ceiling of potential with great, dramatic efforts. […] Or, you can patiently turn the screws a little at a time, trusting that change will arrive on its own schedule.
—Mike Hahn
open.substack.com/pub/runningl...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Mike Hahn
open.substack.com/pub/runningl...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Your brain is listening to you when you think and when you speak. Athletes are often letting their self-talk run rampant without thinking about the cost.
—Carrie Jackson
www.8020endurance.com/stuck-in-you...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Carrie Jackson
www.8020endurance.com/stuck-in-you...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Stuck in Your Own Head?
Your body might be race-ready—but if your mind is working against you, you'll never perform at your best.
www.8020endurance.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:11 PM
❝Your brain is listening to you when you think and when you speak. Athletes are often letting their self-talk run rampant without thinking about the cost.
—Carrie Jackson
www.8020endurance.com/stuck-in-you...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Carrie Jackson
www.8020endurance.com/stuck-in-you...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Training is a hopeful act.
We can choose goals that are worthwhile and attainable, albeit challenging, and we can make good choices in pursuit of these goals long-term.
— @sabrinablittle.bsky.social
www.irunfar.com/training-is-...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
We can choose goals that are worthwhile and attainable, albeit challenging, and we can make good choices in pursuit of these goals long-term.
— @sabrinablittle.bsky.social
www.irunfar.com/training-is-...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Training Is a Hopeful Act
Sabrina Little examines how the virtue of hope can play into our running and lives.
www.irunfar.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:11 PM
❝Training is a hopeful act.
We can choose goals that are worthwhile and attainable, albeit challenging, and we can make good choices in pursuit of these goals long-term.
— @sabrinablittle.bsky.social
www.irunfar.com/training-is-...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
We can choose goals that are worthwhile and attainable, albeit challenging, and we can make good choices in pursuit of these goals long-term.
— @sabrinablittle.bsky.social
www.irunfar.com/training-is-...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Rachel Entrekin, of the hilarious race reports, offers some serious thoughts on who defines “value” in the sport.
❝Storytelling — the messy, human, sometimes awkward kind — has become a new performance metric.
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/2025/11/13/w...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Storytelling — the messy, human, sometimes awkward kind — has become a new performance metric.
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/2025/11/13/w...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Who Decides What Matters?
a picture, so there’s at least something to click on An Opinion. Don’t COME AT ME. Some backstory for this: I wrote this originally about 5-6 weeks ago, just after Mammoth but before Ja…
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Rachel Entrekin, of the hilarious race reports, offers some serious thoughts on who defines “value” in the sport.
❝Storytelling — the messy, human, sometimes awkward kind — has become a new performance metric.
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/2025/11/13/w...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Storytelling — the messy, human, sometimes awkward kind — has become a new performance metric.
blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/2025/11/13/w...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝I just didn’t have an appropriate understanding of how powerful it is to control your thoughts and focus. Staying focused directly affects running economy which directly affects the whole race.
—Caleb Clark/Jade Belzberg
open.substack.com/pub/jadebelz...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Caleb Clark/Jade Belzberg
open.substack.com/pub/jadebelz...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Mental Resilience
A Q&A with Lightfoot athlete Caleb Clark
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
❝I just didn’t have an appropriate understanding of how powerful it is to control your thoughts and focus. Staying focused directly affects running economy which directly affects the whole race.
—Caleb Clark/Jade Belzberg
open.substack.com/pub/jadebelz...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Caleb Clark/Jade Belzberg
open.substack.com/pub/jadebelz...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Achievement in running is encompassed in the privilege, passion, people and places visited whilst being involved in the greatest sport on earth […].
—Julian Karp/Stuart Mann
runningmann.co.za/2025/11/09/k...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Julian Karp/Stuart Mann
runningmann.co.za/2025/11/09/k...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Karpe Diem (Julian's Journey to 1000 Marathons) - The Running Mann
An ode to Julian Karp. With his flowing locks and ripped physique, he's the most recognisable recreational runner on South Africa's roads and the undisputed GOAT.
runningmann.co.za
November 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
❝Achievement in running is encompassed in the privilege, passion, people and places visited whilst being involved in the greatest sport on earth […].
—Julian Karp/Stuart Mann
runningmann.co.za/2025/11/09/k...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Julian Karp/Stuart Mann
runningmann.co.za/2025/11/09/k...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Inflammation is […] a necessary process that, when properly regulated, protects and heals. Yet when the system is chronically activated, […] inflammation becomes the driver of disease rather than the remedy.
—Mike Gleeson
www.mysportscience.com/post/inflamm...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Mike Gleeson
www.mysportscience.com/post/inflamm...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Inflammation and health
Inflammation has long been portrayed as something inherently bad; a process that needs to be fought or suppressed. In popular media, it’s associated with pain, chronic disease, and poor health. Yet, w...
www.mysportscience.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:13 PM
❝Inflammation is […] a necessary process that, when properly regulated, protects and heals. Yet when the system is chronically activated, […] inflammation becomes the driver of disease rather than the remedy.
—Mike Gleeson
www.mysportscience.com/post/inflamm...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Mike Gleeson
www.mysportscience.com/post/inflamm...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝I could choose complacency or determination. I knew which would make me feel better afterward, if not in the moment.
—Sarah Lavender Smith
open.substack.com/pub/sarahrun...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Sarah Lavender Smith
open.substack.com/pub/sarahrun...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
When a Race Becomes a Race
Being fast didn't matter, until it did
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
❝I could choose complacency or determination. I knew which would make me feel better afterward, if not in the moment.
—Sarah Lavender Smith
open.substack.com/pub/sarahrun...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Sarah Lavender Smith
open.substack.com/pub/sarahrun...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Less food doesn’t equal less GI distress (plus much more on running and gut issues):
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Less food doesn’t equal less GI distress (plus much more on running and gut issues):
The article doesn’t say much about descending, so I’ll just add: If your race has it, for God’s sake, train for it.
❝The fitter you are, the better your body can cope with the demands of the race. Period.
—Anne Tisdell
trainright.com/how-to-train...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝The fitter you are, the better your body can cope with the demands of the race. Period.
—Anne Tisdell
trainright.com/how-to-train...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
How to Train for a 200-Mile Ultramarathon - CTS
200-mile ultramarathons are getting more popular. Coach Anne Tisdell, podium finisher at the Moab 240, provides training advice for 200s.
trainright.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
The article doesn’t say much about descending, so I’ll just add: If your race has it, for God’s sake, train for it.
❝The fitter you are, the better your body can cope with the demands of the race. Period.
—Anne Tisdell
trainright.com/how-to-train...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝The fitter you are, the better your body can cope with the demands of the race. Period.
—Anne Tisdell
trainright.com/how-to-train...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Yesterday we chased buffalo, today we chase circles.
But why do we entertain such rituals? Why are they so cherished? Because rituals resist an inherent feature of time: its nature to smooth.
—Jacob Grant
open.substack.com/pub/jacobgra...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
But why do we entertain such rituals? Why are they so cherished? Because rituals resist an inherent feature of time: its nature to smooth.
—Jacob Grant
open.substack.com/pub/jacobgra...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
The Complexity of Simplicity
And how running helps me lift the veil
open.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:22 PM
❝Yesterday we chased buffalo, today we chase circles.
But why do we entertain such rituals? Why are they so cherished? Because rituals resist an inherent feature of time: its nature to smooth.
—Jacob Grant
open.substack.com/pub/jacobgra...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
But why do we entertain such rituals? Why are they so cherished? Because rituals resist an inherent feature of time: its nature to smooth.
—Jacob Grant
open.substack.com/pub/jacobgra...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
1/2 When I hear “oral hygiene and endurance sports,” I automatically think “sugar, cavities.” This article goes deeper. Like root-canal deep. Sorry.
November 5, 2025 at 9:08 PM
1/2 When I hear “oral hygiene and endurance sports,” I automatically think “sugar, cavities.” This article goes deeper. Like root-canal deep. Sorry.
Last week, I wrote about baby cows. Okay no, I wrote about running and being a runner, but look how cute baby cows are.
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝Stripped of the meaning the runner attaches to it, running is purely instrumental. A sum of parts. A thing we do. There is so much more to being a runner than that thing we do.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
He Runs, She’s a Runner
In this pursuit, as in many others, doing and being are qualitatively different. And for the doing to evolve into being, it matters greatly *how* the doing is done.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Last week, I wrote about baby cows. Okay no, I wrote about running and being a runner, but look how cute baby cows are.
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
It’s been a while since I sat down to write. And when I did, it was about what it means to be a runner.
❝Stripped of the meaning the runner attaches to it, running is purely instrumental. A sum of parts. A thing we do. There is so much more to being a runner than that thing we do.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
He Runs, She’s a Runner
In this pursuit, as in many others, doing and being are qualitatively different. And for the doing to evolve into being, it matters greatly *how* the doing is done.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:11 PM
It’s been a while since I sat down to write. And when I did, it was about what it means to be a runner.
❝Stripped of the meaning the runner attaches to it, running is purely instrumental. A sum of parts. A thing we do. There is so much more to being a runner than that thing we do.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
He Runs, She’s a Runner
In this pursuit, as in many others, doing and being are qualitatively different. And for the doing to evolve into being, it matters greatly *how* the doing is done.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:11 PM
❝Stripped of the meaning the runner attaches to it, running is purely instrumental. A sum of parts. A thing we do. There is so much more to being a runner than that thing we do.
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
open.substack.com/pub/readbefo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning #writing
❝It’s easy to think of running as a beaded necklace; as a series of beautiful treasures, hard-earned through effort and attention, but what if running is actually the thread?
—Peter Bromka
open.substack.com/pub/bromka/p...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Peter Bromka
open.substack.com/pub/bromka/p...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
The Running Ground
A memoir by Nick Thompson, out today.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:10 PM
❝It’s easy to think of running as a beaded necklace; as a series of beautiful treasures, hard-earned through effort and attention, but what if running is actually the thread?
—Peter Bromka
open.substack.com/pub/bromka/p...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Peter Bromka
open.substack.com/pub/bromka/p...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝when that last athlete,
completes that last yard,
alone
it will be the cumulation of the efforts of everyone.
—Laz Lake/Jonathan Turner
run247.com/running-news...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
completes that last yard,
alone
it will be the cumulation of the efforts of everyone.
—Laz Lake/Jonathan Turner
run247.com/running-news...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Aussie rules as Phil Gore wins Laz Lake's Backyard Ultra World Championship
'The race with no finish' is over and it saw the current world record holder win the World Championship for the first time.
run247.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
❝when that last athlete,
completes that last yard,
alone
it will be the cumulation of the efforts of everyone.
—Laz Lake/Jonathan Turner
run247.com/running-news...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
completes that last yard,
alone
it will be the cumulation of the efforts of everyone.
—Laz Lake/Jonathan Turner
run247.com/running-news...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
1/2 A comprehensive, richly sourced analysis of the limiting factors in #ultramarathon performance:
October 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM
1/2 A comprehensive, richly sourced analysis of the limiting factors in #ultramarathon performance:
❝[T]he one who slows down less in the final third of a race almost always comes out on top. That resistance to decline, or durability, is what muscular endurance ultimately buys you.
—Cliff Pittman
ultrarunning.com/featured/mus...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Cliff Pittman
ultrarunning.com/featured/mus...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Muscular Endurance Revisited: What Actually Works - Ultra Running Magazine
Muscular endurance, what many in the endurance community now more accurately refer to as durability, is a cornerstone of ultrarunning performance. It reflects the ability to sustain movement, resist b...
ultrarunning.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
❝[T]he one who slows down less in the final third of a race almost always comes out on top. That resistance to decline, or durability, is what muscular endurance ultimately buys you.
—Cliff Pittman
ultrarunning.com/featured/mus...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Cliff Pittman
ultrarunning.com/featured/mus...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Very informative article with not a single gross foot picture.
❝[T]here is no single ‘best’ [shoe] drop for every athlete. What matters most is what the body is adapted to—and how any transition is managed.
—Dr. Jeff Hammond
uphillathlete.com/recovery/foo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝[T]here is no single ‘best’ [shoe] drop for every athlete. What matters most is what the body is adapted to—and how any transition is managed.
—Dr. Jeff Hammond
uphillathlete.com/recovery/foo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Foot and Ankle Care for Endurance Athletes: Practical Guidance from the Ground Up
Discover practical foot and ankle care strategies tailored for endurance athletes—from biomechanics and injury prevention to recovery tactics and footwear insights—to support your training, performanc...
uphillathlete.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Very informative article with not a single gross foot picture.
❝[T]here is no single ‘best’ [shoe] drop for every athlete. What matters most is what the body is adapted to—and how any transition is managed.
—Dr. Jeff Hammond
uphillathlete.com/recovery/foo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝[T]here is no single ‘best’ [shoe] drop for every athlete. What matters most is what the body is adapted to—and how any transition is managed.
—Dr. Jeff Hammond
uphillathlete.com/recovery/foo...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝We disagreed about things socially, theologically, and politically, and our conversations were constructive because we were friends, bonded by shared miles. Our common love of #running humanized these differences to me.
—Sabrina Little
www.irunfar.com/the-civic-va...
#trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Sabrina Little
www.irunfar.com/the-civic-va...
#trailrunning #ultrarunning
The Civic Value of Sports
Sabrina Little examines how we learn lessons in civility through our running.
www.irunfar.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
❝We disagreed about things socially, theologically, and politically, and our conversations were constructive because we were friends, bonded by shared miles. Our common love of #running humanized these differences to me.
—Sabrina Little
www.irunfar.com/the-civic-va...
#trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Sabrina Little
www.irunfar.com/the-civic-va...
#trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝All it takes is one athlete who doesn’t worry in a situation where everyone else does to prove that a problem can be recognized and addressed without interference from negative emotions […].
—Matt Fitzgerald
open.substack.com/pub/enduranc...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Matt Fitzgerald
open.substack.com/pub/enduranc...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
“Should I Be Worried?”
The answer is always no. Here’s why.
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
❝All it takes is one athlete who doesn’t worry in a situation where everyone else does to prove that a problem can be recognized and addressed without interference from negative emotions […].
—Matt Fitzgerald
open.substack.com/pub/enduranc...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
—Matt Fitzgerald
open.substack.com/pub/enduranc...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Interesting.
1/2 ❝While ice baths or cold water immersion aren’t great additions to typical training because the cold can temper inflammation, blunting adaptations,
1/2 ❝While ice baths or cold water immersion aren’t great additions to typical training because the cold can temper inflammation, blunting adaptations,
October 18, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Interesting.
1/2 ❝While ice baths or cold water immersion aren’t great additions to typical training because the cold can temper inflammation, blunting adaptations,
1/2 ❝While ice baths or cold water immersion aren’t great additions to typical training because the cold can temper inflammation, blunting adaptations,
Or, just as good—prove ourselves *wrong*.
❝But what are we here for if not to step into the arena and give ourselves the chance to prove ourselves right? How else are we going to find out who we are?
—John Maynard
open.substack.com/pub/runandge...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝But what are we here for if not to step into the arena and give ourselves the chance to prove ourselves right? How else are we going to find out who we are?
—John Maynard
open.substack.com/pub/runandge...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
The Cuyamaca 100k: Underprepared but undeterred
The joy of running 61 miles on just 6 weeks of training. Seriously.
open.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Or, just as good—prove ourselves *wrong*.
❝But what are we here for if not to step into the arena and give ourselves the chance to prove ourselves right? How else are we going to find out who we are?
—John Maynard
open.substack.com/pub/runandge...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
❝But what are we here for if not to step into the arena and give ourselves the chance to prove ourselves right? How else are we going to find out who we are?
—John Maynard
open.substack.com/pub/runandge...
#running #trailrunning #ultrarunning
1/2 ❝There will always be people faster than me in these races. There will always be longer distances that others have mastered. There will always be something else that someone else is doing.
October 15, 2025 at 8:59 PM
1/2 ❝There will always be people faster than me in these races. There will always be longer distances that others have mastered. There will always be something else that someone else is doing.