Episode Details

There’s a big difference between running a smooth, rolling trail and spending six hours picking your way over rocks and roots.

If you try to run both courses the same way, you’re probably going to have a bad time.

That’s what we’re getting into on The Running Mullet this week: different types of race courses and how you actually deal with them.

The RunPA Trail Jamboree this past weekend is a perfect example. There’s a little bit of everything out there — singletrack, doubletrack, rocks, roots, grass, dirt roads, stone roads — all packed into a 3.4-ish mile loop.

So, you have to constantly adjust how you’re running. When do you push? When do you hike? How much energy do you spend on a climb? How aggressive should you be on a technical downhill? What do you do when the course is basically just one long stretch of something you’re not particularly good at?

We’ll talk about all of that, plus the difference between running courses that feel easy for you and courses that make you question why you thought signing up was a good idea in the first place.

Of course, Eric and Grayce will also spend time discussing which course types they think they’re really good at versus the ones that expose their complete lack of good decision-making.

Knowing how to run is one thing. Knowing how to run the course you’re actually on is a whole different skill.

Catch this week on The Running Mullet, Monday, 7:30pm or wherever you get your podcasts afterward.