On this month-to-month article collection, ultrarunner, race director, and coach Gabe Joyes solutions reader questions on something and every thing operating. Study extra about this ask-the-athlete column, and make sure you fill out the shape under to submit your questions for a future article!
On this article, Gabe solutions questions on when to leap up in race distance, the advantages of working with a coach, heel-to-toe drop in path footwear, and extra.
Gabe’s Tip of the Month
Are you petrified of moist ft and blisters? Have you ever ever been embarrassed to whip out a plastic bag to cowl your ft earlier than crossing a creek? Attempt massaging a wax-based balm throughout your ft the evening earlier than a race, particularly should you plan on having moist footwear and socks practically your complete time. I sometimes use Joshua Tree Therapeutic Salve, however when my native store was out of it earlier than I raced the Dragon’s Again Race final yr — six days and 240 miles of operating with soaking moist ft — I used Musher’s Secret Paw Safety as a substitute. It labored equally effectively, although it’s designed for canine’ paws. There are various different related merchandise accessible, however I’ve discovered the bottom line is to make use of one the place the primary ingredient is beeswax, because it absorbs into your pores and skin to make it extra waterproof and hard.
Moist ft are a part of the game. All pictures courtesy of Gabe Joyes except in any other case famous.
Growing Race Distance
How have you learnt if you end up prepared for 100 milers? I’ve executed some 50-kilometer and 50-mile races, and I don’t know the way you resolve should you ought to preserve working to get these distances sooner or soar into the deep finish of a 100 miler? Are there particular coaching or racing metrics you need to hit earlier than you will be profitable at 100 miles? — Amy
I’ve seen a couple of totally different formulation floating across the web that counsel you must run “x” variety of miles per week for “y” weeks, after which you’re prepared for “z” occasion. These formulation may actually be place to begin, however they probably shouldn’t have practically the nuance wanted when coping with distinctive people. A much less inflexible manner of evaluating an athlete’s readiness to leap up an enormous distance is to contemplate their coaching consistency, their capability to recuperate from coaching — particularly huge days, their capability to handle vitality, how a lot pleasure they discover in additional operating and coaching, and what their life capability is to incorporate an even bigger race, together with household, work, or different life obligations.
An athlete who persistently trains, bounces again from exercises and lengthy runs, doesn’t recurrently really feel completely worn out, and has a strong help system in place is sort of certainly prepared for a brand new and difficult distance. If an athlete finds themselves recurrently injured, at all times coping with some niggling ache, typically too drained to perform as their finest selves, or dissatisfied with their present operating expertise, then including in additional might be not the very best resolution. That being mentioned, motivated athletes will be stunning and attain unbelievable 100-mile performances with erratic and sub-par coaching — generally if there’s a will, there’s a manner! That strategy isn’t, if ever, sustainable, however relying on what your objectives are within the sport, perhaps “simply going for it” is the precise transfer for you.
Alyssa Malley leaping up in distance and vert after months of consistency and getting the stability excellent. Photograph: Matt Cecil
Coaches
You’re a coach, however nonetheless work with a coach, proper? Why would you want somebody to teach you should you already know what exercises to do? Are there different advantages to having a coach? — CR
If a coach’s solely job have been to ship an athlete a cookie-cutter coaching plan to their inbox as soon as a month, then I undoubtedly wouldn’t make the most of a coach. As a result of a real coach helps athletes stability coaching stress with life stress, alter schedules and exercises on the fly, create a long-term plan with distinct coaching phases, dial in a race-day plan, handle the emotional and hormonal challenges of race restoration, have a good time all of the successes, and navigate all the various studying experiences, I select to work with a coach.
Endurance coaching is particularly difficult as a result of it does take a lot time, each within the sense of great coaching volumes every week, and in the long run as effectively, as a result of endurance diversifications simply don’t occur all that rapidly. I’ve heard the query, “How lengthy earlier than a race ought to I begin working with a coach?” and my reply is, “Begin working with one as quickly as you presumably can!” The perfect coaches grow to be an necessary a part of your life and are a useful a part of your help system. A few my previous coaches I nonetheless take into account very pricey mates, even when that coach-athlete interval of our relationship has run its course.
My coach, Chantelle Robitaille, even helps me untie my footwear on the finish of races.
Alcoholic
Relating to path trainers, how necessary is heel drop? On the recommendation of a foot physician who examined my chronically cranky Achilles (because of a Haglund’s deformity), I solely run in footwear with a minimal 8-millimeter heel drop. Whereas this has allowed me to maintain operating with minimal points, does that recommendation make extra sense for street operating than for trails? Does the always altering footing and terrain of path operating make the heel-drop measurement unimportant? — Jeffrey
It actually does look like people who battle with persistent Achilles tendon points do appear to learn from the next heel-to-toe drop shoe — maybe even on trails. You might be appropriate that the additional Achilles tendon help supplied by that top drop has a extra important affect in street operating as effectively due to the extra repetitive motion sample that comes with operating on tarmac. On trails, notably ones which are extra rocky, rooty, and demand some stage of agility, I feel {that a} larger heel-to-toe drop can get in the best way of ankle stability as a result of your foot is saved in a slight plantar flexion (downward pointing) place. But when sacrificing a little bit of ankle stability is what it takes to maintain your Achilles completely satisfied, then by all means get pleasure from that further cushion beneath your heel!
But in addition, take operating shoe specs with a grain of salt, as what really comes out of the manufacturing facility will be fairly a bit totally different than what’s specified on an internet site. Additionally, remember the fact that some manufacturers are utilizing firmer foam within the forefoot (how candy is that alliteration?) and softer foam within the heel, which signifies that your heel will sink into the froth additional than your forefoot will, thus eliminating a few of the specified heel-to-toe drop.
There have been all kinds of footwear firstly of the 2025 Hardrock 100. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Save the Toenails
How do I cease dropping toenails after lengthy runs? I feel I’ve misplaced each single toenail sooner or later. My ft are unviewable after 100 miles! — Shelbie
I refuse to allow you to disgrace your ft — all toes are lovely! (Replace: I noticed Shelbie’s ft, and they need to be banished into socks for all times.) It positive appears like your footwear don’t match appropriately, as I’ve found through the years, should you get the match dialed in, these kinds of foot catastrophes don’t occur anymore. Ensure you get the size, width, and top of the toebox/forefoot excellent, and be sure to get the midfoot lock appropriate, too. Listed below are some ideas:
- Size: In a brand new pair of footwear, you need to have a couple of thumb’s width of area between the top of your huge toe and the top of the shoe. For those who come from climbing, soccer, or another sport that requires tight-fitting footwear, I’m right here to inform you it’s time to recover from this.
- Width and Top: If you’re not in a position to totally unfold your toes out, or elevate them straight up with out feeling constricted, then the toebox of your shoe can also be too tight — or presumably your socks are too tight, or not stretchy sufficient. Your toes don’t have to be swimming in your footwear, however if you’d like your ft to work accurately and keep away from pointless friction, then your toes want some room to maneuver.
- Midfoot: The midfoot of your shoe needs to be somewhat comfortable in order that your foot doesn’t slide ahead in your footwear. Footwear with a little bit of arch help appear to assist preserve ft in place as effectively. In case your midfoot wrap is just too tight, you’ll most likely expertise nerve ache and lace chunk on the highest of your ft, which is not any enjoyable in any respect.
No tremendous foam, carbon plate, rubber compound, lacing system, model identify, or athlete-endorsed shoe will enhance your operating expertise greater than having footwear that match juuuust proper!
A correctly becoming shoe will take you far with out taking your toenails as a sacrifice. All pictures courtesy of Gabe Joyes.
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