I am back from Norway and if a perfect place exists, it may be there. Excellent public transportation, groomed cross country ski trails between towns, every grocery store with gummy candy bulk bins and a focus on natural products. I have never seen so little plastic junk in my life. In Norway you can camp anywhere as long as you are further than 250 meters from a house. And they have fjords. And cardamom buns. 

I went to see if ski expeditions were going to be my new pursuit as I am looking for my next big challenge. I learned so much at the ski expedition course and in the end of the day, it may not be for me. I LOVED pulling the sled, that is my jam. Anything where you work hard and don't have to be fast is awesome. I could have done that all day (and into the night). I love being outside all day, again, give me some work and the outdoors and I am sold. BUT, the nights. Wow it was tedious setting up a tent, boiling water and getting myself warm at negative degrees where you are burning your fingers on anything you touch. And once the tedious work is through, it is a long night being in your sleeping bag waiting to play again. And it could have been way colder, aka scarier. As someone who sleeps extra poorly, the nights really drag when it is so cold you can't even have your face out of the sleeping bag so it is just hours of suffocation and waiting. 

Here's the thing. Saying I don't want to pursue a ski expedition makes me want to do it. I hate saying no, backing down, and not taking on a challenge. I also have already forgotten how scary it is when your feet are frozen from the 30 minutes it took to prep the tent site. It also seems like, yeah, it is uncomfortable and the time dragged on like it was standing still, but I CAN and did do it. I took videos and videos capturing thoughts during the course for just this reason as I knew I would quickly forget. SO I am asking myself the question, just because I can do something, do I want to? 

LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS
Here are the rest of the questions from all of you answered, the resources passed along and again, thanks for sending. I love hearing from you and SEEING YOU! I have an idea, come see me TOMORROW on Zoom and let's work out! First Wednesday night Strength Training for Runners of the new year! Get information here and hope to see you.
DEXA SCANS
Q: I have a friend who gets DEXA scans to monitor progress as a bodybuilder. What are DEXA scans and are they worth it? 

A: A DEXA scan is a medical imaging test that measures bone mineral density. It can diagnose osteoporosis or osteopenia. DEXA scans for bone density can be covered if you're postmenopausal and older than 65 years or have a condition that leads to a prescription, but otherwise, you will be paying for this imaging out of pocket. 

Athletes may find other data that can be collected during a DEXA scan relevant, including body composition measurements. A DEXA scan can pinpoint areas of muscle imbalance and track healing of injuries. As for the question of if they are worth it, this Runners World article recommends, "runners who have a poor relationship with food or a history of an eating disorder, multiple or unexplained bone stress injuries or other bone-related medical conditions may find a scan especially useful." 

HR ZONES AND WARM UPS
DO HR ZONES CHANGE THROUGHOUT LIFE? Yes, HR zones will change. In general, HR zone numbers will stay similar unless there are major health or fitness changes like serious illness, major weight fluctuations or long time away from exercise. What will change more is pace at the HR zones. Hopefully with training you will keep getting faster at the same HR. 

IT SEEMS LIKE MY PACE AT THE SAME HR IS FASTER, IS THIS FITNESS? Yes, this is fitness! Zone 2 training is something you may be hearing about in popular media. Zone 2 training is lower HR work that is aerobic which means while performing workouts at this intensity you can sing and chat, you don't finish famished and done over time, will make you faster. When you hear about athletes building their aerobic base, this is athletes working to get faster by going aerobic and bringing down their pace at the same HR effort. 

WHY DOES IT TAKE LONGER TO WARM UP THAN BEFORE? As you get older it takes longer to warm up. As we age muscles can get tighter and connective tissue gets less elastic. A good warm up makes the blood flow to muscles and synovial fluids move in the joints. 

IDEAS AND ARTICLES YOU SENT

• ANKLE TAPING "I started using David Roche's ankle taping technique out on the trail (I use less tape than he does) and it seems to help! I don't know if it's placebo or not, but it makes me feel better. Of course it does not replace strength, mobility, PT, etc." 
• POOR AIR QUALITY Study Links Poor Air Quality to Slower Marathon Finish Times "New research reveals that even healthy, well-trained athletes experience performance declines due to air pollution" The slowing is about 30 sec over a marathon, but it does show that fitness doesn't protect against poor air and your BQ time is already hard enough to snag, make sure you are racing where it is clean! 
• This is confirmation, I am hungrier when it is cold. 
  

"Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage."  

Congrats to everyone who signed up for a race that gave you butterflies in your stomach or committed to something that sounds too difficult, destined to fail or may hurt!  Also, WOW, I asked for questions, comments and replies to my last email and you all came through!  Including that quote above, from wise sage Matt Damon (in the movie, We Bought a Zoo) So many responses came through that I am breaking it up into two emails. This one has quotes I love, links to reading material and some questions answered. The second is all science-based and will come out once I am back on the grid, January 21st (no Tuesday email next week). Thanks for participating! 

Some quotes from a wise athlete and teacher: 

-Stop worrying about what's coming and prepare yourself to be a person who can handle whatever is coming.

-Never half ass anything whole ass everything. 

EMOTIONAL FLEXIBILITY
Orient yourself towards emotional flexibility instead of happiness. -The Growth Equation
"There's a lot of societal emphasis put on being happy, partly because we all want to feel good and because it's big business selling people products that promise to make them sunnier. Unfortunately, happiness is rarely a state you can will into existence or even control. If a metaphor helps: It’s easier to buy rain gear than it is to try to change the weather patterns so that every day is sunny."

STRENGTH AND THEN WEIGHTS
I want to know about combining strength training and running into one workout and which one to complete first. Well, if you want a deep dive science writer Alex Hutchinson wrote an entire book about it. My short answer is do whichever one is more important to you first (this article agrees). For my coached athletes, if they have short sprints and strength training on the same day I prefer them to do the sprints first, without running tired, and lifting after since lifting a little lighter if tired is really no big deal since that is not the primary sport. The ONE key mistake to runners who do strength right after a run is NOT fueling well enough for the combined effort. If the run is 1 hour and the strength is 45 minutes, you need to treat it as one long workout and have some fuel during your sessions. 

If your strength training is normally with me on Wednesday nights, here is one from the archives so you can get in a workout while I am gone. 

DOES BIKING HELP RUNNING?
Yes! Here is an entire article on it, so get that bike and get out there and ride. "Cycling can benefit runners for both recovery and training. It aids in recovery by flushing the legs out and getting blood to flow through the muscles. You also can maintain a ton of fitness with riding if you are injured." If you want a fun way to learn about rides, check out Portland based rides with Bicycle Kitty! 

SHOULD I RUN THROUGH GRIEF?
Grief is a wonderful reminder of how much we loved someone but it is also a huge a kick in the gut. The new, especially tough part of grief is in the beginning where the kicks keep coming, reminders are everywhere and it is hard to focus. If you are running because you have to, give yourself some grace and decide why you "have to". You can run right through, doing the motions because you can't sit at home and process, but that just puts off the processing. You can run and process and while it may look ugly and your neighbors may be concerned, if it feels good, go for it. Who cares if the snot rolls and the sobs come, feel all the things and do it while moving, that can be extremely healing. 

After the loss of my first dog I thought I would need to be buried with him I was so devastated. I also had a 50k race the very next day. I didn't want to go but I also didn't want to stay home without him there. I went to the race, wore a big brimmed hat and cried for six and a half hours and it was horrible and beautiful and I wouldn't have changed my decision. 

Do what is right for you and don't feel bad just pounding the couch pillows if that is what you need to do. 
​
HOW TO HOLD BACK
Some days I put hikes on my athlete plans. either as a day without pounding OR to practice power hiking which is important for races which can be 50% or more hiking when they are mountain races at altitude. Pro tip from one of my athletes, on hiking days when you may be tempted to run, wear hiking boots. No running in those, it feels clunky. 

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

• Jill Outside is adventures of a woman biking and adventuring from Colorado to Alaska. She has been blogging since the early 2000s so there is lots of content there.
• "Be audacious. There is always a best possible path. Your job is to find it and have the courage to follow it." Spend some time reading Ray Dahlio and once you read the first link go on to read this one (don't tolerate problems) and this one (be radically open minded). 

Happy trails!
PS- In case you are still with me here, I have landed in Bergen, Norway, a most gorgeous place from the air. Luggage hasn't made it yet but feeling confident it will arrive late this evening. Fingers crossed since I super need every single item in that bag I spent over a month carefully purchasing to help me survive in the cold! Leaving on a train to a very small town tomorrow morning so it really must arrive! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Tomorrow is 2025 and I hope that you are ready for a good year! My plan for next week, the first email of the new year, is that it will be driven by YOU. Take just one minute and respond to one or both of the questions below and I will share it in the next edition and first email of 2025.

ASK ME ANYTHING
Anything! You can ask about training, strength, fueling, race ideas, existential questions or life advice and I will try my best to get you answers or find someone who can. I won't publish your name, so let me have it. 

REPORT IN!
I try to find interesting stories to share, give insights when I have them and share some science. Like it? Remember a particular article that changed your mind? Have a comment about anything I sent? This is the time to hit reply and let me know. I won't publish your name, so bring it on! This is also time to clear you inbox of junk, so if this email is no longer making you happy, reply and write UNSUBSCRIBE. 

NORWAY PREP SKI
As I mentioned in my last email, I am prepping for a trip to Norway the first week of January to learn artic expedition skills. In an attempt to have a big day out on skis, my better half Brian and I took on a big ski day knowing it was potentially going to get windy and really snowy as a test of gear. We made it seven out of the seven and a half hours of skiing with gentle snow, then dumping snow but stayed warm and cozy until the last 30 minutes which woke me up to just how fast things can change. We thought we were 5 minutes from the car so didn't change out of our completely soaked mittens and after 20 minutes of sloooowww skiing in a full white out, and snow that felt like concrete, by the time we got to the car I couldn't unhook my own pack and my fingers were so cold that even in the car, I couldn't get new gloves on my hands were so frozen. We blasted the heat in the car and warmed up BUT I now have a new nightmare of setting up a tent in a blizzard with cold hands and having to warm myself up from wet and frozen. I may not sleep again until after this trip. Oh, did I mention I slashed a fun little cut on my nose trying to wipe my snot with mittens that had razor sharp icicles. I really do love this stuff, what is my problem?

DON'T RUN AFTER...
I am generally a pro run kind of coach. I believe in rest days but well-structured training doesn't mean they have to be weekly if you are the kind of athlete who does better with daily workouts. HOWEVER, I do not advocate running after a flu or COVID shot. Your body is working on something for 24 hours, take that time and chill, even if you aren't having a bad reaction. Run later. After giving blood, it takes about 48 hours to replenish what is lost so I recommend one day off after donation and then coming back with an easier run before starting back to tougher workouts. If you wake up and have a swollen lymph node, once again, your body is fighting something, this could be the sign to check in with a doc or take a day to wait and see what happens. And finally, even if coach has a run on the plan and you wake up hating running, hating runners, hating people or hating life, this is likely a sign that a rest day is in order and you need a little rest. Come back to run healthy another day. 

STAYING STRONG
Strength Training for Runners video from the archives. Don't skip strength training. OR better yet, go to the gym! Here is a favorite spot in North Portland, Prism Moves. No live class this week. 

SHORT STUFF

• Exposure is a video featuring women from Europe and the Middle East taking on an expedition to the North Pole coming into the project with little to no experience. Pulling sleds, moving sea ice and group dynamics, this is a good one! 
• The High Route by the Ginger Runner is worth a watch. Kaytlyn Gerbin and Jenny Abegg run the North Cascades High Route in an astounding time. I have linked to this before but this is a new release with new material. 
• Female competitors on the Pro Pickleball Tour earned $269,000 on average. For comparison, the average salary for a player in the National Women’s Soccer League in 2023 was around $60,000 per year, and almost $120,000 in the WNBA. Mind blown. 

HI all!
Merry and happy! Since Christmas and New Year are on Wednesdays this year, it means no Strength Training for Runners for two weeks. BUT actually, class is cancelled for four weeks. I will be leaving January 6 for a course in Norway.  It is billed as "training for those thinking about a ski expedition in arctic regions" and I am curious to see if this is going to be for me. I will be practicing not dying in the very cold Norwegian winter while skiing around pulling stuff and camping out. Highlights will include a full 6 hours of daylight, sleeping in a negative 40 degree sleeping bag and snacks that might break my teeth but hopefully I will learn some new skills and more importantly, something about myself. I will either find a new way to use my endurance and start dreaming of an expedition to Greenland, or I will let you know which gear I will be selling! 

In the lead up to my trip I will share things I am excited about and things keeping me awake. This week in the excited column we have the idea of being out at night getting to see the stars and maybe even the northern lights. And keeping me up at night is the thought of getting out of my sleeping bag to pee in the middle of the night. I have a funnel and a bottle but I also have fear of getting things wet that should be dry and will not be practicing much pre-trip. Praying for steady hands and mild dehydration. 

If you want to keep the Wednesday strength training going this week, you can do this recording any day, just get it in!  

BE SPECIFIC
Are you feeling the pull of new year's resolutions? While you may think they are dumb, you may also want to make some. You know two things can be true at once! So, if you are going to make resolutions or are just testing out some new habits, here is one tip for helping make a new habit sticky. MAKE IT SPECIFIC. 
If I say I want to work out more, or run faster that is just too general, how much more is more, what does faster mean? What workouts will I do, when? Get really specific in WHAT you are trying to accomplish and in HOW you will do it. 

• NOT SPECIFIC: I want to run faster.
• SPECIFIC, YAY: I want to run faster so I will add in hill strides once per week on my Tuesday group run since, I know many of the group are also looking to up their game and will join me. 

Notice the new habit, strides during a run is on top of an already established habit. Another way to make a habit sticky. Go ahead, make a resolution, just be specific. 

TOP 20 WOMEN'S SPORTS STORIES THIS YEAR
Here is a compilation of the top 20 women's sports stories this year. From skiing world cup victories and record setting LGPA payouts, to the first ever women's Red Bull Rampage and Sifan Hassan's amazing Olympic runs to Ilona Maher being the queen of everything to Katie Schide winning Western States and UTMB and a women finishing the Barkley for the first time ever, go Jasmin, it was an awesome year. They forgot Sunny Stroer finishing the 1,000 mile Iditarod on skis but otherwise, this list LIFTED me up and made my cheeks hurt from smiling. 

HOLIDAY ENERGY
For anyone needing a little holiday energy, here are some feel good stories, no matter what you are celebrating right now. 

• I didn't realize the world needed Sandra Clause until I saw her. Sandra, Santa's younger transgender sister needs to be in malls everywhere. Sandra doesn’t expect anyone to sit on her lap, no scary beard and says the naughty and nice list is a lie. 
• Apparently, the Yiddish definition of latke is "little oily thing" so why not sub out the potatoes and try this version with ramen noodles! Can't think of a much oilier thing that would be a real crowd pleaser. The world of recipe creation is amazing. 
• Three dishes I promise you haven't thought of for Winter Solstice. 

Happy trails!

Hi all,
Is there anything in life that works as easily, as inexpensively and as effectively as hair conditioner? If you have short hair this may be lost on you, but those of you with long hair know, you come out of the ocean and can't even get your hands through, but then you wash, condition and a comb goes right through. What is this magic potion and can we get a conditioner in other areas of our lives? 

I have been doing some deep shower thinking about what is conditioner for our life. I thought maybe I can figure it out and let everyone know, HEY EVERYONE, WE HAVE AN EASY FIX, RIGHT THIS WAY. Then I looked up how conditioner works. Well, it is something about positively charged surfactants and negatively charged hair ions and sealing of cuticles and I realized, it only seems easy because it happens quickly to my eyes. Just like it seems easy for some people to get in hard workouts or how it seems easy for some people to eat all million grams of protein we should be getting each day. You are likely doing something that other people think seems so easy for you. 

I hope you can all pour on some life conditioner right now and get through dark workouts, family drama or anything that feels tough. 

If you need an escape on Wednesday night, you know you have one! Join us for Strength Training for Runners, 5pm Pacific. You will need weights, mini bands and 30 minutes! 

EVENINGNESS
The article, "Late-night tendencies linked to slower marathon times" from the Journal of Sleep Research reports connections between marathon runners’ circadian preferences and race performance. "Runners with an evening-oriented circadian preference, or “eveningness,” were found to have slower marathon completion times compared to their morning-oriented counterparts." The study asked 936 runners from the 2016 London Marathon if they identify as morning or evening types, with responses ranging from “definitely morning” to “definitely evening.”  "The data showed a linear trend, with increasing eveningness linked to progressively slower completion times. This difference was not trivial—runners with a “definitely morning” preference finished approximately 13.9 minutes faster than “definitely evening” runners."  While it seems that these preferences can be modified, it is important to remember that this is one or many factors in performance. 

JUMP ROPE
Most of my coached athletes are jumping rope (or jumping an imaginary rope!) Usually just 6 minutes or so, pre-run as a warm up. This Physical Therapist just posted about why he is jumping and recommends it for masters athletes. Jumping rope will stave off the decline in calf power and help keep injuries away. Also, it is fun. 

MAPLE SYRUP
Maple syrup isn't just for pancakes. If you are having a hard time stomaching gels and other performance fuels but want to take in high carbs during your long runs, maple syrup is worth a try. Athletes with sensitive stomachs are using syrup as a way to cut down on ingredients and it is pretty cheap if you buy a home sized container and put it in soft flasks. If you prefer you can also get maple syrup in gel sized packs that are not only good for racing but for taking backpacking. 

Hi all!
I am home in Bend and the soul crushing heat of Indonesia has been replaced by appropriately cold weather. YES, I can sleep again! And exercise outside! I am not one to skip a run but I skipped all of them in the 1,000% humidity. Excited to get back to work in all the ways, writing coaching plans, getting in runs and cross-country skiing. 

I have had way too much time in transit and scrolled through half the internet in the airport and noticed posts about diet plans that were all numbers based like the 2/2/2 method or the 100/50 method and realized we are being bombarded with so much junk, not just new ways to feel bad about our bodies! Junk diet ideas, junk gifts, junk expectations on our time. I hop you can both enjoy the cookies and keep up healthy habits. When I looked up 100/50 method, I found everything from eating meals that are 100 calories (NOPE, NOT ENOUGH Y'ALL) to reducing calories by 100 every week to paying 100 dollars and dying a little inside. It was a wasteland. Don't let all the incoming junk dim your light. Shine! 

In unrelated news, Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday nights is live to your screen at 5pm Pacific. This will get you shining! 

PODCASTS SO WHITE
Women's Running Stories has been posting numbers illustrating their findings from the essay "(White) Feminism In Trail Running: How Antisexism Work In Trail Running Predominantly Benefits White Women," Women of color filled 18 guest spots during a year-long period on the eight podcasts included in the summary. For context, this is out of a total of 432 guest spots. This illustrates how little diversity there is on the trails and how the representation in media is even smaller. Do you know women doing incredible things that aren't currently being represented? You can suggest women of color to your favorite podcasts and help create demand for more diverse stories. The more people can see themselves in sport, the more likely they are to do it. 

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DELAY CARBS
Here is an easy to read summary of the paper, “Delaying post-exercise carbohydrate intake impairs next-day exercise capacity but not muscle glycogen or molecular responses.” For the quick and dirty: replenish glycogen stores within 30 min to an hour with 1-1.5g of carbs and 20-30g of protein. 

FITNESS TRENDS
Strava announced the release of its annual Year In Sport: Trend Report, which identifies the trends that shaped the global active landscape in 2024. In summary the trends include more connection, more rest and more weights and all three of those make me very happy. Specifics include: 

• A 59% increase in running club participation globally in 2024
• Runners training for marathons added more rest and active recovery days into their schedule than in previous years
• Weight training was the fastest-growing sport type among women in 2024 with a 25% growth in uploads. 

Greetings one more time from Indonesia where I have hiked, walked and eaten my way through the most amazing villages on the island of Flores. Today we attempted a hike up Mount Inerie, the highest volcano on the island. The trail gains 3,500 feet in about 2 miles, steep! We knew two things about the climb, one was that it was an obvious trail, always directly up and the other was at the first drop of rain, get your butt down. Well, the trail wasn't as obvious as we had been told, despite using digital mapping, so we spent an hour going a harrowing quarter mile up some scree that will haunt my dreams. Then after righting the ship and finding the actual trail again, it started to rain. Since the trail is basically a deep cut down the hill any rain means potential for flooding and the rains here right now are pre-monsoon level as the rainy season is coming, so there is no messing around. Some days you climb the mountain, some days you turn around and live to see another day. The rain started and we got soaked but we got ourselves down in before it really unleashed. We drowned our sorrows in spicy noodles watching the rain and the lesson I didn't think I would take away from this experience is, HOT DAMN OUR HOME TRAILS ARE AWESOME. Take some time to thank people who do trail work or sign up to do some yourself. The public lands we use for recreation have trails that switchback! Trails that drain! Trails that are signed! We have trails that are steep and others that are great for running or for taking your parents or young kids. It is cyber-Tuesday, not sure how I feel about that, but if you participate, consider a donation to keep the trails you love, the kind of trails you love! 

STRENGTH TRAINING VIDEO LINK
One more week without live Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday night, but HERE is a class from the archives for you. Put it on the calendar so you don't miss a week and grab your weights!  

AN INJURY STORY
I thought this injury story from writer, coach and ultrarunner, Sarah Lavender Smith was well done, important to share and may resonate. "I’m full of remorse, not only for the injury but for how I masked the underlying problem... And remorse for trying to fast-track the comeback during the past three weeks. Why must I fast-track everything? I’m not feeling sorry for myself—I’m feeling pissed at myself."

6:38 PACE
The women's record for the 50-mile distance has stood since 1991. November 9th that record was broken by runner Courtney Olsen clicking off 6:38 pace for 5 hours and 31 minutes. YOWSERS. 
"In the end, all I suffered was a slight haunting of the calf, a toe explosion, and peeing myself. I’d say that’s a damn near perfect execution." -Courtney Olsen on her 50-mile world record run at Tunnel Hill. 

READ UP
Need some new reading material? Outside Magazine recommends some books for adventurers that may be what you are looking for. I put the book, Small Game by Blair Braverman on my list. A novel about a survival show, yes please! 

Happy trails,
Dana

This week I include a study that links more miles to faster marathon times. I also have a link to an event on bikes I think you should attend if you are in the Portland area. Sounds like these are at odds with each other BUT I want to ensure your training is FUN, consistent and healthy. Yes, more running miles at the right intensity and without injury will help make you faster but there is a limit and burning out is NOT a way to get faster. Why not race your friends in what amounts of a scavenger hunt on wheels. 

As the holidays approach, and especially if your goal events are further out, keep consistent with workouts on most days, even if they are short, keep it fun and give future you a great platform to start training when it is time. And of course, if you want a fast 30 minute inside workout for when it is pouring, join me on Wednesday nights for Strength Training for Runners. 

MORE MILES = MORE SPEED
Amby Burfoot put out an interesting analysis of a study from the University of Dublin on the marathon training mileage of midpack runners.

"The paper analyzes the training of more than 150,000 marathon runners who uploaded 16 weeks of their pre-race training to Strava. The researchers then correlated the training data to the runners actual finish times.  In other words, they show that if you train X miles a week, you’ll likely finish your marathon in Y:yy hours and minutes. Some of the findings will amaze you. For example, runners finishing between 4:00 and 4:30 averaged about 20 miles/week in training. They had an average age of 40.
This isn’t the same as suggesting you only need to train 20 miles a week to break 4:30. But it does show that it’s possible, because 27,000 runners did it."

Burfoot compiled the weekly mileages and finish times in the chart below illustrating the main take away of the study, "that training volume was three times higher in the fastest runners (finish times of 120-150 min) compared to slower runners (>240 min) within the dataset." -read the study abstract here. 

GET ON BIKES FOR THANKSGIVING
Looking for something to do with the family around Thanksgiving in Portland? How about Cranksgiving on Sunday, November 24th! This event is put on by the sparkling Bicycle Kitty, so you know it will be good. It's a fundraiser alley cat benefiting Portland Street Medicine.  An alley cat is a bike race/scavenger hunt where you find a list of locations in the smartest order.  This e-bike friendly, family-friendly event starts with free coffee at Nossa Familia, heads to Willamette Park for the family finish line, then the 21+ racers will continue on to find more clues and finish at Assembly Brewing on Foster.  On-site registration is $0 - $100 per racer (cash or check only).  Bring a pen and your sense of adventure!  More details.

WOOL IN THE RAIN
Running in dumping rain when it is too warm for a rain jacket can be a tough go. I have been asked my go to rain jackets for running in rain when it is 45-60 degrees and my answer is wear wool and get wet. Wool stays pretty warm as long as you keep moving and you won't overheat and get soaked with sweat inside your jacket. If you need ideas for brands of wool running gear, UltraRunning Magazine just did a feature. 

TELL RUNNING STORIES ABOUT WOMEN
WTF, the Women's Trailrunning Fund has opened a grant cycle and if you are a story teller or creative, read on. "Women, women-identifying, and non-binary creatives and athletes anywhere in the world who want to share and want support for writing, photo, film, and other media-related projects. We want to share the overlooked stories." You can apply for grants in the amount of $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000. There is a total of $25,000 available in grants for 2025. Grants will be awarded based on financial need, impact of the project, creativity, and the ability to elevate new voices. Closes December 13. 

Happy Trails,
Dana
PS- Last week I told you about the Willamette Valley Ornament Hunt. Well, two readers went out on the trails to try their luck AND FOUND TWO! There is still time to get out there and hunt, good luck. 

Hi all,

"A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt." -James Clear, author, Atomic Habits

A quick reminder that you can LOVE running but not really like it right now. 
You can run for "just" 10 minutes and that is still called a run. 
You don't need to sign up for races to be a runner. 

You also don't have to do strength training but more durability, increased bone health and having a 30-minute break from the world aren't bad. Join me on Wednesdays for Strength Training for Runners live to your screen.  

TRAIL TREASURES
In case you need to help persuading a friend or your kids to join you out on the trails, check in on November 15th with the Willamette Valley ornament hunt. Between November 15 and Dec. 25, 2024, two hundred locally-crafted wooden ornaments will be hidden along two-dozen trails in the Willamette National Forest and the Umpqua National Forest. 

And if you prefer running along the beach, you can also look for treasure on the coast at Lincoln City all winter with their Finders Keepers program. Each winter over 3,000 glass floats are hidden along seven miles of beach, made by local artisans. If you find a float, it’s all yours. This year there are extra drops on the following dates, so you have a better chance at a find. November 28- December 1 and December 7-8.  I have looked twice and never found a float but it sure was beautiful and I saw seals, totally worth it. 

CHEW SOME CAFFEINE
Caffeine gum. Might be worth a try at your next ultra distance event. "Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, increasing focus and alertness in endurance athletes. There are several benefits of caffeine gum for endurance athletes including:

• A quicker energy boost without the wait time
• Convenience and portability
• Less liquid intake and more flexibility"

MULE NANNIES!
I thought this picture was fake, then I picked my jaw up off the floor, then I tried to fact check it. Seems like there are mules that carry baby goats and if you need to smile, baby goats in mule bags here.  If it isn't real, never tell me. 

​I just heard the best story. Imagine a team building exercise where you need to get yourself out of a maze blindfolded. So you start by walking the edges, feeling the sides and working your way through. The only rules are keep on the blindfold and raise your hand if you need help. How long would you work to find your way out before asking for a facilitator to help? I imagine myself in this exercise ready to flail around for days. I have endurance, a never quit attitude and have done harder things than this. The trick though, there is no way out. The only way out of this maze is to raise your hand and ask for help. 

Reflecting on my 'I would work on getting out for days' attitude, why would a team building exercise exist that is every person for themselves? I could kick myself for not seeing that right away. And once I realized that, I can see that this is just a metaphor for life. The recipe for a good life is seeing it as a team building exercise rather than what can I do by myself, for myself.  Are we all in the maze right now? Guess we have to raise our hands and find out. 

Go vote. Give a hug. Then go for a run! 

WEEKLY STRENGTH INVITE
I have been seeing articles with titles like, Ditch the Gym for These 3 Exercises and One Exercise, No Gym Needed. Please do not ditch the gym or do one exercise for your whole life. Lift heavy and do it regularly. But if the gym isn't your jam and you have weights at home, join me every Wednesday night, live at 5pm Pacific for a 30-minute strength session. Always free to join. Info here. 

SPORTS BRA LONGEVITY
How often should you replace your sports bra? This article tells you it depends, but also, "If you wear and wash your sports bras every week, you should aim to get new ones twice a year", says person who works for a company that sells sports bras!!! I wear mine for YEARS, yikes! This sounds like a good gift idea for your runner friends and family this holiday season. 

SCIENCE
Science Friday had an episode they called, "How Does Long-Distance Running Affect Your Body?" The best part was a short sweet conclusive, "There is no higher incidence of arthritis in runners than there is in the general population. So actually runners who do recreational running have a lower incidence of knee arthritis."