Sarah Lavender Smith - The Trail Runners Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras

Sarah Lavender Smith has long been one of trail runnings finest and most insightful writers, and her first book, The Trail Runners Companion, ties everything together for all trail runners, from newbies to veterans and all abilities in between. She expertly and empathetically describes how one should train, eat, drink, and think while becoming a trail runner. But perhaps most importantly of all, she tells us what it means to be a trail runnerwhy this journey, in her words, all the way up to the summit and back down, is worth the effort. If you already are a trail runner, The Trail Runners Companion will make you want to become a better trail runner. If you arent yet a trail runner, The Trail Runners Companion will make you want to become one.John Trent, longtime ultrarunner, race director, Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run board member, and award-winning sportswriter

Sarah has really nailed it. From gear to nutrition to lingo, its everything a budding trail runner needs to get going and thrive on trails.Magdalena Boulet, 2015 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run Champion and 2008 US Olympian

Sarah Lavender Smith is a prolific runner, writer, and adventurer, and her new book is the definitive work on all things related to running on that majority of Earths surface unpaved by the hands of man. Whether youre an elite athlete looking to tackle a multi-day race through the wilderness, or a first-timer seeking to venture onto less tamed pathways, The Trail Runners Companion is an indispensable resource for all your needs and something that belongs on every runners bookshelf.Dean Karnazes, ultrarunner and New York Times bestselling author

The Trail Runners Companion will guide a newbie trail runner to success while being comprehensive enough that a veteran trail runner can glean many useful tips. Sarah blends her own trail-running savvy with knowledge from well-known experts. Beyond being chock-full of practical advice, the book nicely captures the ethos of trail running and the mindset of the trail-running community. Sarah peppers the advice with personal anecdotes, which keeps the book relatable and entertaining to read. Pam Smith, MD, 100K national champion, Angeles Crest 100-mile course record holder, and 2013 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run champion

The Trail Runners Companion is a must for runners looking to hit the trails! With humor and insight, Sarah provides practical and time-tested tools for success with trail running. Whether you are brand new to trails, or preparing to tackle an ultramarathon, Sarahs book will be a tremendous resource. Cory Reese, author of Nowhere Near First and columnist for UltraRunning magazine

The Trail Runners Companion is an excellent resource for those just entering the wacky world of ultras, as well as for those looking to sharpen their skills, improve times, and reduce injury. Through Sarahs anecdotes that precede each chapter, were able to immediately put into perspective and vision the lesson well be learning and how it relates to real life. Her tips for successhoned over two decades of running and racingare excellent reminders of what we need to do to be more successful when the gun fires. Great resource. Eric Schranz, host and writer at UltraRunnerPodcast.com

An imprint of Globe Pequot

Falcon and FalconGuides are registered trademarks and Make Adventure Your Story is a trademark of Rowman & Littlefield.

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2017 by Sarah Lavender Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

ISBN 978-1-4930-2774-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-2775-0 (e-book)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

In 2005, one month before I turned thirty-six, i lined up for a marathon unlike anything Id ever experienced, with runners unlike any Id ever met.

My road-racing experience made me familiar with the crush of bodies standing in starting corrals in big-city races. I had felt the stress and thrill of ticking off 6:20 miles to get under forty minutes at a 10K, and Id worked on breaking 3:10 at the marathon because I wanted to BQ like a manthat is, qualify for the Boston Marathon under the mens standards for my age group.

This marathon, however, featured no starting corrals or pacing groups, no long lines, no purple Team-in-Training singlets, no rock bands, no balloon arches, and no earnest-looking runners doing strides to warm up for a fast start.

Instead, I encountered fewer than 150 people in an oak grove off a dirt road at the base of Mount Diablo, a double-peaked mountain that rises some 3,000 feet from its base and offers escape from suburban sprawl about 30 miles east of San Francisco.

These runners looked relaxed and checked out each others gear while asking about friends, family, and recent or upcoming races. Many wore bandanas around their necksfor wiping off sweat and getting wet to cool offand fabric coverings over their shoe openings for keeping out dirt and pebbles. One bearded guy wore threadbare denim cutoffs and carried two water bottles with handles made from duct tape.

Snippets of conversation floated by that referenced depleting, epic runs.

I looked at my 20-ounce handheld water bottle with a tiny pocket that contained only two energy gels. Did I have enough water? Calories?

Accustomed to water stops every 2 to 3 miles in marathons, I didnt give much thought to carrying water or food. But the days temperature was rising, and the first 5 miles up switchbacks looked like a monstrous climb on the courses elevation profile.

A man with a bullhorn called people over to an open gate, which would serve as the makeshift starting line. He asked the group, How many of you are doing the marathon?

About one-third of us raised our hands, which generated polite applause.

And how many of you are doing the 50-miler?

A much louder cheer went up. Suddenly, being in the marathon felt like being in the kiddie pooland I wanted to dive in and swim with the big kids!

Several runners deferentially lined up behind one person in particulara tall guy with curly hair and a headband who stood a few feet away, smiling and gesturing for others to get up in front with him.

At that point, I realized I was starting a race with the countrys top male ultrarunner, Scott Jurek, the six-time winner and record-holder of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. It turns out its typical at races like these for the so-called elites to hang out and start with the mid- and back-of-the-pack-ers, given the were all in this together vibe. Jurek was there to complete the 50-miler as a mere training run. (Two months later, hed go on to win his seventh consecutive Western States 100.)