Your first trail race: what to carry
The race will send you a compulsory kit list. Here is what we add to it, and why.
Trail running from the Cape mountains
Muddy shoes, early starts and the long way up
Training notes, kit that lasted and the races that broke us. Written for runners who would rather be on a mountain than a road.
Stories
Latest from the trails
Running downhill without wrecking your legs
Short steps, quick feet and eyes three metres ahead.
Hill repeats on a Tuesday night
Our one hard session a week, in the dark, all winter.
Lessons from a DNF at 42 km
I stopped at the second-last checkpoint. Here is what went wrong, in order.
How we train
Nothing fancy. Four habits that got us to the finish more often than not.
Time on feet, not distance
Trails are slow. We plan runs in hours, not kilometres.
Hills every week
One session of repeats, even when it is raining.
Rest is training
Two easy days for every hard one. Our knees insisted.
Practise with race kit
Never wear anything new on race day.
Saturday long run, everyone welcome
We meet at 6am at a different trailhead every week. Slow runners set the pace.