Getting geared up for a 20Mile trail run tomorrow Been a while since I have been on the start line but looking forward to the challenge It is in the Karkloof, Midlands, South Africa if anyone wants to check it out it is a beautiful spot with an epic waterfall that we run past What is everyone else doing for runs this weekend?

What do you all use for carbs/ energy when you run? Personally, I'm a big fan of the brand GU- I just find I like their consistency and their different flavors! I also like Skratch Labs that I can put into a water bottle! Curious if you all like and use fuel like that!

So I wanted to run a bit of an experiment on myself. I ran 6 miles 2 days in a row... just how my program and mileage came out. Heart rate is what I was looking at, and I was pretty surprised, honestly. Day one I used an older pair of NB 1080's. Still good and the foam is solid... just not super responsive... Although that's kind of the point with that shoe. Day two, I used a new pair of Hoka Skyward X's which are a super trainer from Hoka. Meaning they have a lot of foam (a mix of standard and race foam) as well as having a carbon plate. On day one I felt okay and got through the run with no problems. 6 miles easy with an average HR of 155, and what is crazy is Day two I did everything the same and my avg HR was down to 148. Now I want to be clear, there are still a TON of factors that go into this, but I thought it was an interesting observation. The other noteworthy thing was that I didn't really want to run on the second day... but with the 'better' shoe I ended up having a good bit of fun with it. The way gear makes you feel can be a big factor in how you preform! Just some food for thought. Have you ever used a carbon shoe?

Hows the Ontos vibes going this week?

Way ahead of my marathon plan I’m also thinking of bumping up to 4 runs per week instead of 3 The sub 3:20 is on I think.