Running 250 miles on pickle juice? - Beating Sole Issue #3

Fulfilling content to satisfy your sole. Curated running and hiking news, nutritious recipes, big hairy audacious race reports, wholesome articles and exclusive partner specials.

All this, just once a month (at most).

Supported by Creepers Socks, the most comfortable & functional performance socks for hitting the trails.

Baked into this issue

  • A quote to inspire

  • BHAG report: Running 250 Miles on pickle juice

  • Food to Fuel: Lucy's Apple Slice

  • Awe-inspiring Races: Racing across death valley. It's the heat that'd beat you.

  • A gastronomic 100 mile race?? Hardrock's tasty aid stations

  • The Creepers Flog: Do toe socks prevent blisters?

  • Podcast shoutout: The Singletrack Podcast

  • Newsworthy

BHAG Report (Big hairy audacious goals)

250 Miles! Now there's a lot going on right now in the trail world. Numerous ultramarathons, multiple trail FKT attempts, and a lot more.

What stood out was the Cocodona 250 in May and how the incredible distance changes the dynamics of a foot race. It's not a run, it's not a hike.

It's a combination of trail running and fastpacking that changes the playing field and means it isn't the fastest runners that win.

You need mental strength, a strong gut and an amazing nutrition plan, fitness, strength and, and you may just need a heap of pickle juice.

Joe McConaughy was the first male and overall winner in a time of 59 hours and 31 minutes and Annie Hughes was the first woman and 3rd overall 71 hours and 10 minutes, more than 20 miles ahead of the next female.

It takes a special person to race that distance and a solid plan. From quick 8-minute naps at aid stations to drinking straight from a 2L jar of pickle juice, Joe pulled off a very solid win.

The Seattle-based thru-hiker and the reigning Leadville champion dominated the men's and women's fields at the 250-mile race through Arizona.

A quote to inspire

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Thanks to JRR Tolkien

Food to Fuel | Travel far. Eat well

LEFTOVER APPLE SLICE (credit: Lucy Bartholomew)

  • 5cup oats

  • 2cups oat flour (or any flour form)

  • 1/2tsp baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

  • 3/4cup apple sauce (i made this by cooking down more of the old apples and all the cores, then roughly blending them)

  • SPICES! (Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pick your own adventure)

  • 1/2cup maple syrup/ honey

  • 2 extra apples for the middle and top!

  1. Heat oven to 180 C

  2. In a bowl combine it all except the extra apples (You could totally add other stuff into this mixture to give it some more good vibes; coconut, nuts, seeds, dried fruit... )

  3. Press half the mixture into a tin, layer with extra apple slices, layer the remaining oat mixture, place extra apple pieces on top. (I also threw on some sunflower seeds)

  4. Bake for 30mins, cool, slice, eat

Nothing crazy but cheap, simple, easy, yummy and plant based 🍏🍎

Check out this recipe from Lucy Bartholemew's website (and a lot more recipes!) HERE

Awe Inspiring: The Badwater 135

  • 135 miles

  • 130F (50deg Celsius+) temps

  • 14,000ft climb up Mt. Whitney

Dubbed "The World’s Toughest Foot Race” it's a race where you can train the house down, but the environment can throw that right out the window and stop you in your tracks.

Covering 217km (135miles) the Badwater 135 is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The start line is at Badwater Basin, Death Valley, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 280’ (85m) below sea level. The race finishes at Whitney Portal at 8,300’ (2530m), which is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States. The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 14,600’ (4450m) of cumulative vertical ascent!

The race has just been run earlier in the month and mon, for a second time, by Yoshihiko Ishikawa.

The battle is with your head and the heat, not the other athletes and I'm not sure if running a race in a place called Death Valley is crazy or awe inspiring but if you want more insight into running the race, I'd recommend Scott Jurek's book, Eat and Run.

Or, read more about the history HERE

From our sponsors: The Creepers Socks FLOG (Foot Blog)

Tired of blisters making runs and hikes painful? For days after a big run or hike, you put up with blisters, redness or just pissed-off skin.

The unwanted hangover after a big session! Why not choose socks for optimizing foot function and health? Are toe socks the answer to preventing blisters? Read more:

A gastronomic race

The Hardrock 100 race's aid stations are so fantastic! I'm not sure how some of the foot would go down in athletes' guts.... but as someone not competing, it looks so cool!

Here is the 2022 aid station "culinary tour"

  • KT - Pancakes

  • Chapman - Batter Dipped Bacon Fingers

  • Telluride - Quesadillas, Pickle Popsicles

  • Kroger's Canteen - Pierogies & Jolly Ranchers

  • Governor's Basin - Hostess Snacks

  • Ouray - Burgers, Every Flavor Quesadillas, Mac & Cheese

  • Engineer Pass - High Altitude Brisket

  • Animas Forks - Avocado Potato Soup (V/GF), Vegan chocolate chip & PB cookies

  • Burrows Park - Pot Stickers, Fried Rice, Smoothies

  • Sherman - Breakfast burritos/lunch quesadillas, Fruit cobbler, Popsicles, Vegan rice pudding, Vegan potato soup, Chicken veggie soup, Seven layer bars, Rice Krispies

  • Pole Creek - Totally 80's Bacon Station, Pringle/Avocado Sandwiches

  • Maggie - Bacon Cheddar Avocado Wraps

  • Cunningham - Bagelwiches

  • Finish (Silverton) - Burgers, Potato Skillets, Smoothies

What would you go for??

Podcast shoutout

I've enjoyed listening to some founder's stories and learning about brands that are making waves and challenging the status quo lately and here are a couple of good ones from Finn Melanson's "The Singletrack Podcast"

Lindsay Dakota is a Co-Founder of Naked Sports Innovations. You're probably familiar with their running bands, but maybe not as familiar with their runni…

Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon are the co-founders of Speedland, a new trail running brand on the market. In this conversation, we explore their backgroun…

Newsworthy

The ultrarunners both set new course records at the 2022 edition of the Hardrock 100 – one of the world's toughest 100-mile races.

Hit me up on twitter + Share this with a friend and help this forever free trail newsletter grow.

NZ Sports Physio, Trail Runner, and Performance Toe Sock aficionado.

Write about exploring trails, audacious goals, injury prevention, and running optimization