Fulfilling content to satisfy your sole. Trail hacks, running and hiking news, nutritious recipes, big hairy audacious race reports, wholesome articles and exclusive partner specials.All this, just once a month.

Baked into this issue

• A quote to inspire: Progress before perfection

• Trail Hacks: Be prepared

• BHAG trail report: Barkley Marathons reports

• Food to Fuel: Blackcurrant and oat power smoothie

• Awe-inspiring Trails: The W-Trek in Patagonia

• Trail Strength: Stronger Hamstrings = Better springs

• The Creepers Flog: The 5 best Socks for Sweaty Feet

• Podcast shoutout: Awe-inspiring Founders

• Newsworthy: Camille Herron is a superwoman.

There's a lot I wanted to fit into this month's issue but to avoid having a long, long read, I've saved a couple of write-ups for next month, including a report of my attempt at David Goggin's 4x4x48 challenge - keep an eye out for this next month and in the meantime, enjoy the inspiration you'll find below.

ps. Make sure to click "Display images" at the top of this email, if they're not showing.

See you out there,Shaun

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A quote to inspire

Take first aid equipment with you

It's always better to be safe than sorry. Too often I used to go on a 2-3 hour hike or a 15km trail run, with nothing but a snack and some water, having checked the weather and thinking, it'll be right.

But shit can happen and it's best to be prepared for the random, unlikely bloody things that absolutely CAN happen.

• Seam sealed jacket

• Adequate water

• Extra food

• First aid kit and

• Survival blanket

• Compass

Put yourself first. It's not a clever hack no one has thought of before but it's one that's often pushed aside and it's just not worth being stuck without it.

This month's Favorite Tweets

This is taken from a tweet by: Garrick @8ntmuch

Running psychology To be bored while running doesn't have to do with the act of running, but with the mindset behind the action. If you are bored, you are not engaged with the process. The emotion is a symptom of something bigger, whether lack of motivation, mental burnout, or something else entirely.

As most of us are aware by now, running reduces anxiety and depression. Running can control stress and boost the body's ability to deal with existing mental tension. Exercise also increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that helps moderate the brain's response to stress.

Running is never the issue, our mindset is. Long-distance running can be as much a mental challenge as it is a physical test of strength and fitness. Some runners find that their body is willing to run longer, but it's too hard to keep going mentally.

As some say, running is 90% Mental, the rest is in your head.

There are ways to train your mental strength and develop a good running mindset. Here are a few;

• Visualize your goals. Visualization plays an important role in mental training, helping us develop our skills and reach our fitness goals.

• Talk to yourself. Positive self-talk is huge in pushing past barriers.

• Distract yourself. Keep away from negative thoughts. Live in the moment. Enjoy your surroundings. Smile. Encourage yourself.

• Look forward to finishing. It’s everyone’s end goal, visualize it, plan for it!

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." -- Thomas Jefferson.

BHAG Report. Big Hairy Audacious Goals

Book bothering at the 2023 Barkley Marathons, by Damian Hall

The Barkley Marathons was on recently with record three people completing the event and the first finishers since 2017! Rather than me giving you a regurgitated explanation of the event, you can read about it right from the horse's mouth. I've got two, great write-ups for you, from a two-time finisher John Kelly and from Damian Hall who very nearly finished and got to lap 5!

Here's a taster. An excerpt from the parting words from Damian Hall's blog - you can read his entire race report through the link below.

"Post-Barkley thoughts:

Losing my virginity in the woods was SUCH FUN! The whole thing was just magical. It felt uncommonly intimate, informal and silly, but serious and meaningful too.

The Barkley is a Kafkaesque hell. But it’s my kind of hell. When I say hell, I mean a deliberately confusingly outdoor library.

Perhaps I should change my social media bio to “Gets schooled by John Kelly”?

Due to the unusually good weather and the fact Laz will likely make things harder next time, I may never get such a good chance to finish the Barkley.

Only 19 people have ever started a fifth loop. I now belong in a very exclusive club, of just me and Gary Robbins, the two who've started a fifth loop without finishing one. Yet…"

Read the rest through the link below.

Barkey marathons must-read #2: John Kelly and "Sleeping"

John's fear of falling asleep for too long is very real and to be fear, fair enough too. He's given a great insight into his unique tactics to keep the naps short and sharp, including sleeping in streams and face-down in cold mud... read more via the thread linked below.

*Got a story to tell? The Beating Sole newsletter is about you and getting out and active. it's about growing ourselves through challenges, experiences, and community. We want to hear about an audacious goal that you've taken on. Send me (Shaun) an email HERE

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Be Trail Strong

"You can't go wrong with getting strong."

Whether you run, hike or do a mixture of the two, your hamstrings do a lot of work for you and can cause a lot of grief. So to both reduce risk of overload and improve strength, performance and resilience - crank these out twice per week.

Hamstrings are most often insured eccentrically - that's when the muscle is lengthening out under load, rather than concentrically when it is shortening. Actions like a fast stop, change in direction, or landings create high eccentric force and can lead to acute injuries in sports and for endurance activities such as hiking and running, the repetitive impact at foot strike can lead to overload up at your sitting bone when the hammies attach on to, if they aren't quite up to it.

I'm telling you this for a reason - because when you know how the hamstring take the most load (eccentrically), you then know how we should focus a portion of our strengthening to really bulletproof ourselves.

To have strong hamstrings for the repetitive demands of hiking and trail running - you need to load your hamstrings eccentrically, and the Nordic Curls are perfect for this!

Check out the video below by the Prehab Guys for a great explanation and progressions. This lowering yourself down to the ground, taking your body weight with your hamstrings is really tough! But tough is what your muscles need to gain strength - we are not out for an easy exercise that you can do dozens of in a row. Nope. That'd get your endurance, but not as good strength.

Aim for 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions with 2 minutes in between, twice per week.

*Note: I've tried to keep it simple as my Physio brain tends to take over and go too deep but if you'd like a more thorough write-up about hamstring injuries in runners and hikers - let me know and I can write up a blog post on the what, why and how to help get them right.

**Have you got a tip that you want to share? Let me know, contribute to our community and get a shoutout. Email me

Food to Fuel | Travel far. Eat well

A huge bonus of regular exercise and sweating it out in the great outdoors? A great appetite and a need for refueling. We’re here to help hit the sweet spot with tasty, nutritious recipes by yours truly, great blogs or, sent in by you.

Blackcurrant and Oat, Power Smoothie

Smoothies are an awesome way to get a heap of macronutrients in, without much effort or time. I downed this 500ml beast (pictured below) after one of the laps of the 48-mile, 4X4X48 Challenge I completed last weekend.

It's got fiber, carbs and protein along with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and blood flow-promoting properties while also aiding in hydration! The addition of blackcurrants turns this into an awesome recovery smoothie - they're tasty little powerhouses of nutrition! You'll be recovering from your hike, run, race or workout in no time.

• 1/2 cup of oats (ideally wholegrain)

• 1/4 cup of frozen or fresh blackcurrants (can sub for blueberries at a pinch)

• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 1 banana

• 1 serve of protein powder of your choice - vanilla or chocolate go well

• 1 dash of maple syrup

• 1 pinch of salt

• 300ml of water, milk or mylk to bring it up to 500ml total

Blend it up with a high-speed blender for at least 15 seconds and then enjoy. If you're not up to consuming that much liquid then reduces everything as needed.

My awe Inspiring Bucket-List Trails:

Torres del Paine W Circuit

Location: Patagonia, Chile

Distance: 43.1 miles

The W hike winds through the middle of Chile's Torres del Paine National Park - an area full of summits that loom above like huge granite towers and sparkling blue lakes. It's simply named the W hike or circuit due to it's W-shape on the map.

It's four to five days of hiking and can even be hiked without carrying gear or food between campsites. Alternatively, if you want to avoid camping, it can even be broken up into day hikes, and hotels as bases.

This is one of the most popular hikes in the world! It's easy to see why as well - it's got o much and offers a picture-perfect shot around every corner:- Glacial lakes- Jagged, towering, snow-covered peaks- Pumas, guanacos, deer, rehad and flamingos

The best, and busiest time to hike the W trek is October-March but be prepared as the weather is quite erratic and you should be prepared for everything - sun, snow, wind and rain.

Read a more in-depth article on the W Trek HERE

From the Creepers Socks FLOG (Foot Blog)

The Top 5 Sock Recommendation for Sweaty Feet

Newsworthy

I won't comment on all of these news articles but this first one is huge. Camille Heron set an incredibly impressive 48-hour world record. 435km on 48 hours!

More news:

Podcast shoutout

I've listened to and learned a lot this month and while they aren't all focused on the trails, they have awesome learnings and inspiration - particularly this first one which is also a fantastic book recommendation.

If you've got a podcast episode you loved lately that is inspiring, wholesome, or just bloody good, let me know.

Share this with a friend

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Cheers,

Shaun