The Okayest Trail Runner

The Okayest Trail Runner Trail and ultrarunning training tips, content, and coaching for beginners. UESCA Certified Ultrarunning Coach.

03/28/2026

If you’re new to trail running and want to know when you’re ready to start a build for an ultra, this video is for you! I talk about the 2 super important factors that confirm you’re ready:

#1 Your current *comfortable* long run length is at least 10 miles
#2 You’re currently running at least 20 miles per week

02/13/2026

my experience: the good, the bad, the hilarious. Don’t watch if you don’t want a REAL POV on this process. 😬 But truly, I share to encourage everybody to do this, and do this early, to show you it’s not so bad, and even a tiny bit funny. You’ve got this! 💪🏼

Get your colonoscopies, friends! 🫶

01/11/2026

Got Achilles problems or concerns? This is the level you’ve gotta work towards! Tendons need SUPER heavy load to stimulate collagen regeneration and tendon remodeling. I started with bodyweight 🤯 and have worked up to 100 lbs slowly over time. Our tendons take 3-4x our body weight when we run, so super heavy loading is key! Even if you don’t currently have serious Achilles issues I highly recommend adding eccentrics to your plan, especially if you’re an ultrarunner.

Shoutout to - they’ve guided my PT and have me back running - I’ve never felt stronger!

01/11/2026

🗓️ It’s that time of year when we’re all gearing up to start 2026 training plans. I get lots of questions on “time-on-feet” vs using miles to train by. Watch to learn what I prefer and get a concrete example why!

🧐 TLDR; time-on-feet is the true measure of training stress on your body: our bodies don’t know “miles”, only stress over time

🏃🏻‍♀️ When you think about it, your ultra is just your ability to run for X hours, so it makes sense to prepare our bodies for the time we’ll spend racing

🤓 I know it’s tricky to think of runs purely by time, so it’s totally fine to track BOTH weekly miles and time-on-feet. If that makes you more comfortable, go for it! (I do this myself!)

⏰ When to go by time vs miles: when you’re doing a run on terrain that’s more challenging than usual: e.g. doing a run up in the mountains with a TON of climbing that will take you much longer than your average training run on rollers. If you had “18 miles” as a target in your plan, it’d be best to cap your time to the normal time it takes you to run 18 miles on reasonable terrain. Same for uphill treadmill workouts where you may be running significantly slower than you normally would

🎥 New Video drop on YouTube! Super excited for this one! https://youtu.be/hLwyPlZgM1Q?si=_xVx7IP7b2X3zj75For those of yo...
11/25/2025

🎥 New Video drop on YouTube! Super excited for this one!

https://youtu.be/hLwyPlZgM1Q?si=_xVx7IP7b2X3zj75

For those of you that are interested in visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in the shoulder season this video is for you. I cover everything you need to know about how to prepare for a hike or run at this time of year, including the route that I used, the time that I got there, and the gear that I used.

I hope you all find this helpful. Happy winter hiking and running!

11/24/2025

For those you following along, here are a few takeaways from my Achilles rehab process:

1. I never stopped running throughout my rehab process (which is a good idea - tendons need blood flow and load to heal !), however I don’t think I started PT soon enough. I ran through insertional pain for over year before starting PT. 😢 (See the note on when it’s safe run below 👇)

2. You can’t stop PT. As soon as things were feeling really good in 2024 I got lazy with my calf exercises. Big no-no! That’s what put me back in a bad spot this year, forcing me to take a step back from running.

3. Achilles issues almost always indicate an issue up the chain, especially in runners, and especially if your issue is on one side only. Don’t just look at your calves - look at your glutes, hips, and hamstrings. Strengthening the full posterior chain is key! (find a good PT to help with this!)

4. Get a 1/ gait analysis and 2/ MRI to identify the root cause and see how bad the damage is: your PT exercises will change based on whether this is insertional or mid-point, along with the results of both tests.

5. Remember rest is not the answer, but neither is overdoing it! Following the 1-10 pain scale helped guide my activities (keep pain below 4/10 before, during, and after activities). Delicate balance - please please do this guided by a stellar PT like or (both have remote plans/ can support you wherever you are!).

11/18/2025

❄️ Runners: winter blues getting you down? Here’s a fun way to spend your off-season and actually do something productive!

🏃🏻‍♀️ I started the SWAP 10-Week Winter Training plan today (modified for lower-volume running and post-injured-runner vibes) and couldn’t be more excited to see the results!

🐐 The plan focuses on Z2 uphill treadmill workouts to improve that aerobic threshold and some hill strides for top-end power. What I REALLY love is: the plan includes cross training days so you can ski, etc and feel like it’s productive (because it is!) ⛷️

⚙️ How I’m modifying: love this plan BUT ya girl can’t hold Z2 for an hour at the prescribed 10-15% grade 😅 I started with 6% - totally fine! I’ll also be sitting on the lower end of their mileage rec’s and even cross-training a bit more. So this CAN work for beginners, you just have to adjust!

Thanks to and for putting this together so we don’t lose our minds this winter! 🥶 Find SWAP on Patreon!



Check out the plan on Patreon - (I love ALL their plans btw)

11/08/2025

One of the most misunderstood topics in running has to be this: how quickly do you lose fitness if you’re forced to take a break? It’s cold and flu season so let’s dig in!

⏰ You lose fitness a lot slower than you think, and different components drop at different rates! You VO2 max only starts to decline 1-2% per week after your first week missed, and running economy drops 4% also starting after your first week.

🤕 So why do you feel like crap when you take time off? Blood volume loss! Another factor in retraining is blood volume loss, which happens immediately - so if you take a week off that’s why you feel crappy, not because you’ve actual lost fitness.

🤒 Mt advice if you’re sick? Across the board - PLEASE REST. Your body is working hard to heal. But I get it, if you just have a cold, sometimes movement helps: so long as you (1) do not have a fever and (2) do not have any upper respiratory symptoms it’s considered *safe* to exercise while sick. Note I said “safe” NOT “effective” 😉

Stay healthy, runners, and please allow yourself time off!

11/01/2025

🍂 It’s getting to be that time of year…ultrarunners, you may be wondering: what should I do in the winter months? You can and SHOULD take an off-season from running. That doesn’t mean you have to stop running entirely, but here are a few tips on why this is a good idea:

🧠 Your body AND your mind need rest and recovery - training is mentally exhausting, too! Allowing yourself to recharge does more good than you think

💪🏼 The winter is an excellent time to lift heavy and get some serious strength gains - this can actually make you FASTER next season!

⛷️ Do other things you enjoy: they help! Go skiing, do some swimming, cross training does help maintain your aerobic base. Killian and MANY pros are known for their off season hobbies.

🔋 You’ll be fresh and ready to hit the new season if you follow this! Generally I suggest runners don’t run over 10 miles in a single run during the off season.

10/25/2025

Nobody: mitch at 🔥 🐯 ✨

Raising the bar for glitter ✨ and chafing 🩹at ultras 🏳️‍🌈 💖

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