34 Tips for Women Who Want to Trail Run Healthier + Happier
This is part 6 of 8 of my summer series on community in trail running. See the whole series here.
High school me was furious when my track coach lumped the mid-distance runners with the distance runners for a day and made us do a 6 mile run in suburban Massachusetts. (Absolutely not, I would certainly die, I thought.) As a picky eater, I was primarily fueled by plain bagels and raw cookie dough with no rhyme or reason around nutrition or training for performance.
College me ran mindlessly as a form of escapism and control. Long, aimless pavement miles and under-fueling led to constant injuries, a missing period, and a worrisome disconnection to my own body.
Late 20’s me toyed with the idea of trying a trail ultra because it sounded big and glamorous, like a “real” runner. Pinterest training plans and rolls of KT Tape didn’t get me there… But during the pandemmy, I learned about effort-based training and time on feet, finallllyyy started to fuel properly, and took strength training and cross training more seriously, leading me through the finish of my first 50k before I truly knew I could do it. 🥹
Mid-30’s me can run a 100 mile race without injury, juggle all my favorite sports without losing my period, and throw down carbs like nobody’s business and feel dang good about it. (Check out this vid from circumnavigating Mt. St. Helens this past weekend!)
Meanwhile in Arkansas, Zoë Rom came to running as a self-described non-athlete (she practically didn’t make the no-cut high-school cross-country team). In college, running became a way to know and respect her body while in recovery from an eating disorder. But after growing up in diet culture, her early fueling strategy was ”eat the least you can get away with,” even attempting the Leadville 100 on cereal and gummy bears.
That shifted at a 50 miler when she boldly decided to test a new nutrition strategy. After leaning into carbs and calories hard for that race, Zoë thought, “I had no idea that running ultras could be this easy.” (!)
The two of us covered our running stories — and what we see women runners struggle with today — on an episode of the See Her Outside Podcast that you totally need to listen to.
Anyway, when I decided to launch the First 50k Sisterhood scholarship program, I thought back to the past versions of me who only dreamed of ultras. I wrote on the website: Maybe you’ve thought about running an ultra, but you told yourself, “I don’t know if I can run that far. I don’t know how to start training. I’m not fast enough. I don’t see women like me doing this. There isn’t anyone to train with.”
What I didn’t expect were dozens of women reaching out to say “Those sentences are constantly running in my head.” Societal, institutional, and mental barriers affect tons of women. So, I culled through what myself and Zoë (who coached the Sisterhood!) talked about in that episode.
Here are 34 tactical, practical tips for the woman who wants to run her first ultramarathon (or just start trail running altogether). Let’s go.
🥯Fueling for Runners Who Live in Diet Culture
You eat because you’re a human, not only because you’re training. Fuel your life, not just your workouts.
Flip the question from “how little can I get away with?” to “how much can I eat out here?”
Carbs are your friend; high-carb fueling can feel like a switch from ”hard mode to easy mode.”
Make scary carbs approachable: start with a flavor and texture you enjoy (a cookie, a chip, Sour Patch Kids), get comfortable, then titrate up.
Under-fueling causes injuries and can stop your period (a missing cycle is a warning sign, not a badge of athleticism, trust me).
Through menopause, you don’t need to eat totally differently or avoid aerobic exercise out of cortisol fear. Be wary of fear-based supplement stacks.
READ: The Food Comment that Almost Ruined My 100 Mile Run
🏋️ Training Shouldn’t Always Feel Hard
Easy running is hard to do (the ego wants speed), but it builds your aerobic base, prevents injury, and makes running more sustainable and fun.
Run your easy days truly easy (I spend about 80% of time running at an all-day pace when I can speak in full sentences).
Build hard efforts on top of a big easy base so you carry less fatigue into workouts and long runs.
Skip the random mileage-chart plans from Google or Pinterest; prioritize time on feet and effort over hitting exact numbers.
For very long races, the primary skill is problem-solving: altered gait, new blisters, constantly adjusting hydration and sodium on the fly.
READ: 3 Actions That Pushed Me From Injured Runner To Ultramarathoner
🧠 Mindset Shifts for Longer Distances
Sign up before you feel fully ready (let’s be real, you’ll never feel fully ready until around mile 99.98).
Reframe your life circumstances (kids, caretaking, a chaotic job) as neutral information rather than limitations.
Your imperfect training still counts; it doesn’t have to look pretty or Instagrammable.
It’s okay to have feelings about body and life changes without letting them dictate your behavior.
Get good at listening to your body since it communicates constantly; respect its data instead of telling it to quiet down.
Be skeptical of any narrative, especially a fear-based one, from someone who profits when you believe it.
Aging and menopause aren’t problems to solve but human aspects to navigate; you’re still a whole human.
Celebrate the milestones. You don’t have to be elite to have an epic day.
READ: What I Told My Brain During My 100 Mile Trail Run
👟 Should You Try Run Coaching?
Good coaching adapts to your life, values, and stress: it’s not your job to shove training into your life; it’s the coach’s job to make it fit who you are.
You don’t have to be elite to deserve a coach. Coaching helps beginners through pros any time you want to get better. Even coaches have coaches.
Coaching should build independence, not dependence on someone else. You learn the rules so you know when to break them yourself.
Training is not a referendum on your worth; when something isn’t clicking, it’s a problem to solve together.
Don’t fear that structure kills the joy of running. Structure can protect that joy.
WATCH: Breaking Barriers for Women to Run their First Ultramarathon (the First 50k Sisterhood)
🎤 Why You Should Share Your Running Story
You don’t have to set records to tell a story that moves people to act. Sharing your struggles and wins gives other women permission and can change someone’s path and grow the sport!
Everyday, specific, honest stories resonate more than vague “just believe in yourself” messaging.
Share the grit: getting a period back, having kids alongside training, returning from injury, RED-S recovery. (Like our Sisterhood did!)
Others share your struggles. Every shame or challenge you carry, many other women are navigating too; getting together, talking, and problem-solving about it out loud is what will radically reshape the sport.
⚡Bonus: Insta-Coach Game!
I challenged Coach Zoë to a game of “Insta-Coach,” where I give her a scenario and she has to coach in one sentence:
“I have two toddlers and no time to train for a 50K.”
—> Get a running stroller, it’s a worthwhile investment in both your training time and a fun way to spend time with your kids.
“Every plan I try ends in injury, so maybe running just isn’t for me.”
—> It’s normal to fear re-injury — but a coach who personalizes your plan and adjusts for your stress and life on the fly can break the cycle.
“I want to run a 250-miler, but I haven’t even run a marathon.”
—> Get into fast-packing and find whole-food options you’re genuinely excited to eat for three days straight, since the main skill for 200s is problem-solving.”
“I live in flat, humid Florida, but my goal race is a hilly 50k in Washington.”
—> Humidity training is brutal, so respect it. Use a treadmill for uphill work and strength training for eccentric, downhill-ready legs; pairing uphill workouts with downhill-oriented strength is about as good as it gets.
“My first 100 is overnight and I’m scared of the night miles.”
—> Practice it once, but don’t build it up. The world isn’t any scarier when the sun goes down, you just get to be a little braver. Learn to live in the small world inside your headlamp.
“Carbs are scary. How do I make them less scary?”
—> Start with something you enjoy, a flavor and texture that excite you, whether that’s a cookie, a chip, or Sour Patch Kids. Get comfortable there, then titrate up.
Friends and internet strangers, I hope you’ll take some of these tips or share them with someone in your life who’s trail-curious or ultra-curious. This sport has given me so much in life, and I’m not even competitive! Enjoy clicking through all the links in this post while I rest my legs a bit longer post-race. <3