Despite spending all week adjusting to that lost hour of sleep, trail runners perked up for the first official weekend of spring racing.

? Extra congrats to these two runners from Seattle who added an engagement to their Chuckanut 50k finish line.

Sign up for the hardest mountain ultras. Compress your training into late night sessions. Do it not for personal glory, but for the donations it can deliver. Sound too altruistic to be true? Meet Noé Castañón, a mechanic from Oakland, with a corazón of gold.

After Noé’s house burned down–while he was out running a 100 miler–he was deeply impacted by how swiftly the running community got him back on his feet.

Jared Beasley unearths how an inspired Noé began a running program for underprivileged youth in Mexico, even helping gang members shift their outlook by taking up the trail.  

Hi! You may know I’m a self-proclaimed ultranerd, so when I visit the Aid Station, I’ll be veering heavily towards scientific topics and breaking down recent research into useful trail tips. Plus, maybe a few PB & J roll-ups.           – Corrine        

?Cold Water Plunges: Good or Bad? 

Ice advocates are passionate, so how does one separate science from hype? For this one, I’m looking to Steve Magness–coach, scientist, and author of The Science of Running–and his recent 37-part tweet for the cold curious. Chalked with in-thread journal references, Steve dives in on the impacts of cold-water immersion for both sports performance and general health. Main points: 

• Ice reduces inflammation, but not all inflammation is bad. During a training cycle inflammation can trigger positive adaptation aka getting stronger. So, save ice baths for when you really need it–near competition as opposed to after every session.
• Cold immersion boosts mood-lifting hormones and immunity by creating a stress response, but going for a jog with a friend or lifting weights can do the same thing. And that effort is likely more sustainable and the result long term.

?Final Word: Are ice baths a cure-all? Magness says “nope.”

Read More Online ➡️Corrine tackles caffeine in the heat and testosterone as a villain. 

Plan to run a few hours this weekend? In this article, Ryan Montgomery suggests a thought provoking exercise to try between podcasts. A preview: 

?Goal: Maximize performance and happiness

?Approach: Calibrate self-expression to your values

?How-To: Identify your top values, see if they are showing up in your life

Reflecting on his own peak experiences and surveying top trail athletes and LGBTQ advocates Addie Bracy and Corree Woltering, Ryan refines the process of leveling up through claiming personal authenticity.  

?Paris in the Springtime: In this down-to-earth interview, “Fun Run” finisher Jasmin Paris admits that “even my dog thought I was crazy,” referring to her Barkley training routine–the poor pup would call it a day after the 22nd hill repeat.

⛽Modern Problems, Old Solutions: Andy Glaze skips the $7/gal. gas and travels 100m on foot. 

? Sunflower Run: 89.5 meticulous miles and more than two days of running for Lenny Maughan to create this moving Strava art in support of Ukraine. Watch the symbol of peace unfold in this one min video.