We all remember our first race or favorite adventure, but what about the first time you added poles into the mix? Below, LEKI athlete Sabrina Stanley shares her story of when she started running and training with poles and why it has been a game changer for her.
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I started running with poles consistently when I began training for a mountainous 100-miler in the summer of 2018. I knew I would be using poles for the entirety of the race, so I ran with poles during all my training miles. This helped get my upper body familiar with the additional load it would be taking on while climbing and descending. It also taught me how to use the poles efficiently.
My “Ah-Ha” moment came when I was studying the most competitive runners in the world at races that piqued my interest. These runners were all using poles. To be competitive I knew I had to learn how to use poles to assist in my running if I wanted to run at the same level as the top athletes.
Poles take some of the load off a runner’s legs while going up and downhill. This transfer of power to the upper body allows a runner to conserve their legs for a longer period.
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First time using poles was when I was training for my first 100 miler Bighorn 100. Used them the whole time during the race and was so thankful for them. Did have bad blisters on my hands though!
I first used poles when training for my first 100 miler and continued using them afterwards, especially in the winter. Poles have significantly helped me with the ice and snow on the trails.
I started using poles for my first European 100+ km race, after having done a couple in the US (where there were few pole sightings). I loved them as supports for big climbs and descents. They increase my confidence in the downhills and on snow. I would recommend others give them a try!
I used poles for the first time last weekend in the Sawtooth Ridge 50 miler. It ended up being 57.4 miles and 17,035 feet of vertical gain. I am not aware of another 50 miler in the world with that much vertical gain. Using an older pair of poles for the first time, I was able to place 9th overall. The poles helped a ton on ascents and reduced downward pressure on my legs on the descents. Downside with my old poles is that they just have a normal strap, the Leki trail shark straps would have been substantially better not to mention they would have been better poles as well!
I haven’t before, but the last 50k I did I really should have used them. Tough, steep, loose rock! I’ll use them next time
I’ve started using poles to help with a knee injury. Running downhill is my favorite thing in the world, but my knee has said otherwise. The poles help not only with my knee but also my posture on the way up.
I’ve never run with poles. Not sure how well they’d work on the rocky trails around PHX, but I’d be curious to try them when I’m backpacking and whatnot…
My first 100k across the continental divide… I used regular hiking poles. By the end of it, my shoulders were so sore from not knowing the proper way to carry them, but also just the weight. When I finally got a pair that was light weight I was delighted at the difference!
Started using them when training for UTMB in 2017. It took a while to become efficient using them, but now I use them for pretty much all 100s, especially mountain races.
I haven’t had the opportunity to use poles yet. Hoping to start using them as I add distance past 50k and elevation to my runs.