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.
Have a story of your own? Share your experience in the comments section and be automatically entered for a chance to win a new pair of LEKI Ultratrail FX One Superlite Poles. One random winner will be selected and notified.
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.
Don’t forget! Comment below about your first experience running or training with poles and you could win a free pair of LEKI Ultratrail FX One Superlite Poles. [the contest period for commenting is now closed]
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I’m new to trail running and have been preparing for my first 50 miler. I’ve been looking into getting poles but haven’t yet.
Didn’t think I’d need poles, but looking back at my R2R2R run I’d like a redemption run to see how much better I’d with them ??
My first 100 miler was Cascade Crest, which had over 20,000 ft of climbing. Not everyone uses poles for this amount of vert, but I thought I could benefit from using them and picked up my poles a little past the halfway point. I was quite glad I had them for some of the short but punchy climbs in the last 50K!
As a former Slalom and GS racer, I love using poles for trail running. I instinctively plant my poles for turns on swtich-back trails, or any time I want to initiate a quicker change in direction. Well-placed pole plants can do a lot more than save legs or provide stability, they give you more control. If you use adjustable, lengthen for downhills, shorten for up.
I never needed pole when I lived in the Midwest. Once I moved to Colorado and jumped into trail running they became a necessity. Running steep uphills, and even downhills, became so much easier and now I just want to climb and get Vert!!!!!
I have yet to start using poles.
My first use of poles was on a hike in Oracle, AZ last month. My niece’s husband lent me the poles for the rugged trail, and the poles improved my stability and safety.
I was training with poles for a n upcoming higher altitude 100k… I didn’t realize that they were also made for snowy conditions until a guy on the trail said “nice baskets”. That’s when I noticed that other folks poles did not have the little baskets on the end. Oops!
I’ve always used poles – when I first started trail running, I had damaged ligaments in my lower body that were still healing, so it was really more trail walking with assistance. But I kept getting stronger, my goals got more ambitious, walking eventually became running, and finally ultra-running. It’s taken nearly 18 years to get here. The way I use the poles has changed, these days they help maintain momentum on steep climbs and descents, and for winter running on packed snow and ice.
My first time using poles was on a local summit adventure with a friend that brought us up a scree field. Going up was fine (though, slow) but the rock instability on the way down made using poles essential! Luckily my friend had a pair, so we each used one on the way down. Ever since that trip I’ve known I needed a pair of my own.