Jenny

Meet Jenny! She's training for the 2026 Javelina 100-mile race in the Arizona desert. She has already run the 100k distance there in 2024, so it won't be a quantum leap! But what most differentiates the two distances is likely the need to run through the night. Besides the nutrition puzzle, of course.

Jenny confided that she's a bit intimidated by the night running, so we'll make sure to approach the affair with care. We'll start with a short night run in the name of headlamp testing! From there, we can incorporate a slightly longer night run if needed.

The reality is, an athlete doesn't need to do an overnight run in training to get ready for a hundred miler. Some do it, but it can really wreck you and your training schedule for days or even weeks. Plus, the night running in the race is so much less lonely than a training run, so much more supported, and generally way more magic than an off-hour stumble through the woods with an unsuspecting friend or two. It might just be counterproductive to worry through a bunch of scary training runs in the dark.

Now, there IS a technique factor that can emerge in the dark. With a weak headlamp or impaired night vision, tripping hazards can increase! But with the right gear, these risks are minimized. Add a hip lamp, for instance, to get more shadows into your view, so you see rocks, branches, and other objects better. Use a high-lumen light with backup batteries if you do better in extra visibility. Those are just a few of the tweaks you can try in those shorter night runs in training.

We're so confident Jenny will shine (literally) through the night at her race next October.