Running long - A trail and ultra running talk 185. Abby Hall | From Training to Reality: What Trail Running Actually Feels Like
Francesco and Abby Hall are both injured days after Black Canyon 100k. One DNF, one top-five finish, two hard falls. A real conversation about processing setbacks, racing at the front of a historic women’s field, and what actually drives a big performance.
Abby breaks down how her race unfolded, from a controlled start hitting goal splits, to the fall that cost her minutes mid-race, to a split-for-split battle with Molly Seidel all the way to the finish. The margins were that tight. And what that says about where the women’s field is right now is worth paying attention to.
There’s also a bigger thread running through this episode: what does it mean to perform at the front of a sport that’s getting faster and deeper every year? Francesco and Abby talk about the weight of expectations that came with Abby’s Western States win last year, and why a race like this one felt like a release as much as a result. They dig into the idea of specificity, why fitness alone doesn’t explain a 25-minute improvement over the same course, and why the real gains often come down to execution rather than the lab numbers.
And there’s a mentality piece worth highlighting: Abby’s been drawing inspiration from how gravel cyclists talk about their races, winning, losing, making mistakes, and moving on without letting any single result define them. It’s a harder mindset to hold when you’re only racing four or five times a year, but she’s trying to bring that lightness into how she processes all of this.
Raw, honest, and worth an hour of your time.
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