Before every race of her historic 18-year career, Des Linden has followed the same ritual. She hand-grinds her favorite beans and makes herself a pour-over, enjoying a cup of coffee an hour before the gun goes off.

“There’s not much I’m particular about, other than the coffee,” said Linden, a two-time U.S. Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion, who first tried the stimulating drink as a teenager and has grown into a bean aficionado, starting her own in 2020. “Traveling the world for running, I went to a lot of coffee shops, trying to stay off my feet before races. So, I read a lot of books and drank a lot of good coffee, and then got curious about the best beans.”

Linden is a firm believer in caffeine consumption mid- and late-race, too. “The mind will tell you that you’re out of fuel, but there’s still a ton left in your muscles. Caffeine helps you find it.”

What works for pros, however, doesn’t always translate to the rest of us. To find out if everyone should drink coffee before racing and if we all should be slurping down caffeinated gels during them, I asked an expert.

Magda Boulet has a master’s degree in exercise physiology, is an Olympic marathoner and ultra-trail running champion, and currently is the president of GU Energy Labs, one of the leading sports nutrition companies in the world. Before her current role, Boulet was the senior vice president of R&D at the lab, overseeing the development of new products for the better part of a decade. In short, she knows a thing or two about training, racing, and optimal nutrition.

“Yes, coffee is a big performance enhancer,” says Boulet, with a grin on her face and a coffee mug visible on our Zoom call. This is true across the board, she says. Caffeine can have a positive performance impact whether you’re male or female, young or old, and if you’re competing in activities ranging from a half hour to a half day or more. Specifically, research shows that caffeine from coffee, gels, and other forms provides an over placebo.

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Numerous Possible Benefits

The benefits of caffeine while exercising include thinking clearly, a lower perceived effort, and less fatigue, thanks to its impact on our central nervous system. Continuing to take caffeine throughout a run—perhaps via caffeinated gels or a cup of flat soda at a trail running aid station—keeps you more alert, which can help you avoid tripping and falling, and to make better decisions, especially on long endurance efforts.

Boulet says that even a low dose (1 to 3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, or .5 to 1.5 mg per pound) will have a positive effect. In layman’s terms, this means drinking 1-2 cups of coffee (which average 80 to 100 mg per cup) before a distance race. A higher dose of caffeine can help with a finishing kick or a short and intense workout, as long as you don’t overdo it. Excess caffeine—the tipping point differs for each individual—can cause headaches, anxiety, and elevated blood pressure, among other issues.

Besides the amount of caffeine, Boulet says, “The timing is critical, too.” Caffeine takes about an hour to absorb into our bloodstream and has its largest impact during the first four hours. Therefore, Boulet recommends a cup of coffee an hour before a race, followed by steady and smaller doses throughout longer efforts.

During the race is where caffeinated gels, chews, and drinks come in handy, fitting easily in your pocket and designed to be used repeatedly during exercise, with carbs, sodium, and electrolytes baked in. For new runners, Boulet suggests, after starting with 3 mg/kg (1.5 mg/lb) before a run, adding 1-3 mg/kg (.5–1.5 mg/lb) per hour on longer efforts, which translates to one or two typical gels per hour for most runners.

These suggestions, however, will vary for every individual and the length of a workout or race.

“Certain genetic makeups will change how fast you metabolize caffeine, so an hour is just a starting spot,” says Boulet. “You’ll need to test for yourself. Some people will metabolize caffeine faster than others.” That said, the form of caffeine you choose to ingest—coffee, other drinks, gels, or chews—will not have a significant difference on how long it takes to kick in, Boulet says.

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Choose What You Use Wisely

To make sure athletes are able to get enough caffeine for optimal performance, Boulet and her team developed the , which has 70 mg, or double what some other gels have but still less than the average cup of coffee. Made with green tea extract, it is less bitter than anhydrous caffeine, a synthetic version that most brands use for gels and chews. When Boulet won ultramarathons—including Western States 100 and Leadville 100— she would aim to take a couple Roctane caffeinated gels per hour, especially in the latter half of the race.

The amount of caffeine in gels and energy shots commonly used by runners varies significantly, from 30mg to 200mg. Knowing how much caffeine you’re ingesting before a run will help you optimize the positive impacts and reduce any drawbacks.

Of course, there are downsides to before or during a workout, too. Common side effects from large doses include dizziness, nausea, and stomach issues, especially on longer and harder efforts, where your body is already drained and trying to manage fatigue, heat, and stress.

Boulet says there is no silver bullet, because caffeine’s impact varies with each individual—some may feel jittery with the same dosage that has little effect on another person. So, just like figuring out how your body handles fueling during a race (either by solid foods or liquid fuels), it’s important to test for yourself by experimenting during training. Like training, shoes, fuel—everything—it takes trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

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The post Should You Drink Coffee Before Your Race? We Asked a Legend and an Expert About Caffeine’s Impact on Running. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

“You might have to work harder as a female,” Lel Tone replies when asked about barriers she’s faced over her career as ski patroller, avalanche forecaster, and heli-ski guide, “but I don’t have a chip on my shoulder. It’s just motivation to be better than everyone else.”

Soft spoken and perpetually upbeat, Tone was one of Alaska’s first female heli-ski guides, leading her first clients 24 years ago. However, until this winter, she had never flown with a female pilot.

“I know a handful of female guides like Kim Grant at Points North and Kristen Kremer at Valdez, but never, in the history of ever, have I flown with a lady pilot,” said Tone, “and you can feel the difference.”

Tone grew up in Switzerland with parents who took her skiing for the first time at the age of two. “They bought plastic skis from the grocery store and strapped them to my winter boots,” said Tone, with a smile, “then we went on a family ski trip to Austria.”

Being exposed to skiing at a young age helped Tone develop a comfort in the mountains, which led her to where she is today. After graduating high school she took a job ski patrolling at , a resort in Maine. “Even as a teenager I knew how important nature was in my life. I’ve spent a lifetime working towards being outside as much as I can.”

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After college, Tone moved to Lake Tahoe and was hired as a ski patroller at Palisades Tahoe. With a medical background and desire to help people, she was drawn to snow science. “It felt like the practical next step. My first year I started cutting my teeth in avalanche education and forecasting.”

In 1999, Tone took a job in Alaska as the medical coordinator for Points North Heli-șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs, but soon started guiding clients in the Chugach. “They were short staffed so I was thrown into the fire. I was scared shitless, but I knew my job was to keep people safe.”

Since then, Tone has guided Warren Miller film crews, competed in extreme ski comps, and co-founded , a series of women’s avalanche safety clinics, all while patrolling at Palisades and heli-ski guiding in Alaska for two months each season. With her rĂ©sumĂ©, Tone is the type of person you should be intimidated by, but that’ll never happen, because she’s so friendly.

“Lel is a complete badass, one of the best guides we have,” says Meghan Hansmeyer, the Lodge Manager at , where Tone works in March and April, “but she’s all about you. She’s the ultimate hype woman; she brings out the best in everyone. She doesn’t care how steep the line is or who skis first—and she even makes time to help with dishes at the lodge at night.”

Heli-skiing is one of the most macho and masculine corners of the ski industry, but Lel goes about her job in a unique way. “She always encourages questions from quests,” says Hansmeyer, “and takes time to get to know everyone in a real way. She makes the experience fun for everyone.”

When asked about her leadership style, Tone hedges, saying that she always starts with listening. “I often get told I’m a mama bear,” says Tone, who has built a career with a nurturing mentality. “I try to recognize when guests feel a little uncomfortable or scared shitless and I help them work through it.”

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While she has never run up against blatant discrimination, Tone concedes, “there are no shortcuts for women. You can’t just be middle of the road as a female. It doesn’t matter who you know or where you went to school, you just have to be really good at your game. If you can prove yourself to your peers, you’ll rise through the ranks. I embraced that wholeheartedly from the start.”

The rare overt sexism Tone has experienced came from guests. “Occasionally I meet new clients at the landing pad who look at me differently,” says Tone, who at 5’2” doesn’t look like your typical heli-ski guide. “When that happens, I just want to prove them wrong. After a few runs it’s always gone.”

Although heli-ski guiding appears individual from the outside, Tone thinks collaboration is the most important part of the job. “As a guide, I have systems that set me up for success. They save my ass. Pilots have their systems, too,” says Tone. “So it’s a collaborative effort and you have to compromise.”

After a quarter-century of guiding, Tone says she can quickly spot the small differences between pilots, but this year a big difference stood out. “My heart swelled the first time I saw my pilot was a chick,” says Tone. “I’ve never been one to scream from the mountain tops, but I do wish there were more women in our field. It’s just a different vibe flying with a lady.”

Growing up on Whidbey Island just north of Seattle, Kimber Warder started dreaming of flying as a kid. “I wanted to be a commercial airline pilot when I was young and I never doubted that dream. What I love is that it keeps you in the moment. It can be stressful in bad weather, but it’s so much fun to fly.”

Warner got her helicopter license 19 years ago and started her career with firefighting and construction work across the country. “It was all over the map. East Coast, Florida, Mexico, Colorado, California, and now Alaska,” says Warder, who likes traveling to new places, but cares more about who she works with.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Lel,” says Warder. “She’s always in a good mood. She takes her time with guests and truly gets to know them. Communication is key with any job but especially in a pilot-guide combination, and Lel is so easy to work with.”

Despite a calm and quiet exterior, Warder approaches her work meticulously. “I do a lot of research and am cautious with weather, fuel, and risks in general,” says Warner. “There are so many more risk factors in Alaska. My main goal is to get everyone back. I want to do this all the time, not just today.”

Warner is always trying to learn from the guides she works with. “The best part of heli-skiing is that there is no formula. Every dropoff and pickup is different, so you’re always learning,” says Warder. “Every guide does it a little differently, so you have to communicate. I try to be direct with what I need and ask them what they want, too.”

After more than a decade of experience, Warder got her first job at a heli-ski lodge in Utah six years ago. Then, after working in Idaho for four seasons, sheÌę moved to Alaska last year. “The mountains in Alaska are unlike anything else. They create some unique challenges, too,” says Warder.

Like Tone, Warder has experienced sexism in her career, but tries not to focus on it. “That’s the world we live in, so I just show up and do my best job,” she says. “If a guy pilot says something and I say something else, they’ll take his word. That’s the inherent bias, but it can’t bug you all the time or you’ll be upset all the time. I want to be a positive person, so I’ve learned how to move on.”

Together, Tone and Warder create a unique energy in the mountains. “Kimber has a light and warm personality and is very professional,” says Hansmeyer. “Like Lel, she knows how to make people feel safe. We have a lot of guests who have never been heli skiing before and these two make it comfortable for everybody, whether they have hundreds of days or they are just a beginner.”

The post Alaska’s First Female Heli-Ski Guide, Pilot Duo Hopes More Women Will Follow Their Lead appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Unlike the Kumano Kodo, ŽłČč±èČčČÔ’s famous pilgrimage route and one of just two roads on the planet designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Nakasendo is rarely known outside of the country.

Built at the start of the Edo period in the early 1600s, it connected the empire through its mountainous interior. The Nakasendo thrived for two and a half centuries, propelling trade along its cobbled path, before it was lost to history.

In its heyday, the Naksendo was 330 miles long and connected Kyoto to Edo (present day Tokyo), cutting southwest to northeast right in the center of the country. Along it were 69 post towns, each five or so miles apart, for travelers to stop, eat, and exchange goods. While the majority of the path is now covered by pavement, some stretches and original towns are well preserved, with wood buildings and traditional interiors, allowing visitors to travel 400 years back in time.

Wanting to do just that, I brought together a group of friends and professional runners, including a pair of U.S. Olympains Des Linden and Magda Boulet, and two accomplished 100-milers, Tim Tollefson and Ruth Croft, to run the most iconic stretch, from Nagoya to Matsumoto. This was a dream group that meshed easily because everyone felt a heightened passion for using running as a tool to explore a new place and new culture. Each day we would run about 20 miles, stopping at post towns, temples, and ramen shops, and each night we’d stay at an inn or onsen, soaking in natural hot springs to recover and prepare for the day ahead.

Route and Onsens

There are distinct pros and cons to building a route around a trail that was built 400 years ago. The Nakasendo lends itself to the type of runner that wants to get more out of the experience than just putting one foot in front of the other. It has a deep history and rich folklore, good food and traditional inns, and sections that are remote and beautiful. These sections whisk you back in time to the Edo period, experiencing what it was like to travel on foot along the ancient postal route.

However, if you’re just looking for the absolute best trail running in Japan, the Nakasendo should be fairly low on your list. It’s a jumbled mix of trails, rural roads, streets, and highways, without a ton of continuity thanks to new development. Expect a good amount of road running to get to the iconic trail sections and a lack of fluidity on some days. That said, after a hundred miles of the trail, I still think it’s totally worth it.

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Our route passed through four well preserved post towns, Tsumago, Magome, Fukushima, and Narai, near dozens of temples and shrines, with ample opportunities to stay at traditional inns and onsens along the way. This was a huge highlight that allowed us to tap into Japanese culture, while recovering for more miles the next day. Sometimes we would even get up early in the morning to soak again.

To average 20-plus miles each day, we used the support of a luggage transfer service to move our bags to the next accommodation. This allowed us to run just water, snacks, and spare layers, making the experience much more enjoyable. If you consider following this route, I would highly consider this option.

Navigation on the route itself is a mixed bag—some of it is marked well, while other parts are almost non-existent. I would recommend downloading GPX files and being comfortable with a navigation app like Gaia before you head out on the Nakasendo.

Flights and Trains

Following the worst of the pandemic in November 2022, Japan re-opened their borders to foreigners and Japan has become easy to travel to. Our group rendezvoused at the Haneda airport, then spent a day in the city to explore the famous fish market, eat ramen, and recover from the jet lag. While we could have stayed longer, we decided to maximize our time on the Nakasendo.

From Tokyo, it is easy and affordable to take high speed trains to other cities around the country, including our start and end points. The ride to Nagoya took a couple hours and the return trip from Matsumoto was about the same. If I were to run the Nakasendo again, I wouldn’t change any of our logistics. The trains saved us the cost of a rental car, learning to drive on the left side, and the hassle of shuttling it daily.

Weather and Wildlife

We visited Japan in the fall, hoping for cool running temps, fewer tourists, and autumn colors. This decision paid dividends, with most days ranging from low 40s to the high 60s, ample availability at many inns and onsens, and vibrant leaf colors, especially in the high country.

We started our run near sea level and topped out in the mountains around 4,000 feet. While fall often brings unpredictable weather to the Japanese Alps, that was not the case during our trip.

We’d been advised to pack a raincoat for the high likelihood of storms, but ended up never using them. With nearly perfect running conditions for the duration of the trip, we were able to slow down and savor the tea houses, temples, and ramen stops along the way. Also, while there were quite a few warning signs for bears, and we saw many hikers with bear bells, we didn’t spot any ourselves and were later told by a local guide that they no longer exist so far south in the Japanese Alps.

Permits and Fees

Running the Nakasendo takes a good amount of planning—which is tricky if you’re not fluent in Japanese—but does not require any permits or entry fees. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű of the major cities in Japan, English isn’t super common even at restaurants and stores, so be prepared to use tools like Google Translate to get by. Much of the Nakasendo is through the rolling countryside, where you’ll meet more locals than other hikers or runners, but again, it can be hard to interact with many of them. A few of the post towns are very popular tourist destinations, but long stretches of the Nakasendo feel almost forgotten in time.

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Gear That Worked

: Wanting to pack as light as possible, I opted for one pair of travel-around-town shoes and one pair of running shoes. Therefore, I needed something that would be versatile, durable, and comfortable for big days. The Ultrafly—yes, the new carbon-plated race-oriented shoe—proved it could be a do-it-all travel shoe, providing enough grip on the trail sections without making long stretches of pavement miserable. No blisters, no falls. I’ll take it.

: Not knowing when and where we’d stop for lunch every day, I packed a healthy amount of snacks in my running back. While I generally prefer savory things like chips, on this trip I found myself gluttonously feasting on stroopwafels, a Dutch-style treat that acts like a gel but tastes like breakfast.

: As someone who regularly runs with a full-frame camera, large first aid kit, spare layers, InReach, and hordes of snacks, I tend to opt for larger-volume packs. That said, I also try to find packs that don’t feel like a shifty monkey on my back. My go-to is the Slope Runner, which can carry up to 18 liters and be cinched down snug and secure on your back.

: While it’s not light enough to bring on a true backcountry trip, the Theragun Mini is the perfect tool for travel trips like this one. To be clear, we didn’t carry it during the day, but did enjoy having it at night to speed up recovery, reduce soreness, and make sure my quads didn’t completely fall off trying to keep up with this group of superhuman runners.

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Let’s be honest: There’s a tried-and-true formula that most ski movies follow. A group of heroes is on an all-too-familiar quest, then cue the slow-mo slashes, steep spines, and stylized shots 
 and repeat until the end. It can all blur into one long segment at times. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing—we love a shreddy stoke film as much as the next person—but we can all agree that it gets repetitive at times.

, a Bend, Ore.–based skier and filmmaker, decided to throw out the rulebook with The Blackcountry Journal, a short film that mixes backcountry freeskiing with his lifelong passion for jazz. Beneath the smooth soundtrack and savory facade is a complex story about race in skiing, although the nuance may take a few views to rise to the surface. Shot in monochrome and structured in three parts, the film abstractly follows Duncan’s story as black man trying to find his place in the white ski industry.

We sat down with Duncan upon his return from the Banff screening to learn about the making of The Blackcountry Journal. Be sure to when it’s released to the public on Nov. 8.

SKI: Welcome home! How are you?

Mallory Duncan (MD): I’m doin’ alright. Life is chaos right now. I’m juggling a lot, getting ready for the digital launch. I’ve been handling all the post production, from festivals to distribution. It’s been a huge learning experience, but also exhausting. I just got back from screening it at Banff this weekend, along with a bunch of films from CK9 and Level 1, and that contrast certainly made the film stand out.

SKI: What are a few of the recent lessons?

MD: The biggest one is how to say no. I need some time at my house to regroup. I was gone for three weeks and have more travel coming up, so I’m grateful for time at home. It’s all a balance. Also, it feels uncomfortable to promote something this much. That’s not me. I know it’s important for the film’s success and I only get to release my first ski film once, but it feels weird to be posting about it everyday. But, I am proud of what we made and want people to watch it, so I’m just going for it.

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SKI: What’s the theme of the film?

MD: I have been processing this a lot so I appreciate you asking. It’s about “artistic” expression. Skiing doesn’t need to be the gnarliest line or raddest thing. It doesn’t need to be big, unattainable tricks. Instead of pushing limits, it’s about expressing myself on a slope. Looking up and seeing art. Developing my own style of skiing. I wanted to make the skiing relatable and focus on the creative aspects of filmmaking. Below that is a story about finding my place in the ski industry as a black man, but I didn’t want the race part to be heavy handed. You’ll either pick it up or you won’t, and either is okay with me.

SKI: The film is based around a couple poems you wrote; what are the most important lines?

MD: The first poem I wrote in late 2020 and it was the catalyst for the film. The second poem, the one that the film ends with, has been more impactful recently. One of my favorites I thought of while skiing Mount Jefferson. “Did you feel the rhythm of the wilderness, while you rested on a rocky shoulder, the beat of rock fall reverberating off the canyon walls.” It was a beautiful moment and it needed to be in the film.

Another is about appreciating the art left on the slope. “When you look back, didn’t you see the piece you played, improvised on the peaks’ paper flanks.” I love the alliteration of it. Making the film based on the poems helped me connect to skiing in a new way. I hope that it inspires others to express themselves too.

SKI: What other films did you use as inspiration?

MD: One in the ski world and one is not. The first is . It’s an experience just watching it. You can feel that energy without any words. I wanted to do that with The Blackcountry Journal. The second is by Topaz Jones. He’s a hip-hop artist and calling it a visual album doesn’t do it justice. It’s powerful because it can be interpreted in so many different ways. It’s a form of black art, by a black filmmaker, about black identity without putting it right in your face. I appreciate the subtly.

SKI: How does race play into your film?

MD: I wanted to show that black people have a place in skiing, not tell people how they do. I like to be about things, not talk about them. I live a black experience, but that doesn’t define me as a skier. While I will never deny my blackness, I don’t have to force it into conversations either. Just by existing in these spaces I am part of the movement for more representation in snow sports. It’s better to show, not tell.

SKI: Is there anything would you have done differently?

MD: There’s a lot of small tweaks and edits that I could obsess over for the rest of time, but generally speaking I’m really stoked on where it landed. Honestly. Sometimes I wish we added some of the bigger lines we skied in Alaska, but our goal was about the expression of the sport, not proving I’m a good skier. The open, mellow glacier skiing is where you really get to improvise and I’m happy we stuck to that.

SKI: Are you inspired to do more filming after this is behind you?

MD: Absolutely. I want to continue telling stories about skiing in a unique way, drawing connections to urban culture, music, and hip hop culture. We’re throwing around a lot of ideas right now and I can’t speak directly to them yet, but as someone who grew up in the city, I see an opportunity to make more ski films relatable to urban folks. I want to talk about skiing in a way that brings more people into the sport.

Watch The Blackcountry Journal on YouTube

The post ‘The Blackcountry Journal’ Turns the Traditional Ski Film on Its Head appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

A few months ago, I noticed an odd thing about my Garmin Enduro 2 watch. At the start of my Saturday run, instead of immediately searching for satellites, it displayed a new screen, an customized just for me. I was planning to do a long run, but my watch said I should do intervals instead.

Initially, I scoffed. How could this wrist device know what my body needs, better than me? The longer I sat with it, the more curious I got.

In the last few years, running watches have made substantial leaps forward. They are now able to collect and analyze a wealth of information, stuff like heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, respiration rates, sleep cycles, stress, acclimatization, stride mechanics, and other metrics. Even midpack models offer a robust feature set that would’ve been hard to imagine a decade ago. Most major watch brands like Suunto, Coros, and Polar now offer a suite of recovery recommendations, load tracking, and basic workout suggestions.

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Could my Garmin watch actually know something I don’t about my training progress? Could it, heaven forbid, replace a coach? I have had a handful of coaches over my running career, usually whenever I had a clear race or goal in mind, so needless to say, I was skeptical. Currently I have no coach, and no specific race I’m preparing for, so I decided to be a guinea pig, making a resolution to wear my Garmin for a full month, 24 hours a day, and do everything it recommended.

Who Is This AI Coaching Watch Function Made For?

In 2020, Garmin bought , a Finnish company, and started to release suggested workouts a few months later, crunching numbers on your recovery, sleep, and body strain to recommend what you should do on any given day. The goal? To use machine learning to help improve users’ VO2 max and lactate thresholds, or in other words, your short- and long-term fitness capacity.

It’s easy to be skeptical—even this publication is dubious of Garmin’s recovery algorithm—but the more I asked around, the more I realized how few people had actually given these suggested workouts, or even the Garmin Coach feature, a fair shot.

So who, exactly, are these suggested workouts for? Joe Heikes, Forerunner Product Manager, says that Garmin developed these recommendations for “the middle of running’s society.” The top quarter of the sport—highly competitive, elite, pro runners—likely have a coach already, while most new runners aren’t ready for a structured training plan as they ease into the sport.

“This feature is for committed runners who need a little help,” says Heikes. “They don’t need a ton of hand-holding, but do want a plan and to see progress.”

Herman Bonner, who works for Firstbeat Analytics, says the biggest challenge is trust. “Anytime you’re giving advice, you first have to prove you are trustworthy. This takes a lot of time and effort.” But Booner is confident in the algorithm. “As an analytics company, we sifted through all kinds of data, applied accepted training philosophies, and tested for years, but our customers don’t see that,” he says. “They have to use the feature to see the benefits, but it’s hard to commit before you trust it. So there is a loop.”

Heikes says they first identified the need almost ten years ago. Garmin was getting feedback from users who wanted guidance on workouts, something to push them in the right direction. “I was skeptical when I started testing it; so was Herman,” Heikes says. “The watch will never be perfect. It’s built on a specific coaching philosophy that’s not right for every runner, but it’s far better than nothing.”

Automated Training Plans: First-Hand Experience

Because suggested workouts are informed by the aggregate of all the data your watch is able to collect, I committed to wearing it nonstop. This isn’t normal for me—I typically wear watches only for runs—but I knew it would be more accurate (and presumably beneficial) if I was fully committed.

From there, Garmin took over. I didn’t have to log my workouts or figure out my baseline fitness, like you would with a new coach. All of this hums along in the background and only gets more accurate the more you use the watch—the strange beauty of AI tracking everything you do.

As I learned, there are seven different types of recommended workouts: a mix of recovery runs, base endurance, high-intensity aerobic workouts, and anaerobic training efforts. I found this to be diverse enough to stay interested for a month, but I wonder if it would get repetitive in the long run. I would later learn it’s designed as a step in the process of establishing a running routine, not necessarily something you would rely on for years.

The workouts scale as you get more fit, in terms of duration and intensity. My ramp-up started slow, but as the weeks flew by, I did notice an acceleration, especially in the duration of my harder workouts. My biggest pain points were in the first week when the watch served up some questionable recommendations. For example, on my second day, Garmin suggested a tempo workout, but I was feeling terrible after sleeping poorly, so I did an easy run instead.

Garmin acknowledges its own imperfection on their website: “,” implying that you can skip workouts as needed. Blips like this are part of the process—the watch is trying to learn your long-term patterns, and errors are much more likely early on.

On the plus side, right away I noticed how well the algorithm incorporates data from other devices, like my Garmin Edge bike computer. This is critical, as someone who keeps a relatively even balance between running and riding. It also incorporates big efforts in the gym, telling me to back off my next day of running after a hard kettlebell workout. I liked this multi-sport integration, which applies to many other weekend dabblers like me.

The Final Verdict

Overall, I found the AI behind the watch to be mostly accurate, suggesting base efforts in line with my expectations, threshold workouts consistent with past workouts, and anaerobic sprint workouts to be hard, as they should be. While it took time to build trust, I feel confident that the logic is sound, although not for everyone. If you already have specific workouts you like that focus on key running metrics like VO2 max or lactate threshold, you’re probably not the intended user of the feature anyway.

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While I enjoyed my month using the feature, I’ve already returned to my old habits of training by feel, an approach that offers more flexibility. But maybe this experiment says more about my personal preferences than it does about the watch and its algorithms.

Heikes says the suggested workouts feature was not developed to replace coaching, though he thinks they could certainly complement each other. “There is a lot of data for a coach to look at for high-level advice, while letting the watch operate as an AI training plan for day-to-day workouts,” he says.

Corrine Malcolm, who has been coaching since 2016 and founder of , sees an opportunity for coaches to work in tandem with AI coaching platforms.

“The biggest challenge of coaching is how to scale. If you’re doing it right, you can only support a few dozen people at a time,” says Malcolm, who believes a hybrid model could provide value to a runner who doesn’t want to pay a large monthly fee.

“Think of it like a low-cost, low-touch model. A weekly office hours to ask questions to a human, while mostly relying on the AI to give workouts.” Leveraging the algorithms ability to collect and analyze data, Malcolm says a hybrid model could help her coaching business scale while giving runners a new style of coaching to consider, and from which to benefit. “I could probably coach a few hundred people this way, which is a win-win for everybody.”

After my personal experiment, I can see the value of the data and suggested workouts to inform and simplify coaching. And for someone just a couple years into the sport without a coach, I’m confident that the suggested workouts will help improve fitness and variation, provided you stay consistent and (gasp!) trust the algorithm.

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I have never been a Nike fanboy, even as a young, impressionable kid. I started running consistently in middle school cross country and have worn a wide variety of shoe brands for the last twenty-odd years, but I rarely sported a swoosh. The juice was never worth the squeeze– similar quality shoes were always cheaper. All that changed two months ago when I started running in a pair of the Invincible 3.

After a couple decades of pounding pavement, gravel, and dirt, I’ve learned a few things. Namely, if my body is going to run big miles week in and week out, I need a well-designed, well-cushioned shoe to stay healthy. I prefer a big drop and a lot of foam, but I also like the feeling of a little pop beneath me, as opposed to the lifeless stack of rubber, plastic, and dense foam that comprises the sole of most max-cushioned models. Enter the Invincible 3, stage right.

After running 400 miles in this pair, I’m sold—even with a $180 price tag. Previous iterations were cushy and comfortable, but this one takes the leap because it also has a stiff, fast, and snappy feel. The midsole is filled with 40 millimeters (three millimeters more than the Invincible 2) of ZoomX, Nike’s proprietary Pebax-based compound that absorbs energy and bounces back quickly. This foam paired with a redesigned upper provides the feeling of springing forward, making it the first max cushioned shoe that I find fast and truly fun to train in.

What Makes the Shoe Unique

The Invincible 3 is Nike’s most cushioned shoe, designed to reduce fatigue for high-mileage runners. The secret is the sheer volume of the foam under your foot. It has the largest amount of ZoomX in any shoe without a supportive shank or plate.

Bret Schoolmeester, senior director of running footwear at Nike, says the Invincible flips the industry shoe-making philosophy on its head, prioritizing cushion first, then creating stability around it. The key, he says, was starting with the right ingredient. ZoomX—a foam first rolled out in 2016 in the original Vaporfly marathon-racing super shoes—softens your landing and provides better energy return and responsiveness, making miles feel easier. It’s also half the weight of traditional foams.

Charles Han, the lead designer behind the shoe, was tasked with creating stability while sticking with a 40-millimeter stack. He did so by revising the geometry of the shoe in this third version, pushing the form out to create outrigger zones around the toe and heel. These provide a larger landing and push-off surface, enhancing stability. The midsole rocker was also revised to help make your gait more efficient, reduce ground contact, and prevent overpronation. The slightly lateral rocker found in the previous version, which was intended to further smooth the transition through the stride, was removed to add stability, says Han.

Why No Plate?

One of the fastest growing trends in running—spearheaded in a large part by Nike—is the addition of supportive plates in the midsole of shoes to help improve running economy. Lightweight, stiff, curved carbon plates work together with advanced midsole foams to help you run faster and more efficiently, reduce fatigue, improve form, and provide a more stable platform. So, why make shoes without them?

“Plates provide a faster shoe. They allow the foot to do less work across more miles, but that’s not right for everyday runners, all the time,” Schoolmeester said. Nike wanted to bring a softer shoe with race-like technology to the masses. Han agreed, saying that the goal was to create a different feel for a different customer. Without a plate, the Invincible 3 puts less stress on your feet and ankles, reducing the risk of overuse injuries that growing anecdotal evidence shows is a downside of super shoes.

What’s New in Version 3

Interestingly, the new Invincible 3 is slightly heavier than previous versions and, generally speaking, is one of the heaviest in the max cushion category (the weight adds up with this much midsole volume—even when the foam is ultra-light ZoomX). Thanks to its springy attributes, however, it doesn’t feel heavy when running. It also has a smaller heel clip, which is not missed due to the enhanced geometry. It’s currently the only non-plated, max-cushion, Pebax foam shoe on the market. A few other models use essentially the same foam without a plate—Tracksmith Eliot Runner, Topo Cyclone 2 and Nike’s re-released Pegasus Turbo—but all have a notably lower stack.

The base has a modern waffle tread with a break in the rubber under the midfoot, which Han says improves the feel. The rubber cradles the ZoomX foam to stabilize the shoe, but the upper is even more important. The Flyknit upper offers a snug and secure fit, while allowing your foot to move in a natural motion. “Flyknit cables stabilize specific zones and provide structure, while offering breathability in spots,” Han says.“We use locked out cords to create stability in the shoe.” These sections of the Flyknit upper are stiff and rigid to maintain the form of the shoe and keep your foot locked in snugly.

Who Is It For

The Invincible 3 isn’t for everyone, and not for every run. If you’re looking to set a PR or prefer a stiffer ride, you’d be better off in something like the Alphafly. However, if you’re just putting in base miles and don’t care about a few lost seconds, the Invincible 3 is a great option. I’m currently logging over 80% of my mileage in them—even some speedwork and tempos.

If you prefer a shorter stack but like ZoomX foam and the Nike fit and ride, the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature is a good option at a similar price point. It’s not as cushioned (32–22mm stack height), or as supportive as the Invincible 3, but it is lighter. Considering options that don’t come out of Beaverton, Oregon, the new Brooks Glycerin 20 has a comparable 38-millimeter stack, also without a plate. It’s five ounces lighter than the Invincible 3, and uses a new foam in the midsole, DNA Loft3, which feels like it supports and pushes back as soon as it starts to compress—but it lacks quite the same responsiveness and springy feel as Nike’s ZoomX. The same goes for other max cushion shoes I’ve tested, Asics Superblast, Saucony Shift 3, and Hoka Bondi 8. They all feel cushioned and comfortable, but, for my stride, none induce the same type of fun feeling when running as the Invincible 3.

Bottom Line

If you’ve also found yourself in the max-cushion stage of your career but are still seeking some excitement, the Invincible 3 is worth an extra look. Its 40mm stack of super-foam, snug upper, and stable base offer a fun and fast feeling that brings smiles to the miles.

MSRP: $180
Weight: 10.6 oz (men’s); 9.1 oz (women’s)
Stack height: 40 mm (heel), 31 mm (forefoot); 9 mm drop

Ìę

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There may be no better place in the world than Lofoten, Norway for exploring remote trails on foot. During a recent trip, my running buddy, Matt, and I found nearly every trail in the expansive spider web of routes across the bucket-list archipelago completely empty. And there’s a good reason: Most were steep, sometimes gaining almost a thousand feet per mile. Many included scrambling over boulders, balancing on ridgelines, crossing streams and bogs, and, more than once, following breadcrumbs to re-find the trail.

Over the course of a week in September, we logged almost a hundred miles, often running twice a day, including an accidental Everest (over 30,000 feet of total elevation gain). Despite the variety in terrain—scree, mud, dirt, mossy tussocks—I brought just one pair of shoes, the . Sure, it was a gamble; I’ve had shoes that have wrecked my feet in a week. But I didn’t have much space in my bag and was willing to take an educated guess. As it turned out, I couldn’t have been happier with that decision.

The Mafate Speed 4 is a new technical trail shoe from Hoka, the Chamonix-turned-Santa-Barbara footwear maker, updated this year with a more breathable upper, lighter and more responsive foam midsole, and burly Vibram lugs for better traction. It’s not a ground-up rebuild from past iterations of the model—which I’ve tested and felt lukewarm about—but it is a solid leap forward, the small improvements adding up to a huge overall difference. Updates like a rubber toe cap for protection from rocks, stouter heel construction, and a gusseted tongue to keep out debris made me believe that this shoe could stand up to use on a wide variety of trails.

The Mafate Speed is not the lightest racer in Hoka’s lineup, nor is it the most supportive long-hauler. I certainly wouldn’t use it for my biggest days out—runs that take me past the marathon distance—nor would I lace it up to run something really fast. Oh, and I definitely don’t love it as a road crossover, with its stout five-millimeter lugs. That said, it’s exceptional at just about everything else.

Fall in Lofoten was a great place to test a trail shoe because the trails were exceedingly rocky, wet, and muddy—even with relatively good weather during our trip. On nearly every trail, we ran into numerous bogs, stream crossings, and slick rocks. The Mafate Speed provided ample grip in all of these situations. It doesn’t have an extra wide base or any of the additional stability features (such as a frame of firmer foam or embedded plates) that some other Hoka models feature, but it provided solid stability and confidence on technical ridgelines and loose climbs thanks to its snug fit, sticky rubber, toe protection, and grippy lug pattern.

The upper didn’t repel moisture from the boggy trails, but the mesh drained and dried quickly, allowing me to run in mostly dry shoes even when heading out in the morning and the evening of the same day. If I had a picked waterproof pair of trail shoes, they likely would never have dried out. The thoughtful tongue design kept most scree and small rocks out of the shoes, which meant fewer stops and more fun.

After showing off in Norway, the Mafate Speed 4 isn’t going into the back of the closet any time soon. I plan to use this versatile mid-distance trail shoe for most of my truly technical trail runs in the future, wherever they may be.

MSRP: $185
Weight: 10.4 oz (men’s); 8.5 oz (women’s)
Stack Height: 33 – 29 mm (men’s) / 31 – 27 mm (women’s)
Drop: 4 mm

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When the news broke in May 2021 that Ironman and UTMB were joining forces, the small corner of the internet that hosts the trail running community nearly lost its collective mind. Skeptics lamented the end of trail running’s eccentric, community-centric culture, while optimists celebrated the likelihood of better race organization, standardized rules, and real prize money. But nearly all of the hot takes missed the larger point entirely: Ironman, the largest operator of mass sporting events in the world, just went all-in on trail running? WHAT?!

Following his experience at Western States 100, David Roche made the argument that , especially in the long term. To paraphrase, trail running is evolving real-time as brands collectively invest millions of dollars each year. This added money is good for the sport, helping reach a wider audience and bringing in opportunities for everyone.

But IRONMAN’s bet on trail running wasn’t just a small, linear step forward. Much the opposite, actually. Already owning ultras in Australia and New Zealand, Ironman could have continued to invest incrementally, but instead opened up their pocketbook and bought the farm. This spring they rolled out an unprecedented suite of 25 races, spanning the globe from France to Thailand, China, Wales, Slovenia, Mexico, and Sweden. Crowned the UTMB World Series, it became, by far, the biggest race series in the sport’s history, almost overnight.

Which leaves aÌę Mont Blanc-sized question: what did they know that the rest of us didn’t? Catherine Poletti, UTMB President and Founder, and Andrew Messick, CEO of Ironman, presumably looked into their crystal ball and saw an opportunity too good to pass up. On the eve of the biggest race of the year in Chamonix, they opened up about the newly minted partnership and their bet on the future of the sport.

What The Data Says

“The data is pretty clear,” said Messick, “trail running has had double digit year-over-year growth in every continent for more than a decade.” The reason behind this? Trail running offers something everyone needs right now: freedom. In a world more and more crowded every day, Messick wants to capitalize on our collective need for an escape. “Trail running looks identical to triathlons 30 years ago. Lots of races and events created by small groups of very passionate people, but most of these people don’t want the risk or work of scaling up. The natural step is being acquired by a company like ours.”

World Athletics reports that trail running has grown , estimating that around 20 million people ran on trails this year. COVID is driving an even larger surge in the last couple years, which shows no signs of slowly down. There are roughly 3,600 organized races annually, most of which are run by small, local groups, with nearly 2 million race participants in total.

From a business perspective, the racing industry is built on fixed costs, says Messick. “There are clear prices for pulling permits, closing roads, and setting up aids, which we know well. Once you’ve paid these, the cost to add each additional athlete is low and the variable margin high.” IRONMAN mastered this math en route to becoming the largest race production company in the world.

Growth Requires Capital

When it comes to costs, racing is similar to retail. Opening a new store is capital intensive, so you need a plan to bring in customers quickly. That tenant is the heart of this partnership. “We work well together because we have different skill sets, but the same goals and values,” said Messick. “Our experience with triathlons gives us a framework for rolling out new events, and their connection to the community guarantees we reach large audiences and bring in a lot of participants.”

Heading into 2020, UTMB had 10,000 spots for 32,000 applicants at their flagship race series in Chamonix, France. This might sound like a problem, but for Poletti and Messick, it was a huge opportunity. UTMB knew it had the ability to create sky-high demand, and Ironman had the firepower to create ample supply. “COVID gave us time to think about what the future could be. UTMB was known around the world, but we had to find a way to export it to all the other continents,” said Poletti. “That’s when we started talking with Ironman.”

At the time, UTMB was still a small company without the resources to tackle such an ambitious goal. Ironman, on the other hand, was perhaps better equipped than any company in the world. “We were already working with Ironman through the Ultra Trail World Tour and knew we had the same vision of the future. We either could become partners or competitors, so it was an easy decision to work together,” said Poletti.

Simple Economics

“It’s simple economics,” said Messick, hinting at a threshold for profitability. “Ultra Trail Australia has over 8,000 runners across all races. Tarawera and Eiger each have 4,000. Lavaredo is closer to 6,000. Thousands of runners over multiple days is our sweet spot. We make sure all of our new races can scale to this.” In the future, Poletti said that there might be 50 races or more under the UTMB umbrella.

While many companies have aspirations to scale exponentially, few try to do it overnight. To many in the trail community, the announcement of the World Series this spring came as a shock. The small sport isn’t accustomed to quick, drastic changes from global players like Ironman. Behind the scenes, Messick and Poletti spent the winter purchasing races around the world, but to the general consumer, it happened all at once. This surprise rubbed many the wrong way, throwing a wrench in their summer racing plans.

But Ironman saw the change as necessary from a business perspective. “The idea was to establish a single qualification system to get to Chamonix” said Messick, “to do so we needed to move fast to provide a path. We risked losing customers to competitors if they didn’t have a local way to qualify. Rolling out the series in 5 or 10 years wasn’t an option for us, because it would ostracize too many people.”

However, Messick admits it’s a work in progress, with a lot of expansion left. “Right now we only have two races in the US and none in Canada. That’s two of the most important running markets in the world. And no races in Japan, India, or Korea, either. With the demand we’re already seeing, if we had 100 races in the series we’d probably fill them. It’s not so much about the future as it is about today.”

In those few words, Messick inadvertently showed his hand.Ìę Ironman big bet wasn’t predicated on the long term growth of trail running at all, but instead on a monopoly of the market today. With UTMB as a partner, they have the ability to drive both demand and supply. They don’t need a quantum leap in the market cap to see a return on their investment if they can capture what already sits in front of them.

In her parting words, Poletti confirmed the notion. “This is the next generation of the sport. It’s already happening today. We’re unifying all of trail running under the banner of the UTMB World Series.”

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As I crested my second col of the day and peered down at the 3,000-foot valley ahead, a gust of wind chilled me instantly after the effort of the climb. Knowing the descent down the switchbacks to a small rifugio could be a cold one, I pulled a windbreaker from my pack. Halfway through a quest to run Alta Via 1—also known as the Dolomite High Route—in three days, I was grateful for the volume of the ($179) that Patagonia had lent me to test for a few months.

My route spanned nearly 100 miles across the Italian Alps, with more than 26 thousand feet of elevation gain and loss, which meant I had to move fast and light. Thankfully, the trail passes more than a dozen huts where I could refill water, load up on butter-heavy calories, and bunk for the night—allowing me to pare down my kit to the weight of a typical day pack. Still, my mission required considerable essentials: poles, raincoat, puffy, buff, gloves, sunglasses, headlamp, stroopwafels, electrolytes, two 500m flasks, first aid kit, InReach satellite communicator, emergency shelter—and the much-appreciated windbreaker.

The run was an ideal setting for testing the Exploration, a new 18-liter vest-pack hybrid built on the fundamentals of the brand’s existing Slope Runner series. This version carries on the line’s tradition of keeping things simple and highly functional, while expanding the storage capacity by more than double the volume. The pack has a large main compartment, four front pockets on the shoulder straps, one hidden zippered pocket, and one external lash point for an ice ax, poles, or helmet.

But the new Exploration is different from its smaller siblings in more than just size. Patagonia designed the Exploration for big alpine missions and overnight trips that necessitate more gear than a typical running vest, but also require agility and comfort for long days. The pack accommodates bulky items like a small sleeping bag or bivvy, and carries moderate weight with little bounce or movement on your back, thanks to a top cinch closure paired with added elastic cords that loop into the shoulder straps to pull volume and weight close to your body.

Patagonia tapped the expertise of athletes like ultrarunner Luke Nelson to dial features in the Exploration. “I spent several years working with the designers to build this adventure vest,” Nelson told me. “I’ve used it for Tor Des Geants, multi-day running in Nepal, and dozens of adventures in the backyard. I think it is a great fusion of simplicity with just the features you need to get way out there.”

Having tested it in the Tetons and Cascades myself, I wanted to see how the Exploration would handle multi-day use and abuse, and the timing worked out to employ it on the High Route in northern Italy.

The good news is that the pack does an incredible job at the most important thing: carrying weight securely, even while running at a good clip. At one point I was hauling 15 pounds comfortably while negotiating steep switchbacks at speed. To date I’ve had zero chafing or wear issues, and often forgot how much I was carrying on my back. This is a rare feat. It’s easy to make a pack that carries a lot; it’s harder to make one that doesn’t bounce or sway while doing it. Oh, and the pack itself weighs only one pound.

The biggest downside is the design of the main compartment. It’s completely unstructured, so to stay organized, I packed my gear in stuff sacks, then put them inside the large compartment. I didn’t mind using the smaller sacks—it helped keep things organized and within reach. But what did bother me was the surprisingly narrow opening, making it cumbersome to take gear in and out (especially larger items like a camera). Another knock: while the pack comes with a weather-resistant DWR finish, the top closure doesn’t seal completely, so I often used a pack cover in heavy rain, just to be safe. These feel like obvious fixes for the next iteration.

Some of the Exploration’s finer details became noticeable over time. A perforated stiffener panel adds structure to the back, improving stability with moderate and heavy weights. The front pockets are easy to use and have enough space for snacks, full flasks, and other small essentials. Plus, I’ve found the 210-denier, 100 percent recycled ripstop nylon used for the body shell to be incredibly durable thus far, despite brushes against rocks and brambles and regularly being tossed into the corner of huts.

Overall I rank this vest-pack hybrid as one of the best in its class for its ability to carry weight much more comfortably than its competitors. This supersedes all other functionality for anyone looking to get into long alpine linkups, fast scrambles, and warm-weather fast-and-light missions.

Similar Models

—15 liter

Designed with a large hydration bladder and multiple compartments, the (men’s) and (women’s) packs are great options for fast and light trail running. The best feature is the comfortable hip belt that helps take weight off your shoulders.

—15 liter

Another running vest meets hybrid alpine pack, the Distance was one of the first in this new category. Durable and simple, the primary downside is that it doesn’t carry heavy loads as smoothly and stably as others.

—20 liter

This larger, feature-heavy design helps it stand out from the Exploration and others. However, while it can carry more in the main compartment and external pockets, we found the large shape and frame harder to run quickly with.

The post Patagonia’s New Fast-And-Light Vest Pack Is Best in ClassÌę appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

While the pandemic ski seasons led to bigger crowds and busier resorts in the U.S., our friends south of the equator have been treated to the opposite over the last couple of winters. Ski resorts in Australia and New Zealand, which both had strict lockdown policies and restrictions up until just a few months ago—New Zealand actually just on July 31—were the private powder playground of nationals. Not anymore.

 

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“Locals supported our mountains amazingly with many coming from all over the country to ski and snowboard, but with borders reopening and international guests returning, we’re expecting a pretty big season, close to pre-COVID business levels,” said Jen Houltham, media manager for in Wanaka, New Zealand. For the past two years the resort has been Kiwis only due to the rigid lockdown that made it hard for even nationals to get back into the country.

Locals we spoke to had mixed reactions, most recognizing that tourism is a major driver of the country’s economy and creates many jobs, but mourningÌę the loss of access and empty slopes due to the return of international visitors. Winter (in the Southern Hemisphere) is the slow season in New Zealand, with roughly monthly overseas visitors. Tourism at large, however, creates $16 billion in GDP, more than 5 percent of the country’s revenue.

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“This season brings its own challenges as it’s the first one with COVID in our community, which adds another risk to manage,” said Houltham, referring to the strict measures New Zealand took to mitigate COVID cases and deaths. The country sealed its borders in March, 2020, making it near-impossible for even citizens to return home, and requiring all those entering the country to quarantine for two weeks in designated hotels.

Their efforts paid off: , in a country with over five million. But this also means the country has been hesitant to reopen fully as they learn to live with the virus in their midst.

Meanwhile, winter has shown up in a big way so far this season. “We had a huge early-season dump and the snow is in mid-winter condition already. There’s some more on the horizon so we’re in really good shape,” said Houltham. “It’s been one of the best starts to the season ever, but we’re trying to stay flexible and expect the unexpected. Our goal is to face challenges with a smile, and if we can do that we’ll come out the other end alright!”

A storm at the end of July was so big that Mount Lyford Alpine Resort near Christchurch on the road, low visibility, and lifts covered in snow and rime ice. This storm brought two new feet of snow to many resorts in the area.Ìę

Just across the Tasman Sea, Australia has experienced a similar challenge. The last two ski seasons have been severely disrupted by the pandemic, with very few international visitors and lockdowns that have limited travel in-country. However, this season is off to a good start. Resorts in Australia re-opened in late May after record-breaking snowfall. Perisher, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, and Mount Buller were the first resorts to spin lifts, with Thredbo and Charlotte’s Pass in New South Wales following soon after.

“With a huge early season snowfall, guests can be confident of good snow conditions all season-long into October,” said Thredbo marketing manager, Caroline Brauer. Demand is booming and some peak season dates in July and August are starting to sell out. Many in Australia are saying this is the best start to winter in 50 years, with a series of storms dropping ten feet of snow in some ski areas.

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Even , the largest resort on Tasmania off the coast of Australia, opened a month early in mid-June. “It certainly sets us up for the winter season. The snow that has fallen is a great base for us to start on and there is more on the forecast,” said Lomond’s Ben Mock. “We had a lot of work to do to get us open and it was just a sigh of relief.”

If you’re thinking of planning a trip to get yourself some of this historic snowy winter below the equator, they’re about a third of the way through the season. Most Australian and New Zealand ski resorts wrap it up around late September/early October. You do need to be vaxxed to travel to either country, as well as show two negative rapid tests in New Zealand—but not in Australia.

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