My 2018 List of Good Stuff for Trail Runners (aka Gift Guide)

This time of year, I like to share recommendations for worthwhile running- and outdoor-related stuff I discovered over the past 12 months. I’ve personally used and truly like all the items below. I didn’t carefully test or judge each one against others in its category, because I’m not a gear reviewer or product tester, just an avid mountain/ultra/trail runner and coach wanting to spotlight a few products that enhanced running and outdoor experiences.

Most of the links below will generate a small commission for me, to help support this mostly commercial-free blog, so thanks in advance for doing some shopping through this post! (Note: prices below are rounded up, and they’re subject to change, of course.)

Safety First

As described in this column I wrote for UltraRunning, a search-and-rescue tragedy hit close to home and reinforced the importance of safety on trail outings. The sidebar to that column lists the safety gear I recommend taking on solo trail outings, especially in the mountains. I’ll highlight two that I started using a great deal this year:

When heading out on a route where cell coverage is spotty, I take the Spot Gen 3 personal GPS tracking device with me. I turn it to tracking mode and periodically send “OK” messages to my husband. It gives peace of mind knowing that someone will find me through the signal if for some reason I lose consciousness, and also, that I have an “SOS” button at my fingertips that would signal search and rescue if something life-threatening suddenly came to pass.

It’s not cheap—once you buy it for $150 (50% off if you take advantage of a rebate going on through December 31), you have to activate it, and a one-year basic subscription costs about $200. Find out more through Spot’s site about service plans. But this could be a life-saving investment.

I simply love the Katadyn BeFree soft-flask water bottle with a built-in filter. I use it all the time to refill from streams. If you need to refill from a natural source, then get one of these! ($40 for 20oz size)

Good Reads

The best running/adventure nonfiction book I read in 2018 is North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trailby Scott and Jenny Jurek.

Many know Scott Jurek as one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time and the author of Eat and Run. In his latest book, co-written with his wife Jenny, we see him struggling with self-doubt and identity in midlife, seeking to rediscover the desire to train and compete that drove his younger champion self. More than a runner’s book about endurance, this is a relationship book that captures the back-and-forth of husband and wife collaborating, arguing and growing stronger together. Jenny’s voice, and her role as Scott’s crew chief, makes this book stand apart from other running books that focus on the central athlete. All of the colorful characters who support Scott on his 2,189-mile odyssey—and the vivid descriptions of the Appalachian Trail itself—make North an epic and unforgettable adventure story. You can hear the interview with Jenny Jurek that I co-hosted on this UltraRunnerPodcast episode.

It’s been a year and a half since my book’s release, and it keeps generating positive feedback and 5-star reviews, like this one that popped up on its Amazon page last month: “This is a great book with a wealth of information for a trail runner, and fun to read on top of that! I really recommend it. … It comes through in the book how friendly and enthusiastic Sarah Lavender Smith is. She includes a lot of anecdotes and personal lessons alongside tons of information for a new trail runner like me. It covers *everything*—from specific training exercises and programs, to gear, to race day planning, just to name a few topics. So in September 2018 I ran my first 50K—quite a change for the guy who rarely got off the couch in his 20s and 30s. This book was a tremendous help in doing so.”

If you would like to order The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras, you can order through its Amazon page herebut, I am making an offer through the end of the year for a signed, personalized copy mailed to you at the same discounted Amazon price ($15 plus shipping). Email me if you’d like the details on how to order a signed copy with a special note from me.

Me with Hardrock RD Dale Garland at a book reading this summer hosted by the Durango Running Co.

Ultimate Direction Must-Haves

As an Ultimate Direction ambassador, it’s not surprising I’m drawn to their products and recommend them. I want to highlight just a few that proved essential while training for and running the San Juan Solstice 50, Ouray 100 and Telluride Mountain Run ultras, on high-altitude routes with severe weather.

On the Ouray 100 course, using my Ultimate Direction jacket, pants and Adventure Vesta. Photo by Howie Stern.

For the perfect combo when you need protection from wind and rain during a trail run, I love the waterproof, windproof  Women’s Ultra Jacket V2 (guys, there’s a version for you, too), $190. It’s breathable, has armpit vents, and a well-designed brimmed hood with a vent in back so I don’t feel claustrophobic when running with a hood over my head. And when the rain and hail are strong enough to warrant rain pants, I recommend the Women’s Ultra Pant V2, $120, made of the same fabric as the Ultra Jacket V2. “Rain pants” may make you think of clingy, heavy things, but you can really run and feel good in these.

All summer long, I found my Ultimate Direction Adventure Vesta 4.0 ($160) indispensable. I use the slightly smaller-capacity (10.1L)  Ultra Vesta 4.0, $135, for shorter trail runs, but for any longer outing when I need to carry more clothing layers, food and safety gear, I go for the 12.4L Adventure Vesta, which has roomier pockets up front. Note: check the product’s sizing chart, and if in doubt, size down. The XS/SM fits me fine, and I’m 5’7″ tall and 36″ chest.

Here I’m pictured in Colorado Springs at Jason Koop’s Memorial Weekend camp with the awesome coach and ultrarunner Corrine Malcom. I’m wearing the Adventure Vesta on the left, which has a burrito-sized zippered pocket up front that can also hold a water bottle, and Corrine is wearing the Ultra Vesta.

To carry all my stuff to ultras: UD’s Crew Bag. A cross between a lightweight duffel and a backpack, it has interior pockets for organizing, exterior see-through pockets for storing stuff I’ll need to grab quickly when crew meets me at aid stations, a separate roomy compartment for wet/dirty clothes or shoes, and well-designed straps for schlepping it. I like this bag ($125) so much, I started using it for regular travel as well as for ultras.

The Ultimate Direction Crew Bag is essential to organize and carry everything I’ll need at ultras.

My Favorite Puffy

I bought this Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket early in the year and wore it everywhere, all year round. It’s $200 full price but presently 30% off through that link. I like how warm yet lightweight, not bulky, this jacket feels and fits. Plus, its inner chest pocket functions as a stuff sack. Overall, I’m a fan of Patagonia and willing to pay a little extra for its products because of its commitment to the environment and social responsibility.

Me in the Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket that I lived in this year, with my client Tiffany Trevers celebrating her 50K second-place finish.

My Favorite Beanie

Early in the year, I co-hosted an event with someone I greatly admire, champion ultrarunner and Olympian Magdalena Boulet, and I thought, “Hmm….I really like her hat!” Later in the year, as you can see from the second photo below, I got my own GU Pom-Pom Beanie, and you can too for $25. While at their site, order some of the yummy flavors of gels that came out this year: Birthday Cake, French Toast and Chai Latte.

Me with Magda thinking, “I wanna run like her, and I want her hat!”

Me with my friend Jennifer O’Connor crewing at the Rio Del Lago 100, wearing my own GU Pom-Pom Beanie.

My Favorite Self-Massage Tool

We all have foam rollers and know we should use them. But when you have a troublesome spot on a stiff or stressed muscle that’s radiating pain (as I do near my hips and upper hamstring), it helps to have a ball on which to roll to promote myofascial release and blood flow to the area. You can use a tennis ball or softball fairly effectively, but this year, I discovered a medium-sized, 5-inch foam ball that I believe works better: TriggerPoint Foam Massage Ball MB5 (5-inch). I credit sports chiropractor and ultrarunner Hal Rosenberg for turning me on to it. Get one for yourself! ($23)

Rockin’ the rollin’ with a 5-inch hard-foam ball by TriggerPoint.

My Favorite Slippers

I’ll end with something more traditional, because who wouldn’t love slippers, especially for wintertime? I got these unisex Haflinger Classic Grizzly slippers ($125) early in the year and wear them around the house all the time. In fact, I’m almost never barefoot in the house, because my feet feel achy on the hardwood floors, and I need the substantial arch support that these not-sexy but so-cozy and supportive slippers provide. They function as the perfect recovery shoe post-run. Plus, I like the look of the cork soles!

Here are a couple of photos I took while trying to capture my pets snuggling—and I was wearing the Haflinger slippers, of course.

Need any more ideas for gift-giving and gear recommendations? Check out UltraRunnerPodcast.com’s guide—a cornucopia of goodies for trail runners.

Thanks for reading and supporting my blog this past year. As the photos above show, I’m guilty of writing some “fluffy” features, which may seem tone-deaf during this time when so many are suffering catastrophic losses and heartache. I share this post in part to provide some escapism as well as inspiration for better times, better things and better health. I’m full of gratitude for our family’s good fortune and for my loved ones. I hope we all strive to give more than we get and to help others who have lost so much. May you have a safe, happy and gratitude-filled holiday season.