The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts. Email: [email protected] for 1:1 Ultra Running Coaching. You can now support the MidPacker Pod on ⁠Patreon⁠. Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods. Want to leave Troy some feedback, recommend a guest, or make a suggestion? ⁠LINK HERE⁠ In Episode 001 of Trailing Indicators Corinne Shalvoy, Troy Meadows, and Matt Van Dalsem discuss various topics related to trail and ultrarunning from the perspective of their position in the pack Front, Middle, and Back respectively. They share their upcoming race goals and discuss the importance of the off-season for recovery and mental well-being. They also talk about structuring a race calendar based on personal goals and family commitments. The conversation highlights the importance of finding balance and maintaining motivation in the sport of trail and ultrarunning. The conversation explores training philosophy, transitioning from longer to shorter distances, and the importance of speed work. It also discusses the idea of building training plans around adventures and the importance of listening to your body and enjoying the trails. The participants find common ground in their experiences and emphasize the importance of individual motivation and enjoyment in running. Takeaways The off-season is important for recovery and mental well-being. Structuring a race calendar should consider personal goals and family commitments. Volunteering in the running community is a valuable way to give back and stay involved. Goal-oriented decision-making can help prioritize races and maintain motivation. Training should be fun and enjoyable, and it's important to listen to your body and not push yourself if you're not feeling motivated. Building training plans around adventures or personal goals can provide additional motivation and variety. Transitioning from longer to shorter distances may involve adjusting training volume and incorporating more speed work. Speed work is important for all runners, regardless of their pace or distance goals. Corinne’s Links @corinne_shalvoyage Ultra Uncovered Podcast Troy’s Links @troyontherun Troyontherun.com MVD Links @mvd_trailrunner If you are enjoying the content, please consider supporting our sponsors using the links below. Sponsor Links:  ⁠Run Trail Life⁠ - Run Trail Life Brings you casual apparel that lets you show off your love of trail running and ultrarunning while giving back to ensure that everyone has access to the beauty of nature for generations to come. With each item purchased, we donate $1 to Runners for Public Lands. Use code: midpackerpod to double the donation from your purchase.  Visit RunTrailLife.com to check out our line of Hats and Organic cotton T's. ⁠Freetrail⁠ - Bring Trail Culture with you everywhere you go and join an amazing community of extraordinary trail runners. Freetrail Pro membership is just $96 a year, giving you access to the Freetrail Slack community, training plans, weekly office hours, and so much more.  Visit Freetrail.com to sign up today. MidPacker Pod Links: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Patreon⁠ Troy Meadows Links: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Website⁠ | ⁠Strava⁠ Freetrail Links:⁠ Freetrail Pro⁠ | ⁠Patreon⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Website⁠ | ⁠YouTube