Welcoming Patagonia Trail Run Ambassador Krissy Moehl To Vermont - A Community Event Recap

On Monday, June 16, Patagonia Burlington and Skirack had the incredible opportunity to host a community trail run and presentation with Patagonia trail running ambassador Krissy Moehl. Planning an event on a Monday felt like a bit of a gamble, our expectation was about 20. But thanks to help from organizations like the Richmond Trail Running Club, word spread quickly. Soon, RSVPs were pouring in — over a dozen each day — and we realized this was going to be something special. More than 100 people RSVP’d which allowed us to plan for a larger group and more than 70 people joined us.

Thankfully, Cochran’s Ski Area partnered with us and allowed us to use their trails and lodge space, so we were equipped for the large crew that attended. Folks were ready after their work day to run with us, and there were plenty of people there completely on their own to bike the trails. Fortunately, these trails and the amount of users were able to coexist, and the mountain bikers got to see the run groups navigate the same terrain. Krissy joined the intermediate, casual-paced group, and was able to connect with folks before her presentation. To make the run even better, the weather conditions were stellar, if a little humid. With Vermont’s summer so far, it was hard to know whether it would be a rainy day, but the temperamental weather held out for us!

Krissy Moehl was a delight to have back in Vermont. Krissy is an ultramarathon runner, running coach, author, and the race director of the Chuckanut 50k. In her 20+ year competitive career, she ran more than 100 races. She has 2 outright wins and 65 female wins at the world's toughest ultras including Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 165km, Ultra Trail du Mont Fuji 100 mile, Gaoligong by UTMB 160km, HURT 100, Hardrock 100, and several others. Through her passion for trail running, Moehl has explored the world, relationships and self through the lens of running. Moehl hails from the Pacific Northwest, and her book Running Your First Ultra is in its second edition.

During her presentation, Krissy spoke candidly about the evolving experience of being an aging athlete — particularly as a woman — and how she's learned to adapt both mind and body. She shared,

“Competitive ultra running shaped more than 20 years of my life. It filled my passport with many of my favorite sleepless, under-nourished, long-haul adventures and it has taught me along the way. Young to the sport at 21 years of age, in a time where the average age was 47, I had many great mentors and the promise of longevity. What I did not have was examples of people, much less women, that started ultrarunning in their early 20s to know what longevity looked like or examples to model my running career after.”

Now, Krissy herself is that model — demonstrating what sustainable success in the sport can look like, with an emphasis on honoring your body’s needs over time.

Some of Krissy’s favorite tips and takeaways included:

• Develop a nighttime routine and prioritize sleep. She recommends magnesium glycinate as a gentle and effective sleep aid.
  
• Finding your own meditation practice to support sleep, recovery, and mental health. Krissy does a full body scan in her mind to check in and ground herself.
  
• “If your run didn’t solve your problem, maybe you need to run a bit longer.”
  
• Remember: the male hormonal cycle runs on a 24-hour clock, while the female cycle is about 28 days. Tailoring your training accordingly can help reduce injury and improve performance.
  
• Listen to podcasts like: Hit Play Not Pause and Trail Runner Nation’s Aging Athlete episodes.
  

The energy from the evening was contagious, and we’re so grateful to everyone who helped make it possible — Cochran’s Ski Area, Patagonia Trail Running, Patagonia Provisions for providing snacks, to Krissy herself, to the run leaders and sweeps, and of course, every person who showed up to run, listen, learn, and connect. A special shoutout to the Richmond Trail Running Club and other local groups who helped us spread the word.

Thank you to everyone who took part — whether you laced up for the run, joined us for Krissy’s talk, or both. Events like these remind us just how special our community is.

See you at the next one!