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From Wheels to Trails: 3 Lessons Learned From 278 Races

March 26, 2025
From Wheels to Trails: 3 Lessons Learned From 278 Races

Written by HydraPak Athlete Jeff Stern

Since my first event finish in 2009 I’ve lined up at 278 races. Until 2018 I mostly raced on two wheels, registering 130 finishes across the various bike disciplines: road, mountain and ‘cross. I also completed a triathlon in 2012 — one and done! The last seven years I’ve gone hard at the transition from copious saddle-laden adventures to a fair amount of time on my own two feet, logging 148 running results. Approximately three-quarters of those have been on the trails, but I’ve always enjoyed mixing in some road and track efforts along the way as well.

What’s motivated me over the last 15 years to try new race distances, disciplines, and constantly mixing up the surface is the chance to challenge myself and keep refining the various skills that apply across all of these types of endurance activities. I’ve always embraced my dynamic nature and enjoy being a jack of all trades, master of none. Through all this, I’ve learned some valuable lessons that guide my training and racing approach today. Here are the three key principles I’ve settled on to help me stay healthy, happy, and progressing year after year.

1. Hills Pay the Bills

I’m not sure who coined it (it definitely wasn’t me), but the adage “hills pay the bills” is spot on. Whether on the bike or running around the roads or trails, I always mix in short (15-45 second) hill reps earlier on in a training block, right before a big race to stay sharp, or if I’m feeling lazy and unmotivated to do a big workout on any given day. They are a great bang for your buck type of “workout”, don’t draw from the well too much, are a relatively safe form of speed work in disguise, and are easy to implement in a myriad of ways.

2.  The Little Thing Matter Mosts

An area of training too often overlooked are the “little things” i.e. foam rolling, stretching, yoga, mobility, PT, pre-hab, cross-training, and strength. The stuff when you’re first getting started in sport you feel like takes away time from the fun, but eventually come to realize are essential in keeping the good times rolling for years to come. I like to tell my athletes to spend 10-15 minutes less time running or biking and just get on the ground. Once you start to make it a daily and weekly habit, it becomes non-negotiable in your routine, you start to learn the ins and outs of your body better, the signals it’s giving you enabling you to catch potential issues early, thus giving you the opportunity to nip them in the bud through deeper mat work or training plan adjustments.

3. Trust Your Intuition

Last, but certainly not least and something I even messed up in my own training recently is to follow your intuition and make decisions accordingly. If you feel like you’re getting sick and know that your body could use an extra easy or rest day, don’t let the peer pressure of making it out for your Tuesday track workout in the frigid winter air and possibility of falling off your precious routine win out in the decision making process, and err on the side of caution. Much more often than not, less is more. I say take the damn rest day, run the workout later in the week, or skip it altogether. If running that session out of stubbornness drives you into a multi-week, bed-ridden flu or even worse some sort of lingering injury, you’ll be kicking yourself and wish you would have followed your gut. “When in doubt, rest it out” has a nice ring to it and I’m happy to sound like a broken record preaching that throughout the season.

Beyond these three guiding principles, hydration and nutrition are just are critical. Having a solid fueling plan, regardless of the race distance or surface, is essential for consistent success. The best way to build a reliable race-day plan is to prioritize fueling as much as, if not more than, the miles you log each week.

Going out for an easy one hour run on a route you know like the back of your hand? Ditch your watch and bring an hour's worth of fuel that you intend to use during an hour of your next marathon or ultra. Every outing is a chance to fine-tune what you take in, how often, and how you prefer to carry it (handheld, vest, belt). The process is all about experimenting and finding your ideal approach.

Just like making the "little things" part of your routine for longevity, turning carb and liquid intake into second nature is a game-changer. When fueling becomes automatic, race day becomes simpler — and having the gas to throttle toward the finish line makes all the difference.

At the end of the day whether you’re running your first 10k, marathon, 100k, or 100-miler, the principles remain the same:  enjoy the journey, embrace the process, and keep learning along the way.

*Photo credits: 1: Matt Johnson & 2: Marianne Hogan, Header: Wil Matthews