Pain but No Gain?
Sometimes pushing through the pain is more detrimental than beneficial to your training.
Abby Hall and Caleb Olson won the Western States 100! Read our 2025 Western States 100 results article for the full race story, and watch Abby and Caleb’s post-race interviews.
Alex Nichols
Alex Nichols coaches at Colorado College as well as at Trails and Tarmac. He has a Master of Arts in Sport Coaching and a USATF Level 2 Endurance coaching certification. On the trails, Alex has finished second at the Western States 100 Mile and won the Pikes Peak Marathon, Mont Blanc 80km, and Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile. He's supported by SCOTT Running.
The Well-Rounded Runner
It is important to have specificity in training, but sometimes all we need is general fitness to succeed.
Taking a Down Week
Taking a down week helps your body recover and build on fitness gained within running cycles.
Patience: Developing This Tool for Race-Day Success
Coach Alex Nichols talks about the ever elusive virtue — patience — and how to put it to use on race day.
Breaking the Cycle of Failure Avoidance
Coach Alex Nichols talks about the failure avoidance cycle, and how we can break out of it.
Reconsidering Your Time Off after a Season of Running
Coach Alex Nichols talks about the importance of time off after a big race or training block, and how it should vary based upon a runner’s specific needs.
The Run Commute
Coach Alex Nichols writes about how run commuting can help balance our run training with the rest of our lives.
How to Choose a Long Run Effort
Alex Nichols describes the benefits of two types of long-run training: time-on-feet long runs and high-quality long runs.
Race-Day Strategy: Run Your Own Race
Alex Nichols, ultrarunner and coach, reflects on how he could have used a better race strategy at the 2021 Western States 100.
Getting Out of the Door When You Lack Motivation
Coach Alex Nichols shares tips for getting out the door to run when motivation is lacking.
Eat on the Run: Adapting Running Nutrition to Your Needs
How to adapt running nutrition principles to your individualized needs.
How to Use Time Trials in Your Run Training
Why and how to use time trials as part of your run training.
Learning From Disappointment
Coach Alex Nichols looks at what we can learn from a disappointing race.
The Advantages of Training on Flat Terrain
Coach Alex Nichols on the importance of flat training in trail running and ultrarunning.
The Pros and Cons of Running Once or Twice a Day
The pros and cons of running once versus twice per day.
Discipline and the GPS
Alex Nichols writes about maintaining balance between posting on social media and running healthfully and sustainably.
Returning to the Trails After Time Away
Coach Alex Nichols writes about returning to the trails after an extended time away.
Finding Your Running Confidence
Alex Nichols writes about finding the right kind of confidence in running.
The Seven-Day Training Paradigm
How the seven-day training paradigm helps us organize our training and what other time schedules can also work for us.
The Benefits of Training Alone
Coach Alex Nichols writes about some of the training benefits of running alone.
When to Change the Plan
Alex Nichols writes about adapting your training plan on the fly when you encounter problems.
