Puke, Rally, Repeat: Real Lessons from a Trail Running Coach

Training for an Ultra in Phoenix Heat

Saturday’s long run had one job: build that long-day grit. With Mogollon Monster 100 on the calendar, I’m stacking runs with 2,000+ feet of gain—and Saturday’s loop at South Mountain (SoMo) checked the box. My friend James and I had mapped out an 18ish-miler with rollers, heat, and climbs. I packed up the night before like I always do—hydration, electrolytes, food, sunscreen, TP. All the things. Because it’s Phoenix in July (and you do not need a trail running coach to tell you this), and this desert does not mess around.

Early Miles: Rolling Trails and Good Vibes

We kicked things off on Desert Classic—chatting, cruising, fueling on schedule. The first 9 miles flew by. When we rolled into Pima Trailhead, a trail volunteer was handing out ice-cold bottles of water, and it felt like a damn oasis. I had already planned to finish the electrolytes I’d been working on so I could refill, so I chugged what was left. One flask only had a little; the other had more than I realized.

Gut Bomb: Trail Running Coach's Electrolytes Gone Wrong

And about a mile later, my stomach started giving me the side-eye. No cramps. Just that heavy, sloshy, uneasy feeling. We were hiking into the climb on National Trail when it hit harder. I turned to James and said, “I think I need to puke. Like…actually puke.” We found a bit of shade, and—without getting too graphic—it was all liquid. Straight up gut bomb.

Turns out, when you slam a bunch of electrolytes in the heat, even with good intentions and a solid plan, sometimes it backfires. Rookie mistake. But also? It happens.

How I Recovered After Puking Mid-Run 

Here’s the weird “good” part: since it was mostly liquid, I didn’t lose the solid fuel I’d been taking in. But I was now behind on hydration and calories—especially in the heat. So I took the slow road back. Literally. Miles 11–14 were a slog. I sipped plain water. Took tiny hits of gel. Tried to calm the system without dumping more into it too fast.

We hit James’ water cache at Buena Vista right when I needed it most. I sat on a rock in the shade, doused myself with cold water, and refilled my flasks. I even managed another gel—slowly. Was I 100%? Nope. But the wheels were back on. I was ready to shuffle again.

From Breakdown to Bounce Back on the Trail

From there, we took it steady. Made our usual stop at the National Trail mailbox to write haikus (yes, trail running can be weird and joyful like that). Took the rocky descent down Telegraph Pass. And finally got back to the car—James had more electrolytes, I had sparkling water, and both of us agreed: nobody died. Success.

Ultra Running Is Less About Perfection, More About Recovery 

In the thick of it, I definitely had that spiral: “If I’m puking 10 miles into an 18-miler, how the hell am I going to finish 100?”

But this is the training. Not just the mileage. Not just the vert. It’s the adaptability. The reset. It’s understanding your body, knowing how to adjust, and learning how to rally.

Sometimes, despite the plan, shit (or vomit) happens.

You lose your groove. You get gut punched. You sit in the shade wondering if you’ve screwed it all up. But what you do next? That’s what builds the real endurance.

You clean up. You regroup. You walk before you run. And eventually…you start moving again.

Trail Running Coach Lessons from the Trail: Keep Moving Forward 

This goes way beyond the trail. Life throws gut bombs, too—unexpected stress, sickness, heartbreak, setbacks. It’s rarely perfect. It’s often messy. But the muscle you’re building isn’t perfection. It’s resilience.

So yeah, I puked mid-run. But I also kept going.

Oh and don't forget to tell your trail running coach all about this kind of misadventure.