The Elements: Can you cram for an endurance race like an exam?

The Elements is a new weekly newsletter from The All-Season Co. Each Wednesday, we round up and highlight a few interesting stories and ideas from the week that are related to running, hiking and the great outdoors. 

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• Can you cram for a high-intensity endurance race like you would an end-of-semester middle school exam? Cyclist Graham Averill asked himself that question, just a month and a half before taking on the 142-mile Steamboat Gravel race in Colorado. In his piece in Outside Magazine, Averill details how he fared, with the help of a couple of coaches and a few other tricks. 

• Are you working hard on your runs and not seeing the results you expect to see? Maybe you're in the grey zone. 

• The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit is an annual showcase of amazing photos of the natural world, organized by the Natural History Museum in London. Now entering its 58th year, the exhibit will be unveiled to the public next month, but here's a sneak peek. It's always a treat to have a look at the images each year, which are sure to provoke some thought or wonder - and maybe even provide a chuckle or two...

• The Bob Graham Round is a massive and well-known fell running challenge in the England's Lake District. The challenge takes on 42 fells (or: hills) and 27,000 feet of elevation across 66 miles. The race has been going for years, and back in 2018 Spanish runner Killian Jornet broke a 32 year old time record for the course. Last week, Jack Kuenzle, became the new record holder, running the course in 12:23:48. Kuenzle is a former U.S. Navy Seal who left service recently to compete and coach full time. Here's more on his race.

• Feeling overloaded? Go for a run. Or, as put in visual form by @Semi_Rad:

• We just discovered the Australian Hiker podcast. Tim and Gill Savage have been producing the show for several years now, so there's plenty to dig into - whether you're Down Under, or just looking for some good tips and discussion about being out in the wild. You can tune in here.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

― John Muir, The Mountains of California

Alright, that's does it for this week's newsletter - the first! Remember to subscribe here if you haven't yet. 

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Until next time.