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Anna Mae Flynn had an incredible performance at Lake Sonoma on Saturday, finishing it off by overtaking race leader YiOu Wang in the final 1/4 mile of the race. At the finish line she was offered a Golden Ticket to Western States Endurance Run and she told RD Craig Thornley that she’d need a few days to think about it. Well here we are… In this interview–Anna Mae’s first on URP–we talk about how she grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, found her passions in ballet dancing and running, and what made her choose running. We talk about her move to snowy Colorado, her incredible training grounds, and what she does in the off season. Anna Mae also shares her ‘aerobically deficient’ diagnosis last year and how she adapted and fought back to a healthy balance of fitness and strength. Anna Mae Flynn approaching turnaround at Lake Sonoma 2019. Pic by me. For her Lake Sonoma report, she tells us about her strategy going into the race and how she and Addie Bracy ran together, helping one another, throughout the second half. We hear firsthand what was going through her mind in the final miles as she broke away from Addie and chased down YiOu on the final climb. What’s next for Anna Mae? Will she take the Golden Ticket and give Western States another go after her DNF in 2016? As we talk about her future plans (living in Tahoe for a month, traveling to Portugal during the school year, etc), I ask how she plans on doing all this with her teaching schedule…and…well…Anna Mae’s got some big plans that will open up her schedule and allow her to share her MUT knowledge with the rest of the world. Episode Sponsor: The North Face Endurance Challenge – Massachusetts Use URP20 at checkout for 20% off. Anna Mae Flynn Episode Notes Here’s Anna Mae’s blog. —–>Here’s Anna Mae’s brand spanking new coaching site. Here are some more pics from Lake Sonoma. Here’s more on Swim Run events and here’s a race series in the US. Connect with Anna Mae Flynn Ben’s Gear Corner After Anna Mae and I finish up our convo, I have URP Gear Editor Ben on to talk about some of the gear he’s checking out—and to catch up on his recent foray into fatherhood! Below are the products he mentioned. Some are affiliate links that will drop a few pesos into the URP coffers should you choose to keep the gear. Thank You! Packs Ultimate Direction Halo Ultra Running Vest. Here’s the women’s version.Salomon Advanced Skin Set 5 v2 (2019)Nathan Vapor Krar 2.0 12L Race Vest Shoes Altra Superior 2HOKA Evo MafateHOKA One One Sky Tor (men) and Sky Toa for women Music Intro by David Rosales | Outro music by Matt Flaherty Anna Mae Flynn leaving turnaround. Lake Sonoma 2019. The post Anna Mae Flynn | Sonoma Strategy and Future Plans appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Last weekend Gabi Maudiere lined up at American River 50 miler and felt off from the start. She battled stomach issues the whole way, never able to shake the nausea and finally throwing in the towel at mile 42. Gabi Maudiere before the gun. So what happened? She’s run the distance before. Heck, she’d won a 100 miler on the same course two years ago. Is it a GI issue or it nerves or menstrual issues or is it a psychosomatic problem that goes along with a string of DNFs? Gabi Maudiere at aid station. In this interview, Gabi analyses her training, her mental buildup and struggle on the trail, and ultimately her decision to call it quits and look for another race. Could she have made it the whole race? We’ve all had DNFs—OK, most of us–and we all know that this silly sport is as much a mental game as it is a physical challenge, so what will Gabi do when she lines up at her next race? Can she change her diet in hopes of finding the right balance? Do more mental exercises to get past this struggle? Smash up Imodium and mainline it at the start? Gabi Maudiere Episode Notes Here’s Gabi’s blog. Here’s Gabi’s ultra signup. Intro music: David Rosales | Outro music: AJ LeGrand The post Gabi Maudiere | Another Tough DNF. Now What? appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Guillaume Arthus joins me to talk about an acronym he’s been using to describe alt-format events in this wacky sport of ours. MEAN stands for Mind – Endurance – Autonomy – Navigation and describes events with increased mental strain, abnormally long distances, many, many hours of alone time, and map reading and/or navigation requirements. Col de Taglangla – India 2016 – 5359m In this interview, we talk about ten events around the world that satisfy one or all of those demands. Some are proper races, some are fatass-style events, and there’s one in particular I really really want to see stateside. Guillaume has participated in many of them, and he’s used the experience to take on some serious fastback pushes, from 14 days crossing the Pyrenees unassisted to his current project that’ll take him from Slovenia to Monaco—acrosss the entirety of the Alps–later this year. Eiger Switzerland We also talk about the European MUT scene (Guillaume is based in Paris), the lack of FKTs, why most trail videos suck, and what in the hell he did to toughen up his feet. Barkley 2017 MEAN events, in order of discussion; Terminorum, Dead Sheep, and the Revanent. All Barkley-esque events outside of the US.Big’s Backyard Ultra and it’s 25 sister (crazy uncle, more like it?) races around the world.The Triple Crown of 200s, Tor des Geants, and UTMB’s Petite Trotte à Léon (PTL.)The Viking Way and the Spine Race. (Note, we erroneously named Nicky Spinks as the winner of The Spine Race this year…it was Jasmin Paris. My apologies.)The Hill and the Ultra Trail Mont Martre.Paris by Night. (80k thru Paris that hits 100 monuments in a single night.) Contact Guillaume thru his site for more info.Escape from Meriden (24hr) and Escape from Great Britain (48hr.)The Hell Race in India. 120 hours to run 480k with an avg elevation of 4400m (14, 400ft.) Here’s the movie I referenced.Fastpacking. Here’s a link to Guillaume’s trans-Alps project.Piece of String Race.The Tunnel Ultra in England. More info here. Here’s Guillaume’s website and here’s a link to his YouTube channel. Intro music: David Rosales | Outro Music: AJ LeGrand Guillaume Arthus during the Celtic Traverse, May 2016 – 20min after 250km Comments: Have you done any of these events or are there others that satisfy the MEAN acronym that we missed? Will we continues to see a rise past 100M, and will the European FKT scene ever take off? The post M.E.A.N. events with Guillaume Arthus appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

RunBum RD Sean Blanton joined me for a discussion about a call he made this past weekend that I have serious disagreements with. What better way than to discuss the issue on a live call, agree to disagree, then move on to better topics like Barkley, media, sponsors, Anton, podcasts, skydiving, and the East Coast ultra scene? Sean Blanton, hanging. Sean Blanton Episode Notes Uncensored and raw, this is not an episode meant for children or sensitive ears. Here’s Sean’s podcast: East Coast Trail and Ultra Podcast Here’s our chat with Liz Canty, 2nd female at GDR this weekend. Updated: Here’s a post by Gary Robbins from the 2011 Mountain Masochist in which he took a loop the wrong way and was made to return to the course and run it the correct way because everyone must run exactly the same course. Here’s a post by Stephen Kersch where he writes about getting DQed for following the wrong trail. Here are the results from GDR this year. Here are the rules for GDR and here are the rules for Western States Endurance Run. Whether or not the course was not followed intentionally is not mentioned. Sean Blanton, hanging out. Here’s the Disgraceland podcast I mentioned. Listen to the Motely Crue episode…it’s nuts. Here’s a piece from ultrarunning magazine about the ponies at Grayson Highlands 50k. Here’s our interview with Jason Green. Here’s the site for Run Bum Tours. Follow Sean: Twitter | Instaram Intro music: David Rosales. Outro Music: AJ LeGrand The post Sean Blanton | Rules and the State of the Sport appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Where Ryan Lange lacks in raw leg speed or a monster VO2 max, he makes up for in enthusiasm for the trails. Ryan’s 21, lives in Jersey, and besides running 200s, also likes to DJ at EDM events and hunt white tail deer. In a sport made of people with myriad other passions, Ryan fits right in. In this episode, Sarah and I chat with him about how he got into running in the first place, what he’s learned during his short career, how Generation Z’ers view the outdoors, and more. We also talk about being crewed by a parent and how hunting and DJing have both worked out to be pretty damn good cross training activities. Who knew? Ryan Lange at the start of Ultra Trail Guadalupe Ryan Lange Episode Notes Here’s Ryan’s company launch page. We talked about Kogala lights. They’re incredible. This is the best site I could find for info on the Ultra Trail Guadalupe. Follow Ryan on Instagram right here. This RODE RODEcaster Pro is the new podcast mixing board I bought, thanks to the Patreon crew! It is without a doubt the best piece of tech I’ve ever bought. This was our first episode using it and I’ve got some fine-tuning to do, but what’d you think? More fart button? Intro music | David Rosales Outro music | AJ LeGrand The post Ryan Lange | Generation Z on the Trails appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Kami Semick won every race she entered in 2009, podiumed at Comrades twice, won UROY for two years, and had an epic battle with Nikki Kimball and a freaking bear at Western States, then moved to Hong Kong and faced some serious burnout that had her quit running completely for a few years. Kami Semick pic at 2018 Elkhorn Crest. Pic used w permission from Trevor Lyden But recently we’ve seen Kami re-enter the sport and wondered what her role and relationship with the sport was ten years after her incredible 2009 season. Now back in Bend, Oregon with her husband and daughter, Kami shared what she’s been up to, how running fits into her life now, and what she’s got going on in the future. Remember this North Face ad with Kami Semick and her daughter? Kami Semick Episode Notes Sarah just wrote an excellent piece on Kami Semick for Ultrarunning Magazine. Check it out here. Something happened and the bear episode from 2011 has been lost. The episode page points to an interview we did a few years later where we talked about the USATF team scoring idea...I’m looking for the original recording but can’t find it and it’s killing me. My apologies. Sarah’s recent blog post about her recent race at Napa Valley Marathon. I mentioned the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon as my favorite race in Oregon. Here’s the company Kami runs that provides software for farmers: Food4All. Intro music | David Rosales Outro music | AJ LeGrand Kami and husband Tyson Pardue and their daughter Baronie. The post Kami Semick | Ten Years Later and a Fresh Outlook on Running appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Not many people have had the opportunity–and responsibility–of pacing one of the best ultrarunners in the world. Miguel Ordorica has paced Kaci Lickteig for the past five years, he’s trained with her nearly every day, he’s crewed for her, and in this interview, we get a look at how the Pixie Ninja (a term he coined) does what she does. Miguel Ordorica and Kaci Lickteig First we get to learn a bit more about his running. What brought him to this point in his life and how did he meet Kaci? Does his significant other have anything to say about him spending an inordinate amount of time with a younger (and single) woman? What makes his and Kaci’s relationship so important—and so effective? To what does Miguel attribute Kaci’s success? What advice does he have for other pacers?What’s the worst he’s seen her bonk and what did he do to pull her her back into the race?What kind of music does the Pixie Ninja listen to? (Big surprise on that later in the interview!)…and what type of music does he listen to?What’s harder for a pacer? Dealing with physical breakdown or a mental bonk? It’s fine to tell people they can drop in places where they can not drop.–Miguel Ordorica Kaci Lickteig and Miguel Ordorica Miguel Ordorica Episode Notes I referenced this interview with Kaci from post-WS 2017. Definitely check it out. She’s got an incredible story of redemption with Stephanie Case. Pixie Ninja, the Norwegian prog rock band. I mentioned this race but butchered the name: Booneville Backroads Ultra. Follow Miguel on Twitter here. Be sure to watch this video of Kaci with fellow (former) Altra teammates Amanda Basham and Meredith Edwards where the three women discuss mental health and disordered eating issues. Intro music: David Rosales Outro music: AJ LeGrand. Miguel Ordorica running his own race. The post Pacing Kaci | The Miguel Ordorica Interview appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Dani Moreno (HOKA/rabbit) lined up for her first trail ultramarathon last week and ran away with the USATF 50k Trail Championship title. Nice work for her first ultra! Want to hear more about her training and whether we’ll see her at more ultras? Dani Moreno after FOURmidable 50k Championship Make no mistake, Dani Moreno’s no newbie to the trails or to competition. She had a successful collegiate career (UCSB) in the 10k and has been racing sub-ultra distances on the trails for a few years, finding success in X-Terra races and events that require a lot of climbing. However, Dani and her coach have been patient in moving up in distances too quickly. Smart move on her part, but frustrating for those of us who want to see her crush some ultras! So how does this former collegiate 10k runner use her legspeed on the trails? How does she train for altitude when she lives on the beach? How does she bomb the downhills so effectively? (Answer: Just run down them fast!) And what’s her strategy when she lines up against other top women? While many people associate coastal Santa Barbara as a lazy beach town, Dani’s running with a group of speedsters in some of the toughest mountain trails in the country. Episode Sponsor: Use URP at checkout for a free trial. Dani Moreno Episode Notes Here’s Dani’s site. Here’s the registration list for Santa Barbara Nine Trails. Wow! Connect with Dani: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook| Strava | Ultrasignup ATRA’s coverage of FOURmidable. That front pack of women are truckin. Intro music: David Rosales Outro music: Matt Flaherty. Here’s Matt’s campaign page. Dani Moreno Dani Moreno Skyrunning The post Dani Moreno | Patience and Speed on California’s Central Coast appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Matt Daniels will be the first sub 4 minute miler to line up for Western States Endurance Run this June. In his first 100k last weekend, Matt won a Golden Ticket by leading from early on in the race and he’s ready to bite off even more this summer. With leg speed, World Mountain Running Championship credentials, and a true love of the sport, I had to find out more about this guy. Matt Daniels In this interview we talk about how he’s transitioned from tracks and roads to trails and from shorter trail races to longer ultramarathons, but also about how he’s gone from someone apprehensive about performing to someone who savors tough competition. Show Sponsor: Visit Strava and enter the code URP at checkout. And follow Matt while you’re at it. Next up for Matt is Lake Sonoma, where he’ll line up against a veritable who’s who of speedy trail guys. What are his plans there and what type of team is he putting together for Western States? This should be fun to watch. Matt Daniels and unidentified runner. Matt Daniels Episode Notes: Here’s Matt’s coaching site. Here’s Matt’s interview from Ginger Runner Live on Monday night. Another good (written) interview with Matt from 2017. Follow Matt: Instagram | Twitter | Strava And follow Matt’s wife Lauren on Instagram right here. Here’s more on Unived. Here’s David and Megan Roche’s coaching site. More on Matt Flaherty’s campaign: Here and here. Opening music: David Rosales | Closing music: Matt Flaherty The post Matt Daniels | Taking a Sub 4 Mile to the Big Dance appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

A podcast without a guest! I run down some of the top MUT stories from the week. Links: Jeff Browning’s strength routine. Ethan Newberry’s new race in Washington…Tiger Claw! Ryan Sandes’ Tarawera Report Kelly Agnew’s latest problem: Stealing from his employer. More on his problem cheating in ultras. More on the Piece of String race. This Week in Running, Feb 11, 2019. Ultra Trail Andorra Outro music by Matt Flaherty. The post MUT News Update | Feb 14 2019 | Results, Predictions, Cheaters, New Events, and More! appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Sometimes the best training in the world isn’t enough to reach your goal. Amy Puzey found this out easier this month when she lined up at Houston Marathon and struggled from the starting gun. Amy Puzey and husband Jacob Puzey So how’d she handle the situation? Did she panic? Did she take a DNF? Looking back, did she have the strength to keep up the pace if she’d tried just a little bit harder? And what was the cause, considering every indicator showed that she’d have a successful time, taking her below the three hour mark for the first time? In this episode, we talk about what caused her to keep going, rather than just calling it a day. What does Amy think caused her epic bonk? What can she do next time to hit her goal? Anything? And what’s it like to be married to a fellow elite MUT runner who rarely has a bad race? And we talk about balancing family obligations (she’s got six kids!) and training while recognizing the inherent guilt of taking time for yourself. We finish up with diet talk and a fun Fartlek round. Amy Puzey and husband Jacob and Rivers Puzey Amy Puzey Episode Notes Here’s our interview with Jacob from a few years ago. Intro music by David Rosales. Outro by AJ LeGrand. Follow Amy Puzey: Strava | Instagram | Facebook Amy is National Race Director for 5Peaks Adventures. (NFI) Below is Amy Puzey’s post from her Facebook page: Houston Marathon recap for those who are interested:I can see it now. I couldn’t a few days ago. But looking at this picture it has all become razor clear. Noah’s telling me: “Mom, we love you. No matter what. All we want are your cuddles, your love, your time. We don’t give a shit about the difference between a 2:45 and 3:10 marathon. We love You. These are words that Jake has repeated to me over and over for the past three months, but it didn’t change my goal. I was determined and I was sure I had it in me.The goal was always to break 3. Two other marathons of 3:01, or 3:00.51 in the past ten years. Surely I could do this with a little more focus, some higher mileage and dedication. My body seems to break around 100k/ week so I can’t ever go much higher than that and I realize that’s not the best way to try to hit an Olympic Trials qualifying time when other athletes are doing double that mileage. And Jake was realistic about this with me as my coach. And the reality was that I only had two weeks over 90k. But somewhere along the way, I started feeling good, confident. Workouts were going so well. I was smashing the predictor runs and they were hard but not impossible. So I adjusted. Maybe I can hold sub 6:30 pace. And then it kept going down to where I had actually convinced myself that there was a remote possibility that I could make a sub 2:50 marathon a reality. I read all the books, listened to the podcasts. I was drinking the Kool-aid big time. All or nothing. Just do this and don’t look back. Even training through my achilles injury, when I wanted to give up, when Jake wouldn’t let me, and coming back after those two weeks of swimming, biking and skiing, and feeling even stronger. I held this little shred of hope that maybe I had been holding back all these years. So I had confidence going into Houston, something I haven’t always had a lot of in my life. It was cautious optimism, but it was still optimism. Do the work, embrace the pain, it will come together. You’ve put the work in Amy, trust it.But the thing is, it just didn’t. None of it came together. When the gun went off,the pace didn’t feel easy like it had in past marathons or even like it did in workouts. It felt too hard, right from the gun. It felt like the 6:15s I was running in workouts were impossible. I was barely able to hold 6:30s. So I backed off and let the miles roll for a while, trying not to panic or focus on the watch.I couldn’t find a rhythm. And when the gels did nothing to boost my energy and the miles continued to feel like a struggle, the doubt crept in. Actually it didn’t creep. It punched me right in the face at the halfway point when I came through 5 minutes slower than my goal of 1:23. “That’s it. It’s over. I didn’t come here to run over 3 hours again. Not again. I didn’t put all this time in, time that could have been spent with my family, money that could have been spent on my family, for a F*ing 3 hour marathon.” Mama guilt reared it’s ugly head and sat it’s ass down firmly on my shoulder for the duration of the race. “This is not what you worked for Amy, get moving.” But I couldn’t. My legs just wouldn’t cooperate. My watch taunted me with 7:45, 7:10, who knows. I’m sure it was off but I let it get to my head, something I had promised Jake I wouldn’t do. My calves started to seize almost immediately after that. So much that the knots felt like spiky grapefruits had implanted themselves in my lower legs. Good old mind body connection. By 30k I was standing on the side of the road planning my phone call to Jake: “I’m done, I can’t finish it, I’m going to wait for the sag wagon”. I walked to the bathroom and sat down and took a breath before trying to find a phone.And there in the dark, stinky shitter, the reality of the shame that would stay with me if I quit really hit me. See the thing with my husband is that he doesn’t quit. He doesn’t know what quitting is, and I’m not sure he even identifies with pain. I don’t think it has ever registered in his body or if it has, he has some serious mind control and refuses to identify with it. He bleeds and doesn’t notice. He breaks his leg and keeps running and barely complains. And he had done so much to support me every step of the way that quitting now felt like throwing it all in his face. An affront to him, to my kids, my parents who were home with them, and to God. To the gift I have been given of even getting to come to this race healthy and fit. The first world opportunity to train for and fly to a marathon. I’m not delusional. I know that my running is selfish. It’s not like I make a living at it. It’s purely for me and it takes time and resources away from my family. Sure there are benefits, but there are also days where I’m exhausted and broken from long runs. Where I give most of my energy to a run and then don’t have the energy to take the kids swimming or to the park. Or to ask the right questions and really listen to my teenagers who so badly need guidance at this stage. And if all of that was for nothing, then I was spitting in my kids faces as well. The shame of quitting now was just not on the table. I opened the door, walked back out into the sunlight and jogged the last 12k to the finish.And that’s really the end of the story. It’s not pretty. It’s just shit. It just didn’t come together and I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s all the treadmill running, the lack of sleep, the shoes, the wrong nutrition, not enough miles. I don’t know. I won’t know. It will be waking me up for weeks. But if I’m going to walk away with even a shred of dignity from this race it’s that I didn’t quit. I may not be walking for a week, but I didn’t quit. I don’t know why we put this pressure on ourselves as women, as moms, as humans. It’s not like I don’t feel like I’m enough. I’m incredibly grateful for my life and my family and it’s really all that matters to me but I do love to challenge myself, to push my limits, to see what’s possible. It’s something I do for me. It keeps me honest and holds me accountable. #chaseyourdreams #antiquit #motherunner #iamenough The post Amy Puzey | When Perfect Training Isn’t Enough appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Easier this month, Brittany Peterson lined up at Bandera 100k in Texas in hopes of earning a Golden Ticket to Western States Endurance Run. Just less than nine and a half hours later she stood on a podium with a ticket to The Big Dance. Brittany Peterson challenges TSA to do the right thing. In this interview, we talk about her Skyrunning experience and her leg speed–not a common combination–and how that will translate to both Lake Sonoma 50 and Western States. Brittany also shares her unique relationship with the race. She’s dating Cody Lind and coached by his dad Paul Lind, who’s the son of the original Medical Director at WS100, Dr. Bob Lind. She’s spent a lot of time on the course and is primed and ready for June. Brittany Peterson and Cody Lind Brittany Peterson Episode Sponsor: Strava Summit For the price of a couple gels a month, you’ll open up access to the Strave Summit upgrade features. Not ready to commit? Use URP at checkout for a free trial. Brittany Peterson Episode Notes Much more on skyrunning right this way.We referenced Jason Koop’s post about what it’ll take to win big ultramarathons from now on.Here’s the brewery Brittany talked about: Bertram’s Brewery in Salmon Valley, Idaho.Follow Brittany on social media: Strava | Instagram | TwitterHere’s our interview with Skyrunner Sarah Keyes where she discusses transitioning that skillset to domestic ultras.Intro and outro music courtesy of David Rosales. Brittany Peterson at Way Too Cool 2018. Pic by Eric Schranz/URP. The post Brittany Peterson | Golden Ticket Time! appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Jim Walmsley had a pretty awesome week. He was named Ultrarunner of the Year for the third year straight, he celebrated his birthday, then he lined up at the Houston Half Marathon and clicked off just over 13 road miles at 4:52 pace, earning him a qualifier to the Olympic Trials in Atlanta. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a number of road runners transition to trail ultras, but rarely do we see a top ultrarunner step off the trail and onto the road. As we talk about in the interview, Max King, Jim Howard, Ann Trason, and others have enjoyed multi-discipline/surface success, and as Jim mentions in the interview, even being talked about in the same conversation as those runners means he’s doing something right. Jim Walmsley Jim Walmsley Episode Sponsor: Strava Summit Are you using the Summit upgrade on Strava? For a few bucks a month, you’ll have increased functionality for tracking, analyzing, and marking your runs. Use URP for a free trial. In this interview, we talk about why and how he targeted Houston for his road half debut and how it fit into his overall ultramarathon training. Twenty miles at sub six pace at 7k feet? Sure, that helps, but how else did he train his mind to run at lactate threshold for an hour? How important was race strategy in an event that allows for very very few mistakes? Did he learn anything about pacing that he’ll take to trail ultras? Coconino Cowboys from left: Eric Senseman, Jared Hazen, Jim Walmsley We also talk about the internet and issue over whether this sort of transition has been done before. Does Jim listen to the naysayers on LetsRun? Not really. Sounds like he’s busy writing his own training plans that work around his life. And what’s next? He’s got a 100k in Hong Kong in a few weeks where he’ll line up with Rob Krar, a shootout in Santa Barbara in March, then he’s heading back to Squaw in June to defend his title at Western States. Can he or anyone beat 14:30? And what in the holy heck is this other project he’s talking about? The long-rumored attempt to take down either Klecker or Fordyce’s 50M record? Jim Walmsley Episode Notes Here’s Jim’s site with his schedule. Here’s the Fast 100 Ultra in Hong Kong in February. And here’s the site for Santa Barbara 9 Trails in March. Want to win a trip to the race and go home with a ton of HOKA and rabbit gear? Head on over this way. Past URP interviews with Jim Walmsley 2015 |Post-wrong turn 2016 | Pre-WS 2017 Here’s his UROY bio. In our discussion about internet conversations, I did my best to summarize a tweet by Joe Gray about specializing in events. Here’s his tweet. Jim mentioned Ken Cormier…here’s his incredible and fascinating story on LetsRun. (To note, I love the site but dislike most of the vitriol in the forums.) Here’s the Tahoe Rim Trail FKT we talked about. Here’s the SweatElite site Jim mentioned. I wasn’t familiar with it. Here’s Here’s The Self-Coached Runner book Jim mentioned. (Amazon affiliate link.) Intro/Outo music by David Rosales. Follow Jim Here: Strava | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook The post Jim Walmsley | Houston Half Reflections and What’s Next appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

You’ve heard a lot over the last few years about FKTs. Whether you’ve seen them mentioned online or heard them on URP, or maybe you read the Proboards site or tune into the new fastestknowntime podcast, Buzz Burrell and Peter Bakwin are the guys to talk to because they started the FKT craze. They’re the two who started the trend when they tired of traditional races and wanted to learn more about the natural aspect of where they were running. Buzz Burrell (l) and Peter Bakwin (r) We asked Buzz to come on the show and talk about FKTs from the basic ideas and ethos to more complex issues with who decides when a route is a route and how commercialization might affect the sport. In this episode, we talk about: How FKTs are established by runners and verified by Peter with help from the community. What constitutes an FkT and what was the hubbub about Jim, Tim, and Eric’s R2r2R about?At what point do we stop going after FKTs and big adventures? (Buzz is 67 and not there yet. Doesn’t know answer.) Buzz Burrell Episode Sponsor: Strava For the price of a couple of gels each month, you can have access to the Summit upgrade features: Check them out here, head on over to Strava.com/summit and use URP at checkout for a free trial. Buzz Burrell Episode Notes Here’s the FastestKnownTime website. Be sure to check out the “Super Classic” FKTs for a laugh. Here’s the team that makes it all happen: Peter, Buzz, and Jeff. Here’s Buzz’s FKT podcast. Follow FastestKnownTimes on the Twitter machine right here. Buzz Burrell in Zion Buzz is Brand Manger for Ultimate Direction. Check out their packs, poles, and garments right this way. Here’s a link to the kids hydration pack he mentioned. More kids gear! Let’s keep this bubble going! Here’s a recent write up in TrailRunner Magazine. Articles mentioned: Here’s his R2R2R alt route report | And here’s the Twitter post about Coconino Cowboy’s R2R2R route | On the Flatiron project and aging FKTs aren’t just a domestic thing. Here’s an open letter to Ryan Sandes re the Great Himalayan Trail about his FKT claim. If you liked this interview, you may like this chat we had with Leor Pantilat a few years ago. Leor gave up his incredible racing career (count the wins) to focus 100% on FKTs and hasn’t looked back. Intro/outro music by David Rosales. Used with permission. My race calendar. Mendocino50k | Miwok 100k | Yeti 100 Buzz Burrell in Aconcagua Buzz Burrell and Peter Bakwin on the JMT. The post Buzz Burrell | Understanding FKTs appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

I’ve been semi-obsessed with trail running in the Himalayas since my race in India two years ago. I found the trails, the people, the exchange rate, and the culture perfect for getting in some big miles, so I asked an expert to join me on this episode to talk about running in Nepal. Jimi Oostrum trail running in Nepal Jimi is a Dutch runner who works for UNICEF and has lived in Kathmandu for the past decade. During the weekday he works on education campaigns, but with any extra time, you’ll find him exploring the incredible trails around the area and leading running groups. In this episode, I ask Jimi a ton of questions: How to travel and where to travel. Go solo, use porters, or go deep and fastback the whole thing?How are the prices? Is it safe? How about for solo women? Are there races? Are there running stores? Aren’t there leopards in the area? And what’s with the sherpas? Jimi Oostrum and Mira Rai Whether you’ve got the travel bug or not, this is a good episode to learn more about the international running scene and the myriad cultures and countries that support our silly sport. If you’ve got extra airline miles and a light fall season at work, this sounds like an incredible place to visit. Jimi Oostrum at PTL Jimi Oostrum Episode Notes Here’s an excellent site with more info on races in the area. Follow Mira Rai on Instagram. Here’s a recap from my run in the Indian Himalayas. Here’s the Khumbu Kolsch we spoke about. Probably the coolest sounding musical festival we’ve talked about in eight years: Jazzmandu. More on the Jire Kursani pepper. Follow Jimi on Strava here. Here’s the Kathmandu Running Club on Strava. Will someone please slap a watch on a Sherpa and let us lurk? I referenced The Snowman Trek movie and the frustration the runners had with local customs. Episode Sponsor: Himalayan Adventure Labs (HAL) You heard Jimi talk about the myriad options available for adventurers. If you’re looking for a company that specializes in trail running in Nepal, HAL is for you. They’ve got a mix of western and local guides (here’s one), they keep their groups small, don’t use porters, and have an impeccable reputation. Check them out right this way. The post Jimi Oostrum | Trail Running in Nepal appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Let’s finish up 2018 with something different, shall we? Ultras and trail running are two sports that normalize all of us…we all step up to the same line and finish in the same place, but often times our fellow competitors are coming from all over the place. Doctors, hippies, CEOs, rock stars, you name it. We’re all part of the big ultra tribe. Ms. Monday Jones is part of this tribe, and comes from a profession that has some overlap with our sport. She’s a professional BDSM dominatrix who describes herself as a sadomasochist and as someone who’s searching for limits and is comfortable in the outer reaches of her own. Monday Jones In this episode, we talk openly about what it is she does for a living and where the parallels may lie with running. How does a dominatrix handle pacing, for example? She considers herself a sex worker…what does that mean? Does pushing her limits on the trails have an erotic component? And the basic…what did she learn at Zion 100 last year that she’ll take into her next big race in 2019? aka Simon This obviously a NSFW episode where we cover adult material, but I’m hoping that you find we did so in a respectful way. I’ll admit to being well out of my wheelhouse with this interview, but on reflection, I learned a lot about what she does and why it is we do what we do. Ms. Monday Jones Episode Sponsor: Ancient Redwood Run Fest in May in Northern California Bring your running friends and family for a weekend of celebration in the Mendocino Redwoods, north of San Francisco. Choose between multiple race distances that’ll all be run on the same looped course, keeping you close to camp and activities. Tents will fill up fast, so get your name on the list for reservations. The race is in May and coming up soon…More info right this way. Mark this down as the first time I’ve posted a picture of a guest taking a bong hit out of a giant phallus. Ms. Monday Jones Episode Notes Here’s her website. NSFW. Stay connected with Monday Jones on Twitter | Instagram. Both NSFW Here’s the Davinci vaporizer she likes and here’s the PAX vaporizer I like. I referenced this interview with Ben Gibbard. Check it out. Here’s her coach Dana Katz’s website. The post Ms. Monday Jones | BDSM and Ultramarathons appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Bob Hearn set out at Desert Solstice to run 154.5 miles and came within a few hundred yards of doing so. That’s pretty incredible planning and precision, and it’s nothing to new to the guy known as the Prince of Pacing. Bob Hearn (l), Pete Kostelnick (r) and Oswaldo Lopez (rear.) Pic by Howie Stern. Bob’s unique background includes an insatiably curious mind and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, then he takes that knowledge and performs experiments until he’s figured out that particular aspect of running. Is it pacing? Bob’s building a computer model that will work to predict outcomes of races. Is it diet? You’ll hear him talk about mixing his own powders in his kitchen for a week until he got the right combination. Is it sleep? He compares Coke to No-Doze to caffeine.  To Bob Hearn, racing ultramarathons is one giant experiment in optimization. Bob Hearn after Burning Man 50k. But Bob’s not just a science geek. He’s also got the record for the naked 50k at Burning Man and is heavily into yurt design and construction. We talk about how his varied interests all follow one overriding theme: Figuring out the puzzle of how something works. Bob Hearn Episode Sponsor: Strava Strava is the best app for runners and cyclists as it combines functionality, safety, analysis (and hey, the ability to geek out on others’ workouts.) For a few extra bucks a month, you can unlock some incredible new features that’ll help optimize your workouts and keep you safe. Go to www.strava.com/summit and enter the code URP at checkout. Bob after Spartathlon 2018. Bob Hearn Episode Notes Here’s Bob’s blog with his mort recent report on Desert Solstice. Block off some time for these. They’re worth your full attention. Here’s the interview with Burning Man 50 RD/Founder Cherie Yanek. New word/term I learned: Ab initio. Here’s more on Maurten hydration/energy drink. Intro/Outro music by David Rosales. Our interviw with David is right here. Bob Hearn at Burning Man 2015 Gear in Review with URP Gear Editor Ben Zuehlsdorf Shoes Review: HOKA One One Torrent TOPO Athletics Ultraventure Video | Review | Purchasing Tech/Wearables Garmin 935 Review | PurchasingSuunto 9 Purchasing Apparel Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts PurchasingThe North Face Better Than Naked Shorts PurchasingIce Breaker Cool Lite Merino Wool Shirt PurchaseUltimate Direction Moonlight Jacket  Review | PurchaseGore Shake Dry PurchaseBUFF Info and Purchase Packs Naked Running Band Review | PurchaseNathan Vapor Zach Video Review | Purchase Lighting Petzl Bindi PurchaseKogalla RA Info and Purchase Bob Hearn Badwater Finish ### The post Bob Hearn and the Science of Pacing appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo loves to run ultras and will not be stopped. She wasn’t stopped when Hurricane Maria ravaged her island of Puerto Rico. Instead, she used her fitness to traverse washed out roads as she carried aid to her family and friends. Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo She wasn’t stopped when she showed up for Hennepin Hundred without any of her regular gear and on a “modified” training schedule (see above.) She ran a personal best and finished 2nd female. She wasn’t stopped when she lined up in Death Valley in July and finished Badwater 135 in fifth place in a stacked field. She had a job to do and she got it done. Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo And she wasn’t stopped when she found a lump in her breast two days later. Yep, cancer. After a bilateral mastectomy this Fall, Patsy is itching to get back to training as she’s got a full calendar of races for 2019 and she’s not planning on letting anything slow her down. This is an interview with a pretty remarkable woman who simply loves to run and live and is not going to let anything get in her way. Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo Episode Sponsor: The Transelkirks Run Enjoy three or five day stage runs in Revelstoke, British Columbia. Transelkirks answers the question, “Why travel to Europe to run when you could run through wild, pristine mountains in Canada at a fraction of the price?” Registration: Remember to use URP at checkout for $100 off registration. Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo Episode Notes Here’s a story about Patsy’s run at Hennepin in UltraRunning Magazine. Follow Patsy here on Instagram. More on screening and early detection. Patsy is Partner in a firm that brings organic food to Puerto Rico. Here’s more. One week and counting… Don’t miss our gear guides that spotlight great stuff for gift giving or for yourself. Here’s Sarah’s and here’s Ben’s. Intro and outro music by David Rosales. The post Patsy Ramirez-Arroyo Interview appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

It’s that time of year again. Each December, the URP crack team of historians (Sarah and I) put together a list of fun categories that look back at the year of ultramarathon and trail results and trends and make bold predictions for the coming year. We also talk about personal goals and accomplishments and while DBo is laser focused on Hardrock, mine are a bit more mellow and Sarah has her own plans that she details here. Jim Walmsley en route to his CR at Lake Sonoma 50 miler in April. In 2014, Tropical John Medinger joined Sarah and I, and 2015, Ultrarunning Magazine Publisher Karl Hoagland sat down and shared his views. In 2016, we had Mario Fraioli for his opinions and last year in 2017 Jamil Coury shared his perspective. Go back and give them a listen.  I’ll be honest, some of them are pretty embarrassing as we were SO OFF on our predictions.  My highlight: Ladia Albertson Junkans and Sunny finishing Broken Arrow. This year we asked Dylan Bowman to join us. Dylan’s not only a top athlete, but the guy is a real student of the sport and watches, studies, and loves to talk about results, training, trends, and what he thinks will happen in such and such race. He turned out to be the perfect co-host for us, offering a unique perspective and sharing some interesting answers. Jenny jurek trail running ultramarathon pic by Luis Escobar 2018 Ultramarathon and Trail Running Year in Review Categories Most significant overall trend of the year.Most influential person in the sport. Male, female.Most influential thing in the sport.Your favorite m/f to watch. Biggest surprise of the year. Overall. Could be person or event.Favorite non-trail performance of the year. Male, female. Any distance.Your favorite book, post, or podcast episode of the year.Performance of the year. Male/female.UROY. Male/female. Predictions for 2018: If runners were IPO’s, who would you put money on?What are your running goals for 2019?What do you think will be the big trend in the MUT scene.What do you hope will be the big trend in the MUT scene.What are your non-running goals for 2019? Pictures from the year in no particular order: Camille Herron in the early hours. Kelly Wolf Courtney Dauwalter in the early stages of the race. Chris Hammes, first US male at UTMB The post 2018 Year in Review and Predictions for 2019 | Sarah, Eric, and Dylan Bowman appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.

Before we get into the Spartan Trail Series…Spartan has a long history of success in Obstacle Course Racing and has built an incredible organization around the world.  Led by Spartan and competitor Tough Mudder, the sport of OCR catapulted into the mainstream and really hit it’s peak around 2012 and has stayed strong since. Reality shows, big prize purses, 250 races, and possible Olympic talk have made it an exciting sport to watch from both the athletic perspective as well as a business model. Recently, Spartan launched a Trail Racing series of a dozen events that would run concurrently with the OCR races. These would be around 10 miles each and be traditional trail races–no barbed wire, no flaming spears, no deliberate mud pits to navigate. The series garnered a fair amount of attention in the MUT world because icons Charlie Engle and Luis Escobar were hired as race directors for the series. Loosely, Charlie would cover the east coast, Luis the west coast. The problem arose when people noticed that spectators at the trail races would charged $20.  Spartan and other OCR races have charged spectator fees for years, and that’s their right and decision to do so. As RD Charlie Engle told me, most of the particiants are millennials, and they don’t mind paying the extra money to get, what he describes, a “festival atmosphere.” But the fit hit the shan when they decided to continue this practice for trail running.  In this interview, we learn that the OCR events also charge for insurance, drop bags, parking, and more. Let’s hope the Spartan Trail Series doesn’t try for that money grab as well as they make a mark in trail running. Matt B. Davis at Spartan Iceland.  We talk about the Spartan Trail Series. So what makes us different? Why don’t we feel that our loved ones should have to pay to come and support us? And shouldn’t we just let the market decide?  All good questions, and all topics that Obstacle Racing Media’s Matt B. Davis and I dug into in this episode.  To be sure, Matt and I don’t agree on everything but do agree that spectator fees suck. Matt runs Obstacle Racing Media, a site dedicated to OCR events, interviews, gear, and opinion pieces about the industry. I asked Matt on the show because he’s supremely knowledgeable about the industry and is not afraid to pull punches.  We also talk about the growth and plateau of the sport and the million dollar prize Skyrunning Champ Jonathan Albon is going after this weekend. Different from a traditional award, this million dollar grab has not been without its own controversy. Will he get it this weekend? We’ll wait and see. Top Spartan competitor and Skyrunning champ Jonathan Albon Spartan Trail Series Episode with Matt B. Davis | Episode Notes Here’s the site for the Spartan Trail Series. Here’s Matt B. Davis’ site: Obstacle Racing Media. Here’s our interview with Charlie Engle and here’s our chat with Luis Escobar. Both are a couple years old, but definitely worth listening to. Here’s the first time Matt was on the show, and here’s the time I was on his. Here’s more on the Spartan One Million Dollar Trifecta Challenge and here’s Jonathan Albon’s website. Intro and outro music by David Rosales. ### The post Spartan Trail Series | Spectator Fees for Trail Races? appeared first on Ultrarunnerpodcast.com.