Pushing Horizons Step by Step

A year can change everything. The last time Cody Poskin was on the podcast, he had just finished his first Cocodona 250. He crossed the finish line in 8th place after battling blown quads, brutal climbs, and the biggest challenge of his running career. This year, he came back. 🥈 2nd Male 🥉 3rd Overall More importantly, he finished  13 hours faster . In this episode, Cody breaks down exactly what...

In Season 3 Episode 16 of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Ash sits down with Nepali ultrarunner Jeevan Lama to explore his incredible journey from the trails of Nepal to some of the world’s toughest mountain ultras. Jeevan shares how running helped transform his life, keeping him away from destructive habits and giving him purpose through the mountains. The conversation dives into his experience r...

In  Season 3 Episode 15  of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Ash sits down with Peyton for an honest conversation about injuries, setbacks, marathon struggles, and the mindset required to keep moving forward. Peyton shares how her running journey began, the transition from shorter distances to long-distance racing, and the lessons she learned through recurring injuries and burnout. She opens up a...

In Season 3 Episode 14 of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Ash sits down with ultrarunner Kaylee Frederick for a powerful conversation about endurance, discipline, mental resilience, and chasing seemingly impossible goals. At just 21 years old, Kaylee has already built an extraordinary ultrarunning resume. She ran her first ultra at 14, completed her first 100 miler at 16, and became the youngest a...

What happens when a powerlifter decides to run 200 miles? In  Season 3 Episode 13  of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Ash sits down with  Grace Gilliam / Wakaii Chahatngan Tukon  to explore a journey built on resilience, discipline, and relentless self-belief. From growing up in a remote village with no cars or electricity, to becoming a Spartan racer, GORUCK athlete, powerlifter, and  Mammoth 2...

Timothy Bass returns to the podcast after completing one of the most demanding goals he has ever set for himself, running  5,111 miles in a single year . In this episode, we look back at the physical and mental challenges of maintaining 100-mile weeks, what it took to stay consistent without a single rest day, and the lessons he learned about discipline, recovery, family, and identity. We talk abo...

What does it take to keep showing up for decades? In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Ash sits down with ultrarunner Junko Kazukawa, a breast cancer survivor, coach, and one of the most experienced endurance athletes in the sport. From completing Leadville 100 ten times to racing UTMB, Western States, and Tor des Géants, Junko has spent years pushing her physical and mental limits....

What does it take to stay competitive after more than two decades in the sport? In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Ash sits down with elite ultrarunner Addie Bracy to discuss longevity, adaptation, setbacks, and the constant pursuit of improvement. From her early days in running to competing at some of the biggest ultramarathons in the world, Addie shares lessons learned from both...

What does it take to balance elite ultrarunning with motherhood? In this episode, I sit down with Careth Arnold, one of the top-ranked ultrarunners in the United States, to talk about her journey from a recreational runner and mother of two to competing at some of the biggest trail and ultramarathon races in the world. We discuss her rapid rise in the sport, 100-mile racing, Western States, TDS, H...

In Season 3 Episode 8 of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Ash sits down with ultra runner and former Royal Marines Commando Charlie Shelbourne for a deep conversation about endurance, suffering, and pushing human limits. From completing Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert to taking on the brutal Dragon’s Back Race across Wales and the Arc of Attrition 100 mile race by UTMB, Charlie shares th...

What does it take to keep showing up at the edge of human possibility? In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Ash sits down with John Kelly, Barkley Marathons finisher, endurance athlete, data scientist, and one of the most thoughtful minds in ultra running. From the psychological challenge of Barkley to the loneliness of multi-day races, John opens up about failure, resilience, disc...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , ultra runner and Merrell athlete Mercedes Siegle-Gaither joins the podcast to talk about ultra running, 100 mile races, trail running mindset, endurance training, and the mental side of ultramarathons. We discuss: 50 mile vs 100 mile racing ultra marathon mindset technical mountain running DNF lessons fueling and hydration mistakes HRV, recovery...

What does it take to go from self-doubt to self-belief? In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we dive into the real journey behind ultrarunning: not the podiums, not the highlight reels, but the internal shift that happens when you stop asking  “Can I?”  and start saying  “Let’s see.” This conversation explores the mental battles, DNFs, emotional moments, and personal growth that co...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Ash sits down with Roger, CEO of SQUEEZY Nutrition and one of the pioneers of endurance fueling in Europe, to break down the fundamentals of fueling for performance. Roger shares over 30 years of experience in sports nutrition, starting from introducing energy gels in Germany in the early 1990s to working with athletes across endurance disciplin...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , I sit down with Nicole Linke: an ultrarunner who returned to running after 8 years away and went from self-doubt to completing some of the toughest endurance races out there. From her first 61K in 2021 to conquering 100 milers, 24-hour races, backyard ultras, and the brutal CCC at UTMB, Nicole’s journey is raw, honest, and powerful. We talk abou...

After winning  Moab 200 , setting a new  Triple Crown overall time record , and completing one of the most brutal challenges in ultrarunning, Kilian Korth returns to the podcast. In this episode, we go beyond the headlines. We break down what it actually took to execute across  Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 200, and Moab 200 , how strategy shifted under pressure, and what changed mentally once “delusional se...

What does it take to win one of the toughest ultramarathons in the world? In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we sit down with  Rebecca Rick , who claimed  1st place female at Moab 240 Endurance Run (2025)  after finishing 2nd the year before. From pushing through 240 miles of desert terrain to managing sleep deprivation, pain, and mental breakdowns, Rebecca shares what it really...

Episode 50 marks the Season 2 finale of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step . “Dreams Into Reality” returns, but this time it means something different. Over this season, the conversations went deeper. Stories of endurance, failure, resilience, and stepping into the unknown started to hit differently. Listening to people push beyond what feels possible doesn’t just inspire you. It forces you to questi...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we dive deep into the journey of an athlete who pushed the limits of human endurance at  Big’s Backyard Ultra , completing an incredible  113 loops (≈758 km / 471 miles)  and finishing second. We explore what it really takes to survive multiple days of running , from  sleep deprivation and hallucinations  to the mental battles that define ultra...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we sit down with ultra runner Emilie Mann to explore the mindset behind racing some of the toughest ultra marathons in the world. From 50K mountain races to 100 mile ultras like Run Rabbit Run, Emilie shares her experience racing globally, including events like Ultra-Trail Cape Town, Black Canyon 100K, and Desert RATS. This conversation goes bey...

Megan Eckert returns to  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step  after an incredible performance at  Big’s Backyard Ultra , where she pushed through brutal weather, extreme sleep deprivation, and over  90 hours of continuous running . In this episode, we break down what it truly takes to survive one of the toughest endurance formats in the world. From running through storms and collapsing tents to battlin...

What does it really take to run the  perfect ultra race ? In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we sit down with one of the most analytical and consistent endurance athletes in the sport to break down the science, strategy, and mindset behind elite ultra running performance. From  24-hour racing and 100-mile ultras to marathon-level speed , this conversation dives deep into how data...

In  Season 2 Episode 45 of Pushing Horizons: Steps by Steps , Ash sits down with an inspiring runner whose life revolves around discipline, resilience, and the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. A single mother balancing work, parenting, and intense endurance training, she logs  up to 300 miles per month , wakes up at  3 AM to run , and has taken on brutal endurance challenges i...

In this episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , we explore one of the most overlooked topics in endurance sports:  when passion slowly turns into burnout. Many runners believe that more mileage, harder training, and constant racing are the keys to improvement. But what happens when the body and mind can no longer keep up? This conversation dives deep into the realities of endurance training,...

In this powerful episode of  Pushing Horizons: Step by Step , Hilary Allen shares her journey from being ranked world number one in skyrunning to surviving a 150-foot fall during a race in Norway. We talk about trauma, recovery, identity, mental resilience, and the choice to believe in yourself when everything feels lost. Hilary opens up about fear, redefining success, sports psychology, returning...