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Kyle Curtin is a professional trail runner for Altra based in Durango, CO. Kyle is lining up for the Western States 100 following a 9th place finish at last years event. Timestamps: (1:49) - Durango, CO trail running scene (3:40) - intro to ultrarunning (6:15) - leaving no training stone unturned (9:10) - long trail stuff (12:11) - reflecting on last year's Western States (14:52) - stoke is a...

Ailsa MacDonald is a professional trail runner for Saucony based in Alberta, CA. Ailsa is lining up for the Western States 100 this year after securing a golden ticket at Bandera 100K back in 2020. Timestamps: (1:40) - athletic and work background (5:14) - intro to ultrarunning (6:54) - part time living and training in Arizona (9:10) - comparing/contrasting current and previous Western States trai...

Alex Nichols is a professional trail runner for Scott based in Colorado Springs, CO. Alex is lining up for the Western States 100 following a 10th place finish at last years event. Timestamps: (1:42) - lessons from prior Western States races (2:54) - fitness now compared to previous two years racing the event (4:19) - what he attributed long-term racing consistency in the sport to (6:13) - race pl...

Ruth Croft is a professional trail runner for Adidas Terrex based in New Zealand. She returns to the Western States 100 following a 2nd place finish at last year's event. Timestamps: (1:55) - training and racing and traveling during the pandemic (3:37) - incorporating road training into the Western States block (4:22) - training in Flagstaff, AZ (5:49) - motivations for this year's Weste...

Tyler Green is a professional trail runner for Nike based in Portland, OR returning to this year's Western States 100 following a 2nd place performance at last year's event. Timestamps: (1:52) - reflecting back on 2017 and 2018 golden ticket attempts for Western States (3:25) - ultrarunning side hustle (4:31) - benefits of having a partner who's also an elite athlete in the sport (7...

Keely Henninger is a professional trail runner for Altra based in Portland, OR returning to this year's Western States 100 after a 9th place finish at last year's event. Timestamps: (2:21) - applying emerging ultrarunning science to this training block (5:46) - overtraining in ultrarunning discussion (7:30) - situations where ultrarunning can be detrimental to mental health (9:01) - West...

Drew Holmen is a professional trail runner for Nike based in Boulder, CO returning to the Western States 100 after a breakthrough 3rd place performance at last year's event. Timestamps: (1:57) - ultimate frisbee background (5:29) - influence of the SFRC running community (8:52) - willingness and excitement to go the well again at Western States (10:54) - preparation this time around (13:44) -...

Lucy Bartholomew is a professional trail runner for Salomon based in Australia preparing for this year's Western States 100 after two notable finishes at the race in 2018 and 2019. Timestamps: (1:41) - what it's like being back in the United States (3:46) - managing a large social media following as an elite athlete (9:04) - running full-time for Salomon (12:26) - reflecting on past West...

Tessa Chesser is a professional trail runner for Craft Sportswear based in Flagstaff, AZ who is preparing for the Western States 100 after securing a golden ticket at the 2021 Javalina Jundred. Timestamps: (1:42) - what attracted her to ultras, her why for being so invested at this point (5:02) - how important Flagstaff is in her training equation (7:15) - respecting the mind as much as the body i...

Emily Hawgood is a professional trail runner for Adidas Terrex based in Idaho who is returning to the Western States 100 after a 7th place finish in 2021. Timestamps: (2:02) - her 2021 racing season which included 3 golden ticket races and top 10s at Western States and UTMB (3:24) - energized after 2021 season (4:08) - growing up in Zimbabwe (5:23) - graduate school work in high altitude physiolog...

Brittany Peterson is a professional trail runner for Nike based in Pocatello, ID who returns to the Western States 100 this year after a 2nd place finish at the 2019 event and 4th place finish at the 2021 event. Timestamps: (1:51) - mindset heading into this year's Western States 100 (2:14) - what she's done differently in preparation this year (3:03) - spending time training on the cour...

Adam Kimble is a professional trail runner for Hoka based in Tahoe City, CA returning to this year's Western States 100 looking to improve upon a 13th place performance at the 2018 event. Timestamps: (2:23) - experience in game shows, alternative ultra endurance events, etc (6:39) - making it work from a lifestyle standpoint as a professional ultrarunner (7:57) - lessons from a strong Western...

Cole Watson is a professional trail runner for Hoka based in Folsom, CA lining up for his first Western States 100 this year. Timestamps: (1:57) - experience running for the University of Oregon (3:23) - whether collegiate running inspired or dissuaded him from continuing to compete post-collegiately (5:16) - inspirations for trail running (6:33) - taking ownership of performances (8:00) - respons...

Katie Asmuth is a professional trail runner for Saucony based in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Timestamps: (1:50) - reflecting on the journey to this year's start line (4:30) - identifying areas of improvement for this year's race (7:37) - primary motivations for this year's race (10:05) - race plan versus race environment (11:12) - race day mantra (12:47) - race day gear (14:42) - investing i...

Andrew Drummond is a runner, skier, mountains sports retail store owner, and overall great ambassador for the White Mountains based in Jackson, NH. We cover a lot of ground. We talk about his experience pacing Scott Jurek during the final stretch of his Appalachian Trail FKT in 2015, being a content creator in the sport, we have a wide ranging conversation about the northeast trail running culture...

Barry Dana is an Ultra Runner and former Chief of the Penobscot Nation currently based in Solon, ME. I was introduced to Barry after reading an article in Downeast Magazine detailing his numerous adventure runs through the 100 Mile Wilderness, which you might recognize as the last section of the Appalachian trail before the northern terminus at Mount Katahdin. In this conversation, Barry and I tal...

Joe McConaughy is a professional trail runner for Brooks Running based in Seattle, WA. Timestamps: (4:05) - collegiate running background (8:42) - factors that led to running dedication (10:24) - training in Seattle, WA (13:59) - coaching business (15:17) - what it's like to be "all-in" on running (18:20) - lessons from coaching runners (24:09) - intro to long trails, Pacific Crest...

Timestamps: (0:29) - Running stores (2:39) - Cocodona 250 (15:29) - Mammoth Trail Fest (22:20) - Super shoe influence on running sponsorships (34:53) - Peter Bromka tweet (44:32) - Kilian Jornet's thoughts on competitive trail landscape (52:38) - Sound Running for the ultra and trail scenes (62:28) - Early Western States chatter (67:20) - Strava finds of the week Links: Trails And Tarmac Coco...

Jared Hazen is a professional mountain ultra trail runner for Salmon based in Flagstaff, AZ. Jared joins the podcast to talk about his 3rd place finish at the 2022 Canyons 100K, his golden ticket to the Western States 100 this June, as well as much more. We also talk about his entry in the sport at a relatively young age, his sponsorship change earlier this year, what it’s like being a full-time u...

Jazmine Lowther is a mountain ultra trail runner based in Nelson, BC. She recently set a course record at the 2022 Canyons 100K and punched her ticket to the Western States 100 this June. In addition to race analysis and expectations for her summer slate of racing (which also includes UTMB-CCC), we get to know her background as a mountain sports athlete, what it's like to live and train in Ne...

Leah Yingling is a professional trail runner for Salomon based in Salt Lake City, UT. In addition to preparation for the Canyons 100K, her race analysis, and expectations for Western States in June, we also talk about her multi-year odyssey for a golden ticket, how she is able to perform so consistently in such an unpredictable sport, what its like having a life partner that is just as passionate...

Adam Peterman is a professional trail runner for Hoka based in Missoula, MT. This past weekend, Adam set a new course record at the Canyons 100K in Auburn, CA. In addition to race analysis and reflection on the big decision he has to make this week either accepting entry to Western States or instead focusing on UTMB-CCC later this summer, we discuss many aspects of his background, overall running...

In this episode, we talk with the 4th place male finisher at the 2022 Canyons 100K, Rod Farvard. Rod is based in Mammoth Lakes, CA. In addition to race analysis and expectations for the Western States in June, we also talk about his background in ultrarunning, his former life on the competitive triathlon scene, how he thinks about training, and much more. Timestamps: (1:09) - Initial thoughts on t...

In this episode we talk with Jenn Hughes (Managing Editor) and David Callahan (Managing Partner) at Ultrasingup. Almost all of you know about ultra signup. You use the platform to sign up for races, to check entrants lists, and to scroll through past results. But you might not know that Ultrasignup is expanding in a lot of interesting ways. We talk about their plans to transition from being a &quo...

It is Canyons 100K race week and this is the 4th installment in our "Coaching Call" mini series, which premiered in January. Over the last 4 months, Ryan Ghelfi (trailsandtarmac.com) and I have been publicly recording our monthly coaching calls so that you can follow the leadup to my race, get insight into a typical athlete-coach relationship in ultrarunning, and hopefully pick up some t...