Singletrack

I am joined once again by frequent co-host Brett Hornig to preview the last race of the 2022 Golden Ticket Series - the Canyons 100K - taking place in Auburn, CA this coming weekend. We cover what’s it going to take to be successful, the likely conditions on race day, analysis of the men's and women’s fields, and our golden ticket predictions. Let's go! Timestamps: (1:59) - Canyons 100K...

Addie Bracy is a running coach, mental performance consultant, and professional trail runner for Nike based in Denver, CO. Addie recently published a book titled “Mental Training for Ultrarunning” and that’s where we focus this conversation. We cover lots of topics from the book including the importance of finding your why, managing stress responses, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, t...

Timestamps: (1:45) - greatest seasons ever in ultrarunning (Ann Trason, 1998) (5:13) - grand slam, what used to be competitively important in ultrarunning (9:19) - states with the least and most golden ticket winners (15:48) - easier to make money in ultrarunning during the Montrail Cup years? (24:35) - how and where the golden ticket series should be expanded (28:36) - improvements in ultrarunnin...

Tim Tollefson a professional runner for Hoka based in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Tim probably needs no introduction, but of course he is one of the most decorated mountain ultra trail runners of all time, most notably with podium finishes at the 2015 CCC, 2016 UTMB and then again at the 2017 UTMB which most ultra historians would say was the most competitive 100 miler ever in our sports history.  In this...

Chris Chavez is the founder of Citius Mag, a road running and track and field media company providing original running news, analysis, videos, newsletters, podcasts and humor to fans of the sport. At the start of 2022, Chris made the decision to leave this long-time position as a writer at Sports Illustrated in order to go “all-in” on Citius Mag. Chris and I talk about building a running media com...

Last week I once again lit the beacons and let folks know I'd do another AMA if there were enough questions. In this second edition, I answer the following questions: What does the East Coast need to do to progress trail running? What is on your trail running media wishlist? What can we do to make ultrarunning events more exciting to follow or watch? What is something you would like to see ch...

In this episode we talk with Buzz Burrell, a co-founder of fastestknowntime.com , a tracking website that has been cataloging  the modern FKT movement here in the United States and abroad, to my knowledge, for the better part of the last decade. While there is no governing body for FKT certification, fastestknowntime.com has acted as the informal arbiter of these records.  We spend the majority of...

Sarah Keyes is an ultra runner, race director, and trail running community organizer (among many other roles) based in Saranac Lake, NY. In this conversation, we talk about the trail running and overall mountain sports scene in the Adirondack Mountains, her role as race director of the Whiteface Mountain events, her role at ITRA, how to get more involved in our sport beyond training and racing, an...

Jasmin Paris is professional trail runner for Inov-8 based in the United Kingdom. Her racing resume is significant with an overall win at the 2019 Spine race, a fastest known time on the Bob Graham Round, a top-10 finish at 2016 UTMB, and way more. Most recently, she completed 3 laps, also known as a “Fun Run”, at the vaunted Barkley Marathons in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. Due to Jasmin’s...

Timestamps: (1:26) - recap of February training accomplishments (8:02) - injury discussion (16:01) - how to think about next steps and future training  (25:00) - Skimo and other alternative sports during recovery  (30:44) - increasing popularity of Skimo among American ultra runners  (38:26) - standing is training? (43:56) - March and April training outlook for Canyons Links: Follow Ryan Ghelfi on...

Garrett Heath is a professional runner for Brooks. Garrett has demonstrated impressive range over the last couple of decades and with world-class PRs in events from the 1500m to the 10k, he has been a threat every time he steps on a starting line. As a three-time champion of the famed Edinburgh XC race, his gutsy racing style has carried him to victory over some of the world’s most legendary runne...

Timestamps: (1:39) - ideas to make ultra races easier to analyze and fun to follow (12:59) - should elite ultra runners be penalized for DNFs? (22:43) - Strava find of the week: 3:47 downhill mile  (32:38) - what if Magda Boulet had switched to ultra running during her prime? (40:33) - what if Sally McRae didn't get a golden ticket to Western States in 2014? (50:39) - new 50K world record  Li...

Mike Foote is a Professional Athlete for the North Face and Race Director of the Rut Mountain Runs based in Missoula, MT. Timestamps (1:33) intro to ultrarunning (4:38) Wasatch 100 reminiscing  (8:53) success formula (11:57) durability is speed in the mountains  (13:21) being an early American competitor at UTMB (16:39) North Face sponsorship, long-term relationship (23:06) Missoula, MT trail runn...

Anton Krupicka is a Professional Mountain Athlete for La Sportiva based in Boulder, CO. Timestamps (1:14) - considering Black Canyon for Western States Golden Ticket attempt (3:30) - appreciations for other mountain sports (6:00) - identifying with the sport of mountain ultra trail running, but not the scene (9:04) - influences in other sports (11:29) - the mindsets of the top athletes (14:11) - e...

Tom Evans is a Professional Mountain Ultra Trail Runner for Adidas Terrex and Red Bull based in the Birmingham, UK area. Over the last 3-4 years, Tom has become one of the best athletes in our sport with notable performances at some of the most important races including a win at the 2018 CCC and a sub-15 hour podium finish at the 2019 Western States 100. What stands out to me, however, is his leve...

In this episode, we meet with Reid Coolsaet, a Professional Trail Runner for Salomon based in Hamilton, Ontario. Reid burst onto the mountain ultra trail running scene in 2021 with a win at the Quebec Mega Trail 110K, competed at the Black Canyon 100K earlier this month, and will be lining up for the Canyons 100K in April and the Western States 100 in June. Prior to his venture onto the trails, Re...

In this episode, we talk with the 2nd place male finisher at the 2022 Black Canyon 100K, Scott Traer. Scott is based in the Phoenix, AZ area via Boston, MA and not only punched his ticket to Western States this coming June, but also ran the 4th fastest time in course history at the age of 40. In addition to race analysis, we also talk about the New England trail running scene, his recent media wor...

In this episode, we talk with the 3rd place female finisher at the 2022 Black Canyon 100K, Anne-Marie Madden. Anne-Marie is a Salomon-sponsored trail runner based in Vancouver, BC. In addition to race analysis, we talk about how she got into Mountain Ultra Trail Running, life in Vancouver, opportunities to grow our sport through better urban planning, the influence of social media, and much more....

In this episode, we talk with the 4th place female finisher at the 2022 Black Canyon 100K, Taylor Nowlin. Taylor is a Professional Trail Runner for Adidas Terrex based in Spokane, WA. In addition to race analysis, we talk about how she got into Mountain Ultra Trail Running, life in Spokane, WA, how she organizes training and races alongside her other career in nursing, advice she has for female at...

In this episode, we talk with the 3rd place male finisher at the 2022 Black Canyon 100K, Jeff Colt. Jeff is a Professional Trail Runner for On Running based in Carbondale CO. In addition to race analysis, we talk about his entry into the sport while working in the hut system of New Hampshire ’s White Mountains, his multi-year path to a golden ticket which included near misses at the 2018 and 2019...

The Golden Ticket Talks are back! In this episode, we talk with the 1st place male finisher at the 2022 Black Canyon 100K, Trueheart Brown. Since Trueheart is likely a new name to most ultrarunning fans, we cover a lot of ground in this episode including his background in the sport, his home and training base in Flagstaff, AZ, how he prepared for Black Canyon, his expectations leading into the rac...

This episode is part of a brand new mini-series we are calling the "Long Run Archives" in which I am joined by Brett Hornig, a fellow ultra runner and coach at Trails and Tarmac to riff on some of Ultrarunning’s most intriguing news, ideas, and questions. You know those highly entertaining long run conversations you have with friends you wish you could have hit the record button on? Thes...

Sarah Cummings is a Professional Trail Runner for Brooks based in Park City, Utah. We talk about her introduction to the trail world after a significant collegiate and post collegiate career on the roads, her experience and lessons learned rehabbing from a traumatic hamstring injury that could have ended her running career altogether, how she landed in Park City, her thoughts on the Wasatch trail...

This is the second episode in a monthly series we are calling the “Coaching Call”. For context - In April, I will be lining up for the Canyons 100k. Ryan Ghelfi, the Head Coach at Trails and Tarmac, is going to help me prepare.  We decided to take it a step further by working in total transparency. Our calls will be recorded and the training log will be viewable 24/7 for you to analyze. Be sure to...

In this episode we talk with Lee Sackett, a Product Manager for the Blue Line Innovation Footwear team at Brooks Running.  The first half of our conversation focuses primarily on work, life, and career trajectory in the running industry. The second half dives into a flowy conversation about running culture, growing participation, increasing the entertainment value, and making connections with othe...