Trail Runner Nation

We talk with three of Nike's newly-formed Trail Elite Team:  Sally McRae ,  Chris Vargo ,  Alex Varner , and Team Manager: Pat Werhane.  This interview was recorded the afternoon before Chris and Alex finished #1 and #2 at a 1200-participant,  Way Too Cool 50K .  Some of the topics we discuss are: How to adjust for weather or course conditions? Is there race-day cooperation between team mates? Tru...

Nation member, Candice Burt joins us to discuss a recent lighthearted   blog post   she wrote on how ultra runners take things to excess.   DUH!   That's who we are.  Fun article  about people that make up excuses for not racing well. Here are some of the races she directs: Tahoe Rim 200 mile race Bellingham Trail Marathon  Bellingham Trail Running Series Cle Elum Ridge 50k & 25K Rainshadow Runnin...

Ultra Trail Running is distinctly different in culture and mental preparation than other running or endurance sports.  Veteran Trail Ultra Runner, Bob Crowley, visits with the Nation about what is unique about this sports culture. Is there a difference between "doing" an ultra run and "being" an ultra runner? What are some of the tenets of the trail running culture? Are we losing the ultra trail r...

Ashley Walsh has been busy weaving a tapestry of trail philosophy on her blog  AshRuns100s ,  training and racing.  In fact, she recently killed it at  Pistol 100 Mile  in TN, where she won with a sub 20-hour finish!  You gotta run this one just for the buckle!         Grab bag topics include: Motivation vs. Commitment There is a season for everything How to guarantee a DNF Gear or no Gear? Ashley...

If "ultra running is 90% mental and the other 10% is in your head", shouldn't we train our brain?  Is there a repeatable process for winning? Lanny Bassham  went from a kid that others said would never compete as an athlete to a 2-time Olympic medalist and 4-time world champion with four world records.  All winners have common threads that they do differently than everyone else.  He has discovered...

Get out your dictionary and slow down the playback on your MP3 player!  Ben Greenfield, fitness expert and top ranked Iron-Man triathlete teaches about Cold Thermogenisis Exercise throughout the day How Fasting can help you turn your body into a fat-burning machine How to "Grease your Groove" The importance of breathing correctly Ben can be found on four of his own podcasts: Endurance Planet Git F...

What if there was a nutrition training program that is NOT a calorie-deficient diet, NOT low-carb / Atkins-like, NO need to count calories, and requires NO special foods or supplements? Our favorite nutritionist,  Sunny Blende , teaches us how to train our metabolism: increase our fat burning enzymes so we can be efficient running machines! Sunny's Metabolic Efficiency article Phil Maffetone's 180...

Trail Runner Nation's Southern California corespondent,  Jimmy Dean Freeman , joins the Nation to discuss new year's resolutions and goal setting. Stuff we referenced:   Vanessa Rodriguez  wrote for Active.com, " 7 Ultrarunning Myths That Hold you Back ". "Mind the Gap"  from Jimmy's blog. Ted Video: Derek Sivers: " Keep your goals to yourself " Never too old to start:   Fauja Singh , the guy who...

Dr. Robert Portman is and exercise scientist and coauthor of three books, Nutrient Timing The Performance Zone Hardwired for Fitness and has authored hundreds of articles on how nutrition can improve fitness, health and athletic performance. Dr. Portman teaches us that there are five macro-nutrients that an endurance athlete needs to know how to use: Water, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, and elect...

With over 20 books written for the endurance athlete,  Matt Fitzgerald  is one of the sport's leading authors.  Some of his other best sellers are: Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance Iron War-Dave Scott, Mark Allen, & the Greatest Race Ever Run The Runner's Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer, and Faster Matt talks to us about his book, " Run-Th...

Italian Nation Member, Monica, paints a picture of Italian trail running!  Monica lives in the middle of some amazing mountain running.  She explains trail running culture, race demographics and gear choices of Italian runners. One of the  forty-seven ultras in 2014  is the  Tour Des Geants ,   a 330 KM (205 mile) race with a 150 hour time limit. Book a trip to Italy and Corri di più!!

Class is in session.  Dr. Mark talks about Cadence: what is the most efficient, how to determine yours, does it make a difference if you are tall or short? Breathing: what is the most effective way to breath?  How to practice and what are the benefits? How long does it take to change body composition? Treadmills What are the latest trends in running shoes that he saw at 2013  The Running Event Her...

Chris Vargo is relatively new to the trail running scene, but has quickly found his place at the front of the pack; including a 3rd place finish at the 2013  North Face Endurance 50 Mile  in San Francisco.  You can watch a great video of the 2013 TNF50 lead runners  HERE .   Chris talks about how he started in trail running, his training including  pool runnning , his successes, the TNF50 race, an...

On the evening of two of the most popular 100-mile race lotteries ( Western States 100  and  Hardrock 100 ),   Andy Jones-Wilkins  and  Craig Thornley  (race director) join the Nation to discuss the mystic and draw of Western States 100, the new 2015 qualifying standards, "micro competitions", the future of ultrarunning, and how to maintain longevity in the sport. Take the Tailwind Challenge at:  ...

Coach Sally McRae joins Trail Runner Nation and opens up the official TRN Grab Bag: running topics that are in the news or on our mind. Take the Tailwind Challenge at:   Tailwind Nutrition      Check out the cool headlamps made for trail running at  Petzl Download a free audio book at  Audible

Dr. Maffetone  teaches us that the brain's role is often overlooked in training and racing, how to improve brain function through biofeedback stimulation, and how to develop and maintain a better athletic brain. Buy Dr. Phil Maffetone's  Big Book of Endurance Training and Running Buy  The Big Book of Health and Fitness Previous Podcast with Dr. Maffetone: Speed up by Slowing Down Eat to Win Transc...

Ian Torrence has won 51 ultras and run over 170.  He coaches for  McMillan Running .  Ian joins us to talk about what you need to do to prepare for cold weather running - starting from the head to the toes.  He recaps his successful inauguration of the  Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line Ultra ,   a 100-mile ultra or relay event.         Here is Ian's earlier podcast::  How to Build a Bonkp...

Warren Pole joins the Nation in person!  The authorities let Warren and his wife, Erica, into the U.S. with their TRN work visa.  We were able to not only have a great trail running discussion, but also break bread and share 18 miles of the Western States trail with him (with no bonking).   Candice Burt, RD, announces a great new  RACE  for 2014! Take the Tailwind Challenge at:   Tailwind Nutritio...

It has been 8 months since we last talked to Anna Frost (check out her original podcast  HERE ).  She has been recovering from a couple debilitating injuries, but has continued to tour the globe representing  TEAM SALOMON .    She talks about her most recent trip to Morocco, where she trained with Mohammad Ahansal, 18-time finisher of the  Marathon des Sables  (winning 4 times and coming in 2nd te...

Anton has come off a busy year of running and training culminating in the release of the Joel Wolpert film,  "In the High Country" .  (A MUST have $15 purchase) Tony talks about: his mountain running life-style and philosophy running form - efficient and quick making the movie his Nolan's 14 adventure running and racing in Europe HERE  is the link to the first of three videos about Tony's attempt...

JB Benna, producer of the film Unbreakable, is also a heck of a runner.  He proved this in October 2013 by breaking the 175 mile unsupported  Tahoe Rim Trail  FKT at 58h 43m 12s!  JB attempted the run in honor of  Michael Popov , the previous record holder, who passed away tragically in 2012.  JB explains Why and his training, race, fuel, and hydration strategies, lessons learned and how he became...

Candice Burt, elite trail runner and active blogger, recently created a glossary of terms that trail runners use.  For example: Paleo Bonk FKT Minimalist Finally, there is a simple dictionary for you to share with your non-trail running friends and family so they can join in the conversation and understand what you are trying to communicate. Candice's blog can be found  HERE Check out the races th...

Keith Hatfield Keith is a certified physician assistant of 15 years  who had a 10 year career as a certified athletic trainer prior to that, including two years working in professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals organization.  He discusses the following common lower leg ailments that runners might experience: Runner's Knee IT Band ( stretch video ) Meniscus Pain Planter Faciiatis As an a...

Stephanie Howe , exercise physiologist, North Face elite runner, and coach, discusses nutrition with us.  Stephanie is a coach with  Rebound Oregon  with  Jay Dicharry  (his  podcast ) Diet fads Super foods losing weight vs. improving fitness: how and when to focus on each Fish oils which carbs should you use when training/racing? iRunFar interview  with Stephanie Howe after winning Speadgoat 50K...

Your race is a couple days away and you find out that the temperature is going to be unseasonably hot.  How should you change your race strategy?   Sunny Blende  discusses what you should change and how the heat will affect you.  She also teaches us that heat acclimatization will benefit us in multiple ways even if our race isn't hot!  We reference the article that Sunny wrote for the September 20...