Trail Runner Nation

Jimmy Dean Freeman sets his sites on the  2014  Last Great Race .   This race combines 6 of the toughest 100M races  in the same year.  In preparation JDF shares his experiences at running AC and Leadville within 13 days of one another.    Oral Hydration Salts Jimmy Dean's Blog Inpired Running Closing Song:  Son's Gonna Rise by Citizen Cope Take the Tailwind Challenge at:   Tailwind Nutrition     ...

Start this podcast by watching this  VIDEO Sally McRae , Josh Spector, David Daley, and  Billy Yang  put together this training adventure challenge as a way to prepare for their upcoming race,  Run Rabbit Run 100 mile race .  A one day summit of the three largest peaks in Southern California - they dubbed it "The Triple Crown", but it has also been called the  8000M Challenge. Mt Jacinto, San Gorg...

Pura vida  is a characteristic Costa Rican phrase. It literally means  pure life , however, the real meaning is closer to "plenty of life", "full of life", "this is living!", "going great", or "real living" What better way to celebrate Pura Vida and trail running than to take a vacation to Costa Rica and participate in   La Ruta Trail   Race , a 50K or 100K of challenging trails. Wanna make it eve...

Warren  joins us to talk about what has been on his mind: Running isn't just for runners anymore.  Despite your epigenetics, there are more people running today - even those who with body types that do not lend themselves to this sport.  Boils down to the nature v. nurture debate. His new diet: no wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.  After a month, guess how he feels? Fell running  (or mou...

Dr. Mark has had a busy summer.  He recently returned from running the oldest and largest ultra marathon,   Comrades Marathon  in South Africa.  This 89 km course started in 1921 and has nearly 20,000 participants annually.  Our Dr. finished a respectable 869 out of 19,524.  While he was out there, he also attended the Sports Medical Conference with Dr. Tim Noakes. Check out our web site for more...

In 2012,  Vanessa  quit her job, sold all her possessions, purchased and RV and set off to live a life she had been dreaming of.  She and her companion, Shacky, are traveling around the Americas " living day-to-day, bartering or trading for things that we need, sometimes doing freelance or contract work, and following our whims wherever they take us".  We talk to Vanessa about her new book,  "The...

Ryan Green PhD has directed his mental prowess into the running shoe.  Ryan Green is the managing partner in  Varsity Sports , a running specialty store with 4 locations in Louisiana.  He holds a PhD in kinesiology and a certified Athletic Trainer. How many miles should your shoes last?   Yea or Nay to rotating your shoes?  Shoelaces  zero drop washing machines running gait and more 

Sally McRae  joins us to talk about the most common questions and issues she is asked by the athletes she coaches: How do I deal with injuries? How much do I need to run? What about Cross Training? Nutrition? Why are you the "yellow runner"? How do you balance being a Mom, business owner, coach and STILL find time for your personal training?

Dr. Steven Gangemi joins Faith, Don and Scott to talk about important trail running topics: Spray on tans.  Groupon.  Glycemic index.  Trigeeks.  Crossfit peeing.  Knee pain.  Groupon.  Is orange the new tan?  Running depression.  Spray on tanning.  Waking up at night hungry.   R acing too often.   Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter.   Periodization.  Groupon. Simple!

Sally McRae  joins us to talk about the most common questions and issues she is asked by the athletes she coaches: How do I deal with injuries? How much do I need to run? What about Cross Training? Nutrition? Why are you the "yellow runner"? How do you balance being a Mom, business owner, coach and STILL find time for your personal training?

In the shadow of the 2013 Western States 100 mile endurance Run, Scott, Faith and Don talk about the WS100 experience.  What's all the hype?  Is it different than any other run?  We take on the experience of the volunteers, pacers, crew and runner. 

Dominic Grossman and Katie Desplinter have had the benefit of running in the lead pack for many years.  What you may not know about them is that when they are not racing, they are avid volunteers pacing or crewing others.  Dom and Katie record this podcast pre-Western States 100 - where Dominic paced Tim Olsen to his second win in the second hottest year.   We talk about strategies that can help y...

We join Ultralegend Tim Twietmeyer and Ultrarunner/Race Director Craig Thornley as we discuss the "Rules of the Trail"  Who knew there are 18 rules for running Western States 100?  Apparently each rule is a result of a circumstance that actually happened happened during the race. 

In the Northern Hemisphere, we are now approaching the heat of the summer.  Make sure you prepare yourself by listening and learning from a couple people that really know how to train for heat.   Jimmy Dean Freeman ,  SoCal Coyotes ,   joins us with his friend Danny Westergaard.  Danny has run  Badwater  6 times and done a triple crossing of Badwater (875 miles).  In seven years, Danny has crossed...

Ian Torrence has a deep resume of trail ultras: Finished over 170 ultras and has won over 50!   In 1999, he finished 16 ultras and 1 marathon and won 12.   In 2002, he completed the Grand Slam of Ultras 18 JFK finishes including 11 top ten finishes He currently resides in the trail running mecca of Flagstaff, AZ where he trains and coaches for  McMillan Running   as their ultra-marathon coach.  Ia...

Gary Avery said, "Optimal Stress + Optimal Rest = Optimal Progress" Greg joins us from  McMillan Running ,  an online resource / coaching for runners, to discuss how important REST is in our training.  He explains why "the most difficult situation is to be the fittest spectator at a race".  In a recent  Runner's World  article,  "Give it a Rest" , Greg explains how better we perform when we incorp...

To reach your athletic potential, Dr. Phil Maffetone shares the secret ingredient is in the kitchen.  Nutrition is the foundation for performance and recovery.   We open his Big Red Book and ask the author to connect his content to the trail.  We discuss protein, fats and carbohydrates as we literally sit at the kitchen table with Dr. Maffetone.  Closing Song by Dr. Phil Maffetone   Title Rosemary...

Join Ashey and Jimmy Dean Freeman as they share their adventure at the inagural Salon Sea Ultramarathon.  Heat, rain, wind, COLD, 81 miles and 9,000 feet of climbing can make for an interesting race.  What can make it more interesting?  This is a team sport.  Grab three of your closest running partners, strap on the same bib number and run together. This is NOT a relay.  Find Jimmy Dean Freeman at...

Terry Orsi ,  aka Barefoot Terry, recently completed his first 50 mile event.  We talk to Terry about how he began running barefoot, why he advocates barefoot running and how he keeps his feet "smooth as a baby's bottom".

Bob Crowley has been trail running for over 21 years. Josh Katzman for 7 years. Both are members of the massive Trail Animals Running Club - a running club that has grown to exceed over 2500 member in the U.S.A. They join the Nation to discuss trail culture. Are we at risk of losing the unique culture that welcomed us all in? Will the culture change as the sport continues to grow? How can we maint...

Duncan Callahan lives and trains at over 7000' altitude in beautiful Colorado. He has finished in the top 10 in the last 33 races winning the prestigious Leadville Trail 100 twice! Duncan joins us to talk about: Training and racing at altitude How to mentally execute a race How making a peanut butter sandwich is similar to racing "Be the 4th Quarter guy" Cardiac Drift How to enjoy the process of t...

Change out of your spandex triathlete shorts and make sure you aren’t drinking during this podcast (you may find milk coming out your nose in a fit of laughter). Warren Pole discusses three things that have been on his mind recently: Are Ironman Triathlons for pussies? (take note of Warren Pole’s image on this post) Aren’t injuries [...]

Recount his observations while he was running the 2013 Boston Marathon His response to a recent study on barefoot running How to "live more and die less" Upcoming clinics Dr. Mark will be leading in the U.S.

Max is not only a great runner and nice person, but he is also a student of the sport and coaches athletes. We couldn't turn down the opportunity to talk to him about his training, what he commonly helps athletes improve, and what he is personally working on to improve his running.

Learn 4 key elements of race execution with Lee McKinley and Jimmy Dean Freeman