Trail Tales with Tara and Bryce

In this episode we chat to two of our well loved trail running buddies who inspire us. Kristen ran the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail 100 miler and Sharon ran the 50 miler. Huge efforts from them both and without giving too much away this episode touches on scary creatures of the night, spew marathons and the unexpected presence of unicorns.

Sean is one of our running buddies and we have seen him go from "regular running buddy" to "elite backyard Ultra legend" in the space of a year. But Sean is a balanced and humble sort of guy and we really enjoyed chatting with our friend who just ran 266 kilometers without stopping. I'm sure you will too!

Joe is a terrific fellow and we loved chatting. His expertise in all things feet and lower limbs is really interesting and relevant. His own running journey adds credibility and nuance to the conversation. If you have ever had Planter, shin splints or blisters - this episode is for you.

Andy is an accomplished ultra marathon runner with multiple finishes of Comrades in South Africa and Tarawera in New Zealand. He is in his 70s now and stays fit with bike riding and regular strength training. Andy and Bryce have been mates for over 15 years, in fact Andy got Bryce into running in the first place.

Brett started running in the forest with his dog in Tamworth when he was just 10 years old. He is unique in that he has recorded all of his running over the years on an old school excel spreadsheet and does not have anyone giving him Kudos. He is a lovely guy with a fabulous range of running and athletic interests such as Javelin and Hyrox.

Amber is one of Tara's research Colleagues who just happens to be an elite trail runner with international experience and phenomenal results. She was born in New Zealand, lived in Chile, the UK and is now based in the USA. At one stage in her life she was sponsored by Adidas and while doing this completed her PHD. Her research is fascinating and she is a delight to chat with.

In this episode Tara takes the opportunity to catch up with her Norwegian colleague Ulrik who is in Australia for work. They chat about the benefits of short intense exercise and how it is really good for brain health. You don't necessarily need a lot of time to gain great outcomes - short bursts of high energy effort will do the trick. In other news, Bryce is a grandad for the first time and...

Check out Tara's new Trail Tales themed car!! Tara and Bryce catch up after a few epic challenges. Tara had a crack at the Goggins challenge - 4 miles - every 4 hours for 48 hours and Bryce completed the 50k (Out and back) Noosa Trail Ultra. We are just your average trail running plodders. Tara did not complete the challenge and Bryce came an impressive 386th out of 421 runners. But he did com...

Not all trail runs end in glory. The reality of a DNF is a very real possibility when you attempt stuff that you are not sure you can do. Dave and Jon share about this, after a brutal Tarewera 100miler plagued with mud and rain. These guys are epic athletes, full of courage and grit and you can do nothing but be filled with admiration and respect as they share in this episode.

In this episode, Tara chats with Kristen about her epic adventure taking on the Tarawera Ultra-Trail 100 km in New Zealand. Battling tough conditions—including around 45 km of thick mud—Kristen pushed through with determination and, in true Kristen style, kept a relentlessly positive attitude all the way to the finish.

Professor Selena Bartlett is a Neuroscientist and author whose research focuses on brain plasticity and mindset. She is also the host of the Thriving Minds Podcast. In this special crossover podcast Selena and Tara chat about trail running, mental health, and the latest research into how exercise promotes brain health.

Nicole is an elite trail runner with multiple podiums in world class events all over the world, notably the GTP 100 miler and Hut to Hut in Australia along with amazing accomplishments in International races such as 1st Australian Female in the World Trail running championships in Canfrank - Spain. Chatting to Nicole was a delight as she is personable and relatable. She loves how trail running all...

In this episode Tara and Bryce debrief about the Glass House Standing Backyard Ultra they did on New Years Eve. Fantastic community, exhaustion, heat, torrential rain storms and lost property all feature.

Kerryn Bell grew up around elite athletes and has been surrounded by high achievers all her life. So it is no wonder she is a sensational trail runner with a string of impressive global achievements. What we love and am sure you will love too is that she invests brilliantly into the lives of ordinary folks in ways that helps them be the best they can be.

Mick has always been a great runner and was hitting significant achievements when a devastating accident left him with serious leg injuries. But with a determination and a renewed sense of belief and purpose, he has found a way back to the trails and elite levels of accomplishment. His story is inspirational.

Bryce and 4 of his running buddies head off for a runcation to the Sunshine Coast to do a 10 loop backyard ultra. We stayed with the parents of one of our crew and were spoiled rotten with hospitality at their beautiful home and then the next day during the run. Great fun despite blisters, falls and horse fly bites!

Tara and nine of her running buddies go on a weekend Runcation to the Blackall100 Trail race. Tara chats to Kirsty about why this race is so special to her.

After a busy month with Tara getting a promotion at work and Bryce being away in Africa on a Holiday we decided to just have a catch up chat. It highlights again the simple joy and richness of trail running and how terrific it is to have this as part of our lives. We ran together with 18 people this morning and even did a walk of life. Check it out on our instagram page.

Last year we interviewed David after his DNF of the Guzzler 100k. He got gastro off is young daughter and despite training and preparing well he was unable to finish. This year he did it! Never an easy run, so it is wonderful to hear David share about the lessons learned and the ways trail running impacts his life and character.

Katie sees herself as just a normal person who likes to run and enjoy the outdoors. But it could be argued that normal people don't "enjoy" running 50k trail runs and push through 100k trail runs on an annual basis. Katie manages to be delightfully relatable and next level amazing at the same time. You will love listening to her story.

Tara and Bryce have a follow up chat with Mark Stone after he has completed his 160k Western States Ultra marathon. Mark and His wife Julia share beautifully about this experience and the ways it has challenged and enriched their lives.

Sean and his delightful daughter Lucinda share about their wonderful experience at the Dead Cow Gully Ultra. Lucinda is a sheer joy as she shares about her 7 loops and the sense of achievement she felt. Sean did 28 loops which is no mean feat too so all up - a terrific chat with some inspiring people.

Brett is the founder of Run Queensland which hosts such iconic trail run events such as the Yandina 50 and the Blackhall 100. He is an accomplished trail runner himself having completed the famed Wester States ultra in America. We chat with Brett about his running journey and his passion for the trails that keeps him taking responsibility to make sure others get to experience them too.

Steve is the founder of Intraining - a highly popular and successful run club and is a specialist run coach and sports podiatrist.  His daughter Zoe is a champion runner with multiple wins under her belt such as the recent Noosa Ultra Trail 50km and the Boyne Valley 50. She was also recently awarded 2024 Young Female Ultra Runner of the Year for her outstanding performance at the Asian Pacific Tra...

Tara and Kristen chat through what was a record breaking event out at Nanago.  Kristen chatted with the likes of Harvey Lewis and did an amazing 13 laps herself, covering over 88 kilometers.  When this interview was recorded Tara and Kristen had no idea the world record would be broken.