Trail Runner Nation

The Trail Running Tribe is a unique community.  We are tied together by our shared experiences and the relationships formed from adversity and achievement.   Stephen was a member of the trail-running group Wasatch Mountain Wranglers. An experienced ultra runner, completing distances from 50 to  200 Miles.   He was also an experienced skier.  On Sunday January 31st  in Park City Utah,  Stephen went skiing and was caught in an avalanche.  He was located on Tuesday morning.   We pay tribute to Stephen in this special podcast episode.  We encourage the Trail Running Community to meet up at the Trail Head Go Fund Me.   He is survived by a wife and two small children. Read more HERE

Zach Bitter's 402.5  laps around the track at the Desert Solstice Track Invitational held in  Phoenix AZ  in 11 hours, 40 minutes and 55 seconds is enough to capture the New American Record. Keep in mind, the record he broke was his own.  Zach averaged a 7:00/mile pace.  This remarkable pace includes anytime needed to stop and refuel, gear change, problem solve and anything else that can pop up in 100 miles.  Join co-hosts Ann Trason and Sally McRae as we talk about fast times, pure running, fat adapted athletes and much more.    

  Candice Burt proves that experience and execution are two key ingredients if you want to stand on the podium at the finish line.   HURT100 is legendary for challenging even the toughest of Ultrarunners.  Candice seems to enjoy the 100 mile distance as long as you add crazy climbs, mud, slick rocks and humidity.  You can find Candice's blog at WildDefined.com   Discover her artwork and poetry.  Link over to Destination Trail and find Bigfoot 200,  Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 120M and 100K, Bellingham Trail Running Series, Bellingham Trail Marathon and Cle Elum Ridge 25K and 50K        

Brad Kearns was one of the top professional triathletes for nine years.  During that time, he won 30 titles worldwide including an amazing streak of seven victories in a row.  Brad teaches The Nation how he learned the hard way how to train for success.  In his new book with Mark Sisson, "Primal Endurance" they teach us how to  Go faster on less training Lose excess body fat and keep it off Reduce Stress Train Intuitively  Have fun training! Check out the Primal Endurance Podcast Learn about the 21-day Transformation

  January is time to review what was accomplished in the previous year and look optimistically into the coming year.  The Nation is joined by Andy Jones-Wilkins, Ian Sharman and Billy Yang to discuss: 1. Top male performance 2. Top female performance 3. Top American story 4. Top European story 5. Biggest Surprise 6. Trends in the sport 7. Predictions for 2016 Make sure you check out Billy's year end retrospective video HERE Make sure you see all the 2015 ultra running statistics in the upcoming issue of UltraRunning Magazine On the podcast Ian and Don had a gentleman's disagreement:  Ian accused Don of referencing unreliable DATA to support his erroneous claim that ultrarunning is a shrinking sport.  Ian, on the other hand, sites UltraRunning Magazine as the most reliable warehouse of archived trail data: illustrating a healthy and expanding sport.   After careful review following the podcast, including comparing finishing times between Ian and Don, Ian position clearly won the day. Ultrarunning is a thriving

The Nation goes rogue and kicks it game show style.  We adapt the 1970's game show, "100,000 Pyramid" to create a trail running version.  Join Andy Jones-Wilkins, Carilyn Johnson, Warren Pole and Sally McRae as they go head to head giving and guessing trail running lingo.  We may have pulled some laughing muscles on this one. You can also watch the video of the game show HERE.

Your watch timer goes off.  It is time for another Salt Cap.  You come into an aid station and you are covered with a salty brine on your forehead.  It's time for some potatoes and salt.   How important is that salt in your training and racing? Andy DuBois, one of Australia's top endurance coaches, joins The Nation to discuss Salt.  Andy is an accomplished elite endurance athlete including a top finish at UTMB and other wins.  He has a pedigree of certifications and is always on the cutting edge of research and coaching. We talk about Is there a correlation between cramping and low salt consumption? What is important in monitoring salt levels? What to worry about if we consume too much salt? The placebo affect? Will rinsing your mouth with a brine solution do anything? What can we do to avoid cramping? How to cool your body How important is plyometrics in training? Here is a link to our interview with Tim Noakes on his new book Waterlogged

Internationally recognized sports psychology and coach, Dr. Jim Taylor, joins The Nation to discuss his recent four-part blog series of the Fear of Failure.  We discuss the most common fears of failure: They will disappoint parents friends will no longer like them will be ostracized by their peer group will experience embarrassment or shame will be worthless people all their efforts will be a waste of time will experience the devastation of not achieving their goals. He then explains how we can break out of these fears to reach "total success". This is the second time Dr. Taylor has joined The Nation.  Here is his first podcast on how to deal with pain in an endurance event.

Amy Albu is an ultra verteran.  Despite her youthful age, Amy has been running for 21 years and has 16 Mountain Masochist finishes to her name, including a recent 4th place in 2015.  She is also the women's leader in the Beast Series and one race away from setting a new women's record. It is hard to believe, but in February 2014, she snapped her lower leg and ankle during a race.  We talk to Amy about her injury, surgery, recovery and return to running at an elite level. Andy Jones-Wilkins is the executive producer and Tap Room host for this podcast.  He compares his diagnosed end-stage arthritis and current recovery from hip socket resurfacing surgery. Need a good orthopedist?  Try AJW's Doc, Dr. Thomas Gross of Midlands Orthopaedic Need a good Physical Therapist? Try AJW and Amy's PT, Eric Magrum at HealthSouth Sports Medicine and Rehab at the University of Virginia.

December means a lot of things, for Ultra Runners it is the Lottery Season.  WS, Leadville, Hardrock and others. With 3.515 people in the drawing and  nearly 250 slots open  Jimmy Dean throws a twist and challenges us to come up with reasons why we should be pleased if we miss  getting our ticket pulled. Join WS runners Jennifer Benna, Katie Desplinter and Billy Yang as we wrestle this topic. Jennifer Benna's Blog and the home of the film centered around the 2010 WS100 and the amazing race finish here at Journey Films  Katie DeSplinter Blog here at Breaking & Excellent Points Billy Yang Films .  You can find his Western Time film covering Sally McRae's attempt to land a top 10 finish. Billy Yang's Film - From Squaw to Auburn the story of Billy's 2015 Western States 100 #WinADateWithBillyYang Jimmy Dean Freeman, TRN SoCal Correspondent, Coach and lead Dog at So Cal Coyotes RunningJimmy Dean Freeman's Inspired Running Blog  

The Nation has no geographic boundaries, although it is easy to stay in our own "world".  Today Ultra Runner and Coach, Sondre Amdahl, joins The Nation to educate them on the world of ultra running.  Sondre is an elite runner and coach from Norway.  He recently finished 4th in the Ultra-Trail World Tour (UTWT).  Ian Sharman also joins as co-host to help us understand what this race is.  The Ethics of UTWT are Equality in Sports Self Respect Respect for others and the environment

Gia Madole began running ultras two years ago.  In 2014, she WON the Tahoe 200 mile endurance run and followed up by winning the Bigfoot 200-mile endurance run in August.  Gia joins The Nation to adapt your training and race strategy for a 200 mile race. How much should you run weekly? What pace? Race strategy How much should you sleep Crewing? Gia is a coach a G-Fit

On November 7, 2015, Don Freeman toed the line of the 15th annual Rio Del Lago 100 Endurance Run on a whim, with a strong base and years of experience, but with little focused training.  He created a specific race day strategy and then executed the plan with the discipline of a seasoned Yogi.  Andy Jones-Wilkins, Sally McRae, and a surprise visit from Ann Trason join The Nation to find out how a plan and execution can help anyone looking to accomplish the extraordinary.

Ultrarunning champion and coach, Ian Sharman, joins The Nation to announce his Golden Ticket Race Series of Western States 100 qualifying races.  We also explore the following: U.S. Skyrunning Series How to determine the right coach for you Heart Rate training Pitfalls to avoid Judging your intensity Keys to successful downhill running.

Photographer, musician, ultra runner, dirtbag, 7-time Hardrock 100 finisher, Howie Stern joins The Nation to talk about caring for your trail running dogs hydration dog pace canine nutrition verbal leash how to dirtbag 101 trail / ultra photography

Ultra Race Director and Covergirl, Candice Burt, joins The Nation for our first edition of our Audio Magazine.  Tune in to hear more about: How to dress for wet/cold weather "Where the Wild Things Are" Time to Get Strong Training Your Diaphram article Progressing from 100 milers to 200 milers Check out: Candice's Blog Candice's Races

Author, Nutritionist, endurance athlete and coach, Matt Fitzgerald, joins the Nation to talk about what motivates us and how to train our brain to push our limits to a higher level.  In his new book, "How Bad Do you Want It: Mastering the Psychology of Mind Over Muscle", he relates exciting stories of athletes that have pushed beyond their mental limits to achieve extraordinary results.   As Matt relates what recent studies in neuroscience has taught us and how we can incorporate that into our training.  This is all woven into a dozen heart-pounding stories of endurance athletes.

Marty Dugard is a runner, he coaches the JSerra High School Running Lions Cross Country teams, and is a New York Best-Selling author of over 14 books.  So it made sense for him to put pen to paper and speak about something he is passionate about.  But he did it from a different angle than most.   His book "To Be a Runner doesn't refer to becoming a better runner - or even a runner at all.  It is about the process of seeking that better version of ourselves through the daily, mind-altering discipline of challenging personal limits." Coach Dugard captures some of the essence of WHY we run: what motivates us, what hurts us, what drives us to wake up before the sun and race up a hill to reach a summit that cannot be seen with a headlamp.  If you are a runner, you will find a kinship with this book.  If you aren't a runner, you will understand why people run. Keep Pushing...Always! Check out his other books HERE

The Ultra Race of Champions, UROC, is being held in Auburn, CA tomorrow.  This nomatic race is very unique.  We visit with race directors, Francesca Conte and James Gill, to find out more about this race and what they are creating. For other races by Francesca and James, visit Bad to the Bone Click here to register

Dr. Phil Maffetone rejoins The Nation after the release of his new book, The Endurance Handbook: How to Achieve Athletic Potential, Stay Healthy, and Get the Most Out of Your Body. Phil brews up a cozy cup of his fat-burning coffee (for non-coffee drinkers, try Phil's Shake) to talk about rhythm of music, life and its importance in efficient running. Phil's Two-Week Test Phil's Music Site Five-Minute Power Break