Off The Couch

When a 15-year-old Hayden Hawks first learned about the Western States 100, he knew that he would someday get into running ultras, and it became his dream to race Western States. Fast forward 14 years later, and the now-29-year-old Hayden Hawks is a world-class runner, he’s just won the Black Canyon 100k, and he’s qualified to race Western States this June.So we talked to Hayden about his Black Canyon 100 win and the specific lessons he learned there. And we discuss his trajectory from running track in high school to where he is today. But the biggest takeaway from our conversation with Hayden is just how driven he is to test himself and see what is possible for him. It is a very infectious energy, and a great reminder to approach life with passion, drive, and joy.TOPICS & TIMES:Post-Race Vacations (1:57)Training vs. Racing (5:19)Getting a ticket to Western States (7:12)Black Canyon: what went right & wrong? (12:27)How & why did you get into ultras? (22:20)Avoiding burnout (25:20)When did you star

While most of us know the explorers, Lewis & Clarke, the exploits of John Colter (who was a member of Lewis & Clarke’s famous expedition) might be a bit less familiar, but they are arguably even wilder. And in their short film, Colter: A Legacy of Adventure, Sawyer Thomas and Riis Wilbrecht set out to venture through the territory John Colter had explored two centuries ago, across some of the most remote terrain in the lower 48 states.So we talked to Sawyer and Riis about John Colter and why they chose this particular adventure; the (serious) difficulty of running, skiing, and trekking through this terrain; the logistics of shooting this film; and more.Watch the TrailerWatch the Full FilmTOPICS & TIMES:Sawyer and Riis’ Background (6:58)Who is John Colter? (9:02)The Logistics of the Route (17:00)The Skiing Element of the Adventure (23:37)The Best Moment of the Expedition(29:39)The Running Portion of the Project (39:20)Biggest takeaways from the adventure? (46:14) See acast.com/privacy for pri

By some measures, Eric Walker is a pretty normal guy. He lives in Minnesota, he’s not a professional runner, he’s 38 years old, and he’s a husband and a dad.But at some point in 2018, Eric found himself committed to the goal of running 5 kilometers every day for 365 days, and a year later … he’d done it.So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Eric to find out what motivated him to do this? How did the idea come about? How did he actually pull it off? What did he learn in the process? And is this something he thinks the rest of us should try? And as you’ll see, there’s a lot that each of us could learn from this pretty normal (but pretty charming) guy.TOPICS & TIMES:Balancing life and running (10:00)Did you tell others about your goal? (22:39)The significance of the challenge (27:44)Biggest takeaways from running 5k for 365 (30:50)Day 366 & Beyond (38:37)Varying intensity? (49:04)Would you recommend this challenge to others? (52:02) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nell Rojas is fascinating. And fast. So fast that on February 29th, she’s got a shot at making the USA Marathon team, despite the fact that she didn't compete in her first marathon until 2018. But she then won her second marathon (the very competitive Grandma’s Marathon), and now, the Olympic Trials are just around the corner. So we talked to Nell about her unique background; the dynamics of being coached by her dad (Rick Rojas, a very accomplished runner himself); her uncommon emphasis on strength training, low-mileage, and speed work; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Growing up & playing basketball (3:18)Coaching young runners (8:30)Being coached by her dad (14:40)Speed work & avoiding overtraining (21:11)Nell’s interval training: the details (30:10)Race strategy & splits (32:05)Strength training for marathons (37:00)Feb. 29th: US Marathon Trials (51:10)Life outside of running (59:38) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Liza Howard is smart, funny, accomplished, humble, and by her own account … is extremely susceptible to peer pressure. She’s run marathons to impress a guy, still runs marathons for donut money, has won the Leadville 100 (and other big races) multiple times, is a coach, a parent, a NOLS Wilderness instructor, and the director of the terrific non-profit, Band of Runners. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and you are in for a treat.This conversation between me, Brendan Leonard, and Liza ranges from the absurd to the profound; upsets a lot of preconceived notions and conventional wisdom; and will make you laugh and think in equal measure.In short, Liza is a joy, and this conversation is a gift.TOPICS & TIMES:Donuts & Donut money (2:10)Winning the USA FIT Marathon (4:28)Getting into running to impress a boyfriend (9:54)Winning Leadville (13:00)Ultrarunning vs. Parenting (17:04)Trail running in San Antonio (24:22)Training in a flat region (30:00)Band of Runners (bandofrunners.org) (31:30)Training i

Duncan Callahan is one of our favorite people, so we’re excited to have him back on the show to catch up. We had Duncan on last July (Episode 9 of Off the Couch) and it was a very compelling and very honest conversation about some huge successes of his, but also about some of Duncan’s struggles and doubts and questions.In this conversation, Duncan and I talked about the increasing amount of coaching he’s doing with Carmichael Training Systems (including coaching our own Maddie Hart); thoughts on winter training; his working through the logistics of being a coach versus being an athlete, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Duncan’s work with CTS (3:57)Best practices for winter training (5:25)Coaching Maddie Hart (7:47)Are there more injuries in the winter? (12:43)Staying motivated (13:51)Balancing coaching & training (18:18)What big race interests you the most? (29:00) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trail Sisters is a trail running community for women and an online journal that offer lots of great resources — including articles and stories, grants, retreats, directories for female coaches, trail locations, and races that meet the trail sisters standards for gender equity. So Brendan Leonard and Maddie Hart spoke with Gina Lucrezi, the founder of Trail Sisters, about the unusual way in which Gina got into running; her impressive accomplishments as a runner; the remarkable things happening at Trail Sisters; the ways you can get involved with and support Trail Sisters; and Gina shares an exciting development for a brand new Trail Sisters project.TOPICS & TIMES:Started running b/c of a bet with her mom (1:45)Competing in running (6:10)The story behind Trail Sisters (24:35)Thoughts on 50/50 male-female lottery (33:00)Joining the Hardrock 100 Board of Directors (35:35)Standards for “Trail Sister Approved” races (39:01)Trail Sisters local groups (47:00)How to get involved (50:25)Trail Sisters’ very fir

In 2019, Grayson Murphy won the US Mountain Running Championship; the World Mountain Running Championship; and the Xterra Trail Run World Championship. But there were many twists and turns along the way in getting there, and first and foremost, Grayson’s story is really about her constant push to evolve. Grayson is 24 years old and has already racked up some seriously impressive results. But perhaps even more impressive and instructive is her willingness to experiment, adjust, and explore new ideas and practices, and we discuss all of this and more in this conversation.TOPICS & TIMES:From soccer to xc & steeplechase (1:34)Signing with NAZ Elite (18:09)Getting into trail running (25:36)Trail running vs. road running culture (29:52)Navigating generalized anxiety (38:19)Working with coach Kameron Ulmer (42:29)Winning the World Mountain Running Championship (47:15)Grayson’s Planners (52:41)Interests outside of running (54:53)Experiments with diet & food (55:57)Goals for 2020 (1:03:46) See acast.com/pr

Sanjay Rawal was our first guest on Off The Couch, and we are pleased to have him back on for our first episode of 2020. We invited him back to ask about his rather spectacular performance — and even more spectacular meltdown — near the end of the California International Marathon this past year. But in addition to getting a fantastic first hand account of that race, we touch on a number of important topics that go way beyond some race report.Sanjay talks about the concepts of running dumb; training slow; finding joy through exertion; and whether it is possible to run a great time by not caring about running a great time. We also talk about the urban roots of ultrarunning, Sanjay’s latest film project, the future of podcasts, and more. I assure you, there is an abundance of food for thought packed into this episode.TOPICS & TIMES:The future of podcasts? (2:00)Lessons from 3100: Run & Become (9:20)The urban roots of ultrarunning (14:06)Beyond Bonking: Sanjay’s experience at CIM (17:05)Running Dumb

What’s the best way to eat to feel good and perform well? The fields of nutrition and diet are massive topics, as are all of the related issues surrounding them. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talk with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Kylee Van Horn, about the various diets out there; whether certain diets are prone to help or hurt training recovery; athletes & eating disorders, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Kylee’s running background (2:35)Her background in nutrition (19:40)Low-carb, High-fat diets (24:27)How does sleep affect appetite? (33:30)Fatigue & food (35:46)Supplements (39:37)Athletes & eating disorders (48:27)Adapting to seasonal changes (57:25) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New races and running events seem to be popping up all the time, which raises the question: Are there some specific characteristics, policies, and practices that should be built into pretty much every running event?To start thinking about this question, we talked to Caleb Efta, the race director of the High Lonesome 100. Caleb started the High Lonesome 100 in 2017, and the race is already a Hard Rock 100 qualifier.Caleb has thought hard about how best to structure races, so I talked with him about how and why he started High Lonesome, and we get into some of the specific policies and requirements of the event that are designed to mitigate its environmental impacts and increase gender equality. It’s good stuff for all of us to be thinking about how and in what areas we can improve.TOPICS & TIMES:Caleb’s background (2:18)Why the name “High Lonesome”? (26:32)Overview of the race (32:15)Conservation efforts (37:00)Progressive gender policies (43:44)Becoming a Hard Rock 100 qualifier (1:00:55)Future goals for

For 2019, Brendan Leonard (@semirad) set a goal for himself: run 52 ‘marathons’ in 52 weeks. He told very few people about this goal, and we are proud to report that Brendan accomplished his goal with several weeks to spare. So in this conversation, Jonathan Ellsworth talks to Brendan about what prompted him to create this plan; why he decided to tell very few people about it; exactly what the parameters were for these ‘marathons’; how he handled the logistics; what he learned along the way; and more.This is a fun one, and it might just inspire you to think creatively about some goals for 2020. TOPICS & TIMES:What did you just do, and why? (1:50)Defining the rules for these ‘marathons’? (8:10)Eating donuts & running (20:51)Why did you tell so few people about your goal? (23:01)Injuries? (29:25)What was the hardest part of the project? (32:08)What was the best part? (34:35)Funniest moment? (40:00)Goals for 2020? (45:10) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk with Blister reviewers, Maddie Hart and Gordon Gianniny, about how they handle running and training in the cold and on snowy, icy roads and trails. Maddie and Gordon offer their tips and tricks and perspectives on this age-old conundrum of when and whether to run when the days are short and summer is a distant memory.So check it out, see if you agree or disagree with some of their practices and suggestions, and in the show notes to this episode on the site, we’d love to have you share your own best tips, tricks, and practices.TOPICS & TIMES:Winter running & training changes (10:25)Dealing with icy / snow roads & trails (22:46)Winter gear — layering (24:30)What gear is useful & what isn’t? (32:24)Work on Weaknesses (36:52)Work on non-running stuff (39:06) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By the time she was 5 years old, Kelly Newlon had already identified two of her biggest passions: running and cooking. Those passions led her to running longer and longer races and becoming a classically trained chef.And these days, Kelly and her husband Morgan operate RAD (“Real Athlete Diets”) out of Boulder, Colorado, where they are — quite literally — feeding and fueling the ultrarunning community, including a high number of its elite performers.So in this episode, Maddie Hart and I talk to Kelly about eating well and performing well; the entrepreneurial story of how she went from training at the Culinary Institute of America, to working on a food truck, to starting Real Athletes Diets; dealing with the huge range of the dietary restrictions of runners; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:The story behind Real Athlete Diets (RAD) (2:00)The pressure of fueling performance (6:10)Growing the company (10:32)Runners’ relationships to food (18:55)Kelly’s background in running & cooking (20:41)Training with Jason Ko

Stevie Kremer is back on the show, and she came to BLISTER HQ in Mt. Crested Butte to talk about her experience at this year’s New York City Marathon — including all the gory details and the lessons she learned; the things about running she truly loves and truly hates the most; how many children is too many children, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Running in freezing temps (5:15)NYC Marathon: gory details & lessons learned (8:23)Cuba?? (23:40)Books & TV shows (26:00)The switch from teaching to counseling (27:20)Winter plans + how many kids is too many?? (31:06)Thoughts on Big’s Backyard Ultra (33:35)What Stevie loves (and hates) about running (42:21) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mr. Cappuccino of the @cappuccinocowboys is back on the show to issue an apology for his performance last week. And then Jared Hazen and Eric Senseman join us, so we got to ask them why they continue to associate with Mr. Cappuccino, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Apologies for last week (1:45)If “The Guys” were Sex & the City characters (2:50)Mr. Cappuccino on Jared & Eric (6:25)Jared & Eric join the call?? (9:38)TNF 50 Recap (14:25)Which @cappuccinocowboys post made you genuinely angry? (16:45) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is Cappuccino Cowboys, and who is the person behind it? Is he an evil genius hell-bent on ruining ultrarunning? A provocateur shaking up the stodgy state of running media? Or is he just a giant pain in the ass of Jim Walmsley, Eric Senseman, Jared Hazen, Cody Reed, Tommy Rivs and a few other unfortunate souls? We spoke to Mr. Cappuccino himself to find out.TOPICS & TIMES:What is @cappuccinocowboys? (1:55)Who are the Cappuccino Cowboys? (11:10)Do you think you deserve to be on this show? (24:01)Why do people let you hang around? (30:55)Why cappuccino? (36:30)Exclusive memes for Off The Couch (40:20)Are your parents proud of you? (43:31)Lifeboat Q: Jim, Jared, Eric, Tommy, & Cody… (44:45)Helping Walmsley get lost at Western States (47:50) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Maggie Guterl just became the first woman ever to win Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, a multi-day race that does not have a fixed-distance finish line. So we talked to Maggie about how this extraordinary race works, and Maggie does a brilliant job of detailing what it was like to overcome the unique physical and mental challenges of Big’s; the significance of being the race’s first female champion; the next insane race she has her sights set on, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Salad and M&M’s (1:40)What is Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra? (5:50)Approaching a race that has no fixed end (10:02)Big’s vs. other ultras (19:14)Your physical / mental limits? (28:52)Being the first woman to win Big’s (40:00)Mike McKnight & Zack Bitter’s records (34:50)Barkley Marathons vs. Big’s Backyard? (39:29)On NOT running (46:28)Why do you run? (50:39) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simply put, Mike McKnight’s story is amazing. This year, he won the Triple Crown of 200’s, which includes the Bigfoot 200 in August, the Tahoe 200 in September, and he just won the Moab 240. And in covering those ~640 miles of racing, he smashed his own cumulative-time record for the three races by … 43 hours.That’s probably not what you’d expect from a chubby kid who grew up on a dairy farm and didn’t participate in sports till he tried one season of highschool football, nor what you’d expect from a person who broke his back in a ski accident 8 years ago and had 2 rods and 9 screws placed in his spine, along with part of his hip bone.So we talk to Mike about all of this and more — including getting a total of ~30 minutes of sleep over the course of ~640 mile races.TOPICS & TIMES:Mike recaps his Moab 240 winMid-race conversations with David Goggins (4:52)Getting lost for over 2 hours (9:32)Farm life & football (20:37)How a broken back led Mike to ultrarunning (26:39)Jumping from 100 milers to 240’s (4

What’s it like to run two hundred and one miles … and know that you still have another 40 miles to go? And why would you sign up and subject yourself to such a thing?To find out, we went to Moab, Utah, to the Moab 240 Endurance Run — a two hundred and forty mile race — to capture the very raw and unfiltered reactions from runners, pacers, friends, medics, and concerned mothers from the Geyser Aid Station located at mile 201 of the Moab 240. And we also learned what this race — and this community — is really about.TOPICS & TIMES:Wes Plate & Bryan Fillman (5:05)Gordon Gianniny (aid station director) (8:39)Chris Plunkett (16:02)Catra Corbett (18:29)Scott Bailey (22:23)Wilk (pacer extraordinaire) (23:36)Byron Roca (28:22)Masato (32:44)Hans Siemelink (36:55)Toby Ballard (race medic) (40:27)Daneri Gay (concerned ultra mom) (52:40) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.