Off The Couch

Does running have the power to transform the prison system? According to the data, it might, and it definitely has the power to ignite personal transformation, as you will see in the remarkable new documentary, 26.2 TO LIFE.Our guest today is Christine Yoo, the director and producer of 26.2 TO LIFE, which tells the story of incarcerated men at San Quentin State Prison who are members of the 1000 Mile Club, the prison’s long distance running club. They train all year for the San Quentin Marathon — a 105 lap, 26.2 mile race that takes place in the San Quentin yard.The film was shot over the course of three years with unprecedented access to the prison, and for the reasons we discuss in this conversation, I urge everyone to see this film.TOPICS & TIMES:Background: Russian Spies & Korean Rom Coms (2:38)The Cinematic Nature of Running (11:30)Filming at San Quentin Prison (14:02)Prison Life (23:38)Prisons as Businesses (29:06)Running & Prison Reform (32:34)Other Prison Running Clubs (45:40)Where To Watch (53:10)Music of The Film (55:39)RELATED LINKS:sanquentinmarathon.comBecome a BLISTER+ MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam: it involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain (the equivalent of summiting Everest 11 times from sea level). And Vuori & Athletic Brewing athlete, Jason Hardrath, recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So I caught up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.TOPICS & TIMES:Rocky Mountain Grand Slam (2:02)Planning (7:03)Calculating Risks (10:57)Blending Disciplines (23:19)Crux's of The RMGS (27:58)RELATED LINKS:Become a BLISTER+ MemberOff The Couch #110: What Makes Jason Hardrath TickCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastHappy Hour Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently at the Tahoe 200, Michele Graglia found himself in first place with an hour lead. Then he decided to stop running. So why did the former winner of the Moab 240 and Badwater 135 stop? And why, shortly thereafter, did he announce that he would be walking away from racing? Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, explores these questions and more with Michele.TOPICS & TIMES:What happened at Tahoe? (6:04)Pushing vs Pulling (13:24)Authenticity & Joy (29:16)Mindset Going Into Tahoe 200 (35:17)Reaction from Sponsors (41:56)What’s Next? (55:45)Other Updates & Upheavals (59:59)RELATED LINKS:Become a BLISTER+ MemberOff the Couch #102: Michele on Success & StruggleOff The Couch #87: Michele on Going ‘Ultra’ (Pt 1)Off The Couch #88: Michele on Going ‘Ultra’ (Pt 2)Michele Graglia’s book, Ultra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 50th running of the Western States 100 took place over the weekend and delivered on all of the excitement and drama we’ve come to expect from US ultrarunning’s biggest stage. Snowy conditions in the high country weren’t enough to stymy blistering times, including a new women’s course record that’s already being hailed as the greatest single run in our sport’s history. To recap the race, Matt Mitchell is joined by Matt Seidel, who also spent the day bouncing around the course from sunup to sundown. They talk about Matt Mitchell’s experience crewing and pacing Leah Yingling to a 9th-place finish; what it was like to be in the middle of the elite women’s field; trying to wrap their minds around Courtney Dauwalter’s performance; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMES:The Matts Do Western States (2:09)Pacing Leah Yingling to F9 (3:14)Why This Race Rules (6:33)Course Conditions (9:27)Forest Hill, the Place to Be (13:05)Tom Evans’ Race Tactics (20:36)Anthony Costales, Hell Yea! (23:46)Courtney Dauwalter’s Course Record (25:41)How Coverage of the Race Has Evolved (30:53)Matt’s Golden Ticket Ambitions (40:44)How He Wound Up in a Banana Costume (46:48)Highlights & Shoutouts (49:13)RELATED LINKS:Western States 2023 Live StreamBecome a Blister MemberBLISTER+2024 Blister Summit InfoCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in the US. Its course takes runners from Mill Valley, CA to Stinson Beach, 7.4 miles separated by 700 stairs, shortcuts, thickets of poison oak, technical singletrack, and stretches of trail with nicknames like “Suicide,” “Cardiac,” and “Insult.” The race’s unique handicap format gives certain runners head starts based on age, gender, and prior performances, meaning that logging the fastest time on the course doesn’t always ensure a victory. Unless you’re Paddy O’Leary this year. The North Face athlete took home both trophies at the 112th Dipsea a little over a week ago, so Matt Mitchell sat down with him to talk about the race’s storied history; some of the eccentricities that make it so singular; and the various films that have been inspired by it. We also breakdown the Broken Arrow Skryace, which wrapped up its weekend of races on Sunday, and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES:Broken Arrow Recap (2:07)Fun Storylines Coming Out of the Weekend (8:53)Eleanor Scholz’s Lupine Shadow Lamp Trophies (11:53)The Dipsea (14:14)Shortcuts, Handicaps, & Film Recs (20:52)Western States Pacing Duties (31:19)RELATED LINKS:Eleanor’s artMt. Marathon From The Shadow Of A MountainSurvival RunDipsea, The Greatest RaceBecome a Blister MemberBLISTER+2024 Blister Summit InfoCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The North Face athlete Olivia Amber is just about to roll into her second summer of 2023. Earlier this year, she set out on a 3-month road trip through South America, running and climbing (and occasionally fly fishing) from Santiago, Chile all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the continent. Now that she’s been back home for a bit, we sat down to talk about her southern hemisphere summer, including the FKT she set on the 40-mile Huemul Circuit outside of El Chalten, Argentina, her overall win at the Ultra Fiord 30k, and a whole lot more. Then, we launch into a back-and-forth discussion about fastpacking best practices and gear tips just in time for summer in the States.TOPICS & TIMES:Road Tripping Through Chile (1:48)Trail Running in South America (4:50)Chilean Fjords (8:24)Olivia’s Huemul Circuit FKT (12:35)Fastpacking 101 (21:24)Why & When to Use Poles (27:11)Fastpacking Pack Recommendations (32:45)Calorie Corner (37:10)Navigation Tips & Tricks (46:53)Choosing Adventure Partners (51:29)RELATED LINKS:Olivia’s Huemul Circuit FKT trip reportPalanteBecome a Blister MemberBLISTER+2024 Blister Summit InfoCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leah Yingling returns to the show to discuss her partnership with Lululemon and their FURTHER initiative, a first-of-its-kind ultramarathon specifically for women; the brand’s efforts to close the sex and gender data gap in sports medicine that historically underrepresents female athletes; Lululemon’s new women-specific road-to-trail shoe, the Blissfeel Trail; how she’s preparing for this year’s snowy Western States 100; and a whole lot more.  TOPICS & TIMES:Leah’s Lululemon Partnership & the Blissfeel Trail (1:41)Attending the Launch Event in Vancouver (6:51)Her Biomedical Engineer Background (9:12)What is the FURTHER Initiative? (12:00)6-Day Ultramarathon & World Record Attempts (16:41)Western States 100 Prep (18:28)Bring On the Snow! (21:52)Summer Racing Storylines (24:55)RELATED LINKS:Lululemon’s Trail Team Lululemon’s FURTHER Initiative Become a Blister MemberBLISTER+2024 Blister Summit InfoCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even in a 250-mile race, falling 10 hours behind the leaders is an almost insurmountable gap. Almost. After some electrolyte issues threatened to derail Salomon athlete Mike McKnight’s third attempt at the Cocodona 250 this year, he found himself confronted with a choice: pull the plug and take a DNF just 70 miles in, or put his head down and try and work his way back up the field. What ensued is already being hailed as one of the greatest comebacks in ultrarunning history. So, Matt Mitchell asked Mike to take him through how he rescued his race, took the win, and set a new Cocodona 250 course record in the process.  TOPICS & TIMES:Cocodona 250, Round 3 (2:00)Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation (6:05)Electrolyte Mishaps (7:34)Blueprint for 200 Mile Races (11:30)Mike’s Mental Preparation (25:13)Race Recovery & Nutrition (28:43)Raw Milk (35:49)The Rise of 200+ Mile Events (40:07)Gear Corner (44:20)Western States & What's Next? (45:15)RELATED LINKS:Testing Limits: Mike McKnight on Running 100 Miles, 0 Calories (Ep.51)Become a Blister MemberBLISTER+2024 Blister Summit InfoCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s probably fitting that Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton met at the summit of a Colorado 14er, one of the 58 such peaks in the state that have gone on to help forge their relationship. Though neither considers themselves trail runners, the duo routinely puts up times on popular alpine routes that outpace those of the pros. Andrew has held the supported FKT for climbing all of Colorado’s 14ers since 2015, and last year, Andrea set the supported FKT on Nolan’s 14, becoming the first woman to complete the roughly 100-mile route in less than 2 days. As the high country continues to thaw, Matt Mitchell sat down with Andrea and Andrew to talk about their summer goals; the partnership they’ve formed by doing hard stuff in the mountains together; lapping the Manitou Incline for 24 hours straight; and much more. TOPICS & TIMES:Forming an Endurance Power Couple (2:17)Andrew’s Adventure Racing Background (5:41)Their FKT Progression (7:37)Why They Don’t Consider Themselves Runners (11:09)Dissecting Andrea’s Nolan’s 14 FKT (14:18)Winter Training for Mountain Season (44:52)Tips for Faster Hiking (54:20)RELATED LINKS:Nolan’s 14 - Andrea Sansone FKT 2022Become a Blister MemberBLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Ostaszewski has run the Cocodona 250 all three years of its existence, each go-around shrinking the amount of time it’s taken for her to get from where the race starts just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, to where it ends 250 miles north in the town of Flagstaff. Sarah’s latest attempt on the grueling point-to-point course was her fastest yet; she finished in just over three days, good for 1st place and 4th overall. The daunting prospect of returning to something the scale of Cocodona 250, a race that includes 40,000 ft. of cumulative elevation change, vast temperature swings, and a 125-hour cutoff that leaves little room for sleep, all but guarantees that the number of repeat finishers stays quite small. So, Matt Mitchell talked to Sarah about why she keeps coming back for more; why multi-day events are so alluring; what makes the changing landscapes of the Mountain West so intoxicating; her ice cream intake; and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES:Recovery After Running 250 Miles (2:21)Moving to US Trail Towns (5:42)Sarah’s Ultra Entry Point (7:54)Favorite Trails in the PNW (9:52)Discovering the Cocodona 250 (11:34)Time On Feet (14:32)Arizona’s Changing Landscapes (17:17)Crew Tough Love (22:55)Cocodona 250’s Rapid Growth (23:44)Why She Keeps Coming Back (28:25)Sarah’s Sleep Strategy (34:58)Thoughts on Nutrition (41:24)The Allure of Multi-Day Races (45:38)Preparing for the Ouray 100 (52:21)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister MemberBLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the most part, competitive trail running in the US is perceived to bias heavily toward the West Coast, with many of its marquee races and popular training hubs lying left of the Mississippi. This imbalance has stoked a gentle sense of rivalry in trail runners who call the East Coast home, an underdog mentality that many — including this week’s guest, New York native and athlete for The North Face, Sarah Keyes — have turned into fuel. Sarah recently punched her ticket to Innsbruck, Austria to represent the US as part of their Long Distance team at this year’s World Mountain Championships, a spot she earned with a podium finish at the Lake Sonoma 50 in Northern California. We talk about what it’s like living and training in the Adirondacks year-round; East Coast vs. West Coast trail running scenes; the upcoming World Mountain Running Championships in Innsbruck, Austria; the latest hits (and misses) in her kitchen; and much more.  TOPICS & TIMES:Sarah’s Background & the Adirondacks (1:53)East Coast vs. West Coast Trail Scenes (14:14)Race Directing and Weed Whacking (19:48)ITRA (27:05)Making the US Long Distance Team (35:07) Joining The North Face (38:25)Pastry Making (41:50)International Racing (44:11) RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister MemberBLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time Jason Hardrath was on Off The Couch he teased a future project that involved a trip down to Mexico, a volcano, and a whole lot of running and climbing, but aside from those hints, gave no major clues as to what exactly he had cooked up. Well, during his spring break from teaching earlier this year, Jason, together with his buddy Nathan Longhurst and a lean film crew, set out to complete what is affectionately known as an “infinity loop” on Mexico’s Pico de Orizaba (18,491′), the tallest volcano in North America. Without spoiling anything, Jason’s project predictably turned into quite the sufferfest, so Matt Mitchell sat down with him to hear all about it in anticipation of the upcoming film that documents the attempt.TOPICS & TIMES:Pico de Orizaba & HAPE (2:41)History of the “Infinity Loop” Format (40:18)Previous Attempts (19:42)How Health Issues Almost Derailed the Project (24:06)Traveling in Mexico (35:05)The Legend of Nathan Longhurst (40:18)RELATED LINKS:Jason Hardrath on FKTs & What Makes Him Tick (Ep.110)Jason Hardrath on Deer Collisions, Convoluted Bliss, & Keeping the Dream Alive (Ep.149)Journey to 100BLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speedland recently released their much anticipated third commission, a hyper-performance trail shoe intended for ultra-length distances, which they call the GS:TAM. So, Matt Mitchell sat down with co-founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon to catch up on all that’s transpired since their first appearance on the show back in February of 2022; how they came to adopt a commission-based model for their company; the ins-and-outs of building an athlete team; what informed the design of the GS:TAM; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMES:What’s New? (2:31)SL:PDX Reception (3:50)Speedland’s “Commission” Model (6:16)Building an Athlete Team (9:50)Collaborating with FreeTrail (14:44)Corporate Team (16:03)GS:TAM Deep-Dive (16:58)Availability (25:11)Small Brand Surprises (29:12)The Future of Speedland (31:15)Cameron Hanes Commission & Criticism (34:50)Cocodona 250 & Race Sponsorship (37:19)RELATED LINKS:On the Creation of a “Hyper-Performance” Trail Shoe Company: Speedland (Ep.107)SpeedlandBLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Preston Cates popped up on most peoples’ radars with his unexpected 6th place finish at the 2021 Canyons 100k as a 23 year-old, he had a pretty simple motivation driving his young trail running career: to never have to pay for shoes again. Since then, the Boulder, CO native has racked up podium finishes left and right, landed a pro contract to run for Nike (shoes included), and recently punched his ticket to represent the US at the World Mountain Running Championships in Austria later this year. Matt Mitchell sat down with Preston a week after his 3rd place finish at the 2023 Lake Sonoma 50 to chat about his development as an athlete; walking on to a D1 program at the University of Arkansas; training vs. spending time outside; what he grabs at a gas station during a mid-run bonk; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMESFlagstaff by way of Boulder, Gunnison, Arkansas, and Austria (2:17)Preston’s wrestling career (4:43)How he fell into running (6:56)Being an extravert (12:08)Moving to Austria in the middle of COVID (15:22)Canyons 2021, dance parties, & Camelbaks (20:05)How doing different sports can keep you healthy (31:06)Nike contract & transitioning to running full-time (36:16)Social media (42:23)His Nike teammate, Drew Holmen (45:35)Making the U.S Team at Lake Sonoma 50 (46:54)What else he has lined up this year (55:47)Gas station snacks (57:33)RELATED LINKSBLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS CRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So, how did you get into trail running?” is an evergreen question, one that’s likely to field a variety of interesting and original responses regardless of who you ask. Underlying its premise, though, rests one of the sport’s major shortcomings, at least on the elite level. Up until recently, there existed few (if any) direct paths for new runners or athletes crossing over from different disciplines to pursue trail running professionally. Recognizing the critical role that development programs play in helping a formerly recreational sport mature, Salomon Athlete Andy Wacker launched The Trail Team earlier this year for expressly that purpose — to provide mentorship, skill development, and media exposure to 6 aspiring pro trail runners in the US. Matt Mitchell spoke to Andy and two Trail Team members, Lauren Gregory and Sam Hendry, about the organization’s backstory, before expanding into a roundtable discussion centered on what Lauren and Sam hope to get out of their time on the team, their professional goals, and more.TOPICS & TIMESWhat is The Trail Team? (2:59)Challenges of transitioning from track / XC to the trails (7:00)Mountain running (10:12)Lauren’s experience on the US Junior Mountain Running Team (12:46)Sam's Nordic ski background (15:44)How The Trail Team is structured (17:20)Navigating social media as a pro athlete (24:50)The importance of keeping the team independent (26:45)Specializing in sub ultra distances (32:10)How Lauren & Sam ended up on the team (34:06)Balancing D1 athletics with trail running (37:27)How Andy sees the team growing over the next few years (43:56)Long-term goals (51:15)RELATED LINKSThe Trail TeamBLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER BLISTER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As far as superlatives go, there’s little hand wringing about Salomon Athlete Courtney Dauwalter’s standing as one of the best ultrarunners in the world, period. In a sport known for its fickleness, she’s been outright untouchable on the trails for the past two years, riding a 15-race win streak that dates back all the way to 2021 and includes dominant victories on stages such as UTMB (where she set a new female course record in 2021) and Hardrock 100. Matt Mitchell recently sat down with Courtney to try and get a sense for how she conceives of running as something that can be taken lightly but practiced seriously. Along the way, they also map the interior of her pain cave, the mental space she occupies when things get dark deep in a race; discuss what does and does not belong on top of nachos; talk bowhunting; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMESCourtney’s background (3:14)How Nordic skiing translates to trail running (8:04)What guides her training philosophy (12:13)Skiing at the University of Denver (13:17)14er first date (16:04)Moving to Leadville, CO (22:17)Training for Transgrancanaria this winter (23:10)Transitioning to running full-time (24:51)The pain cave (28:26)Running by feel instead of numbers (31:40)Nachos & balloon hunting (38:29)Doubling up at Western States & Hardrock 100 (42:50)RELATED LINKSBLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corrine Malcolm is a true trail multi-hyphenate. In addition to running professionally for adidas TERREX and recently launching her own coaching business, Corrine also covers the sport as a writer, editor, race broadcaster, and podcast host. Matt Mitchell recently sat down with her for a grab bag conversation on topics like the relationship between writing and editing; what makes for a good interview; the pros and cons of the way mainstream media outlets cover trail running; the Barkley Marathons; fitness trends; and much more.TOPICS & TIMESPlaying catch-up (3:27)New role & science writing (4:37)“Tough Enough” (7:26)Writing vs. editing (13:17)What makes for a good interview? (17:43)The PTRA & the future of trail running (25:53)Barkley Marathons: any press is good press? (38:08)The Norwegian Method (44:56)Trail running’s next hotspot (46:13)RELATED LINKSFoothills EndurancePro Trail Runners Association “Tough Enough”Lazarus Lake NYT Profile BLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recycling old running shoes is hard, really hard. The concoction of glues, plastics, fabrics, and foams that go into making each pair can each require their own form of disposal, a drawn out sorting process that’s often as inefficient as it is unrealistic. As a result, every year millions of pairs of retired shoes end up in the dump, where many eventually spill out into the sea only to wash ashore on coastlines thousands of miles away. As a proud Alaskan, artist, filmmaker, and trail runner, Max Romey knows the repercussions of this problem first hand. Currents make the state’s wild beaches a popular landing spot for ocean debris, leading to pollution Max cleverly captures through watercolor in his new film for Nnormal, “No Lost Shoes.” Matt Mitchell recently sat down with him to talk through some of the major sustainability issues facing the footwear industry; how Nnormal is attempting to upend that process; musings on imperfection in art; parenthood; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMESWatercolor (2:25)Leaning into imperfection in art & life (7:27)Run-sketch-run (9:22)Landscape painting in Alaska (16:58)How Max got into adventure filmmaking (20:52)The cinematics of filming an ultra (27:04)Nnormal and “No Lost Shoes” (30:31)Channeling anger into action (40:24)Nnormal’s sustainability goals (43:41)Thoughts on parenthood & the future (48:45)Upcoming projects (52:00)RELATED LINKS“No Lost Shoes”Nnormal TomirNnormal Kjerag Nnormal’s No Trace Program BLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan Scura and Dylan Ladds have been making movies together since they were both teenagers. What began as a childhood friendship quickly evolved into a creative partnership, culminating in Dooster, the award winning production company they started several years ago. Much of the duo’s work focuses on storytelling in the outdoor community, offering an often candid lens that frames one of their latest projects, a short entitled, “Urban Oasis: A Love Letter to San Francisco.” Ryan has called the film his passion project, one that “...was always put in the back of the line,” so we sat down with him to learn more about how it all finally came together; the role city parks play in making trail running more accessible; the challenges and benefits of creative collaboration; and much more.TOPICS & TIMESTeaching adventure filmmaking (4:14)“What is ‘Dooster’?” (11:16)How Ryan balances relationships that are both personal & professional (14:28)Trail running in San Francisco (18:15)Paddy O’Leary, “Coming Home,” and the creative process (23:08)“Urban Oasis” (33:33)Thoughts on the importance of publics parks & open spaces (46:25)Upcoming projects (50:18)RELATED LINKS"Urban Oasis: A Love Letter to San Francisco"BLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Black Canyon 100k in Arizona is one of the most competitive ultras in the US. As the penultimate Hoka Golden Ticket Race promising automatic entry into this year’s Western States 100 to the top two female and male finishers, its elite field runs deep, meaning finishing times are often blisteringly fast. The men’s course record, set all the way back in 2016, was considered among the stoutest in the sport, that is until Anthony Costales, clad in his college singlet and sun hat, dropped it by a dizzying 19 minutes just a few weeks ago. So, we caught up with Anthony to recap his race; learn how he changed his preparation after finishing 5th at the BC100k last year; chat about how he’s approaching Western States; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMESThe ultra learning curve (3:35)‘Which is harder to recover from, a road marathon or a trail race?’ (4:29)Taper tantrums! (7:08)Thoughts on having a coach vs. being self-coached (7:51)Chico State, a pipeline to the trails? (9:35)Balancing running with his job as a PE teacher (16:05)Transitioning to the trails after college (17:56)The ups and downs of increasing distance (22:01)Black Canyon 100k race recap (24:17)Aid station lemon pound cake (27:30)Racing for the love of competition (29:59)Preparing for Western States ’23 (36:22)What he learned from his debut 100-miler (39:44)Race livestreams & drone footage galore (41:27)RELATED LINKSBLISTER+Become a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSCRAFTEDBlister PodcastGEAR:30Bikes & Big Ideas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.