Dabbling In Paddleism Podcast

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Mike Carson, ultramarathon runner and stand up paddle boarder out of Michigan, currently hailing from Alabama. In the past year Mike completed the Vol State 300 mile journey run, made it to the super lap in Last Paddler Standing, and won the Across the Years Last Man Standing running backyard ultra. We cover so much in this episode from ultramarathon running versus paddling, the adaptability of the human body, focusing on process & procedure over finishing place, the Vol State Journey Run & what it feels like to run 300 miles in one sitting… spoiler alert it sounds miserable, deja vu hallucinations, board selection for Last Paddler Standing, Nathan Benderson Park versus Lake June in Winter, what it feels like to meet your heroes, having Laurie Sanders as crew and as a spirit animal, sleep deprivation strategies, and Across the Years Last Man Standing. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Mike himself on this 43rd episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Mike’s book recommendations: The Ultramarathon man, by Dean Karnazes: https://a.co/d/04dElC14 Socials: https://bio.site/mcarson Mike’s mini-documentary on the 2023 Last Paddler Standing race: https://supboardermag.com/2024/11/21/experience-the-last-paddler-standing-with-mike-carson-cruel-punishment-self-torture/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Rod Price, legendary ultramarathon paddler originally from South Carolina and now hailing just outside Orlando, Florida. Rod is a highly decorated ultramarathon paddler and is just coming off his 11th start and 11th win in the Everglades Challenge, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of all his paddling accomplishments. We cover so much in this episode from overcoming obstacles like broken paddles, getting lost in the Everglades during the Everglades Challenge, hallucinating the same things as your partner, going upside down in the Yukon River Quest from falling asleep, paddling 1200 miles in the Ultimate Florida Challenge and 40 mile portages, adventure racing, the Race to Alaska and being reported missing to the Coast Guard, the story of developing the Suwannee 230, 46 years of ultramarathon paddling evolution, and the books he has authored. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Rod himself on this 42nd episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Rod’s Books: Racing to the Yukon Racing Around Florida Have Paddle Will Travel Chasing History on the Mississippi River Rod’s book recommendations: River of Doubt, by Candice Millard: https://a.co/d/05R4Qijg Endurance, by Alfred Lansing: https://a.co/d/0bBSGyS0 Rod’s Website & Contact Info: rodpriceadventure.com Rodbprice@hotmail.com - email Rod for a 2-for-1 discount on any of his books

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jeff Kay out of California, ultramarathon paddler and co-founder/race director of the California River Quest. We cover so much in this episode from getting into paddling by invitation, the transition from short paddle races to ultramarathons, the history of the California 100 and his journey in founding the California River Quest, race safety precautions as well as hazards of the Sacramento River, challenges of starting and maintaining a paddling race, ground support, what sets the CRQ apart from other ultras, and his take on the 2023 Guinness Book of World Records dragon boat record setting attempt in the 2023 MR340. As a disclaimer, I moved this episode up from a previously recorded episode to coincide with the upcoming California River Quest in just a couple months. This will be made clear when Jeff talks about his book recommendations late in the episode. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jeff himself on this 41st episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Jeff’s book recommendations: - [ ] Intro to Ultra Endurance Paddle Racing, by Carter Johnson: https://www.californiariverquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Intro-to-Ultra-Distance-Paddle-Racing-by-Carter-Johnson.pdf - [ ] Racing to the Yukon, by Rod Price: If you’d like a 2-for-1 deal, email Rod Price at rodbprice@hotmail.com. - [ ] Other books by Rod Price: Racing Around Florida, Have Paddle Will Travel, and Chasing History on the Mississippi River Socials: -IG: @j.j.kay -FB: facebook.com/jjkay California River Quest Website: https://www.californiariverquest.com/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with John Astbury & Rich Winstanley, two paddlers out of the U.K. that battled significant adversity in the 2024 Yukon 1000 but refused to give up. We cover so much in this episode from the sprinting world of paddling, the Devizes to Westminster, the importance of trusting a partner, training for Lake Laberge around the Isle of Wight, paddling 800+ miles with broken hands, Yukon Gold, hallucinating pig masked bank robbers and penguins ice skating, the importance of reading water in the Yukon, and the impossible goal of fully emptying the tank. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from John & Rich themselves on this 40th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Jon’s book recommendations: Kings on the Yukon, by Adam Weymouth: https://a.co/d/0bU3jFXH Rich’s book recommendations: Canoeing the Congo, by Phil Harwood: https://a.co/d/0cVmth6p Socials: Jon - @astbury.jon Rich - @richwinstanley1

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Lillian Nelson and Izzy Nicolier, 25 year old canoeists, dog mushers, and adventurers hailing from Alaska. Both have just finished the Alabama 650 in 2025 and the Yukon 1000 in ’24 with plenty of endurance adventuring as well. We cover so much in this episode from the Yukon 1000 race, source to sea on the Yukon, the Great Alabama 650, revisiting an air quotes hallucination story from a previous episode that actually proved to be true, 6 day portages, how dog mushing in the Yukon translates to race performance in the 1000, going upside-down just out of Dawson City, SOS fails, duct taping fire ants, the Boo Bash versus Mobile Bay, and their upcoming business venture guiding folks on the water and over snow. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Lil & Izzy themselves on this 39th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Lil’s Book Recommendations: -Brothers on the Bashkaus, A Siberian Paddling Adventure, by Eugene Buchanan: https://a.co/d/01eqKof8 -Amazon Woman, by Darcy Gaechter: https://a.co/d/0iZNd70M Izzy’s Book Recommendations: -Alone, by Gerard d’Aboville: https://a.co/d/0h0eTKeF How to keep up with Lil & Izzy: -FB: Lead Dawgs Expeditions -IG: @lead.dawg.exp How to reach out to Lil & Izzy with specific questions about their expeditions: leaddawgexpeditions@gmail.com

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jeremy Stanton and up and coming stand up paddle boarder out of Ozark, Missouri who just tied for 4th place overall completing one full super lap in the 2025 Last Paddler Standing. We cover so much in this episode from the MR340, Chattajack, the importance of being curious, nutrition and sleep strategies, Last Paddler Standing, using joy as a fuel, support from his dad as crew and family back at home, paddling on an unfamiliar board, a shoutout to the 954 Paddle Crew, and unfinished business on the water. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jeremy himself on this 38th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Jeremy’s Book Recommendations: -The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhig: https://a.co/d/4zrlN3U -Make Your Bed, by Admiral William McRaven: https://a.co/d/62w4r2G -Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall: https://a.co/d/3LdytCO Socials: -IG: @jeremy.stanton

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Brad Friesen, stand up paddle boarder, adventurer, and race director out of Winnepeg, Manitoba. Brad is one of the top elite ultra paddle boarders out there and is a clear contender in any race he enters. We cover so much in this episode from his early days of river surfing, coaching and instructing SUP, his basecamp barista, crew, and family support at Last Paddler Standing, training for paddle sports in a cold climate, theoretical limits for Last Paddler Standing, camaraderie, sleep deprivation strategies, comparisons between the Yukon 1000 and the Alabama 650, LPS weather delay impacts, the Red River Paddle Challenge and how shorter races can help grow the sport of ultra paddling, and a sneak peak at one of his upcoming new races. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Brad himself on this 37th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Brad’s Book Recommendations: -Paddle to the Amazon, by Don Starkell: https://a.co/d/1X1ExTQ Links: -Red River Paddle Challenge: https://www.redriverpaddlechallenge.com/ -Winnipeg River Quest: www.winnipegriverquest.com Socials: (IG) @bradfriesen @redriverpaddlechallenge @winnipegriverquest

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with a couple paddling legends, Paul Cox out of Georgia and West Hansen out of Texas. There’s a lot of laughs in this episode with these two characters, so buckle up, because it’s gonna be entertaining. We cover so much in this episode from their entries into ultra paddling, Paul’s previous attempt on the Yukon River, canoes versus kayaks over extreme distances, importance of navigation in the Yukon Flats, boat modifications, water reading skills, rough weather conditions and angry beavers, a firsthand review of a new GPS device, how the sport has changed over the years, and bucket list races and adventures. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Paul and West themselves on this 36th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… West’s Book Recommendations: -The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard: https://a.co/d/1AC2sbg -Running the Amazon, by Joe Kane: https://a.co/d/g4tHddc -Into the Thaw, by Jon Waterman: https://a.co/d/cDGqfF4 -Arctic Crossing, by Jon Waterman: https://a.co/d/gk2hfi2 -Anything by Buddy Levy -Anything by Hampton Sides Paul’s Book Recommendations: -Great Heart, by James West Davidson: https://a.co/d/3Q2PslK Socials: -IG: @paul.cox -FB: m.facebook.com/paul.cox.77920526/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Greg Wingo, race director of the Great Alabama 650, Last Paddler Standing, the Eliminator, and mastermind behind Roam Projects a multi-country trekking and adventure travel experience. We cover so much in this episode from his unique new race in the UK the Eliminator with partner race director Cassie Salter, the 2025 Alabama 650 and how it has compared to years past, all the variables that can impact performance in such a long distance race, the difficulty of Mobile Bay, app innovation for dot trackers, SUPs, still riding a high from a multi-record setting year at LPS, inspiration behind the location change, the overwhelming positive support from the community of Lake Placid, and new Roam Project trekking locations. Just as a side note, we did 2 takes for this episode, because on the first take Greg wasn’t ready to share new updates for his UK Eliminator race, but we got all of those updates fresh off the press at the end of the chat. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Greg himself on this 35th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Greg’s Book Recommendations: -Lost City of Z, by David Grann: https://a.co/d/68XrPwr -Anything that Adam Shoalts writes [examples: Vanished Beyond the Map (https://a.co/d/52LJGAz), Beyond the Trees (https://a.co/d/3Zj3DEy), Where the Falcon Flies (https://a.co/d/imS2w9x), Along Against the North (https://a.co/d/3ENQ53c)] Links: -Alabama 650: https://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/great-alabama-650/ -Last Paddler Standing: https://lastpaddlerstanding.com/ -The Eliminator: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Eliminator-61577037287882/ -Roam Projects: https://roamprojects.com/home.html Socials (IG): @greatalabama650 @lastpaddlerstanding @roamprojects

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Ethan Roadley, a kiwi, who recently undertook an expedition circumnavigating via kayak nearly all the way around the South Island of New Zealand until 6 weeks of horrible weather caused him to throw in the towel with only about 56 kilometers to go. We cover so much in this episode from a 100 day expedition tackling first descents in the whitewaters of Fiordland National Park, nutrition planning for expeditions including hunting and fishing, getting stuck in expeditions due to weather, winter weather paddling conditions, the stress of finding a land-able shoreline spot as daylight is coming to a close, amazing wildlife encounters, navigating tides and currents, treacherous beach landings, game changing gear for salt water conditions, heartwarming hospitality of his fellow kiwis, and the little things that helped to overcome the low points. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Ethan himself on this 34th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Ethan’s Book Recommendations: -A Winter’s Paddle by Tara Mulvany: https://a.co/d/27QzXlN -Southern Exposure by Chris Duff: https://a.co/d/ax0SDcI

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with legendary ultramarathon paddler and “Queen of the 650”, Salli O’Donnell from Alabama. While Salli certainly has a very decorated paddling career, most recently she’s coming off of overall solo victories in the Suwannee 230 and the Alabama 650 in earning the new Southern Harm award in the process. We cover so much in this episode from her transition to ultra paddling from ultra running, the North Carolina Challenge, the James River 100, the logistics of planning for ultras, a continuous improvement mentality, recovery strategies, pre-race and in-race game plans for skin protection, paddling technique, nutrition rabbit holes, dealing with adversity and slumps, the importance of not wasting any opportunities, the evolution of ultramarathon paddling, and entering into the sprinting world. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Salli herself on this 33rd episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Salli’s book recommendations: Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: https://a.co/d/7Y4RE5P Find Salli on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1552487491685668/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with legendary Canadian expedition canoeist, Mike Ranta, who has paddled over 30,000 miles in his expeditions combined, including coast to coast across Canada 3 times solo with his dog Spitzii. We cover so much in this episode from growing up spending months living and paddling in the bush near Atikokan, Canada which is the Canoe Capital of the World, supporting youth, veterans, first responders, and First Nations by promoting awareness and developing supportive wilderness programs, massive 500+ mile portages with a canoe over the Canadian Rockies, aggressive apex predator encounters while circumnavigating Great Bear Lake, strategies for primarily living off the land, sleep deprivation strategies for extreme expeditions, getting hit by lightening, self-made clothing, and the inspiration behind him building the worlds largest paddle, the Big Dipper. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Mike himself on this 32nd episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Mike’s book recommendations: Bush Runner by Mark Bourrie: https://a.co/d/htm6Jd2 Frozen in Time, by Owen Beattie & John Geiger: https://a.co/d/3vAPn7F How to find Mike: Facebook - Mike Ranta’s Paddle: https://www.facebook.com/mikerantaspaddle/ Warrior Adventures Canada: https://warrioradventures.ca/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jon Marble, ultramarathon paddler, aerospace engineer, and developer of the race and adventure tracker Race Owl. We cover so much in this episode from racing in the MR340, the stories behind racing misadventures that keep him coming back, the story behind Race Owl, the many features the app offers to paddlers, dot trackers, as well as race directors and support crew, the story behind the storm-cancelled MR340 mid-race in 2023, how to connect with RaceOwl as a race director or even as a paddler about to attempt an FKP, and volunteering for the paddling community and how to volunteer with RaceOwl. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jon himself on this 31st episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… www.raceowl.com Jon’s book recommendations: -Missouri River 340: First Time Finisher, by Stephen, Linda, Robert, Ellen, Christine, & Claire Jackson https://a.co/d/h2XefAr

In this episode, Chris Thomas celebrates the 1 year anniversary of the show, gives a recap of 2025, and dives into upcoming changes and what is to come in 2026.

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down again with Dave Maitland and Scott Worthington to chat about the second half of their 2000 mile journey source to sea on the Yukon River as they recount their expedition from Galena, Alaska to the Bering Sea. Another great chat with two gems from New Zealand in which they describe unfinished business after a premature med-evac in 2024. We cover so much in this episode from experiencing the Yukon in both seasons, the Yukon 800 high-speed riverboat race, the slog and suffer fest that the Yukon unleashes on those that venture past Galena, the importance of keeping your world small in challenging conditions, tidal flows and what to expect in the delta region near Emmonak, local Alaskan hospitality, and an upcoming trip with wounded veterans on the Mackenzie River. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Dave and Scott themselves on this 29th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Scott’s book recommendations: -Honest Dogs: A Story of Triumph and Regret from the World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race, by Brian Patrick O’Donaghue https://a.co/d/5X4V2j9 -Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler https://a.co/d/fLTtMOp -Yukon 800 motorboat race: https://www.yukon800.com/

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with brother and sister in-law Lauren Anderson and Sean Lougheed out of Ontario, Canada. They finished 3rd overall and 2nd place canoe in the 2025 Yukon 1000 under the handle Team Outlaws. We cover so much in this episode from origin stories to getting to the Yukon 1000 via the YRQ, the importance of being connected to the land, cross training during the winter in a cold climate, stretching, interesting in-race recovery biohacking strategies, pre-race bloodwork to guide physiologic optimization, showing up for each other as teammates, and becoming the best version of oneself through epic paddling adventures. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Lauren and Sean themselves on this 28th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… www.yukon1000.org IG: @outlaws_paddling Sean’s book/app recommendations: -Kings of the Yukon, by Adam Weymouth: https://a.co/d/3cs0gb4 -Great Heart the history of a Labrador Adventure, by James West Davidson: https://a.co/d/3cs0gb4 -The National Film Board of Canada: https://www.nfb.ca/ Lauren’s book recommendations: -Two Against the North, by Farley Mowat: https://a.co/d/6QLhRAj -Songs of a Sourdough, by Robert W. Service: https://a.co/d/2FuTgcG Fastest Known Paddle (FKP): www.fastestknownpaddle.com FKP Podcast episode w/ Lindsey Tilton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/17-chris-thomas-fastest-known-paddle-paddlings-answer/id1752312685?i=1000732530635

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Alex Somoano, massage therapist and stand up paddle boarder originally hailing from Cuba who emigrated to the U.S. in Miami, Florida as a young child where he quickly discovered he was athletically inclined. I’ve been looking forward to this chat for a long time and it really turned out to be a fantastic conversation with a great human being. We cover so much in this episode from his origin story into paddling, a traumatic accident that started him on his journey to quote “find quality in everything”, the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, how paddling calms the mind and brings an inner peace, the importance of massage therapy for recovery, focus on process rather than outcome, the ’22, ’23, and ’24 Last Paddler Standing Races from training, to strategy, to emotions, and everything in between, nutrition, water quality in South Florida, and falling asleep standing up. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Alex himself on this 27th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Alex’s Book Recommendations: -Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M Pirsig: https://a.co/d/0EX10Ig -The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff: https://a.co/d/dVaRrOV -Inner Excellence, by Jim Murphy: https://a.co/d/gX4cJaw Races mentioned: -Key West Paddle Classic: https://www.floridakeyswatermancompany.com/keywestpaddleclassic -Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis: https://crossingforcysticfibrosis.com/ -L2O: https://www.paddlesignup.com/Race/FL/Stuart/Lake2OceanPaddleRace -Last Paddler Standing: https://lastpaddlerstanding.com/ -Introducing Fastest Known Paddle with Lindsey Tilton on the Training Chats Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/17-chris-thomas-fastest-known-paddle-paddlings-answer/id1752312685?i=1000732530635 *Episode thumbnail photo credit: Mike Carson (@mikecarson.wmv)

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Ryan Milby out of Missouri, who is a self-proclaimed normal dude, Chief Hobby Officer, and founder of Llama Racks. We cover so much in this episode from yet again the welcoming nature of the paddling community, his journey getting into ultramarathon paddle racing as well as starting Llama Racks, jumping in head first into the MR340 and paddling through the night for the first time during the race, attention to detail in designing his racks, available options for all human powered boats, customizable options, the importance of not giving up and proceeding as the way opens, shipping options outside of the U.S., and breaking a boat completely in half in the Texas Water Safari. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Ryan himself on this 26th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Ryan’s Book Recommendations: -The Kid Who Climbed Everest, by Bear Grylls: https://a.co/d/jgvJILO How to find Ryan, Llama Racks, and Some Beach Outfitters: www.llamaracks.com www.llamaracks.com/some-beach-kayaks-liberty @llamaracks - Instagram @somebeachkayaksliberty - Instagram

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Esther Wheeler one of the premier ultramarathon female paddlers who just came out on top again this year in the Yukon River Quest in a kayak. We cover so much in this episode from the way she entered the paddling scene through a traumatic experience on whitewater, visualization techniques, the spell of the Yukon, the Great River Club, being a board member of the YRQ, her take on the 2025 dragon boat Guinness world record for distance traveled at the MR340, the importance of giving people chances, sleep deprivation strategies, testing out the Inside Passage in preparation for the Race to Alaska, and immigration fails after the Yukon 1000. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Esther herself on this 25th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Esther’s IG: @wheelerest Esther’s Book Recommendations: -Dare to Do, by Sarah Ouden: https://a.co/d/dK8Vs6s -Kayaking the Aleutians, Justine Curgenven & Sarah Ouden (DVD): https://a.co/d/gHeHl8f -The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown: https://a.co/d/49nyEAk

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Michelle Bousquet, ultramarathon runner and paddler out of Montreal who just podiumed in the 2025 Yukon River Quest in the solo female kayak class on her second attempt. We cover so much in this episode from her journey to finding ultramarathon running as well as ultramarathon paddling, her 250 mile Cocodona ultramarathon running race, sleep deprivation strategies, the 2024 and 2025 Yukon River Quest races, lessons from DNFs and hypothermia, broken rudders, the amazing wildness of the Yukon River, being a rafting guide on the Grand Canyon, and beer miles. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Michelle Bousquet herself on this 24th episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie: https://www.classiquedecanots.com/EN/LaClassique.html Michelle’s book recommendations: -Born to Run, by Christopher McDougal: https://a.co/d/gDq7tpD -Eat & Run, by Scott Jurek: https://a.co/d/0TdeQZc -Upside Down on the Yukon River, by Steve Cannon: https://a.co/d/gCogD9d Michelle’s social handles: -IG: @michelle_bousquet -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16mZR2SRW3/?mibextid=wwXIfr