Distance To Empty

Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Open Fuel: Code DISTANCE for 20% offTwo hundred miles gives you more time to fix your problems, and a lot more time to create them. Most of those problems start with what you’re eating and drinking, or what you aren’t.This week Kevin and Peter sit down with Claire Shorenstein, MS, RD, CSSD, a board-certified sports dietitian, longtime trail runner, and founder of Eat for Endurance. They cover how fueling changes once you’re past day one, why the science on 200s is mostly extrapolation from shorter races, and what that 2023 Cocodona 250 energy-deficit study found. Claire also grades Kevin’s non-negotiable pre-sleep rule for his athletes, walks through vomiting and GI troubleshooting, and explains why “not hungry” doesn’t mean “don’t need food.” Then Kevin offers up a totally hypothetical 37-year-old who eats like a toddler with a credit card.Plus: Javelina Jundred commentary recap, Peter’s Halloween costume, a TrainingPeaks tip on TSS, a round of Let’s Get Deep, and Kevin’s new data-driven training plans for 2027.Show notesGuest: Claire Shorenstein, MS, RD, CSSDEat for Endurance (private practice): eatforendurance.comThe Eat for Endurance Podcast, with seven-plus years of episodes, including one from January 2026 on what working with a sports dietitian is likeFuel for Life Crew: Claire’s membership community for endurance athletes ($39/month or less), with resources and a Slack group for questionsFree 30-minute discovery calls are available through her new-client inquiry formIn this episodeJavelina Jundred recap: wild desert weather, a nearly 50% DNF rate, and Heather Jackson’s late pass in the darkKevin on commentating remotely for Mountain OutpostMelanie launches distancetoemptypod.comInterview with Claire Shorenstein:TrainingPeaks tip of the week: why an accurate TSS mattersOutro: Peter’s comeback, Let’s Get Deep, and Kevin’s new training plansSponsorsUse code DISTANCE at checkout, then send us proof of your order for free Distance to Empty swag. Proof can go to [email protected], to @distancetoemptypod on Instagram, or through the contact form at distancetoemptypod.com. Include your mailing address.Janji: janji.com. Choose “Podcast,” then “Distance to Empty” in the post-purchase survey and screenshot it.Mount to Coast: mounttocoast.com, code DISTANCEOpen Fuel: openfuel.com, code DISTANCETrainingPeaks: Sign up for a free account at trainingpeaks.com (includes 14 days of Premium) and send us proof for a set of Distance to Empty bib clips.Train with usOne-on-one coaching, group coaching through our Patreon, and new static training plans built from real finishers’ FIT files. Plans include the Leadville big buckle (sub-25), competitive Cocodona (70–85 hours), Arizona Monster, and more at distancetoemptypod.com. Our Patreon is always the first link in the show notes.

Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Open Fuel: Code DISTANCE for 20% offNickademus de La Rosa is back on Distance to Empty! Since his last visit in 2024, Nick has finished his master’s in sports and performance psychology, moved to Canada, and launched Imperfect Mental Performance. He and Kevin compare brutal European 200s like Tor des Géants and Swiss Peaks 360 with the US 200 scene. They cover why these races keep getting faster and why the “specialist” is dead. They also get into how training theory has shifted from pure vert to running economy to fatigue resistance. Nick shares his favorite sports-psych tools: separating self-worth from performance, racing from curiosity, and setting a goal your ego hates. Plus: Kevin’s 100-mile PR at Canal Corridor, Peter’s 73 untrained miles, and an updated take on whether Tor is harder than Barkley.Show NotesIn this episodeWhat Nick’s been up to: graduating from University of Western States, moving to Canada (and getting turned around at the border with a U-Haul), and working with endurance athletes on the mental gameHow Nick’s approach has shifted from Internal Family Systems toward CBT and behavior chains, using “the lower dose” when that’s all an athlete needsKevin’s 18:21 100-mile PR at Canal Corridor, and why low-pressure races create room for curiosity, joy, and presenceHot takes from Tor des Géants and Swiss Peaks 360: faster finishing times, top 100-milers moving to 200s, and sleep strategies (early naps vs. 15–20 minute micro-naps)Mammoth 200: Kevin finished ninth in 58 hours with zero sleep, and the front of the pack is tighter than everThe culture gap: social media and the “hybrid athlete” crowd at US 200s vs. European races, plus thoughts on the Moab 240 cancellationMental prep for long races: appraising your abilities accurately, managing expectations, and fighting the “existential pointlessness” of days three and four (“this inch still matters on day four”)Looking back at Kevin’s 2023 Tor: hitting an emotional low six miles in, and what he’d do differentlyTraining evolution: big vert, then running economy, then fatigue resistance and durability. Can you still climb at the same pace in hour five of a six-hour day?Why the long descents are the hardest thing to prepare for in the US, and why training on the course is the real secretNick’s litmus test for anyone eyeing Tor: a three-day block of steep repeats on 1,000 ft/mile climbs“If your ego hates the goal, you’ve appraised it correctly”Kevin’s upcoming Oslo Bergen Trail 500KRevisiting Nick’s claim that Tor is harder than Barkley: “easier to finish” vs. “easier”Coaching with Distance to EmptyFull Tank tier on Patreon ($119/month): light-touch personalized coaching with a plan built for you, plus bonus episodes and Discord access. It’s the first link in the show notes.One-on-one coaching with Kevin for the 2027 seasonSponsors & SwagTrainingPeaks: Sign up for a free account at trainingpeaks.com, show us, and we’ll send you bib boards. (Kevin works at TrainingPeaks in the Coach Match program.)Mount to Coast: Code DISTANCE for 10% offOpen Fuel: Code DISTANCE for 20% offJanji: Choose “Podcast,” then “Distance to Empty” in the post-purchase survey. We recommend joining the Janji Collective ($25 one-time fee for 15% off for life).Screenshot your order and send it with your address to ⁠[email protected]⁠ or @distancetoemptypod on Instagram for free swag: hats, stickers, socks, bib boards, bib clips, or a “surprise me” pick.

Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The turn has tabled! This time Peter interviews Kevin about his Badwater 135. After years of saying he'd never run it, Kevin crewed Francis in 2024 and Peter in 2025, then decided he had to see what it felt like to cross Death Valley on foot. He started the 9 PM wave feeling the best he'd ever felt in a race. He ran sub-10 miles in 118°F heat and hit mile 50 by sunrise. Around mile 20, though, a mild pain in his lower left shin started and steadily got worse. He held on through Towne Pass, Father Crowley, and the long flat stretch to Lone Pine, reached mile 100 in under 21 hours, and ground up the Whitney Portal Road to finish in just under 31 hours. A few hours later, the ER in Lone Pine diagnosed cellulitis.We also cover:Kevin's 18-hour, 21-minute 100-mile PR and Western States qualifier at Canal Corridor 100, and Peter's truly untrained 73 milesHeat acclimation from altitude training in Leadville plus sauna sessionsKevin's fueling plan: about 70g of carbs per hour with Open Fuel and gelsThe Badwater hotel puzzle that comes before the race itselfPeter's birthday unicycleStarlink in Death Valley, walkie-talkie mischief, and Chris's homemade battery-powered misting packA surprise dinosaur in Lone PineThe ER trip, a "syphilis" scare, and a recovery drive to Bishop (with a stop at Schat's)Welcome, Open Fuel! We're excited to announce Open Fuel as our newest sponsor. Use code DISTANCE for 20% off.Our other partners:Mount to Coast: Use code DISTANCE. Kevin and the crew ran in the Badwater-edition C135s.Janji: In the post-purchase survey, select "Podcast," then "Distance to Empty."TrainingPeaks: Create a free account and send us your welcome email, and we'll mail you some Distance to Empty bib boards.Swag: Send a screenshot of your receipt or survey to @distancetoemptypod on Instagram or [email protected] for free swag. Options include new "Normalize Crying in Ultras" hats, "Have a Nice Run" shirts, and bib boards. For a limited time, any Open Fuel, Mount to Coast, or Janji order over $50 also gets you one of Kevin's TrainingPeaks training plans of your choice, free.

Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Moab 240 2026 Course Preview: Every Section, Every Change, with Head Trail Marker Jameson CollinsThe Moab 240 starts this week, and we've got a full section-by-section breakdown of the 2026 course. Kevin is joined by Jameson Collins, head trail marker for Destination Trail. Jameson is a two-time Moab finisher and has spent this week out marking the course, so he has current, on-the-ground details on what runners will face.Kevin and Jameson cover every leg from the arch in downtown Moab, through the desert of Lockhart Basin, up into the Abajos and the La Sals, and back to town. They rate each section from 1 to 5, ski-slope style, so runners know when they're on a green run and when they're on a double black. They also go through what's new this year:The start moves back to 6 AM, and they explain the reasoning behind it.There's a new 3-liter minimum water carry out of Base Camp, with a 1-liter maximum top-off at the Lockhart water stop. They explain why it exists and how much water you should actually carry.Drop bags are now available at Base Camp and the Oasis.Bridger Jack is a new sleep station.The fire reroute has been cleared. Runners will still pass through burn areas on Shea and the climb from Shea to Monticello Lake.Green and yellow crew groups apply at Shea Mountain and Monticello Lake, along with the pacer drop-off rules.The final section has a construction detour. Runners now come down through Sand Flats and the Falcon Flow trail and finish by running through downtown Moab.Along the way you'll hear about the Oasis "mirage," the double climb on Shea, why Road 46 might be the most important aid station on the course, and Jameson's advice for crews: get out and enjoy Moab while you wait.In the outro, Peter Noyes is back with his top tip for the race (spoiler: sleep at Road 46), a message for runners listening mid-race, a quick round of Let's Get Deep, and some questionable prep for his own 100-miler this weekend.Chapters (main episode)00:00 Intro with Jameson Collins02:46 What's new for 202607:03 Rating system and Start → Hidden Valley12:21 Hidden Valley → Amasa Back19:53 Amasa Back → Base Camp (Jackson's Ladder)25:10 Base Camp → Oasis via Lockhart (water carry rules)33:30 Oasis → Indian Creek35:40 Indian Creek → The Island40:56 The Island → Bridger Jack46:23 Bridger Jack → Shea Mountain51:40 Green and yellow crew groups explained55:31 Shea Mountain → Monticello Lake58:29 Monticello Lake → Dry Valley1:01:27 Dry Valley → Needles → Road 461:05:23 Road 46 → Pole Canyon1:09:32 Pole Canyon → Geyser Pass1:14:48 Geyser Pass → Porcupine Rim1:19:02 Porcupine Rim → Finish (new 2026 route)1:24:10 Closing adviceOutro: Peter's tips, a message for runners on course, and Let's Get DeepSupport the show and get free swagPlace an order with Mount to Coast using code DISTANCE for 10% off, or order from Janji and select "Podcast → Distance to Empty" at checkout. Then send your receipt screenshot, size, and address to @distancetoemptypod on Instagram or [email protected]. If you order or leave a review while you're out on the Moab course, we'll send you something extra special.Join our Patreon for the Discord community and bonus content. It's the first link in the show notes.Good luck out there, Moab runners. Stay in the fight.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Play The Mammoth 200⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video Game!Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet the Mammoths — Bailey Gripshover: The ICU, the PCT, and the Potato LifestyleToday's guest spends her working life in a cardiothoracic ICU in Seattle, with patients having the worst days of their lives. When she's not there, she's choosing to suffer on trails — a contrast she says keeps everything in perspective when a race doesn't go the way she hoped.Bailey Gripshover finished top 10 in her 200-mile debut at Cocodona 250 this past May, and held the lead in the inaugural MBA at Mingus for a while after sinking a shot she fully expected to miss. This October she's back for a second crack at the distance at Mammoth.We talk about what it's like running these races with a medical background: knowing when to pull the plug on an Arizona Trail FKT attempt because of a swollen Achilles, and also completely botching her own electrolytes at Javelina despite managing electrolyte imbalances at work every single day. She also makes a strong case for being the best-prepared person in the field on sleep — 12-to-14-hour ICU shifts, flip-flopping between days and nights, operating at a high level while exhausted because there isn't another option.Plus: how hiking the PCT in 2019 introduced her to the idea that people race these distances at all, why the Eastern Sierra is family terrain (her grandpa did the JMT, and she summited Whitney with her mom and sister for her mom's 60th), and her Mammoth 200 video game result — currently second on our leaderboard at 68 hours, after a first attempt where she DNF'd because her feet disintegrated on the pumice. She is now, genuinely, reconsidering gaiters.In this episode:Perspective from the ICU, and why it's "just running"When medical knowledge helps, and when it doesn'tShift work as accidental sleep-deprivation trainingFour hours of sleep and almost no hallucinations at CocodonaA virtual DNF by foot destruction, and a potential gaiter conversionMaking a basket at Mingus and riding the highHer prediction: this will have the best aid station food in ultrarunningPeter's preferred potato orientationMammoth 200 kicks off Friday, October 2nd in Mammoth Lakes, California. Catch live coverage on the Mountain Outpost YouTube channel, and follow @Mammoth200 for updates and tracking throughout the race.