Cultra Trail Running

Patreons First, then on to the show: Motherhood, Mindset & the Pursuit of More What happens when a former collegiate high jumper, coach, mother and lifelong athlete decides to find out just how far she can push herself? Kat Bright joins Art, Anna G. and Phred to talk about her incredible journey from high-level track and field to ultrarunning—and the very personal path that eventually led her to a supported FKT on the Pennsylvania section of the Appalachian Trail. Kat covered roughly 230 miles and 31,000 feet of elevation gain in 4 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes and 10 seconds, traveling from the Delaware Water Gap area south toward Maryland. But the FKT is only part of the story. Kat talks openly about two dramatically different pregnancies, including one that required her to spend the entire pregnancy on bed rest before an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. During that period, she used sports-psychology visualization to mentally run the trails and tracks she couldn't physically access. Running eventually became part of her recovery and a way to reconnect with a body she felt she had lost trust in. We get into her evolution as an ultrarunner, including a difficult first Eastern States 100 where she finished DFL with only minutes to spare—and how that experience eventually convinced her that she was capable of much more. Kat explains how she prepared for the Pennsylvania AT while balancing two kids, family responsibilities, a business and all the normal chaos of life. Her training included treadmill work, repeated runs on familiar trails, and deliberately boring sessions designed to prepare her brain for the monotony of hundreds of miles. Kat also talks about her coaching business, where she works primarily with women 35 and older. Her philosophy is refreshingly realistic: training doesn't have to be perfect to work. Missed workouts happen. Life happens. Sometimes you only have 10 or 15 minutes. The goal isn't perfection. It's showing up repeatedly. She discusses strength training, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, pregnancy and postpartum training, perimenopause and menopause, and why women shouldn't allow age, motherhood or hormones to define what their bodies are capable of. At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea that applies far beyond running: You don't have to feel motivated to take the first step. The voice of doubt never completely disappears. But the more you show up, the quieter it becomes. And sometimes, when you're standing at the trailhead wondering if you have any business attempting something completely ridiculous, the answer is simply: Fuck it. Let's go for it. https://www.instagram.com/milesfromherview https://www.instagram.com/katfitstrength/ Website: www.kat.fit Fastest Know Time Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter  basic licker.  If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids Buy Fred's Book  Running Home More Information on the #CUT112   

At just 21 years old, Kaylee Frederick has already established herself as one of the most exciting young ultrarunners on the East Coast. She ran her first 100 miler at 16 years old, and when she was 18 became the youngest ever finisher of The Badwater 135.  In 2026, she won the Eastern States 100 outright, setting a new women's course record in brutally hot conditions. She also completed the Pennsylvania Triple Crown, finishing as the overall fastest person and Queen of the Mountain. But Kaylee's story goes well beyond race results. In this episode, Kaylee talks about discovering running as a kid, finding ultrarunning at 14, losing her father at age six, and how those experiences shaped the person and runner she has become. She opens up about depression, anxiety, therapy, faith, and learning to deal with the negative voices in her head. We also get deep into her Eastern States race including the moment she realized she was leading the entire field and the wild final miles when she was convinced someone was right behind her. Most importantly, Kaylee talks about a simple goal that has become central to her life: She doesn't want to just survive. She wants to actually live. Eastern States 100 Results Badwater 135   Kaylee's UltraSignup Results Follow Kaylee on Instagram Episode Photo Credit Phil Cuppernell Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter  basic licker.  If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids Buy Fred's Book Running Home More Information on the #CUT112   

This week on Cultra, we're digging into a brutal Eastern States 100, reflecting on our marathon-length conversation with Camille Herron, and looking ahead to one of the most exciting young runners on the East Coast. Eastern States delivered the kind of race that separates the merely enthusiastic from the completely unreasonable. With hot conditions pushing the DNF rate to roughly 54.5%, only 55 runners made it to the finish. And leading the women and first finisher overall was Kaylee Frederick, who put together an extraordinary 23:09 finish to set a new women's course record and become the first woman to break 24 hours at Eastern States. Naturally, we need to talk to her. How about next episode? We're also looking back at our recent three-hour conversation with Camille Herron. What started as an interview turned into a fascinating exploration of competition, neurodiversity, ADHD, hyperfocus, records, rules, and how easily people can misunderstand someone whose brain works differently. We get into the differences between competition on the track, trails, and at races like Badwaterand why some of Camille's controversial questions about records may have had more substance behind them than people realized. Plus: The Eastern States 100 carnage Kaylee Frederick's historic performance Kaylee's incredible East Coast résumé The youngest finisher at Badwater Jigger Johnson and trail-race talk Anna's Bald Face Loop adventure Art's trail maintenance adventures on the Old Osseo Trail Phred's seemingly endless running streak Creatine, protein bars, bicarbonate and other ultra-runner science Getting older, getting slower, and pretending we're not John Kelly's Appalachian Trail attempt Colorado heat, smoke and water restrictions Another episode of the Cultra Trail Running Podcast where somehow we manage to talk about elite ultrarunning, trail maintenance, supplements, aging, technology and Patreon before remembering that we were supposed to be talking about a race. Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter  basic licker.  If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids Buy Fred's Book Running Home More Information on the #CUT112   

World-record holder and ultrarunning legend Camille Herron joins AFB and Anna G for one of her most personal and wide-ranging conversations to date. This episode is not just a controversial hot take on Facebook, but is a long run in her fast but sometimes troubled shoes.   Rather than focusing on splits and statistics, this episode explores the experiences that have shaped Camille both on and off the race course. She shares what it was like receiving a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD, how those discoveries helped explain decades of challenges and successes, and why many of the traits she once struggled with have become strengths in elite ultrarunning events. Camille also reflects on her Vermont 100 comeback, racing without crew or pacers, evolving her training as she enters her mid-40s, and managing the effects of perimenopause while continuing to compete at the highest level. The conversation then shifts to several of the sport's biggest topics including race integrity, anti-doping, SafeSport, pacing, record ratification, and what the future of professional ultrarunning might look like. Whether you know Camille through her world records or the recent headlines, this episode offers a thoughtful, honest look at one of ultrarunning's most accomplished and most outspoken athletes. Life is complicated, and we are all wired in our own unique way. Sometimes it takes three hours to start to understand these differences.  Links for this Episode Vermont 100 Spartathlon Comrades Marathon Western States 100 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) SafeSport WADA GOMU Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter  basic licker.  If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids Buy Fred's Book  Running Home More Information on the #CUT112   

The Cultra Crew is headed north, and Josh is just days away from toeing the line at the legendary Vermont 100. This week is all about race week preparation as the gang dives into crew logistics, pacing strategy, nutrition plans, and the organized chaos that goes into surviving 100 miles. Anna G, Fred, josh and AFB break down everything from aid station bag organization and hydration bottle swaps to why carrying spare bottle nipples might be the most important piece of gear you'll never think about...until it's too late. The episode also covers an incredible weekend at Western States, updates from around the Beast Coast trail community, the heartbreaking news of the Hamster Wheel race director's house fire, and a few upcoming adventures that may involve even more questionable decisions. As always, expect plenty of laughs, tangents, and just enough useful ultrarunning advice to accidentally make you a better runner. In This Episode Josh's Vermont 100 race week strategy Crew and pacing logistics Fueling 120 grams of carbs per hour Western States and the church in the shopping mall Hamster Wheel community update Erica Nortini's White Mountains adventure RIOT and other future ultrarunning stupidity Tour de France, World Cup, and the usual Cultra nonsense Donate to the Conley Family Fire fund Vermont 100 Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter  basic licker.  If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids Buy Fred's Book Running Home More Information on the #CUT112