Community Trail Running

“The first hundred miles are just a warm-up. You're sort of discovering how your body is feeling on the day. Okay, how are my legs? Did I rest enough? How's my taper? Getting a feel for, how is your body going to allow you to perform? It's hard to force it, and just really settling into a rhythm. And then the second hundred miles is where you can start to lay it on thicker.”

Jeff Pelletier had an incredible result at Moab 240 recently and did so by running his own race. The filmmaker is a helluva trailrunner and his story from Moab was really insightful and fun to listen to. Jeff talked about his race strategy including foot care, proper pacing, fuelling, and a few more things. And important to note, on top of everything, he documented the whole thing for a film he hopes to release in the new year! Suffice it to say, it was a big race for Jeff personally, and he has taken some new motivation and lessons going forward.

“I could have easily found 5, 10, even 15 minutes of time. And part of that might have been being a little bit more aggressive in the back half of the race when it came to the aid stations and things like that. Maybe even cutting back on my sleep time a little bit, adjusting to the way the race was playing out. And so for me, that was a lesson. I think I'm at the point now in my running career where I can start to lay it on the line a little bit more, take some chances.”

Make sure to follow Jeff along on IG and YouTube so you don’t miss any of his updates! I’m super stoked to have had him on and hope you all enjoy the chat as much as I did.

Last week was also about Moab 240 as we heard from Heather “Koko” Scott:

Javelina Jeanelle

Next week we’re back again! Lots of awesome folks have been available, so we’re gonna keep rolling out the episodes. Jeanelle Hazlett is back on the cast talking about her 2nd place finish in the 100k Javelina Jundred!

Help me hit 1,000 subscribers

Growing this with all of you has been incredibly fun and rewarding. This community is truly special, and I’m grateful to be a part of it. We’re getting so close to 1,000 subscribers and my goal is to get there by the end of the year. Please sign up if you haven’t already, I greatly appreciate it!

So close to 1,000! Thank you for your support 💪

Big news and special episode dropping December 1

Even more content and good times are coming… STAY TUNED

Previous episode with Jeff:

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“My goal was to have a really strong first 67 miles. That's your solo miles. And I really wanted to run that and run it strong and build myself a really nice buffer.”

Heather Scott, or as most call her "Koko”, recently finished Moab 240 in 111:06:05 and she managed to finish strong because of her preparation and getting some extra sleep when she knew she needed it. She certainly had some ups and downs out there which included smashing her first 67 miles and later in the race dealing with hallucinations that were stronger than any she had previously encountered. Throughout it all she managed to enjoy it as much as she could and had a fresh mental start with each of her pacers. She’s incredibly humble about her accomplishments (thankfully she considers herself a runner now at least!), and after finishing this race wants to help other women kick ass.

“I'd love to see more women in 200’s, more women in 100’s. Women are natural born endurance athletes, I'm gonna be 47, so you're not too old and in fact you know we're kind of in our prime. So I'll just use this time to help some more girls get out on the course and and keep traveling the world.”

This was a really great chat and Koko’s passion for adventure and helping others was inspiring! Hat tip to Pargol for introducing Heather and me for the interview. Check it out and let us know what you’re up to these days as well.

We’re getting really close to 1k subscribers Sign up now and help us push through!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“A huge part of the newsletter is me finding interesting stories in the running world and, talking to them, and seeing what's up, and getting insights from them because there's some super interesting people in the running world.”

Raziq Rauf has fun with his writing. It’s clear from the name of his publication “Running Sucks”, but it’s also clear in the way he covers the sport. His writing is fun, but it also resonates. He finds great subjects and the joy he has telling their story comes through in his writing in a wonderful way. I was super excited to have him on the podcast to chat about his Running Sucks life and it was great to get some insight from him.

“It sucks in the moment. I talk about running sucking in the moment. I think everybody, when they finish a run after the fact, they're really pleased that they did it. It's very rare for someone to regret having run, but in the moment, running sucks. And a big part of the newsletter is finding ways of and showing other people ways of making running suck less.”

You will enjoy following and subscribing to Raziq’s Running Sucks, so get over there and do it.

Year 3 begins

It’s hard to believe we are beginning year 3, but here we go. As always, I have to thank you all for the amazing support you’ve shown. It’s a privilege to hang out with you all every two weeks and it’s something I don’t take for granted. Thank you all for being here. And of course, a massive thank you to Francisco, Roslyn, and Sabrina for putting your hard-earned dollars into this. You’re amazing.

Community Trail Running is pushing hard to hit 1000 subscribers! Help us hit our goal and subscribe today!

Let me know what you think of the latest music track.

And want a comical throwback? Here is episode 2 (the first with a guest). My guest was awesome and I’m happy I’ve grown since ;)

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Youtube: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“I believe in people more than they believe in themselves. I genuinely want it, want it as much what my clients do, if not more.”

Joanne Lee Smith is a trail running health coach who is incredibly passionate about the opportunity to coach people and she also is a very positive person in general. It was a pleasure to hear her talk about how she coaches and how satisfying it is to see her clients accomplish great things. Joanne coaches people in a solution-focused way and that was fascinating to learn more about. Joanne is the kind of person you feel like you’ve known forever when you talk and she really just wants to share her knowledge with people pressure-free. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

“Just book a session, you know, completely free. The best way is to find out and experience it for yourself because no words can explain it unless you've experienced it.”

Housekeeping

Yes, the Trail Running Film Festival is back for another year! We will have more details on the 2024 screening in Vancouver very soon, until then, creators submit!

Shoutout Sabrina, our latest paid subscriber!

The support around here is incredible and I’m constantly blown away by it. Thank you all for subscribing, liking, rating, sharing, messaging, saying hi, and just being yourselves in general. And an absolutely massive thank you to the folks forking out hard-earned cash. I’m forever grateful! This continues to be so much fun for me.

November is year 3!

Incredible how fast the time goes, isn’t it? Our next episode will be the start of year 3 and I’m excited to see where we go. This year was pretty amazing and I think we’re gonna keep that momentum rolling!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“Sometimes when we try positive thinking, our brain's going to call b******t on us and it doesn't work.”

Tanya Bottomley is a Mindset Coach from New Zealand and she absolutely loves her job. Tanya gets a thrill helping others achieve their goals and I really enjoyed her no-nonsense approach. I find it helpful when someone can strip down a conversation to what’s meaningful and focus on what’s truly important and Tanya really struck me as someone who coaches in that manner. She also struck me as someone who is super passionate about what she does and that is always inspiring. I found her advice about possibility vs positiviity very interesting and helpful.

“Your brain will call b******t on you. You know, mantras are great. Stand in front of the mirror and try and tell yourself you're beautiful. If you don't feel beautiful, it's not going to work.

But if you can find something along a continuum of possibility, like, “I can”. I can learn to feel great about myself, then we've got somewhere to go instead of in a circle in our head where your brain's like, “no, that's not true”.

Tanya loves to talk running and mindset anytime, anywhere you can find her. So check out her pages, reach out, and see if you would be a fit together!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay. (Year 2)

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“I view the finish line area kind of like my kitchen of my house, you know, you've just finished something incredibly hard. Go and help yourself to a burger that’s cooking on the barbecue and go help yourself to a beer in the fridge.”

It’s always great to have Myke Labelle on the podcast and the most recent experience was no different. It’s Myke’s 4th time on the show (despite my claim otherwise during the interview) and it was great to hear about the new 50-mile course and how he had a chance to get out on the course a bit more than in previous years. I also enjoyed chatting about my experience, and it’s always just a fun conversation when he’s on. He is so passionate about the event and celebrating our amazing sport. It’s contagious!

“What was really cool this year too, and I saw lots of video of this is the amount of spectators on course this year. I don't, again, because I'm stuck in my little bubble, you know, I don't get to see all that stuff. That was so cool to see the number of people dressed up in dinosaur costumes and stuff like that.”

This race is so much fun. I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re looking for a challenging September run in 2024 make your way to Finlayson Arm and see what Myke and the Coastline crew are up to. You will be so happy you did.

Myke also has the Vancouver Island Trail Running Series you can sign up for and the Kusam Climb. So check those out too!

Credit to Matt Cecill for the photo of Myke. Check out the full gallery here.

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

Jodi and Karine Isenor are the organizers of “Nova Scotia Trail Running” and they’ve been doing so for over a decade! Besides luring people to their starts lines by offering delicious homemade cookies, they also offer up all kinds of distances throughout the year and different formats like “Backyard” style. I was thrilled to chat with Jodi about the races and challenges they face along the way. It was also enjoyable to hear about the state of trail running on the East Coast, what Jodi’s favourite part of race directing is, and what his favourite course is.

“The Capes 100 course. It's beautiful. It has exposed high ground with great views of the ocean and of the Mabou Highlands. It's hands down, in my opinion, the best trail network in the province. It's all beautifully taken care of single-track. It's a network of about 30 kilometers, which is maintained by the Mabou Hiking Trails group and it's in an amazing part of the province, not just scenery-wise, but the locals, and they're not even runners, but they're just curious to see what is going on in their community. We befriended a bunch of locals and that's just a super fun part of it as well.”

Nova Scotia Trail Running has 7 races from February to November and it’s clear that Jodi and Karine are very passionate about these races and this community. If you’re on the East Coast and looking to run, find out what race(s) are for you and sign up!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“I definitely was planning to chase the record. You know, the course is in better condition this year. It seemed like it'd be possible.”

Beating a personal best is always a great outcome. To beat a personal best by 18 hours would seemingly be one of those great outcomes. To beat the course record along the way by 8 hours is a pretty sweet cherry on top. All of that is what happened to Bigfoot 200 champ Mika Thewes recently. Mika blazed through the difficult course (though she mentions conditions were great for record chasing this year) and landed atop the podium (she also made sure to point out that all three women on the podium beat the previous course record). She is super humble and it was really fun hearing about the race from the champ. She had words of encouragement for anyone thinking about taking on a long race like Bigfoot 200.

“I'm not going to say it's easy or anything like that, but it's not as intimidating as you might think. You know, the volunteers are also great out there and they want everyone to succeed, and they're super helpful. And, you know, if you learn just how to manage, it's just about managing yourself, really managing your feet, your sleep, your stomach. If you can get all that under control, I think really anyone could, if they put in a little bit of training, can tackle it.”

I hope you enjoy hearing from Mika as much as I did, it was a great time and I appreciate her taking the time to chat with us. Good luck to her during her upcoming Canadian 200 miler, The Divide 200!

Andrew Miller Coaching Giveaway

Friend of the show and trail running coach Andrew Miller reached out to me recently as he wants to give away a month of free coaching and we’re launching that today! Head over to this link and get yourself entered into the draw. Andrew was a great guest and you can listen to his interview and see if you think you two would be a good fit!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

Ryan Teigen has been a runner for a long time and his desire to work on the mental side of training with athletes comes from his own experiences. He had struggled with his mental game while running in college and sought out ways to improve. This led him down the rabbit hole, so to speak, to the point where today he is the Lead Performance Coach for Perseverance Performance. He has really enjoyed his journey into coaching and has found it very rewarding.

“It’s just really cool to see the science in action and just see how it impacts somebody’s life. I’ve had athletes who have come out of complete ruts. They were burnt out or they just had this wall where they couldn’t get past a specific barrier. It’s not gonna be a quick fix. But, when you have that breakthrough, you’re gonna look back and say “Yes, everything we just did is totally worth it.”

Ryan is passionate about what he does and he’s eager to work with those who want to train their mental game. Check out his site and see if it’s a fit for you, there is no harm in spending 30 minutes chatting with him to see if it’s a fit!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Youtube: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

“It’s just been an absolute roller coaster 3 months. Lots of work, lots of fun, and lots of mistakes as well, but hopefully we’re learning from them, we’re getting better from them.”

Sometimes you know you have a good idea but it’s not until you put it out in the world that you realize how good it really is. This is the case for Into Ultra which just recently launched and has been caught up in a whirlwind of support. It’s a great problem to have for an organization. Into Ultra helps get more people ultrarunning by covering the costs for those less able to afford it. Basil Heaney is a Co-Founder of the group and tells me they want to get more people involved in ultra running and right now that means making the sport more accessible.

“We launched and essentially we’re trying to support people to get into ultra running who can’t afford it. That could be race entries, or coaching, or kit, or courses. It’s not a cheap thing to get into ultra running as we all know, particularly when you get into the longer stuff.”

Into Ultra is UK based (and they plan to stay that way) and just getting started. The vision is to find ways to break down barriers for as many people as possible to get into the sport and I truly love this idea. Working towards making our sport as inclusive as possible is a great thing and I’m excited to see where Into Ultra goes!

Spotify: Click Here

Google Podcasts: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Youtube: Click Here

Music by REDproductions from Pixabay.

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)