Our first episode dives into the ‘Pursuit of Pain’ in endurance sport, exploring the layers of motivation and the unconscious beliefs that move us. The Dialogues podcast is a monthly conversation between Ryan Willms and Ryan Lynch, where we’ll be diving into themes in sport, performance, the human experience and Self-Realization.
“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”
-Renée Daumal
VIDEO WESTERN STATES by Asa Fletcher
Asa Fletcher captures the Western States Endurance Run. 100 miles of racing from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. Shot for Hoka, 2026. Read our interview with Asa below.
“I think it was a game of daring to try, while for me, the strategy was to try and not burn too many matches too early, especially because of the altitude exposure and the fact that even though it runs faster, it’s still a hundred miles. It’s still a long way to go to Auburn.”
-Vincent Bouillard, 2026 Western States winner
PRACTICE Pre-Run Meditation
A short pause before movement. An invitation to breath, center and be curious about what you need from your run today. Play or download and use this brief check-in with yourself, each time you are ready to move.
INTERVIEW ASA FLETCHER
RW: What’s your name and where are you based?AF: My name is Asa Fletcher, and I am currently based in Boulder, Colorado.
How would you describe your job?I’m a freelance commercial photographer and filmmaker with an interest in capturing people and their connection to sport through a documentary approach.
How did you end up tying your experience as a runner into capturing the experience of running?I ran briefly in college at NYU before deciding I wanted to fully commit to creative work. That ultimately led me to drop out of school and move to Colorado to work with some of the best professional athletes in the world. I always knew I wanted to tell the stories of elite athletes, so it was just a matter of time before I met some of them and had the opportunity to document their training and pursuit of the Olympics.
What are you looking for when you are capturing a race or a workout?I try to bring an editorial feel while documenting more than just the intensity of a workout or race. I think people often care more about seeing the behind-the-scenes moments than the actual result. That gives me the opportunity to show what an athlete does before stepping onto the starting line.
Whether it’s the athlete’s emotions, the environment they’re in, or the way they interact with their surroundings, all of those details shape my approach to making meaningful work that resonates with an audience.
Lately you’ve been at some of the biggest ultra trail races in the U.S. What do you find unique about these races, the overall experience, the type of runner, and how you approach them in your work?Yeah, it’s definitely been something new. I had a friend in the space who invited me to shoot a documentary about his 100-miler in Leadville. Putting that film together had such an impact on me that I knew I wanted to document more of these longer efforts.
There is often so much more emotion and grit that emerges over the course of tens of hours spent climbing mountains. I think that creates opportunities for stories that simply couldn’t be told over the course of a few minutes on the track. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot Western States, Hardrock 100, and the upcoming UTMB race, all of which have pushed me creatively and left me feeling incredibly inspired.
One of my favorite things about shooting these races is that they demand a lot from you as a filmmaker. Whether it’s hiking for hours or pulling all-nighters to follow a particular athlete, I love the idea that I have to be a good athlete myself in order to keep up with an elite athlete. That creates an interesting dynamic and makes the work feel even more rewarding.
Do you still have goals in your own practice of running?Yes, and even though my NCAA career was short-lived, I still like to think I could be pretty fast on the track. Whether that’s getting back into the 800 or the mile, or moving to the roads and running my first marathon, I know I still have goals.
I’d say I’m a pretty competitive person, and while I don’t have any races on the calendar right now, I know they’ll come. For now, the routine is usually an evening run on the dirt roads around Boulder, and that’s enough to keep me in the right headspace creatively. Running fuels my work without feeling draining.
You have a unique style in how you process your imagery, combine shots, and share your vision of movement. How has that developed?I think it goes back to being an athlete myself. I’ve witnessed the highest highs and the lowest lows, and those are often the moments when I want to have a camera nearby. Of course, that’s not always the story that needs to be told, but I think people have an incredible willingness to dig deep. Being able to document that alongside movement is something I find really special. Our bodies are capable of enduring so much, and seeing just how far we can push ourselves is often where we learn the most about who we are.
I like to approach my work as a documentarian, almost as if I’m a fly on the wall, allowing the person in front of the camera to move naturally and exist without distraction. I think that approach naturally creates more honest images because the moments aren’t manufactured. Movement is already compelling on its own, and my goal is simply to be present enough to recognize those moments when they happen.
WATCH Race Weekend, IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon
Follow the MEP Racing team through the finale of our 4-month journey to racing Ironman 70.3 Oregon. Through adversity and challenge, connection and discipline, the team came together healthy and ready to celebrate the work together. It was an epic course, and day of PRs, disappointment and heart.
In three weeks the next MEP program begins as we prepare for the CIM Marathon in December, we still have a couple of spots available to join the Running Satsanga Link
INDEX Latest products, updates and inspiration
* Wear: The latest racing shoe from On is now out, the Cloudboom Strike 2. The original version became my favorite racing shoe last year, topping the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4. I haven’t yet tried the new On shoe, but the reviews I’ve read sound promising and aesthetically it’s a step forward.
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* Fuel: Maurten continue to evolve the sports nutrition game with their latest Gel Mix 480, combining their Hydrogel Technology with drink mix, creating 120g in only 350ml, ideal for big sessions and long distance.
* Listen: A reading of Star Child by Joaquin Phoenix in C’mon C’mon cracked me open.
* Watch: A Pure Desert Feeling, follows Robert Irwin and his work. It’s incredibly inspiring, and while he doesn’t refer to his work as spiritual, there is an undeniable evolution of awareness and curiosity to explore the horizon eternally that unites humanity and our essential Beingness.
Thanks for reading DIALOGUES by Mindful Endurance Program. Subscribe for free to receive monthly issues. Check our website for information on upcoming programs and retreats.
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