Dirt And Vert

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we sit down with two-time Cherokee Ultra 130K finisher Aden Rogers. Aden is one of only four runners to earn the coveted Cherokee double buckle, and her story from this year's race is a masterclass in relentless forward progress.

Aden breaks down her journey into trail running—from picking up the sport to find time for herself as a mom to winning her very first 100-miler at Pinhoti. We go deep into her experience on the Cherokee course this year, where brutal heat and humidity forced her to battle extreme dehydration and stomach issues starting at mile 15. Aden shares what went through her mind on the dark stretch of Doc Rogers Road, how she navigated the fine line between safety and quitting, and why she refuses to give up on herself when things get dark.

• The Cherokee Double Buckle: Aden breaks down what it took to finish one of the toughest mountain courses on the East Coast for the second time.

• Battling the Heat: Managing severe dehydration and humidity, dealing with stomach issues from mile 15, and finding a way to keep moving forward.

• The Dark Miles: The mental strategy Aden used on the Doc Rogers Road section when quitting felt like the only option.

• Refusing to Give Up: Why Aden believes hardships in life and running are temporary, and how pushing through dark moments builds lasting strength.

• Pinhoti to Cherokee: Reflections on her background, from winning her first 100-miler at Pinhoti to tackling brutal technical vert.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, get ready for a one-on-one conversation with a runner who has been absolutely lighting up the ultra scene over the last couple of years—Kristen Soinski.

Fresh off the Chasing Democracy 250—a massive 250-mile journey run from the Statue of Liberty to Washington D.C. alongside Harvey Lewis and Greg Armstrong—Kristen pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to cover huge point-to-point distances in 90-plus degree heat. We talk about her start in middle school running, taking a five-year break from the sport, and her wild leap into ultras where she dropped a staggering 154 miles at her very first backyard ultra at Ohio's Backyard. Kristen shares how running became a vessel for navigating heavy personal grief, why she refuses to let a bad mile define her day, and the hilarious behind-the-scenes moments of foraging mulberries and accidentally buying sea moss jelly on the road with Greg and Harvey.

This week on the Dirt & Vert Podcast, Matt and I are sitting down with a runner who has been on an absolute, unhinged hot streak lately: Josh LaCrone. Josh is a paramedic, a dad, and the reigning course record holder at our very own Fort Frenzy, where he threw down a massive 113.15 miles on a notoriously brutal trail.

What makes Josh’s story completely insane is that Fort Frenzy was only his second ultra ever. After navigating some tough personal times, Josh set a wild goal to run a 100-mile race every single month—and he’s actually doing it. We talk about the steep learning curve of trail elevation, battling recurring rhabdo, and a recent, wild experience at the Matakwa 24 where he got bit by a baby copperhead at 11:00 PM, went to the ER, left against medical advice, and came straight back to the trail to finish the race and grab his buckle. We also deconstruct his performance at Blackbeard, where he threw down a spectacular 14-hour hundred on pure asphalt, proving he has the elite speed to completely mix it up with the top tier of the sport.

This week on the Dirt & Vert Podcast we have a guest who is redefining what it means to go the distance—Cody Taylor. Cody’s path is wild: he went from being a touring, major-label new metal drummer to a full-time endurance athlete and coach.

If you think a standard 100-mile race is tough, try dropping yourself onto a 550-mile trail completely unsupported—carrying a 50-plus pound pack, filtering your own water, and surviving a 50-hour push with nothing but a pocket full of pepperoni and zero sleep. We dive deep into his record-breaking FKTs on the Bruce Trail and the International Appalachian Trail, the brutal learning curve of packing a heavy bag incorrectly, and what it’s like to battle raw hallucinations and panic attacks in the deep backcountry. This conversation is a true masterclass in grit, constant self-reinvention, and what happens when you step up to a starting line with absolutely nothing to prove.

We are just two weeks out from Father's Day weekend, and that means it's time for a family reunion at the notorious Mid-State Mile in Franklin, Tennessee. To get our runners mentally locked in, we sit down with two legendary champions who know exactly what it takes to survive the "murder mile": Aaron Dana and Eric Kienle.

This conversation is a total masterclass for anyone stepping onto this course for the first time. Aaron and Eric strip away the illusions of the race on paper and dive straight into the brutal reality of the trail—the steep incline of Myers, the technical quad-burning descents, and the thick canopy that traps 90-degree heat and humidity deep into the night. We deconstruct our own fumbles from year two, trade notes on time-saving gear hacks like elastic Caterpie laces, and talk about how to mentally manage a strict 20-minute loop without letting a pity party or false strength from other runners take you out of the game.

This week on the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we are bringing you a heavy-hitting episode packed with prestige, mindset, and some serious backyard ultra strategy. Hosts David and Matt are joined by two of the absolute animals on the USA Backyard Ultra team: the legendary Harvey Lewis and the powerhouse Mark Dowdle.

Fresh off their massive battle at the BPN Last Man Standing event, Harvey and Mark are joining forces—and going head-to-head—at Tennessee’s notorious Mid-State Mile in Franklin. They dive deep into why they are stepping out of their comfort zones to face 340 feet of grueling elevation gain per loop, how they handle the intense external pressure of media-heavy races, and the specific mental shifts required when the quitting mindset starts sounding reasonable.

Mark shares his transition from college lacrosse to running after being inspired by a David Goggins podcast, while Harvey reflects on his incredible longevity in the sport, having run ultras longer than Mark has been alive. We deconstruct the unique format of Mid-State—where you have a strict 20 minutes to complete 340 feet of elevation gain and loss—and exchange veteran advice on managing body temperature in 90% humidity. From Harvey's 3-minute classroom naps to Mark's relentless "Calendar Club" training blocks, this conversation is a masterclass in locking down your mental game and building a bulletproof crew.

We get a lot of questions about how to get into race directing, how to host fundraisers for charity, and what it actually takes to put on your very first 5K or 10K. In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, David, Matt, and Mike Taylor break it all down into a simple, high-level roadmap.

We start the day catching up on Mike and Matt's longest 50K ever at the Stump Jump anniversary race—a beautiful, well-marked course where they threw up a thousand times, survived on green and red Gatorade, and battled some classic race director lies about the actual distance to the next aid station. Then, we dive into the nitty-gritty of race directing. From navigating monthly city agenda permits and securing liability insurance policy to choosing a major hosting platform like RunSignUp and finding a local photographer to capture the memories, we share the fumbles we went through so you don't have to.

What happens when a group of six runners—some of whom just met—piles into an RV to run 340 miles through the desert? Whitney Dancaster and Peter Haggemeier take us inside their recent journey through The Speed Project.

​In this episode, we learn how the team navigated the "OG Route," alternating 10K segments while battling extreme winds and high-desert heat. Peter and Whitney discuss the intense bond formed in the "Petri dish" of a cramped RV, the surrealism of seeing the Vegas lights after two days of effort, and the unique challenges of self-crewing a race where the only rule is to just keep moving.

What does it look like to have 107 races and 104 trophies? For Rachel Entrekin, it looks like a duffel bag full of hardware under the bed and a life recently transformed by professional running contracts.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we sit down with Rachel to discuss her transition from a Doctor of Physical Therapy to a full-time professional athlete. Rachel takes us through her "prolific" racing schedule, her shift from road marathons to the mountain trails of Colorado, and the incredible 10-hour improvement she made at Cocodona 250 just by fixing her fueling strategy. She also shares one of the most harrowing (and hilarious) "rookie mistake" stories in ultra history involving a heat wave, a bad case of chafing, and a very poorly timed application of Icy Hot.

Key Takeaways

The Pro Pivot: How Rachel leveraged her success in 2025 to sign professional contracts and leave her 40-hour PT job.

The Cocodona Breakthrough: A deep dive into how she shaved 10 hours off her time through better fueling and altitude training.

The Multi-Day Mindset: Lessons from Matt Shepard on why you should sleep when you're tired rather than sticking to a rigid plan.

Gear & Humility: Why she traded Old Navy shorts for technical gear like Teregnota and Norda to survive the triple-digit distances.

The "Why": Why Rachel runs "because her life is too easy," using the sport as a practice ground for resilience.

What happens when you trade the high-stress world of Tesla for a career in Sales Engineering? For Sierra DeGroff, it meant finding the mental space to become one of the most dominant forces in the ultra-running community.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we sit down with the 2026 Umstead 100 Female Champion to deconstruct her journey from a Michigan track athlete to the top of the ultra podium. Sierra gets real about her transition from the marathon distance to the grueling world of 100-milers, sharing the "nitty-gritty" of her Umstead race strategy and the nutrition plan that kept her fueled for a first-place finish. We explore the central theme of her career: how improving her work-life balance didn't just make her happier—it made her faster.