
Ellie Pell played team sports in high school then really took up running when she accidentally won a half marathon a few years ago. Since then, she’s lowered her marathon PR to 2:41, finished third at the competitive JFK50, earned a ton of attention with an outright win at a trail 50k, and most recently–just last weekend–ran in the Olympic Trials for the marathon.







Ellie’s stoke level is on HIGH and you’ll hear her smile through your headset. She met a ton of runners in Atlanta, ran with joy and no pressure, grabbed a free pair of shoes that might pay for her next vacation, and now has her sights set on Lake Sonoma 50 miler next month.  And hey Saucony, you hearing this???



Anyone going to Lake Sonoma wanna go halfsies on my AirBnB? Retweet to save the planet 

Ellie Pell | Trails and Trials

Ultramarathon News, Interviews, Reviews, and Brews.

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Jim Sweeney runs primary on the technical trails around upstate New York and New England, still loves a good old road marathon, and even ran the fastest hundred miler (13:09) in 2018.  He’s also the Lead Brewer at a brewery you’ve heard me talk a lot about…Athletic Brewing in Connecticut.
It was high time I had Jim on the show to talk about his life (he’s got a degree in forensic psychology, whaaa?), his love of brewing beer, and what races he’s got on the horizon.
Fun talk with a guy sounds like he’s living the dream. I hope you enjoy this episode.
 
Jim Sweeney Episode Notes
Here’s a link to the Escarpment Trail Run that Jim mentioned. Mighty technical.
And here’s a link to the race I couldn’t remember…Manitou’s Revenge.
And here’s a link to Athletic Brewing. If you need any suggestions, ask away. I’m what they call, I believe, a prolific drinker.  (Here’s my story about when and why I stopped drinking and the role Athletic played.)
Intro and outro music used with permission from David Rosales.

Jim Sweeney | Running and Brewing on the Beast Coast

Trivia with Lydia Episode Notes:
Intro/outro music used with permission from David Rosales.
Here’s more on The Tunnel race.
More on Yiannis Kouros’ incredible feats on Davy Crockett’s Ultrarunning History Podcast.
More on The Spine Race in the UK.
And more on The Dipsea Race in Northern California.
Here’s the NATHAN pack Lydia has fallen in love with.
And here’s the handheld she’s been using.
Here’s the Drankful hydration pack I’ve been trying out.

Ultramarathon and Trail Running Trivia with Lydia

 

I was DFL at #hr100
Not the result I was hoping for, but I think I learned even more this way. Been trying to get here for about 10 years. pic.twitter.com/DFWkR6zhdk
— Terry Miller (@Terrysrunning) July 19, 2021

Intro/Outro music used with permission from David Rosales.

Terry Miller | Lessons from DFL at Hardrock 100

Alek Simpson was diagnosed with narcolepsy and cataplexy at 18 years old and has continued running ultramarathons and trail races. He’s on a combination of drugs to keep him “normal”, never gets hungry, has extreme light sensitivity, and has experienced sleep paralysis…but none of this is changing his love and passion for the trails and racing.

In this interview, I ask Alek about the disorders and how they affect his personal and running life. We talk about where he grew up, his upcoming races, and we talk about everything from falling porcupines to a new route from San Diego to Mexico that I didn’t know existed.  Alek is very candid about this mysterious disorder and hopes to bring some attention and light to it.
 

Gear Review with Ben Zuehlsdorf
Nathan Pinnacle 4L Hydration Vest ($175 | Affiliate link.)  And the women’s version right here.
Ben says: “A vest I actually don’t mind wearing. Doesn’t heat me up or chafe. Would be great for Hardrock.”

 
Hoka ONE ONE Clifton 8 ($130)
Ben says: “Excellent update to an already great shoe you can wear on the road or firetrail.”

 
Hoka ONE ONE Zinal ($160)
Ben says: “Great go-fast trail shoe that you can wear from the doorstep to the trail.”
 
We also spoke about SOAR Running. Here’s more on the new company from Europe.
 
Episode Notes:
More on the Baja Divide Trail
More on Diane VanDeren
Follow Alek on Twitter.
Intro/Outro music used courtesy of David Rosales.

Alek Simpson | Running Ultramarathons with Narcolepsy


Torsten Heycke is an endurance athlete who’s participated and competed in a panoply of outdoor sports. From ultramarathons like UTMB-CCC and Western States to field hockey, surfing, MTB racing, tennis, XC ski racing and triathlon, today, Torsten and I drill down and discuss our joined passion for paddle sports.







He and I both competed in a paddle race last month in Northern California, me in the 25 mile race on stand up paddleboard, he in the 100 mile race on a Surfski. (Torsten won his event.)



In this interview, we talk about paddling and discuss the similarities and differences between it and trail running. We talk about gear, “terrain”, the overall scene, and where to find good races. If you’ve thought about taking your SUP past the point of casual paddling, this is the episode for you.







Additionally, Torsten lives in Ashland (Southern Oregon) with his wife where he’s a member of a group looking to put Ashland back on the map for outdoor endurance sports. Since it’s heyday (hello Rogue Valley Runners?!?) a decade ago, Ashland has unfortunately seen its share of catastrophic fires that dealt a big blow to its running and tourism industry. We talk about races coming up and why you should consider Southern Oregon as a destination for your adventures.







Finally….Torsten Heycke is a bit of a mapping geek and we talk about how he came to design the official maps for Western States and he answers a few of my gripes/questions about Strava.



Paddlers’ equivalent of a black toenail.



Torsten Heycke Episode Notes:



Paddling Resources:



Paddleguru is the paddler’s version of Ultrasignup. Nowhere near as comprehensive, but it’s the best I can find.



California River Quest is the race Torsten and I competed in.



The 22nd Annual, 440 mile Yukon River Quest starts this week n Northern Canada.



Torsten Heycke’s depiction of the importance of blade angle.







Ashland Resources:



Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association



Mt Ashland HillClimb



Lithia Loop Trail Marathon (Nov 21)



2021 Pine to Palm 100



<a href="https://www.ashlandtrails.

Ellie Pell | Trails and Trials

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