Buckle Up with Simon and Brian: An Ultrarunning Conversation.

This week we have the honor of talking with Wes Plate. Wes shares his journey into ultra running, starting from his unhealthy lifestyle and weight gain to rediscovering running and eventually falling in love with the idea of running ultras. He talks about his progression from 50Ks to longer distances and his decision to challenge himself by running 200-plus milers. Wes also discusses the emotional highs and lows of ultra running, the importance of aid stations, and the strategy of planned sleep during races. Wes shares his experience with crew and pacers in his 200-mile races. He started with a crew of two people and three pacers in his first 200-mile race. Since then, he has mostly done races without pacers due to the complexity of logistics. Wes enjoys being on the trail by himself but also values having a crew, especially his fiancé, at aid stations. He believes that having a crew is emotionally motivating and creates special memories. Wes also highlights the different ways people approach 200-mile races, with some using pacers, some doing it solo, and others running with family and friends.