Everyday Ultra

When it comes to entering the sport of trail running, there is no “by the book” path that is clear on how to best approach it. While Track & Field and road running have that clearer path, trail is something that seems like it has been more of a “figure it out” operation for those who want to develop a career in the sport.

That is why Andy Wacker, professional runner for Salomon, decided to create The Trail Team; a team designed independently support and develop rising athletes into the best professional trail runners in the world through mentorship, skill development, and media exposure.

On the trail team, there are 6 rising athletes who are all names destined to become some of the top names in the sport of trail running over the years. And on this episode, we feature three of those athletes, along with Andy Wacker.

And in this episode, the athletes share about their background, why it’s important for them to have a cross-athlete lifestyle throughout the program, and their best advice for those who want to pursue trail running.

On top of that, Andy also shares the details about the Trail team, how he plans to run the program, and the why behind the organization.

About the athletes featured:

Anna Gibson is a collegiate athlete who runs for the University of Washington, where she anchored her team's Distance Medley Relay to the NCAA record. On the track she specializes in the 800m, 1500m and mile. She placed 5th at her first US Mountain Championships in 2021. Last year, she placed 4th at her first World Cup event in Saint Gervais, France. She aspires to compete professionally on the track and in the mountains.

Christian Allen is a runner who currently runs for BYU and is a WSU alumni as well. He is a two-time All-American in Cross Country. Christian attended both Weber State and Brigham Young University. Christian holds track personal bests of 28:26 in the 10,000m and 13:34 in the 5,000m. Christian AKA Slim, is looking forward to hitting the trail circuit this summer, specifically, “the suffer fest of hammering grueling climbs”.

Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau is a runner for Stanford University, which he represented in four NCAA Cross Country Championships. In 2019, he raced internationally for the US at the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. His first trail race was the 2021 USATF Mountain Running Championship in which he placed 7th. In his free time, he enjoys climbing and mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, where he holds a number of speed records (FKTs).

Huge thank you to Andy, Anna, Christian, and Meikael for coming on the show!

LINKS:

Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

The Trail Team Website: https://www.trail-team.com/

Follow the Trail Team on IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_trail_team/

Anna’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/annaagibsonn/?hl=en

Anna’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/57973023

Christian’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/ckonetherunner/

Christian’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/36817714

Meika’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/mountain_man_meik/

Meika’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/12445049

Andy’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/wackera/

ATRA Website: trailrunner.com

This year’s Black Canyon 100K was one of the most competitive Golden Ticket races we’ve ever seen. And today, we chat with the guy who took home a Golden Ticket along with the win and course record during the race: Anthony Costales.

Anthony Costales is an ultrarunner based out of the Salt Lake City area who is no stranger to podium finishes at races he competes in. On top of his most recent win at Black Canyon, he’s also won the Canyons 100K, and placed on the podiums of Run Rabbit Run, Chuckanut 50K, and Speedgoat 50K to name a few top results. All of this makes Anthony one of the best ultraendurance athletes in the sport right now.

In this episode, we discuss his biggest keys to success to winning Black Canyon, a look into his training (including treadmills, heat training, and weights), and what his mindset was like competing at one of the most stacked fields in the sport.

Huge thank you to Anthony for coming on the show!

Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: Zachbitter.com/coaching

Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: Zachbitter.com/training-plans

Follow Anthony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/acostales54/

Follow Anthony on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/10236405

Follow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

I raced the Black Canyon 100K this past Saturday, and boy, did I learn a lot! Although the race was incredibly fun, the day did not go the way I wanted it to go; but the lessons I gained from my experience were some of the best takeaways that I’ve learned in any ultra so far.

In this episode, I break down the play-by-play of my Black Canyon 100K race, the lessons and takeaways I learned from my race, and suggestions for anyone who is looking to take on their next ultra (regardless of whether or not it is the Black Canyon 100K).

I did end up finishing the race, but placed in 29th male, well short of my goal of going after a Golden Ticket. And I hope this episode helps to give you into a look at what factors go into NOT having a great day (so that you CAN have a great day the next time you take on your ultra).

If you’d like to look into my training going into Black Canyon 100K, feel free to listen in to part 1 of our preview episode that we did before the race here: https://anchor.fm/everyday-ultra/episodes/Black-Canyon-100K-Training--Strategy-and-Course-Tips-2023-Preview---Part-1-e1uug79

Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching

Hop on a LIVE call with me once a month and get early access to new episodes via our Everyday Ultra Patreon: patreon.com/everydayultra

Today, we’re chatting with Lotti Brinks who is a runner for Salomon, and who is known for her super quick splits on the trial! Breaking the record at the Javelina Jundred 100K last year, and notching wins at Rocky Raccoon 100K and Bandera 50K in the past, Lotti has been up and coming as one of the most exciting athletes to follow in the sport!

We chatted with her right before her next race into the Black Canyon 100K, which she will be taking on for the second time this Saturday.

And on this episode, Lotti shared how she reduces race day pressure so she can enjoy the race as much as possible, how she plans to approach this year’s Black Canyon race vs. last year, and the biggest lessons she’s learned in her running career.

Huge thank you to Lotti for coming on the episode!

Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: Zachbitter.com/coaching

Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plan: zachbitter.com/training-plans

Want to hop on a live call with me once a month? Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Lotti on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotti_brinks/

Follow Lotti on Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/25210246

When it comes to some of the most fit athletes in the sport, Cole Watson is someone who I consider to be at the top of that list! And today, he’s our guest on the Everyday Ultra Podcast!

Cole Watson is professional trail runner for HOKA based in the Sacramento, CA area. He’s also placed on the top of nearly every current US Golden Ticket Race, including Canyons, Javelina Jundred, and Bandera. And now, he’s about to toe the line at Black Canyon 100K this weekend!

In this episode, Cole breaks down some shifts that he’s made in his current training, and the shifts he made coming from more of a track/road background to the trail scene, and how he is approaching his Black Canyon 100K race this upcoming Saturday.

Huge thank you to Cole for coming on the show!

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Cole on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c0lewats0n/

Follow Cole on Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/10078792

Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

You may have heard today’s guest as a co-host on the Singletrack Podcast. Or, you may know him from his incredible top 5 finish at Javelina Jundred last year. Or, you know him because he’s a coach and co-owner at Trails and Tarmac. Either way, he is an awesome runner, content creator, and wealth of knowledge when it comes to running: Brett Hornig!

Brett Hornig is a runner based out of Ashland, OR who is a coach and co-owner at Trails and Tarmac. He is also a co-host of the Singletrack Podcast and a Co-Host of the shoe review series, Conversational Pace on YouTube.

When it comes to running and training knowledge, Brett is one of the best to listen to as he’s worked with tons of athletes in the sport.

And in this episode, he breaks down mental strategies to help you push through struggle in a race, how to approach your pacing strategy to optimally run your best race, and training principles to help you nail your next block.

Huge thank you to Brett for coming on the show!

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Brett on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bhornig91/

Check out Conversational Pace: https://www.youtube.com/@ConversationalPace

Check out Trails and Tarmac: https://trailsandtarmac.com/

Check out Singletrack: https://www.runsingletrack.com/

Follow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

This year’s Black Canyon 100K is shaping up to be one of the most stacked ultramarathons in a while. So, to build the hype on the race and to have some fun leading up to it, Lindsey McDonald and I share our hot takes, podium picks, and race predictions on this year’s Black Canyon 100K in our first ever “race analysis” episode!

We love what Singletrack is doing with their race commentary content, and wanted to add in on the conversation here with our own picks and takes, so this one was a lot of fun!

We break down the women’s field, the men’s field, and a highlight of some “must follow” runners in the field.

To note, this is part 2 of a 2-part series on the Black Canyon 100K, so feel free to check out part 1 if you want to dive into my training regimine and course details of the race!

Huge thank you to Lindsey for listening in to this!

Show links:

Check out Part 1: https://anchor.fm/everyday-ultra/episodes/Black-Canyon-100K-Training--Strategy-and-Course-Tips-2023-Preview---Part-1-e1uug79

Check out Zach Bitter’s Pre-Made Training Plans:

Check out Zach Bitter’s Pre-Made Training Plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans

Check out Zach Bitter’s Coaching Options: zachbitter.com/coaching

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

Follow Lindsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linz_mcd_/

The Black Canyon 100K is one of the most competitive 100Ks in the world, given that it’s a Golden Ticket race and one of the biggest ultras by attendance in the US. That being said, it is also one of the biggest bucket list races for an ultra athlete.

Over the past 12 weeks, I’ve been training for the Black Canyon 100K, as I will be racing in the 2023 edition. And in this episode, I extensively cover my training and strategy for the race, so that you can get some insight into what it takes to train for Black Canyon in case you’re racing it as well.

And in the latter half of the episode, I’m joined by Lindsey McDonald from the Aravaipa Racing Team to break down the Black Canyon course, and what it takes to be successful out there on race day.

This is a part 1 of a 2-part episode on the Black Canyon 100K, so be sure to tune into the second episode which goes into our podium picks and predictions for the 2023 edition of the race!

Huge thank you to Lindsey for joining me on this episode!

Check out Zach Bitter’s Pre-Made Training Plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans

Check out Zach Bitter’s Coaching Options: zachbitter.com/coaching

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

Follow Lindsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linz_mcd_/

This episode features Annie Hughes, Arlen Glick, Sarah Ostaszewski, Melissa Ostaszewski, Shelby Farrell, Austin Horn on our biggest episode yet! And on this episode, they all share their biggest takeaways from their 2022 season, how they are planning to approach their big racing goals in 2023, and their biggest tips for becoming a better endurance athlete every day.

Why bring all of these amazing runners together? Well, we just hit ONE YEAR since the Everyday Ultra Podcast premeired. So, to celebrate this milestone and to celebrate our listeners, we wanted to host some of our top guests from our first year all in one jam packed episode.

From learning how to be a more sustainable athlete, to approaching training in a more methodical way, to the biggest lessons learned from impactful runners, this episode will get you fired up and ready to tackle your own big goals in 2023!

Thank you all so much for your amazing support over the past year of the show. Without you, the podcast would not be where it is today, so know that I appreciate you very much for all of your support!

Who we’re chatting with today:

Annie Hughes is an ultrarunner for HOKA and was ranked #4 female Ultrarunner of the Year in 2022, with an astonishing race season, winning Run Rabbit Run, High Lonesome, Cocodona 250, and the Coldwater Rumble 100 miler.

Sarah Ostaszewski is an ultrarunner on the Aravaipa Racing Team based out of Flagstaff, Arizona who came in 3rd place at Cocodona, took top 10 at Run Rabbit Run, and 2nd on a fast day at the Javelina Jundred 100K, all on top of tons of other amazing results.

Melissa Ostaszewski is an ultrarunner based out of Flagstaff, Arizona who podiumed nearly every race she was in last year, including Silverton Alpine Marathon, Sinister Night Run 18K, and Copper Corridor 50K.

Shelby Farrell is an ultrarunner and running content creator who has racked up amazing results last year, including placing second for the Mammoth Triple, 4th at Tunnel Hill 100 miler, and most recently, winning the Avalon 50 miler.

Austin Horn is an ultrarunner on the Aravaipa Racing Team based out of Flagstaff, Arizona, who came top 10 at the highly competitive Bandera 100K and won the Ouray 50 Miler in 2022, adding to an impressive running career that he’s building.

Huge thank you to our panelists for coming on the show!

Check out Zach Bitter’s Training Plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans

Work with Zach Bitter as your coach: zachbitter.com/coaching

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/everydayultra

Follow Arlen Glick on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/47004437

Follow Annie Hughes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annie.a.hughes/

Follow Sarah Ostaszewski on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahostaszewski/

Follow Melissa Ostaszewski on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaostaszewski/

Follow Shelby Farrel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbzzf/

Follow Austin Horn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultra.austin/

What does it take to prepare for one of the most competitive 100k races while also being a father, partner, and running a business? Today we speak with the guy who is making all of those things happen and is one of the nicest athletes in the ultra community: Jacob Puzey! This is Jacob's second time on the show.

Jacob Puzey is a professional ultrarunner for Craft based out of Canada, and he is also a Director at 5 Peaks Trail Running Series. Jacob has had top finishes at many races, including a 6th place male finish at Javelina Jundred in 2021.

In this episode, Jacob breaks down how he balances family, training, and a busy work schedule, how he is approaching his upcoming race at Black Canyon 100k, and his mindset when it comes to pacing an ultra.

Huge thank you to Jacob for coming on the show!

Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra

Listen to the first episode we did with Jacob: https://anchor.fm/everyday-ultra/episodes/How-to-Train-Smarter-for-Your-Next-Ultra-with-Jacob-Puzey-e1gdahv

Follow Jacob on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jacobpuzey/?hl=en

Check out 5Peaks: http://www.5peaks.com/

The song Jacob mentions in the episode: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/john-jesus-last-night-with-moses/1580693442?i=1580693447

Follow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/?hl=en