For The Long Run: Exploring the Why Behind Running

Tara Dower has accomplished some incredible things in ultrarunning, but her journey hasn't been without challenges. From battling anxiety on the Appalachian Trail to taking on Western States and Hardrock just 13 days apart, Tara has learned a lot about resilience, mental health, and knowing her limits.

In this episode of For The Long Run, Tara joins Jon to discuss building mental toughness, the physical and emotional toll of racing, and how injury forced her to rethink her relationship with running.

They also dive into the realities of professional ultrarunning, her podcast DNF Diaries, and why she's rediscovering the joy of running without pressure.

Stay connected:

Tara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.dower/

Tara on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taratreks

Tara's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dnf-diaries/id1796896599

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

TrainingPeaks helps runners turn their training data into actionable insights, track fitness and recovery, and seamlessly sync workouts to their watches. Get started for free here!

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

Amanda Vestri isn't playing it safe heading into the New York City Marathon. After leaving Boston feeling like she hadn't pushed her limits, the Brooks professional runner committed to doing things differently: going to Boulder for altitude training, increasing her mileage, embracing harder workouts, and taking risks she's never taken before.

Amanda joins us to share what it's been like to push through 115-mile training weeks, why working with coach David Roche has changed her approach to running, and how she's learned that fueling and recovery are just as important as the miles themselves. She also opens up about managing self-doubt, finding confidence in uncomfortable situations, and why she believes the lessons from Boston could help her achieve her ultimate goal of making the 2028 Olympic team.

With New York just around the corner, Amanda is ready to find out what she's capable of.

Stay connected:

Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_vestri/?hl=en

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

TrainingPeaks helps runners turn their training data into actionable insights, track fitness and recovery, and seamlessly sync workouts to their watches. Get started for free here!

Avelo just launched the Supertrainer One, a running shoe with built-in biomechanics technology that delivers real-time insights and personalized coaching with every stride. Visit avelorunning.com to get your pair!

Vikash Sharma is a physical therapist, runner, and founder of Perfect Stride Physical Therapy in New York City and Running for Life Education. After 14 years of working with runners, he's seen firsthand how often injuries come down to being underprepared for the demands of training rather than simply doing too much.

Vikash joins Jon to talk about when runners should seek physical therapy, how to distinguish pain you can work through from pain that requires rest, and why heavy strength training and plyometrics deserve a place in every runner's routine. They also discuss how travel disrupts training, ways to maintain fitness when your schedule changes, and practical strategies for arriving at race day ready to perform.

With the New York City Marathon approaching, Vikash also shares his advice for navigating the course, preparing for its toughest sections, and making the most of one of running's biggest days.

Join us in New York with CEP on Friday afternoon! https://www.heylo.com/event/-P2p2YiMh-m_r2_pYrfm

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

TrainingPeaks helps runners turn their training data into actionable insights, track fitness and recovery, and seamlessly sync workouts to their watches. Get started for free here!

How much data do we really need to become better runners?

Recorded live in Chamonix during UTMB week, Jon Levitt hosts a panel discussion presented by TrainingPeaks with Alison Lynch of Amazfit, Arnar Larusson of Tymewear, professional athlete and coach Corrine Malcolm, and Doug Stewart of the Elite Trail Team.

They explore how wearable technology is changing the way we train, what metrics actually matter, and why more data doesn't always mean better decisions. The conversation also digs into the gaps in women's health research, the role of AI in coaching, and how technology can help everyday runners balance training with the demands of life.

At the heart of the discussion is a question worth asking: How do we use technology to become better runners without losing the joy of running in the first place?

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

Tifosi Optics: From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Dakota Jones has been running ultras for more than half his life, but these days, running means a lot more to him than results.

Recorded in Chamonix ahead of CCC, Dakota joins the podcast to talk about the experiences that have kept him connected to trail running, why some of his most meaningful days in the sport have had nothing to do with winning, and how running has become a vehicle for community, adventure, and environmental action.

They talk about Dakota’s work with Footprints, riding his bike 650 miles to Western States, his partnership with NNormal and the brand’s approach to sustainability, and why individual action doesn’t have to be perfect to matter. Dakota also shares how he thinks about excellence today, the importance of making change at the community level, and his upcoming Great Salt Lake Project, where he’ll run 260 miles around the lake over five days to bring attention to its future.

For Dakota, running isn’t the end goal. It’s a way to connect with people, explore what’s possible, and hopefully leave things a little better than he found them.

Stay connected:

Dakota on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatdakotajones/?hl=en

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

Tifosi Optics: From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

What happens when running becomes less about the numbers and more about finding the edge of what’s possible?

Victor Zetouine is an ultrarunner, entrepreneur, and founder of Party Place who has taken on some wildly ambitious endurance challenges, including running The Speed Project solo from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and racing hundreds of miles across Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Victor joins Jon to talk about going from barely running half a mile to chasing huge endurance adventures, why a stress fracture ultimately led him to ditch his watch, and how losing a close friend changed the direction of his running. They dig into what Victor finds when he’s completely alone in the desert, why the hardest adventures can make the rest of life feel more meaningful, and the difference between goals that scare you and goals that paralyze you.

They also explore the overlap between ultrarunning and entrepreneurship, why perseverance often matters more than talent, breaking enormous goals into the next manageable step, and why Victor believes that every time you think you’ve found your limit, there’s still more to discover.

Stay connected:

Victor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vic_zee/

Support our Sponsors:

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

Join us for a pre-race meetup at Pattern Break Brewing the day before Boulderthon! Whether you used our code or just love running, come hang out with us from 2–5pm on Friday, September 25th. Reserve your spot here.

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Emma Zeiger knows a lot about doing hard things and finding meaning in them.

After losing her dad when she was nine, Emma eventually found community through Experience Camps, a free camp for children who have lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. That experience helped inspire Ghosted by Grief, her podcast and community built around making hard conversations easier to have.

Now, after two marathon attempts were derailed by health issues and surgeries, Emma is training for the New York City Marathon while raising money for Experience Camps through her “Grief Is a Long Run” campaign. The idea: grief, like running, isn’t linear. Mile six can feel impossible and mile 19 can feel easy. You just have to keep moving.

Emma and Jonathan talk about grief, finding community through endurance sports, the pressure we put on ourselves, and learning to accept what our bodies can do. Ultimately, it’s about doing hard things, finding joy along the way, and making those hard things a little less lonely for someone else.

Stay Connected:

Emma's Podcast: Ghosted

Emma on Instagram

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon: Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.

CEP compression socks and sleeves are built to support runners through the full race experience, from long travel days to race-day miles and post-race recovery. Shop CEP at ceprunning.com and make compression part of your next race plan.

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

What happens when 100 miles is no longer far enough?

Ekta Basu joins Jon after finishing the Tahoe 200, a journey that took her more than four days and pushed her further than she had ever gone before. She shares how she went from a self-described “mile junkie” with little structure to training intentionally for 200 miles, and why the process taught her as much as the race itself.

Ekta takes us inside the highs and very low lows of Tahoe, from early blisters and chasing cutoffs to spending the final 20 miles hunched over with a failing back. She talks about the crew and community that kept her moving, seeing her son cry at the finish line, and the realization waiting for her after 200 miles: everything she needed to keep going was already within her.

They also talk about doing hard things, the freedom of running, why every step is a choice, and the curiosity that keeps Ekta wondering just how far she can go.

Stay connected:

Follow Ekta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekta_runs/

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

FlyKitt

FlyKitt helps take the jet lag out of travel with a personalized plan built around your specific flight, so you can arrive ready to run, work, or explore. Use code FTLR at flykitt.com.

Professional skier, mountaineer, endurance athlete, activist, and former U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Gleich joins Jon for a wide-ranging conversation about sport, advocacy, and having the courage to stand for something.

Caroline shares how running became part of her life after a major ankle injury, how she built an unconventional career as a professional athlete, and why endurance sport has given her the confidence and self-belief to take on challenges far beyond the mountains. She reflects on running for U.S. Senate in Utah, the grit she gained from the campaign, and what she learned about speaking up, finding common ground, and staying true to her values even when there are consequences.

Jon and Caroline also talk about the responsibility athletes have to use their platforms, navigating brand partnerships while being outspoken, the role of sport in building resilience, supporting a partner with equally big goals, and her concerns about AI, data centers, and the future of creators.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: doing hard things in sport can teach us how to show up for the hard things that matter outside of it, too.

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Kila

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Ben Dhiman won UTMB. One of the most competitive ultra trail races in the world, and he won it. This conversation was recorded not long after, when the dust had barely settled and he was still figuring out what it all meant.

Ben talks about the race itself, what the final miles felt like, the weight of expectation that came with being a contender, what winning actually gave him versus what he thought it would, and who he is when he's not running.