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In this conversation, I interview Mika Thewes, an experienced ultrarunner who has completed multiple 200-mile races. We discuss Mika's journey into ultrarunning, her experiences in races like Bigfoot and Tahoe, and her recovery from the Cocodona 250. Mika shares her low-tech approach to race planning and her focus on time goals rather than competition. We Talk some volunteering and race scheduling.

Follow Mika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarcrashvegan

Takeaways

Mika Thewes is an experienced ultrarunner who has completed multiple 200-mile races.

She got into running to get in shape and gradually transitioned to trail running and longer distances.

Mika's favorite races include Tahoe and Bigfoot, but each race has its own unique challenges and beauty.

She takes a low-tech approach to race planning, using handwritten sheets of paper to track aid stations and estimated times.

Mika focuses on time goals rather than competition, racing against herself and pushing her limits.

We talk about the challenges faced during races and goals for future races.

Mika Thewes explains how he manages to afford his racing through volunteering.

The conversation ends with a discussion about Mika's upcoming race, Tor des Géants in Italy.

Animal Encounters and Volunteering

Sound Bites

"That stupid powerline switchback climb out of like, what was it, Blackpool or something? That was the worst."

"I just decided to double the distance. I think I had run like eight miles of trails before I did a 50 mile trail race, like in total in my life."

"It was the craziest like I could talk about that all day. I mean, spot-trackers were optional so a bunch of people weren't wearing them. People got food poisoning at the aid stations."

"It is what it is. It was disappointing."

"I mean, I understand everyone's concerned, because like obviously I'd be concerned about that too."

"Yeah, that's hilarious. I mean, you were flying down from Elden."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Race Announcement

01:08 Mika: A 200-Mile Expert

06:37 Getting Into Ultrarunning

08:34 Transitioning to Trails and Longer Distances

10:03 The Gnarly Challenges of Bigfoot and Tahoe

13:49 Dreams and Future Challenges

17:13 Recovery and Racing Tahoe 200

21:07 Racing Against Time and Overcoming Challenges

26:19 Challenges and Goals in Recent Races

35:36 Animal Encounters and Volunteering

47:47 Upcoming Race: Tor des Géants

Keywords

ultrarunning, 200-mile races, Bigfoot, Tahoe, Cocodona, race planning, time goals, determination, ultrarunning, races, challenges, goals, animal encounters, volunteering, Torre dei Giants