Jon Eisen guest-hosts the Midpacker podcast with full-time host Troy Meadows discussing Troy's first DNF at the Dark Divide 100. Cross-posted on the Midpacker Podcast feed. Check out Troy's Midpacker Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Three volcanoes on the horizon. Volcanic ash underfoot. Twenty-six miles of wilderness with almost no help. We teamed up with Troy Meadows of the Mid-Packer Pod for a raw, unfiltered look at the Dark Divide 100—one finish in 39:20 and one DNF at mile 52, both packed with hard-won lessons you can actually use.

We start with the pre-race curveballs: a late briefing, self check-in, and a course built on dirt bike trails that trade tidy switchbacks for deep ruts and loose rock. The opening ridgeline delivers a dream panorama—St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier sliding in and out of haze—and a reminder to keep ego out of the first climb. Then the course bares its teeth. The wilderness segment stretches for 26 miles between full aid, heat rises, humidity clamps down, and the trickle you hoped to filter isn’t enough. A fragile stomach becomes a full spiral: rationed sips, dry heaves, dirt naps, and the slowest ten miles of the day. At Snagtooth, we talk triage—cold spring water, walking tamales, naps, and time math—and the moment you decide if you’re still committed to a 48-hour cutoff.

On the flip side, we break down the steady path to a buckle: conservative pacing, one short sleep that flips a switch, relentless forward progress through day-two sun, and a near-disaster when skipping the final aid station almost torpedoes the finish. Expect practical strategy, not platitudes: alternate textures and flavors for nutrition, carry extra sodium, take caffeine when you wake, soak layers at every real water source, and script decision points before you’re exhausted. We also get personal about pressure, relationships, and why the conversation you have at home can shape the one you have with yourself at mile 80.

If you love real talk about ultra strategy, heat management, and the mental game of back-half survival, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a mid-pack friend who needs it, and tell us: where’s your crux, and what’s your plan B? Subscribe, leave a review, and drop your biggest Dark Divide takeaway—we’ll feature our favorites next week.

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.