Mike Foote is a Montana-based professional ultrarunner and ski mountaineer who is best known for his inspiring performances in 100-mile ultramarathons and multiday endurance expeditions through wild landscapes. In 2018, he set the world record for the most vertical feet climbed and skied in 24 hours-- a mind-blowing 61,200 feet. And in addition to his impressive athletic career, Mike is also a committed conservationist, serving on the board of directors of the Five Valleys Land Trust, an innovative conservation organization that serves the five valleys surrounding Missoula.

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Mike grew up in Ohio and had never visited the American West until a life-changing college road trip took him to Moab, Utah. He instantly fell in love with the wide-open landscapes of the American West-- so much so that he left college in Ohio and moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. During that first year in Steamboat, Mike became obsessed with the mountains-- skiing, running, and enjoying all aspects of life in a Rocky Mountain ski town. Although the learning curve was steep, Mike loved every minute of his new life in the mountains, and he gradually became more and more obsessed with endurance sports. Fast forward to today, and Mike’s list of endurance accomplishments is astonishing-- he’s earned podium finishes at some of the world’s most notable races, including the Hardrock, UTMB, Big Horn 100, and more.

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Despite all of his world-class athletic accomplishments, Mike is an amazingly down-to-earth and humble guy. We had a wonderful conversation and managed to cover a lot in a little over an hour--topics that will be impactful to runners and nonrunners alike. We started by discussing his early years in Ohio and that fateful, life-changing trip out West. We talked about his progression in endurance sports, and his transformation from complete beginner to North Face sponsored athleteto race director of The Rut Mountain Runs. We spend a lot of time talking about mental health, and Mike graciously shares some of the techniques, books, and resources that have helped him manage the inevitable ups and downs in life and sport. We also talk about his hands-on work with the Five Valleys Land Trust, and why he has chosen to be so deeply involved in conservation. And Mike is a voracious reader, so he offers up quite a few excellent recommendations throughout the conversation.

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This is an excellent episode, and I can’t thank Mike enough for being so open and thoughtful throughout the entire conversation. I hope you enjoy!

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Mike Foote on Instagram

The North Face

The Rut Mountain Runs

Five Valleys Land Trust

Full Episode Notes: https://mountainandprairie.com/mike-foote/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 4:00 - Where Mike grew up
• 5:45 - What drew Mike out West
• 11:50 - What was Mike’s first year out West like
• 14:25 - When Mike first started running
• 15:45 When did Mike realize he had a talent for distance running
• 19:10 - How did Mike end up in Missoula? 
• 21:20 - Mentality shift from ”just going running” (paraphrased) to professional, goal-oriented training? 
• 27:35 - What drives Mike on his runs?
• 32:00 - Community of ultra-endurance events
• 35:47 - Mike getting into the race directing business
• 39:57 - How does Mike deal with the mental struggles when running.
• 46:20 - Mike’s book recommendations for setting his mind right
• 49:00 - The importance of having deep conversations about mental health
• 50:30 - Mike’s commitment to land conservation
• 59:00 - General book recommendations
• 1:02:42 - Film recommendations
• 1:06:00 - Parting words of wisdom

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