Off The Couch

Running injuries seem inevitable; almost everyone has a story about being sidelined at some point in their career, either from an acute issue or from general overuse. While no one is completely immune to the stress the sport places on our bodies, there’s plenty we can do to make ourselves more resilient to it. It’s common knowledge that adopting a strength training routine is one of them, but knowing exactly where to begin can be difficult if you don’t have a ton of experience in the gym. So, we spoke to Dr. Anh Bui, a physical therapist, certified strength coach, and USATF certified running coach, about some guiding principles for those looking to get started; how strength training can reinforce proper running form; why everyone should have a basic foam roller; and a whole lot more. 

TOPICS & TIMES

• Anh’s running background (2:58)
• Catching the injury bug early in her career (8:38)
• Her journey to becoming a physical therapist (11:47)
• What is “proper running form”? (16:22)
• The importance of arm swing (19:08)
• Mythbusting running cadence (24:56)
• It’s all in the hips (and core)! (26:36)
• Supination, pronation, & functional feet (28:19)
• The case for having multiple pairs of running shoes (33:53)
• How strength training will help your running (34:40)
• Home gym setups (41:11)
• Breaking the chronic injury cycle (44:13)
• Recovery techniques and tools (45:50)

RELATED LINKS

• Run Resiliently

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Ultrarunning is often admired for the strength of its community, a quality that unites runners with a sense of belonging. However, we can always do more to ensure that this feeling of acceptance extends to everyone, regardless of how they identify. As one of our sport’s most vocal advocates for queer inclusivity and representation, Altra Athlete Ryan Montgomery is working to do just that. So, we sat down with him to talk about Out Trails, an initiative he started to help build safe spaces for LGBTQ+ runners. Along the way, we also discuss what trail runners, brands, and organizations, can do to support the queer community on every level; why adding a non-binary category to races is so important; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• How Ryan got into ultrarunning (2:31)
• Expedition Bolivia (6:10)
• Turning pro (8:15)
• How running has helped inform his identity (11:42)
• Ways to organically add diversity to the ultra running community (15:23)
• How can races become more inclusive? (20:08)
• Out Trails (25:26)
• The value of LGBTQ+ group runs & retreats (30:22)
• Running: a year-in-review (34:31)

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• CRAFTED
• Blister Podcast
• GEAR:30
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We first had Jason Hardrath on the show back in March, before the release of his film, “Journey to 100.” Since then, Jason’s spent much of the summer on tour, hosting screenings in cities across the country. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to set some pretty mind-blowing FKTs while he’s at it. So, we caught up with the King of FKTs to hear about the reception to his film, his series of vision quests in the Sierra, getting hit by a deer at 40 mph, what adventure he’s dreaming up next, and more. 

TOPICS & TIMES

• Recapping “Journey to 100” (4:04)
• Highlights from the film tour (8:55)
• Why memories made in the mountains are stronger (10:19)
• COVID & a mid-ride deer collision (14:15)
• Convoluted Bliss, Norman’s 13, & CA 14ers FKTs (21:23)
• Tips for navigating in the backcountry (48:01)
• Gear talk (53:27)
• Infinity loops & volcanoes (56:01)

RELATED LINKS:

• Convoluted Bliss Video
• Rainbow Cirque Video
• Jason Hardrath on FKTs & What Makes Him Tick (OTC Ep.110)

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• Blister Podcast
• GEAR:30
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After placing 4th at the 60th annual JFK 50 Mile, the oldest ultramarathon in the US, Matt Seidel is taking a break. The 26-year-old former D1 runner has finished in the top 6 at every trail race he’s entered this year, a successful rookie campaign that’s included multiple wins and put the rest of the sport on notice. As the 2022 season comes to a close, we caught up with Matt to talk about what he’s learned from his first year racing as an elite; why more and more road and track athletes are transitioning to the trails; who he wants to model his career after; World Cup predictions; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Matt’s post-ultra turkey trot (2:06)
• How he got into trail running (3:50)
• Inside a D1 college track & field program (9:42)
• Who he looks up to in the trail world (12:28)
• Taking bits and pieces from different training styles (16:17)
• What’s on tap for 2023? (17:30)
• Range: keeping things fresh by mixing it up (22:42)
• The JFK 50 Mile (27:13)
• Hardening the mind during a race (42:00)
• “Are you a runner or a real person?” (47:27)
• Mental vs. physical training (51:56)
• Taking up residence in the pain cave (54:52)
• Golden tickets & World Cup predictions (56:49)

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Joe DeMoor is about as Colorado as they come; he’s from Buena Vista, ran collegiately for the Buffalos at CU Boulder, lives in Carbondale, and works on Aspen Snowmass’s trail crew in the summer and grooms ski runs there in the winter. As a professional mountain runner for La Sportiva, he’s had a breakout year of racing thus far, with several wins under his belt. Redlining up mountains is in Joe’s blood, so we sat down with him to talk about growing up on Colorado trails; the ins and outs of sub-ultra-distance racing; graveyard shifts; pain caves; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Growing up in CO (3:02)
• Running with the Buffaloes (5:49)
• Transitioning to the trails (11:21)
• Tourism management, what’s that? (14:45)
• Trail crews & graveyard shifts (15:46)
• How Joe prepares for a race (18:46)
• Does having a super physical job help or hurt his training? (21:40)
• Recovery hacks (24:12)
• Following in his brother’s footsteps (27:20)
• Year-in-review (29:22)
• Racing Vertical Kilometers (35:31)
• Skyrunning World Champs (41:09)
• Making his international racing debut in Italy (43:33)
• Thailand travelog (45:00)
• FKTs (48:00)
• Skimo season (53:00)

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After a few months in the field, Off The Couch’s reporter-at-large, Leah Yingling, returns to the show to catch us up on how she rounded out her summer season after a top-10 finish at the Western States 100 back in June. We talk about her experience taking in the scene at UTMB this year, and why it’s an event worth going to regardless of whether or not you’re racing, before recapping her run for Team USA at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand a couple of weeks ago. Along the way, we also chat about racing on short notice; travel stories from Chiang Mai; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Taking a break after Western States (1:58)
• Life bases! (6:09)
• Notes on Jim Walmsley’s run at UTMB (16:18)
• Kilian Jornet’s legendary year on the trails (18:38)
• World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (20:39)
• Thailand travelog (31:10)
• What’s next? (48:32)

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• CRAFTED
• Blister Podcast
• GEAR:30
• Bikes & Big Ideas

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Backpacker’s Pantry has been family-owned and operated for over 70 years, a legacy that’s as important to the brand’s identity as the gourmet adventure meals they make. While that’s not set to change anytime soon, they recently welcomed a new leader to take the company into its exciting next chapter. As CEO, Duane Primozich will prioritize Backpacker’s Pantry’s role as environmental stewards, a commitment to sustainability that goes above and beyond. We recently sat down with Duane and Backpacker’s Pantry owner and Head Chef, Soraya Smith, to hear all about the company’s history; where it’s headed; climate change’s adverse effects on the food industry; what Backpacker’s Pantry is doing to reverse them; and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Soraya’s background (3:03)
• How Backpacker’s Pantry got its start (4:53)
• Their line of products (7:26)
• Recipe creation (10:24)
• The CEO next door (12:53)
• The “next chapter” (19:12)
• Environmental stewardship (23:47)
• Duane’s background in climate activism (26:06)
• Chef Soraya’s culinary influences (28:35)
• The freeze-drying process (33:05)
• Gourmet meals on trail, on the river, in the ski lodge (33:54)
• Climate change’s effects on the food industry (36:05)
• Looking ahead (42:11)

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Since her first appearance on Off The Couch back in 2021, Olivia Amber has switched things up. In addition to joining The North Face’s athlete team as a mountain-ultra runner, Olivia also recently decided to step away from the corporate grind for a bit to double down on investing in herself. So, we caught up with her to recap her summer spent epic-ing in the Sierra and, more generally, to find out how she’s adjusting to training full time. Along the way, we go back and forth about the importance of managing ego in the mountains; all-time Halloween costumes, and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Investing in her “human capital” (2:12)
• Taming your ego & mental training (12:20)
• Epic-ing in the Sierra (17:50)
• Risk management in the mountains (21:50)
• Blurring the lines between running and climbing (27:06)
• How personal joy can affect race performance (33:07)
• Irish bogs & beer (37:22)
• Mt. Marathon (40:23)
• Wizard sticks! (45:31)
• The Euro trail scene (50:44)
• All-time Halloween costumes (52:49)

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Canyon Woodward has found success on a few different types of trails over the last few years. In addition to an impressive top-50 finish at the Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc in August, he served as the campaign manager for Maine State Senator Chloe Maxmin’s victorious House & Senate runs in 2018 and 2020, which put him on a demanding campaign trail through rural America rivaling that of any ultra. So we sat down with this seasoned political strategist, passionate climate activist, trail runner, and published author to hear about how his new film, Rural Runners, captures where all of these different interests intersect; why the key to both trail running and politics is mostly about just showing up; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Canyon’s background (2:01)
• Convincing Harvard to divest from fossil fuels (5:14)
• Life on the campaign trail with Senator Maxmin (7:09)
• Practical steps for political involvement (11:16)
• Dirt Road Revival (14:44)
• His multi talented brother, Forest (19:21)
• Rural Runners (20:23)
• Finding success at the 100-mile distance (23:18)
• UTMB (26:55)
• His writing process (33:03)
• Canyon’s list of must-read authors (34:37)
• Upcoming races (35:23)
• “Would you ever consider running for office?” (37:01)

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As an adventure photographer and videographer, Ted Hesser spends most of his professional life behind the lens, shooting some of the world’s top mountain athletes for major outdoor brands and publications. His eye for capturing dramatic scenes in the high alpine and willingness to immerse himself in extreme conditions to do so has garnered him success in an otherwise precarious industry. But success isn’t always synonymous with happiness. 

Ted’s latest project, a short film called Chains of Habit (released by Mountain Hardwear last month), focuses on his lifelong battle with depression in an effort to destigmatize conversations around mental health. So, we spoke to Ted about the story behind his film; the role trail running plays in keeping him aloft; steps to take if you’re struggling; and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Ted’s background (3:34)
• When he first picked up a camera (9:02)
• The realities of #vanlife (13:01)
• Photography tips for beginners (15:22)
• Chains of Habit (21:19)
• Training for the WURL (25:56)
• How depression hits him (29:19)
• The double meaning behind Chains of Habit (40:00)
• Running, psychedelics, & depression (41:56)
• “Taking mental anguish and putting it into a form of your own choosing” (47:14)

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• CRAFTED
• Blister Podcast
• GEAR:30
• Bikes & Big Ideas

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