Off The Couch

David Kilgore is living the dream. In addition to his role as On Running’s Sports Innovation Manager, David also runs professionally for On himself. As an athlete privy to several sides of the trail running industry, his perspective offers unique insights into the future of the sport as it continues to rapidly professionalize. So, we sat down with David a few days after he made his race directing debut — yet another hat he now proudly wears — to hear how he climbed the ranks at On; how he helped build their trail running team; the business of athlete sponsorships; the simplicity of hard work; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• David’s race directing debut (4:18)
• Representing East Coast trail running (6:47)
• NYC’s ultrarunning scene (8:30)
• David’s background as a D1 runner (10:22)
• Falling out of love with the sport after college (16:48)
• Filmmaking & photography (19:44)
• On Running (20:47)
• Climbing the ranks at On (29:16)
• The ins and outs of building a pro trail team (32:19)
• On’s latest shoes (40:05)
• Recapping UTMB (42:17)

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

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Running is often praised for its simplicity, but what it requires from the body can be quite complex. As October rolls around, many of us will feel the stress from all those hard summer miles take the form of unexpected aches and pains, which sometimes demand more involved treatment than just some extra time spent on the foam roller. So, we sat down with Claire Bernard Miller, PT, to learn about how her style of physical therapy thinks of the body holistically; why every runner should work on strengthening their feet; pelvic floors, and why having a healthy one can help prevent common overuse injuries; and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Claire’s background in PT (6:10)
• What’s PT school actually like? (9:06)
• Starting her own business during the pandemic (10:31)
• Working with high-level athletes (13:11)
• Who to see first: doctor or PT? (13:42)
• How her own injury history directs her practice (17:20)
• What is your pelvic floor & why is it important? (21:48)
• How to strengthen your pelvic floor (25:02)
• Running & pregnancy (31:54)
• Building strong feet (35:31)
• Gait Happens (37:52)
• Busting myths about supination & pronation (40:49)
• MoBo Board & ToePro (43:08)
• Shoes with wide toe boxes: friend or foe? (44:37)
• When to stay away from zero-drop shoes (47:06)
• How to find Claire (48:33)

RELATED LINKS

• Claire's practice
• Claire's Youtube channel

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

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Specialty-running stores are seldom just places to buy shoes; as community hubs, they serve as places where runners of all skill levels can gather to learn, connect, and train. In this way, they’re essential to the sport, key landmarks in its growing future. However, the demographics these small businesses cater to often fail people of color. So, we spoke to Victor Diaz, owner of Renegade Running, a run-specialty store rooted in Oakland, CA, to learn about how he’s creating a space that’s engaged with the diverse culture it’s a part of; the ways we can go about improving BIPOC representation in running; allyship; and much more.  

TOPICS & TIMES

• The importance of specialty-running stores (1:45)
• Oakland, CA’s running culture (3:00)
• Victor’s background in public education (10:42)
• How Renegade approaches merchandising (17:07)
• Representation in running (25:13)
• Practical ways to make the sport more inclusive (36:18)
• The future of Renegade Running (40:01)
• What does “Renegade” mean? (45:50)
• How to support the store & its mission (48:32)

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

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As an accomplished endurance athlete who has let ultrarunning, mountaineering, marathon swimming, and more take her around the world, Jennifer Strong McConachie has cultivated a life philosophy informed by principles that have brought her success in competition. Lucky for us, she’s also pretty savvy with paper and pen, so we sat down to talk about her new book, Go Far: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life, a collection of stories that encapsulate what she’s learned from running long, climbing high, and swimming deep. In the process, we also explore the connection between writing and running, reading Dostoevsky, the rise of swimrun events, and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Jennifer’s background (1:29)
• Drawing on her father for inspiration (11:56)
• The value of being a multiport athlete (14:11)
• Huck Finn & rafting the Mississippi (22:08)
• The rise of swimrun events (24:08)
• Specialization vs. generalization (32:51)
• What’s at the core of endurance sports? (36:03)
• A writer’s life (38:13)
• The connection between writing and endurance (43:25)
• Reading Dostoevsky (44:51)
• Jennifer’s next project & where to find her book (47:55)

RELATED LINKS:

• Go Far: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER BLISTER PODCASTS

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

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Despite its fast rise from a quirky pastime to budding professional sport, ultrarunning is anything but new; people have been running (or walking) long distances competitively for centuries. Fueled by beer, and usually motivated by a wager or two, these early pioneers helped establish a long tradition of human-powered endurance that persists today. So, we sat down with ultrarunning historian, Davy Crockett, to trace the development of the 100-mile foot race through time, from its roots in the UK to its modern incarnation in the US. Along the way, we also bust some myths about the Western States 100, chat about race nutrition in the 1800s, and debate the greatest ultrarunner of all time. 

TOPICS & TIMES

• Davy’s background (1:36)
• Falling in love with the 100-mile distance (6:58)
• Recovery strategies (10:53)
• How the sport has changed in the last 20 years (12:37)
• Ultrarunning History Podcast (15:29)
• “Where did ultrarunning actually start?” (20:28)
• Tracing the sport through the 19th century (28:16)
• 1800s gear talk (34:39)
• Whiskey, drugs, and gambling (36:28)
• The first 100-mile mountain race (39:05)
• The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (41:20)
• How to get into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame (44:52)
• G.O.A.T. debate (46:51)
• “Stranger Things” (53:15)

RELATED LINKS

• Davy's website

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

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If Rod Farvard had grown to be a few inches taller, we might be watching him contend for a rebound on the basketball court instead of toeing the line at some of ultrarunning’s biggest races. After his hoop dreams fell short, Rod found trail running by way of triathlon, two sports that rewarded his ability to flatly outwork his competition in spades. So, we sat down with Rod exactly a week removed from finishing 5th American at this year’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc to talk about how he handles such a high training volume; his first time racing on an international stage; how having a full-time job helps fuel his running; and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• How Rod’s recovering from UTMB (1:30)
• Hoop dreams (5:22)
• How cycling translates to ultrarunning (15:55)
• The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (17:49)
• Training in Santa Barbara & Mammoth Lakes (21:39)
• What’s on Rod’s UTMB playlist (30:43)
• European vs. American trail running culture (34:30)
• UTMB travel tales (37:50)
• Nailing race day nutrition (39:44)
• Running: both a “hobby” and a passion (42:44)
• John Muir Trail FKT (47:13)

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

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Ask ultrarunner and race director Todd Aydelotte for a bit of New York City history and he’ll probably tell you to lace up your running shoes. After injury derailed his marathon training a few years back, Todd traded a competitive approach to the sport for a uniquely historical one. Through months of research, he began piecing together ultra-length routes that visited important locations in the lives of historical figures, including Edgar Allen Poe, Teddy Roosevelt, and Walt Whitman. So, we sat down with Todd to hear all about what running has taught him about our past; how he picks his subjects; NYC after dark; and a whole lot more — including, the semi-legal 28-mile road race he created to reenact the 70’s cult film, “The Warriors.”

TOPICS & TIMES

• What is “historical ultrarunning”? (1:38)
• Chasing after Edgar Allen Poe (6:53)
• How Todd chooses his topics (14:32)
• The NYC Black History 50 (17:52)
• How to use history to hack your running (24:39)
• The Warriors UltraRun (25:24)
• Using crime heat maps to stay safe in cities (31:51)
• NYC after dark (34:18)
• Getting picked up by the New York Times (42:25)
• The story of a truly demonic run (48:35)

RELATED LINKS

• The Warriors UltraRun New York Times article

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

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Established in 1955, the Sierra Peaks Section List includes 247 of the most prominent peaks scattered throughout California’s Sierra Nevada Range. Reaching every summit is a lifetime’s work for most, and up until recently, no one had completed the list within a calendar year. Far more complex than a thru-hike, the SPS List is an undertaking that requires a mix of skills and probably a fair amount of chance. So, we sat down with Travis Soares, who finished tagging all 247 peaks in a record 117 days earlier this month, to find out how much luck had to do with it. In the process, we talk about how the idea for the project came together; how things went, including close calls with the Mineral King Marmot and coming across wreckage from a plane crash; his relationship with his climbing partner for most of the project (and previous SPS List FKT-holder), Nathan Longhurst; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• What is the Sierra Peaks Section List? (2:22)
• Travis’ background (7:04)
• Logistics & planning (9:00)
• His relationship with Nathan Longhurst (14:10)
• Settling into the project (17:29)
• Raising money for the Bishop Paiute Food Sovereignty Program (20:03)
• The Palisade Traverse & the Mineral King Marmot (22:39)
• ‘Crux’ of the trip (24:40)
• Backcountry traffic (29:55)
• His gear setup (33:55)
• Dodging fire season (35:02)
• “What have you learned about yourself from this project?” (36:06)
• What’s next? (42:17)

RELATED LINKS:

• Travis and Nathan’s SPS 2022 Website 
• Donate to the Bishop Paiute Food Sovereignty Program

OUR OTHER BLISTER PODCASTS:

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

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With summer in full stride, Matt Mitchell and Drew Kelly sat down to take stock of how their mountain running seasons have played out thus far, including the ways Drew sees his skiing translate to the trails; our tendency to bite off more than we can chew; and gear picks for a big day out in the alpine. We also discuss some of the early stumbling blocks we ran into when we started trail running; extol the virtues of vert; and Matt makes the case for why you should be eating “Ramen Bombs” in the backcountry (and only the backcountry).

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Drew's background (1:30)
• Skiing vs. running (5:01)
• Thoughts on skimo (7:44)
• Vert is real (11:51)
• Is trail running actually a minimalist sport? (13:42)
• Running seasonally vs. year round (26:05)
• Gear picks for a big day out in the mountains (28:05)
• How trail running hooked us (31:00)
• Filmmaking & music (34:26)
• 100 milers & eating contests (39:29)
• Some good (and some bad) nutrition tips (42:02)
• Frozen burritos and “Ramen Bombs” (47:08)
• Upcoming projects (51:20)

OUR OTHER BLISTER PODCASTS:

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

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Relying on a bunch of college kids to crew you through the Western States 100 might sound misguided, but for trail and ultra runner, Alex Nichols, it’s an important part of team building. After being named the head coach of Colorado College’s cross country program last year, Alex has made a habit of inviting some of his athletes out to support his own racing endeavors. So, we talked to Alex about the intersection between coaching full-time at his alma mater and running trails professionally. Along the way, we detour into his ongoing four-year streak of summiting Pikes Peak every month; John Steinbeck; the joys of beekeeping; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Running 100 miles on a 1.1 mile loop (1:41)
• Western States 100 (6:04)
• Alex’s Background (11:22)
• Colorado College’s block schedule (15:27)
• Two English majors talking (17:03)
• Alex’s collegiate running career (19:30)
• “Indulgence: 1000 Miles Under the Colorado Sky” (21:11)
• The professionalization of trail running (27:02)
• Self-coaching (30:46)
• Alex’s Pikes Peak streak (35:27)
• Coaching cross country at Colorado College (39:43) 
• Beekeeping (47:40)

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER BLISTER PODCASTS

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.