Before Kikkan Randall was winning Olympic and World Cup gold medals in XC skiing, she was a runner, and she has never stopped being a runner. In this conversation, we discuss how she got into XC skiing; some of the keys to her longevity; becoming a mother while also being a professional athlete (and how much attitudes still need to change for women in a similar position); and going from winning an Olympic gold medal to being diagnosed with cancer, and how she is doing today.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Growing up in Alaska (3:33)
• Running vs Skiing (5:46)
• A fork in the road (9:09)
• Resisting overspecialization at a young age (15:01)
• Gravel Racing (17:05)
• Boston Marathon (18:15)
• Running while being a XC skier (27:15)
• Being a mother and a sponsored athlete (35:29)
• From winning Gold to being diagnosed with cancer (45:54)
• Advocate for yourself (50:44)

RELATED LINKS:

• Kikkan’s website
• Avocado Green Mattress
• Jonathan’s Sleep Experiment
• Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup

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For our 100th episode of Off The Couch, Tessa Chesser (who just podium’d at the Javalina 100 miler, earning a gold ticket to Western States) came on droppin’ mics, spittin’ inspiration, telling her story and mincing no words, and talking about how she has dealt with negativity and adversity.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Babes & parkour dogs (2:54)
• Javelina 100, NYC, & Tommy Rivs (9:08)
• “Diesel Mode” (16:45)
• Golden ticket, Western States (27:54)
• Growing up & Bruce Lee (30:42)
• “Soccer Strength” (33:54)
• Oklahoma, Hershey’s, & a wild side (37:23)
• Fun & Suffering (41:36)
• Handling negative comments (43:39)
• Western States (50:08)

RELATED LINKS:

• How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte

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Grayson Murphy is back on Off The Couch to talk about her 2021 race season; trail racing in Europe vs. the US; the Olympic trials; avoiding injuries; the biggest changes to her own training; the most ‘off the couch’ thing she’s ever done; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• “2nd breakfast” (2:24)
• Grayson’s sleep schedule (3:43)
• Cinnamon Roll loop (4:48)
• Recap of Grayson’s racing in 2021 (7:06)
• Trail racing in Europe vs. the USA (11:37)
• Recovery time (17:05)
• Biggest change to her training in the last 2 years? (18:12)
• Olympic trials & World Cup races (22:44)
• Avoiding injuries (27:40)
• Current favorite distances & future favorites? (34:51)
• Most ‘off the couch’ thing you’ve ever done? (38:06)
• Cross country skiing (40:50)
• Engineering update (42:06)
• Grayson’s Training Log & Planner (45:06)

RELATED LINKS:

• How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
• Grayson’s 2022 Training Log & Planner
• OTC ep. #24: our 1st conversation with Grayson 

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Sanjay Rawal joins Jonathan Ellsworth to discuss the Boston Marathon being held on Indigenous People’s Day; why the sport of long-distance running is particularly well-positioned to create a far more equitable situation for indigenous people; what it means to have had so many high-profile marathons held so close to one another; and the mission of Shalane Flanagan.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Update: Self Transcendence 3100 Run (1:04)
• Major races are back (5:05)
• Boston Marathon on Indigenous Peoples’ Day (8:15)
• Running traditions of Indigenous communities (11:30)
• Shalane Flanagan’s multi-marathon mission (30:38)

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Olivia Amber grew up in rural Wisconsin; headed off to Maine (where she became an all-American XC skier); found her way into the tech world of San Francisco; then started getting into ultra running. Now, Olivia is a Salomon athlete who is also juggling a career in tech. We talk about all of the above, plus coffee; sleeping / not sleeping; her current & future interests in running; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Last Weekend: the Broken Arrow 52k (0:00)
• Skiing, Running, & Roller Skis (2:16)
• Why Colby College? (16:58)
• Geology (19:28)
• Longest run before college? (21:19)
• Running during college (25:32)
• Internships & Whiteboards (28:03)
• “Strategic Research Leader” (36:22)
• Work / Life balance (38:00)
• A hot take on not sleeping (40:27)
• Coffee (42:13)
• Current & future interests in running (49:18)

RELATED LINKS:

• This Week’s Gear Giveaway
• Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup

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We recently talked to Anton about a number of things, including his recent return to racing; his ongoing exploration of different ways to move through the mountains; we get his completely unfiltered take on Murakami’s What I Talk about When I Talk about Running — and that turned out to be such an interesting part of the conversation that we agreed we ought to re-read that book and then later this fall, come back to record another conversation about it. So we invite you to join us in reading / re-reading Murakami’s book and then you’ll be all set for our upcoming conversation about it.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Leadville (1:31)
• “Psychotic Runner” (5:14)
• What were you into as a kid? (14:58)
• Injuries (17:56)
• Climbing, bike touring, & skiing (18:57)
• Influences (23:53)
• Murakami (31:17)
• More Leadville & a life-changing bike trip (36:34)
• Studying philosophy (50:32)

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We talk to Tasha Wodak about her performance in last month’s Olympic games; the twists and turns of her running career; mental preparation and the mantras that inspire her; a critical insight to remember during life’s hardest moments; running playlists; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Jonathan is bad at pronouncing things (1:34)
• Tasha’s on-the-ground report on last month’s Olympics (3:16)
• Expectations going into the games (9:52)
• The mental game of running & Tasha’s mantras (13:59)
• Sports psychology - underlying principles (19:11)
• Super shoes (25:58)
• What caused Tasha to quit running (35:41)
• What caused Tasha to resume running (42:13)
• Running with gratitude, joy, & love (51:37)
• Tasha’s Running Playlist (55:35)

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Our guest today is an ultra running legend. But beyond his impressive endurance exploits, Dean is an incredibly thoughtful and generous person who just so happens to love running. It was a real honor and a true pleasure to talk to Dean about running, his life-long interest in reading, his approach to writing, and what he is currently passionate about outside of the world of running.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Depressing jet lag facts (1:53)
• Your trip to Australia (5:17)
• “A different sort of torture” (12:02)
• Longevity & Ultras (14:34)
• Reading (23:00)
• Writing (26:52)
• Ultramarathon Man vs. A Runner’s High (31:42)
• Classics (50:32)

RELATED LINKS: 

• Buy Dean's book, Ultramarathon Man
• Buy Dean's book, A Runner's High
• Connect with Dean

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Today we’re kicking off a new series on Off The Couch, and Sanjay Rawal joins us to talk primarily about track and field at the Olympics, but we also discuss the Leadville 100, as well as the longest foot race in the world, the 3,100-mile Self Transcendence race in New York.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Sanjay’s big night (2:37)
• Sifan Hassan’s 1500m, 5000m, & 10,000m (4:57)
• Athing Mu’s 800m American record (12:21)
• 400m hurdles — men’s & women’s (16:30)
• Are decathletes underappreciated? (25:18)
• Overall state of track & field? (31:42)
• 2021 Leadville 100 (37:51)
• Self Transcendence 3100 Run (44:31)

RELATED LINKS:

• Camping in Gunnison & Crested Butte
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 3
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1

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Annie Hughes is 23 years old and is quickly becoming quite a force in the world of ultra running. So we talked with Annie about her preparation for the Leadville 100 and the race itself; waiting tables; potentially running for president (which is related to waiting tables); her plans to run the Moab 240 this October, and what she’s most excited about beyond this October.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Congratulations! (4:25)
• Preparation for the race (9:33)
• Race recap & thoughts on ‘home court advantage’ (9:10)
• Other ultra experiences (12:09)
• Annie’s running background (14:59)
• Approach to training (19:21)
• Thoughts on the upcoming Moab 240 (22:34)
• Annie’s off-days (25:48)
• More on Moab (33:56)
• What else are you excited about in the ultra world? (37:01)

RELATED LINKS:

• Camping in Gunnison & Crested Butte
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2

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