What does it really take to survive 200 miles on foot?

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, we go beyond training plans and race stats and into the mental space where ultrarunning truly lives. This is a conversation about doubt, patience, pain, and the quiet decisions made when quitting feels reasonable and continuing doesn’t.

We talk about endurance when the body is done, staying present in extreme fatigue, coming back from injury, and why mental resilience matters more than talent at the longest distances. This episode isn’t about chasing podiums. It’s about understanding what keeps someone moving when the finish line feels unreal.

If you’re curious about the mindset behind 200-mile races, this episode will change how you think about endurance.

🎙 The Mind That Survives 200 Miles

Keywords:
ultrarunning podcast, 200 mile race, mental toughness, endurance mindset, trail running, ultra endurance, resilience, long distance running, Pushing Horizons podcast, running psychology

Ultrarunning isn’t held together by grit alone. Behind every finish line is calculation, planning, and someone making impossible decisions with zero sleep.

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, I sit down with one of the sharpest minds behind the scenes of ultra-distance racing. We talk about what really happens beyond mile 100. Crewing strategy. Reading runners before they break. Managing sleep deprivation, nutrition disasters, weather chaos, and the mental collapse that no race plan ever accounts for.

This is a raw look at the unseen side of ultras. The part where math meets instinct. Where preparation collides with chaos. And where races are either saved or lost.

If you’ve ever run an ultra, crewed one, or wondered how anyone survives 200+ miles, this episode is required listening.

Keywords:
ultrarunning, ultra marathon, ultra crewing, endurance running, 100 miler, 200 miler, trail running, pacing, race strategy, ultra mindset, crew chief, endurance podcast, ultrarunning podcast, Pushing Horizons Step by Step

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Matt Ramiller breaks down what it really takes to survive and succeed in ultrarunning. From his skateboarding roots to brutal Midwest winters, from 200-mile grinds to races that test your identity mile after mile, Matt shows what resilience looks like in real life.

We talk early failures, proud finishes, near breakdowns, parenting through training, the psychology of suffering, stair workouts, pulling sleds through snow, heat-induced hallucinations, and the mindset required to keep moving when every signal in your body says stop.

If you’re someone chasing big goals, fighting through setbacks, or trying to understand why people run 100+ miles, this conversation hits hard.

Keywords: ultrarunning podcast, Matt Ramiller, endurance mindset, Midwest states 100, Arrowhead 135, Beast of the East 100, mental toughness, long-distance running, trail running stories, ultra motivation, pushing limits, running community

Driven by Curiosity and Grit, featuring elite trail runner and theoretical physicist Juliette Soule.
From analyzing data in the lab to climbing mountains at UTMB races, Juliette has built her life around curiosity, discipline, and the drive to push her limits. In this episode, we talk about how she fell in love with trail running, the lessons she’s learned from injuries, what keeps her motivated, and how science and endurance overlap in surprising ways.

🎙 Topics covered:

• The connection between science, mindset, and endurance

• Lessons from training for CCC and Tarawera

• Dealing with injuries and rebuilding confidence

• Fueling, recovery, and staying balanced

• The mental game of elite ultra running

Keywords: Juliette Soule podcast, UTMB CCC, Tarawera Ultra Trail, female trail runner, elite ultrarunner, trail running podcast, science and endurance, Pushing Horizons podcast.

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, we dive into a story shaped by extremes. From sub-zero Alaskan winters to the heavy heat and humidity of Ohio, today’s guest built her running identity through contrast. She ran her first marathon distance at two degrees Fahrenheit, trained nineteen weeks for a 50K that fell apart in brutal conditions, then went back and completed the entire distance on her own.

We talk about rebuilding after a move, finding community, managing running with family and work, adjusting to harsh climates, and learning to push through when motivation disappears. This isn’t a conversation about medals or PRs. It's about resilience, self-belief, and the stubborn will to keep running when everything around you says stop.

Keywords:
ultrarunning, winter running, Alaska running, heat training, Ohio trails, 50K training, self-supported ultra, mental toughness in running, women who run, running motivation, trail running stories, running community, resilience, long-distance running

In this episode, I sit down with someone who defines resilience in the real sense. Twenty-two ultras, three of them done while pregnant, and a life story that hits harder than any race could. We talk about grief, trauma, motherhood, identity shifts, DNFs, comebacks, and how running becomes a space to process the things you never say out loud.

This is a raw and honest conversation about surviving life, finding yourself on long miles, and building strength that doesn’t end at the finish line.

Keywords: ultra running podcast, motherhood and running, running through trauma, mental resilience, pregnancy and ultras, ultra endurance stories, women in ultra running, mindset, DNFs, comeback stories.

The holidays get busy, family, food, travel, chaos, but running somehow keeps us grounded through it all. In this Cool Kids Edition, Val and Bobby join me to talk about what we’re thankful for, how we balance life and miles, and why sometimes just showing up is enough.

From Turkey trots to treadmill miles, from missed runs to mindset shifts, we dig into what it means to stay grateful, not just for the finish lines, but for every step that gets us there.

Keywords: running podcast, gratitude, Thanksgiving, endurance, mindset, cool kids edition, marathon, half marathon, ultrarunning, running motivation, holiday running, runners talk, pushing horizons podcast

Some dreams don’t fade, they follow you through childhood, into adulthood, through every race, injury, setback, and breakthrough. For today’s guest, Western States was that dream. The race she thought about as a kid running cross country, the one she carried through 50Ks, 100Ks, Miwok, Waldo, and The Big Alta.

In this episode, we talk about what it takes to chase a goal for years, the mental shift from marathon speed to ultra endurance, the highs, lows, doubts, breakthroughs, and what it feels like to finally stand on the Western States start line after imagining it your whole life.

This is a story about patience, persistence, and the long road to a legendary race.

Keywords:
Western States 100, Chasing Western States, Miwok 100K, Waldo 100K, Big Alta 50K, ultra running podcast, endurance athletes, trail running stories, long-distance running, ultra marathon journey, running dreams, mental strength, pushing horizons.

What happens when a simple magazine assignment turns into a lifelong obsession?
This week, we dive into the raw, unexpected journey of one of Britain’s most respected ultrarunners, a man who didn’t start racing until his mid-30s and still climbed his way into the world’s biggest stages.

From discovering running by chance, to taking on 200-mile races, breaking iconic FKTs, and finishing top-10 at UTMB, this is the story of someone who proved that age, timing, and background don’t define your ceiling. Consistency does. Curiosity does. The willingness to keep showing up does.

In this episode, we cover:
✓ How he found ultrarunning at 36
✓ The obsession that pushed him through 268-mile races
✓ Breaking FKTs across the UK
✓ What it takes to race UTMB against the best on Earth
✓ Mental toughness, purpose, and the mindset shifts that changed everything

A grounded, honest look at how far you can go when you stop limiting yourself.

Keywords:
ultrarunning, UTMB, Damian Hall, FKT, trail running, ultra marathon podcast, running mindset, mountain running, endurance athlete, UK ultrarunner, The Spine Race, 200 mile races, adventure running, consistency, motivation, Pushing Horizons podcast

From running a sub-3 marathon to covering 115+ miles in a Backyard Ultra, today’s guest embodies endurance in every form. She brings a raw, honest look at what it takes to perform at both ends of the spectrum, from the fast, structured world of marathons to the mentally brutal loops of the ultra scene.

We talk about pacing, fuelling, and mindset across distances, what keeps her grounded when the miles pile up, and how the marathon precision shaped her ultra resilience. Whether you’re chasing a new PR or trying to push past your limits, this episode will remind you why endurance isn’t just physical, it’s deeply human.

Keywords: marathon training, backyard ultra, ultra running, endurance mindset, marathon runner, sub 3 marathon, women in ultrarunning, mental toughness, long distance running, pushing limits, ultramarathon stories, running podcast, Pushing Horizons