Al and Sean chat the upcoming fall calendar of east coast races, and Alvah's prep for his second 100, Saddles, out in Prescott this weekend.

The boys also explore dissenting opinions on the value of the WMTRC, along with recapping Mammoth and thoughts on the upcoming Bigs Backyard Individual World Championships.

The boys are back with a preview of an east coast classic coming this weekend, the Grindstone 100, along with a recap of some notable trail news from the end of the summer.

Summary

In this episode of the Roots Running Podcast, hosts Sean Cate and Alva Ferguson discuss their personal updates, including Al's house purchase and the busy summer racing season. They recap the Burning River race, highlighting Sean's experience and the lessons learned from the event.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back and Life Updates

02:44 Summer Racing Recap

05:26 Ultra Running Highlights

08:16 Upcoming Races and Personal Goals

10:54 Injury and Recovery Discussion

12:53 Burning River 50 mile Race Experience

38:00 Lessons Learned and Future Outlook

45:15 Shoe Reviews and Gear Insights

56:58 Shoutouts and Upcoming Events

Al and Sean hop on for rundown to process everything that transpired during this years highly anticipated WSER 100. The boys cover the mens and women's top ten, notable DNF's and drama. Also covered on the episode was news regarding John Kelly's FKT attempt, Phil Gore's new Backyard Ultra WR (117 yards) as well as thoughts and predictions for the classic upcoming Hardrock 100.

Sean and Al bringing you a preview of WSER 100 from the viewpoint of our beast coast favorites, notable east coast alumni racing on the big stage, and speculation on top men and women, potential outcomes plus all the drama leading up to this year’s race. We cannot wait to see how this most competitive 100 in North American plays out in just a few hours. If you enjoyed the show be sure to give us a review and a follow! 

Thanks for listening,

-A&S

00:00 Intro to Western States

01:55 Jim's statement on the Singletrack Interview

05:35 Injured List

08:11 Women's Race Predictions

10:43 Tara Dower and Courtney Dauwaulter

20:58 Dan Green Sponsorship Opportunities

26:37 Predictions for Men and Women's Podium

31:12 The Growing Popularity of Broken Arrow

33:07 Who has Record-Breaking Potential

35:05 Unbreakable and Unbreakable Two

36:54 Underrated Athletes

45:31 Hans Troyer 100-Mile Debut

47:53 Decision Making in 100 Milers

49:49 Most Likely to DNF

52:19 Who is DNF-Proof

54:36 Potential Surprises in the Race

58:24 Future of Trail Running Media

01:02:36 Excitement for Upcoming Races

Tanner Hoffarth jumped on the show this week give us the lowdown on the biggest city on the East Coast. The boys discuss Tanner's journey into trail running in New York City, the rise of running clubs, and how brand's use activations and events to test gear in NYC long before hitting the market. We learned all about the Soutbound 400, a relay from Canada to NYC and thoughtful dialogue about relationship between professional athlete and runfluencer. If you enjoyed the episode please follow the show, share it with a friend, and stick around, lots of exciting things coming for Roots.

Until next time,

-A&S

00:00 The New York Running Scene

07:40 The Origin of Run Clubs

10:28 Brand Activations

17:30 Fashion and Style in Running

28:18 Understanding Miler and other Emerging Brands

31:03 Upcoming Trends in Running Fashion

38:49 Innovative Brands Shaping the Future of Running Gear

52:22 The Southbound 400 Relay

trail running, ultra running, New York City, run clubs, brand activations, running fashion, community, Lululemon, Miler, Satisfy, trail running, fashion, Southbound 400, backyard ultras, running activation events, gear,

Welcome to the Roots Trail and Ultra Running podcast! This week's guest, Lila Gaudrault, is a rising star in the New England trail scene. at just 22 years old and fresh out of a rigorous bachelors of nursing from University of New England, Lila opted out of running at a NCAA Division 1 program to focus on her true passion, trail and ultra running. After tying for 2nd place at the Vermont 100 last year (overall) Lila has been on a tear. On this episode we discussed all her favorite NE races, how she approaches training, the east coast trail running scene in general, and her decision not to move to Boulder after graduating and moving to a rural town in Vermont instead. If you enjoyed this episode please drop a review for the show, give us a follow, and share with whoever you think might enjoy the conversation. Big thanks to Lila and good luck on your NCLEX!

Chapters

03:03 Growing Up in Maine and the Running Community

06:00 Transitioning to Ultra Running

11:57 Upcoming Races and Training for Old Dominion

18:01 Iconic New England Races and Future Goals

21:00 Balancing Nursing School and Ultra Running

52:22 Preparing for Cocodona

01:07:46 Why Vermont 100 is Special

01:10:00 Race Experience and Community

01:12:02 Solo Racing vs. Crew Support

01:21:55 Cocodona and Future Aspirations

01:23:49 Navigating Expectations and Decisions

01:27:01 Lila's Substack

New England, Lila Gaudrault, running community, training, races, family support, challenges, experiences, East Coast, mental strength, race preparation, growth, running culture, competition, Vermont 100, ultra running, training, Cocodona, writing,

Sean and (back so soon!) guest host Ken Seal jump on for an episode of the Roots Rundown, a general conversation about the most significant trail and ultra news on the East Coast covering topics like John Kelly's ongoing Appalachian Trail FKT, Virginia's Old Dominion 100 which just took place, a race recap of Sunapee Scramble, and Ken's thoughts on what makes Substack such an excellent media platform.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Collaboration Dynamics

02:36 Air Quality and Environmental Concerns

05:06 John Kelly's FKT Attempt

07:36 What Makes John's Attempt Different Than Prior AT FKTs

10:11 John Kelly's Unique Background

12:52 What Makes The Appalachian Trail So Hard

20:56 Future FKT Attempts and Competition

23:39 Podcast Direction and Vision Casting

24:38 The East Coast Trail Running Landscape

26:21 East Coast Athletes We Have Eyes On

28:38 Training Viability on the East Coast

30:48 Spotlight on Emerging Talent

36:12 Race Recaps and Insights

50:57 Cirque Series

54:57 Old Dominion 100: A Classic Race Overview

01:01:09 Substack and the Future of Trail Running Media

John Kelly, FKT, Appalachian Trail, Cirque Series, sky running, Sunapee Scramble, air quality,, East Coast athletes, mountain running, trail magic, trail running, live streaming, race strategies, women's running, youth trail running, Old Dominion 100, Substack, ultra running

A couple months ago I (Sean) noticed a perfectly curated, simple instagram post recapping all the major ultra running events from the previous weekend. A couple clicks later I found myself on Substack reading the full edition of The Ultra Minute, a newsletter written and curated by Ken Seals. Ken was gracious enough to join us for a conversation about creating an audience, capturing the past present and future of ultra running, his experience hiking the AT and being a fringe fan of the sport for over 20 years, to taking a career break to help raise his kids, and taking a chance on diving headfirst into the world of trail and ultra running news. A Virginia native, Ken now lives in Austin with his wife and kids, and continues to cover ultra news primarily through his Substack.

Subscribe to Ken's Substack newsletter here.

Follow The Ultra Minute on Instagram here.

Follow Roots on Instagram here.

Chapters

02:12 The Birth of the Ultra Minute

06:34 Transitioning from Tech to Trail Running

10:24 The Challenge of Covering Ultra Running

14:19 Finding Balance in Content Creation

18:32 Exploring Ken's Background and Journey

22:21 Growing up on the James River

28:10 Ken's Accidental Ultralight Thru Hike

33:34 Thru Hiker Confidence

42:08 The Future of Ultra Running: Community and Cultural Events

56:49 Ken's Interest in the FKT Scene

01:00:05 Balancing Personal Interest and Audience Engagement in Ultra Running

01:06:48 The Future of Ultra Running Media and Technology

01:17:50 Spotlight on Emerging Athletes and Their Stories

01:25:21 Hot Takes

The Ultra Minute, trail running, content creation, entrepreneurship, Ken Seals, podcasting, Substack, ultra running news, balancing family and work, trail running, ultra running, Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, ultralight gear, endurance sports, outdoor adventure, Ultra Running, FKT, Race Coverage, Audience Engagement, Technology in Sports, Ken's Journey, Hans Troyer, race strategy, performance analysis, media in sports, trail running, David Roche, Western States

On this edition of the rundown Alvah and Sean breakdown Al's experience at the Hellbender 100 mile outside of Ashville, NC. Alvah was able to buckle down and finish in the face of some pretty violent stomach issues, chafing, and blisters. Al's advice: respect the distance. The boys also shared more reflections on Cocodona, the validity of mandatory gear for races, and some hot (and lukewarm) takes on ultra running at large.

Chapters

02:51 Understanding the Challenge of 100-Mile Races

05:57 Preparation and Strategy for Hellbender

17:57 Mental Resilience and Support Systems

20:56 The Final Stretch and Overcoming Obstacles

24:05 Respect the Distance

33:33 The Impact of Helene on Old Fort and Ashville

36:35 Training Strategies for Upcoming Races

40:00 Lessons Learned from Hellbender

43:51 Cocodona Race Insights and Performances

54:49 The Future of Team Dynamics in Ultra Running

01:05:24 Gear Talk

01:21:37 Hot Takes

01:35:06 Future of East Coast Ultra Races

#hellbender100 #northcarolina #eastcoast #ultrarunning #trailrunning