Run The Riot Podcast

By David TheRiotSports Running

Run The Riot Podcast episodes

October 16 EP196 - 100 Marathons, A World Record, and the Courage to Stop: Croix Sather
What happens when the toughest decision you've ever made isn't to keep going, but to stop?
Croix Sather has spent much of his life doing things most people wouldn't even consider attempting. After surviving a devastating accident at 14 years old that left him in a coma for four days, Croix eventually went from working construction to becoming a motivational speaker and endurance athlete.
And he wasn't even a runner when he decided to run across America!
In 2011, Croix completed 100 marathons in 100 days, speaking to audiences along the way about overcoming adversity and creating a life worth living. A year later, he set a record for a solo, self-contained crossing of Death Valley, pushing his own supplies through extreme desert heat. That record lasted just four days.
Fourteen years later, at age 55, Croix returned to Death Valley to reclaim the record.
But this time, the story took a very different turn.
In this episode of Run the Riot, Croix shares the frightening moments when extreme heat began taking its toll, how his friends helped him recognize the danger, and why walking away ultimately changed the direction of his life.
We also talk about my recent experience at Bigfoot 200, where knee problems forced me to make a similar decision about continuing. Sometimes the discipline that makes us successful in ultrarunning can also make it difficult to recognize when enough is enough.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Growing up in a blue-collar family and surviving a life-changing accident at 14.
- Going from a non-runner to running 100 marathons in 100 days.
- How legendary endurance athlete Stu Mittleman helped Croix prepare.
- The physical and mental struggle of running across America.
- Why the people Croix met along the way became his greatest motivation.
- His original Death Valley crossing, including an unsuccessful first attempt.
- Breaking a long-standing endurance record, only to lose it four days later.
- Returning to Death Valley at 55 and facing potentially life-threatening heat illness.
- The difficult relationship between perseverance, identity, and knowing when to stop.
- Finding meaning in disappointment and changing your dreams without abandoning your purpose.
One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is that success doesn't always look like crossing the finish line. Sometimes it's making a difficult decision that allows you to keep pursuing meaningful things in the future.
Croix's message is simple: Don't Let Your Dream Die.
And as you'll hear in this conversation, sometimes that means being willing to change what the dream looks like.
Connect with Croix Sather
- Website: https://www.croixsather.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROIXsather
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/croixsather/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/croix
Learn more about his *Do Impossible Things Journal* through his website.
Connect with Run the Riot
If you're working toward your first ultramarathon or your farthest distance yet, I'd love to help you get there.
Run the Riot Coaching: https://runtheriot.com/
Keep showing up, keep doing the work, and keep mining your potential!

Sponsored by Mount to Coast
Thanks to Mount to Coast for supporting the Run the Riot Podcast!
I've been putting plenty of miles into their R1 road shoe and T1 trail shoe, and I've been genuinely impressed with their comfort and durability. These shoes are built specifically for endurance runners and designed to hold up over the long haul.
If you're looking for a great pair of road or trail running shoes, check out Mount to Coast!
Use code RIOT10 to save 10% on your order.
https://mounttocoast.com

1 hr 17 min
October 01 EP195 - Train Your Mind for the Miles: Holly Grahn on Hypnotherapy, Mindset & the Divide 200
What if one of the most important parts of your ultramarathon training isn't another long run, hill workout, or strength session?
What if it's training your mind?
In this episode of Run the Riot, I sit down with ultrarunner, clinical hypnotherapist, mindset coach, and NLP practitioner Holly Grahn, founder of Hypno Gold.
Holly recently completed her first 200-mile race at the Divide 200, and we dig into what it took to prepare for that kind of challenge—not only physically, but mentally.
Holly shares how she used visualization, mental rehearsal, positive reframing, gratitude, and self-hypnosis before the race so that when things got difficult, her mind was already trained to look for a way forward.
And things definitely got difficult.
We talk about sore feet, massive climbs, long stretches between aid stations, pouring rain, hallucinating a monkey wearing sunglasses, catching her boyfriend Rob around mile 100, and ultimately finishing their first 200 miler together.
But this conversation goes much deeper than racing.
Holly explains how the beliefs we carry about ourselves can affect the way we train, race, work, and live. We talk about self-doubt, fear, anxiety, feeling like we're "not good enough," and why simply telling yourself to be positive isn't always enough.
Holly also explains what hypnotherapy actually is—and what it isn't—and how she works with athletes and other high performers to identify thought patterns that may be holding them back.
We talk about:
• Holly's journey from a shy kid who struggled with self-esteem to ultrarunner and hypnotherapist
• Her early ultramarathons and the lessons she learned the hard way
• Preparing physically and mentally for the Divide 200
• Why mental training should happen before race day
• Visualization and mental rehearsal for difficult race situations
• Turning negative thoughts into useful beliefs
• Looking for evidence that supports the person you want to become
• Talking to yourself like you would talk to a friend
• Gratitude as a tool when an ultra gets difficult
• Breaking huge challenges into the next aid station—or even the next step
• Learning from DNFs rather than allowing them to define you
• Why identity affects behavior
• What hypnotherapy actually feels like
• The difference between stage hypnosis and clinical hypnotherapy
• Self-doubt, anxiety, fear, sleep, procrastination, and self-sabotage
• The Hypno Gold app Holly created for athletes and high performers
• Why there may be much more inside you than you've discovered yet
One practical takeaway from Holly that I really liked: write down a negative belief you're carrying, rewrite it into something that moves you toward your goal, and then start looking for actual evidence that supports the new belief.
Training the body matters.
But when you've been moving for days, you're exhausted, your feet hurt, and everything inside you is telling you to stop, your mind becomes part of the equipment you're carrying.
### Connect with Holly Grahn
**Hypno Gold:**
https://www.hypnogold.com/
**Hypno Gold App:**
https://hypnogold.passion.io/
**Instagram:**
@hypno_gold_app
**Facebook:**
Hypno Gold
**Schedule a session with Holly:**
https://schedulewithhypnoholly.as.me/
**Email:**
[email protected]
Holly's Hypno Gold app includes sessions covering areas such as performance, mindset, sleep, anxiety, procrastination, self-sabotage, emotional healing, and personal growth. She created it to make hypnotherapy more accessible for athletes and high performers.
### Run the Riot
If you're working toward your first or furthest ultramarathon and want someone in your corner helping you build the training, strategy, and confidence to get there, learn more about Run the Riot Coaching:
https://runtheriot.run/
Mine Your Potential.
1 hr 24 min
September 15EP194 - He Died Surfing. 15 Months Later, He Finished the Moab 240 | Patrick Yalon
Patrick Yalon’s story is one of the wildest comeback stories we’ve had on Run the Riot.
In July 2024, Patrick went surfing at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. A freak accident drove his head into a sandbar, leaving him face-down in the water and completely unable to move.
His friend John eventually found him, pulled him from the water, and began CPR.
Patrick survived, but the road ahead looked completely different. His legs weren’t moving. He underwent a major spinal fusion surgery, spent weeks in rehabilitation, and was told that walking again would take a tremendous amount of work.
But Patrick had something sitting in the back of his mind:
The Moab 240.
It became what he calls his “North Star.”
His mantra became:
“If I can stand, I can start.”
Incredibly, just months after the accident, Patrick showed up at the starting line of Moab 240. Still recovering, still dealing with pain, and nowhere near fully rebuilt physically, he made it 144 miles before finally deciding that continuing could cause serious damage.
For most people, that would have been more than enough.
For Patrick, there was still unfinished business.
He returned the following year—15 months to the day after his accident—and faced brutal rain, mud, lightning, damaged feet, exhaustion, and everything else a 240-mile race can throw at you.
This time, he finished.
And there was an incredible full-circle moment waiting for him: John—the same friend who had pulled Patrick from the water and helped save his life—joined him for the final 40 miles to the finish.
In this conversation, Patrick and I talk about much more than ultrarunning. We talk about gratitude, faith, resilience, recovery, purpose, suffering, and what happens when life forces you to discover what you're actually made of.
Patrick also shares the book he has written about his experience, his continued recovery, and why he now thinks of the years since his accident as his “second life.”
In this episode:
How Patrick went from rugby and surfing to ultrarunning

Why he jumped from shorter ultras straight toward Moab 240

The surfing accident that nearly took his life

Realizing he was paralyzed while face-down in the ocean

The friend who found him and performed CPR

Spinal fusion surgery and learning to move again

The tiny movement of his big toe that changed his mindset

Why “If I can stand, I can start” became his mantra

Showing up for Moab only months after his accident

Making it 144 miles during that first attempt

Why he knew he needed to go back

Rebuilding himself physically and mentally in Thailand

Returning to Moab 15 months after the accident

Surviving brutal storms, rain, mud, and lightning

The emotional moment when he yelled, “I’m still here”

Finishing the final 40 miles with the man who saved his life

Gratitude as a tool for getting through suffering

His upcoming Tahoe 200

The book he has written about his story

What it means to make the most of a “second life”
Follow Patrick
Instagram: @bodiezepha415
You can also find Patrick Yalon on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Run the Riot
If you're working toward your first ultramarathon—or your farthest one yet—make sure you're subscribed to Run the Riot for more conversations about ultrarunning, mindset, training, and doing hard things.

Episode Sponsor — Mount to Coast
I’ve been putting miles into the Mount to Coast R1 road shoe and T1 trail shoe and have been impressed with their comfort and durability for endurance training.
Use code RIOT10 to save 10% on your order.
1 hr 4 min
August 18EP193 - Stop Chasing the Strava Time: Josh Sprague on Adventure, Fueling & Going Long
What happens when you stop chasing finish lines and start chasing experiences?
In this episode of Run the Riot, I sit down with Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud, for a conversation about ultrarunning, adventure racing, hydration, fueling, gear, strength, and why our relationship with endurance sports can change over time.
Josh started Orange Mud after getting frustrated with the hydration options available to endurance athletes. His philosophy was simple: innovation from frustration. If he couldn't find the gear he wanted to use, he'd build it himself.
That same willingness to experiment has followed Josh through hundreds of endurance events, including ultramarathons, adventure races, triathlons, mountain bike races, gravel events, and multi-day adventures.
We get into some practical stuff every ultrarunner can use. Josh shares why he developed a habit of drinking every 15 minutes, how he measures exactly how much fluid he's getting from a hydration bladder, why he tests different flavors of the same nutrition product, and why he'll intentionally train with warm fluids before a hot race.
We also talk about training your gut for ultra racing. Josh has learned the hard way that race day isn't the time to suddenly start eating everything that looks good at an aid station. If you plan to eat quesadillas, pizza, pickles, or other real food during your ultramarathon, you'd better find out during training how your stomach handles it.
Of course, Josh also tells one of my favorite fueling stories I've heard in a while: carrying a Meat Lovers pizza around during an adventure race and eventually using it to fuel a charge up and over a mountain.
But my favorite part of our conversation may be what happens when we move beyond training and racing.
After years of chasing bigger distances and checking races off his list, Josh has found himself wanting something different.
He wants to experience the adventure.
We talk about the pressure of Strava, skipping time with friends because the training plan says you need to do intervals, stopping to look for arrowheads, and learning that not every run needs to produce an impressive number.
Josh even tells the story of running right beside the Queen Mary during a race without ever noticing the enormous ship.
There's probably a lesson in there for all of us.
Don't get so focused on the finish line that you miss where you are.
We also talk about Josh's simple challenge of completing at least 500 push-ups every week. What started as a small goal has now lasted more than a year, and Josh believes the added strength has made a noticeable difference in his running, cycling, paddling, and overall health.
And somewhere along the way, we manage to talk about copperheads, Taco Bell, gas-station food, pickles, a 100-mile bike ride that was supposed to be 30 miles, and an incredible experience Josh had with his late golden retriever, Lady, during a 720-mile bike race.
It's a fun conversation with a guy who understands that sometimes the best adventures are the ones that don't go according to plan.
In This Episode
How Josh started Orange Mud

Innovation from frustration

Adventure racing and ultrarunning

Drinking every 15 minutes during endurance events

Measuring your hydration rate

Sodium and electrolytes for long races

Training your gut for race-day nutrition

Liquid calories versus real food

Pizza as adventure-race fuel

Why pickles can be so good during an ultra

Josh's favorite trail race

His incredible experience with Lady during a 720-mile bike race

Competing versus experiencing

The Strava trap

Staying adventurous as we get older

Josh's 500-pushup-per-week streak

Why ultrarunners need strength training
Connect with Josh
Orange Mud:
https://www.orangemud.com/

Run the Riot Coaching
Have a big ultrarunning goal but aren't sure how to put all the pieces together?
I coach runners preparing for their first or furthest ultramarathon with individualized training, accountability, race strategy, and guidance along the way.
Learn more:
http://www.theriot.run/coaching

Thanks to Mount to Coast for supporting the Run the Riot Podcast.
I've been training in the R1 road shoe and T1 trail shoe and have been impressed with their comfort and durability over the miles.
Use code RIOT10 to save 10% on your order.

If you enjoyed the conversation, follow the podcast and share this episode with another runner who needs to hear it.
#runtheriot #ultrarunning #ultrarunner #trailrunning #trailrunner
1 hr 36 min
July 20EP192 - Count the Cost. Finish the Mission. - Marine Veteran Jon Sheldon
What does it take to keep moving when everything inside you wants to quit?
This week I sit down with Jon Sheldon, Marine Corps veteran, leadership coach, and founder of BelleauWood Coaching. Although Jon doesn't coach ultrarunners, the principles he teaches apply directly to running, business, leadership, and life.
We dive into the mental side of performance:
Why you have to count the cost before chasing big goals.

How to build resilience before adversity arrives.

The difference between motivation and discipline.

Creating decision filters for high-pressure situations.

Why elite performers simplify their thinking when things get hard.

Lessons from military leadership that translate directly to ultrarunning.
Whether you're training for your first marathon, your first 100 miler, or simply trying to become more disciplined in everyday life, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom.

Episode Highlights
The hidden cost behind every meaningful goal

Why mindset matters more than motivation

Building discipline that lasts

How Marines prepare for difficult situations

The "Intent • Inspect • Initiate" framework

Decision filters for difficult moments

Why gratitude can become a performance tool

Training your mind before race day
Presented by Mount to Coast
This episode is brought to you by Mount to Coast.
I've been putting their shoes through hundreds of training miles and have been genuinely impressed with both the R1 Road Shoe and the T1 Trail Shoe. They're comfortable right out of the box, incredibly durable, and built specifically for endurance runners.
Save 10% with code: RIOT10
Check them out:
https://mounttocoast.com

Discount Code: RIOT10
Connect with Jon Sheldon
Website: https://belleauwood.coach
Instagram: @belleauwood_coaching
Connect with Run the Riot
Website: https://www.theriot.run
Coaching: https://www.theriot.run/coaching-services
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@runtheriot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtheriot
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runtheriot
1 hr 21 min
July 11Ep191 - Running for More Than Miles | Matt Lamos on Purpose, 100-Milers & Down With Running
Sometimes an ultramarathon is about much more than the finish line.
In this episode of the Run the Riot Podcast, I sit down with ultrarunner Matt Lamos to talk about how running became the catalyst for rebuilding his life after a difficult season, why suffering on the trail teaches lessons that carry into everyday life, and how his daughter inspired him to create a nonprofit that's changing lives.
Matt shares how he went from never wanting to run a marathon to chasing 100-mile races, backyard ultras, and mountain adventures. Along the way he discovered that the hardest miles often reveal the strongest parts of who we are.
One of the most inspiring parts of our conversation centers around Down With Running, a nonprofit created to help individuals with special needs pursue physical goals that many people assume are impossible.
Whether you're training for your first ultramarathon, preparing for your next 100-miler, or simply looking for encouragement to keep moving forward in life, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and inspiration.
In This Episode
Matt's unexpected path into ultrarunning

How 75 Hard introduced him to endurance sports

Lessons learned from his first 50K and first 100-mile race

Why every ultrarunner needs a powerful "why"

What backyard ultras teach about perseverance

Running through suffering—and choosing to continue

How ultrarunning translates into everyday life

The inspiration behind Down With Running

Parenting a daughter with Down syndrome

Creating opportunities for athletes with special needs

Why community matters more than finishing times

Matt's upcoming Superior 100 and future fundraising adventures
One Quote That Stuck With Me
"You always have more left in the tank than you think."

That simple idea comes up throughout this conversation. Running has a way of proving that our limits are often farther away than we imagine.

Connect with Matt
Website:
https://www.downwithrunning.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mlamos

https://www.instagram.com/downwithrunning
Facebook:
Down With Running

Matt Lamos
Learn More About Run the Riot Coaching
If you're training for your first ultramarathon or chasing a new personal best, I'd love to help.
Coaching:
https://www.theriot.run/coaching
Website:
https://www.theriot.run
Listen & Subscribe
If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another runner who could use the reminder that big goals are built one step at a time.
1 hr 11 min
July 08 MWM Episode 96 - When Backing off is Moving Forward
In this Midweek Motivation, we explore the importance of knowing when to back off in your training. Sometimes, the challenge isn't about pushing harder, but about listening to your body and making smart decisions.
Key takeaways:
* Recognize when to rest: Pushing through pain can lead to injury.
* Consistency over time builds fitness: One missed workout won't derail your progress.
* Modify your plan: Adapting your training can still lead to success.
* Wisdom in training: Sometimes, backing off today allows for better performance tomorrow.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 The challenge of knowing when to back off
01:22 Listening to your body
03:05 The importance of consistency
05:03 Adapting your training plan
07:25 The balance of pushing and resting
10:46 The wisdom of long-term goals
12:14 Making decisions based on wisdom
What's your biggest challenge with balancing training and rest? Drop it in the comments!
Subscribe for weekly motivation and insights on running and training!
#MidweekMotivation #RunningTips #ListenToYourBody
19 min
June 24MWM Episode 95 - Its Hot! - Earn Your Fall Fitness
As temperatures rise and summer training settles in, many runners find themselves asking the same question:
"Why am I so much slower than I was a few months ago?"
In this Midweek Motivation episode of the Run the Riot Podcast, ultrarunner and ultrarunning coach David Theriot shares an important reminder for every runner grinding through the heat and humidity: the work you're doing now is building the fitness you'll rely on later.
With Western States just around the corner and many runners preparing for fall marathons, trail races, 50Ks, 100 milers, and 200-mile ultra racing adventures, it's easy to focus on race-day performances and finish-line celebrations. What we don't see are the countless training miles, early mornings, difficult workouts, and uncomfortable summer runs that make those moments possible.
David explores why summer training often feels discouraging, why pace can be a misleading metric during hot-weather running, and how endurance fitness is built beneath the surface long before the results become visible.

In This Episode
Why heat and humidity slow every runner down

The difference between effort and pace during summer training

How ultrarunning fitness develops over time

Why consistency beats intensity

The "summer deposit" mindset for endurance athletes

Lessons from Western States and elite ultra racing

Building earned confidence through the training process

How today's choices create tomorrow's race-day success
One of the biggest mistakes runners make is expecting immediate results. Endurance sports don't work that way. The long run you complete today may not reveal its value until mile 18 of your marathon, mile 75 of your 100-miler, or deep into your next ultrarunning adventure.
Every run is a deposit.
Every early morning matters.
Every hot, uncomfortable mile is helping build the runner you'll become.
Whether you're training for your first race, chasing a personal best, preparing for a 100-mile finish, or tackling your next ultra racing challenge, this episode is a reminder to trust the process and keep showing up.
The fitness you're building today may not be visible yet—but it's there.

Work with Run the Riot Coaching
Looking for guidance on your next race, ultrarunning goal, or endurance challenge?
David Theriot provides personalized coaching for runners of all experience levels, from first-time trail runners to experienced ultrarunners preparing for ultras.
Learn more about coaching here:
http://www.theriot.run/coaching

Listen, Watch, and Connect
Website:
http://www.theriot.run
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@runtheriot
23 min
May 29MWM Episode 94 - The Weight of the Goal
Big goals are heavy.
In this Midweek Motivation episode, David Theriot shares what training for the Bigfoot 200 is really feeling like about 75 days out from race day. The miles are increasing, life is still moving fast, and the challenge is becoming more than just physical.
This episode is an honest look at balancing ultramarathon training with work, family, coaching, recovery, faith, and everyday responsibilities. David talks about squeezing runs into crowded schedules, getting miles in before sunrise during softball tournaments, and learning that discipline often matters more than motivation.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed chasing a big goal, this episode will remind you that growth often happens when life is heavy and you choose not to put the goal down.
Topics include:
Bigfoot 200 training

Discipline vs motivation

Balancing life and running

Mental toughness

Consistency and sacrifice

Ultramarathon mindset

Why big goals carry weight
Key quote from the episode:
“Sometimes pursuing a goal means doing inconvenient things in inconvenient places at inconvenient times.”
Thanks for listening to the Run the Riot Podcast.
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend and leave a review to help more runners find the show.
20 min
May 06 MWM Episode 93 - Don't Quit in the Middle
In this episode, David Theriot shares insights on pushing through the middle of challenges, using the analogy of running a race to motivate listeners to stay consistent and disciplined in their pursuits.

http://www.theriot.run

17 min

About Run The Riot Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Run The Riot Podcast is a podcast dedicated to ultrarunning, ultra runners, trail runners, and endurance athletes, their mindset, methods, and accomplishments. Check out our website at…