Running with Problems

Miranda walks us through her Ute 100 from signup to finish, including the heat, the GI distress, the hallucinations, and the one hour nap that flips the race back in her favour. We also unpack the deeper reason she wanted a harder 100 miler and what it reveals about identity, failure, and the parts of ourselves that only show up when everything hurts. 

Episode highlights: 
• Choosing Ute 100 to find the edge of quitting 
• Training highs and training challenges 
• Getting sick late in the build and managing confidence 
• Summit’s emergency vet scare and the stress of caretaking 
• Crew chief logistics for a remote race with sparse aid 
• Race day heat in Moab and early navigation mistakes 
• The Mann’s Peak climb, water and ice shortages, and nausea onset 
• Bloody noses, vomiting, and hallucinations on the South Mountain loop 
• The mental negotiation around quitting and what it means for identity 
• The one hour car nap, simple food, and the return of clear thinking 
• Finishing the brutal final climbs and accepting time goals are gone 
• Reflection on failure avoidance as both strength and risk 

Jon's photos: https://joneisen.me/photos/

John Kelly's fundraiser

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Correction to the intro: David Clark, founder of We Are Superman podcast died from complications from a spinal surgery. 

Intro: Jon & Miranda  trade stories from a chaotic week where training, race work and a scary emergency vet visit collide. We are then introduce guest, Bill Stahl and chat about a wide-range of topics with from endurance, service, and seeing the world on foot. Bill takes us from old-school Leadville to run travel mishaps, and then into the mission behind American Heroes Run and We Are Superman podcast.  
• Bill’s early running years with minimal gear and zero internet guidance 
• Leadville then versus now, from tiny fields to packed courses 
• Runcations as a way to travel, explore and stay consistent 
• Safety, risk and reality when running in unfamiliar places 
• Copper Canyon, the Tarahumara and what ultrarunning history feels like up close 
• American Heroes Run format, 9/11 symbolism and “patriotism without politics” 
• Navigating injuries, surgery, rehab and stubborn hope 
• Keeping David Clark’s legacy alive through We Are Superman and a new book project 
• Coaching high school cross-country and watching kids become lifelong runners 
• How ultrarunning has diversified across gender, body type and background 

You can find more about Bill: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-superman/id1244973869

https://www.youtube.com/@BillStahl

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

We sit down with Christine Reed to talk honestly about running with POTS, from the shock of seeing sky high heart rate data to the grief and relief that comes with finally getting a name for years of symptoms. We dig into what actually helps on run day and in real life, plus the harder question of where ambition ends and self care begins. 

• what POTS and dysautonomia feel like during easy running 
• using watch data to spot patterns and advocate for yourself 
• the emotional whiplash of diagnosis, validation and grief 
• hydration, electrolytes and salt as daily foundations 
• compression and legs-up recovery as practical tools 
• flares, fatigue and brain fog, plus the cost of pushing through 
• digestive issues, inflammation triggers and experimenting with food 
• deciding what kind of suffering is worth it on trails 
• the Taos Traverse story and the dangers of technical terrain 

You can find Christine on: 

• Substack: Christine Reed | Substack
• Instagram: instagram.com/ruggedoutdoorswoman
• Tiktok: tiktok.com/ruggedoutdoorswoman
• Website: ruggedoutdoorswoman.com 

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

We talk with Andrea Kooiman (Coachk) about how a self-described everyday mom becomes a prolific ultrarunner while keeping the sport joyful, social, and grounded. The conversation moves from coaching kids to her first marathon to chasing Badwater and Barkley, with real talk on setbacks, nausea, and the mindset that keeps you moving forward. 
• we kick off this episode with corrections and listener feedback on the last episode on the doping debacle
• Andrea’s running origin story and the run club social glue that makes connection easier 
• coaching middle schoolers to their first marathon and building a long-running nonprofit program 
• the marathon-to-ultra progression and how community makes big distances feel possible 
• a “unicorn” Vermont 100 during a Grand Slam year and what clicks when everything aligns 
• signing up for a first 100 with minimal lead time and learning cutoff rules mid-race 
• chasing Badwater 135, stacking qualifiers and learning from DNFs through better problem solving 
• Barkley Marathons training realities, navigation stress and why obsession is part of the entry cost 
• knowing when to step back from a goal while still supporting the community around it 

You can hit us up at running with problems on Instagram or [email protected] 

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

An Instagram exchange regarding illegal substances turns into a full-blown running controversy. Jon & Miranda unpack the Cameron Hanes vs Sage Canaday doping debacle, including the exact exchange that set off the “runternet” and why the reaction raises interesting conversations about running culture, fairness, and rules.

We walk through who Hanes is as a bow hunter turned endurance influencer, how his “keep hammering” brand fits into ultrarunning, and why Sage Canaday’s clean-sport stance makes him quick to ask the uncomfortable question: would this performance pass a WADA/USADA test? From there, we dig into BPC-157, the peptide at the center of the argument. What is it claimed to do for injury recovery and healing? Why is it banned? And why do anti-doping rules treat recovery as a form of performance enhancement in endurance sports?

Then we zoom out to the real heart of it: competitive integrity. Does fairness only matter for the top three, or does it matter for every age group award and every person? We talk WADA vs USADA, inconsistent testing, the growing pressure to enforce rules as trail running gets bigger, and the strange role of whistleblowers in a sport that still wants to see itself as gritty and “above” bureaucracy. If you’ve ever wondered where supplements end and PEDs begin, or what “clean running” even means anymore, this conversation will challenge you.

If this hot take lands with you, share it with a running friend, subscribe, and leave a review. Where do you draw the line between health choices, banned substances, and fair competition?

References: 

1. https://marathonhandbook.com/sage-canaday-reports-cam-hanes-to-usada-after-58-year-olds-239-eugene-marathon/
2. https://www.opss.org/article/bpc-157-prohibited-peptide-and-unapproved-drug-found-health-and-wellness-products
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34324435/
4. https://www.usada.org/athlete-advisory/key-changes-2022-prohibited-list/
5. https://naturadermatology.com/is-bpc-157-legal/
6. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wadas-2022-prohibited-list-now-force
7. https://brobible.com/sports/article/cameron-hanes-addresses-sage-canaday-cancel-him-peptides-after-cocodona-250-running/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12446177/
9. https://cameronhanes.com/pages/sponsors
10. https://run.outsideonline.com/nutrition-and-health/general-health/cam-hanes-bcp-157-and-the-gray-zone-of-banned-substances-in-recreational-running/
    
    
    

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Jon & Miranda sit down with John Kelly to talk about what Barkley Marathons success really teaches you about motivation, planning, and making peace with outcomes you cannot control. We also go deep on his Appalachian Trail record attempt for Hurricane Helene recovery, how his leg stopped functioning near the end, and how he rebuilt confidence as Western States draws near. 
• his evolving role at Barkley from rookie to veteran 
• fame inside a niche sport and why intrinsic motivation matters more than attention 
• supported FKTs and how crew commitment becomes a powerful reason to keep moving 
• Appalachian Trail fundraiser for Hurricane Helene recovery and the mindset tools he used day to day 
• the final day of the AT and the forced end of the adventure when his foot would not respond and long-term health became the concern  
• rehab reality after a failed attempt, from MRIs to nerve entrapment theories to targeted strength work 
• Western States pacing strategy, chase-pack patience and high-carb fueling at higher intensity 
• Tour de Géants as the race he loves that doesn't love him back 
• redefining suffering as voluntary artificial adversity and why it builds resilience for real crises 

Learn more about John's adventures: https://randomforestrunner.com/

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Intro: This week’s guest is Mike Miles discussing what endurance sports can teach us about who we are and how we lead. With leadership coach and trail runner Mike, we trade DNF stories, dig into purpose and preparation, and make the case that balance is a real competitive advantage. 
This episode’s topics include: 
• leaving a big career and rebuilding identity through hard goals 
• road running versus trail running and why traditions matter 
• the Seattle Marathon meltdown and the “read the fine print” lesson 
• Tiger Claw strategy, cutoffs, and training specificity 
• DNFs and time cuts as feedback rather than failure 
• using long runs to solve leadership and business problems 
• the power of a clear “why” for resilience in sport and startups 
• endurance events as family bonding and a shared purpose 
• discomfort as training for leadership challenges 
• why work-life balance improves EQ, judgement, and performance 

Learn more about Mike’s work as a couch on his website: https://milestone-leadership1.squarespace.com/

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Jon and Miranda check in sharing stories from crewing the eerie Badwater Salton Sea 81-mile team race, then shift into the brutal pull of Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Invitational. Mitch Dulleck walks us through training, gear, food, and the moment he chooses safety over the finish during a stormy ITI 350 attempt. 

• Why extreme events become a way to prove you belong 
• What makes ITI different from most ultramarathons 
• Training in Leadville for cold weather and pulling a sled 
• The “do not sweat” rule and how it shapes pacing 
• Hydration and water-freezing problems in subzero temps 
• Food choices that still work when frozen 
• Navigation decisions on an unmarked course using GPX 
• Finger Lake wind, ground blizzards, and frostbite triage 
• Rainy Pass risk and the mental weight of rescue stories 
• Turning back as a deliberate safety decision and planning the return 

Hit us up at runningwithproblems.run or on Instagram. Please send any episode requests, something you want to learn about, a conversation you’d like us to have, and we’ll look into guests to have that conversation. 

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

For John Clark’s (JC) full bio revisit season 3 episode 4: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437656/episodes/16363345

We sit down with JC to unpack his first winter ultramarathon finish at the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350, where dragging a gear sled through Alaska’s deep cold turns basic tasks like eating and navigation into real risk. We also talk through the behind-the-scenes prep, the gear, and the small decisions that add up over ten relentless days. 

• what makes the Iditarod Trail Invitational so dangerous and so compelling 
• hauling a 50 to 55 pound sled across lakes, rivers, and mountain passes 
• gear failures leading to frostbite
• how the ITI qualifier camp teaches wet-gear survival and vapor barriers 
• gear iteration under extreme cold including sleeping systems and face coverage 
• early navigation mistakes and why staying on the packed route matters 
• Rainy Pass rescues and the winter ultra culture of helping others 
• the mental grind after the pass with long gaps between aid and sleep 
• the final push with shiver bivies and trail naps 
• what JC would change before trying the race again 

If you want to check out some frostbite, go to our Instagram. 

Look for another episode on this epic event dropping next week. 

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

We talk with Andrea Feucht about long COVID in endurance athletes and why you can look fine, keep racing, and still be nowhere near healthy. We compare relapse stories, data signals, and the hard lesson that rest and a slow return may be the only choice available to athletes. 

• why long COVID can look like “just getting slower” in runners 
• the emotional cost of being told you look fine 
• how athletes notice subtle post-viral changes first 
• using Strava exports and heart rate trends to validate decline 
• why HRV and heart rate zones can mislead during illness 
• Andrea’s symptom set including chest tightness, GI issues, and circulation changes 
• radical rest, vagus nerve breathing, journaling, and cautious hiking as recovery tools 
• relapse after a later virus and the fear of pushing too hard 
• why traditional medicine often offers reassurance without clear treatment 
• Jon’s overlapping sinus infection and the value of ruling out fixable problems 
• Andrea's advice: making room for awe as a stabilising life practice 

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.