Singletrack

This episode was recorded in-person at Brooks HQ in Seattle, Washington with Joe McConaughy at the Brooks Trail Team training camp shortly after the 2024 Barkley Marathons. 

We recount Jasmin Paris’ finish and the historical significance of that moment for our sport, the impact of 5 finishers this year, what makes Barkley so interesting, Joe’s race recap with training, nutritional, and racing insights for future editions, and reflections on a few other memorable moments across the 3 day stretch.


Timestamps:

• (2:08) - Jasmin Paris 
• (14:15) - Impact of 5 Finishers
• (36:32) - Joe's Barkley Report - Crew, Training, Nutrition, Gear, Racing
• (68:32) - Final Thoughts, Lazarus Lake, Barkley Thoughts

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
• deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order.

Links:

• Jared Campbell Blog
• Media In The Wilderness by Lazarus Lake
• Follow Joe on Instagram, Strava, Coaching
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Brett Hornig and Leah Yingling join Singletrack to recap the Lululemon-backed FURTHER event which took place outside of Palm Springs, CA about a week ago. 

It was equal parts interesting from performance, research, technology, marketing, and lifestyle standpoints and we touch on a lot of that in this episode through the lens of Leah’s experience logging 400 miles over the 6-day event and Brett helping crew her during that time frame. 

Specifically, we recap her race experience, talk about the multi-day race strategies she picked up over the 6 days, and learn about some of the ultrarunning-related research that was conducted and when that will be available for public consumption.

No doubt many of you were glued to the live tracker for all the athletes out there, Mike McMonagle’s photo journalism, and some of the reporting from Outside and IRunFar. Hopefully, this episode adds another interesting angle to one of the more unique events we’ve seen in the running sphere in at least a few years.


Timestamps:

• 01:00 Initial Thoughts and Event Background
• 08:34 Cognitive Tests and Mental Performance
• 10:29 Preconceptions vs. Reality of a Multi-Day Event
• 23:02 Training Volume and Performance
• 37:56 Sleep Strategies
• 43:28 Medical Support, Managing Injuries
• 49:10 Wearable Technology - Core Temp, Glucose, Etc
• 01:09:47 Insights from Shoe and Apparel Tech, Biomechanics Feedback
• 01:17:05 The Purpose and Impact of Further
• 01:26:37 The Mental Game in Multi-Day Events
• 01:32:39 Post-Event Recovery and Future Races, Final Takeaways

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
• deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order.

Links:

• Follow Leah on Instagram,  Strava, Twitter
• Follow Brett on Instagram, Strava, Youtube
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Christian Meier is a professional trail runner for Salomon and an entrepreneur based in Girona, Spain. In this discussion, Christian shares insights on the contrasting levels of professionalism in cycling and trail running. He delves into the integration of Norwegian training techniques into ultra-trail running, achieving excellence across diverse sports disciplines, and his diverse array of business endeavors beyond his athletic pursuits.

Timestamps:

• 01:30 Level of Preparation in Ultrarunning vs Cycling
• 10:02 Tactics in Ultrarunning
• 23:34 Increasing Level of Preparation in Ultrarunning
• 27:01 Staying Power in Ultrarunning
• 29:06 Norwegian Training Methods in Ultrarunning
• 38:37 Commitment to High Performance, Athletic Peaks 
• 56:25 Balancing Athletics and Business, Managing Business Ventures
• 01:12:43 Efficiency and Time Management
• 01:15:42 Upcoming Races and Final Thoughts

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
• deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order.

Links:

• Follow Christian on Instagram, Strava, Chance, Overland, La Fabrica
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Meridith Cass - the Founder-CEO of Nix BioSensors - joins the show to talk about the self-health movement, the latest technology behind hydration intelligence, and the prospect of completely automating your hydration strategy and execution at an ultra-trail race like the Western States 100.

One thing to note before we get started - Singletrack has no financial partnership with Nix, but if you’re interested in trying out their products after listening to this episode feel free to use the code Singletrack15 for 15% off your order on their website.

Timestamps:

• 2:10 The Importance of Self-Health and Personalized Health Management
• 5:15 Accuracy and Meaningful Metrics in Biosensing
• 8:34 Personalized Feedback and Dynamic Recommendations
• 10:05 The Limitations of Intuition in Hydration Management
• 12:26 The Impact of Dehydration on Performance
• 14:17 How the Nix Patch Works and Measures Sweat
• 15:06 Refining Hydration Plans with Patch Data
• 17:30 The Nix Index and Environmental Conditions
• 21:05 The Value of Wearing the Patch Before and After Workouts
• 23:42 Triangulating Data with Other Sensors
• 25:04 Accuracy of Recommendations and Tolerable Error Rate
• 27:24 The Role of the Patch in Changing Consumer Purchasing and Brand Marketing
• 29:30 Granularity of Electrolyte Profile Data
• 31:06 The Future of Hydration and the Role of the Nix Patch
• 37:09 The Impact of Nix on Personalized Purchasing Decisions
• 39:39 The Need for Lab-Based Sweat Tests and the Role of the Nix Patch
• 41:00 Exciting Research in Sweat Science and Partnerships with Researchers
• 42:27 Automating Hydration Strategies with the Nix Patch
  
  
  Sponsors:
• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
• deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order.

Links:

• Connect with Meridith on LinkedIn, Website
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Paul Huddle is the Senior Director of Global Trail Running Operations for the Ironman Group. Beyond that, Paul is a former elite triathlete, he got a silver buckle at the 1997 Western States 100, he’s been a race director, and he’s worked extensively in endurance sports media. In this conversation, we talk about the ongoing controversy surrounding one of the Ironman Group’s newest races (UTMB Whistler), the Ironman Group’s impression over the last 2 years on the North American trail running community, and the directions our sport might be headed in the years to come.

Timestamps:

• (5:09) - UTMB Whistler
• (31:47) - Ironman Group influence on trail running
• (55:16) - miscellaneous questions

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

Links:

• Connect with Paul on LinkedIn
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

We are back with cohost Katie Schide for another edition of Eurotrack this time to provide in-depth analysis, commentary, and predictions for the competition at the 2024 Transgrancanaria 126K.

 Timestamps:

• (0:34) - general thoughts about Transgrancanaria
• (9:22) - course analysis for Transgrancanaria
• (26:54) - race stats from Aid Station Fireball
• (33:31) - women's field analysis, storylines, predictions
• (44:15) - men's field analysis, storylines, predictions

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

Links:

• Transgrancanaria Livestream
• Follow Aid Station Fireball on Twitter
• Follow Katie on Instagram, Strava, North Face
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Brett Hornig, Jeff Colt, and Corrine Malcolm join Singletrack to riff on the latest news in the ultra-trail running world.

In this conversation, we share our takeaways from the 2024 Black Canyon 100K, talk about the entirety of the Western States 100 golden ticket series including some early takes on the Canyons 100K race later this spring, and spend the rest of the time talking about the implications of Stian Angermund’s positive doping test after last year’s UTMB-OCC race, which was revealed earlier this month.

Timestamps:

• (0:42) - Black Canyon 100K Recap
• (35:58) - Wider Golden Ticket Series Discussion
• (48:42) - Stian Angermund / Positive Doping Test Discussion
• (87:24) - Miscellaneous Parting Thoughts

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

Additional Links:

• Follow Corrine on Instagram, Strava, Trail Society, Coaching
• Follow Jeff on Instagram, Strava, Youtube
• Follow Brett on Instagram, Strava, Youtube, and Coaching
• Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter, Youtube, and Patreon

Support the show

Mary Kate Shea, serving as the Senior Director of Pro Athletes for road race events at the Boston Athletic Association, holds a pivotal role in recruiting and facilitating the experience of hundreds of professional runners at marquee events like the Boston Marathon, BAA 10K, and BAA 5K annually.

With her extensive expertise in pro athlete recruitment, event management, sponsorship, and sports marketing, I found it compelling to invite her to discuss the merits of her position and explore how the implementation of (more) dedicated, full-time roles like hers could benefit the world of mountain ultra trail running on a larger scale.

Our conversation delves into the essential elements of building and maintaining world-class running events, highlighting the critical role she plays in the process. We also explore how pro athletes are researched, recruited, compensated, and supported at races such as the Boston Marathon, offering valuable insights and takeaways for athletes, event operators, and media personnel in the trail running community.

Timestamps:

• (1:17) - ultrarunning origins, Ann Trason story
• (8:59) - building a world-class running event, the importance of elite athlete recruitment
• (21:12) - the traits of a good athlete recruiter and manager, ecosystem of athlete recruiters
• (40:19) - what the position looks like from a year-round standpoint, how athletes are supported 

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

Links:

• Follow Mary Kate on LinkedIn
• Boston Athletic Association Website
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Finn Melanson, Brett Hornig, and Leah Yingling provide in-depth analysis, commentary, and predictions for the competition at the 2024 Black Canyon 100K.
 
 Timestamps:

• (1:09) - course strategy, weather conditions, historical performance data, competitive race context
• (34:01) - women's field preview, storylines, analysis, predictions
• (68:51) - men's field preview, storylines, analysis, predictions

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

Links:

• Follow Aid Station Fireball on Twitter
• Follow Leah on Instagram,  Strava, Twitter
• Follow Brett on Instagram, Strava, Youtube
• Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show

Adam Merry is a professional trail runner for Saucony based in Boulder, CO ahead of his race at the Black Canyon 100K on February 10th. In this conversation, we catch up on the second half of his 2023 season, all the details around his race prep, the state of the Boulder boys and the new podcast they have dropping today (linked here in the show notes).

Timestamps:

• (1:53) - second half of 2023
• (9:55) - 2024 Black Canyon 100K
• (14:30) - Boulder Boys

Sponsors:

• Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
• Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).

  Links:

• Follow Adam on Instagram, Strava, Boulder Boys Podcast, Boulder Boys Trail
• Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Youtube

Support the show