In this episode of The Long Game Podcast’s Chasing Summits series, Mark and Eric sit down with Joshua “Dewey” Dermeyer, an Air Force veteran, endurance athlete, and the photographer behind Through the Lens Media. Dewey shares his journey from running ultramarathons to capturing the stories of fellow athletes, finding new purpose behind the camera as injury changed his relationship with running. Together, they explore creativity, the courage to connect with strangers, and the struggles and motivations a finish-line photo can’t fully reveal. It’s a conversation about embracing new directions, giving back, and remembering that the people and stories behind the miles matter more than the medals.

My guest for this episode of the Long Game Podcast is Joy Hahn Silva — she's a co-host of the podcast Hahnacity, a personal trainer, nutritionist, and head gymnastics coach. Joy and I discuss her journey from starting gymnastics at 8, training under famed coach Rick Newman from age 11, and retiring at nearly 16 without making the 1996 Olympic team, the same year Team USA won its first gold. She and her cousin Laura had trained under the same demanding system but never discussed the shared experiences and trauma until launching their own podcast decades later, a conversation that unexpectedly reignited Joy's love for the sport and drew out other survivors of abuse within it. Now coaching at Rise Gym in Hawthorne, CA, she emphasizes meeting each athlete on their own terms rather than imposing her expectations, guided by the mantra "gymnastics is what you do, it's not who you are."

This epsiode The Long Game Podcast is a candid conversation with Natalie Siegler about reinvention, endurance, recovery, and building a life that supports long-term health. Natalie shares how she evolved from a competitive dancer, cheerleader, and figure competitor into a triathlete, coach, Ironman finisher, Boston qualifier, and advocate for women pursuing strength and mobility throughout life.

For Natalie, endurance sports became about much more than racing: they gave her a way to travel, process grief after losing her mother, build community, and even meet her husband through triathlon. After recovering from a major injury, she returned to running and triathlon with a deeper respect for recovery and listening to her body.

Her message is simple: make time for yourself, build accountability, start before you feel fully ready, and focus on the habits that help you stay healthy for the long haul.

The new episode of The Long Game Podcast is live.

For this Chasing Summits conversation, Eric Chrisman and I sit down with Jay Allen—an endurance athlete, ultrarunner, triathlete, general contractor, and the creator behind the YouTube channel Allenville.

Jay shares the honest story behind his endurance journey: training through a demanding work life, showing up when motivation is low, finding community at races, and pursuing the finish lines that no amount of gear, money, or preparation can buy.

One line from Jay that stuck with us:

“You can buy the event, you can buy the bike, you can buy the shoes, you can buy all the stuff. You can’t buy the finish line.”

We also talk about the energy of aid stations and volunteers, why every distance—from a 5K to an ultra—carries its own kind of achievement, and how Jay’s experience at the SD50 Heavy Half helped pull him deeper into the trail-running community.

If you have ever wondered whether you are “the type of person” who can take on a big endurance goal, this episode is for you. You do not need to begin as the finished product. You just need to take the next step—and keep taking it.

Thank you to our Chasing Summits sponsor, Base Kamp Meals—Filipino-inspired, freeze-dried meals made for your next outdoor adventure.

In this episode of the Chasing Summits Series, Mark Alfaro and Eric Chrisman sit down with San Diego chef, entrepreneur, and outdoorsman Phillip Esteban to explore the connection between culture, leadership, and chasing big mountain goals.

Phillip shares how reclaiming his Filipino identity through food led to White Rice—and how a craving for arroz caldo after summiting Mount Baker inspired him to create Base Kamp Meals. The conversation dives into entrepreneurship, mentorship, building teams, and the leadership lessons that transfer between high-pressure kitchens and the mountains: communication, trust, preparation, boundaries, and knowing when to turn around.

Tracy didn’t grow up thinking of herself as an athlete. After losing her mother, she found running as a way to process grief—and it became the beginning of a life defined by resilience, adventure, and refusing to quit.

In this episode, Tracy shares how she went from a first-time marathoner at age 40 to completing more than 150 marathons, 19 Ironmans, races in all 50 states, and the World Marathon Challenge: seven marathons across seven continents in seven days. She and Mark talk about training through life’s hardest seasons, embracing the beginner mindset, finding joy in the process, making time for the people and experiences that matter, and the powerful example she sets as a longtime elementary-school teacher.

Her message is simple but lasting: you can do hard things—and if you keep moving forward with gratitude, you can keep moving forward for life.

In this special episode, I sit down with my good friend and “godfather” of my triathlon journey, Ryan Lastimosa—Ironman World Championship (Kona) finisher, lifelong creative, and leader in the gaming industry. We talk about how a Christmas party, a sleep apnea diagnosis, and a moment with his Uncle Rudy living with Parkinson’s lit the spark that took Ryan from martial arts and game development to 13 Ironman finishes and a legacy spot in Kona.

Ryan shares how he balances big races with shipping major games, why endurance sport became his therapy, the inner dialogue on days he doesn’t want to train, and what it means to chase goals for people who can’t toe the start line. We also dive into fatherhood, burnout, coaching, and why “winners make the time” has become part of his long game.

If you’re leading at a high level and wondering how to stay healthy, present for your family, and still chase something massive—this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk to Pat Ketcham, a true Long Game endurance athlete who recently competed in Ironman Oregon 70.3 and will be toeing the line at the Ironman World Championship in Kona this year. We talk about her entrance into the sport at 50 and why being part of a community is important to stay in the game for a long time.

This episode explores how to stay in the long game of endurance sport by managing imperfect training seasons rather than obsessing over perfect race prep. Coach Joe walks through his two‑year path to Boston, including a gritty winter build in Bend and a rare “almost perfect” marathon where pacing, taper, and execution all clicked. From there, he explains why Oregon 70.3 is a B race for him, focused on fun and maintaining fitness after Boston instead of chasing a PR or forcing more peak work. You both dig into life factors—Little League duties, family trips, work—and how to keep moving with flexible structure instead of shutting down or racing all‑out every weekend. Joe lays out a coaching framework of one to two true A races a year, then returning to a higher baseline fitness, and you add real‑world examples like “hero workouts” and past chronic fatigue. The episode closes with practical talk about heat, electrolytes, and the importance of partner support in making serious training sustainable over years

In this episode of The Long Game, Mark sits down with San Diego cyclists Andrew and Maribel Gavin to explore how a surprise tandem bike has grown into the core of their shared lifestyle, marriage, and mindset. From nervous first rides and learning to communicate in sync, to century events, European adventure routes, and big climbing days across Poway and Rancho Santa Fe, they unpack what makes tandem cycling uniquely challenging and deeply rewarding. Along the way, they share how trust, patience, and real-time communication on the bike have strengthened their partnership off the bike, why they chase miles and adventures together, and how they keep pushing hard while still making the sport fun and sustainable for the long game.