The Pain Cave

Trail running beast Zoë Rom is the Associate Editor of Trail Runner magazine and the host of the DNF Podcast—a show about “failure in life and running…about unfinished business, and the unglamorous work of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and moving on.” Zoë joins us to talk about failure vs. hardship, overcoming fear, practicing self-compassion, FKTs, sled dog racing, and more. Also, how to say “hedgehog” in Italian.

Links
Zoë’s website and coaching site
Social media: Strava, IG, Facebook, Twitter

Desert Island Picks: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, Songs by Adrianne Lenker, Nutella, Outer Range Brewing Co. Meadows IPA

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

In the past two years, SoCal native Jake Jackson has progressed from a solid competitor on the southwestern trail-running scene to a top-10 finish at the 24-hour World Championships. Jake joins us on the show to talk about his meteoric rise to becoming one of the top US runners ever at 24 hours, how he balances his training with full-time work and family obligations, why he started working with a coach, battling imposter syndrome, and more.

Links
Follow Jake on Instagram
Jake runs for rabbit, Spring Energy, XOSkin, Squirrel’s Nut Butter, and Prevail Botanicals

Desert Island Picks: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, S&M by Metallica, Rancid by Rancid, Miguel’s Jr. burritos, Newcastle Brown Ale

Thanks to Himalaya Botanique for sponsoring this episode of the Pain Cave. Himalaya Botanique— the toothpaste that’s free from fluoride, SLS, and artificial colors and flavors, but bursting with foam and flavor! Enjoy 20% off your purchase of Himalaya toothpaste, using discount code PAINCAVE20 at Amazon. To learn more about Himalaya Botanique and Ayurvedic wellness visit Himalayausa.com

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Are you ready to rock? Author, music journalist ,and trail runner Tony Fletcher makes his face-melting debut in the Pain Cave. We talk about how he cut his teeth in the British punk scene of the late 1970s, becoming a de facto professional journalist at fourteen, the Who vs. the Stones, trail running in the Catskills, traveling around the world, Crystal Palace, and more.

Links
Tony’s website, where you can find info on his books and his blog
One Step Beyond, Tony’s excellent podcast
Instagram and Twitter

Desert Island Picks: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, Tommy by The Who, Peanut Butter Clif Bars, Gipsy Hill Hepcat

Nice! The Legend is back for a “This Pandemic in Ultrarunning” update, as we check in on some of the recent trail and ultra races starting to every so slowly come back on line. We cover results from the Bear 100, IMTUF, Yeti, and Stumpjump and discuss our own returns to racing at Cat’s Tail and 3 Days at the Fair. Plus, we discuss qualification for the Golden Trail finale, the starting field for Hardrock 2021, miniature goats, and more.

Beer for this episode: Treehouse Julius, Lagunitas DayTime IPA

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

It’s a Some Work, All Play party in the Pain Cave this week as we welcome physician, epidemiologist, coach, author, and five time US trail running champ Megan Roche onto the 20 Questions hot seat. We talk about Megan’s favorite race, her dream running partner, the loss of the North Face 50, how to cook a scoby, and much more.

Links:
Some Work, All Play (Team SWAP)
The SWAP Adventure Podcast
Megan’s book, The Happy Runner (and our interview with co-author and husband David)

Beers for this episode: Athletic Brewing Oktoberfest, Alchemist Focal Banger, GT’s Trilogy Kombucha

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Continuing with our 20 questions format, and fulfilling our goal of interviewing the entire podium from the Last Annual Vol State, we welcomed Bob Hearn into the Pain Cave and onto the 20Q hot seat. Since turning 50, Bob has become one of the best and most consistent 24-hour and multi-day runners in the US, holding national age-group records at 24 and 48 hours. We chat with Bob about his favorite races, his most embarrassing moment, training, diet, peaking, and more.

Links:
Bob’s blog

Beers for this episode: Treehouse Brewing Green IPA, Half Acre Navaja DIPA

Thanks to Himalaya Botanique for sponsoring this episode of the Pain Cave. Himalaya Botanique— the toothpaste that’s free from fluoride, SLS, and artificial colors and flavors, but bursting with foam and flavor! Enjoy 20% off your purchase of Himalaya toothpaste, using discount code PAINCAVE20 Amazon. To learn more about Himalaya Botanique and Ayurvedic wellness visit Himalayausa.com

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

This week we’re trying out a new format that we’ll be using from time to time: Twenty Questions, where we’ll attempt to find out everything you never wanted to know about your favorite ultrarunners, or get to know someone you may not know all that much about. For our inaugural attempt at this we welcome in Beastcoast marathon and ultra stud Ellie Pell. If you’re not familiar with Ellie, maybe you should be. Despite her youth she’s had a bevy of top-flight performances on both the road and trail, including a podium finish at JFK and a top-15 at the TNF championships, and she ran in the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta in February. Find out how she approaches training, her go-to post-race meal, which Olympic sport she wishes she could compete in, and much more.

Links:
Instagram and Twitter
Ellie’s website and podcast (IG: @hamstringsandheartstrings)
The Trails Collective Interview Series (website) (YouTube) (podcast) (IG: @the_trails_collective)
Ellie on URP

Beers for this episode: Other Half Baby Diamonds, Zero Gravity Little Wolf

This episode sponsored by Let’sGetChecked. Use the promo code PAINCAVE30 for 30% off all services. Please support our great sponsors!

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

In what SteelTownRunner describes as one of the greatest multiday performances ever, full stop, Francesca Muccini just obliterated the women’s course record at the Vol State 500K, out-dueling pre-race favorite Bob Hearn in winning the race outright for the second time in the second-fastest performance ever at this insane event. Phil and I welcomed Francesca into the Pain Cave to learn about her background and get the story of her incredible run.

Links:
Professor Muccini
LAVS
Phil’s story from Vol State on our previous episode
Greg Armstrong’s recap of Francesca’s amazing run
Bob Hearn’s LAVS race report

Desert Island Picks: Zibaldone by Giacomo Leopardi, Direct Hits by the Killers, Heineken

Beers for this episode: Equilibrium Brewing Wavelength, Sixpoint Crisp

This episode sponsored by Let’sGetChecked. Use the promo code PAINCAVE30 for 30% off all services. Please support our great sponsors!

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "Tennessee Jed” by the Grateful Dead

Maybe you don’t know why we call him the Legend. THIS IS WHY. Phil Vondra is back in the co-pilot’s chair for this episode, as we blow through a couple of notable FKTs and pay lip service to the gradual restarting of the 2020 race schedule. Then, we dive into the main event—a recap of Phil’s incredible, epic, dare I say LEGENDARY performance at this month’s Last Annual Vol State, an insane 500KM race across Tennessee. Phil gives us the scoop on racing in 100+ degree heat, sleeping on park benches, surviving on ice cream bars and something called Sun Drop, and much, much more.

Links:
LAVS
Apparently the hottest FKT route in the world right now

Desert Island Picks: Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, The White Album by the Beatles, Other Half Citra Everything

Beers for this episode: Equilibrium Brewing Fractal Lab, Yard Owl Chouette D’Or

This episode sponsored by Let’sGetChecked. Use the promo code PAINCAVE30 for 30% off all services. Please support our great sponsors!

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

As we discussed in our recent podcast with Yassine Diboun, the ultrarunning community is generally a very welcoming one—but one in which diversity still continues to lag. While the sport strives for inclusivity, only about a third of ultrarunners are female. We we very happy to be joined in the Pain Cave by elite ultrarunner Aliza Lapierre, who called in from the Northeast Kingdom to discuss the gender gap in ultraunning and steps that we can take to open the sport up to more female athletes. The, the legendary Phil Vondra jumped in with us for our most recent draft episode, as we take turns selecting the elements of a great aid station.

Links:
Aliza on Instagram
Trail Sisters

Desert Island Picks: Runner: A Short Story About a Long Run by Lizzy Hawker

Beers for this episode: Equilibrium /Trillium Brewing Climb the Ballmer Peak, Zero Gravity Little Wolf

This episode sponsored by Ladder Sport, thanks for their support

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale