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What happens when a Nordic engine meets Wasatch steeps and a taste for big objectives? We sit down with pro skier and trail runner Mali Noyes to trace the throughline from Sun Valley ski kid to freeride competitor to ultra podium threat, and the conversation is packed with sharp takeaways you can use right away.

Mali unpacks the modern mountain athlete’s toolkit: how backcountry ski touring builds unmatched muscular endurance, why Speedgoat rewards poles and patience at altitude, and how pacing transforms “survival” into a strong finish. We go inside freeride fundamentals—venue scouting, judging criteria, and the fast-and-fluid style that actually scores—then zoom out to the career reality where athletes must be storytellers, producers, and community builders. Mali shares how she approaches YouTube with authenticity over polish, using simple tools to bring people into the raw, decision-heavy world of snow, lines, and risk.

We dig into UTMB ambitions, comparing CCC’s runnable rhythm with the power-hike nature of Speedgoat, and why the Wasatch is a near-perfect training ground for European profiles. Mali is candid about nerve pain and the grind of messy injuries, emphasizing critical PT, hip and core rebuilding, and data that supports intuition—heart rate, lactate, HRV, and truly easy recovery days. The capstone is The Shooting Gallery: skiing all 93 steep Wasatch lines in 47 days. It’s a masterclass in logistics, avalanche judgment, partner management, and mental endurance, stacking over 300,000 feet of vert while staying sharp enough to make clean choices day after day.

If you care about mountain performance, women’s representation in snowsports, or the craft of turning adventures into stories that matter, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this episode with a training partner, and leave a quick review to help more mountain athletes find the show.

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The road from an Okinawan family dojo to the rocky spine of the Northeast isn’t as long as it looks. Meet trail runner and former Muay Thai athlete Niko Teller, a blue-collar UPS driver who turns daily mileage, discipline, and gritty terrain into real speed. We dig into how martial arts forged his mindset, why hips are the hidden engine for climbing and descending, and how he built technical downhill confidence on the Appalachian Trail, in the Catskills, and across the White Mountains.

We break down the Northeast short-trail scene—from Chocorua to the Baldface Scramble—and why these 20 to 30K courses deliver as much vert and skill demand as some ultras. Nico explains how he trains when the “mountains” are 400 feet high, stacking hill repeats, AT long runs, and gravel bike cross-training to stay durable. Then we go deep on his JFK 50 game plan: smooth execution on the AT, a mid-race shoe swap into road foam, and a 6:30–6:40 towpath pace target backed by a simple fueling strategy of 90 grams of carbs per hour with Neversecond gels and mostly water in cool temps.

We also unpack the hard lessons from Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat—cold, hail, and a cranky Achilles—and how finishing on a tough day built more confidence than any PR. Niko shares why jiu-jitsu keeps him humble, how coaching with Fastquatch helps working athletes find balance, and what’s next: Black Canyon 100K speed, a Cocodona waitlist gamble, and winter goals on the track with a sharper mile and 5K.

If you love Northeast trail running, JFK 50 strategy, technical downhill tips, or blue-collar training that actually fits a busy life, this conversation will feel like a map you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, drop a review, and share with a friend who’s eyeing a fast towpath split or their first White Mountain scramble.

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A road racer with big engine and bigger grit, Makena Morley decided to test the mountains—and then turned a curious experiment into a statement season. We go all the way back to Maui and Montana, through a high-pressure collegiate career at Colorado, and into the realities of turning pro during Covid. Then the pivot: why ASICS’ support opened the door to trails, how Bozeman and Montana State became her training backbone, and what it took to blend threshold speed with the chaos of technical terrain.

Makena breaks down the moment Kodiak nearly unraveled—a missed turn, minutes lost, and a mental reset from chasing time to hunting the win. She explains how trail pacing lives in effort, not pace; how VKs mimic the misery of a 5K at altitude; and why nutrition and hydration need to be tighter once you’re racing beyond marathon duration. We talk SIS gels, Skratch Superfuel, cramp control, and keeping heart rate near low threshold to ride the up-down rhythm without detonating. She also shares self-coaching insights: writing four-month blocks, moving workouts when the body says no, and using heart rate as a guardrail rather than a governor.

Looking forward, we map a smart, exciting calendar: half marathons to sharpen, runnable 50Ks like Canyons to leverage road speed, and a technical progression toward OCC in Chamonix. Golden Trail and Cirque Series sit on the radar as skill-building playgrounds, tempered by timing and travel. The theme running through it all is joy—how switching surfaces revived hunger, built durability, and made big goals feel possible again.

If this story fires you up, hit follow, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge to try something new, and leave a quick review so more athletes can find the show.

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The plan was simple: go test the 100K waters. The reality was a masterclass in pacing, hydration, and what happens when marathon instincts meet an eight-hour mountain day. Chad Hall brings candor and clarity to his Kodiak debrief—why he went out hard, where the wheels came loose around Snow Summit, and how he’ll rebuild for another shot. From there, we widen the lens: short trail versus ultras, why 50K deserves more respect in the U.S., and how cycling’s strength engine can transform uphill running without sacrificing leg speed on descents.

We trade notes on altitude strategy for Pikes Peak, the balance between sea-level power and high-elevation adaptation, and practical ways to integrate strength—heavy lifts, bike blocks, or ski mountaineering—when schemo isn’t an option. Chad traces his arc from triathlon to domestic elite cycling to trails, and explains how coaching, long mountain days, and flat-speed workouts all fit inside a program designed to resist fatigue and stay smooth on technical terrain.

Then we go deeper. We push on the professionalization of trail running, UTMB-style event culture, and the line between authentic partnership and hollow consumerism. Chad is honest about sponsorship: only promote what you’d buy, center the mountains, and protect the community’s soul. We also challenge the hype cycles of social media and the attention economy, where presentation can outrun performance and algorithms shrink our view of the world. Finally, we wrestle with AI and work—what jobs mean, where meaning comes from, and how a conscious buyer base can reshape the outdoor industry for the better.

If you enjoy conversations that braid training insights with bigger questions about culture and purpose, this one will stick. Follow Chad on Instagram at @chadoflife, hit play, and then tell us: are you team short trail, team ultra, or somewhere in between? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more curious runners find the show.

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A broken back, a fractured knee, and nearly a year off running—then podiums at Pikes Peak Ascent, Kodiak, and Moab. That’s the arc Alicia Vargo takes us through, sharing how a brutal dog attack in 2024 unraveled her season and how skate skiing, patience, and stubborn belief stitched it back together. We start with her fresh Moab Trail Half podium and the course’s split personality—slickrock step-ups, sandy slogs, and off-road pavement—before moving into the training mindset that keeps her sharp late in the year.

From there, we head home to Breckenridge. Alicia talks altitude as the quiet performance lever, the surprising strength of the local community, and why winter skimo and skate skiing are the perfect mix to preserve fitness without the pounding. Then we go deep on her recovery: delayed diagnoses, crutches, months of uncertainty, and the tentative first races at Broken Arrow that proved her body could hold. She opens up about Sierre-Zinal’s balcony trail, heat shock, and the crowded chaos of European starts where elbows fly and gels get trampled.

We zoom out to the sport’s big questions. Should women have separate starts or days? Alicia weighs the trade-offs—clear competition and spotlight versus thin fields and lost atmosphere. She revisits the early Nike Trail years, shifting to Hoka, and why the sport once nudged athletes toward ultras due to a lack of short trail opportunities. Now, with Golden Trail, Broken Arrow, and the Rut, short trail finally looks like the welcoming on-ramp for D1 talent and the most TV-ready version of mountain running.

We also talk storytelling. What Coca-Dona got right with long-form livestreams. Why commentators who race—like Dani Moreno—can translate chaos into context. And why Alicia’s skeptical about the Olympics reshaping trail into a TV-friendly shadow of itself, much like skimo’s shift. Through it all, her message is grounded and energizing: protect the mountain identity, invest in women’s race formats, tell better stories, and give athletes the room to come back strong.

If this conversation hits, follow and share. Subscribe on YouTube for 4K episodes, drop a rating on Apple or Spotify, and tell a friend who loves steep stuff and strong comebacks.

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The sport we love is growing up, and that’s a good thing—if we build it right. I’m joined by athlete and agent Nick Cornell of Trailhead Athlete Management to dig into what “professional” actually looks like in trail running: livable contracts, smarter bonuses, real anti-doping, and a path that lets athletes focus on performance without losing the grassroots soul that makes this community special.

Nick shares how he went from thru-hiking the Triple Crown to winning Montana 50Ks and managing athletes who train 20 hours a week while juggling logistics, content, deliverables, and travel. We unpack what brands want beyond results—genuine people with presence—and why short trail deserves more investment alongside ultras. We also talk hard numbers: why most pros still sit in the low five figures, how a league minimum could change that, and where healthcare and PT stipends fit in. If you’ve wondered whether rumors of huge salaries are real, or how to negotiate your first deal, Nick gives grounded, practical insight.

We go deep on legitimacy and the World Mountain and Trail Championships—federations offering team camps and big bonuses, the realities of kit rules, and why national team results should be bonused just like track. From out-of-competition testing to non-endemic sponsors—cars, banks, tourism boards, food brands—we explore the funding models that could unlock full-time careers without sidelining local races. The takeaway is hopeful: keep the watermelon at aid stations and the big stages on the calendar. With smarter structure, everyone wins.

If this conversation helped you think differently about the future of trail running, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. Your support helps us bring more candid, useful conversations to the community.

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A brand doesn’t become real the day the website goes live—it becomes real the day someone beats it up on a mountain and still reaches for it the next morning. That’s the heart of our conversation with Dust founder Zach Colby, who walked away from politics to build a running brand rooted in the Mountain West: trails, dirt, big days, and gear that doesn’t need babysitting.

We trace the idea back to Boulder, where Zach saw a clear gap. The urban-run-club look had its champions, but the West’s mix of gravel, alpine, and singletrack culture felt underserved. Dust answers with simple, durable pieces that carry a Western soul—led by the mechanic shirt, a breathable button-down designed to race, ride, and recover. Zach breaks down the less glamorous side too: hunting for the right factory, negotiating MOQs, iterating fabric weights across time zones, and learning that a great sample is earned, not ordered.

From there, we get into launch mechanics and marketing without the fluff. Boxes stacked in an apartment, a Shopify backend, word-of-mouth over ads, and photography that actually reflects how people move outside. We talk about the Dust Bus—a retired sheriff’s van now turned rolling pop-up—and why in-person events, beer miles, and race weekends matter more than impressions. Zach also shares what’s next: a women’s line with a dedicated designer, tech-forward shorts and tights, and an interest in a lightweight, no-nonsense running belt that disappears on the run.

If you care about trail running, niche outdoor brands, or the craft behind gear that holds up mile after mile, this one will hit. Tap play, then tell us what piece you wish more brands would build. And if you’re vibing with the show, subscribe, share with a trail friend, and leave a quick review—it helps more runners find us.

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A sharpening workout at 10,000 feet. A sudden stab in the chest. Vision slipping. Hours later, Abby Locke learned her right lung had collapsed—and that was only the beginning. Across one summer she weathered three collapses, seven chest tubes, helicopter flights, and two surgeries, then found her way back to 50-mile weeks with a new definition of strength.

We talk through the full arc with honesty and grit: the ER chaos, hospital routines, and why “take it easy” is dangerous advice for driven athletes. Abby details the shift from vague rest to a precise, metrics-based return—heart rate caps, minutes-based progressions, and a deliberate habit of undershooting. We dig into the identity quake that comes when sport is stripped away, and how watercolor, friendship, and a gentler mindset helped her rebuild. She shares practical wisdom on training by feel, listening for pain signals, and balancing risk without living in fear.

We also explore what’s next: genetic testing, altitude questions, and a smart path toward longer trail races where intensity spikes are fewer. Abby opens up about coaching, sub-ultra roots, and why the northeast’s technical trails deserve more love. The takeaway is bigger than running: gratitude changes performance, diversified meaning sustains motivation, and a broader life makes you braver on race day.

If this story resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs perspective, and leave a quick review so more runners can find conversations like this.

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Ready to stop signing up for everything and start building a season that actually fits your life? We sit down with CTS coach Addison Smith to design a smarter year from the ground up: choosing an A race that truly motivates you, mapping B and C races that build skill without burnout, and matching training blocks to your goal’s specific demands. Whether you’re eyeing a first 50K or sharpening for a 100-mile bid, this conversation turns vague intentions into a practical plan.

We break down the three-phase progression that drives long-term growth—learning to train, learning to race, and learning to win—and show how each stage shapes your calendar. Addison explains how to dial intensity by race duration and athlete level, why mid-packers often race best with more zone two than they think, and how to layer in threshold and marathon-effort work at the right time. We also get real about volume and recovery: minimum viable hours for 50K, 100K, and 100 mile, the risk of copying pro training, and how to avoid the all-in gambles that lead to burnout.

Fueling myths get a major reality check. That 100 to 120 grams of carbs per hour? It only works if your pace and gut training support it. Most runners succeed at 60 to 90 grams per hour with fewer GI blow-ups. We walk through a simple framework to personalize hydration with a one-time sodium sweat test and easy at-home sweat rate tests, so your plan adapts from cold starts to hot, exposed climbs. Plus, actionable race routines, post-race debriefs, and candid insights from crewing at Javelina help you execute calmly when it counts.

If lotteries didn’t go your way—or life’s time budget got tight—you’ll hear how to pivot without losing momentum. Subscribe for more coaching-focused episodes, share this with a training partner who’s planning their season, and leave a quick review so we know which topics to dig into next. Your next PR starts with a better plan—let’s build it together.

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A week after tackling a steep Canadian classic, two-time Leadville champion Adrian Macdonald joins us to chart a season that nearly went off the rails—and how he brought it back. After Western States left him drained and “half-sick,” bloodwork confirmed anemia. Adrian pressed pause on workouts, added iron, and rebuilt with patience. That decision reshaped his plans: fewer hero efforts, more deliberate steps. Now he’s heading to Ultra‑Trail Cape Town’s 100 miler to practice night pacing, big vert management, and problem‑solving—key skills he wants dialed before returning to UTMB.

We trace Adrian’s path from Massachusetts soccer and college track to Boston road marathons and, finally, Colorado trails. Winning Leadville unlocked travel, sponsorship, and a renewed sense of racing—not just time‑trials—but it also brought pressure and a few humbling lessons. He learned race specificity the hard way: the same engine that crushes runnable high altitude doesn’t guarantee success on technical, hour‑long burners. His solution is pragmatic and refreshing. Choose one major ultra a year, sometimes two. Add short, sub‑ultra mountain races as tune‑ups to sharpen nerves, descents, and pacing without the deep fatigue of an ultra. Mix in East Coast staples like Mount Washington for nostalgia and family time, and lean on a supportive Fort Collins crew—mentors like Nick Clark and training partners who keep the work honest.

We also go inside the On Running ecosystem, where rapid gear innovation and a cross‑discipline team culture keep Adrian inspired. From plated trail shoes to polished kits, he’s part of a brand sprinting forward while still celebrating the messy, human side of ultras. If you’ve wondered how to rebuild after a rough race, plan a smarter season, or pick courses that actually fit your strengths, this is your blueprint. Enjoy the story, steal the strategies, and tell us what big race you’re targeting next. If this conversation resonates, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves big climbs and bigger comebacks.

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