Run The Riot Podcast

Listen in as I got to know Eric Whittington and Brent Ransom with URultra. I love the story of how this all came together. If you don't know, URultra is a veteran-owned company that focuses not only on providing race directors and runners with a quality race registration platform but also on giving back to the community as a portion of every race registration goes to charity. Check out their slick site! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/urultra

Catching up with Arlen Glick! Arlen has been on a tear! Since our last visit with him, he placed 3rd at Western States, 2nd at Run Rabbit Run and he'll be running Javelina Jundred when this is released! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/arleng3

This was a great chat with Kristian Morgan who ran the Appalachian trail in 44 days, 4 hours, and 54 minutes! The second fastest at the time! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/kristianmorgan

Enjoy a great chat with Thomas McGinn of Long Run Coffee. We talk running, life, and COFFEE!! All great topics! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/longruncoffee Run the Riot Roast: https://www.longruncoffee.com/product-page/run-the-riot

This week on the podcast - Phil De Gruy from South Louisiana. Phil is a 2x cancer survivor who decided to fight cancer through healthy living and endurance running! He's since started a podcast and is starting a foundation to help kids who have lost a parent to cancer. Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/phildegruy

Hey there my friends! Just chatting about my plans for the Tahoe 200 this weekend and my mindset going in. Also, I've included a little challenge. :)

Bryan Gillette started doing epic things at an early age. At 20 years old, he rode his bike across the US. Then he got into ultrarunning and after running other distances, completed the Tahoe 200. He took his experience on the trail and then interviewed 100 leaders (CEOs, CXOs, CIOs, CHROs, CFOs, founders, and ultra-distance athletes) to see how they take really big ideas across the finish line. He then penned the book, EPIC Performance. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/BryanG

A little race report and motivation put together. :) I had the privilege to run the Flower Moon 50M in Pawhuska, OK at Osage Hills State Park. It's an awesome Outlaw race! I used it as a training run for the Tahoe 200. The heat and humidity were challenging and I had to practice what I preached for the last midweek motivation! Got it done - No Guts, No Story

Reminder: When you can't do what you want, do what you can.

Jason Koomen is on a mission to run a 100 miler in every state. He’s on number 30 so far! We talk about the Loup Garou 100, Hurt 100, Outlaw 100, and others. He and his wife have also adopted children from Ukraine in the past and have been helping people through their contacts. If you would like to help there are info and links in the show notes. Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/jasonkoomen

Shaun Barnes is a friend who we’ve had on the podcast a couple of times before. He’s been doing big stuff! If you remember, we had him and his coach on to talk about his experience doing the Triple Crown of 200s. Then, we had him on to catch up and talk about the Iditarod Trail Invitational which he ended up not finishing, but he learned a ton! This time, we get to discuss his experience this year running the ITI which resulted in an awesome finish. Keep listening at the end where we chat for a few minutes with his girlfriend to get her perspective on Shaun’s endeavors and how emotionally hard it was to track him while she was home and he was off running this race in Alaska for 8 days! Show notes: https://www.theriot.run/shaunbarnes3/

In this episode, I talk about my experience at the Lake McMurtry 50K and a weekend retreat with ZERO technology! My thoughts on disconnecting to reconect.

Oh man! I had such a fun conversation with Shannon O’Grady, Ph.D. (aka the menace, aka the bully, aka mighty barnacle of death). Shannon is the COO/CPO of Gnarly Nutrition and has her Ph.D. in nutritional physiology. She’s also an avid Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, trail runner, climber, wife, and mom. We talk about Jiu-jitsu, trail running, endurance sports, and a whole lot about nutrition. She drops some great info on protein, collagen, BCAAs, creatine, and balanced eating. You may even want to start doing some Jiu-jitsu as cross-training after listening! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/menace

Bryce Thatcher has been designing in the outdoor industry for over 30 years. Often considered the inventor of the modern hydration pack, race vest, and many other revolutionary items. He has received patents and design awards, and he is always trying to push designs into the future with vision and passion. Besides founding his own businesses; Ultimate Direction, Clik Elite, and Ultraspire, he has worked for other notable companies like Black Diamond, Nathan, and Sierra Designs. I truly enjoyed talking with Bryce about his adventures and the reason he does what he does. We also talk about his Grand Teton FKT that stood for almost 29 years until it was broken by Kilian Jornet! Links and show notes: http://www.theriot.run/brycethatcher

I had a blast getting to know Chase and Casey Hammond. I love our ultra community! They are from northwest Kansas and really enjoy being involved in the Ultra community. Chase and I both ran the Moab 240 in 2020. He finished and I didn’t. We had fun comparing notes and chatting about the process of running 200 mile races. Chase will be doing the Cocodona 250 this year. He and Casey also direct races in their area and have added a new race, the Cowboy 200 in Nebraska! On top of talking about all of that, we get to talk about their degrees in nutrition and how they used their knowledge to formulate products specifically for Ultra Endurance athletes! This was a super fun and informative podcast! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/cowboy200

Dr. Amy Novotny hated running. Until she didn’t! After developing a love for the marathon, she discovered her love for the trails. She has since run 40+ marathons, an Ironman, and 10 ultramarathons (two 100 milers). She is the founder of the PABR institute where she helps people as a breathing and pain specialist. We had a great conversation about the nervous system and how calming or resetting it can provide many benefits to runners and people in general. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/amyn

This was such a fun episode with Arlen Glick! Arlen has been on a tear! Since our last interview, he’s won the Mohican 100, Burning River, Javelina Jundred, and 1st Male at Jackpot. He’s so fast! He also dipped his toe into a 24 hour race at Desert Solstice and we’ll chat about the lessons he learned there. We cover his racing, his faith, and so many fun topics! Don’t miss this episode! Show notes here: http://www.theriot.run/arleng2

Today we get to chat with my friend and awesome runner, Roger Rholdon. I have the privilege of coaching him! Roger is a husband, father, and an associate professor in the College of Nursing. From a training standpoint, he’s an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner. Roger and I raced together in the past in south Louisiana. When he was set to run the Voodoo 130, which is the same course as the Rouge-Orleans that I ran in 2015, he asked me to help coach him. He did a great job putting in the work and ended up winning the race! Before running Voodoo, he DNF’d at Rocky Raccoon - an experience we talk about in this episode. This year’s race was his redemption at Rocky! We dive into how everything unfolded for his race and we also talk about his background in running and life. Roger is a great guy and strives to maintain balance while training for these big races. We really had an awesome conversation that I’ll know you enjoy! Show notes here: http://www.theriot.run/rogerr

In a nutshell: Discipline Accountability Longevity Positivity

Catching up with Nicole Laughton after her Rocky Raccoon Win! We recently had her on Episode 103 and wanted to get her on to talk all about her win at Rocky for her first 100-mile race! We talk about her training and strategy leading up to the race. You'll love how she faced adversity, problem solved, and kept moving for the win! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/nicolel2

Are you taking action? Or just in motion?

Kevin Goldberg has combined his passion and his profession. As a matchmaker for Training Peaks, he’s also passionate about running long distances. We chat about his love for the Bigfoot 200, his completion of the Triple Crown of 200s, and his big year ahead that includes the Cocodona 250, Western States, and his 4th time running the Bigfoot 200! Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/keving Check out Pure Tiva for recovery! http://tiva.theriot.run

How are those New Years Resolutions going? Don't be afraid to start again right now!

I had an awesome conversation with husband, father, engineer, and all-around good dude, Steven Carr. Steven started running to regain his health when a busy life caused him to neglect it. Since then, he’s run Boston, and quite a few 100 mile and above races including the Badwater 135 (placing 5th male and 7th overall) and the Spartathlon 246K in Greece! The crazy thing is that he does it on relatively low mileage training! Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/stevencarr

You may remember my friend and LSU professor, Gwen Zywicke from Episode 92. I invited her back to discuss the release of her book, “Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering.” We have a great time diving into the process and discussing more of her discoveries in writing the book. You’ll love Gwen’s energy and enthusiasm! I appreciate that Gwen allowed me to speak about the spiritual aspect of ultrarunning from a Christian point of view in the book. And though we might have different views on spiritual matters, we have a fun, friendly discussion of her research and conclusions in the book. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/gwen2

I preached at my church, Olivet Baptist Church on 1/9/2022 and was able to use my experience at the 2018 Tahoe 200 to illustrate Paul's message in Philippians 3:12-14. You can watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/_RNSkBORAgw

This week we visit with a really strong runner, Mindy Coolman. She’s a dietitian in Nebraska and has quite the ultra running resume. This is a really fun conversation about mistakes made during her first ultras and important lessons she’s learned. We dive into the ups and downs of health and ultrarunning and how she’s battled and come back from a long heat illness. We also talk about running nutrition and so much more! Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/mindyc

Personal reflections on 2021, goals for 2022, and a few challenges!

Nicole is a wife and mother who has been crushing races this past year. She’s won her first 4 ultras and is running her first 100m at Rocky Raccoon in February. We had a great conversation about how she happened into her first 100K, training, and life. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/nicolel

Will Frantz is a NASM certified personal trainer and has been trained in nutrition coaching by both Precision Nutrition and the Nutrition Coaching Institute. Will seeks to help athletes with their nutrition needs. Join us as we explore all things nutrition! We talk about performance, sleep, recovery, and nutrition’s connection to each. Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/willfrantz

Shaun was on the podcast last in February 2020 for episode 19 - Check that out if you haven’t heard it. In that episode, we discussed his Triple Crown of 200s journey and training. On this episode, we catch up with Shaun to discuss some of his races since then, and more importantly, his Iditarod 350 attempt and in February and his plan at redemption in 2022. We talk about the logistics of running in the snow, sub-zero temps, and carrying your own equipment. We also get a hint at his possible future plans after he finishes the ITI. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/shaunbarnes2

Nick Ferrara grew up in the Bronx and discovered his love for running later in life when he realized that he had to make some changes for his health. He seems to gravitate toward gnarly mountain races. He's done UTMB twice! He was the first to do Western States and Eastern States in the same year and this past year he completed Hard Rock. Listen in as we talk about the awesome journey that he has been on! Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/nickferrara

Nick is not afraid to set BIG goals! As a new runner, Nick Fowler decided to set his sights on the Pacific Crest Trail FKT. When that didn’t work out, he set his sights on the Pacific Northwest Trail FKT and achieved his goal. It wasn’t easy, and he had some hiccups even before he started, but he was determined and adapted along the way to get it done.(You’ll love his improvised strategy for dealing with chafing!) Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/nickfowler

Thankful? That's good. But who is the object of your gratitude?

Justin Walker is a personal friend and friend of the podcast. We last visited and talked about his TransOkie FKT on Episode 54. We also got into some really good life conversations. Check that one out if you haven’t heard it yet. Today, we catch up with Justin about his Ozark Highlands Trail FKT attempt, co-directing the Pumpkin Holler 100, his move to Salida, CO, coaching, Barkley Fall Classic, and his return to coaching. Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/jwalk2

Some lessons I learned while dealing with COVID and injuries.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." "Do you hate losing so much that you're willing to change, or do you hate change so much that you're willing to lose?"

Oh man! This was fun! Jason Hardrath has completed 100 FKTs! For #100, he scaled the 100 highest peaks in Washington in just over 50 days! I love Jason’s mindset and outlook on life. You’ll want to lean in and listen closely to his encouraging and challenging words! You’ll also want to listen to our previous interview with Jason in December of 2020 if you haven’t heard it. I’ll put the link, along with others, in the show notes. Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/jasonh2

Russell is like many of us - he wears a lot of hats! He's a husband, father, ultra runner, serial entrepreneur, former investment banker, venture capital investor, and more. He just recently finished the Cascade Crest 100 miler. We had a great conversation about why and how we do what we do. Russell shares part of the story that lead him to write his new book, "One Life to Lead" which deals with leading yourself and being the architect of your own life. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/russellb

Ever get that feeling that you were made for a life bigger than what you're living?

Laura Kearns just won the 2021 Arkansas Traveller 100! I got to sit down and visit with her about the stellar year she’s been having in ultrarunning. Earlier this year, she ran her second 100-mile race, the LOViT 100, and won it! Laura puts in a lot of training miles, but she loves group runs, has fun, and does not hold herself to a rigid training plan. Listen in as we talk about how the races unfolded, training, equipment, nutrition, and life! Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/laurak

Amy is fast and puts in some serious work! She’s currently training for Tunnel Hill 100 and I can’t wait to see how she does. Amy had a fall in 2019 during one of her final training runs for the Arkansas Traveller 100 and had to miss the race. We talk about her coming back from that injury physically and mentally. We also talk about her how she’s dealt with stomach issues and the steps she had to take to get that dialed in. I think you'll enjoy the interesting chat about her mindset when racing. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/amya

Ever know someone who is always all smiles! That’s today’s guest. My friend Paul Countess is one of those guys who just exudes JOY! Even in the middle of a grueling 100 mile race, the dude is smiling! I love it! Paul loves to challenge himself with TOUGH races to push his limits. He just recently completed the Bigfoot 200 and due to life’s circumstances, his training was only about 30 miles per week! Be encouraged as we visit with Paul and find out what it is that makes him such a happy guy. Show notes here: http://www.theriot.run/paulc

Today's guest is Gwen Zywicke, an ultrarunning friend in Louisiana. Gwen is a professor at LSU who has been doing some really interesting research. You know that feeling when you are running and you're in the zone? In flow? That runner's high? Well, Gwen is researching that and the connection with the mind, body, and spirit, particularly as it relates to ultrarunning! You'll love how passionate she is about her work on her book that will be entitled, "Ultrarunning Mysticism". This was such an interesting conversation! I still have so many questions and can't wait to read the book when she's done! Show Notes here: http://www.theriot.run/gwen

Do the Best you can with what you've got. Seminary, balance, and boats.

Brodie has a passion to help runners to run injury-free. Through his ebooks, podcast, classes, and online clinic, he has helped many runners fix the issues that plague them. On today's podcast, we discuss numerous issues common to all runners and the importance of rest. Show notes: http://www.theriot.run/brodiesharpe2

Don't just let life happen to you...go happen to life!

I had a great visit with Rob Steger from the Training for Ultra Podcast. Listen in as we talk about running long distances, successes, failures, and life! Topics covered: Triple Crown of 200s, Leadville, nutrition, DNFs, and a bunch of other stuff in between! Show notes here: http://www.theriot.run/t4u

Know who you are.

One of the things I love about our sport is that it brings people from all walks of life together to enjoy pushing our limits and seeing what we can do. I enjoyed this in-person visit with Dr. William Clark. Dr. Clark is a spinal surgeon here in Tulsa Oklahoma specializing in scoliosis and spinal deformity. He loves his job and the challenges it presents him on a regular basis. Dr. Clark is an Ironman who has also done ultra-distance mountain bike races, including the Leadville 100. He’s also completed various ultramarathons with more to come. Some of you will love his committed but flexible approach to training as he balances work, family, and training. I had a blast getting to know William and know you will too! Show Notes: http://www.theriot.run/drwilliam