There’s a common narrative in the running world about people who are struggling in life, then they are saved by running. But what happens when you’ve been an endurance athlete for over twenty years, and you then find yourself in search of some answers? We talk to Duncan Callahan — 2-time winner of the Leadville 100 and a number of other ultras — about his story, things he’d do different, and what he’s still hoping to learn.
Clare Gallagher just won the Western States 100, and she did so in spectacular fashion. But there is a whole lot more to this story. So we talk to Clare about the details of her epic win, why on earth she agreed to go on an expedition to Alaska with Tommy Caldwell right before her biggest race of the year, and more.
Scott Jurek called his attempt to break Jennifer Pharr Davis’ FKT record for hiking the Appalachian Trail the hardest thing he’d ever done. And yet, hiking and thru-hiking often isn’t given proper credit either as a monumental test of endurance, or as a more accessible / less intimidating activity to get more people outdoors. So we talk to Jennifer about the divides between hiking culture & trail running culture; lessons from her book, The Pursuit of Endurance, and more.
While participation in trail running and ultra trail races is increasing, it has tended to draw an older crowd. But younger runners are getting into the sport, and they aren’t following all the old conventions. So we discuss the current and future state of trail running and ultra running with two young and rising trail runners, Maddie Hart and Gordon Gianniny.
This past weekend, our Off The Couch co-host, Brendan Leonard, ran the Bighorn Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run. So Jonathan Ellsworth talks with him about why he decided to run it; how he prepared; the highs and lows of the experience; his advice for anyone thinking of running a 100; and whether or not he plans on running another 100 miler.
Stevie Kremer is a world-class runner, but her life sure doesn’t include many of the stereotypes that description might conjure up. So we discuss her unusual training routine; sitcoms & life lessons; how she got into trail running and ski mountaineering; and juggling being a runner, mother, and educator.
Brendan Leonard & Jonathan Ellsworth talk to ultrarunner, Sarah Lavender Smith, about what inspired her to start running; “mommy guilt;” the importance of being process oriented; running marathons with horses; competitiveness; and how she went from smoking and partying to running ultras.
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with filmmaker, Sanjay Rawal, about a 3,100 mile-long race that takes place on a sidewalk in Queens, NY; the attempt to save the traditional ways of life of the San Bushmen of Botswana; the long-distance (and extremely consequential) rituals of a Buddhist monastic community in Japan, and a whole lot more.
In our inaugural episode of Blister’s new running podcast, Off The Couch, Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about their running backgrounds; their love / hate relationships with running; and Strava as a modern-day spiritual exercise??
We are very excited to announce “Off The Couch” — a new podcast that will be taking a closer look at the wide, weird, and wonderful world of running.