Off The Couch

The “Rocky Mountain Grand Slam”: it involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain (the equivalent of summiting Everest 11 times from sea level). And Vuori & Athletic Brewing athlete, Jason Hardrath, recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast Jonathan Ellsworth catches up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.

Jason Hardrath & The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam (Ep.180)

The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain, and Jason Hardrath recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So we caught up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Sarah Ostaszewski on Winning Round 3 at the Cocodona 250 (Ep.172)

Sarah Ostaszewski has run the Cocodona 250 all three years of its existence and each time she’s gotten faster and faster. Her latest attempt on the grueling 250-mile course took her just over three days, good enough for the win and a fourth-place overall finish. We sat down with Sarah to talk about the allure of multi-day events; why she keeps coming back to the Cocodona 250; and more.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Andy Wacker on Creating A Roadmap to Professional Trail Running (Ep.167)

Earlier this year, Salomon Athlete Andy Wacker launched The Trail Team, an independent development program aimed at providing mentorship, skill development, and media exposure to 6 aspiring pro trail runners in the US. We spoke to him, as well as two of his Trail Team athletes, Lauren Gregory and Sam Hendry, about the organization’s backstory, their respective goals, and much more.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Max Romey on “No Lost Shoes,” Nnormal, and Striving for Sustainability in the Footwear Industry (Ep.164)

We talked to artist, filmmaker, trail runner, and proud Alaskan, Max Romey, about some of the environmental challenges facing the footwear industry outlined in his latest film for Nnormal, “No Lost Shoes.” Along the way, we also explore the imperfections of painting in water color; Nnormal’s forward-thinking sustainability model; grassroots climate activism; and more.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Ryan Scura on “Urban Oasis,” Trail Running in San Francisco, and the Importance of Green Spaces in Cities (Ep.163)

Together, Ryan Scura and Dylan Ladds make up Dooster, the award winning production company the two childhood friends created to tell outdoor adventure stories through film. We recently sat down with Ryan to talk about one of their latest projects, “Urban Oasis: A Love Letter to San Francisco,” a short that explores trail running in one of California’s most densely populated cities.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Katie Asmuth on Beating the Injury Bug, Mom Strength, & Golden Ticket Season (Ep.158)

While running injuries are undoubtedly the suckiest part of the sport, they’re also perhaps the most inevitable, so learning how to approach them mentally can make time on the shelf an opportunity for growth. After being sidelined with a broken foot for most of 2022, we talked to Saucony Athlete Katie Asmuth about how she used her injury as a way to engage with the trail running community in different ways, and much more.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Dani Moreno on Stepping Up In Distance, Spearfishing, & Planning for Podiums (Ep.154)

As a newly minted thirty-year-old, Dani Moreno has already been racing trails professionally for the better part of a decade. Over the last couple of years, she’s solidified her status as one of the world’s best sub-ultra distance trail runners. We sat down with her just after the New Year to recap some memorable performances from 2022; dive into topics such as spearfishing, pain tolerance, and what to look for in a college track & field program; and much more.

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Off The Couch, BLISTER

Jeff Colt on Chasing Western States, the Beats, & Managing Expectations (Ep.152)

For On athlete, Jeff Colt, the chase for a coveted spot into Western States had been a multi-year saga fraught with close calls and near misses, that is until a near-perfectly executed run at the Black Canyon 100k in February earned him a Golden Ticket and automatic entry. We pick up Jeff’s story there and hear all about his journey leading up to Western States, a play-by-play of his 11th-place finish, and much more.

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