Becoming Ultra

Coaches Ian Sharman, Scott Jones, Lindsay LaForce, and Addie Bracy get together to talk about the upcoming Season 15 for Becoming Ultra.  Season 15 will be held at the Grindstone Trail Running Festival in Virginia in September.  If you are ready to run your first ultra, consider applying for the newest offering from Becoming Ultra. You won't be disappointed!     Season 15

Amanda is cruising through some long efforts on the trails and getting more comfortable in her new running surroundings.  Addie brings some wisdom to call about race as a celebration of the training and accessing your best at any moment.  It's been a great ramp up to Amanda's first ultra.  Hope you enjoy!  Season 15 is taking applications now!

Brittany is only a few weeks away from running her first ultra and she had some specific course questions for her coach Ian Sharman.  How do I deal with stream crossings.  Do I take off my shoes?  Change socks right after?  How can I prep for the heat in the desert since the training has been in cooler weather?  Great questions for the ramp up to her first ultra.  We hope you enjoy!

Scott Hagerty is a fellow BU teammate, grandfather, and ultra runner. We had a blast talking to Scott about all things trail running. Scott has an incredible knack for finding the coolest races. We get a fun recap of the Outlaw 100 and talk about the upcoming Earth Day Buckle Mania race. Scott discusses how he makes his love of running a family affair and keeps his need for adventure alive. Scott’s reason for running will resonate with a lot of us who started hitting the trails later in life. We hope to hear more race recaps from Scott in the future!

We have found an amazing race partner for the next season of Becoming Ultra.  We are headed back east for epic trails and memories in the mountains of Virginia.  On the show today we have the founder and RD of the Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB, Clark Zealand.  As a collegiate runner, Clark started his ultra running journey in the late 90's.  It led to him eventually starting the Grindstone 100 miler.  He talks about his own running journey, the Grindstone course and history, and the area as we pain a picture of the partner race for Season 15.   If you or someone you know wants to train for and run your first 50k, applications are live now.  APPLY

Mari has a few questions and concersn abou thte race in Sedona as she nears the end of the training cycle.  We set up expectations for the last training weeks for her first ultra! Enjoy.

We would like to dedicate this episode to our friend and fellow Team BU member, DeLorean, whose wife, Mandy recently lost her battle with cancer. Caitlin Miller lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and rescue greyhound. She loves running but almost gave up on it after a debilitating lower back injury. Not soon after a long recovery and getting back to running she learned about the depths of grief and running through it. We hope Caitlin’s story will inspire others and instill perseverance in those struggling to get back to doing what they love. We are so fortunate to connect with amazing people through this podcast. Caitlin is full of self-awareness and wisdom. She has turned to writing to help her get through hard things. Below are two paragraphs from Caitlin about being injured and getting back to running and running through grief. “To injured runners out there, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know it’s hard to see it and my closest friends will tell you I didn’t always believe them. On your b

Nutrition coach Abby is back to answer another listener question.  Should athletes be concerned with whole foods on the run?  We talk about the different options and what variables may or may not change how you decide to fuel your runs.  Enjoy!

Amanda got the full trail race treatment at her first trail race recently.  Full with mud, rain, cold, snow, and slosh she learned a lot to bring with her to her first ultra in April! She also ran her longest of the training, a 22 mile and is realizing that trail running has a "more unexpected element" compared to road running!  We think it's the best part of the sport.  Enjoy the show!

Megan Eckert is someone who has found her community and embraced them. She didn’t start trail running until she was 30. Recently, at the Snowdrop Ultra she completed 218.87 miles, set a new female course record, and qualified for the US National 24-hour team. Three weeks later she was the last person standing at the Saguara Showdown Backyard Ultra, completing 270 miles. Megan talks about those experiences with gratitude and enthusiasm. We also talk about her influence as a cross country coach and how she wants to show her students the joy of running. Megan discusses what training looks like for her, self-care, and how she uses hobbies like backpacking in her training and recovery. Megan is a great role model for trail running and women. We are big fans of Megan, and you will be too after hearing this one! IG - @_megeckert

As Mari continues to train for her first ultra she keeps breaking her own personal records.  In the last couple weeks she has put up the most volume for a week ever and the fastest mile ever.  Pretty impressive in the middle of the big volume.  We talk about the training for the last month and answer some more about race day! Enjoy the show!

As Brittany works through a slight setback her coach, Ian Sharman, makes sure she is getting ready for the start of her first 50k with a thoughtful approach to dealing with niggles and ramping up for big running goals!  We hope you enjoy!

The owner and founder of our partner race for Season 14 is back on with her social media and community manager to talk about the weekend festivities, local happenings, and race course so you can show up in Arizona ready to roll.  Enjoy the show!

Libby Jones is the founder and Race Director for The Active Joe. Since 2008 she has been putting on fun, friendly, affordable races with a focus inclusion. Libby Jones is a race director with a passion for bringing all people together. On this podcast we discuss how she creates races that include the underrepresented in running. We also discuss her journey to become a Western States qualifier and what it takes to organize these races. Libby stands by her morals and does everything with heart and a mindfulness that is unmatched. IG - @theactivejoe linktr.ee/theactivejoe IG - @libbyruns

Chad Sullivan is a father, husband, writer, and ultra runner. He is the creator of Hard Prairie, a magazine and website that highlights the trail and ultra running community with human stories of vulnerability and beautiful photography that compliments each story. We talked with Chad about his journey to sobriety and the changes it brought to his life. We learn about Chad’s running background and how he found his way to writing for Eat Clean, Run Dirty magazine and eventually starting Hard Prairie, a story telling magazine. Chad discusses how the ultra-running community has supported him and impacted his life. His passion for connecting people through stories is inspiring. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. IG - ultra.sully hardprairie.com 

Nutrition coach and RD Abby Penamonte McQueeny and coach Scott Jones discuss more listener questions in the new series about nutrition and fueling for runners.  Today's question was "For those of us who HATE logging our food. Is there an alternative?"  Enjoy the show and shoot us your best questions for upcoming episodes!

As Amanda recovers this week Addie preps for her first race of the season in the PNW.  We even have Amanda give her coach some advcie for the effort!  Becoming Ultra follows the journey of first time ultra runners.  Enjoy!

Brittany is still dealing with the shin pain that kind of sidelined her for a couple weeks but it is getting better.  He lays out a plan for her to keep her focused and confident that setbacks aren't always as final as we feel they are in the moment.  We hope you enjoy!

Please listen with an open mind and heart. When we are open to expanding our views and learning with compassion it is a beautiful thing and that is what sparks change. Eric Quallen is a trans ultra runner, Wildlife Biologist who recently obtained his PhD, he is a dog lover, and master educator for leave no trace. He has completed many ultra marathons including Moab 240, Wyoming Range 100, and Zion 100. Eric is one of the most open and honest people we have had on our podcast. He shares his journey as a trans runner and discusses his experiences through transitioning. Eric tells us what trail running brings to his life and what it is like to run 240 miles. We discuss challenges he has faced, mental health and so much more. Eric not just living, he is thriving.  

Mari has had some mentally down moments after her long run from a couple weeks ago had her reeling a bit.  Her coach Scott gives perspective from a few different angles to get her back on track.  Realizing that so many go through the same tough spots is so helpful for new ultra runners.  We hope you enjoy!