Bryan has been a runner most of his life but has suffered some major setbacks that would sideline most of us for good. He has not given up on his love of running and has accomplished some epic things, Tahoe200, Air force marathon, Marine corp. marathon. Chicago marathon 3 x’s, Big Foot 200, Moab 240, Deliriouswest 200 just to name a few. Bryan is also a husband and father, retired from the military with 30 years of service and currently the owner and CEO of Polaris Laboratories.
What a great conversation we had with Bryan. Bryan has a passion for inspiring others and it really comes through. In this podcast Bryan shares his struggles with some substantial injuries and how he overcame them. He takes us on some of his great trail running adventures and gives some solid advice on how to manage the family, work, life balance. We left this one feeling like there are some big adventures ahead of us and we can tackle them. We hope you feel the same! Here is a quote from Bryan I think we can all relate to.
“I never feel I really know a place until I experience it on foot”
Ian has been racing around the world in all styles of event since 2005 and coaching since 2010, having run over 200 ultras and marathons (PR: 2:21) in every type of weather and on all terrains. He's won over 50 multi-day races/road marathons/trail ultras or adventure races with experience of running in many mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies and European Alps. He also holds the fastest time in a trail 100-mile race by a Brit (12h44m), the record for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (69h49m), has won the USATF 100-mile trail championship twice and is a four-time Leadville Trail 100 Champion. Ultra-Running Magazine has voted him as high as 2nd in its annual Ultra Runner of the Year rankings and 4th= in Ultra Runner of the Decade.
What a treat it was for us to be able to interview our running coach. Ian shares stories about his many adventures including coming to the US (hello, visa process) and more importantly his first ultra. He is truly one of the most optimistic and positive people we have ever met. If you need a little push to do something epic this is the episode for you. We really enjoyed this chat with Ian and hope you do as well.
To learn more about Ian, visit the following:
https://www.instagram.com/sharmanian/
https://twitter.com/sharmanian
Matt Fitzgerald is an endurance sports author, coach, and nutritionist. His many books include The Comeback Quotient, 80/20 Running, and The Endurance Diet and How Bad Do You Want It. Matt’s writings have also appeared in numerous magazines, including Outside and Runner’s World, and on popular websites such as podiumrunner.com and nbcnews.com. He is a cofounder of 80/20 Endurance and the creator of the Diet Quality Score smartphone app. A lifelong endurance athlete, he speaks frequently at events throughout the United States and internationally.
We are excited to have Matt share is first humbling ultra-experience with us. In this podcast Matt gets real on the challenges of being a lifelong road runner and switching to trails. Matt also opens up about his struggles since getting COVID-19 and what running is like for him now. We loved learning more about Matt and left this one more optimistic and inspired.
To learn more about Matt, visit the following:
IG: fitzgerald.matt
Twitter: @ mattfitwriter
Websites: mattfitzgerald.org, 8020endurance.com
Jeffrey James Binney is a Salt Lake City based ultra-runner, motivational speaker, actor, singer, and comedian. Jeffrey grew up on a farm in Laredo, MO before moving to Brooklyn, NY & later Los Angeles after receiving his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre Performance from Missouri State University. Jeffrey has been seen on Late Night with David Letterman, in the 1st National Tour and Chicago Company of the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and at comedy clubs and festivals across the country. Jeffrey’s award-winning film, Once Is Enough, chronicles his journey after losing his mom to obesity-caused heart disease.
We all love a good first ultra-story and Jeffrey has a fantastic one. If you thought his documentary, Once Is Enough, told the entire story just wait because there is more. Jeffrey will keep you entertained as we discuss his journey to Becoming Ultra. We could not think of a better guest for our first My First Ultra podcast. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did.
To learn more about Jeffrey, visit the following:
JJB.life | LinkedIn
(@jeffreybinney) Instagram
(@JeffreyBinney) | Twitter
Jeffrey James Binney – Home | Facebook
Local to Steph Dannenberg, Anthony came out for a group Becoming Ultra run where they met for the first time. Anthony came in with an ambitious goal of completing his first ultra, the Dances with Dirt Devil's Lake 50 miler...in the middle of July! Not everything went according to plan as we listen to his story. But not everything has to go right for you to have an epic adventure! This is also not the end of the trail for Anthony as he has his sights in Tunnel Hill 100 in the fall! Hope you enjoy another edition of My First Ultra here on the podcast.
Today we interview Kevin from Team BU about his first Ultra, the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty 50k out in Colorado. This is special because this will be one of our mini featured races this year in 2019 and we get an inside view and sneak peek on what's to come. Hope you enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Paula was going to run the American River 50 last year but tragedy hit her family and she couldn't use her training for the event. So, she refocused her efforts to a 50 miler in the Alaskan wilderness. Listen to the experience on today's show which features the first ultra of runners all over the world!
David wanted to pick somewhere really cool for his first ultra so he ran in Ireland. Well, things didn't go as well as expected so listen to how he recalibrated and went back. My First Ultra is all about runners' experiences with their first Ultra! Enjoy the show!
We really wanted to share one of our favorite My First Ultra episodes from the past year. Niki has some great stories!
Niki Hurst is from Squamish and after this interview, most of you will probably say the same in about a year. The trail and mountain lifestyle and the friends that pulled her along the way to eventually experience her first ultra. The big mistake she made on that first 50. Why you should try something so epic!
Angie was an absolute joy to have on the show. Her passion for life and her lifestyle is matched by the wisdom she has picked up along the way. Know someone who think they are too "old" to do these things? Share this show.
This episode is sponsored by Health IQ, an insurance company that helps health conscious people get special life insurance rates. Go to healthiq
Thanks for listening!
Our guest really hasn't been running for that long but he has come a long way for sure. A doctors visit, lifestyle change, and move across the country has totally changed his life. Listen to get excited and inspired to run!
Thanks for listening.
Wesley Trimble. This dude had me wanting to go on and on forever. His adventures are more epic than 99.9% of us, elite or otherwise. If this account of a first ultra doesn't inspire you, we give up;)
Another great story of perseverance and running long distance!
From our guest:
"I'm an American expat now based in Scotland. I completed my first ultra last week, a 50k along the Great Trossachs Path in Scotland's first national park. I actually missed the race that I was due to compete in -- the Great Tartan Skidaddle -- because on race day, I was in hospital on a drip after being rushed in by ambulance because of a blood infection due to pneumonia (ait was approaching sepsis and apparently quite dangerous). I was gutted to miss the race. I recovered well and decided to run the race route as a solo affair with a friend from my trail running crew (the Carron Valley Trail Runners) and my wife. I even spoke to the race director after I completed the route. So I did complete my first ultra, just a week later than planned."
Enjoy the show.
Alice had wanted to run an ultra for some time. When she saw the chance for some serious training, she jumped at the opportunity. A fun and real look at everyday runners going for epic goals!
Ginger Gutting is a runner from Fredericksburg, VA. A co-worker got her interested enough to train for and run her first ultra, the JFK50. It was a heck of a day. Listen to how it went, how she trained and who she got to agree to run it with her again this year!
My First Ultra tells the stories of runners' first ultra. Our guest is from Lafayette, Indiana and works as a Director of Communication. Find out how long he gave himself from sign up until race day. What was his training like? What did he do for nutrition? The more we can share normal runners' stories from their ultra's the more everyone will learn before their first!
On this episode our guest lost his dad at a fairly young age and had his first child around the same time. It was time for a lifestyle change, big time. Hear his story about how he did it and what his first ultra was like.
Thanks for listening!
Our guest is from New Jersey and she shares her story of never running to reaching her first ultra, and now, 50 milers to her credit. Listen to her systematic approach and how she made it happen from her training to her support system.
My First Ultra is a part of the Becoming Ultra family.
My First Ultra is a purely entertaining account of random runners and their first ultra. Whether they completed it or failed horribly we figure someone out there will learn something. Did they hallucinate, eat enough, chafe their little legs off? Listen and find out! Warning...eff bombs on this episode. She couldn't help herself.
Be sure to check out the home front at www.becomingultra.com
My First Ultra is all about sharing stories of the first ultra our guest ever ran. Some glorious feats and some sloppy cry fests. Either way, you are bound to learn something from you peers on the trails.
Learn from every day runners who go and do epic distances for the first time. On this episode learn from a military attorney who shares insights from his very well known coach. What did Alzheimer's have to do with motivating him? When and where was his first ultra? What does "Be Like Water" mean to him? What was his base before starting his training. This and much more on this episode of the Becoming Ultra production!
This one gets pretty uncomfortable, literally. We go a bit longer in the episode because there was so much to talk about regarding chafing, bears, and training. Becoming Ultra is here to relate to the world of first time ultra runners. Pop those head phones in, go for a run and enjoy the show!
Moriah hails from Northeast Pennsylvania and started running about 5 years ago. It wasn't until she recently found trail running that she feels she truly found her passion. There will be blood, and bones showing, mud, and lots more to learn from her first experiences as an ultra runner. We just hope you pick something up from her!