On this epsiode we talked about the early volume with the runners, how to deal with Texas winters, when to fuel on your longer runs, and coach Basham talks about her New Zealand racing experience. Kristi and Kelsey have had a great start to the season 13 training. Enjoy the show. Looking for adventure? Check out our retreats.
Brian Murray is an accomplished real estate investor and author who loves trail running and is an amateur endurance athlete. He was on Season 9 of Becoming Ultra and has completed 16 marathons and three ultramarathons. His biggest brush with fame was when he got to be Carly Heard’s teammate on Becoming Ultra. Brian recently returned from a trek to Everest Base Camp and is currently training for the Black Canyon 100K in February. He lives in Alpharetta, Georgia with his wife, son, and two dogs.
It was so fun catching up with our Becoming Ultra teammate who was Carly’s partner for season 9. Brian is not just inspiring because of his accomplishments but because of how he lives his life. Brian shares with us what led him to getting fit later in life, how he maintains good habits, and why it is important to step out of your comfort zone. We also talk about his latest adventure at Everest and how much he gained from the experience. There is some great insight on this podcast. We know you will love this one as much as we do.
IG- @crushingitbrian
If the title says anything it's that these two runners were dealing with some stuff in the last couple weeks. We talk about lot's of life and running in this one so I think you'll enjoy and be able to relate. Enjoy the show!
Marshall Ulrich is an ultra-marathon running legend, adventure racer, mountaineer, and author. He has completed over 130 ultra-marathons, completed a 3,063-mile run across America, he has climbed the tallest summit on each continent, and finished 12 expedition length adventure races, and completed all 10 Eco Challenge Adventure Races, something only two people in the world have done. He has crossed Death Valley on foot for the 30th time to raise money in honor of his dear friend and teammate, Mark Macy, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018. Marshall is arguably one of the most driven men on the planet.
What a privilege it was to spend time talking with Marshall. He is a genuine, kind, and inspiring person. On this episode we talked about the Route 66 Ultra run and why Marshall and his wife Heather created it. We also discuss the special bond with Mark Macy and the Stray Dogs. Marshall explains why it is important to keep challenging yourself and discusses how aging has changed things for him. We also talk about Badwater and the Eco challenges. There is a lot of wisdom in this one. It will always be a special one for us. Enjoy!
IG - @marshall.ulrich
On today's show Scott interviews Jake Rastas, a young athlete who played college football and found ultra running in post grad as a way to continue pushing himself. He brings lots of passion adn it's a great reminder that the roles we start as athletes can always evolve. Enjoy the show!
On this episode Coach Annie Hughes and Scott find out where Jasmine is in her training physically and mentally. She is training for her first 50 miler. Enjoy the show!
Isabel and Stacey are under way with their training from coach Hillary Allen! Intervals and pyramid sets to make it more interesting early on is the goal. Stacey talks about the challenge of switiching from lots of treadmill miles to outside miles and Isabel shares her goal of being able to run up a local route without stopping! Good stuff!
Michael Ormiston was born in Sydney, Australia in 1971. In 1999 he moved to Hong Kong and married his wife, Sandra in 2003, they have 2 daughters ages 16 and 18. His passions are cooking, wine, trail running, cycling, and skiing. In 2016 he was made redundant from his job and moved to France, skiing all winter, and running in the summer, in 2019 he moved back to Hong Kong where he currently resides with his family. Michael is a partner at TouchPoint, Race Director/Partner at RaceBase (organizes Hong Kong trail races). He started racing in 2005 with 10-15k trail and adventure races and built up from there, running his first 100k in 2007. In June of 2022 Michael was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and just finished five months of chemotherapy. He recently did his first trail race post chemo and finished first in his age category. For the past 12 weeks Michael has been training four times a week at the gym with a personal trainer to prepare to compete in Hyrox, a goal race to focus on and celebrate the end of his cancer treatment. He finished the event in 1 hour 23 minutes, placed 5th in his age category and 58th overall.
If you have ever wondered what the impact of a positive mindset has on a very difficult circumstance just listen to this podcast. Michael shares his running and cancer journey; he explains how he used movement as medicine and the power of a positive mindset. We discuss the daily struggles of setting a goal and working towards it while also receiving cancer treatments. We were so moved by Michael and his journey. There are so many beautiful nuggets of wisdom and inspiration in this one.
IG- @ski_run_eat_wine
Early training for the runners of Season 13 is not disappointing. Chelsea gets the work done and has some great, if not funny, feedback about her core work. Delorean nails the runs but may have cut a bit more than a carrot on the cutting board. Hopefully he is ok. We follow the journey of runners doing big things!
Coach Amanda Basham gets to meet her runners for Season 13 for the first time on today's call. Kristi from Texas and Kelsey from Oregon. They both balance so many things and found running in different ways so watching them train for their first 50k and 50 Miler is going to be a blast! Enjoy the show.
Sheri Gewelke loves to run.... and run.... and run....for the pure love of the sport. especially ultramarathons. She has run 1,000s of races and is going on her 12th 100+ miler, which is her specialty. Running is her passion- it is who she is. She is single and a mom of 8 biological children ranging from the ages of 12-28, 5 boys and 3 girls. One of her daughters, Iris, has 3 state records and ran a 50 k barefooted at the Pistol when she was 8 in 7 hours and 26 min. Sheri is a teacher, cross country coach, and athletic director and she just recently got her master’s degree of Education in Administration and Leadership, her Principal's License, and she plans to go back to get her PhD. She is also a personal trainer, a missionary and loves to travel and serve others. Sheri has paced 6 people to 100-mile buckles and a few to state records. Her motto is “Health is wealth”.
Sheri is full of positive energy; she is a doer who always strives for excellence. She is also someone who appreciates the gift of running. On this podcast Sheri tells some great stories with a good message for everyone. She explains what it means to be organic. Sheri also discusses having eight children and how she prioritizes her time to be present for them and herself. We talk about completing 207 miles at the Ozone Endurance Challenge and training in the TN mountains. Sheri lives by the motto a positive mindset is a champion mindset. This one may change the way you think about negativity.
Coach Hillary gets to meet her runners for the first time on this episode. Stacey and Isabel are both on the west coast and we get to know more about them today. We hope you enjoy!
Coach Annie Hughes finally gets to meet her runners for this Season 13 of the Becoming Ultra Project. Jasmine and Darin are respectively the oldest and youngest of the season and they both were great to get to know on this first call. From Darin's sobriety and Jasmine dealing with loss, they are both going to bring so much to the listeners and other runners this season. We hope you enjoy the show!
This is the first episode introducing the runners of Season 13. Delorean will be running his first 50 miler while he tends to family issues like raising young kids and his wife's cancer treatment as well as a busy work life. Chelsea will be running her first 50k in the state she grew up in and is looking to prove to herself what she is capable of. They are being coached by Scott and today's call captures their first time meeting as well. Enjoy the show!
Jennifer E. Rizzo is an ultramarathon runner and award-winning writer from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Her work has been published by Vanity Fair, Motherwell Magazine, and Moms Don’t Have Time to Write. She is a wife and mom to two humans and one dog and is trying to tame a newly adopted semi-feral cat.
We love a guest that when you are chatting it feels so comfortable and authentic. Jennifer is very honest about what it takes to balance family, career, and ultra-running. She shares what ultra-running adds to her life and how she uses it in all areas to improve. On this podcast we get into the hard choices it takes to accomplish your goals. We also talk about Jennifer’s 2021 and 2022 Riverlands 100 attempts. This is a great story! Jennifer shares her experience of crewing for a blind runner and how that has impacted her life.
IG - @jennifererizzo
Scotty Kummer Started Ten Junk Miles around the sane time we got rolling with Becoming Ultra. We bounce around a bunch of topics on the show today from the uniqueness of the 100 miler he race directs to the importance of consistency in running and podcasting. Enjoy the show!
Dusty Hardman was born and raised in New Jersey and lived in Boulder, CO and Victor, ID. She started running in Teton Valley, ID around 2007. Inspired by an interview with Lisa Smith-Batchen in Running Magazine Dusty started running. Starting with a marathon and within two years tackling the Bear 100 in Utah. Having health issues, it took Dusty a while to dial in her training, medications, and overall health. It didn’t take Dusty long to start tackling amazing adventures such as the Barkley Marathons, Badwater 146, Vol State and running across Florida from Coco Beach to Withlacoochie Bay on the Florida Trail. Dusty is one of only a handful of people to complete Badwater 146 and only the second woman. Dusty is inspired by all the amazing ultra-runners she has met and feels honored to toe the line, hang out with or even have so much in common with all of them.
Dusty is one of those amazing unassuming athletes that you probably have never heard of. She has been setting big goals and having incredible adventures for a long time. On this episode we talk about what led Dusty to three Barkley Marathon attempts and the Badwater 146. Dusty also shares some great stories about meeting her ultra-running role models along the way. We discuss health struggles and how that has affected her training and mindset. This one covers a lot; you will enjoy getting to know Dusty.
www.toughlovetraining.net
Recovery after any race or long effort can be different for everyone. We brought on one of Scott's athletes from Sweden who ran through the cold and dark night to get her first 100 miler just a few days before this call. We talk about the unique set up for the run, the charity, and what the goals are for recovery moving forward. Hope you enjoy the chat!
Join Scott, Hillary, Annie, and Amanda as they choose the runners for Season 13 of the Becoming Ultra Project!
Matt Fitzgerald is an endurance sports author, coach, and nutritionist. His many books include The Comeback Quotient, 80/20 Running, and The Endurance Diet, How Bad Do You Want It and his latest book, On Pace, Discover How To Run Every Race At Your Real Limit. 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 always love talking to Matt. He has so much knowledge, we are always grateful to learn from him and share with you. On this podcast we discuss his latest book, On Pace, Discover How To Run Every Race At Your Real Limit. We talk about all things pacing, including:
This book is a great reference book to have on hand. Grab a copy and enjoy the podcast!
Every runner stops getting faster at some point, but pacing is something that any runner can get better at indefinitely.
The true winner among competitive runners is not the swiftest but the happiest, and the happiest runner is the freest runner, and the freest runner is the runner who has most fully mastered the art of finding his or her limit.
Book available at:
80/20books.com
Mattfitzgerald.org
80/20endurance.com
From across the country, and world, applicants shared the reasons they wanted to be a part of the Becoming Ultra Project! We will be choosing during the selection show so stay tuned. Thanks for listening.
Excuse the cheesy title but this is basically how it all went down. Bailey and Katie met on Season 10 of the Becoming Ultra project and became fast friends. Today's show is a dive into why they both live a certain lifestyle when it comes to food and where we get our food. More than the light debate, the lesson is that we can all get along with the biggest personal differences. A good lesson for the world right now! It's a great conversation and hope you all enjoy!
You have put in so much work over this challenge. If you completed it all I would love to hear from you so shoot me a message at becomingultra@gmail.com. I want to know what your experience was like!
The 12th run is here! We call this the grateful run.. The goal is to reflect on the things in your life you are grateful for and have fun doing it! Every 10 minutes for 50 minutes you will focus on a different aspect to be grateful for. I came up with this while visiting my family years ago and even recorded a video explaining. You can watch it here if you like.
I personally am grateful you are a part of this all!
The Grateful Run
1-10: For a working body
11-20. For a working mind
21-30 for important people in your life
31-40 for important people you have lost
41-50 for your future
If you liked this challenge, maybe you'll like a year long one I came up with called the Be Ultra Year.
In any case,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and thanks so much!
On the 11th Run Of Christmas...
11 accelerations @ 100 meters
How it's done:
This is a fun one to coach in person so you have to self manage this one to be smart and avoid any tweaks. For some of you the peak pace is going to look like a sprint and for some it'll look like a fast jog. Be sure to slow down slowly. Meters can be interchangeable with yards as it is just a good way to visualize the effort!
See you tomorrow for the last and 12th run!
On the 10th Run of Christmas...
We hope you are enjoying this challenge. The 10th run isn't necessarily hard but it is time consuming.
Go for a double digit run OR go for your longest run. Go out and spend some time in the fresh air and have a good one!
If your longest run to date is 5 miles we would suggest to not add more than a couple miles.
Enjoy the relaxed pace and the effort you have put into this so far!
Great work and see you tomorrow on the 11th day.