In this episode Scott chats with Chris Avery, a coach and ultra runner, about his journey from hating running to embracing ultra marathons. They discuss Chris's ambitious plan to run the perimeter of America, setting a world record for consecutive ultra marathons, and the challenges and logistics involved. Chris shares insights on personal growth, the importance of unique challenges, and the impact of running on his life and coaching career.
On this episode Scott and Hans Kaspersetz discuss Hans's transformative journey from being 305 pounds to becoming an ultra runner. They explore themes of family dynamics, the challenges of parenting, the importance of mindset in overcoming obstacles, and the parallels between running and business. Hans shares his experiences with weight loss, health transformation, and the impact of his journey on his children. They talk about urban running and challenges to keep it fresh and fun!
We hope you enjoy the show!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
05:49 Journey into Ultra Running
14:51 Weight Loss Transformation and Its Impact
19:57 Comparing Past and Present Experiences
24:49 Parenting and Modeling Behavior
26:41 Transformative Journeys: Family and Fitness
28:03 The Enduring Why: Motivation and Identity
31:23 Navigating Age and Activity: Staying Active as We Age
34:09 Urban Running: Challenges and Creative Solutions
40:25 Pain and Performance: Lessons from Ultra Running and Business
Scott sits down with Marie Leautey to talk about her epic run around the world, yes, the world!
Enjoy the show and read below for a solid AI description of it all!!
Title: Running the World: Marie Leautey's Incredible Journey of Self-Discovery
Introduction:
In a world where adventure often feels out of reach, Marie Leautey's story is a testament to the power of determination and the transformative nature of running. From a life of smoking to becoming a world runner, Marie's journey is not just about the miles; it’s about rediscovering oneself and embracing new challenges.
Main Content:
1. **A Nomadic Background**
Marie Ludie, known affectionately as Lootie, hails from France but has lived in various countries, making her a true global citizen. Speaking four languages and having experience in multiple cultures, her nomadic lifestyle has shaped her perspective on life and fitness. It was during her time as a nomad that she discovered the joys of running, which allowed her to explore new places intimately.
2. **The Turning Point**
At the age of 26, Marie faced a pivotal moment when she realized her unhealthy lifestyle was holding her back. A friend invited her to run, and after merely 500 meters, she found herself out of breath, a shocking realization for someone so young. This moment ignited a fire within her, prompting her to quit smoking and commit to a healthier lifestyle. She vowed never to miss a day of running, turning her newfound passion into a daily habit that transformed her life.
3. **The Concept of the World Run**
The dream of running around the world emerged in 2017 while Marie was working as a CFO in Singapore. Bored and doodling during a conference call, she sketched a figure running around a globe. Upon researching, she discovered that only six people had accomplished such a feat before her. This validation fueled her desire to embark on her own world run, leading her to spend two years preparing mentally and physically for the challenge.
4. **The Journey Begins**
Marie began her world run in December 2019, just three months before the pandemic changed the world. Over the next three years, she would cover over 26,000 kilometers, experiencing diverse cultures and landscapes across multiple continents. Each day brought new challenges and new perspectives, making her journey not just a physical challenge but also a spiritual and emotional one.
5. **The Rules of Engagement**
Marie’s journey was guided by the World Runners Association, which established the rules for world runs. This included a minimum distance requirement and a set path that navigated the planet’s continents while accounting for the vast bodies of water. These regulations helped Marie shape her route, ensuring her journey was both authentic and recognized by the running community.
On this episode Scott shares 5 ideas to get the most out of your December to hit the ground running in January. Some are great reminders and a couple may be new to you. In any case, we think you'll be able to take one or two things away from this episode to enjoy the start of the new year! Thanks for listening.
In this episode of Becoming Ultra, host Scott Jones speaks with Mary Martin, the race director of the Stand Hope Ultra Challenge. They discuss Mary's journey from the East Coast to Idaho, her involvement in the ultra running community, and the challenges of organizing ultra marathons. They talk about the unique aspects of the races, including elevation gains, course navigation, and the importance of community and volunteers. Mary shares insights on the growth of the race, safety measures, and the local culture surrounding Ketchum, Idaho including a crazy weekend Scott spent at Rebecca's Prvate Idaho mountain biking event. We hope you enjoy the new episode!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mary Martin and Stand Hope Ultra Challenge
03:30 Moving to Idaho: Embracing the Outdoors
06:25 Mary's Journey into Ultra Running
08:24 Understanding the Ultra Running Community
10:29 Experiences in Ketchum and the Ultra Culture
13:45 Race Details: Elevation and Course Challenges
16:24 The 100-Mile Race: Growth and Challenges
19:07 Community and Participation in Races
20:42 Transitioning Leadership: Mary Takes Over
23:22 Safety and Navigation in the Mountains
24:00 Accommodations and Local Culture
26:29 Post-Race Celebrations and Community Engagement
26:54 Registration and Volunteer Opportunities
29:43 Future Plans and Changes for the Race
32:32 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement
Becoming Ultra is back after a little 4 month hiatus! Scott hops on to share what's been going on and what to look forward to with BU. The lessons from running far transend to podcasting, business, and more and we hope to continue to inspire and educate more people to get out there and do hard, epic things!
A Deep Dive into the Hard Rock 100 with Race Director Dale In this episode, Scott chats with Dale, the race director of the Hard Rock 100 Endurance Run. They discuss Dale's personal journey, the origins and evolution of the Hard Rock 100, and his experiences as both an educator and a race director. Dale shares insights on the importance of community in the race, the logistics involved with organizing the event, and how the race has positively affected the local economy. They also delve into the challenges of maintaining the course, managing the lottery system, and advice for new participants. The episode wraps up with tips on race directing, emphasizing the significance of relationships and effective communication.
00:00 Catch-Up and Family Life
00:49 Professional Background and Retirement
02:28 Exploring Local Trails
02:53 Teaching Career and Passion for Leadership
04:33 Introduction to Hard Rock 100
04:56 Founding and Early Days of Hard Rock 100
07:00 Course Mapping and Permitting Challenges
07:53 Managing Hard Rock 100
16:21 Economic Impact and Community Relations
27:20 Lottery System and Community Building
31:31 The Significance of 146 Participants
33:19 Challenges of Managing the Lottery System
36:00 Technological Advancements in Ultra Running
36:46 Funding and Philanthropy Efforts
41:33 Memorable Moments and Finishers
46:34 Future of Hard Rock and Ultra Running
48:32 Advice for First-Time Ultra Race Directors
52:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Scott had a chance to sit down with Ben Tracy who is running across the country to highlight the importance on online safety for our youth. Some of the stories from the kids he gets to meet are pretty wild and it's a cause we can get behind with young kids being so vulnerable to the evils online.
Ben Tracyis a leading keynote speaker on digital citizenship, online safety, and responsiblesocial media use. Drawing from personal experience, Ben shares his compelling story aboutthe impact of teenage social media usage at schools and organizations nationwide.Ben is currently running across America to advocate for youth online safety. He is running amarathon each day for 120 consecutive days while speaking at schools and organizationsalong the way. His mission is simple: Keep Kids Safe.As the founder of Safe Social Network, Ben provides essential online safety resources forstudents, parents, and educators. He speaks to more than 100,000 people each year andvolunteers his time to help families report online predators and internet crimes to lawenforcement. Additionally, he awards scholarships annually to high school seniors whoactively promote positive social media usage, mental health awareness, and anti-bullying.
Cale Pearson was a runner for Season 11 of the Becoming Ultra project. One thing that has been so cool are the side projects and trickle down of the project. We have had books written about the project, podcasts started, friendships, and so much more. On this episode Cale brought some of his peers from the Freight brokering industry on his channel to talk about an upcoming team ultra at Desert Rats (where Cale ran his first ultra). We hope you enjoy.
Cale's biz You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@B2BTransportationServices
Hurricane Helene ravaged many of the communities in the mountains of North Carolina. Scott brings Mariah from Season 10 of the Becoming Ultra project on to talk about her small town of Spruce Pine and the effect of the damage. We came up with a challenge to use as a fundraiser to help the rebuild. You can join the challenge here.
Enjoy another episode about ultra endurance. Our guest, Jenn Pattee, is an ultra runner and entrepreneur who took on the challenge of riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Canada to Mexico. Seeing how much the sport of running can open up opportunities for adventure is always inspiring. Enjoy the show
Check out here adventure on IG and Follow Jenn
Delorean Ostrom was a featured runner on Season 13 of the project. His amazing wife lost her battle with a rare cancer in January and we wanted to check in on Delorean. He is setting some big running and fitness goals while starting a new restaurant business and raising his two young daughters. This one is full of love and emotion and we hope if you or someone you know is going through a tough time that this conversation helps even a little. Thanks for listening.
Donate to the Cholangiocarcinoma foundation here.
Today's episode is a change up from typical ultra conversations but an important one nonetheless. Whether you are training for the Olympics or your own big goals, having coaches and people in your corner that want the best for you on the field or trail is important. One of Scott's former athletes shares her journey with the author of All In Stride to hopefully help other athletes navigate training, disordered eating, and more. Hope you enjoy!
In All in Stride, Johanna Garton tells the gripping and inspiring stories of Elvin and Shadrack. Beginning with their upbringing in Kenya, Garton follows the runners through their journeys to the United States, running for Division One universities, their blossoming romance as college students, and ultimately their service as U.S. soldiers and professional runners. Woven through the narrative is the story of Samantha Schultz, who also competed for the U.S. Army. Like Elvin and Shadrack, she struggled with several obstacles throughout her journey, including poor coaching, over training, the intense pressure to make the Olympic team, and disordered eating, a condition that plagues so many young female athletes.
Most endurance athletes have heard about post race blues. In this short one I give 6 ways to plan for it should it happen so you are ready to move on mentally and physically from your epic adventures, races, and other efforts!
Scott and Dylan have a great conversation that goes all over the place.
We hope you enjoyed the show!
Scott and Jason Fitzgerald catch up on all things running from group run etiquette to losing his voice cheering for one mile racers. We talk about why he has kept a running journal for decades and so much more in a fun conversation from the Strength Running founder.
Scott had a chance to interview Phil Parsons the day before he embarks on the 444 mile Natchez Trace effort.
The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile stretch of road that begins in Nashville and ends in Natchez, MS. To date, no one holds the record for the fastest known time (FKT), Natchez-trace-parkway-FKT completing the southbound journey on foot. This adventure is exactly what I am going to do this September — Suicide Awareness Month — to bring awareness to the issues of mental health and suicide among Veterans.
His story is one that is too commonly ended with a less positive outcome. We have to love on our veterans and share what is bringing them together! Running is often the answer, or a piece of it. Hope you enjoy the show!
Join Scott and his partner with Adventure Leadership Retreats, Cale Pearson. After spending time doing hards things and getting others to do and succeed at hard things, we wanted to bring an event that combined the skills we learn doing these things with leadership skills that can help in work, sport, and life. The inaugural leadership retreat is coming in Februaury of 2024 in beautiful Costa Rica. Learn more here.
On this episode Scott interviews his friend and client about the recently completed Tahoe 200. From running to manage weight to full on catching the ultra bug, Brent shares his story of the first thought to do a 200 to the training and ultimately the effort itself. We think most every day runners will enjoy this show! Thanks for listening!
Scott got to talk with his Aunt on the show today. And while she could probably spend a whole episode sharing travel adventures and recipes (she's an amazing cook) we decided that debunking myths around wound care in 2023 would be a much more helpful and practical subject. We talk about the differences in care over the last couple decades and give some tactics that can help you and your family take care of cuts, abrasions, and more. While this inofrmation is great for us runners who catch a toe every once in awhile it's really just good information for everyone.
My favorite parts:
Enjoy the show!
Becoming Ultra is to share the stories of everyday people doing amazing things. Check out the new intro and voice talent to kick things off. Scott goes all the way back to 2015 to do a quick recap of every season since the projects inception. He shares where Season 14 is going to be and shares the new vision for Team BU 2.0.
Enjoy the show!
Join the team, we'd love to have you and need the help!
Check out retreats.
We have coaching spots open now too.
We had the chance to talk to Luke Tuttle of Ultra Running Destinations. He uses the site to review trails and events all over the world. On this episode we got to talk about some of the amazing locales and adventures Luke has been on and we get to learn more about his story. If you like running and travel, you'll love this episode.. Thanks for listening!
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!
Join Scott as he catches everyone up on ways to engage and be a part of the Becoming Ultra community from year long challenges to hyper seasonal challenges and everything else! Enjoy the show.
Check out everything else here.
We were so excited to get the founder of the Pacuare Outdoor Center on the show to talk about how the business came to be and why doing eco tourism the right way is so important. We wanted to do our retreats a bit different so we are getting off the grid and away from the traditional tourists traps in Costa Rica and we can't wait to show you all how to run and adventure in this beautiful country!