Everyday Ultra

While most teenagers never get into the Ultrarunning scene, our guest today jumped right into the madness of the sport at a young age. And given his love for pushing himself, finding out what he’s capable of, and seeking new challenges, he’s been on a track to become one of the more noteworthy names in the sport. Our guest today is Owen Thornton, and he’s a 19-year old ultrarunner based out of North Carolina. And he’s already notched up impressive results such as top 20 at Javelina Jundred, a win at Unico 100M, and several podium finishes at other ultras. In this episode, Owen shares how he’s been able to make progress so quickly at a young age in ultrarunning, why he is training on a 3-workouts-in-a-row plan, and stories on how he was able to bounce back from low points in some of his past races. Huge thank you to Owen for being on the show! LINKS: Check out Zach Bitter’s Coaching: zachbitter.com/coaching Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra Follow Owen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owenrthornton/ Follow Owen on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/33159965?oq=owen%20th Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

The Barkley Marathons is known as one of the hardest (if not, THE hardest) ultramarathon in the world; only amassing about 17 finishers since the race’s start in 1986. It takes a level of grit, determination, and internal motivation to complete the 5-loop adventure in Tennessee. And today’s guest is someone who has finished it TWICE. John Kelly is an endurance athlete for La Sportiva, who is a two-time Barkley finisher, and is an accomplished mountain runner. On top of his finishes at the race that eats its young, he also has top ten finishes at Bandera 100K and Hardrock 100K. And outside of running, he is a family man and the CTO of Envelop Risk. Since John has been on multiple podcasts recapping his second Barkley finish, we decided to take a different approach on this episode, and chatted more about his approach towards goal setting, his relationship with suffering, finding meaning and fullfillment in life, and how to get better at anything. This is truly a special episode! Huge thank you to John for coming on the show! LINKS Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra John’s website to follow his journey: https://www.randomforestrunner.com/ Follow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

Being ranked 10th Ultrarunner of the Year in 2022, Rich Lockwood is an athlete who loves the joy of running, while also setting his eyes to compete with some of the best in the sport. And that love for the mountains and competition awarded him the 10th ranked Ultrarunner of the Year in 2022. Based out of the Seattle, Washington area, Rich Lockwood has been ascending up the ranks as one of the best runners in our sport. Winning Run Rabbit Run last year, coming second in Doi Inthanon, and first at Tushers 100K, Rich has been taking the ultrarunning world by storm. And in this episode, Rich shares his keys to success when it comes to mountain running, his approach to racing internationally for the first time last year, and how he has made progress to become one of the best athletes in our sport. Huge thank you to Rich for coming on the show! LINKS Check out Zach Bitter’s Training Plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Check out Zach Bitter’s Coaching Options: zachbitter.com/coaching Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra Follow Rich on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardalexlockwood/?hl=en Follow Rich on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/20120785?oq=rich%20loc Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

Today’s guest put up an incredible race at one of the most competitive 100K races in the world last month at Black Canyon, coming in 8th place male in an incredibly stacked field. But the coolest part about it? He was just over 30th place when he was 20 miles into the race. Meaning, he made some massive moves out there. A big part to his success? Building confidence and believing in himself to never give up. And this belief has led Elliot Cardin to accomplish many great things in his running career, including a previous Golden Ticket win, multiple first place and podium finishes, and being a professional runner. Elliot Cardin is a professional runner for Norda based in Canada, and is making a name for himself as one of the biggest up and coming athletes in the sport. Coming from a skateboarding background, he quickly found his passion in running and pushing himself. And now, he’s taking on the trails to pursue his biggest dreams as a professional runner. In this episode, Elliot shares how he’s able to build massive confidence in himself during his training and races, his approach to training and how to make it both impactful and fun, and his strategies to bulletproof his mindset when it comes to competing. We are also joined by a Co-host, Brian Peterson, who paced Elliot during Black Canyon, and who is associated with Norda as well. Huge thank you to Elliot for coming on the show and to Brian for co-hosting! LINKS: Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: Zachbitter.com/training-plans Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: Zachbitter.com/coaching Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra Follow Elliot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliotcardin/ Follow Elliot on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/10504801 Follow Brian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolffrunner/ Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

When it comes to fan-favorite athletes in the sport, our guest today is on the top of that list, as she’s solidified herself as one of the top ultrarunners in the game. Most recently, she won the Black Canyon 100K, breaking the course record and securing a Golden Ticket to Western States. And she’s also won Lake Sonoma, placed top 10 at Western States, and top 5 at CCC to name a few of many impressive results. But on top of all of that, Keely Henninger is a force for good and change in the sport, as she is an advocate for promoting healthy training for athletes in order to help reach her potential. And through her sharings on social media, interviews, and the work she does as a scientist, her advice is helping runners become better endurance athletes and better humans. Keely Henninger is a professional trail runner for Altra based out of Portland, Oregon. She is also a scientist in physiology and and biomechanics, where she is doing incredible work uncovering how athletes can treat their body better. And in this episode, Keely shares how her training has evolved over the years to find more sustainability and enjoyment in the sport, keys to fueling smarter to perform better in your running, and how to develop a deeper trust with your body to hit your goals. Huge thank you to Keely for coming on the show! LINKS: Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra Follow Keely on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runwidkeel/?hl=en Follow Keely on Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/8471540 Check out the Trail Society Podcast: https://linktr.ee/trailsociety Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

For every day runners, fitting in all of the training for an ultramarathon can be a beast in its own right. Add on to the fact that we all face some sort of mental blocks during the training, and it can be easy to see the obstacles we face during our running as a struggle. But for our guest today, she sees training and running through a different lens: one where you have to love running like you are in a relationship with it. And when you do that, you not only love running more; but you’re able to endure through the challenges you face in training much more. Our guest today is Brittany Edmiston who is an ultrarunner located in the Phoenix, AZ area. She is also a mother who makes it a priority to be the best mom she can be, while also getting in her ultra training to hit her goals; most recently being finishing her first 100 miler at the Javelina Jundred this past October! Brittany is an inspiring runner who strives to be her very best, and shares her takeaways throughout her training to the running community. And in this episode, she shares how she’s been able to develop a deep love for her training and running, how she’s able to fit in her ultra training on top of being a mother, and her perspective on taking on big goals in the sport. Huge thank you to Brittany for coming on the show! Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon community: patreon.com/everydayultra Check out Zach Bitter’s training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Follow Brittany on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letters_from_earth_/

Winning a Golden Ticket to Western States doesn’t happen by luck. It takes a lot of mental fortitude and fitness to get there, and the ones who do earn it have built tons of success in their ultrarunning journey. Ttoday’s guest definitely fits that description, as she recently won a Golden Ticket at this year’s Black Canyon 100K a few weeks ago, placing in 3rd in an incredibly stacked women’s field. And to pull it off, she implemented tons of lessons, learnings, and experience she gained in prior races to reach her big goal out in the desert on that day. And she is definitely someone to watch as she is one of the rising stars in our sport! Today, we’re chatting with Meg Morgan who is an athlete for La Sportiva based in Boulder, CO. Meg has not only won a Golden Ticket at Black Canyon, but has also placed top 10 female at Canyons 100K and Bandera, as well as being the winner of Never Summer 100K, all within less than 3 years in the ultra scene! In this episode, Meg shares the biggest lessons she’s learned from her racing and training that has helped her succeed, her approach to mindset when it comes to running, and how she pulled off the Golden Ticket win at Black Canyon. Huge thank you to Meg for coming on the show! Check out Zach Bitter’s Coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Follow Meg on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gomegmo/ Follow Meg on Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/69774709 Follow Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

When it comes to entering the sport of trail running, there is no “by the book” path that is clear on how to best approach it. While Track & Field and road running have that clearer path, trail is something that seems like it has been more of a “figure it out” operation for those who want to develop a career in the sport. That is why Andy Wacker, professional runner for Salomon, decided to create The Trail Team; a team designed independently support and develop rising athletes into the best professional trail runners in the world through mentorship, skill development, and media exposure. On the trail team, there are 6 rising athletes who are all names destined to become some of the top names in the sport of trail running over the years. And on this episode, we feature three of those athletes, along with Andy Wacker. And in this episode, the athletes share about their background, why it’s important for them to have a cross-athlete lifestyle throughout the program, and their best advice for those who want to pursue trail running. On top of that, Andy also shares the details about the Trail team, how he plans to run the program, and the why behind the organization. About the athletes featured: Anna Gibson is a collegiate athlete who runs for the University of Washington, where she anchored her team's Distance Medley Relay to the NCAA record. On the track she specializes in the 800m, 1500m and mile. She placed 5th at her first US Mountain Championships in 2021. Last year, she placed 4th at her first World Cup event in Saint Gervais, France. She aspires to compete professionally on the track and in the mountains. Christian Allen is a runner who currently runs for BYU and is a WSU alumni as well. He is a two-time All-American in Cross Country. Christian attended both Weber State and Brigham Young University. Christian holds track personal bests of 28:26 in the 10,000m and 13:34 in the 5,000m. Christian AKA Slim, is looking forward to hitting the trail circuit this summer, specifically, “the suffer fest of hammering grueling climbs”. Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau is a runner for Stanford University, which he represented in four NCAA Cross Country Championships. In 2019, he raced internationally for the US at the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. His first trail race was the 2021 USATF Mountain Running Championship in which he placed 7th. In his free time, he enjoys climbing and mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, where he holds a number of speed records (FKTs). Huge thank you to Andy, Anna, Christian, and Meikael for coming on the show! LINKS: Check out Zach Bitter’s training plans: zachbitter.com/training-plans Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching Join the Everyday Ultra Patreon Community: patreon.com/everydayultra The Trail Team Website: https://www.trail-team.com/ Follow the Trail Team on IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_trail_team/ Anna’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/annaagibsonn/?hl=en Anna’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/57973023 Christian’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/ckonetherunner/ Christian’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/36817714 Meika’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/mountain_man_meik/ Meika’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/12445049 Andy’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/wackera/ ATRA Website: trailrunner.com

This year’s Black Canyon 100K was one of the most competitive Golden Ticket races we’ve ever seen. And today, we chat with the guy who took home a Golden Ticket along with the win and course record during the race: Anthony Costales. Anthony Costales is an ultrarunner based out of the Salt Lake City area who is no stranger to podium finishes at races he competes in. On top of his most recent win at Black Canyon, he’s also won the Canyons 100K, and placed on the podiums of Run Rabbit Run, Chuckanut 50K, and Speedgoat 50K to name a few top results. All of this makes Anthony one of the best ultraendurance athletes in the sport right now. In this episode, we discuss his biggest keys to success to winning Black Canyon, a look into his training (including treadmills, heat training, and weights), and what his mindset was like competing at one of the most stacked fields in the sport. Huge thank you to Anthony for coming on the show! Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: Zachbitter.com/coaching Check out Zach Bitter’s pre-made training plans: Zachbitter.com/training-plans Follow Anthony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/acostales54/ Follow Anthony on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/10236405 Follow Joe on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

I raced the Black Canyon 100K this past Saturday, and boy, did I learn a lot! Although the race was incredibly fun, the day did not go the way I wanted it to go; but the lessons I gained from my experience were some of the best takeaways that I’ve learned in any ultra so far. In this episode, I break down the play-by-play of my Black Canyon 100K race, the lessons and takeaways I learned from my race, and suggestions for anyone who is looking to take on their next ultra (regardless of whether or not it is the Black Canyon 100K). I did end up finishing the race, but placed in 29th male, well short of my goal of going after a Golden Ticket. And I hope this episode helps to give you into a look at what factors go into NOT having a great day (so that you CAN have a great day the next time you take on your ultra). If you’d like to look into my training going into Black Canyon 100K, feel free to listen in to part 1 of our preview episode that we did before the race here: https://anchor.fm/everyday-ultra/episodes/Black-Canyon-100K-Training--Strategy-and-Course-Tips-2023-Preview---Part-1-e1uug79 Check out Zach Bitter’s coaching options: zachbitter.com/coaching Hop on a LIVE call with me once a month and get early access to new episodes via our Everyday Ultra Patreon: patreon.com/everydayultra