This week I am honored to sit down and chat with ultrarunner and writer Cory Reese to talk about his experiences running Vol State and writing his new powerful book “Stronger Than the Dark: Exploring the Intimate Relationship Between Running and Depression”.

Cory has written a few books in the past but this one definitely is the most personal, raw story he has ever told.

His own description of the book:

“Stronger Than the Dark is a book that explores the intimate relationship between running and depression. It is the most raw, vulnerable writing I have ever done. I wrote the book:

• For people who use exercise, at least in part, to cope with stress, anxiety or depression.
• For people who feel alone. They know something is wrong, but don’t know what it is, or how to fix it.
• For people who are desperate for an ounce of hope that things will get better, and that the sun will rise again.
• For people who use a smile to cover up their secret pain.
• For runners, the people who are willing to embrace the pain cave.”

This was a really enlightening conversation about mental health and the role exercise/adventure plays along with the necessity of opening up about our struggles.

“Cory’s beautifully broken path of healing speaks to anyone feeling lost in insecurity or despair, and gives hope that even in life’s darkest moments, we can find the light.”

Hope you guys enjoy the episode! It is always a pleasure chatting with Cory!!

MORE FROM CORY REESE:

Stronger Than the Dark: https://www.amazon.com/Stronger-Than-Dark-Relationship-Depression/dp/1736966405

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coryreese/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastcory/

Website: http://www.fastcory.com

Author Website: http://www.coryreese.com

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This week writer, adventurer, coffee drinker, ultra runner, and all around awesome guy Brendan Leonard is back on the podcast!!

Brendan is the creator of Semi-Rad where he writes and draws about outdoor adventures, travel, life philosophies, chasing passions, and all sorts of human experiences. Truly some of my favorite things on the internet are found on Semi-Rad! He also directed and produced “How to Run 100 Miles”, a wonderful film about him and his buddy Jayson Sime’s quest to train for and finish Run Rabbit Run.

In this episode we talk about Brendan’s new book “I Hate Running and You Can Too” which is a fantastic read that, while focusing on this “irrational passion” of running, really can be seen as a guide to how one approaches any sort of passion in life. I read the book in one sitting and it is loaded with pertinent and quite often hilarious charts and drawings to emphasize his ideas.

I can honestly say that I think this book gets it. I really related to it and found myself thinking “Holy moly, he nailed EXACTLY why I love ultra running and what I’ve found out about myself and the world through competing in this crazy activity.

In this episode we talk Brendan’s book, trail running, a love of films, snakes falling from the sky, amongst many other things! I had an absolute blast recording this one and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! Definitely check out Semi-Rad and “I Hate Running and You Can Too”

Keep up the amazing work Brendan!!

MORE FROM BRENDAN LEONARD:

Semi-Rad: https://semi-rad.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semi_rad/

I Hate Running and You Can Too: https://bookshop.org/books/i-hate-running-and-you-can-too-how-to-get-started-keep-going-and-make-sense-of-an-irrational-passion/9781579659882

Sixty Meters From Anywhere: http://amzn.to/2odOpxm

His Other Books: https://semi-rad.com/books/

“How to Run 100 Miles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC7Lh4opLsc

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Jason Comstock is an ultrarunner, a veteran, a father and a member of Team Red, White & Blue!

In this episode we talk about Jason’s experience with Team RWB, a group who has the mission of “enriching the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.” We also discuss how physically challenging himself through running and the community he has discovered has helped him readjust to civilian life, his hobby of creating beautiful artistic flags, and how he has taken on ultrarunning as a nontypical runner (he is 6’6″!)

Jason also discusses the upcoming Desert RATS Stage Race which our mutual friend Amy is running with him in a few weeks!

This was an excellent episode that I am excited to share with you and I am also extremely pumped to spend a week in the desert with Jason for the stage race!!

MORE FROM TEAM RWB AND JASON:

Team RWB: https://www.teamrwb.org

Article in Deseret News: https://www.deseret.com/2017/11/27/20636676/utah-military-families-find-ways-to-cope-with-deployments

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This week we get the opportunity to talk with adventure photographer Scott Rokis!

Over the last few years Scott has been able to capture the stories of thousands of athletes all around the country as they have participated in some totally epic events. He has been the photographer for Destination Trail’s 200 milers and was recently at Aravaipa Running’s inaugural Cocodona 250.

In this episode we focus mostly on Scott’s experience working an aid station and capturing photos up in Alaska at the Iditarod Trail Invitational. In what ways did he try to show the vastness of Alaska, what stories of individual racers was he able to tell, and how did that experience test his photography skills.

We also talk about what led him to this career (we both grew up about 30 minutes away from each other on the Mississippi River!!), how he battled self doubt and confronted all the obstacles that he faced as he pursued his dream job.

This is a really good one and I hope you all enjoy it!!

MORE FROM SCOTT ROKIS:

Website: https://www.scottrokis.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottrokisphoto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rokisphoto/photos/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rokisphoto

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This week I am incredibly excited and honored to sit down and chat with the Adventure Jogger himself Ryan Ploeckelman!!

Ryan is an awesome dude! He’s a dad, an ultrarunner, a radio show host, a father of three, and the creator of the often hilarious and always awesome Adventure Jogger Podcast!

In this episode we dive into Ryan’s journey into ultrarunning and podcasting as we explore what makes this sport so special to us and what it is about our fellow runners that is so inspiring and fascinating to us. We also discuss burnout, rediscovering the fun of trail running, and why in the world he would create the White Claw Mile!

This one is super fun! I hope you guys enjoy Ryan’s stories as much as I did!

MORE FROM RYAN AND THE ADVENTURE JOGGER:

Adventure Jogger Podcast: ‎https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-adventure-jogger/id1512991688

Website: https://theadventurejogger.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_adventure_jogger/

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This week we are chatting with ultrarunners Kari Gibbons and Ryan Wanless about their experience running the 2021 Iditarod Trail Invitational through the wilds of Alaska!

Both Kari and Ryan are extraordinary athletes and adventurers who are experienced in the “Winter Ultras”, races that take place in extremely cold parts of the United States in winter. In these races the runners must be have the knowledge to withstand potential dangers and have a solid mindset to grind out days and days of racing while pulling all of their gear in a sled.

In other words, Kari and Ryan are complete badasses.

Recently, both of them raced the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska which is a major test and a culmination of years of racing Winter Ultras. Both finished the difficult race and Kari was the Woman’s Foot Champion this year!

In this episode we chat all about Winter Ultras and hear about their experience in Alaska. We also talk about the importance of getting more folks involved with this subcategory of ultrarunning, how the ITI in 2021 compared to last year’s race, what it’s like to get attacked by Ptarmigan, and what lessons they have learned from tackling a challenge as vast as running through the deep wilderness of Alaska!

This is a really fun episode and I want to thank Ryan for cohosting and Kari for coming on and chatting with us! I had an absolute blast and am very intrigued by the thought of attempting a Winter Ultra.

MORE FROM KARI GIBBONS, RYAN WANLESS AND THE IDITAROD:

Kari’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kari_outside/

The Dirt Trail Running Podcast: https://ornerymuleracingthedirt.libsyn.com/the-dirt-on-kari-gibbons

Ryan’s Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/wanlessrm/

Iditarod Trail Invitational: https://www.iditarodtrailinvitational.com/

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This week I am chatting with Jason Green, someone I’ve been wanting to have on the show since the very beginning!!

Jason is an adventurer, ultrarunner, genuinely nice human being and a dude who truly seeks the joy in life. He is also the race director for the Yeti Trail Runners which puts on some of the best races on the East Coast. He has forged a trail running community that is positive, uplifting, and always down for a good time while roaming around the woods!

Through 2020 he was also responsible for a lot of really unique and inventive virtual races and helped inspire people to accomplish huge personal goals!

In this episode, cohost Phil Pinti and I dive into what makes Jason Green unique- how he ran an ultra on the Appalachian Trail as a kid, how the Yeti Trail Runner events are an amalgamation of his fun-loving personality and previous life as a skater, and what he discovers about himself from utilizing a beginner’s mindset!

I hope you enjoy the episode! Jason is one of a kind and I am truly honored for the opportunity to be able to sit down and chat with him! Now I just need to head back to the East Coast to experience one of his amazing races!

MORE FROM JASON GREEN:

Yeti Trail Runners: https://yetitrailrunners.com

Blue Ridge Outdoors Article: https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/running/the-yeti/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yetitrailrunners/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeti_runners

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What happens to a person when they run 150 miles through one of hottest and most remote regions in the United States in the middle of summer? More importantly, why would anyone do it?

The DESERT RATS film aims to find out, following numerous racers as they tackle the notorious 6-day Desert RATS race along the challenging Kokopeli Trail in Utah, documenting all the blow-ups, epiphanies, lost toe nails, heat exhaustion, and hallucinations of the participants as they seek the finish line.  

This week I’m joined by my friend, fellow Desert RAT, ultrarunner and filmmaker Paul Scheuring to announce the Desert RATS Film, the big project we have been working on for the last ten months!

Paul has over twenty years of professional experience working as a writer, producer, and director, with credits such as the FOX smash TV hit Prison Break, which he created, and the Discovery miniseries Klondike, produced in winter high-country Banff.

In this episode, we talk all about what has drawn us to this race over the last three years and how it has helped us grow and process life events.

We also dive into the themes we are going to explore with the film:

• What does hardship do for a person?
• How does one make meaning of suffering?
• How in the crucible of extreme endurance events, in that exceeding discomfort and pain, do we sometimes find an answer? 

I truly believe this will be something ALL endurance racers, adventurers and humans will relate to. Suffering is a very human thing that everyone will go through at some point. How can that obstacle be used as a stepping stone for us along our path?

Hope you guys enjoy the episode!!

We are asking for any support you are willing to offer on our Indiegogo Campaign (truly anything helps!)

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/desert-rats-film/

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This week we chat with ultrarunner, mom and all around awesome person Amanda Rasmussen!!

Amanda just raced at the Potawomi 200 where she faced torrential downpours, crazy muddy trails and the longest distance she has ever stepped up to! She completed 150 miles of the event, which is inspirational to me as she just began her running journey a few years ago. 

In this episode we talk all about her recent race along with her reasons for running ultras and why she keeps striving for bigger and bigger challenges. We also preview a bit of her upcoming summer where she will take on three 100 milers- ,Leadville 100, and the Cloudsplitter 100.

It was an honor to have Amanda on the show and to share her story with all of you!!

MORE FROM AMANDA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runnermomamanda/

Potawatomi Trail Runs: http://www.potultras.com

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This week we welcome Magnus Brisman to the show!

Magnus is a traveling salesman in Sweden who, after driving all around and quickly approaching age 50, decided he was going to run a half marathon through every one of the country’s the thirty national parks.

This week we chat all about this adventure! Magnus shares stories of extremely cold half marathons to having to take helicopters and boats into the parks to moments of pure elation in some of the prettiest places on Earth!

I was also interested in his perspective on what sorts of things a big passion project like this brings to one’s life. I truly believe a goal you are striving to achieve is of extreme importance in bringing passion, joy, a solid mindset, and a sense of adventure to one’s life and Magnus represents this wholly.

MORE FROM MAGNUS BRISMAN:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailblazingswe/

Sweden’s National Parks: https://www.nationalparksofsweden.se

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