The Mile 99 Interview

Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs race director George Ruiz joined us again this year to dig into all of the last minute details of the race, answer runner and crew questions and get everyone pumped for the race! We got through a ton of information and audience questions, and if you're running, crewing, volunteering or supporting the race in any way, don't miss this one! TRT main site TRT live tracker --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Our favorite guest, Western States race director Craig Thornley, made some time in his extremely busy schedule before the race to join us for some updates and his plans for the rest of the year. Things are slowly getting back to normal after the Mosquito Fire, and the Duncan Canyon and Dusty Corners aid stations can be accessed via Mosquito Ridge Road again - welcome news! We also talked about other events surrounding the race like the Friends of the Trail awards and the International Runners' Picnic. The pre-race excitement is building! We wrapped up with hearing about the plan for The Rusty Nails team to head back to Chamonix for the PTL race and all of the training required this time around. We can't wait to follow the team on the live tracker there this fall! See you at States! Main web site: https://www.wser.org/ 2024 pre-race medical series videos: https://www.facebook.com/wser100/videos --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Ken Michal joined us for an in-depth conversation about his journey from heavy smoking to his current endeavors at all distances of trail runs as well as long timed events. He recently completed the Pigtails Challenge 200 miler in Washington state, winning in a time of just over 71 hours. We delve into his philosophy around training and racing and all of the things that he has learned over his many years running over 150 races, so tune in to hear more! And check out his podcast too - link below! Running Stupid podcast --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Folsom runner Todd Woodward first discovered road running later in life and then found his true calling of trail and ultrarunning right before the pandemic started in 2020. He has taken an analytical approach to his training, nutrition, strategy and racing and has great advice for others looking to pick up the sport after the age of 40. He has just finished a sub-14 hour Miwok 100k in absolutely horrible weather conditions and lived to tell! This is just one of the many stories we dig into as we hear about his journey to becoming the runner he is today. Tune in and join us for all of it! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Doctors JoAnn Ellero and Andy Pasternak joined us to talk about how they met in med school, their evolution together as runners and JoAnn's ultimate goal of running Western States happening this June! We've had Dr. Andy on several times in the past as part of our Western States episodes in his role as the medical director, and now we get to learn more about JoAnn and him, all of the races they've done together, both road and trail, and all of the buildup to this June! They are also heavily involved in learning more about and researching human potential and joined the team at Lululemon's Project FURTHER with the goal of helping a team of women run further than they ever had before. The annual Western States Health and Athletics Conference is also coming up on May 24th in Auburn (link below), and running-oriented health professionals should check that out! Learn about these events and all of the other exciting things going on with JoAnn and Andy this year as we get ready to cheer on JoAnn at Western States! Project FURTHER Western States Health and Athletics Conference --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Things got a little busy for the Mile 99 team after the Canyons pre-race briefing and before the start of the race so this is showing up a little late, but we had some time with Abbey, Sean and Chaz after the show. We delved into talking about the various aid stations, their captains and dedicated volunteers and the community that has been built around this iconic race for the past decade. From Greg's standpoint as a runner this year, the race itself went off without a hitch, the new course was fantastic as a first time experience and even with some phyiscal setbacks, he kept grinding to get a finish in Auburn. Jess and her co-captains and volunteers maintained an intense pace all through the weekend with a critical aid station late in the races for the runners to get themselves fueled and on to the finish line. She knows what it's like for the runners and never fails to get them what they need! Luckily, the heat did not appear this year like it did in 2023, and now we're all in for some much needed rest and recovery. See you on the trails! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Support the Show.

The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB are less than a week away, and race directors Chaz Sheya, Abbey Drake and Sean Flanagan joined us to go over all of the late-breaking information and updates needed for runners, pacers, crew members and volunteers. It's going to be a huge party in Auburn and on the trails over April 25th-27th, 2024, so make sure to tune in here and see you on course! Volunteer signup page - get involved! Canyons Endurance Runs runner guide "Where's my runner?" live tracking information Auburn local businesses - please support them! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Join Jessica for this week's episode as she sits down with Ken Krogsrud of Bad Luck Run Club to talk about the second annual Placer Trail Running Festival! Now in its second year, the PTRF offers something for everyone from a 50k race to a 1k kid's race, a 5k canicross event and many other distances. This is truly a running festival, held over April 13th and 14th this year, and Ken and Jessica get into all of the pre-race details that you'll need to know. So grab the whole family and the dogs, head across the canyon from Auburn to join this event, and we'll see you on the trails! Race website Sign up now! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Ethan Veneklasen, co-race director of the Broken Arrow Skyrace sat down with us to do a deep dive in the origins of the race, the formation of the team that brings this unique and iconic event to the Tahoe region and how it has grown over the years. The Broken Arrow Skyrace is now a nationally and internationally recognized race that has grown hugely popular but still retains its grassroots feel. The race directors are committed to each and every entrant and the community that hosts them. They recently formed an advisory council of a diverse set of athletes to help guide them into the future and inspire and inform other races and sponsors in the sport of trail and ultrarunning. Join us as we dig into all of it, and head to Palisades Tahoe Jun 21th-23rd, 2024 to race, spectate or volunteer! Main web site New advisory council and mission Volunteer here! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Bob, Tim, Elke, Jennifer and Hal from the History Expeditions team hung around with us for a bit after the main show and we got the inside scoop on the snoring volume, the ability to ward off coyotes, team jokes and all of the great times spent around the campfire. The team connected with so many people from all walks of life along the way, adding another enriching element to their experience. Join us for all of the details! --- History Expeditions main site Elke's trail work days - sign up here! https://www.amazon.com/Snowshoe-Thompson-Pioneer-Carrier-Sierra/dp/194105210X --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

The History Expeditions team of Bob Crowley, Tim Twietmeyer, Elke Reimer, Jennifer Hemmen and Hal Hall sat down with us shortly after completing their epic trek from Placerville, CA to Genoa, NV over the course of 5 days. The 2024 expedition they chose was a commemoration of the incredible efforts of John "Snowshoe" Thompson, a legendary figure of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California in the mid-1800s. Snowshoe spent 20 years carrying mail and supplies over the mountains under his own power in all conditions, using all of his skills to navigate and travel by foot and 10 foot long, heavy skis. Even after such dedication, he was never paid for his service to the country. The team researched his story and route meticulously, and only a short time after a historic Tahoe snowfall, they embarked on another meaningful journey that connected them with community members from all walks of life along the way until they reached their ultimate destination across the mountains. Join us for all of the details and stories of the trip, both the physical and emotional, all of the insights and connections made along the way! History Expeditions main site Elke's trail work days - sign up here! https://www.amazon.com/Snowshoe-Thompson-Pioneer-Carrier-Sierra/dp/194105210X --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

In our third and final of three consecutive weeks of pre-race briefings to cover the early season 50k races here in the Auburn area, race director Julie Fingar and special guest Jennifer Maxwell, founder of JAMBAR, joined us to walk through all of the Way Too Cool 50k race details. This race is a classic and now in its 34th year with plenty of heavy hitters showing up year after year and also drawing a large contingent of runners from all over Northern California and beyond. The Mile 99 crew will be hosting the Quarry Road aid station at mile 13, so make sure to take a minute to say hi to Jess and Greg while you're getting refueled! And make sure you grab your finisher's cupcake when you cross the line, courtesy of Pushkin's Bakery! JAMBAR is offering a 20% discount code to podcast listeners, so make sure to use NORCAL20 on your first order at https://jambar.com/. Tune in and we can't wait to see you all crushing your goals at the Way Too Cool 50k! http://www.wtc50k.com/ Max King on Goat Hill - 2018 https://pushkinsbakery.com/ https://jambar.com/ Support the Show.

In our second of three consecutive weeks of pre-race briefings to cover the early season 50k races here in the Auburn area, race founder Roger Leasure and race director Clint Claassen joined us to talk about the Salmon Falls 50k and new half-marathon course. We got all of the details about how the race started, how it benefits the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and all of the logistics needed for the 50k and new half-marathon course. This is a fantastic point-to-point race on a very runnable course with a spectacular finishing area right on Folsom Lake. Tune in and don't miss the opportunity to run this classic race! https://www.salmonfalls50k.com/ JDRF What is Type 1 diabetes? --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

The Northern California ultra trail racing season is upon us, and what better way to kick it off than with a pre-race briefing for the classic FOURmidable race held in mid-February in Auburn every year? Race director Paulo Medina joins us again to give us all of the details for the various race distances from 13k to 50k and everything in between! We had plenty of questions from the audience and answered all of them and more, so we hope everyone has a great race and make sure to say hi to Jessica and her crew at the Knickerbocker aid station! FOURmidable - SingleTrack Running --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Bruna, Kelly and Jack stuck around after the main show to talk more about the DPMR trail running festival planned for June and what goes into planning and organizing this new event! This festival will bridge the weekends of the Broken Arrow Sky Race and the Western States Endurance Run and will include daily events, runs and other festivities designed for the whole community. Bruna also described what it's like step into the role as a new board member and some of the tasks, initiatives and plans for the coming years. This is a vibrant group of trail runners with the mission to INFORM, INSPIRE and CONNECT, and they have members from all over the world that align with that message. Join DPMR today! https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/join-now/ --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

It's been a while since we've talked to our friends at Donner Party Mountain Runners up the hill in the Tahoe/Truckee area, and what better time to do that again than just before their winter snowshoe race! Previous DPMR board members Kelly Barber and Jack Macy joined us along with new board member Bruna Bradford, and we were glad to meet Bruna and hear about her running journey that eventually brought her to the Truckee area. Then we dove into all of the upcoming events that DPMR is organizing, including the Racing Gnome Snowshoe Race on Feb 11th and a big trail festival that they are launching this summer around the Broken Arrow Sky Race and Western States Endurance Run weekends. Tune in for all of the information about this dedicated community-focused mountain running club! While you're at it, why don't you sign up and become a member today? DPMR welcomes runners of all abilities from anywhere in the world! DPMR has a mission to inform, inspire and connect! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Nick stayed on the line with us after the main show, and we got to dig into a lot more topics like how he ended up in California after growing up in a hockey family in Michigan and how the crossover from hockey to trail running has its advantages. We also dug into a topic near and dear to the Mile 99 - the importance of the running community, and then wrapped up by talking about some of the extreme races he's done and his opinions on trends in running shoe design. Join us to hear it all! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Jess and Greg sat down with Nick Budzyn, an extremely accomplished Northern California ultrarunner with an impressive resumé who came into the sport of road and trail running after a lengthy hockey career in his school years spent in Michigan. He's now an Altra tech rep in the area and has put down some major performances since 2009 when he decided to try a 100 miler as his very first ultra distance race! Nick also joined the Mile 99 team at Rio Del Lago 100 in 2023 in the race's very first livestream broadcast and we look forward to working with him again in 2024. Tune in to this episode and get to know Nick, find more about his trail and road running journey and his future plans! Nicholas Budzyn's results --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Jess and Greg kept chatting some more after the main show and were joined by upcoming guest Nicholas Budzyn, Altra shoe rep who joined in the RDL livestream and kept it going along with the team! We chatted about adjusting to managing the podcast with two co-hosts, some of our favorite road and trail options around our homes, and caught up with Nicholas about what he's been up to since RDL and some exciting Altra shoe announcements! Tune in and get all of the latest scoop! --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.

Join us in this episode as we dig into each other's backgrounds a bit for new listeners, thank our dedicated supporters, talk about goals and resolutions for 2024 and all of the impact that our listeners have had over the years in volunteering, trail work and fundraisers. We couldn't have done it without you! It was also a bittersweet episode after the December announcement that our original co-host Mike had decided to leave the show to pursue other interests. We wish him well in his new direction, wherever it may lead. Join for this episode and many exciting ones to come in 2024! And we'll "see you on the trails!" --- The Mile 99 Interview | Linktree Your Hosts: Jessica Harris / Greg Larkin The Mile 99 Interview is creating podcast episodes | Patreon Venmo | The Mile 99 Interview Intro/outro music: Joseph McDade - Elevation: https://josephmcdade.com/music/elevation Support the Show.