FACING VERT

**Warning: sensitive material is discussed in this podcast** Ally Carlton was recently on the podcast after she grabbed the FKT both North and Southbound on the Art Loeb Trail within three weeks of each other. Pretty astounding to say the least. And then, in March, Ally crossed the finish line of the MST 100 as the female winner and third overall, despite the horrible weather conditions. But, this episode contains so much more than a race recap of her grind through this race. This episode is raw and real. Ally mentioned in our first episode together that she experienced trauma as a teenager but did not elaborate. But on this episode she was ready to talk about her experience for the first time in a public setting. Yes, her accomplishments are impressive, but her bravery to share, to hopefully help others, is so much more impressive. I am so proud of you, Ally. Your strength, your bravery, your heart to help others, your honesty and your authenticity is beautiful. You are beautiful. Thank you. Ally wants you to reach out to her if need to talk to someone. You can find her on Strava, and message her through this platform. Click here: Ally's Strava I have no affiliation with this website, but according to RAINN.org, every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. If you need help, they ask that you call 800.656.HOPE (4673). Follow Facing Vert on Instagram, @facingvert. As always, thank you for listening and sharing with others.

We are putting this episode out early because 7 Sisters is right around the corner! On this episode I sat down with Brandon Thrower, of Tanawha Adventures, to get all the details on his upcoming 7 Sisters 25K. According to the Tanawha Adventures website, "The Seven Sisters 25k is a monstrous mountain of a run around the East and West ridges of the Montreat Wilderness! The route passes over multiple peaks and overlooks including; Lookout Rocks, Rocky Head, Graybeard, Rattlesnake Rocks, and of course the Seven Sisters themselves along the treacherous West Ridge Trail." This is a sold out race, and will be held on April 13th, 2024 at 9:00 AM. Brandon goes through every inch of the course, plus other details that every participate and fan will want to know. If you are even thinking of running this race in the future, his description of the course will definitely convince you! Tanawha Adventures Website Tanawha Adventures Instagram Follow Facing Vert on Instagram and message me there! Thank you so much for listening!

On this episode, you will hear about my experience running the Mt. Mitchell Heartbreaker 55K that took place on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Somehow I came in first lady and 11th overall with a time of 6:59:59...right under that 7 hours! Turned out to be a beautiful day of running with unexpected views, new friends, and lots of grumbling about gravel roads. :) Needless to say, it was an amazing day to be out on the trails. Thank you to Brandon Thrower, with Tanawha Adventures, for putting on this event. Also thank you to the sponsors for the sick awards...beautifully handcrafted logo wood carving by Jonathan Ibach, a handmade medal by Hannah Thrower, a free pair of shoes from La Sportiva, gift card from Mountain Running Company, and some delicious coffee from Victoire Coffee Company. Wow! Also thank you to Kim Greene for crewing me at Neal's Creek, to my family for cheering me to the finish, to all the volunteers for your encouragement and service, and to all the athletes that were out there grinding like me. A special thank you to the fierce and strong ladies that pushed me to run my best, especially Becca Morris and Becca Johnson (2nd and 3rd female). You are beasts, and it was an honor to race with you. Congratulations to all who ran both the 55K and the 50 miler. So proud of every single one of you! Sorry it is just my voice on this one, but I hope you enjoy! Tanawha Adventures La Sportiva Mountain Running Company Jonathan Ibach (woodworks) Message me via Instagram, @facingvert, or email me at tara@runwnc.com. My gear: Nike Wildhorse Trail Shoes, Black Diamond Poles, Salomon 12 pack Nutrition: Untapped Maple, Gu Liquid Energy, Gu Roctane, Probar Chews, Cliffs Bloks Thank you for listening!

Such a fun experience meeting and chatting with coach, ultra runner, business owner, mom and wife-Tera Pruett. Instantly, I was struck by her confidence, her vibrant spirit and her sense of adventure. Tera's goal is to help others accomplish their goals...whether that is on the trails, in the gym, or simply being brave enough to take on adventure that didn't think was possible. She genuinely cares about the success of her athletes, showing them how capable they are even when they feel they are not. I would have her as my cheerleader any day! Besides all the other hats she wears, Tera is the force behind the Asheville Trail Running Film Festival for the past few years. The film festival will take place on April 21st at 4:30 PM at the Orange Peel, and I look so forward to attending this event! For more information, go to https://trailfilmfest.com/event/asheville-north-carolina/. Hope to see you all there! Thank you, Tera, for ALL you do for our trail running community and for sitting down to chat with me. Listen and see how UNSTOPPABLE she truly is. Tera's website: https://www.terapruett.com/ Tera's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tera_pruett/ Tera's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tera.pruett.3 Follow Facing Vert on Instagram, @facingvert, and also please message me there. Thank you thank you thank you for listening!

The Mt. Mitchell Heartbreaker 50M/55K is coming up on March 23, 2024, and both events are sold out! On this episode, I sit down with race director, Brandon Thrower, to go through every detail of these two events. As it says on Tanawha Adventures website, "The Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50M/55K is an extremely scenic tour of "the other Pisgah" in the shadow of Mount Mitchell. Starting at the foot of the mountains in Old Fort, NC at Camp Grier, the race takes runners up and down some of the most stunning, quad-busting, and heart-pounding trails in all of Western North Carolina, eventually taking the 50 milers over three 6,000 ft+ peaks including Mount Mitchell itself, making this the highest 50 miler east of the Mississippi!" I think you will definitely find this episode important if you are running the race, crewing, thinking about running this race in the future, or simply a fan. Brandon describes the required gear, important info for crew and spectators, a thorough course description and more. Thank you, Brandon, once again for coming on the podcast and giving us the inside scoop on another beautiful race. Enjoy! Visit Tanawha's website for more info: Tanawha Adventures: https://www.tanawhaadventures.com/mountmitchellheartbreaker Tanawha Adventures' Instagram: @tanawha_adventures Message me via Instagram, @facingvert, with any questions or comments. Thank you, as always, for listening!

*Warning...sensitive material is discussed in this episode* Resilient. This one word sums up Rachel Blinn. I was looking forward to meeting Rachel and discussing how she recently crushed the Fierce Dragon H9 200 miler (unbelievable). But, I was also told she had a story that needed to be shared. Little did I know, Rachel has lived 100 lifetimes in her short 29 years. A life she tried to control which just caused it to spin wildly out of control. Insecurity, pain, addiction had her in its clutches, but finally, she fought her way out and allowed herself to recover. A horribly, beautiful story. From the very first few words, my jaw dropped, and I don't think I picked it up until the end. I think you will feel the same. Now running is where Rachel turns...it has always been there, but now it is a constant in her life. And boy, what she has accomplished out there on the trails is nothing short of amazing. "Life is a gift," she said, but Rachel, so are you. Thank you for sharing your story. Rachel's Instagram: gothicfather777 Rachel's Strava Follow us @facingvert on Instagram! Here is where you will see what is coming up next and you can message us there. Thank you for listening!

I love doing this podcast, because I get to meet and get to know so many incredible people, and Randy Elliott is one of those. Randy continues to get stronger as a trail runner as the races come his way, but he is also an extremely talented musician, rock climber, owns and runs a successful business...all while juggling family life with his beautiful wife and two kiddos. I first heard of Randy when my husband was on a bike ride with some friends, and Randy came running up beside them as they were CLIMBING and carried on a conversation like it was nothing. He was so impressed with Randy, that it was the first thing he told me about when he got home after the ride. Since then, I have personally been able to see him crush the Hellbender 100 (4th overall), Shut-In Ridge Race (7th overall) and The Looking Glass 100k (4th overall). Randy, I am so glad we met, and I am so grateful for the time you spent with me sharing your passions and your struggles in both life and in running. I know we will run into each other many more times in the future, and I am looking forward to it. Again, thank you. Randy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocknrandy/ Randy's Strava Randy's Business: Mountain Town Electric Follow Facing Vert on Instagram! @facingvert Thank you, as always, for listening and for your encouragement.

Ally Carlton...beautiful, strong, brave and extremely fast. Ally and I met at the Hellbender 100 where she took 2nd overall female. I was fortunate enough to share a several miles with her during the first portion of the race, and instantly she struck me as genuine, humble, and one that truly seemed to care for others. Fast forward, and we have run into each other many times at cross country meets since she is the coach for Brevard Middle School. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, Ally goes out and captures the FKT for the Art Loeb Northbound while I was stuffing my face with turkey and mac and cheese! Not only that, but she then goes on to grab the Art Loeb FKT Southbound just 3 weeks later! What!? I was so delighted when she agreed to come on the podcast to talk about these two days, but also about how she discovered running, details of other races and simply life. We have already planned to chat again in the near future after she crushes another 100 this spring. Ally, thank you. You're all around awesome. Ally doesn't have social media, but she does have Strava! Check her out here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6894903 Thank you, thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram and message me there...@facingvert

First of all, I want to wish all of you a happy new year! I am so excited what 2024 has to hold, and I would love to hear about the goals and aspirations you have for this new year. Sheridan Byers-quiet, shy, humble, unassuming, completely kind, selfless, and an absolute savage on the trails. He would disagree of course, but he is always in the top tier of runners and he knows the trails in the Pisgah Forest area better than anyone I know. As we talked, he shared the health issues that he has had to learn to navigate through and how his body will respond. Through these adversities, he is only becoming stronger. Yes, he is competitive, but it truly is all about the joy of running for Sheridan and the peace the woods bring. We also talk about his amazing wife, Suzanne, and her ultra adventures, and he gives us insight on some of his favorite races and trails. Thank you, Sheridan, for the person you are. What a wonderful example you set for all of us. And THANK YOU for your willingness to come on Facing Vert...meant so much. Sheridan's Strava Thank you for listening to Facing Vert! I would love to hear from you. Please message me through Facing Vert's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/facingvert/

Brandon Thrower, with Tanawha Adventures, is back on the podcast to run through every detail of the upcoming South Mountain Marathons. The 50K and the marathon are both taking place on Saturday, January 6th followed by the half marathon on Sunday, January 7th. The South Mountains Marathons are held in the beautiful South Mountains State Park in North Carolina. I could tell that Brandon absolutely loves these trails, and his excitement to share it with the running community was palpable. Brandon, I am praying for perfect weather and a wonderful day! If you are running in one of these races, I must say, I am a little jealous. This is one I will put on my calendar for the future! Tanawha Adventures' website Tanawha Adventure's instagram Brandon's instagram Follow Facing Vert on Instagram and feel free to message me there! Thank you, as always, for listening!

I had the privilege of having Tim Nooney back on the podcast to talk about his experience running the Grindstone 100K and Looking Glass 100K. Listen as he gives us the details on what led to his DNF at Grindstone, but how it made stepping up to the start line of Looking Glass even sweeter. Let's just say...the stoke was high, and he was ready. Tim led the entire race until mile 57, and I so appreciate is openness to talk about what happened, how he felt, and how he will apply everything he learned to come back even stronger in 2024. Tim, you are amazing. You are just in the beginning of your race career, which makes it even more exciting to see what you are truly capable of. Watch out world. Tim's Strava Tim's Instagram: @timnooney Tim's coach: Ryne Anderson- randerson@trainright.com Tim's Sponsors: La Sportiva Mountain Running Company Precision Hydration Follow us on Instagram: @facingvert Thank you for listening!

Once again, I had the privilege to sit down with the queen, Marisa Romeo. Marisa just absolutely demolished the Looking Glass 100k by coming in 1st female beating second place by almost 3 HOURS (and these are some super fast, super strong women). She also gave the men a run for their money, placing 6th overall in an extremely strong field. Listen as we run through every detail of her race...the highs and the definite lows. How she battled stomach issues throughout, and what she did to win the mental game. Marisa, you are amazing. Can't wait for more podcasts together. Marisa's Strava Marisa's Instagram Marisa's Coach: Ryne Anderson-randerson@trainright.com Thank you, as always, for listening. Follow us on Instagram @facingvert!

Logan Anderson is an overall incredible athlete, and even as a young child he discovered his love for competition. Logan played football, wrestled, pole vaulted, and also dabbled in a little bit of running. It wasn't until after graduated high school, that he jumped into Spartan races, and found success in this sport. Logan is fast, always has been, and he uses this skill to be extremely competitive in these Spartan races. Road running is his first choice, but on a whim he signed up for this year's Shut-In Race. I definitely wanted to dive into this and all the lessons he learned, as he had never even been on these trails before and went into the race unprepared for the daunting task before him. Logan is STRONG and with proper training, fuel and gear, he is going to be an absolute force in the world of trail running. I will say it now...Logan will be one to beat in the future, and I look forward to watching from the sidelines. Thank you so much, Logan, for sitting down with me. Logan's Strava Logan's Instagram Thank you for listening to Facing Vert! Follow us on Instagram @facingvert! Thank you, again.

He did it! Heath Ballard started at the top of the Shut-In trailhead and ran over 16 miles to the bottom all in honor and in memory of his mom, Melanie Ballard. It truly was the most stunning day, with a sunrise that simply took your breath away. Heath was amazing...never stopping, always moving, even though he had never run over 8 miles and had never set foot on the Mountains-to-Sea trail. Listen as we talk about the limited training he was able to get in, the gear he discovered he needed, and his recap of the day. Thank you to all that supported, prayed, paced, crewed, laughed, cried and loved. We raised over $6400, which blew all of our minds. Thank you again and again. Love you, Heath, and I am proud and honored to call you my friend. Heath's Instagram Heath's Strava Thank you, thank you for listening to Facing Vert. It means to much to me. You can also follow us on Instagram: @facingvert and message me there!

Jordan Tager set out to accomplish his first 100 miler at the Grindstone 100 this past September. Gaining over 21000 feet of vert over the the span of 100 miles is not for the faint of heart, and it was a beast of a race to choose for his first 100. Jordan felt prepared, but nothing prepared him for the tropical storm that was to hit. I loved diving into the details of his race and his fight to try and finish through such crazy circumstances. But before getting into his experience at Grindstone, I wanted to know what got him there in the first place. I hope you enjoy our conversation, as I certainly did. Thank you, Jordan, for taking the time out of your weekend to sit down with me. You are awesome. Looking forward to seeing what is next for you. Jordan's Strava Jordan's Instagram @jedwardtager Thank you, as always, for listening. It still blows my mind that people actually listen! If you have enjoyed the podcast, I would love if you would share with your family and friends. Follow on Instagram @facingvert and feel free to message me there.

Once again I had the privilege of having Brandon Thrower, of Tanawha Adventures, back on the podcast. He is putting on The Looking Glass 100k on November 18th, and we walk through every detail of the course, the aid stations, pacer and crew info and more. So, if you are planning on running this beautiful event, you are helping out in anyway, or you are thinking of participating in the future, this podcast is definitely for you! Thank you, Brandon, for coming on again and giving us all the inside information. I can't wait to volunteer and pace my friend! Praying for the perfect weather and for all involved to make the best memories. Looking Glass 100K Website Ultrasignup Registration Participant Guide Tanawha Adventures Instagram Brandon Thrower Instagram Handmade awards by Jonathan Ibach Thank you for listening! Want to message me? Follow Facing Vert on Instagram and message me through this platform. Thank you!

Bodybuilding...just WOW. This is an incredibly difficult sport that I knew absolutely nothing about going into this podcast. BUT, I was so honored when I was able to sit down with Pro Bodybuilder and Mr. USA 2021, Jordan Hutchinson, and his stunning wife, Brittany, to really dig in and learn as much as I could about this sport. The DISCIPLINE and MENTAL TOUGHNESS that it takes to truly make it in this sport is mind-blowing. I would not last a SINGLE day. The nutrition side alone of bodybuilding is enough to make my jaw drop. Listen to hear Jordan's journey on how he has made it to the top level of the sport and why Brittany decided to step away. What an awesome couple they make...supporting one other through so many highs and so many lows. Now, as they move to Texas to pursue their dreams, I wish them both so much success and in life. You will be so missed. How to follow the Hutchinson's: Jordan's Instagram Brittany's Instagram Sponsors: Condemned Labz The Flavor Gang Gasp Better Bodies Enjoying the podcast? Please follow and share with others! Also follow us on Instagram @facingvert. Thank you!!

Several years ago Ellie Johnston and I met while running with the B-Group on Monday nights, but Ellie's true love is cycling. Now she has become a force on two skinny tires, and it has been exciting to keep up with, especially watching her Strava! During Covid, to keep her motivated and out of the house, she began a streak of either running or cycling everyday for an entire year. Coming out of that time and gaining so much strength, she began to race. She joined a team with Gravelo where she has found support, friendship and motivation. Through this, and her passion for riding, she has seen so much success in just a year's time including standing at the top of the podium at PMBAR. Ellie, thank you for coming on the podcast and sharing your journey this past year. I am betting on you to be the Queen of Pisgah 2024. ;) Ellie's Strava Ellie's Instagram Thank you so much for listening and sharing! Please follow us on Instagram @facingvert.

Laurel Awald and I just ran The Naturalist 50K this past Saturday that takes place in Franklin, NC on the Bartram Trail. This race is an out and back with 8000 feet in vert, but the views at the top are worth it, especially on a gorgeous day like we had. Laurel crushed the course, coming in 1st lady and 3rd overall. Katti Jackson ran an incredible race coming in 2nd and 5th overall, and I was able to make the podium in 3rd and 7th overall! What an honor it was to race with these ladies on such a tough course. Not only did we podium, but I am so proud to say that all three of us came in under the course record (which completely blew my mind). I wanted to have Laurel on to chat about our experience, to learn about her and her running journey, but our conversation quickly became SO much more than I ever expected (or that she expected!). Laurel poured out her heart, her hurt, her pain, her joy and her tears, and it was beautiful and simultaneously heartbreaking to witness. So many lessons for all of us wrapped up into this one podcast, all because Laurel was honest and open about the struggles she has fought to overcome. Thank you, Laurel. You met me for the first time at the race, yet you were willing to open your heart over a podcast. Thank you for being so bold. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Laurel's Instagram Laurel's Strava Thank you for listening! Please, if you will, share with your friends and family! Also, follow us on Instagram: @facingvert

Sam Reed has TEN 100 mile completions with the belt buckles to prove it. Plus, he has run in many other ultras and has done incredibly well. Sam definitely did not gradually make his way to the 100 mile distance...he jumped in head first with lightening speed. We talk about most of his experiences in these races...his struggles, his victories, the lessons learned, the beauty, his favorites and his least favorites. Sam does not run to escape, he sees running as his own personal therapy session...to face and work through the anxious thoughts that he has struggled with since childhood. He is not afraid to talk about his mental health struggles, and this shows incredible strength. You amaze me. Thank you for being you, Sam. Thank you for being one of the ones that inspired me and dared me to try the 100 mile distance. Thank you for being such an encouragement and friend during my Hellbender journey. Oh, and we talk about monkeys. Sam's Instagram Sam's Email: haagenson@gmail.com Thank you, as always, for listening! Love it...even kinda like it? Share with your friends! Find us on Instagram: @facingvert