In this episode, Scott talks with ultrarunner and coach, Liza Howard about how endurance athletes can train, race, and stay safe in hot conditions.

Liza shares practical strategies for heat acclimation, managing effort when temperatures rise, fueling when your body doesn't want to cooperate, and recognizing the warning signs of heat exhaustion. She also talks about aging as an endurance athlete, navigating perimenopause, and adjusting training in a way that supports long-term performance instead of fighting against the body.

Whether you're training through summer, preparing for a hot race, or learning how to adapt as your body changes, this conversation is packed with useful, real-world advice.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How heat impacts running performance and recovery
• Why fitness matters, but effort still has to change in hot conditions
• Heat acclimation strategies runners can use in training
• How to practice cooling strategies before race day
• Fueling and hydration challenges during hot races
• What heat exhaustion can feel like and how to respond
• Clothing, gear, and race-day planning for extreme heat
• How aging, hormones, and recovery needs can change training
• Building confidence when your body doesn't respond the way it used to
• Liza's work with Band of Runners and upcoming camp opportunities

Key takeaways:

• The fitter you are, the better prepared you may be for heat, but you still need to slow down and manage effort.
• Heat strategies should be practiced during training, not saved for race day.
• Cooling, hydration, pacing, and fueling all work together. There is no single magic fix.
• Training through hot weather requires patience, flexibility, and respect for what your body is handling.
• Aging does not mean you are done improving, but it may require smarter recovery and more intentional training choices.

Notable quotes:
"The fitter you are, the better you'll handle the heat."

"Run slower, keep effort down in the heat."

"Practice heat strategies during training, not just race day."

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and weather talk
01:02 Liza's running journey and health challenges
03:47 Aging and running: overcoming age-related doubts
06:39 Navigating perimenopause as an athlete
09:21 Training adjustments and recovery strategies
12:05 Managing heat during training and racing
19:22 Fueling strategies in hot conditions
21:45 Fueling strategies for hot races
23:29 Understanding heat exhaustion
26:23 Navigating challenges during races
29:58 Recap of heat management techniques
31:12 Band of Runners initiative
33:43 Exploring new locations for training
36:35 Closing thoughts and future plans

Resources mentioned:
Band of Runners: https://www.bandofrunners.org/ners.org

Connect with Liza:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizahoward1/

Ultrarunner and Down with Running founder Matt Lamos shares how his daughter Lilly inspired a mission to help individuals with special needs pursue meaningful physical goals one step, one challenge and one "I did it" at a time.

• Matt's path from soccer and casual fitness to ultrarunning

• The surprisingly hilly side of trail running in Iowa

• Lilly's birth and the family's first 40 days in the hospital

• How Down syndrome can affect muscle tone, development and milestones

• Lilly's progression from using a walker to running down the aisle at Matt's wedding

• Why the words "I can't" and "I don't want to" are not interchangeable

• Rethinking the language we use when talking about a "healthy" child

• Matt's honest first emotions after learning that Lilly had Down syndrome

• Why Lilly's siblings treat her like their sister—not someone who needs different expectations

• The mission behind Down with Running and its focus on instructional encouragement

• Why meaningful physical goals can range from walking a mile to running an ultramarathon

• Creating access to shoes, race entries, programs and one-on-one support

• The Cedar Bend Endurance Run and using local races to fund the mission

• Matt's long-term vision for Lilly and Down with Running

• Why lasting change often starts close to home

(00:00) Meet Matt Lamos and Down with Running

(02:57) From soccer to ultrarunning

(05:20) Lilly's story and understanding Down syndrome

(10:34) From using a walker to running down the aisle

(12:23) "I did it" and the difference between "can't" and "don't want to"

(14:19) Rethinking health and Matt's first emotions as Lilly's dad

(21:59) Raising Lilly alongside her siblings

(24:51) The mission behind Down with Running

(26:56) Why every physical goal deserves support

(30:58) Early wins, current hurdles and the Cedar Bend Endurance Run

(33:42) Matt's 15-year vision for Lilly and Down with Running

(37:22) Making a difference close to home

• Down with Running

• Matt and Lilly's story

• Cedar Bend Endurance Run — September 5, 2026, in Waverly, Iowa

• Down with Running on Instagram

• Matt Lamos on Instagram

• Down with Running on Facebook

Dr. Mandy Riehl is a chiropractor, former Division I runner, trail and ultrarunner, and high school cross-country coach who works extensively with endurance athletes.

In this episode, Scott and Mandy talk about building runners for the long haul from how we develop young athletes to how adult runners can better handle injuries, strength training, and the inevitable aches and pains that come with the sport. They dig into common running injuries, why pain isn't always coming from where you think it is, and why heavy, simple strength training can be one of the best tools for staying healthy.

00:00 – Meet Dr. Mandy Riehl
07:20 – From soccer to Division I running
13:40 – The college athlete experience
16:30 – Building an identity outside of sport
21:00 – How much should young runners be running?
24:00 – Developing runners for the long haul
29:00 – Mandy's work with trail and ultra runners
31:45 – Common running injuries
34:20 – Is it really IT band syndrome?
37:45 – Strength training for injury prevention
39:20 – Hip mobility and running mechanics
42:20 – The simple strength routine runners need
44:20 – Building a trusted injury and rehab team
47:10 – What we'll tackle next time

P2 Sports Care: https://p2sportscare.com

Finishing last isn't the same as failing. Ultrarunner and race director Mandy Hansel shares what her DFL finishes have taught her about courage, cutoffs, and creating races where every participant feels welcome.

At the back of the pack, the aid stations may be picked over, the course markers may be coming down, and long stretches of the race may be spent entirely alone. Mandy has experienced all of it, from having a sweeper push her out of an aid station to being cut halfway through a race she had trained hard to finish.

Those experiences helped shape the kind of race director she wanted to become. Mandy, co-founder of Storm Sporting Events, joins Scott to talk about the mental strength required at the back of the pack, the fear of finishing last, and why a DFL finisher can deserve the same celebration as the person who came in first.

They also explore fixed-time events as an approachable way to take on something big, what race directors can do to create a more inclusive experience, and how Storm Sporting Events uses its races to support youth mental health in southeastern Minnesota.

• (00:00) Meet Mandy Hansel and the meaning of DFL
• (01:51) From road running to Mandy's first ultra
• (04:24) How Storm Sporting Events began
• (06:52) What finishing DFL taught Mandy
• (08:12) Race cutoffs and choosing the right event
• (10:12) Keeping the finish line up for every runner
• (12:37) What runners experience at the back of the pack
• (14:45) Chasing cutoffs and dealing with imposter syndrome
• (15:59) The fear of finishing last
• (16:29) Why Storm gives an award to its DFL finisher
• (19:35) Storm the Day and the appeal of fixed-time events
• (22:01) Turning race registrations into support for youth mental health
• (24:23) Mandy's encouragement to runners who are afraid to try

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

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mandyl.hansel/

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

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

Website:
https://www.stormsportingevents.org/

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

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

Hardrock 100 puts just 146 runners into one of the most remote and demanding mountain races in ultrarunning. Supporting them requires approximately 650 volunteers, specialized safety sweepers, hike-in aid stations, four-wheel-drive transportation and nearly a full year of planning.

Bill Schum, Hardrock's volunteer coordinator and an aid-station captain, takes Scott behind the scenes of the legendary 100-mile race through Colorado's San Juan Mountains.

Bill explains how volunteers support runners across a 48-hour event with roughly 33,000 feet of climbing. Some carry supplies into remote aid stations. Others spend two nights in the mountains, clear the course, manage traffic, provide medical support, or follow the final runners across passes above 13,000 feet.

He also shares some unforgettable moments from the course: volunteers searching for a missing pacer, a runner receiving the shoelace directly from a volunteer's shoe, a surprise bear at an aid station, and the wildfire smoke that kept Bill awake for 64 consecutive hours.

Along the way, Bill reveals what the back of the pack experiences at Hardrock, how technology has changed remote aid-station operations, and why every runner should expect the race to be harder and much slower than imagined.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Bill Schum and the Hard Rock 100
• 01:05 Bill's background and how he got involved in ultramarathons
• 02:13 Overview of the Hard Rock 100 race
• 03:43 Starting race planning and volunteer recruitment
• 05:14 Details of aid station setup and logistics
• 07:59 Managing remote aid stations and safety sweepers
• 14:07 Memorable wildlife encounters during the race
• 19:17 The most rewarding parts of the race experience
• 21:49 Impact of technology on race management
• 24:26 Race week sleep schedule and challenges
• 27:10 Advice for future Hard Rock runners
• 28:46 Closing thoughts and encouragement to spectate or volunteer

Official Hardrock 100 website:
https://hardrock100.com/

Hardrock volunteer information:
https://hardrock100.com/hardrock-volunteers.php

Course description and safety information:
https://hardrock100.com/hardrock-course.php

How fast should you actually be moving at mile 20, 50 or 80 of an ultra?

Danny Murphy is an ultrarunner, engineer and the founder of UltraPacer, a race-planning tool designed to account for the things that make trail racing complicated including elevation, terrain, altitude, heat, fatigue and even darkness.

Scott and Danny talk about how UltraPacer started as a spreadsheet Danny built while preparing for his first 100K, why evenly pacing an ultramarathon usually isn't realistic, and how runners can use pacing data without becoming completely tied to a spreadsheet on race day.

They also dig into race-day strategy, setting realistic goals, using training runs to test a race plan, and why a good pacing plan may be just as useful for your crew as it is for you.

• 00:00 – Meet Danny Murphy and the story behind UltraPacer
• 02:00 – Modeling elevation, terrain, heat, altitude and fatigue
• 05:00 – How the pacing models were built
• 07:45 – Why ultrarunners slow down
• 09:30 – Elite pacing vs. everyday runners
• 10:20 – Using your training to set realistic race goals
• 13:00 – When a pacing plan is too aggressive
• 15:30 – How to actually use a pacing plan on race day
• 17:00 – How UltraPacer helps crews
• 18:15 – When to adjust your race-day goal
• 22:15 – Building and improving UltraPacer
• 25:00 – What's coming next
• 27:00 – How first-time ultrarunners can use UltraPacer
• 30:45 – UltraPacer tools for coaches
• 32:15 – Ultra chores?
• 33:00 – Where to find UltraPacer

Website: https://ultrapacer.com
Instagram: @ultrapacer
Facebook: ultrapacer

UltraPacer helps runners create race plans based on the actual demands of a course rather than relying on one average pace. Runners can account for variables including grade, terrain, altitude, heat, fatigue and darkness, then use those estimates to better understand what race day may look like.

The majority of UltraPacer's features are available for free, and runners can use existing courses or upload their own GPX file to start building a plan.

Mike Smith has completed 254 hundred-mile races, but his running journey began with a simple promise to run the Disney Marathon with a coworker.

Fresh off becoming the final official finisher at Western States, Mike joins Scott to talk about more than 25 years of ultrarunning. He shares what keeps him coming back, why the community matters more than another buckle, and the lessons he has learned from both his finishes and his many memorable DNFs.

Mike also offers practical advice about fueling, hydration, strength training, working with a crew, and making decisions when a race gets hard. One of his biggest reminders: never decide to quit while struggling up a hill. Get to the next aid station, take care of yourself, and then decide.

In this episode:

• How a promise led Mike from his first marathon to 254 hundred-mile finishes
• What he learned during his first 100 at Umstead
• Why community keeps him returning to the sport
• Managing fatigue, fueling, hydration, heat, and cutoffs
• The role strength training has played in his longevity
• What runners really need from their crew
• Chasing the Western States cutoff as the final official finisher
• Why you may be capable of much more than you think

(00:00) Introduction to Mike Smith's Journey

(02:41) Growing Up in Memphis and Early Sports

(05:37) Career Path and Transition to Running

(08:30) The Start of an Ultra Running Career

(11:20) The Evolution of Running Hundreds

(13:53) Community and the Joy of Running

(16:50) Training and Strength for Endurance

(19:36) Chasing Cutoffs and Mental Strategies

(22:23) Injuries and Lessons Learned

(25:04) Reflections on the Ultra Running Experience

(28:40) Overcoming Challenges in Ultra Running

(30:51) The Importance of Nutrition and Hydration

(32:07) Race Day Mindset and Preparation

(32:55) Traveling for Races: Strategies and Tips

(34:32) Defining Success in Races

(36:50) The Role of Crew in Ultra Running

(38:56) Qualities of a Good Crew Member

(42:00) Managing Expectations During Races

(44:45) Training Regimens for Ultra Running

(47:08) Experiences as the Last Finisher

(49:40) Celebrating All Finishers in Ultra Running

(52:53) Favorite Races and Unique Experiences

(58:38) Encouragement for New Runners

Hear Sandra Bullock Smith's perspective on crewing an ultrarunner: https://becomingultra.libsyn.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-crewing-an-ultra-with-sandra-bullock-smith