Aaron is a thru-hiker-turned-ultra runner who began running in 2022 yet has completed numerous 200+ mile races, including every Cocodona 250. If you have ever considered running a 200 mile race or want to learn secrets on how to, this may be the episode for you. Aaron explains how discovering ultra running on the Pacific Crest Trail and the appeal of aid stations and support drew him from hiking into racing. We dig into the value of being efficient at hiking, how Aaron avoids hallucinations and his sleep strategy to avoid zombie walking. Oh, and day 2 apparently is always the worst day for everyone in a 200.

Join us, and don't ever forget. You can still learn something from your mom.Don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Aaron on IG: ⁠⁠@mittenmadness

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

It isn't everyday that you get to have your mom on your podcast. This week, Anna Epifano, Steve's mom, joins us on the show to talk about her first 100 mile race at the age of 63, the Blackbeard's Revenge 100.

After DNF'ing her first attempt at Blackbeard's in 2025 which was a race she hadn't even planned to do in the first place, Anna returned in 2026 to finish what she started. We get into the importance of consistency in training, the ups and downs of a DNF and a redemption, strength training and mobility, fueling and race day strategies.

Join us, and don't ever forget. You can still learn something from your mom.Don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Anna on IG: ⁠@a4c1e6 ⁠

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

Is it okay to walk during an ultra? Is it okay to walk during training as a runner? What if you could set PRs in your races, regardless of the distance, by adding in a planned walk part in it? Would you?

Join us as we learn from Chris Twiggs, Chief Training Officer of Jeff Galloway coaching, everything we can about the art of run-walk-run. Chris explains how run-walk-run is a deliberate pacing strategy that starts from the beginning of a race, how to choose and adjust ratios using the “Magic Mile” and a 30-second walk break guideline, and how pacers and tools like a Gym boss timer can reinforce execution late in ultras.

Oh, and we would have been dumb not to talk about what it takes to finish the Hardrock 100 17 times as Chris prepares to take on his 18th running this year. We talk training from Florida, acclimation, stair and treadmill work, and a key underestimated factor of the course that you need to listen to the episode to hear.

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Chris on IG: @christwiggs

Check out Jeff Galloway Coaching: https://www.jeffgalloway.com/

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

Dylan Ledbetter, an Army veteran who began running after losing a close friend and later found discipline through running, faith, and sobriety. Dylan explains how his early races—an undertrained marathon and his first Mid-State Mile—shaped his mindset, then contrasts a poor Mid-State year two (lack of training focus and heavy drinking) with a breakthrough year three, where intentional training, humility, gratitude, and consistent fueling helped him finish third. He details Mid-State’s one-mile, 20-minute loop format, no-headphones rule, elevation demands, and his lap-by-lap cooling, pacing, and nutrition system. Dylan also recaps a tough Lovit 100 (about 15,400 ft gain) plagued by stomach issues, and shares how “chosen suffering” in ultras helps handle life’s unchosen hardships, while previewing goals and strategy for Cocodona 250.

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Dylan: @dylan_abnormal

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

In ultra running, many runners approach running a race out of fear of DNF'ing. Brittany turns that on its head and just runs fearlessly. Her past struggles with sobriety have shaped her and how she approaches not only life, but also her racing. Her mindset and gratitude, along with some fast turnover on those legs has pushed her to quite a few podiums along the journey. And that fearless approach to her races has not resulted in a DNF, but instead has continued to show her what she is capable of. In the episode we talk about her races like Coldwater 100k where she won and also her upcoming races at Sycamore 50k and Leoda Divide 100k.

We talk about sodium needs, nutrition needs, running fearless and self supported, along with how to prep for warm weather races.Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Brittany on Instagram: ⁠@osideruncoach

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

How do you go from running your first 50 miler in 2022 to then running across Canada in 2024? On this episode we are joined by Ryan Keeping, who has run across Canada, which happens to be over 1000 miles longer than the States. He has also set the FKT for running around Iceland as well as multiple other extreme endurance events over the past couple of years.

Ryan is contagious. His energy and his mindset of always trying your best that his Dad taught him growing up will inspire you to step out of your comfort zone. We talk about his recent win at the Bootleg Boogie 100 miler and his upcoming plans for racing the Arizona 300.

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with Ryan Instagram: @ryan.keeping

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

This week we welcome April Bailey onto the show. At the age of 48, April had the best running year of her life, setting personal bests in the mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 50K, 50M, 100K and even the 100M. That 100 mile personal best, also just happened to give her the overall win for the Yeti 100 with a time of 15:42:00.

Join us as we talk about that incredible performance at Yeti, the importance of zone 2 training, nutrition and even her upcoming race at the Canebreak 200. Which, if you have been paying attention so far, will be her first 200 and we are looking forward to seeing how that race goes for her.

Special shoutout to her TUFF run club in Raleigh!

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/

John started running ultras in 2017 and in the past 8 years has run in over 150 ultra races, including 20 100 mile races! We talk about how how he balances his race calendar, remains motivated, and manages to stay injury-free, particularly focusing on the importance of strength training and PT exercises. John also talks about his passion for inclusion in running through his involvement with Ainsley's Angels, an organization that allows runners to push athletes in racing chairs, promoting an inclusive running community.

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start watching, because if you have read this far, well, we are friends now. So yeah, give us a like and subscribe.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with John on IG: @breezytrailhead

Connect with us on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blueprint_to_ultra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for a coach?

Work with Jeff: ⁠⁠https://www.jwultrarunning.com/⁠⁠

Work with Steve: ⁠⁠https://www.socalrunnercoaching.com/