On this episode of the podcast, our guest began running after a health scare and a chronic Lyme disease diagnosis that left her with ongoing leg tingling and nervous system disconnect. Britney shares how she moved from treadmill walk-runs and insecurity about being seen running to embracing the trail community, volunteering with Ontario’s Start to Finish program supporting at-risk kids through running and reading, and rapidly progressing to 50Ks and timed events.

The conversation centers on learning when to push mentally versus when to stop for injury, including her knee pain that altered training and goals. Britney discusses preparing for her first backyard ultra (Bush Bitches Backyard Ultra), her strategy for 50-minute loops, nutrition plans, and lessons from the Tally in the Valley 24-hour event and Sulphur Springs 50K.Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start listening, 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 Britney on IG: @brritneyb

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

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

JJ Goodrich sets goals. Big goals.

JJ is a UESCA-certified ultra-running coach and ultrarunner, who has raced distances from 50K to 200 miles, timed events, and backyard ultras. The conversation centers on the Summit 200—an alpine, high-altitude 200-miler in Colorado—which JJ says changed him long before race day by pushing him to improve mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

JJ recounts his 2025 Summit 200 finish (about 90 hours) as a “recon” effort and explains his 2027 plan to chase the 61:42 course record by cutting sleep, minimizing aid-station time, using crew and pacers, and applying segment-by-segment strategy. He also discusses training approaches (strength work, altitude prep, nose breathing, run/walk intervals), his entry into ultras after his father’s death, and joins us for coaches' corner to answer a question on practicing race-morning nutrition for evening trainers

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 JJ on IG: @running_chowhound

Connect with JJ on Strava

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

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

We are joined by Bryan Botma, a former basketball player turned runner who is preparing for his 11th New York City Marathon and recently finished his first 100-miler at the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Run (25:03, 8th).

Bryan explains why NYC is meaningful to him, including running it with his mom before she later died of cancer, and shares how to get into the race and his goal to become a 15-time “legacy” runner. He describes returning to trails during COVID, running Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim attempts, and choosing ultras for their uncertainty.

Bryan breaks down Tahoe’s logistics, altitude, heat/cold swings, what went well (training, heat management, no foot issues, nutrition early), what caused his bonk (delayed switch to solid food, hiccups), and how his pacer helped him recover with broth and quesadillas. He also discusses post-race recovery, trail community culture, and plans to run Canyons 100.

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 Bryan on YouTube

Connect with Bryan on Strava

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

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

Today's guest was recommended to us by one of you! A listener sent in a recommendation for us to interview Dawn Gwin because he admired her toughness and positivity that he saw during the Cowboy 200.

On the show, Dawn talks about how she got back into running ultras later in life because the shorter races left her unsatisfied. We talk about practicing to calm the mind before the race, supporting one anothe during a race, her training with Zach Bitter. Race wise, we dig into the Honey Badger 100 held in Kansas, in July, so yes a hot one, and race that Dawn signed up for 5 days in advance - proving once again to us that we are capable of so much more than our limits tell us.

Join us and don't forget to hit subscribe and like. You know, you could subscribe before you even start , 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 Dawn: @coloradorunner60

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/

Nathaniel ran his first marathon as a sophmore in HS with a time of 4:07. He then ran that same marathon year later in 3:07. To top that, he ran his first 50.miler at 18 in a time of 8:41 and then returned one year later and set the course record dropping over 2 hours with a time of 6:17. How? That's what we wanted to know. Join us as we pick the mind of a young Jedi on how he has learned practical fueling strategies, consistency-focused training philosophies, burnout prevention, the Hell Hole 50 miler, and Beast of the East 50 mile course records.Before you hit play, don't forget to hit subscribe and give us a like, before you forget.Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We would love to hear from you.Connect with Nathaniel on Strava.https://www.strava.com/athletes/93122943

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 this episode of the Blueprint to Ultra podcast, Steve and Jeff interview Appalachian trail standout Alex Minor, winner of races like the Hurricane 100K and holder of the Rabid Raccoon 100 Mile course record (15:42:57). Alex shares how he transitioned from road/track running at Marshall into trail ultras during COVID, influenced by training partners like Caleb Bowen and Dan Green. We discuss why the Hurricane 100K looped format and community keep him coming back, and Alex explains how Black Canyon 100K became his lowest—and most educational—race, teaching him to prepare for terrain, build smarter race plans, and dial in fueling. We talk about getting a sodium sweat test, increasing sodium and carbs, and how he balances training (typically 60–80 miles, ~11 hours with vert) while running a shoe store and managing life commitments.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 Alex on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alminor3

Check out Country Roads Running and Walking on IG:

@countryroadsrunning

Shop: https://countryroadsrunning.com/

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Looking for a coach?

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

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

Training for an ultra takes a long time and a lot of hard work. We show up for a race and things don't always go to plan. On the show we talk with James Bragg about how we can practice a positive mental attitude, how negativity spreads, and how you can snap out of a downward spiral. As James reminds us, we have one shot at a race. You train for a specific race on a calendar year and that race, in that year, will never happen again. Sure, you can run it again next year, but for this year, the one you trained for, there is one shot. We talk about all of that and dig into the Hellbender 100, Rim to River, and a coaches' corner on how to manage race week and the stupid taper. 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 James on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@jamesb__runnin

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/

On today's show, we welcome Dr. Mandy Wainfan, a sports-focused chiropractor and endurance running specialist at Performance Place Sports Care, to discuss common running injuries and how to treat and prevent them. Mandy shares how she transitioned from NCAA track and cross country into trail running and ultras, including racing Black Canyon and completing two 50Ks and a 100K.

The conversation covers plantar fasciitis (including true vs nerve-mediated “fake” cases), IT band syndrome, patellar tendinopathy, low back pain, and Achilles tendinitis, with emphasis on load management, hip internal rotation mobility, and strength training. We also discuss when it’s appropriate to keep running, when to seek professional help (especially if symptoms persist beyond 4–6 weeks), and why runners might choose a sports chiropractor versus a PT.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 Mandy

IG: @p2sportscare

⁠⁠Website: ⁠https://www.p2sportscare.com/ ⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Performance-Place-chiropractor⁠

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/