Running with her dad and husband by her side, Madison Ortega is ready for the magic of Sky Island and West Texas.

In this episode, Madison Ortega describes her mentality coming into her second trail race. Fitting that it is another West Texas race, as she did the 20k at the Big Bend Ultra earlier this year. Trading frigid temperatures for the blazing sun, Madison discusses her training post-injury, the importance of nutrition and hydration, and how she feels running the race alongside her dad and husband.

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The heart of the athlete shines with Javian Quinones, a faithful devotee to the endurance chase. Quinones, who is rehabbing and rebuilding from his third knee surgery, has chased endurance on two wheels and two feet.

A seeker of the ultra distance, Quinones has big goals and bigger miles. We chat about what brought him into running and how that evolved to cycling, the importance of optimism when dealing with injury, and what it means to chase the miles.

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Santiago Ortega is eyeing the finish line on his first 50k and preparing to fill that experience with joy.

In this episode, hear how Santiago is mentally preparing for the effort, what fuel sources he plans to utilize–including the underrated (gluten-free) peanut butter and jelly sandwich—and how a trip to Mexico City earlier this year is affecting his mindset going into the race.

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Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com.