Heading into this year's Sky Island, third time is the charm for Cale Williams.

Cale Williams has stuck to what he knows in his preparation for Sky Island -- hill repeats and long trail runs, especially at the Babcock Powerlines in San Antonio. As for nutrition, Cale is looking toward gummy bears. And some Huma gels, of course. But for Cale, he is eyeing a chill ride on the 25K and looking forward to crushing his enemies at the same time.

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In his first 50k, Roy Gallegos is not letting Sky Island's distance get to his head.

Roy Gallegos' mindset is one rooted in a humble mentality; a devotee to the endurance experience. From 5:00 a.m. training runs to acclimating to the necessary elevation gains, Roy is prepared for the experience of a lifetime. At the end, one thing awaits: finishing as an ultramarathoner. What's next? Bigger and better things, he would say.

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West Texas has come calling again for Joe Sierra, who is looking for the finish in his second trail race of the year at Sky Island.

Joe Sierra is coming off a Big Bend Ultra 50-mile finish from earlier this year, though he is also battling a bad shin splint. Despite that, however, Joe describes how prioritizing recovery and cross-training on the bike has prepared him for the longevity of the Sky Island 50k. Low and slow is Joe's mindset, especially to tackle the elevation gains in the race.

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In his first trail race, Will Rocha is going to fuck around and find out in his home away from home.

There is a beauty in coming into an endurance feat with the intent to find out one's limits. For Will Rocha, the Sky Island 25k will be a test of mental fortitude. Listen to find out how Will is coping with injury, approaching the start with patience, and how he landed racing at Sky Island.

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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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Hey everybody!

I’m happy to introduce this project: Strides’ pre-race coverage of the Sky Island trail race.

The race, one of West Texas’ finest, is in its ninth year. Boasting views of Fort Davis, the McDonald Observatories, and the skies of Texas, the race is much-loved — and it's calling the name of some badass runners.

For this coverage, I sat down with nine runners from San Antonio who are running the 25k and 50k races. While Borderlands’ Western States interviews inspired this, this was also a chance to live vicariously through the endurance chase.

I would love to run this race at some point. I will run this race at some point.

Each of the interviews followed the same formula, but each person also brought their own character into the mix. There are some familiar faces and some new ones in these episodes, and I have even gotten to share a few miles with several of them over the past few weeks.

From now up to race day, you will hear from these runners:

• Santiago Ortega - 50k
• Madison Ortega - 25k
• Will Rocha - 25k
• Joe Sierra - 50k
• Roy Gallegos - 50k
• Cale Williams - 25k
• Courtney Rouse - 25k
• Julia Hargesheimer - 50k
• Juan Pina - 50k

Consider following them on Instagram. Stoked to see them finish, and eager to have them all back on to debrief.

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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.