Stefan Heisler is one of my best friends from college, and he is the reason I run at all. A year ago he sent me a text about how running fits nicely around work and kids. That text ended with me standing on a mountain in New Hampshire wondering what I had agreed to.

This episode is his story. Two miles off the couch, a triathlon leg he was terrified of, a half marathon he had to walk in, a 3:30 marathon, and then 100 miles at the Tahoe Rim Trail. We talk about what he actually did to train for it while working full time with two small kids, the mistakes he made in every single race leading up to it, and the stomach problem at mile 15 that nearly ended the whole thing.

Also: what makes a New Hampshire trail different from a California one, and why nobody warned him about the boulders.

Heads up: Stefan's internet died halfway through, so we finished this a couple of days later. You'll hear me explain it around the 54 minute mark.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Eighteen years of friendship and zero runs together

2:01 How Stefan actually started running

2:49 A triathlon where he only had to run

5:05 The half marathon he had to walk in

5:58 Signing up for a marathon a year out

7:33 Hitting 3:30 in his first marathon

8:25 One YouTube video and a secret ultra signup

11:05 Training around a full-time job and two kids

12:55 4:30 AM alarms, and 3 AM during peak week

16:43 The weed whacker problem

18:59 Why running still feels hard even when you're improving

23:48 The Tahoe Rim Trail 100

24:44 The plan: aerobic base, uphill work, 80 mile weeks

27:14 Race week as a parent: whatever you do, don't get sick

29:26 Finishing 100 miles and winning his age group

31:11 What the 100K, 50K and 50 miler each taught him

34:31 The rock he never took out of his shoe

35:29 Fueling: gels, fig bars, and what stopped working

37:21 Stomach trouble at mile 15 and solving it mid-race

40:21 The text message that gaslit me into running

42:06 2.2 miles in 24 minutes

46:24 Jigger Johnson: 6,000 feet of gain in 20 miles

47:58 West Coast switchbacks vs New Hampshire boulders

51:19 Check the terrain before you sign up

53:52 A quick note about the internet

54:31 What's next: the Western States lottery

57:22 Run the same race better, or chase a new one?

59:06 Trail runners vs road runners

1:00:49 Why marathon and ultra training don't overlap

1:04:49 Signing up for the 50 miler three days later

1:06:46 94 hours at the Last Soul Ultra

1:07:16 Wrap up

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs - Nevada

Canyons Endurance Runs 100K - Auburn, CA

Jigger Johnson 20 Miler - White Mountains, NH

Great American Triathlon - Sacramento, CA

Apple Hill Half Marathon - Camino, CA

Training for the Uphill Athlete - Scott Johnston

Last Soul Ultra, Germany - Mark Dowdle, 94 yards / roughly 392 miles

Quick disclaimer: I'm not a coach, a doctor, or an expert. I'm a runner who's still figuring this out, talking to other runners who are also still figuring it out. Take what's useful and check anything important with a professional.

Until Next Time: Just Keep Running