The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman

Tabor Hemming is a professional trail runner for Adidas TERREX living in Kremmling, CO. She has been one of the stellar crop of young American sub-ultra distance specialists racing internationally in the last couple years. We get to know her in this first appearance on the show.

Topics discussed:

• Tabor's personal and athletic background
• Family history and cattle ranching
• Joining Adidas TERREX
• Racing collegiately at CU
• Nordic skiing history
• Career development and the importance of self-investment
• The start to the 2024 season
• The Big Alta
• The Hemmings YouTube channel
• Goals for the future
• A lot more!

Andy Pearson is an ultrarunner and VP of Creative at Liquid Death, living in Southern California. He's also the co-host of a trail running podcast called Between Two Pines, distributed by UltraSignup. He's made his career in advertising and creative, winning industry awards along the way. He's also a longtime ultrarunner who has competed in races like Western States, Big's Backyard Ultra, Barkley, and Cocodona 250. Topics discuss:

• Andy's personal and professional background
• The difference between entertainment and marketing
• "The art of stupidity"
• The value of thinking irrationally
• Creating viral products
• Liquid Death's famous Super Bowl ad
• Maintaining a disruptive posture as Liquid Death scales
• Andy's running career
• The creative genius of Lazarus Lake
• Between Two Pines
• A lot more!

Shannon O'Grady is the CEO of Gnarly Nutrition, our longest tenured partner. She is also a PhD Sports Nutritionist with incredible knowledge about fueling for performance and recovery. This is her second appearance on the show -- the first being one of our most popular episodes ever. We use this as another opportunity to blast through a laundry list of nutrition topics to help you be more informed about your nutrition choices and strategies.

Topics discussed:

• Shannon's new role as CEO
• The Gnarstool Podcast
• Micronutrients vs macronutrients
• Metabolism
• Carbohydrate periodization
• Lifestyle hydration
• Calories vs. grams of carbohydrates
• Supplementing with protein during ultra races
• Alcohol's impact on performance
• Salt intake outside of training
• Acidic vs alkaline diets
• A lot more!

Zoë Rom is the Editor in Chief of Trail Runner Magazine and Managing Editor of Women's Running. She is also a host of The Outside Show. She is one of the most respected journalists in the sport, writing two fantastic pieces recently that we center the episode around. The articles are The Rise of Indie Running Brands and How Fan Service is Changing Running Media. 

Topics discussed:

• Nichification of sports
• Brands as identity signalers
• Social media's role in empowering new brands
• The DTC business model
• The importance of differentiation
• Fan service in media
• The state of journalism
• Trade offs made as an editor
• A lot more

Justin Grunewald is a professional runner and physician, living in Boulder, CO. At the end of January, Justin posted about his experience giving up alcohol for a month and how it impacted his running and personal health. His post resonated with me and created a great opportunity to finally have Justin on the podcast. Topics covered:

• Dry January
• Justin's observation of alcoholism as a physician
• How giving up alcohol impacted his training, relationships, and mood
• The importance of moderation
• The sponsorship landscape in trail running
• Agents in pro trail running
• Justin's training for Tarawera and goals for the season
• A lot more!

Jon Rea is a professional trail runner for HOKA, living in Boulder, CO. In 2023 he finished 4th at CCC and broke the CR at Javelina Jundred. Next weekend, Jon lines up as one of the favorites at the Black Canyon 100k. This podcast is a companion conversation for a training video Freetrail released, documenting one of the final key workouts in Jon's build to Black Canyon. In the podcast we discuss the following topics:

• Jon's background and family
• "From runner to racer" philosophy
• Team sports as the foundation for his running career
• This important moment in Jon's career
• His training for Black Canyon
• Flux workouts
• His unorthodox taper strategy
• The value of hardwork
• His PhD work and career at RMI
• Not needing a Golden Ticket
• "Big Cat Mode" 
• Who Jon admires

Mario Fraioli is the author of The Morning Shakeout newsletter and host of The Morning Shakeout podcast, he is also a coach to many athletes across all formats of running. He’s one of the most respected people in the sport and more importantly he’s a high character, high integrity person, and a good friend.

Andrew Bumbalough is a former professional track and road racer for the Bowerman Track Club who now works as a product line manager at Nike. Boasting a 2:10 marathon PR, Bumbi will be making his ultra debut, chasing a Golden Ticket, at Aravaipa's Black Canyon 100k where I will serve as his crew chief. He is a close friend returning for his second appearance on the pod. Topics discussed:

• Andrew's arrival in the national spotlight in High School
• The incubator
• Retirement and career transition
• Working at Nike after being sponsored by the brand
• Mix of emotions about his pro career
• Trail inspiration at Canyons 100k
• His training and psychology ahead of Black Canyon
• Being self-coached for the first time
• People he admires
• A lot more

Anna Frost is a trail running icon. The native New Zealander has had one of the most decorated careers of any athlete in the last two decades. She has since moved on from elite level racing but is still involved in the sport through coaching, guiding, and with her foundation Sisu Girls. 

Topics covered:

• Anna's current relationship with running
• Kiwi roots and trail running origin story
• The early days of the Salomon international Team
• Hardock and her community in Silverton
• Career management
• Aging as an elite athlete
• Current projects
• State of the sport
• A lot more!

For the first time in a few years, we're doing an AMA episode! After sourcing questions on Instagram, Harmony steps in to act as the host to pose fun questions from the community. Topics we cover.

• Previous career path
• Podcast prep strategies
• 2024 Freetrail priorities
• Having faith when taking a leap
• Mt. Rushmore of trail running
• Early peers and mentors
• Inspiring sporting performances from 2023
• Challenges that have led to personal growth
• Favorite books and music
• Harmony's support and our family dynamic
• Frustrating and rewarding parts of Freetrail
• Goals for 2024
• People I admire

• Ben Dhiman's Substack
• Rick Rubin's pod with Rory sutherland
• Rick Rubin's book
• Rory Sutherland's book
• Barbarian Days
• Roger Federer's Retirement Speech

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

Today we speak with the winners of the 2023 Trail Runner Of The Year, Americans Courtney Dauwalter and Jim Walmsley.

Courtney's highlights:

• 1st place at Western States 100
• 1st place at Hardrock 100
• 1st place at UTMB

Jim's Highlights:

• 1st place at Istria by UTMB
• 1st place at UTMB
• 1st place at Nice by UTMB

GET 30% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OF KETONE IQ: HVMN.com/FREETRAIL30

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

In #2, we're joined by Remi Bonnet from Switzerland and Katie Schide, an American who lives in France.

Remi's highlights:

• 1st place at Mont Blanc Marathon
• 1st place at Pikes Peak Ascent
• 1st place at Mammoth Trail Fest

Katie's Highlights:

• 2nd place at Western States 100
• 2nd place at OCC
• 1st place at Diagonale des Fous

GET 30% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OF KETONE IQ: HVMN.com/FREETRAIL30

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

In #3, we're joined by Americans, Sophia Laukli and Zach Miller.

Sophia's highlights:

• 1st place at Mont Blanc Marathon
• 1st place at Sierre Zinal
• 1st place at Pikes Peak Ascent

Zach's Highlights

• 1st place at Tarawera by UTMB 100 Miler
• 6th place at Long Trail World Championship
• 2nd place at UTMB

GET 30% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OF KETONE IQ: HVMN.com/FREETRAIL30

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

In #4, we're joined by Tom Evans from Great Britain and Toni McCann from South Africa.

Tom's highlights:

• 2nd place at Black Canyon 100k
• 1st place at Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB 50k
• 1st place at Western States 100

• 1st place at Transvulcania 48k
• 1st place at OCC
• 1st place at Ultra Trail Cape Town 55k

GET 30% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OF KETONE IQ: HVMN.com/FREETRAIL30

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

In #5, we're joined by Grayson Murphy from the USA and Aurelien Dunand-Pallaz from France.

Grayson's highlights:

• Double USA Mountain Running Champion (Vertical & Up/Down) 
• 3rd place Vertical World Championship
• 1st place Up/Down World Championship

• 2nd place at the Maxi Race 80k
• 1st place at Hardrock 100
• 1st place at Diagonale des Fous

For the first 10 days of 2024, Freetrail will be rolling out our Trail Runner Of The Year award, presented by Ketone IQ. The award recognizes the top-10 male and female athletes of the 2023 season, as voted on by 1000 trail runners from around the world. 

In #6, we're joined by Judith Wyder from Switzerland and Jonathan Albon from Great Britain.

Judith's highlights:

• 2nd place at Short Trail World Championship
• 1st place at Mammoth Trail Fest
• 2nd place at Golden Trail World Series Final

• 3rd place at Zegama
• 1st place at CCC
• 1st place at Grand Trail Des Templiers

GET 30% OFF YOUR SUBSCRIPTION OF KETONE IQ: HVMN.com/FREETRAIL30