ultrarunning

Last fall, Harvey Lewis captured the international spotlight at Big’s Backyard Ultra in rural Tennessee. The high school teacher broke a world record, running an astounding 450 miles in 108 hours—more than the distance from DC to Boston.  But—I implore you—don’t let his humility deceive you. Inside Harvey roams a myriad of animalistic tenacity ready to be unleashed. A beloved teacher at Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts, Harvey redefines human capability with 27 years of ultra-running experience, 115 ultras, podium finishes at Badwater 135, and a five-time USA National 24-hour Team member. Today, we explore Big’s, including Harvey's readiness to run through another night, his approach to sleep deprivation, spirit animals, transcendence, and mindset. Harvey guides us through his coach-less training and the motivations behind his extensive running feats, racing for the Brighton Center, a Kentucky non-profit supporting families.  Additionally, Harvey’s fiancée, Kelly, provides exclusive insights into his personality and kindness, sharing charming details like stopping for lightning bugs and hosting popsicle parties. She discusses her ultra-running experiences and participation in Netflix's Squid Game Challenge. I immensely admire Harvey. He embodies humility, champions gracefully, and exudes a delightful presence—a hero the world needs. Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors: CamelBak: Get 20% OFF with code RICHROLL 👉camelbak.com Bon Charge: Enjoy 15% OFF with code RICHROLL 👉boncharge.com/RICHROLL Squarespace: Get 10% OFF 👉squarespace.com/RICHROLL Plunge: Use code RICHROLL for 150$ OFF 👉plunge.com AG1: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 & 5 FREE AG1 Travel Packs 👉DrinkAG1.com/RICHROLL

Meet François D’Haene. One of the greatest (some say the greatest) ultra-distance trail runners in the world, French superstar François is a former physiotherapist turned winemaker who has collected 36 victories and 51 podiums across some of the most prestigious and challenging races in the world. His palmarès include taking victory at UTMB an astonishing four times, a record only recently matched by Kílian Jornet this year. In 2017, François clocked the fastest-ever traverse of the 210-mile John Muir Trail. And in 2021, he won the Hardrock 100, one of the most difficult trail ultras, breaking the overall record previously held by Jornet. Beyond the glow of ultra superstardom, François keeps things simple—a lifestyle that prioritizes his family as a dad to three. And an approach to sustained excellence that values community, connection, and nature over race results and rewards. It’s this disposition—a rare balance many athletes of his caliber struggle to master—that I find most compelling. And it’s the focus of today’s fascinating exploration. Today we explore the elements of François’ mastery. We parse his humble and grounded approach to craft—and how this mindset has contributed to sustained success and career longevity at the highest level of sport. In addition, we discuss the principles that drive him, the details of his training regimen, the allure of nature, advice for tackling your first ultra, and many other topics. But more than anything, this is a conversation about the tension between the rigors of pursuing mastery and the value of important life experiences beyond the parameters of sport. Read: Show notes. I should say up front that François’ French accent can be a bit thick at times, but if you listen closely and aren’t tempted to increase the playback speed, you should be able to follow him just fine. Captions are available on YouTube if you want to capture every word. Note: this conversation was recorded on June 30, 2022. On July 15, 2022, François placed 2nd at the Hardrock 100, 14+ minutes behind Kílian Jornet. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with François—may this exchange leave you equally enriched. Peace + Plants, Rich

She collects world records with wild abandon. With each race, she narrows the gender gap, rewriting the rulebook on human capability with a broad smile and arms outstretched. Meet force of nature Camille Herron. Alongside 21 marathon victories, Camille won the Comrades Marathon in 2017, becoming the first athlete to win World Championship titles in the 50K, 100K and clocking the most miles in 24 hours (167.8 to be specific) of any woman in history. Just after turning 40, earlier this year Camille took home a big win at the Jackpot 100, beating all the men and besting her own 100-mile Road World Record. In addition, Camille is the youngest woman to reach 100,000-lifetime running miles and she holds my favorite world record—fastest marathon in a superhero costume—running 2:48 dressed head to toe as Spiderwoman. Today she shares her unique story, in her own unique way. How can a woman who commits herself to such hellish feats of physical performance remain so joyous? Today we dissect it all: Camille’s relentless positivity, her unique backstory, her unique, quality over quantity training style, how she thinks about closing the gender gap in ultra running, the importance of strength training, how blood work has impacted her focus on nutrition, the difference between trail running and road running, her near term goals and future ambitions. We also talk about how she manages being married to her coach Conor Holt, how running can be self-transcendent, and many other interesting topics. More about Camille + show notes: https://bit.ly/richroll689 Today’s episode is also viewable on YouTube: https://bit.ly/camilleherron689a Camille is an unbridled optimist, a super fun hang, and an inspiration for all—especially for those of us pondering our athletic capabilities as we age up. Peace + Plants, Rich

Zach Bitter is an ultramarathon runner and coach who held world records for the 100-mile run and the 12-hour run. Understanding what it takes to run an ultramarathon is one thing, but doing it at a world record pace is something else. I wanted to find out what the mindset of an ultra runner can teach the rest of us about resilience, dedication and commitment. Expect to learn the biggest mistakes that runners make when taking on a long distance, how Zach copes with the pain when things get hard, the best intra-event nutrition he's found, how to deal with negative self-talk, whether he's tempted to do a Back Yard Ultra and much more... Sponsors: Join the Modern Wisdom Community to connect with me & other listeners - https://modernwisdom.locals.com/ Get 20% discount on the best quality Kratom from Super Speciosa at https://getsuperleaf.com/modernwisdom (use code: MW20) Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://bit.ly/cbdwisdom (use code: MW20) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and Free Shipping from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Check out Zach's website - https://zachbitter.com/ Follow Zach on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter/  Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tend to think of high-performance athletes as superhuman—a rare species with extraordinary strength and a preternatural ability to suffer. But if you ask today’s guest what distinguishes the elite athlete and everyone else, she’ll say nothing. For her, the secret to high-level performance isn’t about cutting edge training plans, coaches, or carefully honed nutrition. For her, it’s instead found in seeking out and celebrating the pain cave, that deep place of physical discomfort most go to great lengths to avoid. Meet Courtney Dauwalter, the world’s best female ultrarunner—and when it comes to races 200 miles and longer—arguably the best period. A humble mater of grit and boundary-busting physical prowess, Courtney is universally loved and admired for her winning smile, mental fortitude and intuitive training style (she doesn’t even have a coach). In addition to being named one of the 50 Fittest Athletes in the World by Sports Illustrated and a two-time Ultrarunner of the Year, among her countless accomplishments, Courtney: won the 2017 Moab 240 (including beating all the men) by an astonishing 10 hour margin; won the 2020 Big Dog Backyard Ultra by clocking 283 miles (again beating all the men); won the women’s division of 2018 The Western States 100; broke the Tahoe 200 female course record in 2018 by 18+ hours; and was the fastest female at the 2019 UTMB, considered the world’s most prestigious ultra Not bad for an athlete who didn’t even begin her professional running career until she was 32 years old. The thing about Courtney is that she lives in the moment. She’s a doer. She doesn’t overthink things. She trains on feel, eats what she wants, and does it all with joy and a laudable degree of humility and perspective. But behind it all is a very intentional human—an athlete of unparalleled mental fortitude with the drive required to test the very limits of human capability. Today we get into all of it. Courtney shares the mindset techniques and tactics that have propelled her superhuman accomplishments. She shares her perspective on career longevity. Her evolution as an athlete. How she approaches unlocking unprecedented performance. And the purpose that lives beneath it all. But if you extract anything from this conversation, may it be the importance of having fun. Why taking things lightly is strength and not a weakness. When you reframe pain as a destination rather than an obstacle, truly anything is possible. To read more click here. You can also watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. An athlete I’ve admired for many years, I aspire to Courtney’s unique blend of grit and joy. Yes, she is a badass. But she’s also a good sport. A better human. And an absolutely delightful hang. Enjoy! Peace + Plants, Rich Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zach Bitter is an ultramarathon runner and coach. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Ladder: https://ladderlife.com/lex - Belcampo: https://belcampo.com/lex and use code LEX to get 20% off first order - Noom: https://trynoom.com/lex - BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off EPISODE LINKS: Zach's Twitter: https://twitter.com/zbitter Zach's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachbitter Zach's Website: https://zachbitter.com/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (07:34) - The marathon mentality (14:43) - The psychology of quitting (25:49) - Variety in ultramarathons (33:04) - What does it take to run 100 miles? (38:27) - Leading ultramarathon events (42:09) - Training and race strategy (44:39) - 100 Mile world record (48:41) - Foot strike variability and cadence (51:29) - The 11 hour barrier (54:57) - The most beautiful thing about running (1:01:19) - Zach's training regime (1:06:06) - MAF 180 Formula (1:16:31) - Training plans (1:31:30) - Marathons vs. 100 miles (1:40:31) - Zach's diet philosophy (1:55:19) - Fueling for race day (2:02:34) - Training while fasted (2:06:11) - Embracing the chaos (2:07:41) - 100-Mile treadmill WR (2:11:51) - The legend of Bert Kreischer (2:16:16) - The Transcontinental Run across America (2:33:51) - Who is the greatest endurance athlete of all time? (2:41:04) - Shoe technology in running (2:54:14) - Human limits (2:56:49) - Zach's biggest obstacles (3:00:34) - Advice for young people

Never meet your heroes, they say. Fortunately, this entire podcast is based on ignoring that advice. And today, that's a good thing. First, Kílian Jornet — one of the most humble, accomplished and inspiring athletes in the world — rarely sits for long form press. Second, this hero lives up to the hype. And this conversation is everything I hoped it would be. For the uninitiated, Kílian Jornet is inarguably the most prolific and dominant mountain runner of all time and amongst the world's greatest athletes, period. Born and raised at 6,000 feet above sea level in the Spanish Pyrenees, at age 5 he climbed an 11,000 foot mountain — the highest mountain in the region. Now Jornet adores the mountains with the same ferocity with which he runs them. Racking up wins in most of the world's premier ultramarathons, his many accomplishments include: * 4x champion of Europe’s Skyrunner World Series; * 3x champion of the grueling Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc; * 2011 winner, Western States 100; and * 4x consecutive winner, Hardrock 100; and * 2017 winner at Hardrock 100 despite dislocating his shoulder at mile 14 In search of inspiration outside formal competition, Kílian embarked on a self-styled adventure project dubbed Summits of My Life — establishing the fastest known recorded times (“FKT”) to ascend and descend the world's most challenging peaks, including the Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, Denali and even the planet's tallest summit. Not only did Kílian set the Mt. Everest FKT at 26 hours from base camp, he did it without supplemental oxygen or ropes. A mere six days later, he repeated the performance — an accomplishment that inspired Adventurer of the Year accolades from National Geographic. Kílian's feats of poetic athletic prowess are beautifully depicted in his gripping memoir Run Or Die*, the new documentary Path To Everest, and his latest book Summits of My Life* — all of which I urge you to check out. Today he shares his remarkable story. This is a conversation about what drives one of the planet's most uniquely gifted fleet of foot — a man devoted to redefining what is possible, continually pushing the limits of human ability, and never failing to astonish competitors with his near-superhuman fitness and ability. So what lies behind the success? Kílian's motivation isn't what you might imagine. It has nothing to do with race results. And his happiness derives not from victory. Instead, it's adventure that sparks Kílian's joy. Immersion in nature. Living outside the comfort zone. And always, always exploring. A truly amazing human, what strikes me most about this other-worldly athlete is his profound humility. Kiílian's passion and respect for nature's prowess is earned. Refreshingly grounded, he lives simply, an ethic and aesthetic reflected in the minimalistic purity of his athletic pursuits. Today I'm glad I met a hero. I think you will be too. Enjoy! Rich

If Ross Edgley is a real-life Aquaman, I nominate ultrarunner extraordinaire Catra Corbett as a real-life Wonder Woman. Definitely one of the planet's most colorful athletes, Catra's polychromatic goth-punk aesthetic is a perfect superhero costume match for her sparkling personality. Rocking wild rainbow hair, brightly colored running costumes and tattooed head-to-toe, you can spot the Dirt Diva's smile from a mile out, happily tearing up the trails with her trusty side-kick training partner TruMan — a goggle-adorned mini dachshund. TruMan's superpower? He loves running as much as she does. Yes, it's all a bit nutty. But don't be deceived — Catra is an absolute beast of an athlete. Over the course of her storied career she has competed in over 250 ultramarathons and is the first American woman to run over 100 miles or more on more than 100 occasions (137 to date). You might recall Catra from the book Born to Run as the “kaleidoscopically tattooed” woman who ran the 212-mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. When she reached the end, she didn't stop. Instead, she turned around and ran back — a 425-mile effort for which she holds the fastest known time (FKT), completing it in just over twelve days. Not enough? Catra also holds the FKT for the Muir Ramble – clocking 324 miles in just 7 days. Oh yeah, she also ran 144 trail miles around Lake Tahoe in 43 hours on just 50 minutes of sleep. Most recently, at age 53, Catra completed three back-to-back 200-mile races to become the oldest woman to win the triple crown of 200's (Bigfoot 200, Tahoe 200 & Moab 240). It's an astounding feat she completed in just 10 weeks. A mere eleven days later she celebrated her accomplishment by running another 100 miles at the Javelina Jundred — dressed as the The Mad Hatter. Vintage Dirt Diva. To top it off, she's a vegan — a lifestyle she adopted 15 years ago to which she attributes her high performance prowess, race consistency and longevity. Catra's resume speaks for itself. But most impressive are the obstacles she has faced and overcome to become the shining example of humanity and athleticism she is today. Twenty-four years ago, Catra was lost in a hopeless spiral of meth addiction, disordered eating, and sexual and emotional abuse. Ultimately busted for peddling crystal, she hits rock bottom in a jail cell that scares her straight. Upon release she commits to getting sober, moves back home with her mother, abandons her lower companions, her boyfriend, and the dark lifestyle that she came to depend on. Her only clean friend pushes her to train for a 10K with him, and surprisingly, she likes it – and decides to run her first marathon after that. Sobriety saved her life. Running gave her a new one altogether. Along the way she attempts suicide, loses loved ones, falls in love, has her heartbroken, meets lifelong friends and finally faces the past that led to her addiction — all of which is beautifully chronicled in her memoir, Reborn on the Run: My Journey from Addiction to Ultramarathons*. I sat down with Catra to learn the how and why behind her incredible journey from meth-addicted cosmetologist to world class, vegan ultrarunning phenom. We cover her goth netherworld days and how she transformed her life in recovery. We track her accomplishments and what compels her insatiable drive to push herself well into her 50's. Enjoy! Rich

Lots of excitement and anticipation about today’s guest. One of the most lauded, celebrated and accomplished athletes on the planet, let me introduce you to the guy who can seemingly run forever: Dean Karnazes. We're talking about a guy TIME magazine named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.” Men's Fitness magazine hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet. An internationally recognized endurance athlete, NY Times bestselling author, in demand public speaker, and successful entrepreneur, Dean has pushed his body, mind and spirit to places most people simply cannot fathom. To give you an idea of what Dean is all about, let's briefly run through a few of his ridiculous mind-bending running accomplishments: * Ran 350 miles in under 81 hours foregoing sleep for 3 days; * Ran a marathon in each of the 50 states in 50 consecutive days; * On 11 occasions, ran a 200 mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of 12; * Won the 4 Desert Race Series in 2008, traversing the Gobi, Antacara, Sahara and Antarctica; * Won the Badwater 135 in 2004 and has run this race 10 times; * Ran 148 miles on a treadmill in 24 hours; and * Ran 3000 miles across the US from Disneyland to NYC in 75 days, running 40-50 miles / day Given all of these feats of astounding endurance and more, Dean is widely lauded as one of the greatest athletes of our time — an accolade deserved if you ask me. But it wasn't alway this way. After success on the track in high school, Dean put running in his rear view in favor of business. But by age 30, he found himself at a spiritual crossroads. Dissatisfied with the successful, comfortable life he had built for himself, he yearned for something more. He yearned for challenge. He yearned for discomfort. He yearned for struggle. Because to struggle is to be alive. After a now famous drunken all night run following his 30th birthday party, the rest is well documented running history. Dean chronicles his discovery and love of running in his bestselling memoir Ultramarathon Man*– a must read for anyone who loves an inspirational story of adversity and personal triumph — and his journey continues in his follow up tomes 50/50*, and Run!* Not enough? Dean is currently hard at work on a new book – a novelized look at the amazing life of Pheidippedes, the legendary Greek who ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a military victory against the Persians, a subject close to Dean’s heart given his Greek heritage. How does Dean do it? Some chalk it up to genetics – a freakishly high lactate threshold; an unnaturally high tolerance for pain; and an unusual ability to tolerate sleep deprivation Setting aside debate on whether these mental and physiological data points are earned or inherited, I feel compelled to say that the answer to this question is far more co...

Today on the show I sit down with my ultra running friend Josh Spector to talk all things Badwater. Widely accepted as the “World's Toughest Foot Race”, Badwater is a 135 mile running race across Death Valley — the hottest place on Earth, where temperatures average 120+ in July and can reach as high as 130 F with pavements temps typically in the 170-180 degree F range. Starting at Badwater Basin — the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level, approxmately 100 invitation-only runners from across the globe begin a jaunt that will take them across bleak and scorching desert terrain as well as three formidable mountain passes, including the culminating 13-mile ascent up the portals of Mt. Whitney — the highest peak in the lower 48 — to finish at 8,300 feet. Yeah – it's that insane. I had the honor & privilege of being a member of Dean Karnazes' crew this year, along with Jason Koop, Brandon Friese and Nathan Peerbolt. Together we paced, fed, hydrated and generally did all we could to help Dean complete this unbelievable race for the 10th time. It was an extraordinary experience — one I won't soon forget. Simultaneously, Josh — himself an accomplished ultra runner with three 100-milers under his belt — returned to Badwater for his third crewing experience, this time for runner Ray Sanchez. In this episode we swap stories about the experience, giving the listener a rare peek at exactly what it's like to have a front row seat at what I have to say is one of the most incredible displays of the indomitable nature of the human spirit I have ever seen — and will likely ever see. Enjoy the show! Rich