Friday, August 2, 2019

Episode 17: Trail Running Unedited with Andy Mathews of "The Croom / A1 Ultra Events"

Episode 17:  Trail Running Unedited with Andy Mathews of "The Croom" & A1 Trail Racing
Find the episode on most podcast apps, including Apple, Spotify, Google, Anchor
A1 Ultra Events Facebook Page
In this unedited episode, we dive into the adventurous and somewhat crazy history of trail running in the US, and connect with Andy through some of his most personal stories and experiences from iconic 100-milers, running Western States three times, and his continued commitment to the trail running community.  Among many other accolades, he explains what it's like to train for and finish 35 100 mile races, and perhaps even more difficult: organizing ultra races and trail running events for the trail running community! We talk about how volunteering and getting involved builds up the running community, and has lead him to some great opportunities & friendships along the way.

We also discuss the "vibe" or overall spirit of the trail running community, of it's continual pursuit of more difficult terrain and and more daunting challenges to push the limits of human capacity.  Wrapped into his story, as with most ultra runners, is injury and willingness of the mind and spirit to see failure as a learning opportunity- maybe not failure at all?  "In fact, sometimes quitting is the best way to avoid injury and allow you to run happy into the future.  Finishing is the goal, and that could be next time."  We also talk about growing older as a runner and the magic of being content with good "jogging", and yet still setting goals. 

Last but not least, we touch on the trail vs. pavement question, and how they can ideally be combined (with proper support and moderation) to improve running on both, with the right attitude and crossover friendships helping in the process.  If you want to do a trail run in Florida, or really anywhere, you will definitely hear about some of the best ones in this episode, learn about the terrain and some fun ones coming up this year you may want to add to your bucket list, from 5Ks to 100 milers!

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