May 30, 2024

Into the Ultraverse: Chase & Casey Hammond Talk Ultraverse Supplements, Races and Their EPIC New Event - Summit 200!

Into the Ultraverse: Chase & Casey Hammond Talk Ultraverse Supplements, Races and Their EPIC New Event - Summit 200!
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Season 2

Something to Say? Send Us a Message!

Embark on a journey into the Ultraverse featuring bespoke races and nutrition designed for the ultra-endurance athlete with Chase and Casey Hammond of Ultraverse Supplements. They join me, Richard Gleave, to share their inspiring tale from passionate ultra-runners to innovative supplement creators. We uncover the secrets behind their bestseller Proxima C, along with the birth of Terminus and T30, crafted to fuel the long miles ahead. Not to be outdone, the Hammonds also pull back the curtain on their race series, featuring the grueling Hell Creek 100 and the Pure Hell 140, along with festive races that celebrate both competition and community.

Prepare to be captivated by the stories of camaraderie and the close-knit ultra-running community that thrives even in the most demanding races. The Hammonds and I talk about what goes into organizing the ultimate test of human endurance, from the intimate Summit 200, set to be the highest altitude, non-repetitive race in the U.S., to the inclusive Front Range Ultra Days in Colorado. We dive into the nuances of race day chaos, the importance of runner safety, and the joy of handing out those finisher's buckles, making every step worth the effort.

Feel the pulse of the ultra-running scene as we explore the value of supporting each other, from the trails to the finish line. Whether you're an aspiring ultra-runner or a seasoned veteran, the Hammonds' insights into nutrition and race directing offer a wealth of knowledge. And for those yearning for more than just miles, our discussions on the Hell Creek Half and 50K, Eternal Damnation, and The Sticks promise a blend of high-spirited race culture and pure endurance festivities. Tune in and gear up to conquer your next ultra challenge, fueled by passion and the right supplements.

Ultraverse:
https://ultraversesupplements.com/
https://ultraversesupplements.com/our-supplements
https://ultraversesupplements.com/our-races

Website:
https://www.choosetoendure.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChoosetoEndure

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/choose_to_endure?utm_source=qr

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552757049526

Chapters

00:00 - Ultra Running Podcast Interviews Supplement Owners

10:17 - Ultra Racing and Supplement Business Expansion

17:46 - Ultra Running Race Series Discussion

27:35 - Ultra Running Race Highlights

33:46 - Summit 200 Race Discussion

42:42 - Running Business and Personal Life Balance

55:30 - Trail Race Memories and Values

01:07:30 - Promoting Ultraverse Products and Community

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:05.032
So hello and welcome to this opening episode of Season 2.

00:00:05.032 --> 00:00:08.868
How exciting If this is your first time with us.

00:00:08.868 --> 00:00:10.833
Thank you for stopping by.

00:00:10.833 --> 00:00:22.271
You are listening to Choose to Endure the show, where we share stories, interviews, gear and training tips specific to the tail-end heroes of the Ultra Universe.

00:00:22.271 --> 00:00:44.423
If you haven't had a moment to do so yet, please consider heading over to your favorite podcast app, maybe even the one you're listening on right now Hit, follow, rate the show and, if you're on Apple, maybe even leave a short written review too, and actually you can now also send us a text message right from the show notes if you've got something to say, which is a pretty cool new feature.

00:00:45.424 --> 00:00:46.627
My name is Richard Gleave.

00:00:46.627 --> 00:00:49.811
I've been running ultras since 2017.

00:00:49.811 --> 00:01:06.412
I've taken on and finished numerous distances at this point, all the way up through 220 miles, and I am unashamedly a member of the back of the pack, just like you Now here in the studio with me today on this opening episode.

00:01:06.412 --> 00:01:13.855
I am honored to welcome Chase and Casey Hammond, who together own and manage Ultraverse Supplements.

00:01:13.855 --> 00:01:33.382
Now, both Chase and Casey have graduate degrees in nutrition and have created three supplements specifically designed for ultra endurance performance, and they have seven ultra races they put on each year under the Ultraverse banner throughout the Midwest and now Colorado.

00:01:33.382 --> 00:01:36.873
Not only that, they're also both runners.

00:01:36.873 --> 00:01:43.509
Basically, their lives revolve around the sport of ultra running, so they're intimately familiar with our space.

00:01:43.509 --> 00:01:58.605
We're hopefully going to learn a little bit today about why they started their business, why their products are different and the races they have on offer, especially some hot off the press info about one of the new races, the incredibly epic sounding Summit 200.

00:01:58.605 --> 00:01:59.748
So stick with us.

00:01:59.748 --> 00:02:02.253
We'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

00:02:03.581 --> 00:02:09.312
Discover raw, inspiring stories from runners who've been right where you are.

00:02:09.312 --> 00:02:13.991
This is the Choose to Endure Ultra Running Podcast.

00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:15.822
With your host.

00:02:16.002 --> 00:02:17.987
He's English, not Australian.

00:02:17.987 --> 00:02:19.391
Richard Gleave.

00:02:21.980 --> 00:02:24.008
Chase and Casey, welcome to the show.

00:02:24.008 --> 00:02:25.604
Fantastic to have you on.

00:02:25.604 --> 00:02:26.709
How are you both doing?

00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:27.401
Thanks for having us.

00:02:27.401 --> 00:02:28.625
We're really good.

00:02:29.507 --> 00:02:29.927
Busy.

00:02:29.927 --> 00:02:30.790
How do you know I'm good?

00:02:30.890 --> 00:02:31.252
You're good.

00:02:33.181 --> 00:02:34.082
She answered for me.

00:02:34.082 --> 00:02:36.389
I'm doing great man.

00:02:36.389 --> 00:02:37.231
Thanks for having us.

00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.042
I'm married too, so I'm definitely familiar with that.

00:02:40.042 --> 00:03:01.497
Yes, now we've had a lot of Ultraverse love in past episodes on the show here, with Kelly Means talking about her experiences at your races and, of course, the amazing Ethan Kimes completing his record trans Texas solo FKT, fueled in part, I think, by Ultraverse's Proxima C drink mix.

00:03:01.497 --> 00:03:04.025
Yep, if I'm not mistaken, he might have said that.

00:03:04.025 --> 00:03:08.828
Now, folks, if you haven't listened to that episode, definitely do yourself a favor and go check it out.

00:03:08.828 --> 00:03:11.328
Believe that's season one, episode 15.

00:03:11.328 --> 00:03:12.765
That is an insane journey.

00:03:12.765 --> 00:03:23.450
And, of course, my own experience at the inaugural Cowboy 200 in late 2022, which I think we're affectionately calling the cold one at this point, maybe.

00:03:24.641 --> 00:03:25.887
I think that's fair, yeah.

00:03:26.760 --> 00:03:31.913
So it's really excellent to finally have you both on the show live and in person.

00:03:31.913 --> 00:03:36.290
I think we should kick off really with the supplement side of the business.

00:03:36.290 --> 00:03:45.352
So what inspired you both to start Ultraverse Supplements and how did your background in nutrition influence this decision?

00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:48.211
I'm going to let Chase take the reins on this side.

00:03:48.211 --> 00:03:53.727
This is kind of his baby and I'm just along for the ride on it, so I'll let him answer those questions.

00:03:54.707 --> 00:04:05.655
Yeah, I mean, like Casey said, I was kind of the one who thought of the supplement company and did most of the research for the products and ended up making all the formulations.

00:04:05.655 --> 00:04:22.721
And the idea came when I was about three quarters of the way through my nutrition degree clinical nutrition I have a master's degree in that and it was inspired by a few factors, I guess mainly.

00:04:22.721 --> 00:04:37.043
Basically, everything I learned I've been an ultra runner for I mean how long Since 2016 or so, I think is when I ran my first hundred but I was an ultra runner while I was going to school.

00:04:37.043 --> 00:04:46.255
So basically everything I learned about nutrition I twisted to kind of relate to endurance sports and specifically ultra running.

00:04:46.255 --> 00:04:48.206
There's a topic we learned about.

00:04:48.899 --> 00:04:56.428
I went and dug into the scientific literature and tried to find out about that topic as it relates to endurance sports.

00:04:56.428 --> 00:04:58.447
So that's one of the things.

00:04:58.447 --> 00:05:26.314
And second, I saw a hole in a lot of the nutrition supplement companies that mainly focused on endurance sports and I just felt that with my knowledge and some research, I could formulate better products that were currently out on the market at that time, specifically products that were formulated for endurance athletes, ultra endurance athletes, not just your typical endurance athlete.

00:05:26.314 --> 00:05:45.696
A lot of the formulas that I saw were just kind of silly in that they weren't taking into consideration the appropriate quantities of various ingredients and there was just kind of a general misuse of certain ingredients that, when used appropriately, are effective for endurance sports and are beneficial.

00:05:45.696 --> 00:05:55.925
The problem is that they're rarely used in optimal quantities according to the scientific literature and they're rarely used in the proper frequencies as well.

00:05:55.925 --> 00:06:00.293
So that's kind of what that idea, I guess now.

00:06:00.374 --> 00:06:00.673
so you?

00:06:00.673 --> 00:06:14.773
So you guys came out with two initial products and then added the third one at some point down the line, that is, if I'm reading correctly, the T30, terminus and then later on, proxima C.

00:06:14.773 --> 00:06:20.192
So what is the science behind these that you were just kind of alluding to there?

00:06:20.192 --> 00:06:25.600
What sets them apart from the other supplements that we might find out there as ultra-veg?

00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:27.345
Yeah, you're right on about that.

00:06:27.345 --> 00:06:35.050
We came out with Terminus and T30 initially and we should have came out with Proxima first, because it's by far a bestseller.

00:06:35.050 --> 00:06:40.122
It's the endurance fuel which kind of makes sense, because that's what everyone's going to be trying.

00:06:40.122 --> 00:06:45.954
Almost everyone's going to take one of those, whereas not everyone's necessarily going to take a recovery and a daily endurance supplement.

00:06:46.761 --> 00:06:59.348
But, to answer your question, t30 is a daily endurance supplement, terminus is an endurance recovery supplement and Proxima is an endurance fuel, and we just don't really feel like there needs to be much more than that.

00:06:59.348 --> 00:07:04.949
To be honest with you, I don't think there's many more boxes you need to check.

00:07:04.949 --> 00:07:10.605
As far as explaining the science, honestly, doing so would take a really long time.

00:07:10.605 --> 00:07:15.685
There's thousands of hours of research in each of the formulas.

00:07:15.685 --> 00:07:31.269
You know beyond what I learned in school, and the three supplements were formulated basically to be the best supplements in their specific category regarding endurance sports on the market, regardless of what they would cost to manufacture.

00:07:31.630 --> 00:07:34.064
One of our mottos is cost be damned.

00:07:34.064 --> 00:07:40.365
When it comes to our supplements, we know that they're going to be a little expensive, but we want them to be the best.

00:07:40.365 --> 00:07:43.762
We want to have the appropriate quantities of each ingredient in there.

00:07:43.762 --> 00:07:47.168
We want them to be taken correctly as far as frequency is concerned.

00:07:47.168 --> 00:08:03.564
But I think the best way to actually show the amount of thought and dedication that went into each product is to just go to our website and read the blogs about each product, because then you can really see how much research and time went into each one.

00:08:03.564 --> 00:08:13.762
And then I also give scientific sources for all the claims on there, so you can click on the scientific source and you can go read the study for yourself.

00:08:13.762 --> 00:08:21.132
As far as what it says about each of the ingredients, you know, and I'd be happy to share those links you know, after the podcast or whatever.

00:08:21.620 --> 00:08:22.903
Yeah, absolutely.

00:08:22.903 --> 00:08:25.249
We definitely put those links in the show notes.

00:08:25.249 --> 00:08:33.043
If anybody is interested in going and doing some digging and seeing exactly what's in the uh, the three supplements, I think that's great.

00:08:33.043 --> 00:08:49.455
And I tell you what, to just listening to you talk about that, the detail that you're going into, I think when we get to the race side of things later on, you you bring that same kind of detail into the races and I really feel like having run at least one and hopefully coming up for the sticks here pretty shortly.

00:08:49.455 --> 00:08:54.730
I, you know, I just get the feeling like that's how you approach things and I think it shows on the race side.

00:08:54.730 --> 00:09:00.373
Bring that same level of detail and kind of passion to the, to the four, which is great.

00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:02.703
Now you did talk about two.

00:09:02.703 --> 00:09:11.009
Maybe I should have started with the Proxima not done or before doing the T30 in Terminus as a small business.

00:09:11.009 --> 00:09:17.168
What were some of those challenges that maybe you faced getting Ultraverse off the ground initially?

00:09:17.249 --> 00:09:20.524
I think we're still struggling with that.

00:09:20.524 --> 00:09:25.634
To be honest, it's a pretty big, vast, vast market and we're a small business.

00:09:25.634 --> 00:09:27.246
We've only been around for three years.

00:09:27.246 --> 00:09:34.326
I think the hardest part for us has just been getting the word out about our products, and you know, marketing costs money.

00:09:34.326 --> 00:09:36.167
All of our products cost money.

00:09:36.167 --> 00:09:42.552
It's just coming up with the finances to do all that and still live, since we're self-employed now.

00:09:42.552 --> 00:09:44.066
So that's been a big struggle for us.

00:09:44.541 --> 00:09:45.283
Yeah, the marketing.

00:09:45.283 --> 00:09:50.556
We hate marketing and so we don't do much ourselves.

00:09:50.556 --> 00:10:17.659
We spend a decent amount of time on social media, kind of marketing our races and being in our race groups and stuff like that and trying to interact with our runners, but we need to do better as far as marketing the supplements is concerned because, like Casey said, we're just starting out three years and one and a half years for Proxima C, so each we know we need some new flavors as well, because that's a big deal, especially with endurance fuels.

00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:21.510
You don't want to take the same flavor of something for 200 miles.

00:10:21.510 --> 00:10:27.764
I mean, I took Proxima C for 100 and I was pretty burnt out on that and I just took Proxima C.

00:10:27.764 --> 00:10:30.052
I didn't take any food or anything, that's all I took.

00:10:31.035 --> 00:10:35.948
But we will have a new flavor coming out of Proxima C, hopefully late this year.

00:10:35.948 --> 00:10:39.102
But you know that's the main struggle is the investment and the money.

00:10:39.102 --> 00:10:40.647
Every new flavor.

00:10:40.647 --> 00:10:51.149
There's a minimum order quantity for each new flavor, so it's a massive investment for all those things, but it's uh, slowly gaining traction.

00:10:51.188 --> 00:11:02.743
So yeah, yeah, and you know, having used proxima at cowboy for the first time, I didn't get a chance to test drive that before I just rolled into that race and I went for it, you know.

00:11:02.743 --> 00:11:09.774
But it is, it's a, it's a fantastic drink mix and it wasn't it wasn't overly sweet like you could.

00:11:09.774 --> 00:11:12.666
You can take that for a considerable amount of time.

00:11:12.666 --> 00:11:29.120
Now, ultimately, I think 150, 160 miles in, I was like, okay, maybe it's time for something different, but but yeah, it's really interesting and and talking with the other folks that we've had on from you know, know, representing Ultraverse too, I haven't heard anything bad about the Proxima.

00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:42.535
It's all been good stuff and I think you know that sort of guerrilla marketing, word of mouth kind of thing is really hopefully really helping you, because that is a really good drink mix and quite different from other stuff that's out there on the market.

00:11:42.535 --> 00:11:42.975
I would say.

00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:47.802
So hopefully you're seeing some of that quite different from other stuff that's out there on the market, I would say so hopefully you're seeing some of that.

00:11:47.802 --> 00:11:48.903
Yeah, that's kind of been a thing with us.

00:11:48.903 --> 00:11:56.168
You know, we don't have the money to pay for celebrities to talk about how awesome our stuff is and that's what people buy, what they see famous people using, and that's just never going to happen with us.

00:11:56.168 --> 00:11:58.171
So that's been interesting.

00:11:58.431 --> 00:12:00.552
Yeah, we need to find you a celebrity.

00:12:00.552 --> 00:12:07.317
If there are any celebrities listening that are looking for a good new drink mix, then feel free to contact Chase and Casey.

00:12:07.317 --> 00:12:07.878
That's right.

00:12:07.878 --> 00:12:12.892
So you've got the supplement side of things kind of going on.

00:12:12.892 --> 00:12:22.868
What motivated you then, or what was the thinking behind transitioning into sort of organizing actual ultra races in addition to the supplements?

00:12:23.259 --> 00:12:33.212
We talked about putting on a race for probably years before we even did the supplements, probably maybe a couple of years after Chase had been running.

00:12:33.212 --> 00:12:43.389
We talked about putting on an ultra out at Wilson State Park, which is about an hour from where we lived in Hays at the time, and we talked about it, talked about it.

00:12:43.389 --> 00:12:47.544
Finally one year we did it at the time and we've talked about it, talked about it.

00:12:47.544 --> 00:12:49.571
Finally one year we did it, loved it and it's kind of snowballed from there.

00:12:49.571 --> 00:12:49.812
It exploded.

00:12:49.812 --> 00:12:52.964
The next year we added two more and then we just keep adding and adding.

00:12:53.144 --> 00:12:58.503
Yeah, no intention to ever do more than that single race out at Wilson.

00:12:58.702 --> 00:13:12.423
And the reason we picked Wilson State Park and the Hell Creek course is just because that's where I went to run on weekends, because it's a really, really awesome course in Kansas and it was an opportunity to actually get some hills in Kansas.

00:13:12.423 --> 00:13:15.611
And so we're like we need to put on a race here.

00:13:15.611 --> 00:13:23.384
And, like I said, no intention to expand from that but we did it and we're like, well, let's, let's put on one more out here.

00:13:23.384 --> 00:13:24.988
And then came Eternal Damnation.

00:13:24.988 --> 00:13:26.511
And then we're like, well, let's, let's put on one more out here.

00:13:26.511 --> 00:13:27.153
And then came eternal damnation.

00:13:27.153 --> 00:13:28.256
And then we're like, well, let's put on a timed race.

00:13:28.256 --> 00:13:28.899
And then came the sticks.

00:13:28.899 --> 00:13:43.672
And then, like casey said, now we spend way more time on race directing than our supplement company, for sure, and it's kind of just ignited a new passion in us and now we work full-time with it.

00:13:43.751 --> 00:13:46.019
So yeah, it's funny, the amount of people I run with it.

00:13:46.019 --> 00:13:55.312
They're like oh, we got to start a race in this park, we got to start a race over here, like we got to, we got to do, and but most of the time well, almost all the time it doesn't happen, right.

00:13:55.312 --> 00:13:56.883
But you guys went and did that.

00:13:56.883 --> 00:14:00.450
How did the first year go, like that first race?

00:14:00.450 --> 00:14:02.642
How did that work out for you, is it?

00:14:02.642 --> 00:14:04.291
You get a lot of people coming, was it?

00:14:04.291 --> 00:14:05.778
How did it turn?

00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:10.970
out like 70 or 80 people the first year yeah, it was a good turnout.

00:14:10.990 --> 00:14:15.966
Yeah, and honestly oh wow, that's really good we didn't have too much trouble with it.

00:14:15.986 --> 00:14:20.261
To be honest, you know it's a really good first race for us to put on.

00:14:20.261 --> 00:14:23.589
Chase knows that trail more than anybody.

00:14:23.589 --> 00:14:28.645
He's done more miles than anybody I know on that trail so we were really familiar with the area.

00:14:28.645 --> 00:14:30.772
We knew our where our aid stations were going to be.

00:14:30.772 --> 00:14:36.278
The logistics of it were pretty easy to manage and the park's really easy to work with.

00:14:36.318 --> 00:14:45.610
Like everything went very smoothly for that race and we'd been to enough ultras and casey crewed me at almost every ultra that I had ever done.

00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:49.188
So she had been, she had seen how everything works.

00:14:49.188 --> 00:14:53.080
You know, being at aid stations waiting for me forever.

00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:57.942
She sees how things kind of work at the aid stations and yeah.

00:14:57.942 --> 00:15:01.392
So, like she said, honestly we didn't have much trouble with that first year.

00:15:01.392 --> 00:15:04.605
It was pretty easy just because we knew the area so much and just we.

00:15:04.605 --> 00:15:06.708
We knew what we wanted out of the race.

00:15:06.708 --> 00:15:14.511
We and we took things from other races good and bad, and and knew how we wanted it to look going in.

00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:26.672
We you mentioned earlier about the attention to detail that first year for Hell Creek I'm pretty sure that we made a schedule hour by hour, where both of us were going to be what we were going to be doing.

00:15:26.672 --> 00:15:34.673
We don't do that anymore, but that first year we really wanted to make sure that we weren't just running around like crazy people that whole time.

00:15:34.779 --> 00:15:36.004
But that's what we ended up doing.

00:15:36.163 --> 00:15:36.365
Yeah.

00:15:37.950 --> 00:15:42.809
Yeah, did you find you stuck to the schedule or were you like way off with what you?

00:15:42.830 --> 00:15:43.371
thought no.

00:15:43.371 --> 00:15:54.423
No, I mean, now we just have kind of schedules where we need to be here by this time yeah, here by this time but there's just so much going on that you have to manage that.

00:15:54.524 --> 00:15:59.042
It doesn't really make sense, in my opinion, to to make too strict of a schedule.

00:15:59.042 --> 00:16:00.484
It's kind of like running an ultra.

00:16:00.484 --> 00:16:11.024
You know you can have a plan all you want, but at some point everything is going to go wrong and then you just have to adapt.

00:16:11.024 --> 00:16:24.647
Not that we've had anything go really wrong in our race, it's not nothing major, but it's just a constant game of adaptation so I'm a huge fan of the cocodona race, which I know you know you guys had some experience of.

00:16:24.967 --> 00:16:25.629
Was it last year?

00:16:25.629 --> 00:16:27.654
Yeah, yeah, two years, yeah.

00:16:27.956 --> 00:16:28.758
Poor experience.

00:16:29.038 --> 00:16:31.011
The last two years More poor experience.

00:16:31.011 --> 00:16:35.350
I mean I love the race but I mean just poor outcomes yeah.

00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:38.062
Well, you know, learn each time and move forward.

00:16:38.062 --> 00:16:45.934
I was listening to the coffee talks they were having with finishers after the fact this year and they were talking with Amanda Ashley Paulson maybe.

00:16:45.934 --> 00:16:52.693
So they were talking to her and they asked the same question like hey, did you have a plan coming into this and were you able to stick with the plan?

00:16:52.693 --> 00:16:53.360
And she said you know what?

00:16:53.360 --> 00:17:01.408
I don't even bother with a plan anymore, I've just learned to have a general idea of what I need to be doing and where I need to be, and then just roll with it.

00:17:01.408 --> 00:17:12.821
And then just roll with it and and she was like yeah, she said I find that much more mentally easier to deal with than trying to stick and remember what I'm supposed, every, every piece of what I'm supposed to do the whole way.

00:17:12.821 --> 00:17:17.603
She was just like no, I got a basic idea and then I just kind of let things be and and adapt.

00:17:17.603 --> 00:17:20.490
Um, as you're talking about so well, that was really cool.

00:17:20.549 --> 00:17:22.340
So we talked about some of the races.

00:17:22.340 --> 00:17:24.684
Let's go through each race real quick.

00:17:24.684 --> 00:17:32.205
If, if, you would give the listeners an idea of okay, you've got these seven races out there now, which include the two new ones which I'm excited about.

00:17:32.205 --> 00:17:34.471
Yeah, take us through each, each of the races.

00:17:34.471 --> 00:17:37.691
What are they and and kind of what makes each one different?

00:17:37.691 --> 00:17:38.212
Special?

00:17:38.212 --> 00:17:46.232
Sure for for participants show let's go in order of their creation and we can alternate, yeah, not a whip.

00:17:46.681 --> 00:17:48.903
We started with the Hell Creek 100.

00:17:48.903 --> 00:17:56.655
That has a 20 mile, 100 K, a hundred mile and 140 mile option.

00:17:56.655 --> 00:17:58.968
That is at Wilson State Park.

00:17:58.968 --> 00:18:02.349
It is single track bike trail.

00:18:02.349 --> 00:18:09.905
It's the only epic rated bike trail between the Ozarks and the Rockies, so that's pretty cool.

00:18:09.905 --> 00:18:11.228
It's 20 mile loops.

00:18:12.029 --> 00:18:21.623
It's beautiful, but it is exposed People when they get off the interstate they get there and they just can't believe that a place like that exists in Kansas.

00:18:21.623 --> 00:18:23.287
So it's a really cool race.

00:18:23.287 --> 00:18:29.809
And then off of that race we built another race we call baby hell Creek, but it's the hell Creek half and 50 K.

00:18:29.809 --> 00:18:37.925
That is at the end of August, and a lot of people use that as a tune up for the longer races in the fall, to kind of get some experience out on the course.

00:18:38.808 --> 00:18:40.032
Yeah.

00:18:40.354 --> 00:18:50.392
And that course, like the hundred, has the most elevation gain and loss of any 100-miler in Kansas and I think there's what is there like 1,200 in Kansas now.

00:18:50.392 --> 00:18:52.165
There's a lot now in Kansas.

00:18:53.201 --> 00:18:56.330
Now you mentioned 140-mile option in that race.

00:18:56.330 --> 00:18:57.685
That's kind of a unique distance.

00:18:57.685 --> 00:18:59.809
What's the story behind 140?

00:18:59.859 --> 00:19:00.965
Just a couple more laps.

00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:04.486
Just go do some more.

00:19:05.042 --> 00:19:10.047
We wanted it to be the longest race in kansas so that's actually called the pure hell 140.

00:19:10.047 --> 00:19:11.390
That's a different option.

00:19:11.390 --> 00:19:14.704
So it's pure hell 140 for that one really brutal race.

00:19:14.704 --> 00:19:18.979
And just so many people underestimate that race when they come.

00:19:18.979 --> 00:19:28.625
You know, we've had a lot of people from not a lot, but a few people from colorado come and say wanted my first 100k or my first 100 miler to be in kansas because I knew it'd be easy.

00:19:28.625 --> 00:19:29.769
And they dnf.

00:19:29.769 --> 00:19:31.051
You know it's.

00:19:31.051 --> 00:19:35.853
It's a tough place to run and, like casey said, it's totally exposed.

00:19:35.853 --> 00:19:43.772
But the first year for the pure hill 140 would we have two, two out of nine finishers and I mean it's an.

00:19:43.772 --> 00:19:48.383
It's under a 40 finisher rate right now for that pure hell 140 race.

00:19:48.383 --> 00:19:49.566
That's wow.

00:19:49.605 --> 00:20:05.407
I would consider that 140 miles significantly harder than the cowboy 200 oh, yeah, yeah just because of the terrain and exposure goodness and then I guess, the next race also at the same place, wilson State Park.

00:20:05.407 --> 00:20:18.652
We love that area and it's called Eternal Damnation and the reason for the Hell Creek name and the Eternal Damnation isn't because we're sick and twisted, it's just because the area is called Hell Creek.

00:20:18.652 --> 00:20:20.286
So we kind of play off of that name.

00:20:20.286 --> 00:20:27.212
So Eternal Damnation is a last man standing race, a backyard style last man standing race.

00:20:27.512 --> 00:20:27.874
Yeah.

00:20:29.323 --> 00:20:30.928
And it's a really, really fun race.

00:20:31.348 --> 00:20:32.372
You all just did this one right.

00:20:32.372 --> 00:20:35.609
This is an April race, yeah.

00:20:36.401 --> 00:21:04.520
And it's kind of unique as far as backyards are concerned, because a lot of those are conducive, made to be conducive to racking up maximum mileage, but this is a pretty tough course and it's not really conducive to racking up maximum mileage, but it's a heck of a lot more interesting, in my opinion, and more fun we took the last few miles of the hell creek course and they're really fun miles out there, so we and it's a really good environment.

00:21:04.479 --> 00:21:06.117
A lot of people stick around and cheer people on.

00:21:06.117 --> 00:21:06.944
Yeah, it's just a really fun miles out there and it's a really good environment.

00:21:06.944 --> 00:21:07.422
A lot of people stick around and cheer people on.

00:21:07.422 --> 00:21:08.646
Yeah, it's just a really fun race.

00:21:08.866 --> 00:21:09.328
Super fun.

00:21:10.961 --> 00:21:16.012
Yeah, I haven't done a backyard yet, but it's on my list to go figure those out.

00:21:16.012 --> 00:21:20.971
I need to get through some timed races first, but that may be one I come hit you up for.

00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:22.306
Yeah, Chase loves backyards.

00:21:22.306 --> 00:21:23.601
I love crewing backyards.

00:21:23.601 --> 00:21:28.766
Those are my favorite to crew because I'm in charge of one place and I don't have to go anywhere.

00:21:28.986 --> 00:21:29.406
That's right.

00:21:29.406 --> 00:21:30.728
You're always coming around, right.

00:21:30.728 --> 00:21:34.230
So yeah, much easier from a crew perspective For sure.

00:21:34.731 --> 00:21:38.654
From that we added the sticks and that's a timed race in June.

00:21:38.654 --> 00:21:50.082
It has 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hour options.

00:21:50.082 --> 00:21:51.064
It's a three mile loop in a pasture.

00:21:51.064 --> 00:21:59.535
My dad mowed a path in his pasture because he wanted to be able to run with chase at, like Moab and Cocodona and things like that, so that's what he made to train on, because there's no trails in Kansas.

00:22:00.176 --> 00:22:02.042
And so we've always wanted to put on a timed race.

00:22:02.042 --> 00:22:04.308
And I said hey dad, can we put on a race there?

00:22:04.308 --> 00:22:06.586
And he said sure, and so we do that.

00:22:06.586 --> 00:22:11.531
And then there's also an option for a road loop every six hours.

00:22:11.531 --> 00:22:16.571
That's a 4.25 mile road loop that you can do to take a break from the pasture.

00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:19.588
Much easier than the pasture, in my opinion.

00:22:19.588 --> 00:22:21.526
Most people choose to take advantage of that.

00:22:21.526 --> 00:22:22.470
I would recommend that.

00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:30.904
And also for the sticks we're going to have a celebrity this year.

00:22:30.904 --> 00:22:33.231
His name's Richard Gleave and he'll be coming to the sticks.

00:22:33.251 --> 00:22:33.973
We're very excited about that.

00:22:33.993 --> 00:22:34.756
Yeah yeah, this is a very late.

00:22:34.756 --> 00:22:37.284
It's a very laid back race week Kind of.

00:22:37.284 --> 00:22:39.892
The theme for that race is half race, half hootenanny.

00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:40.381
Yeah.

00:22:40.721 --> 00:22:42.546
So, it's a good time Super fun.

00:22:43.106 --> 00:22:45.292
Now, I have no idea what that phrase means.

00:22:45.292 --> 00:22:46.982
What is a hootenanny A?

00:22:47.042 --> 00:22:51.991
shindig what does that mean it's kind of like, oh right, OK.

00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:57.150
Backwoods, backwoods, shindig, hillbilly party, hillbilly party.

00:22:57.190 --> 00:22:57.811
Yeah, basically.

00:22:59.221 --> 00:23:05.229
OK, see, I learn something every time I do one of these and now'm gonna have to find a way to include, is it?

00:23:05.229 --> 00:23:07.511
Yeah?

00:23:07.511 --> 00:23:12.598
So now I've got to find a way to include that in some sentence somewhere at work.

00:23:12.598 --> 00:23:14.949
Maybe in a future episode I'll do one of those.

00:23:14.949 --> 00:23:16.538
Uh, you know where they hide an easter egg.

00:23:16.538 --> 00:23:21.330
In an episode I'll come up with a, a way to put hootenanny in and give a prize out.

00:23:21.351 --> 00:23:22.173
That's a great idea.

00:23:22.173 --> 00:23:27.169
After the sticks, you'll have a good understanding of what it is there you go.

00:23:27.409 --> 00:23:28.191
Yeah, I'm so.

00:23:28.191 --> 00:23:29.613
Listen for listeners out there.

00:23:29.613 --> 00:23:32.691
I'm coming up to do the sticks and I'm really excited about about it.

00:23:32.691 --> 00:23:37.866
There's a whole bunch of firsts for me, first for 72 hours and, uh, first time in kansas.

00:23:37.866 --> 00:23:40.272
I've never been to kansas which is kind of fun.

00:23:40.272 --> 00:23:47.221
We'll have a lot of so I'm road tripping myself up, indeed, and so so, from the sticks, where do we go from there, from the sticks?

00:23:47.221 --> 00:23:48.244
After that was Cowboy.

00:23:48.746 --> 00:23:55.429
So Cowboy, Cowboy, 200 in Nebraska, You're, you're very familiar with that one 200 mile point to point um.

00:23:55.429 --> 00:23:59.784
That starts in Norfolk, Norfolk and ends in a Valentine.

00:23:59.784 --> 00:24:05.132
I had to make sure I was saying Norfolk right, Because I always depends on where, depends on where you're from?

00:24:05.172 --> 00:24:10.107
Yeah, but Kelly Means told me it was Norfolk, so I'm going with what she said.

00:24:11.320 --> 00:24:12.246
But super flat.

00:24:12.246 --> 00:24:15.326
I mean the flattest 200 miles you can run.

00:24:15.326 --> 00:24:21.509
I think as far as a point-to-point, zero repetition, but awesome race, great aid stations.

00:24:21.509 --> 00:24:25.009
Communities along the trail are super supportive.

00:24:25.009 --> 00:24:27.503
I've got a lot of indoor aid stations.

00:24:27.503 --> 00:24:28.607
Communities along the trail are super supportive.

00:24:28.607 --> 00:24:29.471
I've got a lot of indoor aid stations.

00:24:29.471 --> 00:24:31.376
We kind of play on the railroad history along the way.

00:24:31.376 --> 00:24:34.505
I've got an awesome bunkhouse as a sleep station.

00:24:34.505 --> 00:24:38.661
And probably the coolest part of the whole thing is we end the race.

00:24:38.661 --> 00:24:43.152
You go through the finish line arch and you walk right in the door of a brewery.

00:24:43.152 --> 00:24:44.403
I mean you can't beat that right.

00:24:45.023 --> 00:24:47.029
Yeah, it was absolutely phenomenal.

00:24:47.029 --> 00:24:51.743
And I have to say, the aid station, whose name escapes me now, with the bunkhouse.

00:24:52.445 --> 00:24:52.666
Long.

00:24:52.686 --> 00:24:55.195
Pine, long Pine, absolutely amazing.

00:24:55.195 --> 00:25:04.021
I've never seen an aid station like that before or since, so the bunkhouse was actually built for the people who worked on the railroad.

00:25:04.502 --> 00:25:35.568
They would stay in the bunkhouse and then, once that was done, then they just kept it and long pine took it over, and now they rented out for people who bike the trail and then hike the trail and then obviously for our event as well yeah, I just think that the ending at bolo beer just makes it to where everyone wants to stick around and cheer everyone on, and I just I mean the environment at the end of that race is just so cool because of that, because on the last day we got like 15, 30 people.

00:25:35.568 --> 00:25:38.961
They're drinking beer just waiting on the next runner to come in.

00:25:38.961 --> 00:25:45.190
Some of them don't drink, but they still stick around and every time someone gets close, everyone goes outside and they cheer them in.

00:25:45.190 --> 00:25:46.307
And those time someone gets close, everyone goes outside and they cheer them in.

00:25:46.307 --> 00:25:54.164
And those last people, you know they sometimes have 20, 30 people outside waiting for them, cheering them for the last quarter mile.

00:25:54.164 --> 00:25:55.387
It's really cool.

00:25:55.828 --> 00:25:57.692
Yeah, absolutely phenomenal.

00:25:57.692 --> 00:26:09.784
And I know that first year I was one of those people at the end there hanging around after well, I wasn't that far from it myself, but so it made it a little easier, but there were a lot of people hanging out and it was really cool.

00:26:09.784 --> 00:26:12.446
Very, very interesting, interesting.

00:26:12.446 --> 00:26:16.597
Mellow vibe and everybody's just getting a drink and running outside every time.

00:26:16.644 --> 00:26:17.547
I'm running gets close.

00:26:17.928 --> 00:26:18.809
Just insane.

00:26:18.809 --> 00:26:19.852
What was the?

00:26:19.852 --> 00:26:27.416
How did you come up with Cowboy 200 in Nebraska, Like had you been to Nebraska or were you looking for a 200 mile rail trail?

00:26:27.416 --> 00:26:28.805
Yeah, I mean, how did that come about?

00:26:28.904 --> 00:26:35.329
I grew up only 18 miles from the Nebraska line in Kansas but you know, both of us had spent quite a bit of time in Nebraska.

00:26:35.329 --> 00:26:45.733
But just kind of started researching places where we could potentially put on a longer zero repetition race and I found the cowboy trail, which I had never really known much about.

00:26:45.733 --> 00:26:53.648
I found it in my research and we're like we should head out there and see if this would be worth putting on a 200 mile race on and that's kind of how it came about.

00:26:53.669 --> 00:26:54.111
And have you run it.

00:26:54.111 --> 00:27:02.816
There's also a 200 mile race on, and that's kind of how it came about and have you run it there's also a 100 mile option yeah, no, I haven't ran the the entire 200 miles.

00:27:02.875 --> 00:27:10.587
I've ran a lot of it just out there scouting but, I've never ran the entire 200 yeah, and, and if you're listening to, there is a 100 mile option.

00:27:10.587 --> 00:27:16.646
It starts at the halfway point, I believe, and and runs, runs all the way, all the way to the finish.

00:27:16.646 --> 00:27:22.414
So you get to finish in Bolo Brewery as well, who, by the way, not only is it a brewery, they have some really great beer there.

00:27:22.414 --> 00:27:24.772
They do, if you're at all into beer, they're super cool.

00:27:24.772 --> 00:27:25.807
It was excellent beer.

00:27:25.807 --> 00:27:29.595
Yeah, so Cowboy 200, fantastic race.

00:27:29.595 --> 00:27:33.125
And then so that brings us to the two newest races, does it not?

00:27:33.267 --> 00:27:34.386
Yes, it does yes.

00:27:35.228 --> 00:27:35.688
Go ahead.

00:27:36.028 --> 00:27:40.332
Tell us more about these two new races and why you chose to do these two.

00:27:40.451 --> 00:27:45.336
So the first one that's going to be talked about is we call it FRED.

00:27:45.336 --> 00:27:47.637
It's Front Range Ultra Days.

00:27:47.637 --> 00:27:52.501
It's a timed race in a park in Loveland Colorado.

00:27:52.501 --> 00:28:08.634
We kind of took inspiration from some other races and wanted to kind of put our own twist on it and have a big ultra running festival where everybody camps and runs and eats and hangs out and just make a big party of it.

00:28:09.154 --> 00:28:09.736
Not a hootenanny.

00:28:09.736 --> 00:28:12.406
This time it's in Colorado, so this is a party.

00:28:12.406 --> 00:28:14.632
Yeah, oh, so it doesn't apply.

00:28:14.632 --> 00:28:16.135
If you're in Colorado, what is the?

00:28:16.175 --> 00:28:17.258
Colorado version.

00:28:17.258 --> 00:28:21.416
If anyone listening knows the Colorado version of a hootenanny, then let me know.

00:28:21.416 --> 00:28:22.711
Yes, I don't know that either.

00:28:23.444 --> 00:28:40.449
So that has options from six hours all the way up to 100 hours, and then 100-mile and 200-mile options and there's a couple different days that you can pick from to start, and it should just be a really good time, really laid back.

00:28:40.509 --> 00:28:41.148
Free camping.

00:28:41.189 --> 00:28:45.310
Free camping there at the start finish.

00:28:45.310 --> 00:29:01.659
Yeah, it's a 2.1 mile loop airport where it could be easily accessible for people to come from all over the place pretty easily.

00:29:01.659 --> 00:29:10.323
And we reached out to people and Loveland was honestly the first to get back to us and be completely game for it.

00:29:10.323 --> 00:29:22.667
You know, a lot of city parks, especially metro city parks, are closed overnight and make no exceptions to that, and so they were the first ones that were like absolutely we'd love to have you and they've just been great to work with.

00:29:22.828 --> 00:29:25.458
Yep, yeah, that's pretty unique, I think.

00:29:25.458 --> 00:29:36.116
Yes, you know, most of the most of the timed races are in, you know, on a farm or on a ranch or yeah, but I don't know that I know of any other one that's actually in a city park.

00:29:36.116 --> 00:29:40.013
Because of those restrictions, usually they're really strict on that.

00:29:40.013 --> 00:29:47.898
So that's really cool that they sort of offered that up and were willing to work with you on that or even excited about doing the race.

00:29:47.898 --> 00:29:50.025
That's really cool that you can be right in the middle.

00:29:51.107 --> 00:29:54.174
Yeah, they were super responsive, like right away.

00:29:54.174 --> 00:29:58.530
They said absolutely let's look at some places, let's find some parks together.

00:29:58.530 --> 00:30:00.609
You know they were really good about.

00:30:00.609 --> 00:30:06.656
We told them kind of what we were looking for and they gave us options of where to have it to be honest, so that was really cool.

00:30:06.984 --> 00:30:08.471
And how has the signup been for that?

00:30:08.471 --> 00:30:11.034
Are you getting a lot of interest in that race?

00:30:11.034 --> 00:30:11.164
I?

00:30:11.184 --> 00:30:19.611
think we've got over 30 entrants now, and you, you know, we have some people that are doing multiple races, because that's kind of the cool thing.

00:30:19.611 --> 00:30:34.498
If you wanted to do the 12 hour and the 24 hour and 100 mile, you know like you can do all sorts of different combos and so we've got I think we've got two or three people doing multiple races one's at the jester, you know who has the world record for most 100s.

00:30:34.965 --> 00:30:36.048
He's also doing the sticks.

00:30:36.048 --> 00:30:38.375
He'll be there as well doing a couple of hundreds of the sticks.

00:30:38.375 --> 00:30:45.557
But that's something that's kind of tempting for a lot of those guys because they can get multiple 100s at one event over one weekend.

00:30:45.557 --> 00:30:54.859
You know, and kind of a unique thing we do at FRUD is we actually allow anyone who's in the 100 by 100 club free entry into that race.

00:30:55.366 --> 00:30:55.710
Brilliant.

00:30:55.710 --> 00:30:58.911
Well, if that's you and you're listening, reach out, come run.

00:30:58.931 --> 00:31:03.866
Yeah, and we do have yeah, we have discounts for people who want to do multiple races at that.

00:31:03.866 --> 00:31:09.970
If they want to sign up for two or three, we give them discounts for each one that they do yeah, yeah, I think you.

00:31:10.111 --> 00:31:19.257
Uh, just looking at the sign up sheet I I checked it yesterday real quick you've got some big names or bigger like some solid people coming out to run that race right.

00:31:19.257 --> 00:31:25.675
Yeah, that's a cool race and I love I'm assuming, because it's Loveland it's the free spirit.

00:31:25.675 --> 00:31:28.569
Yeah, kind of vibe that's going on.

00:31:28.810 --> 00:31:29.755
I think that's really awesome.

00:31:29.755 --> 00:31:35.644
Peace, Loveland and Ultra Running is the tagline, yeah.

00:31:35.664 --> 00:31:38.949
Loveland's known as the sweetheart city, so we just kind of thought.

00:31:38.949 --> 00:31:40.795
We would incorporate some of that in there too.

00:31:42.006 --> 00:31:44.012
Yeah, you need some married couples in to run that.

00:31:44.012 --> 00:31:46.049
I think you should market it.

00:31:46.049 --> 00:31:47.615
Yeah, that's right.

00:31:47.615 --> 00:31:52.575
Hopefully that's on your shirt, like Peace, loveland and Ultra.

00:31:52.615 --> 00:31:53.176
Running it is.

00:31:53.826 --> 00:31:55.320
Yeah, is it on your shirt?

00:31:55.442 --> 00:31:56.631
I hope so yes, it is it on your shirt I hope.

00:31:56.651 --> 00:31:56.952
Yes, it is.

00:31:56.952 --> 00:31:57.898
Yes, that's very cool.

00:31:57.898 --> 00:32:15.448
So, folks, if you're looking for a timed race and wanting to do multiple, 100, 200, check out front range ultra days frud I believe is the is the acronym if your name is frud we'll give you free entry only if you can prove it, passport for proof.

00:32:15.448 --> 00:32:22.694
And I think that then brings us to the big boy, the big new race.

00:32:22.714 --> 00:32:23.695
That's what I call it too.

00:32:23.695 --> 00:32:24.676
I call it the big dog.

00:32:25.377 --> 00:32:30.041
That is the big dog of racing this one here Summit 200.

00:32:30.041 --> 00:32:34.597
Yes, sir, Tell us all about this race, because this one seems I mean not that the others aren't, but this one seems.

00:32:34.617 --> 00:32:47.955
I mean not that the others aren't, but this one seems particularly yeah this has been our dream race for a few years now and a lot of people don't know that, but we were talking about the summit before we even ever talked about cowboy.

00:32:47.955 --> 00:32:57.599
But we knew that we needed more race directing experience before we tackled that monster, and so we didn't pursue it.

00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:14.034
I mean, we've been pursuing it for almost two years now with the National Forest Service, going back and forth with them and talking, but it is a 200 mile mostly non-repetitive loop around Summit County, colorado.

00:33:14.034 --> 00:33:18.992
There's a couple little out and back sections, but other than that it's non-repetitive.

00:33:18.992 --> 00:33:25.914
It will be easily the highest altitude, non-repetitive 200 miler in the United States.

00:33:25.914 --> 00:33:36.236
The lowest altitude is over 9,000 feet, which is just crazy to think about, and the highest altitude is pretty close to 13,000.

00:33:36.665 --> 00:33:46.156
And you're above Timberline for a pretty decent chunk of the race probably about 25% of the race, I think, from looking at the elevation plot.

00:33:46.156 --> 00:33:57.016
But like I said, this is a 200, that we want to be in the same category as the Moab 240, Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 200, and Cocodona 250.

00:33:57.016 --> 00:34:12.297
We want it to be a household name, something that people kind of dream about doing but on a smaller scale, and that we are never going to allow quite as many people in our race as what they do.

00:34:12.297 --> 00:34:14.688
Not that I'm saying that that's a bad thing at all.

00:34:14.688 --> 00:34:20.476
I love those races, but we just love to keep our races just a little bit smaller.

00:34:20.476 --> 00:34:23.706
Our cap for this year is a hundred hundred participants.

00:34:23.706 --> 00:34:26.253
I don't see us ever going over 150 for that.

00:34:27.235 --> 00:34:34.177
Um but there won't be any additional distances either, but just an absolutely Epic and challenging course.

00:34:34.177 --> 00:34:40.318
I definitely think it'll be up there with the hardest 200s in the US, for sure.

00:34:40.764 --> 00:34:50.039
Yeah, I was going to ask that too because you know, cowboy seems really well suited to somebody looking for maybe a first time 200 or looking to expand their distance.

00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:56.610
It's a fantastic route, it's pretty flat, there's lots of aid stations along the way and a ton of support through the towns and so on.

00:34:56.610 --> 00:34:59.335
But this one I'm not sure.

00:34:59.335 --> 00:35:16.510
I mean you got to have some experience to be going and doing, to be going and doing this race literally even some back country experience hiking we require a hundred mile finish which is something that the the others don't do, um definitely having some experience at altitude.

00:35:16.570 --> 00:35:18.027
Mountain running is not a bad idea.

00:35:18.027 --> 00:35:22.422
It's not required but we do require a hundred mile finish for this one.

00:35:22.563 --> 00:35:30.492
Yeah, and just knowing how and this is in our runner's manual and stuff just knowing how altitude affects you, you know, for me it's never really bothered me that much.

00:35:30.492 --> 00:35:40.195
I you know, even when we lived in Kansas I could drive up to Colorado and do a 14er the next day and I just wouldn't notice it very much.

00:35:40.195 --> 00:35:42.400
But it affects a lot of people quite a bit.

00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:49.416
It affects me a lot, so you should know how that affects you coming in, and if it does affect you a lot, then you should definitely acclimate before doing it.

00:35:49.416 --> 00:35:54.505
There's long sections without aid, just like almost any 200 miler.

00:35:54.505 --> 00:35:58.965
One of the last sections is going to be absolutely brutal.

00:35:58.965 --> 00:36:01.530
It's going to be about right now.

00:36:01.530 --> 00:36:13.094
It's looking like about 26 to 28 miles with over um 6 500 feet of elevation gain and you know long distance between crew.

00:36:13.596 --> 00:36:21.012
That is crazy, yep, and I think, just having been in the, so there is a Facebook group for, for all of these, I think, all of these races.

00:36:21.052 --> 00:36:21.634
Yes, yes.

00:36:21.974 --> 00:36:25.030
Particularly yeah, Particularly the summit one.

00:36:25.030 --> 00:36:34.889
Folks, if you want to go check that out, I think Jason Casey had been out there wrecking the route there's there's photos and maps, there's all sorts of information out there.

00:36:34.889 --> 00:36:39.766
But yeah, this is not a how do I say it beginner-friendly race.

00:36:39.766 --> 00:36:44.336
You're definitely going to need some expertise to get in this one.

00:36:44.336 --> 00:36:51.518
Do you think it's something doable as a solo runner, or are we going to require a crew with those distances?

00:36:51.925 --> 00:36:53.251
No, I think it's definitely solo.

00:36:53.251 --> 00:36:57.945
We're right on par with all the other 200s as far as the average distance between aid stations.

00:36:57.945 --> 00:37:03.030
You know we're right there with Moab and Bigfoot and Tahoe as far as those are concerned.

00:37:03.030 --> 00:37:07.833
So it's not really any further between aid stations than other 200s.

00:37:07.833 --> 00:37:10.275
So we good care of you at our aid stations.

00:37:10.275 --> 00:37:13.498
We like that about keeping our races fairly low capped.

00:37:13.498 --> 00:37:28.996
You know we feel like we can take really good care of our runners, so I don't know that a crew is going to really make that big of a difference.

00:37:29.565 --> 00:37:37.722
Yeah, because there's a lot of aid stations because of the remote locations of the course, that we can't have crew out there because there's nowhere for them to park.

00:37:37.862 --> 00:37:40.574
Yeah, so there's a lot of aid stations that don't have crew access.

00:37:40.574 --> 00:37:44.393
So yeah, there's really not that many times that crew can see you anyway.

00:37:44.514 --> 00:37:47.411
So yeah, and I will say kudos to you guys.

00:37:47.411 --> 00:37:52.016
The aid station buffets that I have come across at your races are unmatched.

00:37:52.016 --> 00:37:52.777
Thank you Thank you.

00:37:52.777 --> 00:37:56.827
Maybe that's because of your nutrition background, I Thank you.

00:37:56.827 --> 00:37:59.045
Maybe that's because of your nutrition background, I don't know, but the burgers and the brats were incredible.

00:37:59.045 --> 00:38:06.353
I think brats should be a staple aid station food because they're so portable and they've got your carbs and protein right.

00:38:06.353 --> 00:38:08.612
You can carry like four of those.

00:38:08.612 --> 00:38:12.094
So I think, casey, was it your dad that was cooking brats.

00:38:13.628 --> 00:38:14.030
Wood Lake.

00:38:15.849 --> 00:38:25.057
Yeah, her parents yeah, I I probably still owe you guys money for the amount of brats that, uh, that I had coming yeah, I meant to talk to you about that.

00:38:26.106 --> 00:38:32.878
Yeah, about that yeah, indeed, but I know a fantastic layout from from a food perspective.

00:38:32.878 --> 00:38:46.414
So, yes, I assume you're taking that into these other races too and and that's sort of for me that's part of your signature in races, because I mean, I've had experience just recently actually crewing out at Moab and it was quite different.

00:38:46.414 --> 00:38:53.195
It was quite a different experience, I have to say, as part of coming into the aid stations and what was or wasn't available.

00:38:53.195 --> 00:38:58.416
I'm always reminded of the veritable buffet that you guys put on.

00:38:59.186 --> 00:39:09.065
It's just incredible and your kind of willingness to go for the plant-based and vegan options in addition to the standard.

00:39:09.224 --> 00:39:13.653
Yeah, more and more people are plant-based, so we like to include options for everybody.

00:39:13.653 --> 00:39:18.333
There's nothing worse than being hungry, getting to an aid station and all you can have is Oreos.

00:39:18.784 --> 00:39:23.112
Yeah, you need to be able to have food, you know, especially if the crew isn't allowed there.

00:39:23.112 --> 00:39:24.769
I mean, the crew is allowed at all at Cowboys.

00:39:24.769 --> 00:39:27.610
But you know we want to have an option for you.

00:39:27.985 --> 00:39:32.358
Yeah, I think at the halfway point on Cowboys Atkinson Breakfast.

00:39:32.358 --> 00:39:34.730
So yeah, you all had breakfast.

00:39:34.730 --> 00:39:39.018
I think you had pasta there as well, veggie pasta maybe.

00:39:40.166 --> 00:39:41.409
We have that at Long Pine.

00:39:42.050 --> 00:39:43.233
Maybe it was Long Pine, I don't know.

00:39:43.233 --> 00:39:44.577
It all rolls into that.

00:39:44.577 --> 00:39:50.023
I'm sure the amount of time we were out there, but that was super cool, brilliant.

00:39:50.023 --> 00:39:55.197
So you've been working on Summit 200 for a couple of years.

00:39:55.197 --> 00:39:57.413
You've been working with the national forest.

00:39:57.413 --> 00:40:00.994
I know there's challenges with permitting on races.

00:40:00.994 --> 00:40:04.074
Are you guys in the clear at this point?

00:40:04.074 --> 00:40:05.469
Is it a go for?

00:40:05.469 --> 00:40:06.652
I think it's July, right?

00:40:06.652 --> 00:40:07.516
Uh, end of July.

00:40:07.585 --> 00:40:08.688
July 22nd.

00:40:08.688 --> 00:40:09.652
We are good to go.

00:40:09.652 --> 00:40:11.371
We talked to the national forest service.

00:40:11.445 --> 00:40:19.228
The last conversation we had with them, they basically said that you have to move a couple aid stations.

00:40:19.248 --> 00:40:19.730
Do a couple reroutes.

00:40:19.730 --> 00:40:29.914
Do a couple reroutes, and if you do that, all of the different national forest districts which we go through three of them are willing to play ball with it.

00:40:29.914 --> 00:40:34.130
So since then we've made those changes and submitted them to them.

00:40:34.130 --> 00:40:38.099
Now we're just kind of waiting to hear if those are all good to go.

00:40:38.505 --> 00:40:38.826
Dotting.

00:40:38.826 --> 00:40:40.132
I's crossing T's yeah.

00:40:40.385 --> 00:40:51.391
We've made it clear that we're making all the changes that they suggest, and besides the National Forest Service, there was nine other permits that we had to get for this race just because it covers such a vast area.

00:40:51.391 --> 00:40:53.632
And we have all those as well.

00:40:54.226 --> 00:40:56.414
So we are ready to roll with this race.

00:40:56.434 --> 00:40:58.663
It's happening, it's up there, it's happening yeah.

00:40:58.963 --> 00:41:01.673
Yeah, if you don't want to run it, you can always come volunteer.

00:41:03.806 --> 00:41:04.688
Well, I was going to say.

00:41:04.688 --> 00:41:06.474
Actually that rolls into what I was going to say.

00:41:06.474 --> 00:41:19.028
My only kind of point of consternation with it is the date you picked happens to be my wife's birthday, july 25th, yeah, and so I don't think she would have.

00:41:19.028 --> 00:41:26.976
Yeah, she's turning 40 this year, so I don't know that she would have appreciated me jetting off to Colorado to run a 200 mile race on her 40th birthday.

00:41:26.976 --> 00:41:32.215
So I'm going to give her this year, and maybe next year we'll, we'll come around.

00:41:32.215 --> 00:41:44.449
But yeah, talking about volunteering, did I see in the facebook group too, that you guys are looking for kind of doing a recce and inviting folks to come and and sort of recce parts of the course with and for you?

00:41:44.489 --> 00:41:49.628
yeah, prior to the event yeah, so we've covered almost the entire course on foot already, but now we do.

00:41:49.628 --> 00:42:04.175
We want to go out and make like course descriptions and we want to write down all the places where there's water, filterable water and just, um, things like that, things that runners would find useful in the runner's manual.

00:42:04.175 --> 00:42:26.715
And so we're trying to figure out a date to go out there and camp either going to be the 20th, the weekend of the 22nd or the 29th, most likely, um, haven't decided yet but getting people together and seeing if someone wants to go out and scout some of the course with us, and we'll give them volunteer credit and then at the end of the day we can all sit down and have some drinks and food and have a good time.

00:42:26.956 --> 00:42:27.538
Fantastic.

00:42:27.538 --> 00:42:41.139
So, folks, if you're listening and that sounds like you, if you would like to get out and explore some of this fantastic terrain in advance of this race, or just have a weekend out in Colorado and hang out afterwards, reach out.

00:42:41.139 --> 00:42:42.545
I think that's fantastic.

00:42:42.545 --> 00:42:52.583
And just talking about route descriptions, course descriptions, I mean you guys do a A runner's manual for certainly Cowboy.

00:42:52.583 --> 00:42:57.324
I don't know if you do it for the other events, but it is again back to the detail.

00:42:57.324 --> 00:42:58.407
It's really detailed.

00:42:58.407 --> 00:43:02.266
It's really helpful as a runner to have those kinds of things.

00:43:02.266 --> 00:43:05.766
So again, kudos to you for putting that out there.

00:43:05.766 --> 00:43:11.956
I have no doubt that the Summit 200 one will be incredibly detailed and I think you put them out for all the races.

00:43:11.956 --> 00:43:18.688
I know there's for frud and the sticks, which I've been reading uh ferociously over the past few weeks.

00:43:18.688 --> 00:43:27.900
Yes, do you do you do a runner's manual for for every a runner's guide, whatever you want to call it, for every race that you have yeah, again, it's that detail.

00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:31.844
I think that matters and it counts so.

00:43:31.844 --> 00:43:41.445
Yeah, Now, of all the races, you guys have all seven you will have well, maybe not all seven Of the ones you've already directed and have going.

00:43:41.445 --> 00:43:44.623
So you've got five, with FRUD and Summit 200 to come.

00:43:44.623 --> 00:43:45.746
Do you have a favorite?

00:43:45.746 --> 00:43:49.822
Which are your favorite races to race direct?

00:43:50.083 --> 00:43:52.307
No, I don't have a favorite.

00:43:52.407 --> 00:43:54.081
No, I really don't no favorite.

00:43:54.639 --> 00:43:59.581
They're all fantastic different, I think, and that's what makes them cool, is not?

00:43:59.581 --> 00:44:10.643
Any of our races are the same, so, like every time we go, it's a whole different thought process and it's just completely different from each race that we go to which I really like that.

00:44:10.702 --> 00:44:15.161
I like having a variety yeah, some of them are a hell of a lot easier to put on than others.

00:44:15.161 --> 00:44:18.728
You know, like Eternal Damnation, we have to be in one spot the entire race.

00:44:19.170 --> 00:44:19.371
Yeah.

00:44:20.315 --> 00:44:23.867
But as far as RDing is concerned, I don't necessarily have a favorite.

00:44:23.867 --> 00:44:24.960
I love them all.

00:44:24.960 --> 00:44:30.586
If there was one that I would dream to run, it would be the Summit 200.

00:44:30.586 --> 00:44:35.304
For sure I'd love to do Eternal Damnation and Hell Creek.

00:44:35.304 --> 00:44:43.018
I always think about doing these races, how much I'd like to do them, but I always describe the Summit as it's my dream race that I'll never run.

00:44:43.018 --> 00:44:46.264
But as an RD, they're all so much fun.

00:44:46.264 --> 00:44:50.099
I definitely couldn't pick my favorite one to actually direct.

00:44:50.099 --> 00:44:51.061
I love them all.

00:44:52.204 --> 00:44:54.409
Now talking about being a race director.

00:44:54.409 --> 00:45:06.780
You know I've talked to a couple of race directors over the years and they all have some kind of crazy-ass story of stuff going wrong or it will go into a heck of a handbasket.

00:45:06.780 --> 00:45:13.346
Have you guys come across any really weird moments or experiences throughout your race directing?

00:45:13.365 --> 00:45:13.507
career.

00:45:13.507 --> 00:45:15.503
We've never had a single thing go wrong.

00:45:15.503 --> 00:45:22.867
Everything's went perfectly every single time.

00:45:22.867 --> 00:45:23.327
Let's see.

00:45:23.369 --> 00:45:31.525
I think at Cowboy, one of our unmanned water stations ran out of water because someone didn't close the thing on the jug, but it was.

00:45:31.525 --> 00:45:37.817
We actually had one of our volunteers knew a local lady and she went and refilled it for us.

00:45:37.876 --> 00:45:45.983
So it was crisis averted very rapidly nothing too weird you know, well, I guess a cowboy last year as well.

00:45:45.983 --> 00:45:47.309
There's some hundred milers.

00:45:47.309 --> 00:45:54.710
It's always the hundred milers that give us trouble at that race, by the way, the 200 milers yeah 100 milers are newer.

00:45:54.710 --> 00:46:24.878
I think a lot of people do it for their first hundred, yeah, which I don't necessarily think it's a good first hundred, by the way, just because there's such long distances between aid stations, but anyway, once night comes, they kind of lost themselves 100 miler was hallucinating badly, I, I believe and got off course and ended up rummaging around on private property in the middle of Nebraska, which is not a good idea out in the country with a headlamp on in the middle of the night.

00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:29.938
Someone in Nebraska sees you in their yard with a headlamp on, looking around in the middle of the night.

00:46:29.938 --> 00:46:32.103
They're not going to take it too kindly.

00:46:32.103 --> 00:46:35.063
And he got a gun pulled on him, which is not surprising at all.

00:46:35.063 --> 00:46:36.460
I'm just surprised he didn't get shot.

00:46:36.460 --> 00:46:40.184
Oh my gosh, so that was one thing.

00:46:40.315 --> 00:46:41.594
Yeah, I think he called 911.

00:46:42.155 --> 00:46:48.824
Yeah, he ended up calling 911 because he thought people were chasing him, but really it was just runners with headlamps, you know.

00:46:49.375 --> 00:46:52.300
That's the kind of crazy crap that comes up right.

00:46:52.521 --> 00:46:55.206
Completely out of your control too, yeah.

00:46:56.469 --> 00:46:58.981
Yeah, I mean, what do you do as a race director then?

00:46:58.981 --> 00:47:04.007
Were you finding out as it was happening or were you finding out after the fact, after the fact, after the fact?

00:47:04.166 --> 00:47:04.387
Yeah.

00:47:05.356 --> 00:47:07.543
And then I mean crazy thing.

00:47:07.543 --> 00:47:15.168
One of his crew members actually came into Bolo and yelled at me because we didn't have enough lighting along the 200 mile course.

00:47:15.168 --> 00:47:27.463
He thought I should put solar lights along the 200 mile course, along the actual along the cowboy like 200 miles of solar lights.

00:47:27.503 --> 00:47:33.742
That's, that's yeah that should be easy enough right just noted roll out some fairy lights.

00:47:33.742 --> 00:47:36.688
Just go buy a bunch of fairy lights and roll them out.

00:47:37.336 --> 00:47:39.324
You've got to be able to take care of yourself a little.

00:47:39.324 --> 00:47:51.184
That's why we have the 100-mile requirement for the summit, because if you have a 100-miler and you know how that's going to affect you a little bit, I don't want you out there in the mountains dealing with that.

00:47:51.184 --> 00:47:52.528
You know what I mean.

00:47:53.155 --> 00:48:06.416
Absolutely, definitely a safety aspect to that race that doesn't exist maybe in other races that you guys have going on so definitely some experience there and folks, it's really hard to get lost on the cowboy trail.

00:48:06.476 --> 00:48:07.481
It's a straight trail.

00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:10.978
It's not that difficult.

00:48:11.079 --> 00:48:11.742
I'm baffled.

00:48:11.742 --> 00:48:14.137
I don't know they had to be tripping.

00:48:14.137 --> 00:48:14.478
I have no idea.

00:48:14.478 --> 00:48:15.038
I'm baffled, I don't know.

00:48:15.057 --> 00:48:16.039
They had to be tripping I just have no idea.

00:48:16.039 --> 00:48:18.221
I mean even without lights it's.

00:48:18.221 --> 00:48:22.125
I mean I know I followed it quite handily with no lights.

00:48:22.184 --> 00:48:26.610
A lot of people don't use their headlamp at night because the sky is so bright with the moon.

00:48:26.670 --> 00:48:28.731
You don't need it and you're so close to the highway.

00:48:29.315 --> 00:48:29.795
That's right.

00:48:30.257 --> 00:48:30.878
Yeah, I mean you can't.

00:48:30.878 --> 00:48:34.525
I mean as long as the highway is right there on your right-hand side For most of it.

00:48:34.545 --> 00:48:37.581
For a little bit it's on your left, Except for those little detours.

00:48:38.916 --> 00:48:39.699
But for the most part.

00:48:39.699 --> 00:48:42.706
Yeah, that's challenging to get lost on the cowboy trail.

00:48:42.726 --> 00:48:43.088
Good job.

00:48:43.088 --> 00:48:45.621
Congratulations on that.

00:48:47.298 --> 00:48:49.144
Yeah, totally Send them a shirt or something.

00:48:51.018 --> 00:48:52.244
I got lost on the cowboy trail.

00:48:54.579 --> 00:48:59.724
You should definitely do that Special badge, special merit badge or something I don't know.

00:48:59.724 --> 00:49:13.027
So now I wanted to chat with you too, because I work in the same company as my wife, but we don't work together necessarily, so that can be kind of fun when we get home in an evening and we want to chat about stuff.

00:49:13.027 --> 00:49:18.449
Now you guys live and work together, right?

00:49:18.449 --> 00:49:23.021
You're doing everything together, you know how is that for you?

00:49:23.322 --> 00:49:23.882
How is that?

00:49:23.882 --> 00:49:32.557
Yeah, how do you balance your professional and personal life when you're running a small business, living, living together, doing everything together?

00:49:32.557 --> 00:49:33.882
How does that work?

00:49:34.304 --> 00:49:34.804
We don't.

00:49:34.804 --> 00:49:38.460
What's the separation?

00:49:38.460 --> 00:49:40.367
Yeah, we are really bad about that.

00:49:40.367 --> 00:49:49.559
You know, as ultra running has become our life, other things have kind of taken a backseat, and sometimes I think our personal lives have definitely taken a backseat.

00:49:49.559 --> 00:49:55.148
Luckily, we complement each other pretty well where we work very differently.

00:49:55.148 --> 00:50:17.855
He is tightly wound and high, strong, and I'm more of kind of a mellow everything will work itself out, kind of gal, and it's led to some head bumping, but also I think it kind of we kind of level each other out a little bit too yeah, yeah, I certainly don't think there's balance by any stretch of the imagination.

00:50:18.175 --> 00:50:28.248
I think the balance is probably impossible, at a certain point at least, without sacrificing some things that we want to do with our companies.

00:50:28.248 --> 00:50:38.318
Definitely, our personal lives take a back seat, and that itself is a sacrifice, but we are doing what we love, you know.

00:50:38.318 --> 00:50:40.461
So that is awesome.

00:50:40.461 --> 00:50:43.208
We're very fortunate to be doing what we're doing.

00:50:43.208 --> 00:50:55.547
We've taken a lot of risks, you know we we both quit pretty good jobs to do this, knowing that we had to do a lot better than what we were currently doing when we did that.

00:50:55.547 --> 00:51:05.163
A lot of risks, sacrifices, and it's been a hell of a ride so far, and I have a feeling that this next year is going to get a lot crazier, but we're loving it.

00:51:05.563 --> 00:51:11.903
Yeah, I think you guys do a I mean, first of all, very courageous to quit jobs and go do what you want to do.

00:51:11.903 --> 00:51:14.628
I think it's brilliant and totally commendable.

00:51:14.628 --> 00:51:19.246
Love you guys for doing that, because so many of us don't it was terrifying, don't let me kid you.

00:51:19.246 --> 00:51:19.726
Yes.

00:51:19.775 --> 00:51:23.063
Before I turned in my two weeks notice, I asked Chase a million times.

00:51:23.063 --> 00:51:23.927
I said are you sure?

00:51:23.927 --> 00:51:26.081
Are you sure we're doing this?

00:51:26.081 --> 00:51:26.682
Are you sure?

00:51:26.682 --> 00:51:29.157
Because he quit before I did.

00:51:29.157 --> 00:51:36.646
And so we had about a seven-month period where he was doing the business full-time while I was working full-time and doing the business.

00:51:36.646 --> 00:51:39.228
But yeah, I was very hesitant.

00:51:39.548 --> 00:51:40.570
She was my sugar mama.

00:51:40.809 --> 00:51:45.737
Yeah, I was a sugar mama, she was awesome.

00:51:45.838 --> 00:51:51.483
I'm secretly hoping my wife will be my sugar mama for a while, but I'm not sure it will happen.

00:51:51.483 --> 00:51:53.244
But that's what I hope for day to day.

00:51:53.244 --> 00:52:00.269
But no, totally kudos to you guys for doing this and for providing these races and the.

00:52:00.269 --> 00:52:02.692
You know the supplements as well.

00:52:20.117 --> 00:52:23.514
I think it, um, I think, really sets you apart even from those big races.

00:52:23.514 --> 00:52:28.894
I mean, I've been out to Moab and so on and and you know you pay a lot of money for those, right.

00:52:28.894 --> 00:52:34.387
I mean it's like 1500 bucks just for the race, before you've even gone and done anything else.

00:52:34.387 --> 00:52:39.335
As you guys will know from from Cocodona, it's, it's not a cheap thing to do, so.

00:52:39.335 --> 00:52:43.554
So your races are they're not quite at that level dollar wise.

00:52:43.554 --> 00:52:50.724
You make them very accessible to a lot of runners and within that, I think you provide a tremendous experience.

00:52:50.724 --> 00:53:15.496
So I mean, I think you've got everything ahead of you and I'm really hoping that the summit 200 race puts you squarely on the map as a premier race company and a premier race that that has all the potential to be your signature race moving forward and and you could really find some some top names looking at that race pretty hard I would think to come out and run that.

00:53:15.697 --> 00:53:15.976
Yeah.

00:53:15.976 --> 00:53:27.322
Now, not only are you guys nutritional experts and race directors, obviously we said at the beginning too you guys are also runners as well.

00:53:27.322 --> 00:53:27.925
Definitely.

00:53:27.925 --> 00:53:28.847
Chase casey, are you?

00:53:28.847 --> 00:53:30.456
Have you run an ultra?

00:53:30.456 --> 00:53:33.163
I dabble at this point, you dabble.

00:53:33.784 --> 00:53:34.344
I like it.

00:53:34.344 --> 00:53:35.507
The furthest I've gone is 50.

00:53:35.507 --> 00:53:36.976
Okay.

00:53:37.016 --> 00:53:37.376
Miles.

00:53:37.398 --> 00:53:38.099
Yeah, 50 miles.

00:53:38.099 --> 00:53:47.226
I just did a 50K with my friend Amanda this last weekend in Colorado Springs, so I don't, I'm not as hardcore as him, but yeah, I do.

00:53:47.706 --> 00:53:48.188
Fantastic.

00:53:48.188 --> 00:53:49.516
I really need to go to color.

00:53:49.516 --> 00:53:50.318
Total sidebar.

00:53:50.318 --> 00:53:54.306
Totally need to go to Colorado Springs one of these days, my friend.

00:53:54.306 --> 00:53:54.987
A total sidebar.

00:53:54.987 --> 00:53:57.574
Totally need to go to Colorado Springs one of these days, my friend.

00:53:57.574 --> 00:54:02.597
Yeah, I have a friend from the town that I come from over in England.

00:54:02.597 --> 00:54:03.739
He runs a British pub in Colorado Springs.

00:54:03.739 --> 00:54:09.302
He owns and runs it's like a British food slash pub down there, so I keep meaning to get over there and go see him.

00:54:09.362 --> 00:54:13.679
There's tons of great running out there too, and tons of other to do, so yeah.

00:54:14.202 --> 00:54:14.923
That's what I hear.

00:54:14.923 --> 00:54:20.067
So I got to get myself up to spend some time up around Colorado one of these days.

00:54:20.067 --> 00:54:26.007
So, from a personal running experience, what are your favorite races?

00:54:26.007 --> 00:54:26.655
What are some?

00:54:26.655 --> 00:54:37.259
What are the best experiences you guys have had at a race, either as crew, casey, in your well, I guess as a run too, but either as crew or runner, chase, in your uh, well, I guess as a as a run too, but, uh, either as crew or runner, chase.

00:54:37.259 --> 00:54:39.182
What are some cool experiences you've had?

00:54:39.182 --> 00:54:41.027
What's been your favorite race to run?

00:54:41.615 --> 00:54:45.724
my favorite race to crew has definitely been moab chase.

00:54:45.724 --> 00:54:46.846
Ran that.

00:54:46.846 --> 00:54:56.005
My mom, my dad and his mom and I were his crew for that and, like it was as much of an adventure for us as it was for him, it was just a wild ride.

00:54:56.065 --> 00:55:03.001
We it was we just we still talk about it and laugh about it and it was just, it was wild, it was super fun.

00:55:03.001 --> 00:55:09.742
My probably my favorite race that I've run was probably my first ultra.

00:55:09.742 --> 00:55:11.867
It was a timed race in Wichita.

00:55:11.867 --> 00:55:20.065
I was definitely injured but I still got it done and my mom and dad were there and Chase was there and it was just a really fun time.

00:55:20.065 --> 00:55:24.059
Fun in the nation of marks Different kind of fun.

00:55:25.835 --> 00:55:29.619
Yes, type one fun Me.

00:55:29.619 --> 00:55:37.670
I think the most memorable race experience would have to be the Moab 240, which I did in 2020.

00:55:37.670 --> 00:56:03.905
Simply because, you know, at that race I just thought I was screwed so many times, you know, I had so many lows and the first day I thought I might die Ran out of water, Ran out of water with 13 miles left in a section and it was almost a hundred degrees out and by the end of that section I was cramping everywhere, Like if I turned my wrist up like this, I'd cramp up here.

00:56:03.994 --> 00:56:06.041
If I turned it down here, I'd cramp down here.

00:56:06.041 --> 00:56:06.925
I mean, it was brutal.

00:56:06.925 --> 00:56:08.539
He called me yeah.

00:56:09.221 --> 00:56:10.164
He's like I don't know what to do.

00:56:21.114 --> 00:56:22.769
I'm like, well, you gotta keep going, I can't do anything.

00:56:22.688 --> 00:56:25.318
Get to the end station, yeah, and that was like 50 miles in to 240 miles, my first race over 100 miles, you know.

00:56:25.318 --> 00:56:33.099
But anyway I bounced back from that and then there was a lot of lows from there, but by the time I got to that last section, which which should have been the easiest section of the course about I could not hardly even walk anymore.

00:56:33.099 --> 00:56:48.217
I just, I mean, I mean that last 10 miles, I don't know how long it took, but I laid down on the sidewalk about every five minutes and when I came across the finish line I was just totally broken physically and mentally, but I was.

00:56:48.217 --> 00:56:56.481
I made it, you know, and that was an amazing feeling to know that I pushed myself to what at that point?

00:56:56.481 --> 00:57:08.777
I mean to a point to where I had never pushed myself before, and then to just come across the line and see my wife and my mother and father-in-law and my own mom waiting for me, I mean it was.

00:57:08.777 --> 00:57:12.666
It was a moment that is permanently tattooed on my brain for sure.

00:57:13.476 --> 00:57:16.056
Yeah, that last last section, bulky pine rim there.

00:57:16.096 --> 00:57:22.157
That's, that's a, that's a rough one that's brittle yeah, I was I was worried about him when he left the aid station.

00:57:22.157 --> 00:57:27.778
He didn't know how to use his watch anymore, like to pull up the section or anything like that.

00:57:27.778 --> 00:57:33.449
So I was pretty concerned because that's something he literally does every day and he had no idea how to use it anymore.

00:57:33.449 --> 00:57:36.378
It was like a whole brand new machine that he didn't know what it was.

00:57:36.378 --> 00:57:41.496
I was like great he has no no, pacer, it's dark out great.

00:57:41.597 --> 00:57:46.206
Have fun technical exposed section yeah, it's pretty technical.

00:57:46.527 --> 00:57:49.057
I believe that last section there fantastic.

00:57:49.057 --> 00:58:05.449
So have you ever seen and I think we might have, or you guys might have alluded to this at the beginning too but have you ever seen something at I think we might have, or you guys might have alluded to this at the beginning too but have you ever seen something at a race either positive or negative that you've looked at and thought, oh, I've definitely got to do that in our race or definitely not do that in our race.

00:58:05.449 --> 00:58:09.442
Just curious, as race directors who run, does that happen?

00:58:09.601 --> 00:58:10.945
or no, yes, definitely.

00:58:10.945 --> 00:58:28.317
I'm not going to name the race because I just don't think that's super cool, but there was a race we were at and the entire aid station staff was blasted um like stumbling around, had no idea what they were doing oh, wow and it was just a really poor experience dealing with them.

00:58:28.336 --> 00:58:29.519
They didn't know they weren't checking runners in and out.

00:58:29.519 --> 00:58:31.927
They were literally they're they're chugging beers having a good time and it just kind of left a bad taste them.

00:58:31.927 --> 00:58:33.532
They didn't know they weren't checking runners in and out.

00:58:33.532 --> 00:58:38.597
They were literally there, they're chugging beers having a good time, and it just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

00:58:38.597 --> 00:58:43.764
So because of that, we kind of have a guideline for our volunteers.

00:58:43.764 --> 00:58:47.474
You know, please don't be inebriated during your volunteer shifts.

00:58:47.474 --> 00:59:02.507
We're all about hanging out afterwards celebrating and having a good time, but like, your job is to take care of the runners and make sure that they're safe and having a good time, but like your job is to take care of the runners and make sure that they're safe and having a good time and taking care of so that's something that we kind of require, require it's kind of sad that you have to spell that out.

00:59:02.907 --> 00:59:21.086
Yeah, I guess so it wasn't a little race it's like when you have to put on the cup, but this liquid is hot right, yeah, exactly, yeah yeah, but also a lot of positive things we've taken for races Great aid stations, super friendly volunteers, good hot food.

00:59:21.715 --> 00:59:28.336
Very few times in a race has anyone ever actually called me by name, but it has happened and I just remember.

00:59:28.336 --> 00:59:34.048
That just kind of made me feel a little bit more important than I think it does for a lot of people.

00:59:34.048 --> 00:59:38.896
So that's something that we try to do at all our races we try to learn every single person's name.

00:59:38.896 --> 00:59:44.916
We don't always get it done, um, it's one of the reasons we keep our caps small, but we do learn most of them.

00:59:44.916 --> 00:59:50.983
You know, uh, we try to know who's coming in, uh, before they come in, so we can call them by name.

00:59:50.983 --> 00:59:59.001
Uh, we want you to be a name, not a bib number, and we try to just spend some time with all our runners once they're done.

00:59:59.001 --> 01:00:03.239
Either me or Casey is going to hand you your buckle at the end of the race.

01:00:03.239 --> 01:00:05.826
It's not going to be a volunteer, it's not going to be anyone else.

01:00:05.826 --> 01:00:08.117
One of us will be there, and what else, hun?

01:00:08.619 --> 01:00:13.244
Yeah, I think just having a good vibe is really important.

01:00:13.304 --> 01:00:14.786
On the name call out.

01:00:14.786 --> 01:00:18.070
That's really the reason I started doing trail running.

01:00:18.070 --> 01:00:33.150
I happened to do a local I think it was like a 10K trail race and as I crossed the finish line, the lady called my name out as she was handing me the medal, and I couldn't believe that they called my name when I crossed the line.

01:00:33.150 --> 01:00:39.856
It was such a small race, it was not a big thing, it was not a not a big thing but, and she called everybody's name out coming across, but I just thought that is so cool.

01:00:39.856 --> 01:00:47.257
Um, like somebody actually took the time to to read and and so I fully am in the name game.

01:00:47.257 --> 01:00:49.402
I definitely agree with that.

01:00:49.402 --> 01:00:56.527
That's the reason I started trail running, because I thought, wow, that's awesome, I got to come and do another one of these, and so I did, and then it grew from there.

01:00:56.527 --> 01:00:58.101
But yeah, I totally agree on the name.

01:00:58.101 --> 01:01:00.623
It's such a small thing, but really important.

01:01:00.715 --> 01:01:01.295
We also.

01:01:01.295 --> 01:01:08.208
I don't like when a race is about over and they start tearing down.

01:01:08.208 --> 01:01:13.226
We don't tear a single thing down until the last runner is across the line.

01:01:13.226 --> 01:01:18.911
Whether they're past the cutoff or not, we're going to be there because they've worked just as hard as everybody else.

01:01:18.911 --> 01:01:21.460
So, sometimes harder.

01:01:21.460 --> 01:01:24.347
Sometimes they've pushed through a lot more than the people who got first place.

01:01:24.347 --> 01:01:32.163
So that's a big thing for us is we are going to be there, start to finish, past the finish, if we need to be, till everybody's done.

01:01:32.474 --> 01:01:33.277
Same with aid stations.

01:01:33.277 --> 01:01:34.583
You know, not just the finish line.

01:01:34.583 --> 01:01:36.722
If you don't make the cutoff, we're not going to tear down.

01:01:36.722 --> 01:01:40.385
You know we're going to wait for you and we're going to treat you like you were still in the race.

01:01:40.385 --> 01:01:42.081
After that you're obviously cut off.

01:01:42.081 --> 01:01:48.108
But we've been to a race where I actually won the race.

01:01:48.108 --> 01:01:51.617
I was the only person left in the race and they tore down the aid station.

01:01:51.617 --> 01:02:00.804
I didn't get aid stations at the end and everyone else dropped but me, so that was bizarre.

01:02:01.925 --> 01:02:06.307
Yeah, I tell you, I've been that last person coming through.

01:02:06.307 --> 01:02:27.463
Not because I was last, I was the last person who hadn't quit on a race, so I was last going through each aid station and it's a bit of an eerie place to be when you can see them packing up stuff and putting things away and you're sitting there trying to find something to you kind of feel like oh you need to get out in the way.

01:02:27.965 --> 01:02:28.244
Yeah.

01:02:28.505 --> 01:02:31.362
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah, I mean the best compliment we've ever got.

01:02:55.534 --> 01:02:57.159
we had someone tell us this at Eternal Damnation just last our last race.

01:02:57.159 --> 01:03:06.766
But we've got it a few times and that's that we care about each and every runner equally, whether they this emotional attachment to everyone's races and most races, I mean, we get choked up at most of the races we do just because we try to make that connection with our runners and we're rooting for them.

01:03:06.766 --> 01:03:09.581
And when they DNF it feels like we DNF almost.

01:03:09.581 --> 01:03:31.088
But when they come across the line at the end, you know those are some special moments, especially the back of the packers, because I know that they've been out there struggling for so long, you know yeah, and I think that's really what makes you guys stand out as much as anything else that connection, that emotional connection with with people as they go and and willing them along.

01:03:31.335 --> 01:03:38.007
I think you know the big races are fantastic, but I don't think you get that at the big boys.

01:03:38.088 --> 01:03:41.322
I agree, yeah, and that's something we never want to lose.

01:03:41.322 --> 01:03:44.402
Yeah, because that's what made us us.

01:03:44.936 --> 01:03:47.204
It's like that's just something we never want to lose sight of for sure.

01:03:48.034 --> 01:03:48.697
You do you.

01:03:48.697 --> 01:03:51.686
As the saying goes, that's right, just be you, that's good enough.

01:03:51.686 --> 01:03:57.007
Talking of good enough and doing you each episode.

01:03:57.007 --> 01:04:03.349
We encourage guests to choose a song here to add to the free Spotify Choose to Enjoy playlist.

01:04:03.349 --> 01:04:09.610
Usually it's something family friendly to lift you up, motivate you or just keep you moving while you're out on the trail.

01:04:09.610 --> 01:04:12.391
Now you guys did.

01:04:12.391 --> 01:04:13.672
You guys come up with a song.

01:04:13.672 --> 01:04:21.153
There is definitely a beef with taylor swift going on I don't know what she ever did I don't hate taylor, I just hate her music.

01:04:21.373 --> 01:04:25.585
We're wrong he's wrong.

01:04:25.605 --> 01:04:26.266
We don't agree.

01:04:26.266 --> 01:04:27.510
Did you guys come up with a joke?

01:04:27.510 --> 01:04:27.650
We?

01:04:27.650 --> 01:04:32.057
Have separate songs that's like that's our divorce line, right there.

01:04:32.057 --> 01:04:36.782
Casey, what's your song and why did you choose it?

01:04:36.902 --> 01:04:39.184
It is Sunshine by One Republic.

01:04:39.184 --> 01:04:48.032
It's just a super upbeat song and it's just a good mindset to be in, especially when it sucks, so I like that one.

01:04:49.719 --> 01:04:53.896
Oh yeah, awesome, I don't listen to music when I run.

01:04:53.896 --> 01:04:55.177
I don't listen to anything when I run.

01:04:55.177 --> 01:04:56.518
Awesome, I don't listen to music when I run.

01:04:56.518 --> 01:04:57.338
I don't listen to anything when I run.

01:04:57.338 --> 01:05:02.923
And this probably isn't really a pump song by any means, but it's a song that I love and sometimes it can relate.

01:05:02.943 --> 01:05:05.166
Yeah, I think it can relate to ultra running.

01:05:05.206 --> 01:05:06.567
It's one of my favorite songs ever.

01:05:06.567 --> 01:05:08.467
It's Comfortably Numb, by Pink Floyd.

01:05:09.088 --> 01:05:15.835
Oh, that's a song right there, right, yeah, absolutely Great song, great song.

01:05:15.835 --> 01:05:17.259
A song right there, right, yeah, absolutely great song, great song.

01:05:17.259 --> 01:05:18.503
You know it's been really interesting asking for these songs.

01:05:18.503 --> 01:05:23.018
Originally it was just kind of a fun way to to close out, to close out the show, or at least that's how I thought.

01:05:23.018 --> 01:05:35.219
But uh, guests have come on and had some really really emotional reactions to picking a song when it represented some part of their training or a part of their race, where they were feeling really kind of down.

01:05:35.219 --> 01:05:42.782
And this song came on and something changed and it's been a really fascinating journey into the mindset of people.

01:05:43.003 --> 01:05:48.097
That's a cool idea to have people suggest that and what like.

01:05:48.358 --> 01:05:51.226
What chase finds is like a pump song, I'm just like meh.

01:05:51.226 --> 01:06:01.159
But like, for me it's not necessarily like the beat, it's like sometimes it's just a song that I love and if it comes on I'm like, oh, that's my jam and then I can turn myself around.

01:06:01.159 --> 01:06:04.628
So I think it's interesting, like what motivates other people.

01:06:05.494 --> 01:06:06.135
Yeah, it's.

01:06:06.135 --> 01:06:12.016
It's pretty fascinating what the emotional attachment people have to songs and what they represent.

01:06:12.016 --> 01:06:18.927
Above and beyond what I thought it would be, which is just a nice bit of fun at the end, it's been just tremendous.

01:06:18.927 --> 01:06:26.516
So we will definitely get those added to the playlist so that folks out there can go enjoy those tunes as much as you both do.

01:06:26.516 --> 01:06:28.079
Chase and Casey.

01:06:28.079 --> 01:06:31.367
Thank you so much again for joining the show today.

01:06:31.367 --> 01:06:46.708
Of course, I really hope this chat has given you, the listener out there, an insight into the Ultraverse journey, the supplement products that are out there on offer and the fantastic races that they now have on schedule all seven of them.

01:06:46.708 --> 01:06:50.626
I can highly recommend getting out on Ultra signup giving them a look.

01:06:50.626 --> 01:07:03.884
You know the guys run a really top class event, really care about the runners, because they are runners themselves and they understand those challenges, and you will definitely be well catered to as both a runner and crew.

01:07:03.884 --> 01:07:07.496
So now, Chase, are you out at Tahoe?

01:07:07.496 --> 01:07:08.057
Is that right?

01:07:08.057 --> 01:07:08.378
Did I?

01:07:08.378 --> 01:07:09.260
Did I read that?

01:07:09.882 --> 01:07:11.927
correctly, I'm in the triple crown this year.

01:07:12.476 --> 01:07:14.204
Triple crown this year Brilliant.

01:07:14.204 --> 01:07:16.195
So good luck on that.

01:07:16.195 --> 01:07:25.190
We will definitely be looking out for you and giving you a shout out as you start to tackle those which I think is Tahoe first Tahoe, first Tahoe 200.

01:07:25.574 --> 01:07:26.860
Yeah, right, there in June.

01:07:26.860 --> 01:07:29.384
So best of luck on that, thank you.

01:07:29.384 --> 01:07:40.610
I will, of course, link the Ultraverse website in the show notes below if you want to go and check out the products and the information and any of the races.

01:07:40.610 --> 01:07:54.248
And while you're on the Internet checking that out, don't forget to subscribe to the show here to get notified each time a new episode comes out and, of course, share and maybe even consider taking two minutes to give the show a review.

01:07:54.248 --> 01:07:57.099
It would certainly be very much appreciated.

01:07:57.119 --> 01:08:07.898
Doing any of these things really does help with the algorithms, and that, in turn, helps get the word out and helps other runners find the information that guests like chase and casey have to share.

01:08:07.898 --> 01:08:23.179
You can find us on instagram, facebook, over at choose to endurecom, so be sure to head over to any of those and check us out, say hello, drop us a message, suggest a topic or provide some constructive feedback If you have a moment.

01:08:23.179 --> 01:08:26.226
I love getting those interactions for sure.

01:08:26.226 --> 01:08:34.177
So until then, go buy some Ultraverse products so that you can run long, run strong and keep choosing to endure.

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