Becoming Ultra

Anderson Dibble does not shy away from hard races. In fact, she seems to gravitate towards challenges. Some of her racing adventures include the Sugg Farm Ultra 50 Miler (First female), Pikes Peak 50k, Drews Angel Creek 50k in Alaska, Umstead 100, and the R2R2R. Anderson loves life and embraces every challenge with gratitude. On this podcast we discuss her military background and the similarities with ultra running. Anderson takes us through a few of her most challenging ultras. She sees every challenge as an opportunity for growth. We also discuss the impact the trail running community has had on her life. This conversation left us both smiling and inspired! https://www.youtube.com/@andersondibble IG - anderson_dibble

Coach Scott meets his runner for Season 16 of the Becoming Ultra project, Deidra.  Deidra resides in Round Rock, Texas, just outside of Austin. She is currently a stat at home mom who is coming off of a disc replacement surgery that got her back to running. We get to know about her life and who she is before diving into the training on this first episode. She is training for her first ultra for the Mendocino Coast 50k. Enjoy. 

Hurricane Helene ravaged many of the communities in the mountains of North Carolina. Scott brings Mariah from Season 10 of the Becoming Ultra project on to talk about her small town of Spruce Pine and the effect of the damage. We came up with a challenge to use as a fundraiser to help the rebuild. You can join the challenge here.

The Indiana Trail 100 took place at Chain O’ Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana on October 12-13. The course consists of four 25-mile loops with about 1,500 feet of gain per loop. This was Eric’s first 100-mile ultra marathon, and he came in with a 3rd place finish. Eric ran his first ultra distance of 50k in October of 2023. In one year, he accomplished the 100-mile distance. He is showing us that with hard work and consistency anything is possible. On this podcast Eric shares a recap of his recent race. We discuss what went wrong, what went right and how he maintained a positive attitude throughout his race.  

Today Ian, Addie, and Scott come on to choose the runners of Season 16 who will run their first ultra at the Mendocino Coast 50k in April!  Enjoy the show!

What a fun conversation this was with Missy! We know Missy through BU and she was one of our biggest supporters when we launched the podcast. Just a joy to talk with, Missy shares with us how she became the adventurer she is today!   Women Who Explore is the company we discuss throughout this conversation. https://www.womenwhoexplore.com/

Some of our most inspiring guests come from referrals. Our friend Rebecca messaged us about Heather. They met during Vol State and Rebecca knew we had to chat with her. Heather is a mom, nurse, veteran and all-around bad ass. She has tackled some of the toughest races including the Leadville 100 and Barkley Fall Classic. What else can I do? That is the question Heather always asks herself after accomplishing big goals. On this podcast we talk to Heather about her trail running journey that started in 2020; how it evolved to 100-mile races and beyond. We also  talk about how she trains, balances life, self-care and showing up for herself daily. Heather is full of inspiration and encouragement!  

Coach Addie Bracey joins the show again to share her recent adventures which include an epic race that took 30 hours and finishing a retreat center near Leadville!  We talk about runners and why this Mendocino Coast 50k is such a good race for first timers.  Enjoy the show.  Season 16 is now taking applications!

We catch up with Lucja after her latest adventure, and wow was it a big one!  The Divide 200 is Canada’s only 200-mile ultra marathon. It takes place in the Castle/Crowsnest/Flathead region of the southern Rockies and highlights portions of The Great Divide Trail. Lucja takes us through the race, including a near death experience and, you guessed it, a bear encounter.  Lucja is one of a kind! IG - @runningdutchie

As Season 16 kicks off we are talking to the coaches of the project about all things ultra running. On this episode Ian Sharman and Scott talk about the most common reasons or excuses people make to not take the first step to training for an ultra.  We hope you enjoy and if you are on the fence about running your first ultra, now is a good time to apply for Season 16.  

Erin trained for over 4 months for her first ultra with Coach Lindsay and nailed it on the Grindstone 50k course!  We talk about things she learned on race day and what is next. She also gives one of the best answers ever as to why you should try for your first ultra! Enjoy the show and check out the launch of Season 16.

Scott talks to the race director and founder of the Mendocino Coast 50k, Sid Garza-Hillman about the history of the race, his running journey, and the launch of the newest season of the Becoming Ultra Project, Season 16.   Si didn't run his first ultra until he was 46.  We talk about his life as a musician and actor and why he decided to uproot and more to the northern part of the state.  His race sells out fast and running along rivers, redwoods, and ocean probably has something to do with it all. Sid even wrote a book about running ultra's as a normal person which is amazing!  We hope you enjoy the conversation and share with a friend that a great opportunity to run their first ultra is now taking applications.  Season 16 information The race

We had the most fun talking to Tracy Meyerson. She recently finished her goal of running a marathon/ultra distance in every state. We discuss what it takes to accomplish that goal and how long it took her. Tracy will be sixty-one soon and not slowing down. She tells us how she maintains good health and the importance of nutrition. Tracy is living her best life, having amazing adventures and thriving. We hope you find this conversation as inspiring as we did. Instagram - @seetracyrun website www.goodhabits.guru

If you have ever wanted more information about the World Major Marathons, this episode is for you!  If you haven't, well, still listen for a educational lesson :).  We talk all about the six world majors, how you get in, the NEW Boston qualifying times, and our upcoming trip to Japan!

The time has come for Erin to go celebrate her training on the Grindstone 50k course!  Her calf woes are over and the training is in the bank.  We started the call with a little quiz about her race and she nails it.  We hope you enjoy the show!

Kris is back from an epic backpacking trip and is here to tell us all about it!  She gives listeners some great advice on how to get started in backpacking, based on her own experiences. This trip was in the Shining Rock Wilderness/Pisgah National Forest and she booked the trek through The Wildland Trekking Company! https://wildlandtrekking.com/

Erin is experiencing the ups and downs of training as we get ever so closer to her first ultra. On the show today she shares her advneture on the Aqua Blaze race.  A rowing and running adventure race.  She also deals with her first real setback in the form of a knotted up calf for a few days. She seems to be on the mend though so for now, it's taper and get the mind right for the Grindstone 50k!

Kris first met Ashley during a 50 mile race Ashley was running and then continued to see her at other local races. With Ashley's unassuming confidence and talent, Kris just knew we had to have her on the podcast!  Ashley talks with us about her running past, how the road led her to the trails, and how she is now in the middle of a huge running streak (well over five years, which is amazing)! We love talking to runners like Ashley because it really showcases that everyone's journey to who they are as a runner "today" is totally different!

Karmell Ohlrogge & Lee Conner are two bad ass women. Collectively they have conquered over eighty 100 milers. They are also champions of women who want to experience a 100-mile race. They are the creators and driving force behind the Women’s 100 Miler Project.  Karmell & Lee are champions for supporting women, they have started a program that supports women who want to embrace ultra distances. On this podcast, we talk about both of their running  journeys and the inspiration for the project. They both have powerful reasons why they run. Their support of each other is also inspiring. These women are passionate about supporting women and doing their part to help them achieve their goals. We encourage you to check out The Women’s 100 Miler Project and go for it! You can sign up for the Women's 100 Miler Project for HALF OFF with this code: BU50OFF https://thewomens100milerproject.com/ 

Enjoy another episode about ultra endurance. Our guest, Jenn Pattee, is an ultra runner and entrepreneur who took on the challenge of riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Canada to Mexico.  Seeing how much the sport of running can open up opportunities for adventure is always inspiring.  Enjoy the show   Check out here adventure on IG and Follow Jenn