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Marathon Success Story with Ryan Deguzis —Running Across the Driest Desert in the World

By on October 21, 2015 in Interview, Podcasts, Success Story, Ultramarathon

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Ryan Deguzis is a classical violist and music instructor from Hartford, Connecticut. He just finished a seven day stage race (155 miles) through the Atacama Desert in Chile, a placed he describes as otherworldly.

Ryan first heard about this race from MTA podcast episode #109 our interview with Samantha Gash.

In our conversation with Ryan you will hear why he started running, how much time and energy went into training for this race, what his family thought about it, and the gritty details of sun, wind, blisters, and sleep deprivation. It’s epic!

See the photos . . . Continue Reading →

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Jordan McDougal’s Tips on Nutrition, Training

By on August 12, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

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Jordan McDougal grew up in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York state. Before he was 10 years old, McDougal was running track and cross-country. He advanced to running on a scholarship at Liberty University. He has now advanced to ultra marathons, Spartan events and mountain racing.

“Growing up in the Adirondacks I played just about any sport available, and skied and raced snowshoes in the winter, which was really my introduction to mountain racing I guess,” he says.

McDougal, who is North Face sponsored athlete, has won several of the North Face Endurance Challenge events including one earlier this year in Washington, D.C. McDougal finished the 50-mile event in 6:44:55, beating the runner-up by nearly 45 minutes. Continue Reading →

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Lessons From My First Ultramarathon

By on July 31, 2015 in Podcasts, Race Recap, Ultramarathon

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Iwas looking for a race in Idaho this summer and came across the To Bone and Back 40 Miler in Idaho Falls. I’ve been thinking about doing an ultra for quite a while. In fact, I said that after I qualified for Boston I’d run one but had never found the right opportunity.

In many ways doing the Leadville Marathon made me more confident about taking on an ultra because I survived a tough course and over seven hours on my feet. I also enjoyed the more laid back and non-traditional aspects of the trail marathon.

So in a haze of post-marathon euphoria and Colorado’s thin air I signed up for this race. Even though I was registering just a few days before the event the fee was only $45.00! Continue Reading →

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Gunhild Swanson’s amazing finish at Western States

By on July 30, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

Sun Mountain 50 miler 5-16-15 3The 70-year-old woman’s record almost never came to be. Here’s how she beat the odds to get into the 100-mile race and then overcame a serious error to complete her historic run.

By Henry Howard

Gunhild Swanson’s dramatic finish at this year’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run almost never happened.

The jubilation that erupted in the final stretch of the race — as Swanson closed in on the finish line, then crossed it 6 seconds before the 30-hour cutoff —almost never happened.

But the 70-year-old Swanson did cross the Western States finish in time, becoming the oldest woman to ever do so. Her remarkable run set off a boisterous celebration at the finish line and a video that went viral. Continue Reading →

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Interview with David Clark -From Self-Described Obese Alcoholic to Ultramarathoner

By on July 11, 2015 in Interview, Podcasts, Ultramarathon

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David Clark is author of the book “Out There -A Story of Ultra Recovery”

He’s a Colorado runner who’s done some of the toughest ultramarathons in the U.S. -the Leadville Trail 100 and the Badwater 135.

He’s living proof that you can change your life through.

I met David at the Leadville Trail Marathon expo in Leadville, Colorado. When I saw his before and after picture I knew I had to read the book. Continue Reading →

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For the Love of the Run

By on June 7, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

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Champion ultra runner has come a long way since her first 50-miler, which was full of snow and thorny bushes. Now, she finds peace of mind during long trail runs.

By Henry Howard

Jen Edwards first ran cross-country in high school “to stay in shape for basketball.” But she found out that she really liked running and wound up running in all three seasons — cross country, indoor track and outdoor track — while attending high school in Ohio.

After moving on to Kenyon College (Ohio), she continued to run cross-country and track. Then, at the encouragement of a friend, Edwards decided to move up from the 5Ks and 10Ks to a full marathon.

Since her friend was from Minnesota, they ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth between her sophomore and junior years. “It hurt like heck but it was really fun,” Edwards chuckles.

And like many runners, shortly after the race, she was thinking about the next one. Continue Reading →

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Interview with Travis Macy – Ultra Runner, Adventurer, Author

By on May 11, 2015 in Interview, Podcasts, Ultramarathon

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Travis Macy is a professional endurance athlete who has raced the toughest ultra marathons around the globe. He’s author of the new book The Ultra Mindset – An endurance champion’s 8 core principles for success in business, sports, and life.

He lives with his wife and children in the mountains of Colorado. Continue Reading →

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From Walking with a Cane to Ultra Marathons

By on April 7, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

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Steve Ross was obese, doped up on meds, and suffering from knee pain and headaches. Now he runs 100-milers that feel like marathons.

Last year Steve Ross ran 2,600 miles and is aiming for 3,000 in 2015.

Not bad for someone who has overcome major knee and back surgeries, obesity and an addiction to pain medications. Oh, and at one time, he had to walk with a cane. Continue Reading →

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Ultra Runner Conquers Drugs, Obesity

By on March 28, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Ultramarathon, Weight Loss

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Brendan O’Ryan has overcome many obstacles to become an ultra marathoner.

Cigarettes. Drug addiction. Obesity.

As a kid, O’Ryan played football and wrestled. When he was 14, he suffered stress fractures in his L1 and L2 vertebrae. That’s when things took a drastic turn.

“I started smoking weed and drinking,” O’Ryan says. “As I got older my drug use got more and more serious. I got clean when I was 19. I was still pretty unhealthy for a while. I smoked cigarettes and ate pretty terribly. After about two years clean I stopped smoking and started trying to get healthier.” Continue Reading →

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From Couch to 5Ks to Ultra Champ

By on February 21, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Ultramarathon

Nathan_ultraThe busy father of five balances his commitments to family, work and of course running — as he teaches his children about exercise, wellness and perseverance.

By Henry Howard

Like many runners, Nathan Maxwell started the sport to get in shape. He ran a few 5Ks and was hooked. So he went up in distance, again like many runners, to see if he could do a half-marathon.

That was 2012.

Since then, Maxwell has charted his own path though he deviated from the natural path. The next step was not a full marathon. Instead, the Augusta, Georgia, resident went right to ultra distances, where he found his passion and excelled at those long races. Continue Reading →

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Dozen Runners Crossing USA for Charity

By on February 3, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Ultramarathon

RaceAcrossUSACoast-to-coast event spans 140 days, allows participants to break through boundaries and raises money for 100 Mile Club.

By Henry Howard

For some, finishing a marathon is the ultimate achievement in running. It’s a worthy goal and one that less than 1 percent of the adult population achieves.

Right now, a dozen runners are going on an epic multi-marathon challenge across the United States. They are participating in the Race Across USA, which is literally what they are doing — from California through the southern part of the United States to Washington, D.C.

It’s a 140-day journey, with 120 planned days of running and 3,080 miles. They will run 112 marathons during that time.

Darren Van Soye is the creator and organizer of Race Across USA, along with his wife, Sandy. He is running the entire race so she is taking on the primary role of race director, handling logistics and everything else that comes up along the way. Continue Reading →

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