The Ultra Crewed Podcast

Team USA just took the Backyard Ultra World Championship, and apparently that wasn't enough to keep the internet from losing its collective shit. This week on The Ultra Crewed Podcast, we're unpacking Big's Backyard from the perspective of people who were actually there, which already puts us ahead of half the experts running their mouths online. We're talking Mark Dowdle's incredible performance, the controversy over switching courses, the difference between America's glorified tent city and the accommodations other countries rolled out, and what really happens when teammates become competitors after four days of running. But there's a bigger conversation here about the enormous gap between being a good ultrarunner and competing with the best in the world, why everybody with a camera suddenly thinks they're elite, and why your crew needs to be a source of calm instead of a motivational speaker with unresolved childhood issues. We get into the psychology of surviving 100-plus hours, the bullshit surrounding those desperate pick-me videos, and why shaming an exhausted runner isn't coaching, no matter how inspirational your Instagram reel looks. It's world-class performances, questionable behavior, uncomfortable truths, and a few opinions that probably won't make us any new friends. Welcome back to The Ultra Crewed Podcast.

This week on the Ultra Crewed Podcast, we're talking about knowing your worth, stepping outside your comfort zone, and why you don't need to prove yourself to anyone. Jon heads north to officiate a family wedding and reflects on the personal growth, confidence, and internal work that prepared him for the moment, while Becca takes on her first vertical caving adventure, tackling a terrifying 40-foot pit and learning some valuable lessons about fear, trust, and the importance of having good people in your corner. We also dive into the latest ultrarunning news, including the upcoming Big's Backyard Ultra broadcast and the controversial decision to cancel the Moab 240 due to dangerous weather conditions. We're sharing our thoughts on race director responsibilities, runner entitlement, safety, and why chasing a finish line should never come at the expense of someone else's life. From facing new challenges to calling out some of the nonsense happening in ultrarunning, we're covering plenty of ground this week, both above and below it.

This week on the Ultra Crewed Podcast, we're talking about knowing your worth, stepping outside your comfort zone, and why you don't need to prove yourself to anyone. Jon heads north to officiate a family wedding and reflects on the personal growth, confidence, and internal work that prepared him for the moment, while Becca takes on her first vertical caving adventure, tackling a terrifying 40-foot pit and learning some valuable lessons about fear, trust, and the importance of having good people in your corner. We also dive into the latest ultrarunning news, including the upcoming Big's Backyard Ultra broadcast and the controversial decision to cancel the Moab 240 due to dangerous weather conditions. We're sharing our thoughts on race director responsibilities, runner entitlement, safety, and why chasing a finish line should never come at the expense of someone else's life. From facing new challenges to calling out some of the nonsense happening in ultrarunning, we're covering plenty of ground this week, both above and below it.

We’re back in the Murder Mile Studio after Jon lost a week to a tooth infection, and naturally we ease back into podcasting by complaining about Bucky’s, debating gas-station loyalty, and eventually getting to actual ultrarunning. We dig into Little Dog’s Backyard Ultra, why the backyard format demands a completely different kind of durability and mindset, what makes Big’s and Littles so special, and why holding sub-24-hour 100-mile pace for days is a very different animal than simply going long. Becca talks about crewing, hanging around Laz, meeting a runner with an absurd combination of speed and endurance potential, and why systems, consistency, strength, and learning to answer the bell matter more than trying to brute-force your way through a backyard. Then, because apparently ultrarunning wasn’t strange enough, we spend a completely reasonable amount of time discussing why Becca brought home a dead coyote, whether checking nipple wear is a legitimate aging technique, and why Jon does not consider roadkill retrieval one of the five love languages. We wrap it up with training-readiness scores, heavy legs, hydration, carbs, electrolytes, and the reminder that your watch can give you data, but it still can’t tell you how your body actually feels.

We’re back in the Murder Mile Studio after Jon lost a week to a tooth infection, and naturally we ease back into podcasting by complaining about Bucky’s, debating gas-station loyalty, and eventually getting to actual ultrarunning. We dig into Little Dog’s Backyard Ultra, why the backyard format demands a completely different kind of durability and mindset, what makes Big’s and Littles so special, and why holding sub-24-hour 100-mile pace for days is a very different animal than simply going long. Becca talks about crewing, hanging around Laz, meeting a runner with an absurd combination of speed and endurance potential, and why systems, consistency, strength, and learning to answer the bell matter more than trying to brute-force your way through a backyard. Then, because apparently ultrarunning wasn’t strange enough, we spend a completely reasonable amount of time discussing why Becca brought home a dead coyote, whether checking nipple wear is a legitimate aging technique, and why Jon does not consider roadkill retrieval one of the five love languages. We wrap it up with training-readiness scores, heavy legs, hydration, carbs, electrolytes, and the reminder that your watch can give you data, but it still can’t tell you how your body actually feels.

Ultrarunning had itself a week. We start with Camille Herron, OnlyFans, accountability, athlete culture, and the increasingly blurry line between “empowerment” and just putting your ass on the internet for money. Then we finally behave ourselves and talk about actual ultrarunning. One of our coached athletes finishes the Georgia Jewel 100 on just three days of training per week—while still prioritizing his job, family, and real life. We break down why execution matters more than chasing mileage, why Georgia Jewel is nastier than it looks on paper, and why heat strategy can make or break your race. We get into carrying more water than you think you need, ice, cooling, hats, airflow, gear preferences, and the very scientific principle of not cooking yourself alive in the Georgia sun. Then it’s on to Last Soul Ultras, backyard racing, last-man-standing formats, preserving the roots of the sport without becoming the grumpy old people yelling from the porch, and whether the future eventually includes an eccentric billionaire making people run around an island until only one survives. Probably not. Hopefully not. This is the Ultra Crewed Podcast, so no promises.

Ultrarunning had itself a week. We start with Camille Herron, OnlyFans, accountability, athlete culture, and the increasingly blurry line between “empowerment” and just putting your ass on the internet for money. Then we finally behave ourselves and talk about actual ultrarunning. One of our coached athletes finishes the Georgia Jewel 100 on just three days of training per week—while still prioritizing his job, family, and real life. We break down why execution matters more than chasing mileage, why Georgia Jewel is nastier than it looks on paper, and why heat strategy can make or break your race. We get into carrying more water than you think you need, ice, cooling, hats, airflow, gear preferences, and the very scientific principle of not cooking yourself alive in the Georgia sun. Then it’s on to Last Soul Ultras, backyard racing, last-man-standing formats, preserving the roots of the sport without becoming the grumpy old people yelling from the porch, and whether the future eventually includes an eccentric billionaire making people run around an island until only one survives. Probably not. Hopefully not. This is the Ultra Crewed Podcast, so no promises.

I will link my PDF on this topic later today. If you're an athlete struggling with what feels like overtraining and complete exhaustion this is worh a listen or read.

Doing hard things doesn’t automatically make you better at life. This week on the Ultra Crewed Podcast, Jon and Becca recap the first Long Mile—a sunset-to-sunrise endurance experience built around movement, growth, community, and creating enough space for people to learn something about themselves without turning it into another race. That leads into a bigger conversation: Is running 100 miles actually harder than everyday life? Does voluntarily suffering teach you anything if you never stop to process it? And when does “I do hard things” stop being personal growth and start becoming ego? They also get into Barkley Fall Classic, trail-running culture, the difference between kindness and genuinely caring about people, missing the ultrarunning community, future adventure ideas, and why the hard things we choose are often much easier than the hard things life chooses for us. And then, because this is the Ultra Crewed Podcast, everything deteriorates appropriately. There’s an extended public service announcement about race-day bathroom etiquette, the revolutionary concept that your poop is your responsibility, some truly baffling endurance-sports behavior, Camille Herron internet developments, OnlyFans, hero worship, and several pieces of information Jon and Becca sincerely wish they had never learned. Somewhere underneath all of that nonsense is the point: There is room for growth in your life—and room in your life to grow. You just have to do more than suffer for it.

This week, we’re talking about everything from seasonal transitions, turkey encounters, questionable running apparel, and brutal summer heat to the bigger lessons ultra running keeps teaching us about adaptability, expectations, and community. We get into smarter hot-weather training, why unfamiliar trails and races can make you a better runner, and how learning to problem-solve matters just as much as stacking miles. We also dig into the changing culture of ultra running—social media, influencers, negativity, race expectations, and the difference between joining a community and expecting that community to change around you. As usual, there’s plenty of running talk, life talk, race-director frustration, and completely unnecessary discussion about Fresca, turkeys, and shirts with holes in them.

This week, we’re talking about everything from seasonal transitions, turkey encounters, questionable running apparel, and brutal summer heat to the bigger lessons ultra running keeps teaching us about adaptability, expectations, and community. We get into smarter hot-weather training, why unfamiliar trails and races can make you a better runner, and how learning to problem-solve matters just as much as stacking miles. We also dig into the changing culture of ultra running—social media, influencers, negativity, race expectations, and the difference between joining a community and expecting that community to change around you. As usual, there’s plenty of running talk, life talk, race-director frustration, and completely unnecessary discussion about Fresca, turkeys, and shirts with holes in them.

Video - While recapping adventure day we somehow end up putting ultrarunning culture, social media, corporate race greed, personal growth, walking, relationships, and one extremely questionable waterfall decision on trial. We get into who we used to be, who we’ve worked our asses off to become, why being genuine matters more than collecting approval from strangers on the internet, and how integrity has become suspiciously hard to find once money, attention, and algorithms enter the room. Then we abandon all emotional maturity and go on an adventure involving the Santa Fe Diner, a cheeseburger Jon may now be legally married to, banana pudding powerful enough to resolve international conflict, the Natchez Trace, phosphate mines, hiking, and Becca scrambling up Jackson Falls in decorative sandals before discovering that coming back down was apparently a problem for Future Becca. We also explain why walking is one of the most criminally ignored parts of ultramarathon training, why your “easy ten-mile pace” means absolutely nothing when there are ninety miles left, and why your tendons do not care about your ego, your Strava, or the inspirational reel you made in your driveway. Then we turn our attention to Leadville and UTMB, where we have several thoughts about overcrowding, crew nightmares, branded-athlete privilege, corporate ownership, and what happens when an ultramarathon starts feeling less like a race and more like an airport during a holiday weekend. We have opinions, we have stories, we have side quests, and at several points we probably should have stopped talking. We did not. You’re welcome.

While recapping adventure day we somehow end up putting ultrarunning culture, social media, corporate race greed, personal growth, walking, relationships, and one extremely questionable waterfall decision on trial. We get into who we used to be, who we’ve worked our asses off to become, why being genuine matters more than collecting approval from strangers on the internet, and how integrity has become suspiciously hard to find once money, attention, and algorithms enter the room. Then we abandon all emotional maturity and go on an adventure involving the Santa Fe Diner, a cheeseburger Jon may now be legally married to, banana pudding powerful enough to resolve international conflict, the Natchez Trace, phosphate mines, hiking, and Becca scrambling up Jackson Falls in decorative sandals before discovering that coming back down was apparently a problem for Future Becca. We also explain why walking is one of the most criminally ignored parts of ultramarathon training, why your “easy ten-mile pace” means absolutely nothing when there are ninety miles left, and why your tendons do not care about your ego, your Strava, or the inspirational reel you made in your driveway. Then we turn our attention to Leadville and UTMB, where we have several thoughts about overcrowding, crew nightmares, branded-athlete privilege, corporate ownership, and what happens when an ultramarathon starts feeling less like a race and more like an airport during a holiday weekend. We have opinions, we have stories, we have side quests, and at several points we probably should have stopped talking. We did not. You’re welcome.

Apparently being afraid of the dark does not apply when the dark is inside a cave. We talk Murder Cave, river patrol, five headlamps, Fresca, and the kind of relationship support that involves quietly appearing out of the woods looking like a potential threat. Then we get into Mark Dowdle winning Last Soul Ultra, Lap 87, competitive running, people losing their minds on the internet, and whether moving rocks off a course is helpful or a felony against race directing. Somewhere in there we also invent the Energy Gargoyle, talk haunted houses, kill a Halloween idea, and land on Deathcamp. Normal stuff.

Apparently being afraid of the dark does not apply when the dark is inside a cave. We talk Murder Cave, river patrol, five headlamps, Fresca, and the kind of relationship support that involves quietly appearing out of the woods looking like a potential threat. Then we get into Mark Dowdle winning Last Soul Ultra, Lap 87, competitive running, people losing their minds on the internet, and whether moving rocks off a course is helpful or a felony against race directing. Somewhere in there we also invent the Energy Gargoyle, talk haunted houses, kill a Halloween idea, and land on Deathcamp. Normal stuff.

This week, we start with poop chutes, oppressive Tennessee heat, horse flies, and the realization that sometimes your best simply is not good enough. Naturally, this becomes a conversation about running shoes, unsolicited advice, credibility, and why having the loudest opinion on the internet does not magically make you correct. We recap a monster weekend at Income Last Man Standing, give some love to the people who absolutely showed out there, and then get into Last Soul Ultra and the increasingly blurry line between a race, a brand, a media project, and one very expensive commercial with people running in circles. We also take a swing at corporate ultra running, UTMB, social media storytelling, brand loyalty, old-school race culture, and the deeply human urge to turn everything into content and then pretend that was never the plan. Then we talk about The Long Mile, why we wanted to create something where people actually have to show up and do the work, and what we hope people take away from it. We finish, as all serious ultra running podcasts should, by discovering a disgusting mystery creature in the studio and nearly losing the plot entirely. Another very professional episode of the Ultra Crewed Podcast.

This week, we start with poop chutes, oppressive Tennessee heat, horse flies, and the realization that sometimes your best simply is not good enough. Naturally, this becomes a conversation about running shoes, unsolicited advice, credibility, and why having the loudest opinion on the internet does not magically make you correct. We recap a monster weekend at Income Last Man Standing, give some love to the people who absolutely showed out there, and then get into Last Soul Ultra and the increasingly blurry line between a race, a brand, a media project, and one very expensive commercial with people running in circles. We also take a swing at corporate ultra running, UTMB, social media storytelling, brand loyalty, old-school race culture, and the deeply human urge to turn everything into content and then pretend that was never the plan. Then we talk about The Long Mile, why we wanted to create something where people actually have to show up and do the work, and what we hope people take away from it. We finish, as all serious ultra running podcasts should, by discovering a disgusting mystery creature in the studio and nearly losing the plot entirely. Another very professional episode of the Ultra Crewed Podcast.

Jon did something Becca enjoys, which is usually how perfectly reasonable weekends become questionable decisions. What was sold as a mostly walkable adventure turned into crawling, loose rock, route-finding, a river, a large spider with dependents, and Jon reconsidering the meaning of words like “walking,” “accessible,” and possibly “marriage.” Underneath all the complaints, though, the episode lands on something that translates directly back to ultrarunning: what do you do when you’re uncomfortable but still capable? When does “I don’t want to” actually mean stop? How much responsibility belongs to the group, and how much belongs to the individual? And what happens when you start deciding what everyone else is thinking instead of letting them think it themselves? Becca thinks underground exploring is fun. Jon would like everyone to know he went, he learned something, and there are perfectly good trails above ground.

Jon did something Becca enjoys, which is usually how perfectly reasonable weekends become questionable decisions. What was sold as a mostly walkable adventure turned into crawling, loose rock, route-finding, a river, a large spider with dependents, and Jon reconsidering the meaning of words like “walking,” “accessible,” and possibly “marriage.” Underneath all the complaints, though, the episode lands on something that translates directly back to ultrarunning: what do you do when you’re uncomfortable but still capable? When does “I don’t want to” actually mean stop? How much responsibility belongs to the group, and how much belongs to the individual? And what happens when you start deciding what everyone else is thinking instead of letting them think it themselves? Becca thinks underground exploring is fun. Jon would like everyone to know he went, he learned something, and there are perfectly good trails above ground.

The Ultra Crewed Podcast is back in a brand-new studio, complete with a beautiful new sign that is perfectly level on a 130-year-old wall that absolutely is not. This week, Becca survives a “sporty” Kentucky cave trip featuring giant boreholes, cave-adapted crayfish, questionable ladders, fresh breakdown, a camping migraine, and somehow no aspirin. Jon contributes by cutting half the grass and proving, with an actual level, that the sign was never the problem. Then things get more serious as we talk about family medical whiplash, hearing advice you do not want to hear, giving up control, coaching athletes through hard moments, and why ultra-running can feel easier than ordinary life. Also included: Kentucky Cave Wars, the Pinkertons catching strays, barn cats available for reassignment, emotional endurance, literal cave collapse, and one brutally simple rule for deciding whether someone is ready to leave rehab. Spoiler: “Hello, Jon.”