This one is a little different. Jon hosted a live panel in Boulder with three people who between them have worked with Olympic athletes, NBA teams, professional runners, and tens of thousands of recreational athletes. The topic was fueling, strength training, and the fundamentals that most runners are still getting wrong.

Charlie Sweeney is a professional marathoner who has lived the training load most people only read about — 140 miles a week, two sessions a day five days a week, and 110 grams of carbohydrate per hour at Boston this year. Dr. Marc Bubbs is the founder of ProBio, a performance nutritionist, and author who has spent his career in elite sport locker rooms translating research into what athletes actually do every day — from Canada Basketball to NBA and NHL teams to Olympic track clubs. Jason Fitzgerald has been coaching runners since 2010 and works primarily with adult recreational athletes.

The conversation is practical, honest, and occasionally funny. There's pizza involved.

Topics covered:

• What runners think they're doing right that might actually be hurting them

• Why fueling is deeply individual and how to stop copying what your favorite runner eats

• How carbohydrate recommendations have changed and why the pendulum has swung so far

• Fast carbs versus slow carbs and when to use each

• What 700 grams of carbohydrate a day actually looks like in practice

• How Charlie went from 20-mile runs on water to 110 grams per hour at Boston

• The 75 to 90 minute threshold for when to start fueling during a run

• Why the marathon specific long run is the one workout you should fuel at 100 percent

• What ProBio is, why it exists, and the compliance problem it was built to solve

• Vitamin D, B12, magnesium, and why elite bloodwork is often surprisingly average

• Why you can't just eat plants if you're running 140 miles a week

• Charlie's strength training breakdown — 90 minutes once a week, earn the massage first

• How to periodize strength training alongside your running

• When to taper your lifting before race day and what race week actually looks like in the gym

No sponsors on this one. If For The Long Run is a show you look forward to, you can support it directly at forthelong.run/subscribe — $8 a month or $80 for the year. The goal is fewer ads over time, and eventually none at all. That happens with your help.

Quick note before you press play. This conversation with Andy Blow first aired on Long Run Labs, Jon's podcast about the business of endurance and the outdoor industry. Andy is the co-founder of Precision Fuel and Hydration and one of the most thoughtful people in the sport when it comes to how athletes should actually be fueling. Precision sponsors For the Long Run, but this episode wasn't recorded out of obligation — it was recorded because Andy's story is genuinely worth hearing and there's a lot of tactically useful information in here for anyone who runs long.

If you like going behind the scenes on how the endurance world actually gets built, Long Run Labs is worth finding. Guests include sports marketers from Salomon, Garmin, ASICS, and Amazfit, founders from brands like Ketone IQ and Lagoon, and athletes turned media like Des Linden, Kara Goucher, and Dylan Bowman.

Andy Blow started Precision as a sweat test, not a product. He was a triathlete who kept ending up in the medical tent with hyponatremia in hot races, figured out he was a heavy sodium sweater, changed his approach, and built a company around the idea that electrolyte loss is individual and most athletes have no idea what their actual numbers are. Fifteen years later, Precision is crewing eleven athletes at Western States and working with Rachel Entrekin on the data that backed her Cocodona course record.

This conversation covers the science and the business in equal measure.

Topics covered:

• Why Andy ended up in the medical tent at races and what that led to

• How sweat testing became a product line and then a company

• Why Precision separates fuel from hydration and what the three levers actually are

• The low carb debate and what the pro peloton actually proves

• What amateur athletes are still getting wrong about race nutrition

• The free fuel and hydration planner and how to actually use it

• How Precision builds athlete relationships and why authenticity isn't just marketing language

• What F1 taught Andy about sports science and brand building

• What he believes now that he would have laughed at in 2011

• Stepping out of the CEO role after 15 years and what comes next

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order at precisionhydration.com

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Lindsey Dwyer started running before she could remember choosing it. Her mom ran while pregnant with her, and Lindsey was in a stroller on the course not long after. By seventh grade she'd quietly trained for and finished a half marathon without telling anyone until she needed a ride to the start line. By college, marathons felt routine. So she went longer.

Now she's one of the top finishers at Cocodona 250, a point-to-point 253-mile race through Arizona that's become one of the most-watched ultras in the world outside of Western States and UTMB. This year she finished fifth overall, running the final 200 miles with a knee injury that started at mile 50 and never went away.

Jonathan and Lindsey get into what it actually takes to compete across 80-plus hours of racing, how she thinks about crew and pacing at that scale, and why she believes the mental puzzle of ultras is the whole point. They also talk about the role of gratitude when things get hard, what her first 50-mile race recap on Facebook revealed about how little her navigation skills have improved, and how the "gap and the gain" framework applies to an athlete who's been quietly building toward this her whole life.

Lindsey is also heading to Tahoe Rim Trail and Mammoth 200 later this season and is partnered with Precision Fuel & Hydration.

Topics covered:

• Growing up running alongside her mom and sneaking into a half marathon at 13

• Why she chose longer over faster when marathons stopped feeling like a mystery

• What she loves about long runs and why she never looks at her watch

• Racing Cocodona 250 twice, finishing 2nd in 2024 and 5th in 2025 seven hours faster

• Managing a knee injury from mile 50 through the final 200 miles

• How to crew and pace well, and why communication before the race matters more than anything said during it

• Using gratitude as a practical tool in a low point

• The Gap and the Gain, and why reflecting back matters as much as looking forward

• Fueling strategy and how she ended up working with Precision Fuel & Hydration

• A very important Facebook post from her first 50-miler, featuring 48 Oreos and 6 bonus miles

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order.

Vacation Races 

The Rocky Mountain Half and 5K in Estes Park, Colorado this August. Run both and earn the Elk Double. Use code FTLR when you register at vacationraces.com.

Zach Miller is one of the most recognizable names in trail and ultra running — a nine-year North Face athlete, self-coached competitor, and someone who has lived everywhere from a cruise ship to an off-grid cabin to a bus. He's been competing at the highest level for over a decade, watched the fields get dramatically deeper, and just punched his golden ticket to Western States at Canyons Hundred K. This conversation is about what it takes to still be here.

Zach talks about self-coaching and curiosity as a training philosophy, the mental switch that separates good races from great ones, what it felt like to question whether his career was over, and why lining up at Western States this year means more than it ever would have before.

Topics covered:

• Who Zach is and why he's hard to fit in a box

• Running big volume and what actually stokes the fire

• How his nutrition approach has matured beyond just doing more

• The North Face Fifty showdown with Hayden Hawks in 2016 and what's changed in a decade

• Why deeper fields are driving faster times across the sport

• Self-coaching and why curiosity is central to how he trains

• The mental switch — going from hobbling to running with authority mid-race

• His knee injury, the doctors who said it was basically over, and why he kept going

• What it felt like to punch his golden ticket at Canyons knowing there are no guarantees anymore

• Cool weather versus hot weather and the complicated answer to which he'd prefer at Western

• His dark horse pick for the women's race

• What he'd do if the North Face Fifty came back

Sponsors of the show:

Amazfit

If you're heading to Western States as a runner, pacer, or crew member, join us for a shakeout run in Olympic Valley before race weekend. Learn more about the new Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra and connect with the community that helps make race day possible. Visit Amazfit.com and use code FTLR2026 for 10% off

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26for 15% off your order.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

Tommie Runz is a runner, a dad, and someone who spent years building one of the most authentic presences in running before he ever needed it to pay the bills. He qualified for Boston, ran the six majors, and has now set his sights on Western States — one of the most competitive hundred-mile races in the world — with a simple mission: show people who look like him that they belong out there too.

This conversation covers the long game, the trust economy of social media, what curiosity actually looks like in a hundred-mile race, and why black skin looks good on trail.

Topics covered:

• Who Tommie is and what he's trying to show people who look like him

• Why the message isn't just "go run a hundred miles" — it's an invitation to find your own trail

• Alcoholism, sobriety, and how running became the place to channel the same perseverance

• Working with a coach since day one and what patience actually looks like over eight years

• Four hundred and twenty-five miles in May and why it didn't feel like a big deal

• How to use other people's content as motivation without letting it define your own progress

• Working with multiple brands versus one brand and how to do either well

• Why the product should speak for itself inside your story rather than beside it

• What he's most curious about heading into Western States

• The Alchemist, holding goals loosely, and how trail running mirrors life

• Black Skin Looks Good on Trail and what he wants that statement to open up

Stay connected:

@tommie_runz on Instagram

Black skin looks good on trail t-shirts

Support our sponsors:

Amazfit
If you're heading to Western States as a runner, pacer, or crew member, join us for a shakeout run in Olympic Valley before race weekend. Learn more about the new Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra and connect with the community that helps make race day possible. Visit Amazfit for more information.

Good Ranchers
Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced beef, chicken, and seafood directly to your door, making it easier to stay on top of your protein and nutrition goals. Shop at Good Ranchers and use code IRON to save $25 on your first order, plus receive a free protein of your choice every month with a subscription.

Boulderthon
Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration
Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26for 15% off your order.

Tifosi Optics
From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Mark Dowdle is a backyard ultra competitor who found running after college football and lacrosse, not because he loved the sport, but because he needed somewhere to put everything he was carrying. What started as 3:30 a.m. runs to eliminate excuses has turned into one of the more compelling stories in ultra running right now — a guy who washes windows and umpires youth baseball between races, shares his unfiltered thoughts on social media like he's writing in his journal, and keeps showing up to races specifically to find out who he is when everything is telling him to stop.

This conversation goes deep on suffering, faith, identity, and what it actually means to keep a promise to yourself.

Topics covered:

From football and lacrosse to 3:30 a.m. runs and how David Goggins started it

Working three part-time jobs while chasing a dream that hadn't paid off yet

Why running is what he does, not who he is

How he uses hour 60 of a backyard ultra to find out if he's been keeping his promises

The Nike Boston ad and what it means to actually stand for something

How faith gives him the freedom to explore without the outcome defining him

What his wife said on the drive home from BPN that stopped him cold

Stay connected:

Mark on Instagram: @mark.dowdle

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!

Eternal - The app I've been waiting for is finally here. Your labs, your wearable, your training, all in one place that actually does something with it. Download Eternal Health in the app store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eternal-health/id6504541107

Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. We heard you! The code IRON is now worth $40 and offers the ability to try out a box before subscribing, but if you want to jump in on a subscription you get $100 off the first three months (total) plus a free bonus protein. Visit goodranchers.com to start shopping!

Maria Chevalier has run a marathon in 48 states, finished the Boston Marathon 17 times, and a few weeks ago ran it twice in the same day, starting at 3 a.m. in reverse from Boston to Hopkinton, resting for a few hours, and then lining up with everyone else for the actual race. 52.4 miles total.

But the distance is almost beside the point. What makes this conversation worth listening to is how Maria thinks about hard things and why she keeps choosing them.

She's navigated four wrist reconstructions that ended her music career before it fully started. Nine DNFs at Vermont 100 before finally finishing on the tenth try. A medical history that took away choices she thought were hers to make. And through all of it, she kept finding a way to keep moving forward.

This conversation goes deep and is a must listen!

Topics covered:

• How running found Maria after she couldn't make the team in any other sport

• What drew her to the 50 States and why she's two away from finishing

• Why road marathons and trail ultras attract fundamentally different people

• The dashboard effect — why people share their most vulnerable things on long runs

• Her DNF at Vermont 100 at mile 65 and quietly finishing her first hundred in Boulder months later

• Nine DNFs at Vermont before finishing on attempt number ten

• Wrist reconstructions that ended her path to a music career

• Learning she couldn't have children and how she found her way through it

• Why she stopped listening to people telling her what she couldn't do

• What she told her surgeon in the pre-op room that says everything about who she is

• The Gap and the Gain — looking back at progress instead of forward at the gap

• How Double Boston came together with Mount to Coast and the Trail Animals Running Club

• What it felt like to start a marathon at 3 a.m. and feel fresh enough to run another one

• What's coming up: Vermont 100, Manchester Monadnock 55, and the final two states

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!

Eternal - The app I've been waiting for is finally here. Your labs, your wearable, your training, all in one place that actually does something with it. Download Eternal Health in the app store at eternalhealth.app.

Vacation Races - The Rocky Mountain Half and 5K in Estes Park, Colorado this August. Run both and earn the Elk Double. Use code FTLR when you register at vacationraces.com.

Dan Green is a trail athlete for Salomon who grew up running in West Virginia, spent years working at a running shop, and recently finished Cocodona 250 — a race he'd wanted to do for years before finally deciding to stop waiting. In this conversation, Dan talks about how running has given him everything that matters in his life, what it actually took to get sponsored, and why being yourself is both the simplest and hardest thing to do in this sport.

Topics covered:

• How Dan got into running (his football teammates basically told him to leave)

• Going from college cross country with no track program to chasing a pro career

• Why he was anti-trail in college and what changed that

• His first ultra: a 24-hour race on a concrete loop with zero plan

• Early results at Black Canyon and Javelina and when he started thinking pro was possible

• Setting realistic goals versus big swinging ones

• Crewing his buddy Ryan at Cocodona before deciding he had to do it himself

• What it's actually like to be on mile 120 and know you have more left than you've run

• How running has given him his college, his fiancée, his friendships, and his career

• The path to getting sponsored and why the East Coast made it harder

• Why Cocodona's live stream changed everything for his visibility

• Bargain Boys Media and why unpolished content fits trail running

• Shoe fitting guidance from someone who's spent years doing it

• The gravel shoe category and who it's actually for

• His high school coach Lance Pledger and what real belief looks like

• Advice for runners curious about going longer

Stay connected:

Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danisgreen/?hl=en

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!

If you’re in Boulder for BolderBoulder week, come hang with us at two community events:

• Thursday, May 21 at Skratch Labs Table: free shakeout run with Chelsea Sodaro and the MomForward Movement benefiting For All Mothers, followed by a live FTLR panel with Chelsea and Kara Goucher. Raffle prizes from On, Coros, Rapha, and Oiselle. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/momforward_movement_unlockingyes

• Friday, May 22 at Otto and Co on Pearl: “Fueling the Long Run,” presented by ProBio and FTLR with Hillary Allen, Charlie Sweeney, and Dr. Marc Bubbs. Shakeout at 6:30 p.m., panel at 7:15 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Athletics Project. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/probio-fueling-the-long-run

Dr. Teddy Bross is a practicing family medicine physician at Highpoint Direct Care where he focuses on the treatment of athletes and active adults in Colorado and select surrounding states. He is an avid mountain ultra trail athlete, husband and father. Happiest in the company of friends and indulging in small joys, Dr. Teddy is a seeker of wild flowers, avid reader and consumer of poetry, and frequent DIY project manager, including the building of a dreamy Finnish basement sauna.

In this episode, Teddy and Jon talk about the massive gaps that exist in traditional medicine for endurance athletes and why so many runners are struggling with fatigue, low energy availability, recurring injuries, and burnout without getting meaningful answers.

They dive into the realities of modern healthcare, why most runners wait too long to seek help, and how Teddy approaches athlete care differently through direct primary care. The conversation also explores ferritin and iron deficiency, underfueling, GI issues in endurance sports, why so many athletes are chronically exhausted, and how curiosity plays a role both in medicine and in running.

Teddy also shares stories from pacing David Roche at Leadville, witnessing the emotional moment at Foresthill during Western States, and what excellence really looks like behind the scenes.

This episode is a deep look at athlete health, performance, consistency, and the systems that either support or fail runners trying to stay healthy long term.

Stay connected:

Learn more about Highpoint Direct Care: https://www.highpointdirectcare.com/aboutus

Dr. Teddy Bross on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run.doctor/

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. We heard you! The code IRON is now worth $40 and offers the ability to try out a box before subscribing, but if you want to jump in on a subscription you get $100 off the first three months (total) plus a free bonus protein. Visit goodranchers.com to start shopping!

Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!

If you’re in Boulder for BolderBoulder week, come hang with us at two community events:

• Thursday, May 21 at Skratch Labs Table: free shakeout run with Chelsea Sodaro and the MomForward Movement benefiting For All Mothers, followed by a live FTLR panel with Chelsea and Kara Goucher. Raffle prizes from On, Coros, Rapha, and Oiselle. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/momforward_movement_unlockingyes

• Friday, May 22 at Otto and Co on Pearl: “Fueling the Long Run,” presented by ProBio and FTLR with Hillary Allen, Charlie Sweeney, and Dr. Marc Bubbs. Shakeout at 6:30 p.m., panel at 7:15 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Athletics Project. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/probio-fueling-the-long-run

Joe Corcione is an ultrarunner, coach, and host of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, where he helps runners of all levels improve not just physically, but mentally. His path into the sport didn’t follow a traditional trajectory. He found running during a period of major life change, using it as a way to rebuild structure, discipline, and a sense of direction.Since then, Joe has gone on to complete some of the most demanding races in the sport, including 200+ mile events, while also building a coaching business focused on helping athletes push beyond what they think is possible.In this conversation, Joe shares how fear has shaped his approach to both running and life. Instead of treating it as something to avoid, he’s learned to see it as a signal that something meaningful is on the other side. That mindset shows up in how he chooses goals, how he approaches competition, and how he thinks about long-term growth.He also talks about what it takes to stay in the sport over time. Not just chasing big race-day moments, but committing to the process that happens in between. Training, setbacks, and the repetition that most people don’t see are what ultimately shape the outcome.The episode is a look at how Joe has built both his running career and his life around that idea, continuing to lean into discomfort, learn from failure, and keep moving forward.This was recorded live at the Boston Marathon, at an event hosted by Mount to Coast ahead of their double Boston Campaign.

Stay connected:

Joe's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-ultra/id1600327047

Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Mount to Coast - Built for runners who go long. From Badwater to Boston, Mount to Coast is designing footwear for the demands of real endurance. Learn more at mounttocoast.com and use code FTLR for 10% off.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. We heard you! The code IRON is now worth $40 and offers the ability to try out a box before subscribing, but if you want to jump in on a subscription you get $100 off the first three months (total) plus a free bonus protein. Visit goodranchers.com to start shopping!

Vacation Races - Run where you play and chase the extraordinary. Use code “FTLR” for 15% off their half marathons, ultras, and trail fests at vacationraces.com through the end of 2026.

Brendan Morgan is an ultrarunner who found running in 2023 by doing something most people avoid. He started because he hated it.

Since then, he’s gone all in. From completing a 4x4x48 just months after starting to running across Pennsylvania, Brendan has quickly built a reputation for taking on challenges that push both his body and mind to the edge. But what stands out isn’t just the distance. It’s the mindset behind it.

In this conversation, Brendan talks about why running became more than just a physical outlet. It’s something he can fully control in a world where most things aren’t. That idea has shaped how he approaches challenges, how he deals with adversity, and how he shows up for others.

He also shares how his past experiences and mental health journey influence the way he uses running as a tool, not just for himself, but to create space for others to feel seen and supported. Whether it’s running across a state to raise awareness or showing vulnerability online, Brendan is intentional about how he uses his platform.

This episode is about choosing discomfort on purpose, understanding why that matters, and exploring how far you can go when you lean into it.

Jon and Brendan talk about:

• starting running because he hated it and what kept him coming back

• using running as something you can fully control when life isn’t

• how pushing physical limits translates into mental resilience

• the role running plays in his mental health and day-to-day happiness

• developing a deeper “why” through ultramarathons and long efforts

• running across Pennsylvania and using extreme challenges to raise awareness

• the experience of running Double Boston and what it revealed

• the contrast between quiet miles and race-day energy

• how past experiences shape his approach to discomfort and growth

• why he shares vulnerability and mental health openly online

• what draws him to longer and harder challenges like backyard ultras

• advice for anyone who wants to push themselves further

Follow Brendan: https://www.instagram.com/runswithb?igsh=MXAwM3RoZGNydHdoag==

This episode is supported by:

Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.

Mount to Coast - Built for runners who go long. From Badwater to Boston, Mount to Coast is designing footwear for the demands of real endurance. Learn more at mounttocoast.com.

Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.

Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. Visit goodranchers.com and use code IRON for $25 off plus a free protein each month.

Vacation Races - Run where you play and chase the extraordinary. Use code “FTLR” for 15% off their half marathons, ultras, and trail fests at vacationraces.com through the end of 2026.