- 1 hour 48 minutes#151 | Max Jolliffe | Badwater 135 CHAMPION
Fresh off his historic Badwater 135 win, in a time of 20:53:41 (the new course record!), Max Jolliffe joins the Choose Strong podcast to chat with Sally about his race & training leading up to race day. You'll gain insight into his mindset as he raced, his race strategy, how he heat trained, fueling and how hiring a coach changed everything for him. Enjoy!
Keep up with Max!
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7 August 2026, 1:00 pm - 1 hour 55 minutes#150 | How to Push Past the Wall, Recover From an Ultra & Believe You Belong
In this episode, Sally answers listener questions about overcoming mental barriers during races, stepping up from the half marathon to longer distances, recovering after a first ultra, and building a career in trail-running media. We also have an honest and encouraging conversation about body image, comparison, and why every runner—regardless of pace, size, or experience—belongs in the running community. Thanks for tuning in - enjoy!
Other Episode Highlights:
- How to prepare for the mental wall that often appears late in a marathon or ultra.
- Why identifying your fears before race day can help you respond differently when things get hard.
- The simple race-day strategy of slowing down, walking, fueling, and refusing to let temporary discomfort make the decision for you.
- How to know when you are ready to move from a half marathon to a marathon or 50K.
- Why curiosity and excitement may be better indicators of readiness than waiting to feel completely confident.
- The biggest training adjustment when moving up to the marathon: gradually extending the weekly long run while including recovery weeks.
- What nausea, shaking, poor sleep, and temperature-regulation problems after a first ultra may reveal about hydration and depletion.
- Practical advice for entering trail-running photography, filmmaking, or media by creating consistently, building relationships, and starting humbly.
- Why comparison can convince runners that they do not belong—even when they are already doing the bravest thing by showing up.
- Sally’s reminder that your pace, body shape, and clothing size do not determine whether you are a “real” runner.
- Choose Strong Community Highlights
Send in your questions! Record Them Here
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31 July 2026, 8:23 pm - 1 hour 8 minutes#149 | Courage, Curiosity & the Road to the Olympics | Anna Gibson
Elite runner and mountain athlete Anna Gibson joins Sally to share the unexpected journey that took her from the 1,500-meter semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials to ski mountaineering’s debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Anna opens up about saying yes before she felt ready, winning the race that sent Team USA to the Games, the emotional comedown that followed, and why joy, vulnerability, and community matter more than any result. Enjoy!
Other Episode Highlights:
- The funny reality of learning a brand-new sport while chasing the Olympics.
- Behind-the-scenes moments from Anna’s crash course in ski mountaineering.
- How staying curious and being willing to look like a beginner opened unexpected doors.
- What it feels like when a casual “yes” suddenly becomes a life-changing opportunity.
- Why even elite athletes have awkward moments, doubts, and plenty to learn along the way.
- Why the people beside you matter more than any title or finish line.
Follow Anna's Adventures: @annaagibsonn
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31 July 2026, 4:13 am - 1 hour 42 minutes#148 | Identity, Purpose & the Road Back to Running | Kat Edwards Anderson
In this episode , Sally chats with ultrarunner Kat Anderson in an honest conversation about the winding road that shaped her life—one filled with unexpected detours, difficult seasons, and a renewed sense of purpose. From growing up in a hardworking family to rediscovering her passion for running, Kat shares how every chapter prepared her for the next. Enjoy!
Other Episode Highlights:
- Why Kat walked away from running—and what brought her back
- The dangers of tying your identity to performance
- How a toxic coach nearly ended her running career
- The power of faith during life's hardest seasons
- How CrossFit prepared her for 200+ mile races
- The Cocodona 250 lessons that changed her forever
- What it takes mentally to race at the elite level
- The value of hard work learned from childhood
- How to find purpose beyond winning and losing
Follow Kat!
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28 July 2026, 6:33 pm - 2 hours 16 minutes#147 | From Failure to Triple Crown Champion | Kilian Korth on Mental Toughness & Never Quitting
In this episode, Sally talks with Triple Crown champion, Kilian Korth, who shares the remarkable journey that shaped him—from childhood endurance adventures and collegiate swimming to devastating setbacks, career uncertainty, and becoming one of the world's best 200-mile ultrarunners. Together, Sally and Kilian dive deep into resilience, failure, identity, and why the greatest breakthroughs often come from embracing discomfort, letting go of control, and refusing to quit. Enjoy!
Other Episode Highlights:
- How Kilian's childhood adventures and competitive swimming shaped the mindset he races with today.
- The solo backpacking trip that changed his life and led him to ultrarunning.
- Why getting kicked off his college swim team became one of the best things that ever happened to him.
- Behind-the-scenes stories from Cocodona 250, including racing through a torn tendon.
- The difference between quitting and failing—and why failure is essential for growth.
- Why letting go of control can make you stronger in running and in life.
- The Stoic principles Kilian uses to stay calm when everything goes wrong.
- Why the best ultrarunners aren't always the most talented—they're the ones who can suffer the longest.
- Why your toughest days reveal who you really are.
- An honest conversation about social media, criticism, and staying true to yourself.
Follow Kilian:
Substack: @runtoughmindset
IG: @kiliankorth
Watch his documentary, Forged in Failure, on August 1 @ 6pm MST: https://www.youtube.com/@UltrAspireHydration/featured
Want Kilian as your coach? Check here if he has spots available: https://www.theeverydayultra.com/
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22 July 2026, 5:53 pm - 1 hour 35 minutes#146 | Shin Splints, Recovery, Motivation & Your First Ultra | Running Q&A
In this episode, Sally covers a ton of ground recapping her time in Olympic Valley and answering some great questions from YOU our listeners. We know there will be a few nuggets of wisdom & tips for you to conquer life, training or your next race. Thank you for listening!
Also, be sure to enter the giveaway. We will be picking winners JULY 21.
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14 July 2026, 11:30 pm - 42 minutes 59 seconds#145 | LIVE with RACHEL ENTREKIN | TrailCon 2026
In this LIVE episode from TrailCon 2026, Sally sits down with Rachel Entrekin — 3x Cocodona 250 Champion, holder of 15 FKT records, and one of the most real, relatable, funny, and genuinely inspiring people in the sport. Enjoy!
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30 June 2026, 11:37 pm - 1 hour 27 minutes#144 | Breaking Your Race Into Thirds, Mindset Training, and Running Like a Squirrel
In this episode we dive into some great questions that will make you a better runner and have better success in your racing. We also share about a small giveaway and much more in this packed 90 mins. Enjoy!
Other Episode Highlights:
- June - Busy season
- Graduation party run-down
- Electrolyte reminder from Coach Sally
- World Cup is here!
- Sally running & commentating at Broken Arrow
- TrailCon & Western States Week
- Sally wants to meet YOU
- Community Highlights - International Themed
- A Giveaway!
- Sally Says
- How to start a race w/o blowing up
- How to finish a race with gas left in the tank
- Breaking your race into 3rds
- Full body workout for ultra runners
- What distance should I race after a 50k
- How far out from a race should I do a solo training camp
- Strategies/exercises to prevent you from falling on the trail
If you love listening to this podcast, we would really appreciate it if you would head over to Apple and leave us 5 star review - thank you!
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19 June 2026, 5:40 pm - 1 hour 9 minutes#143 | Andy Glaze is Back
In this episode, Sally chats with the most requested and the most frequent Choose Strong guest, Andy Glaze! Andy is currently in NY for his wife's Hyrox, but was able to find some time to record this episode & also able to coordinate a perimeter run of Central Park run (in true Andy fashion) which he shares about. As always it was a great conversation between Sally & Andy. Enjoy.
Other Episode Highlights:
- Andy's recent race/adventure schedule
- Smile or You're Doing it Wrong - the book launch & tours
- Book signing tour with Harvey Lewis while running from Cincinnati to Columbus, OH (128 miles)
- "Moving" aid station
- Running 250 miles from NY to DC for America's 250th
- Worker's Comp challenge that Andy is dealing with in his personal life and how he is managing it
- The Spine race (England to Scotland) is up next
- Touring NYC
- Merch update
Andy's Merch: https://www.andyglazemerch.com/
Andy's Book: https://a.co/d/05f9t2CV
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7 June 2026, 5:15 pm - 1 hour 18 minutes#142 | What it feels like Recovering from a 200+ Mile race.
In this episode we take a look at what recovery looks like after running 200+ miles. We chat about how long it takes, the food your body craves, the importance of sleep, the importance of your training age in recovery time, and more. Sally shares some valuable tips on how to recover after big efforts or after running 200+ miles while weaving in her own experiences, specifically her most recent Cocodona 250 race. Enjoy!
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31 May 2026, 8:33 pm - 2 hours 16 minutes#141 | Sally's COCODONA 250 Race Recap
In this episode we dive into Sally's Cocodona 250 race & give you an inside look as to how the race panned out! Sally touches on everything from bib pickup, the shoes she wore, her nutrition, how her body felt, finding solutions to her "low" points, how grateful she was to be at the start after the past year she had, and so much more! You'll be glad you tuned in for this episode!
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