Trail Runner Nation

Creatine has long been boxed into the weight-room world, but this episode opens the door to a much bigger conversation for trail runners and endurance athletes. Creatine is something surprisingly simple, "right within the reach of a glass," that may help athletes become stronger, faster, healthier, and more resilient. We discuss with Dr. Dan Pardi, Chief Health Officer at Qualia Life Sciences, whether this familiar supplement can support not just performance, but long-term health and better daily function. For runners who usually think about carbs, hydration, shoes, and mileage first, creatine offers a different kind of performance question: what if strength, recovery, and durability start with something small and easy? It's a practical topic for athletes who want to keep moving well, aging well, and showing up stronger on the trail.
Links
Qualia Life Instagram
Try Creatine out with a 15% discount HERE
Episode Sponsors:
Tifosi Optics - CLARITY ON THE TRAIL: Post your Golden Nugget of wisdom that helps you recover after a huge effort on Instagram, tag @TifosiOptics, @TrailRunnerNation, and use the hashtag #ClarityOnTheTrail.  OR try texting us (within the USA) with your tip: 916-235-3928.
If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!
Peluva - Footwear that let your feet be feet.  Get 10% off on our DEALS page 
TimeStamps
00:02 – Welcome to Trail Runner Nation Scott opens the episode by inviting listeners into the conversation and setting the tone around becoming faster, healthier, and stronger athletes.
00:21 – Why Creatine Matters for Runners Don introduces creatine as the central topic and frames it as a surprisingly accessible tool that could support performance and health.
00:36 – Setting the Energy for the Conversation The hosts land the opening with a light, upbeat exchange before the main discussion begins.

Writer and ultrarunner Gaël Dutigny joins us to talk about his Ultra Running Magazine article, "Fear Isn't a Weakness," and why fear may be one of the most misunderstood tools in endurance sports. Gaël shares how, even after finishing UTMB four times and racing in deserts, jungles, mountains, and even Iraq during wartime, fear still shows up before and during big efforts. The conversation reframes fear not as something to suppress, but as information that can sharpen decision-making, expose your true "why," and help you respect the environment you're moving through. We also talk about the thin line between fear that freezes you and fear that helps you function, especially in long mountain races where fatigue, darkness, cutoffs, hallucinations, and self-doubt all start stirring the pot. One of the most useful takeaways for trail runners is that mental preparation deserves the same attention as physical training, because knowing yourself may be just as important as knowing your pace, gear, or nutrition plan.  
Links:
Gaël Dutigny's Substack
UltraRunning Magazine
"Race to the Summit" Dean Potter's documentary on Netflix
Episode Sponsors:
Tifosi Optics - CLARITY ON THE TRAIL: Post your Golden Nugget of wisdom that helps you recover after a huge effort on Instagram, tag @TifosiOptics, @TrailRunnerNation, and use the hashtag #ClarityOnTheTrail.  OR try texting us (within the USA) with your tip: 916-235-3928.
If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!
True Nutrition: Customized quality protein: Use Code TRNSummer and get 25% off between May 22-25 for their Memorial Day Sale!
Peluva - Footwear that let your feet be feet.  Get 10% off on our DEALS page 
Timestamps
00:00 | Is Fear Holding You Back or Helping You? Scott opens the conversation by asking whether fear on the trail is something to overcome or something that may actually guide us.
02:40 | Why Gaël Wrote About Fear Gaël explains how decades of running in mountains, deserts, jungles, and difficult environments shaped his view that fear is a deep part of the sport.
05:15 | Why Experience Doesn't Eliminate Fear Even after multiple UTMB finishes and other major races, Gaël shares why fear still shows up and why that may be healthy.
11:30 | Training Fear Before Race Day The discussion turns to how runners can practice facing fear in training, whether that means darkness, distance, terrain, isolation, or uncertainty.
21:20 | Fear as a Decision-Making Tool: How fear can sharpen awareness and help runners make better choices instead of simply pushing blindly forward.
27:15 | Mental Health as Performance Training Gaël makes the case that talking to a sports psychologist or therapist is not weakness, but another form of training for hard things.
44:20 | Fear, DNFs, and Knowing Your Why The group talks about how fear of failure, social pressure, and shallow motivation can unravel a race when things get hard.

ode we are joined by Brian Morrison, author of Given to Fly: A Story of Tragedy, Triumph, and Realization at Western States 100, about one of the most unforgettable finishes in ultrarunning history. Brian takes listeners back to the 2006 Western States 100, where he was leading the race before collapsing on the Placer High School track just steps from victory, later being disqualified because he received assistance crossing the finish line. The conversation explores how Scott Jurek's belief in him helped Brian transform from a talented but relatively unproven runner into someone who truly believed he could win Western States. But the heart of the episode is not just the collapse, it is the decade that followed, as Brian wrestled with regret, obsession, identity, family, and the need to return in 2016 to finally finish the race on his own terms. For trail runners and endurance athletes, this episode is a powerful reminder that failure is not always the opposite of success, sometimes it becomes the thing that reshapes us, redirects us, and teaches us what the finish line could never have taught alone. 
Links
YouTube video, "A Decade On" by GingerRunner
Link to buy the Book
Episode Sponsors:
Tifosi Optics - CLARITY ON THE TRAIL: Post your Golden Nugget of wisdom that helps you recover after a huge effort on Instagram, tag @TifosiOptics, @TrailRunnerNation, and use the hashtag #ClarityOnTheTrail.  OR try texting us (within the USA) with your tip: 916-235-3928.
If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!
Peluva - Footwear that let your feet be feet.  Get 10% off on our DEALS page 
Timestamps
00:00 – The Moment That Almost Defined Him Scott introduces Brian Morrison and sets up the unforgettable 2006 Western States finish that became the centerpiece of Brian's story.
01:48 – Scott Jurek's Belief Changes Everything Brian explains how Scott Jurek told him he could carry the torch for Seattle and win Western States, planting a belief Brian had never fully considered before.
06:34 – Training Like a Western States Contender Brian describes the intense training block with Jurek, including Mount Si repeats, hard downhill work, and the psychological shift from hoping to win to believing he could.
15:30 – Race Day: Heat, Strategy, and the Chase Brian walks through the 2006 race, from the early miles to picking up Scott Jurek at Foresthill and hunting down the leaders before the river crossing.
24:00 – The Final Miles Begin to Unravel After No Hands Bridge, Brian starts running scared, convinced Graham Cooper is closing fast, and the effort begins to push him past the edge.
28:37 – Collapse on the Track Brian reaches the Placer High School track first but blacks out, collapses repeatedly, and later learns he has been disqualified despite crossing the finish line.
38:17 – Ten Years of Haunting and the Return Brian shares how the race followed him for a decade, why he returned in 2016, and how finishing with his family finally allowed him to see the experience differently.
56:22 – Writing the Book and Finding the Realization Brian explains why he wrote Given to Fly, how the process helped him understand his deeper motivations, and why he now sees the whole experience not as redemption, but as a gift.

Megan Eckert returns to Trail Runner Nation after an extraordinary stretch in endurance racing, including a third place at Cocadona 250, setting a women's world record at Big's Backyard Ultra and becoming the first woman to run more than 600 miles in six days. She explains why backyard ultras are less about speed and more about solving the strange little puzzle of time, sleep, food, heat, pacing, and decision-making, one hour at a time. The conversation gets into what happens when the body starts swelling after days of effort, how recovery has to be tested carefully, and why a runner's "toolbox" matters more than a perfect race plan. Megan also shares how mantras, gratitude, crew support, short sleep strategies, and breaking huge goals into smaller chunks helped her keep moving when the mental fog rolled in. The big takeaway is that toughness is not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it looks like patience, curiosity, a good crew, and the willingness to step back into the corral one more time.
Links:
SharmanUltra Coaching - Megan
Previous Episode with Megan: EP 685: Running in Circles - Backyard Ultras
Episode Sponsors:
Tifosi Optics - CLARITY ON THE TRAIL: Post your Golden Nugget of wisdom that helps you recover after a huge effort on Instagram, tag @TifosiOptics, @TrailRunnerNation, and use the hashtag #ClarityOnTheTrail.  OR try texting us (within the USA) with your tip: 916-235-3928.
If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!
Peluva - Footwear that let your feet be feet.  Get 10% off on our DEALS page 
Timestamps
00:00 | Megan Eckert's 600-Mile Breakthrough Scott introduces Megan's recent accomplishments, including her Big's Backyard Ultra world record and becoming the first woman to run more than 600 miles in six days.
02:10 | What Happens to the Body After 600 Miles Megan describes the swelling, inflammation, and strange physical effects that showed up late in the six-day race.
03:10 | Recovery Is Not a Formula She explains how recovery depends on the race, the body's feedback, heart rate, feet, legs, and the willingness to test movement and back off when needed.
04:14 | How Backyard Ultras Actually Work Megan breaks down the format: 4.17 miles every hour, starting again and again until only one runner remains.
06:16 | The Race She's Most Proud Of Megan shares why Run Rabbit Run stands out, not because it was perfect, but because she had to work through an off day almost from the beginning.
14:16 | The Tools That Keep You Moving The conversation shifts to mantras, knowing your "why," gratitude, and the mental tools runners build through hard training and bad races.
19:34 | Solving the Puzzle of Time Megan explains why backyard racing fascinates her: it is not about being fastest, but about balancing pace, rest, calories, sleep, and strategy.
25:46 | Training Yourself to Sleep Fast She talks about using an eye mask, lowering heart rate before lying down, and noise-canceling headphones to help the body shut down quickly during long races.
27:55 | Why Women Are Thriving in Long Events Megan reflects on the growing participation of women in backyard and multi-day racing and why the format creates a welcoming space for many types of runners.
31:15 | Why Crew Becomes Critical Megan explains how sleep deprivation affects decision-making and why crew support becomes essential in the later stages of multi-day races.
35:16 | The Dark Places in a Six-Day Race She describes the strange feeling of being between two shores, unable to see where you started or where you are going, and how her crew helped her regain perspective.
43:30 | Coaching for Backyard Ultras vs. 50Ks Megan explains how training shifts for backyard races, with more emphasis on time on feet, double days, and learning to run when you do not feel like running.
47:00 | Sleep Deprivation and Trial-and-Error The group discusses whether sleep deprivation can really be trained, and Megan explains why her best sleep strategy is built around longer 45- to 90-minute cycles.
52:00 | What's Next for Megan Megan talks about taking on Cocodona 250 and applying what she has learned from looped and timed events to a very different kind of trail challenge.
55:13 | Who Should Try a Backyard Ultra? Megan closes with a simple message: the best attribute is curiosity, because you never know what you are capable of until you show up.

Returning guest, coach Colleen Miracle, joins us to talk about something many trail runners know they should care about but often ignore: sun protection. The conversation is based on Colleen's UltraSignup article "Why Ultrarunners Face a Higher Risk of Skin Cancer and Decreased Running Performance." Colleen shares her own experience with stage-one skin cancer on her lip, which began as what looked like a small freckle but turned out to be a wound that would not heal. The episode gets practical fast, covering SPF 30, UPF clothing, sun hoodies, lip sunscreen, reapplication during races, altitude exposure, cloudy-day risk, and why a "base tan" is not real protection. For endurance athletes, the biggest takeaway is that sun damage is not just a long-term health issue; during long efforts, your body may divert energy toward cooling and repairing damaged skin instead of helping you keep moving. It is a useful, slightly uncomfortable reminder that protecting your skin may be as important to longevity in the sport as shoes, fueling, or strength work.
Resources & Links:
Check out Boundless Coaching
Sunbeam Sunscreen
Super Goop
Episode Sponsors:
Tifosi Optics - CLARITY ON THE TRAIL: Post your Golden Nugget of wisdom that helps you recover after a huge effort on Instagram, tag @TifosiOptics, @TrailRunnerNation, and use the hashtag #ClarityOnTheTrail.  OR try texting us (within the USA) with your tip: 916-235-3928.
If we use yours on a weekly episode, you get a pair of the new Sanctum SL glasses!
Peluva - Footwear that let your feet be feet.  Get 10% off on our DEALS page 
Timestamps
00:00 – The Sun as a Performance Threat Scott introduces the idea that UV exposure may affect not only skin cancer risk and aging, but also long-term running performance.
02:45 – Colleen's Skin Cancer Wake-Up Call Colleen shares how her own stage-one skin cancer diagnosis on her lip led her to interview her dermatologist and write about sun risk for ultrarunners.
05:30 – How Sun Damage Can Drain Your Body The group discusses how damaged skin may force the body to spend energy on cooling and repair when runners need that energy for movement, fueling, and staying strong.
07:15 – SPF, UPF, and What Actually Works Colleen explains the practical options runners can use, including SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, UPF clothing, sun hoodies, arm sleeves, and SPF lip protection.
14:25 – Why Sun Hoodies Are Showing Up More in Ultras The conversation turns to lightweight sun hoodies, why runners in hot and exposed environments use them, and why you should practice with them before race day.
17:50 – The Base Tan Myth and Other Bad Ideas Colleen pushes back on the idea that a base tan protects runners and explains why tanning still means skin damage.
31:45 – Timing, Altitude, Clouds, and Race-Day Habits They cover how early morning runs reduce exposure, why altitude increases risk, why cloudy days still matter, and how runners can build sunscreen reapplication into race routines.