Abby Levene is relatively new to the ultramarathon distance but has been racing for most of her life. She competed for the University of Colorado at Boulder as a grad student and has a background in the 5k and 10k.
But as it happens so frequently to Colorado residents, the mountains came calling. In just the last few years, Abby has made a name for herself as an Adidas sponsored trail runner.
And just about two weeks ago, Abby placed 5th at the renowned North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships in her first 50-mile race ever. Talk about a debut!
In this conversation, we discuss:
Show Links & Resources:
Abby is a genuine pleasure to hang out with and her joy for the sport of running is practically tangible. I hope you enjoy this conversation and if so, an honest review on Apple Music means a lot!
Our sponsor for this episode is Inside Tracker. I’ve been a big fan of Inside Tracker for years because of their science-backed, evidence-based system of helping runners avoid burnout, overtraining, and injury through their blood testing service. Take a selfie from the inside and go to insidetracker.com, use code strengthrunning to save 10% on any test at checkout, and discover if you have any deficiencies that are impacting your running.
"Fast Kate" Grace is one of the United States' most decorated and accomplished middle-distance runners. She's an Olympian, Olympic Trials champion, and a runner-up at outdoor nationals in the 1500m.
She was also our guest on Episode 97 of the podcast.
Kate is a Nike-sponsored athlete, a member of the Bowerman Track Club, and a 4:22 miler.
She joins us on the podcast to discuss how an elite runner like herself plans an entire season from start to finish. We're discussing:
But she's not the only guest on the podcast today! You'll also be hearing from my old friend and former teammate, Jake Tuber.
Jake is the mastermind behind Endeavorun, a new coaching program that gives regular runners like us the "pro athlete experience" with:
It's a coach, running camp, strength programming, fan experience with pro runners, training program, and nutritionist rolled into one program.
The running community has not seen a program this comprehensive; it virtually defies definition and I'm excited to be a part of it next year.
Code JASON will also save you 15% on the registration fee and gets you a free pairs of shoes of your choice!
Please also take the Endeavorun survey to help us create the best program possible.
Pro ultramarathoner and trail runner Abby Hall joins us to discuss transitioning to longer distances after being a middle-distance athlete, when she thinks it’s a good idea to drop out of a race, what surprised her most when she started competing in long trail races, and what she considers her biggest failure.
Abby has placed in the top 10 at races like UTMB CCC, Lake Sonoma, and North Face 50 Mile Championships. She's a global athlete for adidas and is also sponsored by Ultimate Direction, LEKI, Unived, and CTS.
Our sponsor for this episode is SteadyMD. SteadyMD pairs you with a primary care doctor, online who’s available via phone, text, or video for all of your needs. And not just any doctor, but a fellow runner who understands the training process and can easily order you blood work, referrals for specialists, and more. Go to steadymd.com/strengthrunning to learn more and reserve your spot.
Don't miss Episode 113 of the podcast where Jason asked Abby as well as two other pro runners how they fuel for different types of runs, races, and what might change if the distance of their race was a lot shorter.
I first became aware of Max King in 2014 when he won the World Warrior Dash Championship. I realized - after winning my own Warrior Dash in 2012 - that runners are often the best OCR competitors.
Before I first interviewed Max, I studied his career and was absolutely amazed by his accomplishments in virtually every discipline there is in the sport of running:
If it involves mostly running, Max King is a dominant athlete.
And he's not just a finisher - or even a medalist. He's often the ultimate victor, having won world Warrior Dash and mountain running championships and trail and ultramarathon national championships. He's even dabbled in triathlon and adventure races.
That's a major reason I asked Max to contribute to our Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention (9 pro runners shared their favorite injury prevention advice). I wanted to know how such a versatile athlete stayed healthy and prevented injuries.
But today, we're discussing something different: how Max King trains.