Trail Runner Nation

Matt Fitzgerald returns to Trail Runner Nation to talk about his deeply personal book Dying to Run: An Athlete’s Quest for One More Finish and the long COVID diagnosis that transformed his life as a runner. After more than three years without running, Matt signed up for a 100K desert ultra, Javalina Hundred, despite believing he had only about a 10 percent chance of even making it to the start line. The conversation explores how he cautiously rebuilt enough fitness to attempt the race, but the bigger story is how he redefined success from achieving a result to refusing to let his disease decide who he could be. Matt talks candidly about running as identity, community, addiction, and something that left a hole nothing else could completely fill when it disappeared. He also explains how Stoicism helped him accept reality without surrendering to it, and how suffering became something he could use rather than simply something he had to escape. Most powerfully, Matt says he would make the same choices again, even knowing long COVID was waiting for him, because removing the hardship would also remove the person he became through it.

LINKS

Dream Run Camp

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!

Timestamps

00:00 – When Running Is Taken Away
Matt explains how long COVID ended his running for more than three years and why he eventually committed to a 100K desert ultra despite still being sick.
05:14 – Living With Long COVID

Matt describes the neurological symptoms, post-exertional crashes, loss of function, and the realization that “recovery” may never mean returning to his old body.

09:32 – Training With a 10% Chance of Starting

Forty pounds above his former racing weight and badly deconditioned, Matt begins with walking and tries to carefully build just enough fitness without triggering another major setback.

19:22 – The Voices That Tell Us to Stop

The conversation turns to suffering, pride, competitiveness, and the surprising realization that Matt’s biggest struggle wasn't quitting, but accepting that he could no longer perform like the athlete he once was.

23:25 – When Running Becomes Your Identity

Matt wrestles with an uncomfortable question: what happens when running isn't simply something you do, but a central piece of who you are?

28:03 – Stoicism, Suffering and Redefining Success

Matt explains how Stoic ideas helped him face reality without self-pity and redefine success around how he responded to circumstances rather than what he accomplished.

47:12 – Who Are You Without the Circus?

Matt reflects on a lifetime of achievement, his changing definition of happiness, Dream Run Camp, and why he would still choose the path that led to long COVID because of what the experience ultimately taught him.

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In this new Aging As An Athlete episode with Krissy Moehl, Coach Kirk Keller has been running since 1974, and nearly six decades later, he’s still training, racing, coaching, and figuring things out. He joins The Nation to talk about one of the hardest lessons for aging athletes: the training that worked years ago may not be the training your body needs today. The conversation covers consistency, recovery, RPE, mental training, durability, and the danger of comparing today’s pace to an earlier version of yourself. Kirk also shares a fresh lesson from the Bridger Ridge Run, where tired legs forced him to reconsider his own recovery and training load, proving that even an experienced coach still has to keep rewriting the playbook. Krissy adds her perspective on how experience, durability, life stress, and smarter recovery have changed her approach to training in her 40s. The bigger message is encouraging: aging changes the athlete, but it can also bring wisdom, perspective, problem-solving skills, and a deeper appreciation for simply being out there.

LINKS:

Kirk Keller Coaching

Krissy Moehl Coaching and Races

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!

RunMotion Coach: Whether you’re training for your first trail race or chasing a new ultra PR, RunMotion Coach creates a personalized training plan that adapts to your schedule, fitness, and progress. Built by experienced coaches and powered by intelligent coaching technology, it helps you train smarter, stay consistent, and arrive at the starting line ready for your next adventure.

Timestamps

02:43 – Why Coach 40+ Athletes?
Kirk explains what makes older athletes so rewarding to coach, including their commitment, clear goals, and occasional tendency to do too much.
07:35 – Can We Still Get Faster as We Age?

The group examines age, previous training history, accumulated mileage, and why personal bests mean something different depending on when someone began running.

12:58 – Consistency, Durability, and Training After 40

Kirk identifies consistency as a major predictor of success and explains why older athletes may need a flatter, more patient approach to building toward big goals.

29:58 – The Biggest Mistake Aging Athletes Make

Kirk argues that denying the effects of age can hold runners back, while accepting change creates room to adjust and keep doing meaningful things on the trail.

34:54 – Why RPE Becomes More Valuable With Age

They discuss using perceived effort instead of chasing old splits, giving runners a more useful way to measure effort across changing terrain and changing bodies.

37:28 – Training the Aging Runner’s Brain

Kirk explains why mental skills remain trainable and how runners can recognize negative thoughts, verbalize them, and replace them during difficult moments.

43:38 – A Coach Learns His Own Recovery Lesson

After struggling early at the Bridger Ridge Run, Kirk realizes he had stacked hard training too closely together and needs to rethink recovery at age 67. The conversation expands into durability, wisdom, changing expectations, and the value of continually experimenting with training as we age.

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Caffeine is one of the most researched performance aids in sport, but Dr. Neil Clarke says its biggest misconception is that it works the same way for everyone. The research strongly supports caffeine for endurance performance, yet the right dose, timing, and delivery method can vary dramatically from one runner to another. Clarke explains how caffeine can reduce perceived effort and pain, increase motivation, and potentially help athletes sustain performance longer. The conversation covers coffee versus pills, gels and gum, caffeine during ultras, sleep, withdrawal, and why cutting caffeine before a race may not provide the boost many runners expect. For trail and ultrarunners, the most useful takeaway is surprisingly simple: start with a low dose, test it in training, and look for the smallest amount that improves performance without creating side effects.

LINKS

Dr. Neil Clarke LinkedIn

Researchgate

BCU Research Profile

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!

Timestamps

01:01 | The Biggest Caffeine Myth

Dr. Neil Clarke explains why caffeine doesn't work the same way for every athlete and why runners need to treat themselves as an experiment of one.

08:33 | Finding the Right Dose

The research points toward general dosing guidelines, but genetics, sensitivity, training status, and side effects can dramatically change what works for an individual runner.

10:13 | Coffee, Pills, Gels or Gum?

Neil compares common caffeine sources and explains why delivery method can affect how quickly runners feel the benefits.

20:17 | Should You Quit Caffeine Before a Race?

The popular strategy of reducing caffeine before race day gets challenged, including the potential downside of withdrawal symptoms.

28:17 | How Caffeine Actually Improves Performance

Caffeine can affect motivation, pain perception and perceived effort, helping explain why hard running may feel more manageable.

32:29 | Using Caffeine During an Ultra

For a 50K or longer event, Neil discusses starting doses, mid-race top-ups, course timing, and why runners need to test their strategy before race day.

48:26 | Build Your Own Caffeine Strategy

Neil finishes with a practical approach: start low, gradually experiment, and find the smallest dose that produces a benefit without unwanted side effects.

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Ryan Lange thought nine years of ultrarunning had given him a pretty good idea of his limits, until mile 88 of the Summit 200 changed everything. When he learned he was leading the race, pain suddenly became less important, his mindset shifted, and he began pushing at a level he hadn’t known was there. Ryan breaks down the practical pieces that helped make that breakthrough possible, including gradually shifting his sleep schedule before race day, training his gut to handle huge amounts of fuel, strategically using caffeine, keeping aid stations efficient, and giving his pacers permission to push him hard. He also explains why his training has evolved from 80 to 100-mile weeks toward a more sustainable 40 to 60 miles most weeks, because he wants running to support his life rather than consume it. The conversation goes beyond racing into how years of failing, adapting, and slowly improving have shaped Ryan as an entrepreneur and taught him to value discipline over instant success. Ultimately, it’s a conversation about the intriguing possibility that the limits we think we’ve discovered may simply be the limits we’ve experienced so far.

LINKS

Raverunner Bags

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!

ALTRA: With the classic Altra Fit, you set the pace. Altra running shoes are designed with room for your toes so they can actually spread out -  for a natural fit. This gives you comfort, balance, and strength on and off the trail. Better balance and stability for our toes mean more comfort – on mile 5, 50, or 100.

Learn more about Altra Fit. Feel the Altra Difference and use code TRN10 for 10% off your first order at checkout at altrarunning.com/TRN. Stay Out There with Altra.

RunMotion Coach: Whether you’re training for your first trail race or chasing a new ultra PR, RunMotion Coach creates a personalized training plan that adapts to your schedule, fitness, and progress. Built by experienced coaches and powered by intelligent coaching technology, it helps you train smarter, stay consistent, and arrive at the starting line ready for your next adventure.

Timestamps

00:00 – Finding Another Gear
After nine years of ultrarunning, Ryan explains what happened at mile 88 of the Summit 200 when he learned he was suddenly leading the race and his perception of pain changed.
06:20 – How Pacers Changed the Race

Ryan explains how he deliberately gave his pacers permission to push him hard and even convince him that second place was closing in when the gap was actually growing.

14:30 – Sleep and Fueling for 200 Miles

Ryan shares how he gradually shifted his wake-up time before the race, trained his gut for heavy fueling, and used nutrition to avoid the bonk that often changes an ultra.

26:50 – Saving Caffeine for When It Matters

Ryan explains why he reduces caffeine before a 200 and holds it back until the second night, turning it into both a physiological boost and something to look forward to.

30:00 – From Losing Weight to Loving the Process

Ryan traces his journey from a kid struggling with his weight to a 20-year-old Moab 240 finisher, and eventually to someone who sees endurance as training for the rest of life.

35:00 – What Ultrarunning Teaches About Success

The conversation connects running and entrepreneurship, exploring why solving problems, failing repeatedly, and earning progress can build something more durable than quick success.

49:10 – How Much Training Is Really Enough?

Ryan explains why he no longer believes huge mileage is automatically better, how he can prepare for 200-mile races on roughly 40 to 60 miles most weeks, and why keeping running enjoyable matters.

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For much of her career, Ellie Greenwood measured herself against the best runners in the world, but her relationship with running has evolved toward something less measurable and, in some ways, more meaningful. She talks with Don and Scott about why racing can gradually shift from exciting to stressful, and why stepping away from competition doesn't mean stepping away from being a serious runner. The conversation explores how personal projects, peak bagging, FKTs, mileage or vertical challenges, and even running every street in your hometown can provide the same motivation that once came from a race on the calendar. Ellie also tackles an important question for aging athletes: what happens when working harder no longer produces the performances it once did, and can changing the goal help preserve our love of running? Along the way, they share adventure ideas ranging from Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim and running a favorite race course unofficially to travel running and some wonderfully ridiculous challenges involving ironing boards and whole chickens. Ultimately, Ellie makes the case that a bib is only one way to create purpose, and the best running goal may simply be the one that keeps you curious, moving, and excited about what's around the next corner. Hire Ellie as a coach at SharmanUltra

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!

Timestamps

01:05 | From Racing to Adventure
Ellie explains how one of the sport's most accomplished competitors began finding fulfillment in running experiences that have nothing to do with racing.
07:15 | Does Adventure Need Competition?

The group considers how personal challenges can provide difficulty and purpose without turning every run into another contest.

11:00 | Training Without a Race on the Calendar

Ellie shares how she coaches runners toward adventure, fitness, skills, and personal goals even when there's no finish line waiting for them.

22:40 | Are You Still a Trail Runner Without a Bib?

Scott raises the identity question at the heart of the episode, and Ellie explains why racing should never define who gets to call themselves a trail runner.

27:29 | How Long Are Our Best Running Years?

A discussion of the "Sawchuk Seven" leads to aging, longevity, smart training, burnout, and what happens when improvement becomes harder to find.

37:03 | Adventure Ideas You Can Actually Try

From running every street in your town to exploring unfamiliar trails, Ellie, Don, and Scott start building a menu of adventures that don't require an entry fee.

42:34 | Rim-to-Rim, Foil Buckles and Running the World

The conversation expands into Grand Canyon crossings, unofficial Western States adventures, delightfully strange challenges, and using running as a way to experience new places.

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