West Texas has come calling again for Joe Sierra, who is looking for the finish in his second trail race of the year at Sky Island. Joe Sierra is coming off a Big Bend Ultra 50-mile finish from earlier this year, though he is also b...

In his first trail race, Will Rocha is going to fuck around and find out in his home away from home.There is a beauty in coming into an endurance feat with the intent to find out one's limits. For Will Rocha, the Sky Island 25k will be ...

Running with her dad and husband by her side, Madison Ortega is ready for the magic of Sky Island and West Texas.In this episode, Madison Ortega describes her mentality coming into her second trail race. Fitting that it is another West ...

The heart of the athlete shines with Javian Quinones, a faithful devotee to the endurance chase. Quinones, who is rehabbing and rebuilding from his third knee surgery, has chased endurance on two wheels and two feet. A seeker of the...

Santiago Ortega is eyeing the finish line on his first 50k and preparing to fill that experience with joy.In this episode, hear how Santiago is mentally preparing for the effort, what fuel sources he plans to utilize–including the under...

Hey everybody!I’m happy to introduce this project: Strides’ pre-race coverage of the Sky Island trail race. The race, one of West Texas’ finest, is in its ninth year. Boasting views of Fort Davis, the McDonald Observatories, ...

There is an air of calm and creativity to Shaun Jones’ view on running, much of which is often evoked through the camera lens of his phone.Influenced by his interests in street photography, Jones sometimes dedicates runs to finding strik...

Roy Gallegos is inspiring, both for his view on running and his commitment to bettering the craft.When not doubling the Babcock power lines on the weekend or battling hill repeats, Gallegos uplifts his small business and spends his life ...

Edgar Navarrete brings a special kind of humility and warmth to his story, one of resiliency and centered in the history of two places.In this episode, Edgar and I discuss how his immigration story has impacted his running journey, the i...

Howdy, everyone. Back from a brief hiatus, but ready to get back on track. Let’s hop in.This week, we had Amy Hermes of In The Loop Run Crew on to discuss her journey into running...

Kirsten Mengden is busy in the best way. She and many others built, made way, and put on my most recent trail race, making it a memorable experience that I look forward to next year. In this episode, we discuss her history with runn...

In this episode, I sit down with Santiago Ortega, a San Antonio runner, run club coordinator, and small business owner.Ortega is doing some great stuff in these spaces, providing a refreshing take on running's art form in the process. I'...

Garrett Philbrick is more than just a teacher, a dad, and a husband: He’s an ultrarunner on a mission, a comeback tour of his own.With nine ultras under his belt, Philbrick is building out his mileage and time to prepare for a packed cal...

Howdy, and welcome back to Strides!In this episode, I break down my experience running the 20k event this past Saturday during the Desperado Gravel Run & Ruck in Boerne, Texas. This was an incredible event with some gorge...

It’s race week, friends!I’m running the 20K Desperado Run this weekend at the Desperado Resort outside Boerne, Texas. Boerne is about 30ish miles outside of San Antonio....

Howdy, my name is Mason, and welcome to Strides.This is the podcast and Substack amalgamation for me to explore a sport I am loving more and more: trail running. An opportunity to explore what I love, what I want to learn, and what seems...