Théo Dow

Théo Dow is a super interesting and well studied runner who is achieving big things in the running scene. After starting trail running in 2021 he has quickly ascended to the top of the running food chain in Saskatchewan. In this episode we talk training, the reasons he enjoys running and we talk about his big performances at Sinister 7 in 2025 and his big podium finish at the Reesor 50 in 2026. We also have a fun conversation about how we first met and how both of us were new to ultra running and perhaps didn’t understand the spirit of ultra running like we do today. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Teo Dow is one of Saskatchewan's finest ultra runners, but you wouldn't know it by talking to him or meeting him as he oozes with humility and gratitude. Having started running in 2019, he has quickly progressed to become a podium finisher at both the Reese 50 and Beaver Flat 50 drink, to go along with the strong showing at his first 100 miler at Sinister 7 in 2025. I have had the pleasure of training with Tao quite a bit this spring, and I predicted his podium finish at Reese. I'm not saying this for you to think I'm some sort of genius or fortune teller, but just to share with you what I observed while training with him. His dedication to learning about the many facets of ultrarunning combined with his work ethic led me to believe that he was capable of big things. I think Teo has some even bigger things in his running future and life. Enjoy the interview.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

The last day of the summer vacation. We walked along the train tracks. We didn't think about going back.

SPEAKER_04 0:59

You are listening to the Saskatchewan podcast with your host, Jason Burns, the podcast where we talk to Saskatchewan runners about the people and places that inspire them.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Drink watery coffee with green. The kind of colors in those little plastic things. I was wearing the wrong shoes that day. They were giving me pleasure.

SPEAKER_04 1:22

On this episode of the Saskatchewan Podcast, fresh off his big Reaster Fiftry podium finish last weekend, we are joined by Taylor Dow. How are you doing today, Taylor?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

I'm doing great.

SPEAKER_04 1:32

That's awesome. Thanks so much for uh coming by today. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_04 1:37

Yeah, you jogged over, which is nice.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Super nice.

SPEAKER_04 1:40

I think you're the first person to jog over for an interview, so.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Well, I guess it's fitting for a running party.

SPEAKER_04 1:45

Yeah. That's right. And we'll be uh joined by producer baker at some point during this interview, which I'm sure you're excited about, being that he's one of your long run buddies as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Happy to have him. We'll be good for some cuddles on the couch.

SPEAKER_04 1:58

Yeah, I'm sure we'll hear some some panting and tail wagging and pretty shortly here. He's just out for a walk and gonna have some supper, and he'll be right down to be producer baker. So that's awesome. Well, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I I live here in Regina. I've been trail running for about four years, four or five years. And I have my fiancee Tiana that I train with and run with and do lots of running adventures with. And yeah, that's about it.

SPEAKER_04 2:30

That's about it. And then you moved here from Saskatoon a few years back, too, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Just last summer in July. So we're we're coming up on a year.

SPEAKER_04 2:37

For sure. And you've been liking it so far? I do really like it a lot. Yep, that's awesome. They're both good cities. For sure. Well, why don't we uh get back to that story about how we met? It's I always think it's kind of funny. I tell it. That's a great story. Yeah. So you go first, you tell your version, and then I'll tell mine.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Okay, so it's 2022 is my first every year doing the Beaver Flat 50K. And yeah, it was my first first ever big trail race. I wasn't super prepared. Well, I was I was fairly prepared, but I I did have I had ultra brand road running shoes. I had hiking poles, which I I use better ones now, but I I did use hiking poles. And I was basically just running and I was trying to finish, and I slowly, I'm slowly coming up with the back section behind the horseshoe, and I've been following you for quite a few kilometers, and I going up the back there, it's like a very very gradual incline, and I'm trying my hardest to catch you, but I just can't. And I and when we finally climb, and then I'm following you atop the horseshoe, and then we go down, and then as we get onto the flat, I just kind of get a wind as as we're coming into the finish, and I just put on the full jets, and I spent right by you with like meters, like literally, literally meters, and then and then I finished, and I kind of felt bad for doing that. Um, and I I didn't know anyone at that point. We were new to the trail scene, but it felt really good to finish my first 50k and and I just kind of had that burst of energy. Like I just wanted to finish.

SPEAKER_04 4:25

I think when you apologize later, I said it it is called a race, so you're you're free to compete and beat me. Yeah. Yeah. Did we not meet a little bit? Do we go back and forth a bit on like leg six? I think on leg six. Yeah. Yeah. I don't remember if you caught me or I caught you.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

I don't know either.

SPEAKER_04 4:43

I don't yeah, I just rem I remember you were always like right behind me. And then my thing of it was I just remembered I considered myself a decent hill climber at the time. So I was like, if I can get far enough, maybe he won't be able to catch me. And then I think on those like up and downs on the horseshoe, I look back and I'm like, no, it's still not coming. And I'm I think about like a halfway down the horseshoe, and then that's where it would slow down because I'm terrible at downhill. And I looked back and I'm like, nope, still not there. So I'm just like, I got this. So I just was like jogging it in. And then as I was approaching the finish line, I could just hear everyone like yelling and screaming. And and this was pre-podcast fame, so I was I wasn't used to all this adoration. And I'm like, oh, these people love me, but they were screaming because you were coming behind me and they were like, He's come gonna catch you, he's gonna catch you, I guess is what they were actually saying. So but yeah, that was my that was my memory of it.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

But yeah, and it was that was a fun, fun first introduction to the the trail running scene and the and the 50k, and and I've I've been back every year ever since.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

Yeah, it's so good. I think we were both like like you said, new to the trail scene then too, and we didn't uh I probably didn't even talk to you after. I was probably like, this goddamn guy beat me.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

I knew you were well known. Like I knew that like you knew people and I didn't. So I felt bad, like I I took down took down the local legend.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

I wouldn't go that far. But now now we don't have to worry about that because you're a good hour and a half faster than me at Beaver Flat.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

And we're all friends.

SPEAKER_04 6:13

That's right. Yeah, for sure. So, what brought you to uh that first trail race? What was your motivation to get into trails?

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Um, I essentially I it started with the motivation again to running. I think in 2019 I ran my first half marathon. Okay, that went fairly well. And then obviously the pandemic, I think I'd signed up for a few races, but the pandemic canceled them all, so I had signed up for Beaver Flat in 2020, perhaps, but I I couldn't go. And then I did uh I did two marathons. One was a virtual marathon. Okay. And then and then I did the Sask Marathon in 2022, and then we also did a Banff Jasper relay, okay, which is a road race. Yep. And we met um we met somebody there, Haley, who uh told us about friends of hers that were looking for relay members for their Sinister 7 team. Okay, cool. So Tiana and I joined that team, and then we we ran Sinister. That was our our first ever trail race. Okay. I think I did leg four, and then and then that fall did uh Beaver Flat. And that was kind of like the year that got us into it, and then ever since then, you know, we sign up for Beaver Flat each year and then find a few more races as well.

SPEAKER_04 7:43

Awesome. Do you remember what your first that half marathon was in 2019?

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Was that yeah, I think I I did do pretty good. I I I just beat it this year because I I never run halves, but I I did 131. Oh, nice. So I I did train for it specifically. I took about a year to train for it. Okay, wow. And and then I did 131. And then my first marathon, which I did by myself, it was like there's a YouTuber from Colorado, Seth James Damore, who put on a virtual race. Okay, and I did that, it was like early April. I just had a running vest with a liter of water and these little buns that I made with maple syrup and bananas, and that's all of my hydration and nutrition. And I just ran, just had a root picked out around Saskatoon. Okay, and I I I managed to do 320, and which was really good, and I was happy, but I really blew up at 35k mark, and then I I pushed it just to finish because I knew I'd still get a good time, and then I collapsed alongside the mewast all by myself, freezing cold and in like a singleton shorts, and then hobbled home, which was the hardest part. But uh, and then and then I did two other marathons, uh, 2022 and 2023. Okay, where were those ones? Those are both Saskatoon.

SPEAKER_04 9:06

Okay, and then that first half you did with Saskatoon as well? That was actually the Queen City.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

Oh, that was the Queen City, okay, yeah, yeah. So I I gave myself a year to train for that race, and and the fall race was nice.

SPEAKER_04 9:16

And then this year at go for attack, you beat that by a few minutes. Like four minutes. Four minutes, yeah.

unknown 9:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:23

Yeah, that was good. How how was your um in those five years? You've obviously gotten quite a bit faster. What do you think you're gonna credit that to just miles or different training techniques?

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Or yeah, I I think consistency mostly. Um I think more speed work. Like uh I'm I met Tiana, my fiance, and and she has a track and cross-country background. We met in 2020, and so she she really helped me with doing more like speed work. Okay. And and that has helped my speed and my pace and stuff like that. And I would say overall, just consistency. Like, I'm a big believer in in high mileage or somewhat high mileage and running to work when I can. Over those past four years, I slowly like I started biking to work and then I would bike slash run to work. Like I'd bike to work in the morning and run home and then and then and then run back the next day and bike home. Yeah, and then I'd end up like biking every day. So like just building up mileage consistently, I think, has helped me a lot. So now my I think my base fitness is is just a lot better.

SPEAKER_04 10:38

Yep, I would say so. And then um we mentioned it at the beginning, the uh just hold on a second, we'll go back a little bit. Then you did Sinister um just the one time, the hundred or have you done the fifty or anything out there, or just the hundred?

SPEAKER_01 11:00

No. Okay. So I've done we did the relay twice. Okay, yeah. So we did the relay at Sinister 7 in 2022 and 2023. Okay, yep. And then we didn't go in 2024. So 2022 I did leg four, 2023 I did leg six. Okay. I was actually going to do, I think, the 50 miler. Okay. But uh the our good friends at the the Weyburn Run Club, um, they they're a really fun group, and that's who we ran with the year before. And they really wanted someone for leg six to run the night. Okay. And I just I said, you know what, I don't need to run a 50 miler this year. I'll I'll do that. And I did that, and then it also helped me run a good time at uh Beaver Flat that year.

SPEAKER_04 11:49

That's right. I think we were talking about that before. That's the year I had seen they were looking for a relay member. Okay, and then I had tried to sign up, but I think you beat me to it. So nice.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Yeah, so that was fun, and and it that was really good running experience to to run overnight like that, and it it held me for for the hundred miler I did last year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:11

And how did that go for you?

SPEAKER_01 12:13

It went really well. Yeah. Yeah, like I think for me when I I first started running, I actually wrote down like some lofty goals. Okay. When I didn't even really have a clue of like what running was, I wanted to do a sub-three hour marathon, which I still haven't done. I'm close. My best was 303. And I said I wanted to run 100 miles. Okay. And then and then so I I did it last year and I kind of built my way up to do that. Um and the year before I ran the Squamish 5050, which was kind of like my test race to see if I could run that distance. I I did learn that it was harder than I thought, and my legs got very tired, but I I still enjoyed like being at the back of the pack and just like grinding it out. Yep. And so from that I was confident I could do the 100 miler. So my race went really well. Like the first half, I felt really strong, and I was actually ahead of my projected times. And then into the night, especially leg five became a grind. Okay. And by then my legs were tired. I was tired. You know, you're you're like 100k in, and I don't know, eight 18 hours or something like that. You've been up for 20 hours, and it's when you would normally go to bed. So that's when I it was starting to be a grind, and I was doing like eight-minute kilometers, nine-minute kilometers, ten-minute kilometers, eleven minute kilometers, and I was trying, I was starting to like calculate, and I was like, wow, this really isn't going well. I might be like chasing cutoff cutoffs if I can't pick it up. But then coming into the aid station to go on leg six, I kind of decided like if I'm gonna do this, like I need to like go for it. Like I need it. So I made, you know, took made sure I took my gels, took some caffeine, okay, and went out into the night on a mission. And I was I was running with uh a woman from Toronto and a woman from from Coleman. Okay. And we we kind of went off as a team out and and hiked up. Um and then once we got down around the back, then we kind of each took off and did our own races. And then that's where I started really picking it up. The the climb up was was really challenging, and the descent especially was super challenging. Leg six, like my legs were just cooked, so it's just like hobbling down.

SPEAKER_04 14:39

So what kind of a pace per kilometer going down a like that big descent would you be going on average? Do you think?

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Oh, like not good. Like seven minute case. Like I was really like hobbling down. Like my legs were were really sore at that point. Okay. But then once we started to get into the rollier stuff, then there's you once you you get down, then there's an eight station, and then it starts rolling. So that's like probably around 20k or 18k to the leg six, seven, eight station. Okay. So you're like 30-ish K from the finish. That's where it like the day started waking up again. There was light out. Okay. And that's where I I started. I'm like, okay, like I can kind of taste the finish line. I don't want to be out here forever. So that's when I started picking it up. Yeah. And and actually like running and and running fairly hard.

SPEAKER_04 15:37

Okay. So that's true. You would say that when the sun comes up, your body kind of perks up even if you're destroyed. I've got that. Okay, yeah, I've heard that.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

I think I did a good job of like nutrition mostly. So by then, like, I I still felt good. Okay. And and I I do take caffeine, especially then, to like wake up, and then I just started like feeling the finish line and pushing to to get there.

SPEAKER_04 16:03

And I think you had the fastest, like seven time, if I remember right.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

I was told that the Andy Cullen, the the stats guy, he brought it up.

SPEAKER_04 16:11

That's who told me too. Yeah. Well, I and we should fact check these things.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

I think it's accurate. Yeah. He he was second with a brilliant race. And and so I think to to see me finish like that, yeah. Um he that was cool. And yeah, really, I was really sending it down that section. And and part of it was once I got to that eight station coming out on Lake Seven, I knew I could go under 26 hours. And that was like that was a goal of mine. So then I I just really went for it. Okay. And I ended up 2545.

SPEAKER_04 16:43

Nice. And that was good for seventh place overall.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

I was eighth overall.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Eighth overall, okay. Sixth male. Sixth male. Nice. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Yeah, and I was super happy with it. Like it was it was really cool just to finish the 100 miles and and to to have a good race like that. It was yeah, I was really happy about that.

SPEAKER_04 17:01

Yeah, for sure. That was uh that was a good great performance by you. I like hearing well, I don't like that you were suffering, but I like to hear that when you're going down the hills that you were hobbling, and I just assume the fast people are always like crushing every it minute of every race. So I like to hear hear the struggles too. I just assume it's more like mid-packers and back of the packers who who suffer.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

I I think every everyone definitely suffers. And I think some of the well, I'm not a front of the packer, but some of the front of the packers are actually suffering more, like yeah, like in my fastest beaver flat 50s, those are when I suffer the most because you're you're just might be suffering in a different way, but you're yeah, yeah, you're like redlining the whole way, so you're you're really pushing it. But in that race I had, like at the Hunter Mile, I had some good guidance from from Warren Duter. He told me once you get in the street on Lake 7, like don't forget that your the day is started. Like it might be seven in the morning, but the sun's out, so he's like, Switch your shirt, put on a fresh hat, bit of sunscreen. So I I made sure to do that. Like I was only still really quick, like two minutes in that aid station, but I made sure to do those things and pack actually some water and and because you don't know, you know, I did it in one hour, but you could do it like two or three, right? So for sure. So you don't want to get stuck out there.

SPEAKER_04 18:22

What is that's a is that 12k, 10k? It's like 10. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Yeah, maybe like 10.7.

SPEAKER_04 18:27

Nice. So you were banging out sub six minute kilometers.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Yeah, there's like some of it's really steep and punchy, and then other sections are nice and flowy. And on those flowy, I was I was really going for it. And I did pass probably like six people. Oh wow, that's awesome. On that last section, awesome. So that that helped push me out the at that point.

SPEAKER_04 18:50

Um, being you were pretty quick, did you see a lot of relay relay racers when you were out as well?

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Yeah, yeah. Some but honestly, on that maybe more 100 milers, but during the the bulk of the race, there were a lot of relay racers. And it does make it fun because lots of times they would, you know, whiz past me at the beginning and I'd somehow catch them by the end. And so it's it's nice to show that that endurance that for sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:18

Yeah. Yeah, I always find it when I when I've done races where there's relay too, it's kind of debilitating when you're running and try trying so hard and someone just whizzes by you, but then you have to remember they're two or three K in not like a hundred or ninety K in.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

So Yeah, it's good to keep a steady pace and and it's you know keeps you distracted out there and and and sometimes people to chat with, but honestly, I was I was mostly chatting with 100 milers because yeah, they're you know more steady pace.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Yeah, for sure. When I did leg six a few years ago on the relay, like a kilometer, and I had passed a guy who was doing the hundred miler, and I'm just like, sorry, like you this poor guy's just struggling starting out climb on leg six, and I'm like fresh and been waiting around all day, and just like you're you're crushing it, man. But I still felt feel like a jerk, kind of.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Yeah, I mean, I think one interesting thing for me was that first year in 2022 when we did the relay, that was our first ever trail race, and seeing the people do the hundred miles, like I remember coming up and like passing some of them or seeing them and just thinking like that was the coolest thing ever. And at that point, it was like unfathomable to me. And and now that I've done it, it it just feels really cool. And and it's you know, thanks to inspiration from people like Andy Collin and Fleming and Mandy who who go out there and and make it look easy. So it's it's cool to be able to see see other people do it to know that it's possible.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

And then you can try it yourself and and see what it's like.

SPEAKER_04 20:54

Yeah, for sure. I remember years ago, like this was like 2012 or something, and most and I just for funded like a I think I was like 12 kilometers, or no, I think it was only six out at White View Trails, and there were people doing like a 50k, and I just like couldn't believe people would run 50 kilometers, it seemed ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Yeah, it still kind of does sometimes.

SPEAKER_04 21:13

It does, yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

It's like it's like, how did I even do that?

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Yeah, for sure. So you have you ever done uh 100k, or do you just I have skipped right over? I just skipped it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

Yeah, that squamish in 2024, that was kind of the test doing the 50 mile on the one day and 50k the next day. So it's I guess 130k added up over like 48 hours. So to me that that was kind of like a test of like running on tire legs. Yep. But I would like to do a hundred K and I I think now that I've done a hundred miles, like a hundred K sounds somewhat easy. Like I think I'd like to do the the Canadian death race or Yeah, it's a nice distance. Um lots of like a hundred K races, I think. Would be a good fit whereas like the hundred mile I wasn't able to push myself the whole way. Whereas well, last week in a resource I I was able to push myself for the whole 80 kilometers. So now I think like a hundred K I might be able to do that.

SPEAKER_04 22:16

Cool. Maybe that suffer on the Centennial out in Manitoba. You ever have a look at that one? I've looked at it. Yeah. Could be a fun. I have that tentatively planned for sometime in the future. So could be a good good group trip.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

I think that could be awesome. Yeah. Yeah. And it's it's fun that there are so many races out there. Like it's actually harder to pick which ones you're doing. That's right, yeah. And there's there's always more. Like you can always have other options for future years.

SPEAKER_04 22:44

Yep, for sure. And then you um have been mentioning the uh the Reese or 50 from last weekend. We might as well dive into that excellent performance of yours.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Sure.

SPEAKER_04 22:54

How how would you um compare the course first off from for those not familiar? Last year was uh the uh alternate course just because of the weather, so it was kind of a double out and back, I guess you'd call it. You kind of we just did like a quarter of what we did this year, right? Yeah, kind of like yeah. So how would you compare it as far as like toughness? Is it was it harder, easier?

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Is it different, I guess? Straight up hardness. Well, yes, or last year with the mud, I think that made it actually more challenging. Okay, just having mud stuck to your feet for most of the race. I would say it was harder. Okay, and that nasty climb twice. Yeah, and I think the course is probably probably actually harder last year. Okay, just somewhat. Yeah. Um and it was fun for the first year just to be able to do that out and back and see all the people and and say hi to everyone and cheer people on. I think that was a lot of fun. But I think this year, obviously, we had great conditions and it was just way more fun to run around.

SPEAKER_04 24:00

There he is. Producer Baker, he's made it. Very excited to see Tail. Tails run with Baker quite a bit, so they're they're good pals. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

So yeah, I would say like it was Yeah, I would say the first year is probably a touch harder. Um, just as far as as probably the the elevation profile. I guess I haven't actually compared it, but this year it was a lot more fun. Like I really enjoyed the the first half of the course, especially. That was gorgeous. These really nice flowy sections of running in multiple sections where it seemed like you were running a perfectly gradual downhill for like kilometers at a time. Yeah. And it's like this is so fun, and it's not ending, like you're just just rolling down these sections. That was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_04 24:52

That's kind of the part, but maybe like 20 to 28k or something before the first tent at the west end of Reese, I think.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

Hey, yeah, yeah, that was so nice. Yeah, that was super nice, and even some leading up to that that aid station tucked in the woods, like the first stock aid station. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Yeah. In there, like that's really nice. That's really nice.

SPEAKER_04 25:13

I like that one part where you can see to the left, it's kind of like a little bit higher. You're on you're on a ridge, and then there's a ridge to the south that's even higher, and then to the north, you I swear you can see like all the way to Swift Current. Like they're so high up. I love that part. Those are very nice. And then also that ridge where you can see like Reeser Lake where you're way up on top of it, which we didn't see last year, I don't think. Right. Yeah, we just stuck on the south side of Reese.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

So yeah, it was super nice. I really liked the course this year. And yeah, it was super fun.

SPEAKER_04 25:42

Yeah, and then I guess after that 30k station, the rest of it was basically this the end of last year's out back, I guess, eh?

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Yeah. To a point, yeah. So there's like that 20k section that we'd seen. Um, and then and then you go back down. But it was nice to know that section because that that downhill section is one of the more significant sections of the race. Yeah, it is, yeah. Like I think, and I was glad on that section. Like, I guess some of our training paid off our downhill intervals approach inspired. You know, my legs felt really good on those downhills. So I on the gradual stuff, I was able just to let my legs go. And on the steep stuff early on, I I made sure not to push it too much to hurt the legs, but uh it felt really strong going down those downhills, and it was nice that we ran them the previous year to just to kind of know how to approach those sections.

SPEAKER_04 26:36

For sure. What did you think of the uh creek crossings?

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Uh they were a bit annoying. I mean it was uh you know, it just you know, probably close to 20 foot wide creek crossings with about a foot of nice cold water, and and you know, having mud on each side, I was I was very glad to have my poles that helped get in and out. And I I did dunk my hat and my arms at at both of the the major creek crossings, which I I think helped a little bit. And I and then I kind of after the first one, I kind of just waited to see how long it would take for my shoes to dry out. Okay, because I did have shoes ready for me at the 60 kilometer drop bag, and I wasn't sure if I would want to switch socks and shoes. Yeah, but I had my my preferred shoes on and they were working really well, so I was like, if if they dry off quickly, then I won't switch. And it it took about two kilometers for them to dry off. So then after I knew that I was ready for the next Cree Crossing, and then I just didn't bother those were your Norda fives?

SPEAKER_04 27:46

Norda fives. I was gonna joke that you should have gotten another medal for wearing those goddamn things for 50 miles. You didn't run in them? No, no, they've been chewing up my my uh Achilles lately when I I liked them at first, but now God, they're uh they're they're wrecking me a bit. And it seems like a common thing with those shoes. Like, yeah, they're they work great for you. Like I love them, they just do rub me up the wrong way. And then I don't know if you saw that one lady, I believe her name was Heather. Um, can't remember her last name, but uh she was past me, I think after the 60k station, and then back and forth a bit, and then I didn't see her again, but Mosa showed me a photo that she posted to Prairie Sky, and like it was her Nordas just covered in blood. Oh so she was uh butchered up by those shoes too.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

But that's really too bad. They they actually work great for me. Yeah, and you wore those at Sin last year. Same pair? The same pair. So that was, you know, they're they're a pricey shoe, but I've I'm starting to get my money out of them for sure. I I wear them a lot and I really like them.

SPEAKER_04 28:44

Yeah, like I said, I like them too. It's just yeah, and they didn't do that at first. I I don't know why they're starting to do it now, but it's the luck of the draw.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Like I have other shoes that I I like and I want to like, but they just they they irritate me somehow.

SPEAKER_04 28:57

I like that want-to-like. I like I have some topo mountain runners that that I want to like as well, but I roll my ankle every time I wear them. They're a little I find a little low on the ankle part and I have weak ankle. Well, I must have weak ankles, so yeah. But yeah, sorry to interrupt your story. So you said your Nord has dried off after a couple K.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Yeah, they dried off. Yeah. And and yeah, they then I just kind of just kept kept pushing it.

SPEAKER_04 29:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:23

Yeah, those um it's funny when I used to do like I always say this, but when I used to do Spartans and I would train, I'd actually like go out to Pascua Lake and I would like swim with my running clothes and my shoes on, then go run just because you're wet and muddy during those. But yeah, I haven't done one in a couple years, so I'm getting kind of precious. So when I got to the creek crossing, I'm like, ah, I don't know. I don't know why we need to do this. But actually felt pretty good on my feet. I enjoyed the cold, felt good. The water felt good. Yeah. And my feet were I didn't have I think I had a tiny little blister on the ball of my foot at the end, but yeah, it was fine.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Yeah, I just I have some some toe toe sacks of fluid on my big toes.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

That's uh that's not bad.

SPEAKER_04 30:01

So then yeah, we made it through that whole area Battle Creek. What did we go through there three times? Yeah, I think so. Okay, and then that was it, old Baldy was right around there too. Hey, that yeah, that was a nice part.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Yeah, and that like for me, the race, because I I didn't actually know that I was gonna have such a good performance. And I probably the around the the first 30 kilometers, 28 kilometers, I was I was running at quite a controlled pace and you know, running with lots of friends, which was a lot of fun. Yep. And then after about 30 going down that that hill, then I kind of made a move. Okay. And I kind of knew that I was putting myself in no man's land. Yep. Like I was now I the people were behind me, and and I was they wouldn't catch me if I kept going the same pace. Okay. But there were a lot of fast people ahead of me because I I knew it was a competitive field this year. And I I just decided, like, if I'm gonna go, let's go. So I I kind of shoot your shot. At the 30 kilometer aid station, I had a windbreaker in my bag, and I I left it in the in the drop bag, and I said, if I if I need something, it'll be at the at the 60k. Okay. Then I just kind of kept pushing and slowly just reeling people in, but also running completely by myself for most of that middle section. And then at the eight stations, I would ask, like, like, where am I? How far back? And then the first time I asked, it was like, Oh, you're in seventh. And then Okay, nice. And you're in fourth, and then, you know, just kind of rolling in, and then coming up to Baldy, um, that's when I I was coming up behind, and I see somebody up ahead, and I'm pretty sure it was Mike Siddick. I don't actually know because I had a chance to talk to him after the race, but I was I was coming down the hill, and and then I said, How's it going? And he's like, I blew up, I'm trying to rally. Okay. I said, Okay, like we're like 6k to the next aid station. And then he was like, You're M3, by the way. And I was like, Whoa, man, like that's crazy. So then I just like just kept pushing. That was at like around 55k. Yeah. And so I pushed to the next aid station. I 60K, and I was quick and efficient at all my aid stations. I just had a Ziploc bag with salt tabs and my gels in there, and I'd get my bottles filled, and the volunteers were awesome. They were so good, yeah. Yeah, so good. Like you just they'd be like bottles, and you just give them the bottles, they unscrew the lids, everything back in the pouch. So that was amazing. So I was probably only one or two minutes in and out of every situation.

SPEAKER_04 32:45

And Mike Civic, for those who don't know, he's the beaver flat, like course record holder. Like before the mountain, like they did the mountain running championship a few years back. So the numbers, but for like regular people.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

Yeah, I think his time was about 4 30.

SPEAKER_04 33:00

Yeah, and you knew that, so I imagine passing him, you're just like, holy moly, I just passed a legend, really.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

Yeah, and then we I looked at his race roster after the race, and he he has way more impressive accomplishments than that. Like he's he's done a lot of very cool races, so I'm sure it was an off day for him, but it was an on day for me, and I was happy to have a good race. And yeah, so I just kind of kept pushing it at the 60km mark. I I asked, Where am I? And and they said, You're well, I was third, but I said, Where how far ahead are they? And they're like, an hour. I was like, Well, where's the next person? Like, oh, just one minute. So I leave and there's that big long climb.

SPEAKER_02 33:40

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 33:40

And and it was ruthless actual climb. And then there were there was one person on the horizon, so I just kept kept uh chasing after them. And I I thought they were the second place male, so I was reeling them in the whole top flat section, yeah, and just forcing myself to like go faster, like I was going like 540s and then 530s and 520s, and like I just gotta keep pushing. Yeah, and I I just kept, you know, I every half hour I was taking a gel and keeping on track of my hydration. And then I finally caught the person, and it was actually the second place female. Okay. She was having an awesome race, and and it took me a long time to to reel her in. And then I passed her. I said, you know, we got this. And by then there was only 5k left. So you kind of go into that. There's a bit of a technical downhill, and then and then I just kind of kept pushing. And by then it was, you know, the whole whole race I was you know running on positivity, but by then you're just excited to get to the finish line and and kind of push on some of those last little climbs, and you know, to roll into the finish. I was eight hours and 23 minutes. Oh, that's awesome. And uh, you know, Tiana was there, and and then like all of like friends in the the running community and lots of the guys that I was running with early on, they all dropped. So so my joke was I I tried my hardest to to get to the finish line before you, but you still beat me. That's good. But uh it was super fun, just like hugs and high-fives and and uh to see everyone and and to and to have a good race. Yeah, that sounds awesome. And I ended up, I was a half hour ahead of the the fourth place person, which isn't normal for me. I normally am ducking people at the line kind of like you, and and sneaking into to a good position. So to to finish with with that kind of gap, good also.

SPEAKER_04 35:34

That's really nice. Were you able to run that technical downhill part pretty quick? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

I was like, by then I was I was like going for it. Yeah. My legs, my legs felt still quite good. And and I, you know, I was I was mostly just thinking of being careful. So I had my poles on the front and I was just like, just play it steady, like you're don't roll an ankle, like you're you're likely there's no one behind you. Like by that point, I knew I was pushing for so long. I it was it felt unlikely that someone was right on my tail, and I didn't have anything to indicate that, so I was just focusing on having a strong finish and going in smart.

SPEAKER_04 36:12

Yeah, that's awesome. And then you ended up third place male.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:16

Was that third overall, or was there a the first place female was there's first place female ahead of me.

unknown 36:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Who was that? Do you remember? I don't remember her name. She's from Edmonton. Okay, I believe. Yeah. Super fast, friendly person.

SPEAKER_04 36:29

Yeah. Yeah. Then the guy who finished first, was he sub-seven? Like 6'5.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

He was 6'59. Yeah, it's from Samir. He's he's from Montreal.

SPEAKER_04 36:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

And he lives in Calgary. And that was actually kind of funny because before the race, I was asking Fleming, like, I'm like, who's out there? Who's the competition? And he just starts rattling off all the names. And and and so by then I was like, I don't have a chance at getting a podium spot, so I'll just have a fun race. But then, and then I and he mentioned Samir and he's like, this guy's gonna run like seven hours. Yeah. And I saw him before the race, I was like, hey man, like, hope you hope you have a good race. I heard you're a good runner. And and then we chatted a little bit, and and his dad spoke French to me, um, because he noticed the accent on my my first name. Oh, nice. On the bib. And then and then after the race, I told him, I was like, when I talked to you, I had no idea I'd I'd be on the podium with you. I didn't know I was gonna have such a good race, but yeah, a super friendly guy. And he, you know, he's he has a he gets free running shoes from Hoka, so he's he's legit. For sure. And then how far were you out of second? About 20 minutes. Okay. Yeah. And you remember who was second? Alex from Edmonton. Okay, yeah. He's very talented, also. He's done Sinister 700 Mile in 18 or 19 hours. Oh, Jesus, yeah. Lots of death race wins as well. Yep. Yeah, he's quite the resume.

SPEAKER_04 37:51

So how does that feel that you're kind of ascending towards that kind of uh I always feel like you don't believe it, or you I think I mean it's just it was just fun to have a good race.

SPEAKER_01 38:02

And it's it's cool to be able to I like running with people, and you know, there's there's still you know, Andy Cone and Fleming and and lots of our our own Saskatchew Saskatchewan runners who I'm I'm still working to be able to keep up with. Yeah, um, so I like to put it in perspective, I was thinking about the 18 hours at Sinister, like I did I did eight hours and 23 minutes at at an 80 mile or a 50 mile. Yeah. So I'd have to double the distance, add some elevation on top of that, and keep the same pace essentially to get an 18 to 19 hour. But I think you know, you're always learning, and if I wanted to do something like that, I think it could be possible if I kept going. But I I think I like to manage the the fun with the with the challenge. For sure. Yeah. So you think you could have a sub-200 miler? It would be that would be amazing. I I think I don't I wouldn't say that necessarily. I think even going sub-24, I think I'd be really happy with. But I I think I just like I like having fun racing. Like I think I I like being the underdog or not not really putting pressure on myself. I think I run best when I go out to have fun. And then but I do think it it is important, something I've learned listening to to different ultra runners of knowing what it would take to have a good day. And I I was listening to something by Jeff Pelte where he was talking about his Coca-Dona race and how you need to be prepared for your best day and your worst day. So so just like knowing like what it would take to have a really good day for sure, yeah. And how you would fuel for that, and and you know, what you would wear and and and what you wouldn't bring. Like, for example, like I didn't bring a cell phone on my run because I knew I wanted to be as light as possible. Yeah. And and that kind of thing. I put an air tag in my in my bag. That was my safety.

SPEAKER_04 40:05

Yeah, yeah. I should have done that. I didn't bring my phone either. I had made went through all the trouble to make like a about how long I thought it would take me, so I made this perfectly curated playlist, but then I was dumb and forgot to download it, and there's no cell coverage for half the race anyway. So I just listened to my boring old watch playlist and said.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

Oh wow. I I listened to my thoughts the whole time.

SPEAKER_04 40:26

Oh yeah. Yeah, I didn't. Sometimes I do music. This time it probably was like 50-50. I'd usually when I know the aid station was getting close, I'd take them out and then charge them, and then I I just like that atmosphere of hearing the cowbells and people. Yeah. But yeah, I was alone most of the race too, to be honest. Just little people here and there, I would see, but always like you, kind of in no man's land. I look at the beginning, it takes a little while to spread everyone out, but and you had a great race. Yeah, I wasn't too bad. I was hoping for a sub-11 was I would like to see like 1059, but I don't know, those last 10 kilometers were a real schlug for me for some reason. Yeah. I was well on pace. That's a classic Ultra Runner story, so it's really not even worth saying. But yeah, I was I was like well on pace for like a 10 hour for 50k of it. And I was like, oh wow, I'm gonna but yeah, I don't know what happened. The last 30k just kind of died off, I guess. Which is weird. I did all my like I was taking tons of gels and all the things. But yeah, I just kind of I think for me, I just got my legs just got tired. It was just like, especially on that gravel part, I was just like couldn't will myself to run fast. I was just like, but I don't know why.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

I think it's a mental game. Yeah, it was it was mental, I think. Some of it is just like how bad you want it. Like I I would probably my legs started to feel tired of like 35k. Okay, yeah. I was kind of thinking, I was like, man, maybe I should have just done the marathon. Like eight, like it's a lot. Yeah, it's like, but then I was kind of thinking, and I was like, I am on pace to go about eight hours if I could keep this up. And originally my goal, like on a best case, I was thinking like sub nine would be a last case goal. So but I was I was definitely like mentally like like just like with positivity, but like pushing myself to like keep going and and like overcome the sore legs. And I think having just like I like racing to aid stations. Okay, yeah. So I'm always just like the next aid station. I like that, and especially because sometimes like three kilometers to an aid station can feel forever. But it's like I just keep telling myself, get to the aid station, get to the aid station, and I might be super tired, but you get in, you get some water, you get your stuff, you get a burst of of joy from the volunteers. Yeah, and then all of a sudden you're out the other end, and now you have to get to the next aid station.

SPEAKER_04 42:42

Yeah, I like that. It's a good way to break it up. Yeah, I'll say my legs got tired because they were saving themselves for sin seven. Mentally, my mind knew in eight weeks I have this horse show to do.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

So I think that makes sense. It might make sense. Like for me, this was an A race, so I was able to focus on it, and and I don't know that it was an A race for most people. And and last year I used it as a training run. That's right, yeah. And that's kind of the same as but I did last year. I allowed myself to feel sorry for myself when I was getting hailed on and it was funny, and I was like, and this year I was like, don't feel sorry for yourself. You signed up to be here, you wanted to do this. So if it if it's hard, just keep going. Yeah, and that's what I was able to do.

SPEAKER_04 43:20

That yeah, I think no matter how many times you do an ultra, sometimes you forget that it it's a it's a schlag, isn't it? Like it's yeah, it's not always fun. No, and you just and everybody has the same thoughts. Like when I was up on the gravel, I'm just like, why do I do this? Or like you know, like on the bench part. Oh, yeah. It's so beautiful. I'm like, why am I miserable and suffering? I could just hike up here with Melissa and Baker and we can hang out. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

I think that's sometimes too.

SPEAKER_04 43:43

But you can still do that. That's that's a funny thing. You can do both. And I think I think that's why you do ultras sometimes, because it makes those times even better. Kind of makes the the mundane, if not mundane, but the the easier stuff, then you enjoy it more, maybe because you're just and I I think it opens.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

Up fun experiences also. Like some of my funnest experiences have come from training. Like last year, I just got a text from Warren Duder, and he's like, I'm I'm running 50k overnight at the landing. Do you want to come? So you know, a few of us from Saskatoon came down and we ran. We started right as it was getting dark and we ran all night. That's awesome. It was super fun. So like something like that, you might not do if you were weren't training for a hundred miler, but that was one of my you know key trainings and it was a lot of fun to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_04 44:32

That's for sure. I forget who was telling me that you were listening for birds all night, too, and you heard like a night, was it a nighthawk? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

Nighthawk. Yeah, it was super fun. And and it's also like unique because I you wouldn't think you'd be bird watching at night, but the nighthawks were all over the place. Oh, that's awesome. It was really neat.

SPEAKER_04 44:51

Well, speaking of birding, since this is kind of a Saskatchewan podcast overall, you podium on Saturday, and then you found a rare bird on what's that Monday? Yeah. I'll let you tell this story.

SPEAKER_01 45:03

Yeah, so it was. I think I had a lot of luck coming my way. Abundance of luck. But I I met uh Jeff Duder's brother-in-law. He's a big birder. Oh, yeah, Jared Clark. Yeah. So I've been meaning to meet him. I met him, super nice guy. We're talking about birds. I got his phone number, so we can maybe go birding. We get home, and then on Monday, you know, I have tired legs, and I'm I'm looking out the backyard, like I use my binoculars, and and I'm I'm seeing some cool birds. Like I saw uh a spotted Toey, and then I saw uh some Baltimore Orioles, and I'm like, wow, like these again some good birds. Yeah. And then out comes this bird, and it's all red on its head, and it's got like orange shoulders, and it's kind of splotchy looking. I'm like, man, like that looks like a tanager, but I've never seen them before. So I'm looking through the book, I'm looking in my app on the phone, and I'm like, you know, I I think this is like a juvenile male summer tanager. But then I was looking at it, and it's a super rare bird. It's about a thousand kilometers out of its range. Oh, geez. And the last time I was seeing a regina was like five years ago. So I managed to get some photos of it. I send them to Jared, and I'm like, hey, Jared, like I think I have a summer tanager in the backyard. Like, can you confirm this? And he's like, Yeah, man. And then he's like, is it okay if I share it with my birding friends? And then I said, sure. And then in half an hour, all of a sudden the perk was there's there's people with long lenses and binoculars. And for the next four days, we just had a constant stream of of all the the top birders in Regina, and I got to meet some of them, and and you know, it was it's fun to see a cool bird like that.

SPEAKER_04 46:45

That would be, yeah. Yeah, I was teasing you that you should have been selling like shirts and hats out of your backyard. I could have I saw the summer taninger of 2026.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

Yeah, it's it's fun, like it's it's a fun, unique thing, and and I do whenever I'm outside, I'm I'm always birding. I I I jogged over here and I I have my binoculars in my my bag so that on when I walk back I can I can look at the birds on the way home.

SPEAKER_04 47:09

Maybe that helps why you're becoming such a good runner. You have like uh that you obviously take it seriously, but you have like the nice district, doesn't you don't let it consume you, you know, when you're you're running, you're not worried. Like if I'm if you're training and you see a bird, you're gonna stop and have a look and enjoy it a bit too. It's all part of the experience.

SPEAKER_01 47:26

So yeah, I think it's personal for everyone. Everyone has their own thing. Um, but I I do one of my biggest motivations and why I started running initially was I just wanted to spend more time being active and more time being outside. And and running is a great way to do that. It sure is, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 47:44

So you had mentioned you have a few, like you have a sub-three-hour marathon goal and you're maybe a sub-200 mile or well that's you you added that one to the list. Well, that was my doing, yeah. Sub-24, sorry. Yeah. Do you have any other do you ever want to tackle like the divide or a 200 miler or um or a coca donor or something like that?

SPEAKER_01 48:05

Or yeah, like I think at this point, just finding ways to keep enjoying running, like that's the most important for me. And and I do I do like the big goals, like I think they're fun. Yep. And I would consider a 200 miler. I I think probably doing 200k would be a good start, but but you know, yeah, with having done the 100 miler, that's 160k.

SPEAKER_04 48:32

So I could you know tack on and have we have we skipped the 200k? I don't think I've ever heard of that. Like you never hear of like the blah blah 200k. I'm sure there's one somewhere, but uh there are there are a few.

SPEAKER_01 48:43

I think uh the fat dog. Oh, that's right. Yeah, the pretty close. Yeah. It's a 120, so it's 120 miles. Yeah, so that's 30 through 196 in, yeah. It's right around 200k. Yeah, that's right. Okay. So that would be one I would consider. Um, I I've known some people have done that. Um so I I I do think signing up for big goals is fun, and like doing that last year with the 100 miler, it allowed for a lot of cool fun experiences. And this year I was happy to take it a bit more chill. And and then next year I I think it would be fun to sign up for a big race.

SPEAKER_04 49:23

Yeah, you have any anything in mind yet?

SPEAKER_01 49:26

I think I just like looking at the calendar, um, and you know, see seeing seeing what works and and I I I would do Sinister Seven again. I I'd go to Death Race. Um I think like the Great Divide is fairly close. And like I also think like even just doing like fun solo or team adventures, like just like picking somewhere you want to run and doing that can be equally fun.

SPEAKER_04 49:56

That's right, yeah. Make it a little adventury. Yeah. Like our day out at Echo when we were bushwhacking.

SPEAKER_03 50:01

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

That was awesome. Yeah, yeah, finding a hole in the woods and and and making our own trail. I really like doing things like that. So yeah, doing doing a solo thing would be fun. Though I do running at a race does make it a lot easier. That's right, yeah. Like I remember telling Fleming I wanted to run a certain amount of kilometers like around Saskatoon on my own, and he's like, Don't do that, man. I was like, I want to do like 100k by myself, and he's like, Don't do it. Like he's like, if you you sign up for a race, you put a bib on, you get free 50k. Like, just like the energy, the support, like there's there's it helps you a lot. So I think if you're gonna do a big adventure, you need to have a really strong why and and like a cool thing to do. But racing and doing it in a race environment does help a lot because of all the the support for aid stations and and people around.

SPEAKER_04 51:02

Yeah, that's kind of how you meet people in the community and spread your wings that way as well.

SPEAKER_01 51:07

Yeah, so I think like a 200 miler is just a big challenge with the sleep and stuff, but I would consider it and I I like slowly working towards things. Like I I I didn't push it like with a hundred miler, I took my time, like I wasn't worried about doing it right away. So I think the same thing of just like slowly building towards races and and finding fun challenges.

SPEAKER_04 51:29

Yeah, I think that's uh a smart way to do it. Yeah. Yep. I had um a little joke I was because you were done much before me at Reese, but I was telling everyone that I'm gonna start a new business where I um take people who are faster than me on their long runs, so that means they they run in the right zones and train properly. So I was trying to take some trying to take some credit for your big big podium finish. So I was like, yeah, because you know people tend to run too fast on their long runs, but Teo would come with me and you'd have to slow down, and it must have worked.

SPEAKER_01 51:59

I think you deserve the credit. I think it's a lot of fun, and and it's it's great to have someone to run with, and and you're really good with your training. You always have a plan. And then yeah, I I think that our our echo, the one day, I think we we both did back-to-back days that weekend. We did the the echo with it with about a thousand meters of elevation and some specific downhill running. And the next day I did like a 30k, like five-minute pace on the grid roads.

SPEAKER_04 52:28

Yeah, how much did that come in handy? I think a lot. Yeah, yeah, because I was gonna ask you about that.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

That was about the pace I was going, and I was thinking of that run while I was we were up on the top there, and it's like I can do this, like and and lots of the training. Tana and I have been doing some some back road running as well. And and you know, finding that pace where you're you're able to go like 30k, like those kind of runs I think helped a lot for the resource.

SPEAKER_04 52:57

Yeah, I would say I liked when I think when we first started running together, you were like, I don't really follow a plan. I just I just do whatever. I'll I'll just hop in, whatever you're doing, I'll come do with you. So that's kind of a cool thing to do considering the success you've had just shows people maybe you don't have to be quite so rigid, and I mean you have to put in the work, obviously, but yeah, you don't have to, you know, if someone's got a 40k on their plan, but you know, their friends are doing 30. I'm sure if you go out and do that, it can be just as beneficial.

SPEAKER_01 53:27

Yeah, I honestly think I'm just not very good at following a plan. And it it just doesn't work for me to like have to do intervals on a certain idea. But I I do think I like finding people who are running and running with them because that that helps motivate me. And then and then I do I don't follow a specific plan, but I do, you know, listen to you know, some podcasts or watch some YouTube from from different trail running people to kind of know what you should do. That's right. Like those those big days back to back, like I I think those are a good key success. So just having the base with the the higher mileage in the week and then finding time to fit in some of those specific training days is kind of how I look at it. For sure. Well, it seems to be working out very well for you. Yeah, and I I think another thing is like for me is consistency, like running to work for me is it just works so well. Like I run to and from work almost every day. And last year it took me a long time after Sinister to just feel good again. Like I I managed to come into Beaver Flat and still have a good race, but then after that, like I was it it took me a while, but then I just kept I was just like I run to work, I'm gonna run to work. So I just kept running to work, and then so even with that, like my base mileage is like 50 kilometers a week. Okay, and then if I do any other running, it's a bit more. And then I, you know, I met some some friends who were running a lunch hour, so I run a lunch hour, and then all of a sudden in February, I was up to like 90, 100 kilometers a week. And and that kind of set the early foundation for the the training that I did that had a resource.

SPEAKER_04 55:16

Well, that's that's awesome. And then you do some speed work, Tian is like your speed work, speed coach, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:23

And and then like if I'm just feeling good, like I go out for a run and I I feel good, and then I'll just, you know, it's a good day to go for a rep around the lake, and then I'll just kind of turn over the legs, or I'll even hop in on other people's speed speed. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 55:37

I think you did that with me one day.

SPEAKER_01 55:39

Yeah, I hope hopped in on your speed work. I've done that with Liz a few times or at least once, and and yeah, it's just like it's just fun to have people to run with.

SPEAKER_04 55:48

And they saw you, was it the Wednesday before Reese you were running to work? But you were looked like you were running at a pretty good clip.

SPEAKER_01 55:55

Oh, baby. I might have been late or or needed to get there for a certain reason.

SPEAKER_04 55:59

So I said joke to Melissa, I'm like, I don't know how honest Tao is with me. He told me he's just doing some light jogs this week and he just come flying around the corner.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

Yeah, it's the good idea, yeah, just just running every day helps.

SPEAKER_04 56:11

Yeah, I even would imagine it would. All right. Well, I think that'll probably be good for this episode, hey? Yeah, unless there's anything else you wanted to chat about.

SPEAKER_01 56:21

No, I don't I don't think so. Thanks for having me. It's it's been fun running with you, and and I I want to thank you for for doing this podcast. Thank you. Because uh I've it's a big inspiration to me. I've listened to most of the episodes, especially people that I I know and some that I I haven't known before, to just be able to learn and hear people's stories. Um, you know, Harvey and Karen's from two weeks ago. We listened to that on the way down to Resort, and that was super inspiring. And just hearing about everyone's journeying with journeys with trail running has has been helpful to me, and I know it's helpful to a lot of other people as well.

SPEAKER_04 56:58

Yeah, no, it's it's a pretty cool community. I was kind of I imagine when I started the podcast, I envisioned that happening, but maybe not to the point that it has. Like I think last weekend I recently, I think I don't know, I've had like around 40 guests, and I think 35 of them were at the race. And then you like I know friends of mine will like talk to like if they've been on the podcast, they talk to like the other people, and then where I was just like sitting at a in a chair visiting with some people, and some guys that I've never seen before came up to um Karen and Harvey, and they're like, Oh, I just heard your uh your podcast, it was so good. I've really enjoyed your story, but I don't I don't think they knew that I was the host or anything, and I just kind of like sat back and didn't didn't say anything, and I'm like, Yeah, that's pretty awesome. Like these guys really really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 57:41

And yeah, yeah. And I think it's super fun, and and the the community is so great, like going to Resort, and like this year we felt like we knew almost everybody. We couldn't go anywhere. You try to pick up your bib and it's 45 minutes to get chatting with everyone. But that's that's really nice, and I I think the the podcast adds an extra element to that.

SPEAKER_04 58:00

Yeah, I hope so. I hope it does. So that's good. All right. Well, we'll uh probably see you pretty soon for another long run. Sounds good. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for having me. Yep. Have a good day. You have been listening to this Discature Run podcast. Please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to pods, and remember to get in touch at JasonTburns40 at gmail.com for suggestions of who you think may make a great game from this podcast and for commons in general. And asn't the least, thanks to this wonderful Canadian band, The Burning Hell, for the use of it's among holidaymakers. Check the emo at theBurningHell.com. And until next time, keep putting in the work.