Mark Bottenhorn: He's So Much More Than Just An Ultra Athlete

Smiling Into The Struggle: A Conversation With Jason Hardrath

"It doesn't really start until it get's hard."  "Discomfort is the path."  "Smile into the struggle."  Jason Hardrath, a P.E. teacher by day, and a badass adventurer and FKT seeker by weekend, drops multitudes of wisdom on this episode. Early as a kid, Jason suffered from severe A.D.H.D. (before it was really a thing) and tells the story of how he used his limited attention span to get adventurous and move his body.  Listen as Jason tells stories of his INSANE solo adventurous FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempts and how to better push your own limits and have an incredible perspective on life in the process.  This guy exudes PASSION, and you'll feel that come through in this episode.  Connect With Jason:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonhardrath/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wynnhardrath Website: https://www.jasonhardrath.com

Mark Bottenhorn: He's So Much More Than Just An Ultra Athlete

Mark went from having severe social anxiety, to 10 years later helping others that struggle with anxiety and crushing his goals. What we love about Mark is his ability to have such amazing perspective in life, and knowing that he is MORE than just the sport that he participates in. So many athletes have a bad training session or a bad race and become derailed.  In this episode we get into everything from nutrition,  (how you don't have to spend a ton of money to eat well and like a champion) to mental toughness training tips, to some of Mark's biggest struggles and how he got through them.  *Please note, we had a couple of moments where the recording was lost and unfortunately weren't able to edit these out, so just know that they are no more than 10 seconds and the podcast picks right back up** About Mark Mark Bottenhorn is a professional mountain, ultra, trail and OCR athlete living in Dallas,Texas. He spends his free time with his wife, Brittany and young daughter, Maya. Mark works with dozens of endurance athletes ranging from first timers to elites on his coaching platform, Run Strong Coaching. Mark has numerous wins, course records and accolades including landing on the North American top performances list at the 50k distance two years in a row. You can contact Mark at his Website: www.markbottenhorn.com [http://www.markbottenhorn.com/] Instagram @bottenhornrunning

Crushing FKT Goals and Raising The Bar For Women: Ashly Winchester

What is an FKT?  How do you venture solo in the wilderness and push yourself to the brink of exhaustion in order to learn more about yourself?  How do you grow mentally and stronger each and every day?  We discuss the answers to all of these questions in this awesome episode. Ashly lays out her top 5 lessons for being a grateful, driven, mentally strong human being, as well as talks about her journey into the unknown.  Make sure you listen to the end of this episode! There's mega wisdom all the way till the last minute!  About Ashly Winchester First and foremost, Ashly Winchester is an adventurer and explorer. She loves doing big solo, unsupported efforts in the wilderness - that's kind of her jam. She's also a rock climber, mountaineer, and backpacker. But there's more... She recently quit her full-time job as a veterinary assistant to become a freelance writer. After working in the field for 13 years, she made the decision that her job no longer aligned with what she wanted out of life, and what she wanted was to adventure. She's a big advocate of allowing what you love to be a driver in the decision-making process, and apparently she's a risk-taker, so it made sense to her to find some kind of work that would allow her to adventure and explore as much as possible. Over the last year, she dove into the world of Fastest Known Times.  I have 10 FKT's currently. Some of my most notable FKT's include the 74 mile Joshua Tree Traverse, the Mount Shasta ascent via Avalanche Gulch, and the 57 mile (and incredibly wild) Lost Coast Trail. She has a long list of FKT's that she wants to tackle, many of them solo and unsupported efforts through the desert and in the mountains. She also recently started her own podcast called Womxn Of The Wild, which aims to highlight rad women who are crushing it in the outdoors. The goal is to make these more extreme sports that are generally male-dominated more accessible to women and to inspire women and give them the resources needed to learn. Connect with Ashly:  www.instagram.com/ashly.winchester [http://www.instagram.com/ashly.winchester] www.instagram.com/womxnofthewild [http://www.instagram.com/womxnofthewild] www.womxnofthewild.com [http://www.womxnofthewild.com/] Link to FKT website:  https://fastestknowntime.com/ [https://fastestknowntime.com/]

Ben Light Wants You to Have Fun (And Get Uncomfortable)

Putting yourself in the most INSANE situations that are of the utmost discomfort in order to strengthen your mental toughness?  That's what Ben Light is all about.  From waking up at 3 a.m. to train in the rain or snow, to running remote 200+mile races in the bogs of the U.K, Ben has put himself in some gnarly positions. And they've all served him and helped him to build mental toughness.  In this episode. Ben cuts right through the fluff and shares his top practices for becoming better every single day.  I admire Ben for his ability to balance work, family, serving in his community, as well as being a top ultra runner.  Athlete Bio Name: Ben Light Sport: Ultra-Running Personal Bio: (i.e. Hometown / Age / Relationship / Career / etc.): I live outside of Salt Lake City in a small mountain town called Heber City Utah. I am married to my best friend and together we are parents of 3 amazing kids. I primarily work from home as a self-employed brand marketing consultant. Hobbies: Fitness and spending time in the gym has always been a hobby and part of my life. Combined that with my love of adventure and spending time in the outdoor resulted in my passion of ultrarunning. Your Wikipedia Description (aka Who are You): I am a dedicated Husband and Father who loves to laugh and discovering new places along with pushing my personal limits. What Gets You Up in The Morning? (aka What is Your “WHY”): The foundation of my “WHY” is my family and the example I set for them. I want to encourage them to pursue whatever goals or passions they have in this life. That no goal is to far out of reach if they are willing to work for it. I want to teach them from how I live my own life. Lead by example. Personal Goals Wanting to Be Obtained: Within my personal life, I would like to be financially sound and self-reliant with the ability to retire. And within ultrarunning, I am currently working towards the potential of successfully running the 1,000-mile Iditarod and the 1,400-mile Mormon Trail. Three Pro-Tips You Want to Share: Here are three pro-tips I would share with those interested in ultrarunning 1. Personal Responsibility – It’s your responsibility to develop the skills that will enable you to be consistent at working towards your goals, increase your capacity to endure physical discomfort and controlling your attitude. 2. Control How You React – Ultrarunning is the ability to adjust to your current environment. And how you react will have a direct result on your ability to adjust. 3. Nutrition – If an individual can dial in their nutritional needs during an activity, they can increase the potential their bodies can endure. Connect With Ben on Social:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultralight007/ [https://www.instagram.com/ultralight007/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ultralight007 [https://www.facebook.com/Ultralight007]

Kevin Day: A Creative, A Cycling Champion, And A Man Keeping It Real.

Bio From Kevin: (love this) Kevin Day... aka K Day Husband, father, elite athlete, curator of the creative. I've spent over 20 years racing bicycles, most of which on an elite level. Through my career, I've been fortunate enough to travel to both national and international events and compete against the best cyclists in the world. During that time, I've balanced life as a husband to the most amazing person on the planet, received a bachelor of fine arts, worked as an art director and brand manager for a number of national brands and currently raising three amazing children. Riding and racing bicycles have given me a perspective on life, that nothing else could offer. I've been down some pretty incredible trails, filled with the most amazing views and awe-inspiring moments, that have truly shaped who I am today. In addition to those incredible trails, I've had my share of dead ends, rough routes and impassable terrain. Because this world has given me so much and continues to provide opportunities for growth and strength, I've learned the tools and built relationships with those I can depend on, to keep a positive mindset and forward movement. It's not about position. It's about direction. Some of Kevin's Results! 2018 US Cyclocross Masters National Champion 2016 US Fat Bike Masters National Champion Multi-time Cyclocross and MTB Utah State Champion Two-Time Cross Vegas winner Multiple Cyclocross national race wins and podium finishes Multiple MTB national race wins and podium finishes Multi-stage winner, Breck Epic stage race. Connect With Kevin (Be sure to check out the video!)  https://www.instagram.com/kdayracing/ [https://www.instagram.com/kdayracing/] https://www.youtube.com/user/kdayracing [https://www.youtube.com/user/kdayracing] http://kdayracing.com [http://kdayracing.com/]