Trail Love | Humans of Trail Running

Sofie Schunk | A New Mexico Runners Journey from Roads to Trails

Sofie Schunk grew up in Albuquerque, then moved on to play NCAA division one soccer at Marquette. After graduating, she discovered she had a talent for running fast on roads. After a series of attempts, she qualified for the 2024 Olympic Trials in the marathon. Since then, she has shifted her focus to trail running. She placed third in the 50k at Kodiak last year, qualifying her to run OCC in 2026. Meanwhile, she recently placed fifth at Canyons. She is an amazing human who has done all of this while working full time as an engineer and living with Type 1 diabetes. What's it like to manage living with diabetes as a professional athlete? And what inspires an up-and-coming road runner to switch her focus to the trails? Learn Sofie's story as we talk about all this and more.  Instagram: AndyfromABQ [https://www.instagram.com/andy_from_abq] Trail Love on Apple Podcasts (subscribe here) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trail-love/id1799861266] Trail Love on Spotify (subscribe here) [https://open.spotify.com/show/0PIgOyLTXC3BBZTEcm5Syv] Trail Love Home at Podbean.com [https://traillove.podbean.com/] ------ Sofie Schunk (@runswithinsulin) - Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/runswithinsulin/] Embrace the Grind - Learn how to hire Sofie Schunk as your running coach [https://www.letsembracethegrind.com/] Runner's World - How a Runner With Type 1 Diabetes Qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials [https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a46552797/sofie-schunk-diabetes-olympic-marathon-trials/]

Travis and Amanda McWhorter | From Photographing Trail Races to Running Hardrock

Welcome to season two of Trail Love. Today I'm talking with two more great humans in the world of trail running, Travis and Amanda McWhorter. As photographers of many trail running events in New Mexico, they are doubtless warm and familiar faces to many trail runners in the state. In 2025, you may have also run into them as the official photographers at Hardrock. I am sure you're going to enjoy this conversation, which ranges from trail stories, mountain expeditions, and running with dogs to personal stories and Travis' hopes for his own run at Hardrock next year. Season two of Trail Love has lots of great episodes on the way, so please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast while you're here!  Instagram: AndyfromABQ [https://www.instagram.com/andy_from_abq] Trail Love on Apple Podcasts (subscribe here) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trail-love/id1799861266] Trail Love on Spotify (subscribe here) [https://open.spotify.com/show/0PIgOyLTXC3BBZTEcm5Syv] Trail Love Home at Podbean.com [https://traillove.podbean.com/] ------ Lobo Photo NM (Travis and Amanda's Photography Business) [https://www.lobophotonm.com/] Travis McWhorter on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lobo.photo.nm/?hl=en]

Howie Stern | International Trail Running Photographer and Trail Runner | Trail Love Podcast

This week I had the privilege of talking with Howie Stern, an internationally recognized trail running photographer who lives in Silverton, Colorado. Howie has gained a reputation for going out and getting the gritty shots in his quest to capture the human essence of trail running. His photograph of Jasmin Paris finishing Barkley turned heads of trail runners and fans of endurance sports around the world. If there's a big race going down somewhere in the world, he's probably there with a view like no one else. I met him this summer at the Animas Forks aid station during the Hardrock 100 on a day he will never forget, as you'll understand by the end of the episode. In this episode, he talks about his life journey from his youth in California in which he almost became a heavy metal guitarist, through the twists and turns that led him to Silverton where he carved out a niche for himself in one of the highly competitive world of professional photography. In addition to photographing ultramarathons, Howie also runs them. He's a 10 time Hardrock finisher. As this podcast goes live he will be running in the 2025 Tor des Géants in the Aosta Valley of the Italian Alps, a truly epic endurance running event. I'm sure you will enjoy his very human story. More great episodes are on the way. Please subscribe to the Trail Love podcast while you're here.

Ken and Margaret Gordon | Founders of the Mt Taylor 50k - New Mexico's Most Iconic Trail Running Race | Trail Love Podcast

You're going to love this conversation with Ken and Margaret Gordon, founders of New Mexico's most iconic grass roots trail running races, the Mt Taylor 50k. They share how the race almost never got started; about the year Jim Walmsley and Gordon Ainsley showed up; how the race developed with the love and support of a community; and stories that show why this race is beloved by people who come from all over the United States to run it every year. They also talk about their own trail running journeys and exploits, including their multiple Hardrock finishes, and share their thoughts about entrusting Mt. Taylor to new race directors, Jesse and Arlene Armijo, starting this year. Trail Love has lots of great episodes on the way, so please subscribe to the podcast while you're here!  Instagram: AndyfromABQ [https://www.instagram.com/andy_from_abq] Trail Love on Apple Podcasts (subcribe here) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trail-love/id1799861266] Trail Love on Spotify (subscribe here) [https://open.spotify.com/show/0PIgOyLTXC3BBZTEcm5Syv] Trail Love Home at Podbean.com [https://traillove.podbean.com/] ------ Lobo Photo NM (Travis and Amanda's photography business website) [https://www.lobophotonm.com/] Travis on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lobo.photo.nm/?hl=en]

Adam Arguello | Perspectives on Trail Running from a 2025 Hardrock Finisher and New Father | Trail Love Podcast

The first time I met Adam Arguello we were on top of a mountain. Specifically, we had both run separately up to South Peak overlooking the city of Albuquerque. The second time, he was volunteering at packet pick-up and cheering on runners at the Mt Taylor 50k, one of New Mexico's most iconic trail races. It's fitting to have met Adam in each of these ways because he is an authentic member of the trail running community, a pure runner at heart who is at home on a mountain top and truly there for others on the ground behind the scenes. This summer I also had the privilege of seeing Adam finish his first Hardrock 100 with his partner by his side and his daughter, Adaline, in his arms. I hope you enjoy this conversation with this amazing human of trail running as much as I did. Instagram: AndyfromABQ [https://www.instagram.com/andy_from_abq] Trail Love on Apple Podcasts (subcribe here) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trail-love/id1799861266] Trail Love on Spotify (subscribe here) [https://open.spotify.com/show/0PIgOyLTXC3BBZTEcm5Syv] Trail Love Home at Podbean.com [https://traillove.podbean.com/] ------ Mt Taylor 50k website [http://www.mttaylor50k.com/] Mt Taylor 50k 2025 on UltraSignUp [https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=124413]