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Running is Life reflects what our sport teaches us. Through the trials, tribulations, and obstacles we overcome in running, we can reflect upon and apply these lessons in our daily lives, and ultimately improve ourselves.
Episodes
Thursday Jul 04, 2024
Thursday Jul 04, 2024
In this episode of the Running His Life podcast, Coach Aaron Saft shares the incredible journey of Tony McDermott, one of his athletes who recently completed the grueling Tahoe 200. Recorded from the scenic backdrop of Gunnison, Colorado, Aaron reflects on his own preparations for the High Lonesome 100 while celebrating Tony's monumental achievement.
Tony McDermott opens up about his humble beginnings in running, starting from casual 5Ks to eventually tackling ultra distances. He dives deep into his emotional and physical struggles during the Tahoe 200, from battling altitude sickness to overcoming severe stomach issues. Tony's journey is a testament to mental fortitude, adaptability, and the power of community support.
The episode also covers practical tips for those considering their first 200-miler, including training strategies, gear recommendations, and the importance of breaking the race into manageable segments. Tony's insights provide valuable lessons on how to navigate the highs and lows of ultra-endurance events.
Don't miss this inspiring conversation that highlights the essence of perseverance and the beauty of running in the wild. Tune in and get motivated to chase your own running dreams!
Connect with Tony on Instagram @silverfoxinthesprings
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Welcome to the Running Life podcast with Coach Aaron Saft! In today's episode, Coach Aaron delves into a mix of topics, sharing insights from his athletes' experiences and his own training journey. He addresses the common pitfall of over-focusing on specific race segments, using examples from races like Leadville and Western States. Aaron emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded training approach that includes aerobic fitness, mental preparation, and integrating specific race conditions at the right time.
Coach Aaron also explores the mental aspect of racing, discussing how meditation and staying present can significantly improve performance and reduce anxiety. He shares personal anecdotes and practical tips on how to train the mind to stay focused and positive, even in the most challenging parts of a race.
Additionally, the episode covers crucial training elements such as nutrition, hydration, and the importance of balancing workout intensity to avoid overtraining. Aaron provides advice on how to adapt training plans to include vertical gain, heat training, and how to effectively use tools like heart rate monitoring and treadmill workouts.
Whether you're training for your first ultra or looking to refine your race strategy, this episode is packed with valuable tips and insights to help you achieve your running goals. Tune in and keep moving forward!
Resources:
Headspace Meditation App - https://www.headspace.com/
Training Essentials for Ultrarunning by Jason Koop - https://www.jasonkoop.com/book
Mental Training for Ultrarunning by Addie Bracy - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mental+training+for+ultrarunning&hvadid=598726248443&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9010291&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=418709563311563269&hvtargid=kwd-1364307142448&hydadcr=15553_13558561&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_2cyixb740w_e
Dietitian Kendra Miller - https://fuelinglifenutrition.com/about/meet-our-team/
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
I start this episode with a bit about rotating your running shoes as I had a listener question about the topic (thank you Ron).
The main focus of the episode is my conversation with Zach Dean. He has done a lot of ultras in very little time. We'll hear about some of them, but mainly we discuss his finishing of the BRUTES Challenge & the Hellbender 100 very recently. I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Resources:
MORE Foundation (shoe collection) - https://www.morefoundationgroup.org/
Strava Feed Challenge - https://thefeed.com/credit/strava-april-2024?utm_source=Strava&utm_campaign=April24
Trail workday information:
Sat., June 22 @ 8 AM @ Rugby Middle School - 3345 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28791
Tools will be provided. Bring plenty of water & snacks. We'll be working until 1 PM.
Connect with Zach:
Instagram -@zdean_machine
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Before you sign up for an event, please take these things into consideration:
- Time to train
-
- Commitments
- Family obligations
- Level of guilt
- Vacation time
- Time off work
- Time for ancillary training (strength & mobility work)
- Healthy enough to do it
- Prior injury history & plan to stave off repeating injury
- Assessing your goals to be realistic with time constraints
- Prior Experience with distance? How far have you gone?
- Within your budget
-
- Entry fee
- Travel
- Gear/nutrition
- Physical Therapy
- Coach?
- Unknown expenses
- Discuss with your family/significant other to make sure they are on board & know both expectations & what to expect
- Research the race itself
-
- Are you able to train safely to meet the demands of the race (heat, altitude, climbing)
- What do others say about the race? Good for your ability/experience level?
- If the race allows support in the form of crew & pacers, do you have access to knowledgeable & capable people to do so?
- What questions do you have & who can answer them for you?
- Who or what will be your team/resource moving forward to help you train both physically and mentally?
-
- Training partners
- Sports orthopedic
- Physical therapist
- Coach
- Mental performance coach
- Strength Training/mobility
- Crew Chief/crew/pacers
- Nutrition/hydration
- Determine your intrinsic & extrinsic “Why”
Resources:
Books
1. Crewing For An Ultrarun: Start to Finish
2. Mental Training for Ultrarunning
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Chas Adams is came to me in Dec. of 2023 with the goal of completing the Pennsylvania Triple Crown of Ultras (Hyner 50k, World's End 100k, & Eastern States 100-miler). He is two-thirds of the way there having just completed World's End 100k. This episode is about his journey and frankly his struggle to complete World's End having run the race in 2019 and having an awful experience. As we saw at Running is Life Coaching, keep moving forward! Chas did just that! Enjoy!
Resources:
Book - Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons by Bryon Powell - https://www.irunfar.com/rfp
Webpage - www.ultrapacer.com - a great resource for creating your own pacing plans
Dietitian Kendra Miller - kendra@fuelinglifenutrition.com
Nutrition - Endurance Tap - https://endurancetap.com/
Naak - https://www.naak.com/
Tailwind - www.tailwindnutrition.com
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday May 30, 2024
Thursday May 30, 2024
There are so many variables to consider with in a race such as running surface, terrain, elevation change, distance, altitude, temperature, etc. Hydration and nutrition are huge concerns based on these variables. We have a lot to talk about, including the fact that Spring Awesome Sauce, one of my go to's, does not have anywhere near the amount of carbohydrates or calories it claims to on it's wrapper.
Resources:
- Spring Reddit article on Spring Awesome Sauce (SAS) - https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultramarathon/comments/1cl9bws/the_next_chapter_in_the_spring_energy_awesome/
- Jason Koop's SAS Research - https://www.jasonkoop.com/research-essentials-for-ultrarunning
- Spring's Email Response to the Research - https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultramarathon/comments/1d1afyx/spring_energy_emailconfession/
Salomon S/Lab Ultra 10 Pack - https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/s-lab-ultra-10-lc12541.html#color=83866
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday May 23, 2024
Thursday May 23, 2024
I had 2 athletes complete the 2024 Cocodona 250. This episode is my conversation with each of those runners.
Ben Gans - @dr_bentendo on Instagram
Mike Reardon - @get_some_trail on Instagram
Resources:
Books:
- Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultrarunning - Heat Training Protocols
- Fixing Your Feet: Injury Prevention and Treatment for Athletes
by John Vonhof and Tonya Olson - Crewing For An Ultrarun: Start to Finish Paperback
by Sandra Bullock Smith
Websites:
- ultrapacer.com - Setting up a pacing plan
- Cocodona 250 foot care video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeWGZjc-v2I
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday May 16, 2024
Thursday May 16, 2024
Hellbender 100 didn't go as planned. This episode goes into why. I also discuss my essay for my application for Badwater 135 (actual letter is below).
Here's my Post from Facebook after Hellbender:
I’ve learned something over the 3 decades I’ve been running. When we line up for a race, no matter how much we’ve trained and prepared, the race and life in general owes us nothing. The reality is we owe running & life a tremendous amount for what it does for & to us! Running and many coaches, friends, family members, and mentors have transformed me to find my current mindset. A DNF does not diminish or define who I am or what I can accomplish. It makes me take a deeper dive into a. What happened? b. What can I do better? & c. How can I train smarter (not necessarily harder)? It also makes me reflect upon life, the choices I make, my priorities, and what I’m doing to make this world a little better. Running Is Life is a mantra. I live it, I breathe it, and I grasp to understand and apply it on a daily basis. Keep moving forward my friends!
Essay for Badwater 135:
It’s hard to create a story that’s still in progress! It’s also tough to tell a story that’s pretty darn common. Sure, I’ve done and experienced some amazing things in my life, but to be honest, so have many others. So I had to ask myself, what separates me from everyone else?
Let me go back to 2016, and humor me for a moment with a flashback. In said year, I was running Dr David Horton’s now defunct Beast Series. I had completed 3 50k’s by April and the remainder of my calendar for that year was as follows:
June - Cayuga 50-miler & the Manitou’s Revenge 50-miler
July - Canadian Death Race 125k
Oct. - Grindstone 100-miler
Nov. - Mountain Massochist 50-miler
Dec. - Hellgate 100k
A Daunting & challenging schedule with the hope of winning both the Lynchburg Ultra Series & the Beast Series (which I did).
But that’s only part of the 2016 story. In the midst of all of this, I was in The Runner’s World Magazine Cover Contest. A finalist no less. A panel of judges had selected 5 male & 5 female contestants for the honor of being the winner of this contest and having their picture on the front of the magazine. I know for some, print media is dead, but I grew up with this magazine and eagerly read every article. To be a finalist for this was a dream come true!
So how did I get to that point?
Everything about my running stems from love. With and through running, I can do so much more than just go for a run. I can take an individual sport, and at times selfish activity, and make it about others. I created races that raised money for nonprofit organizations, I donated & sponsored races that did the same. I became a coach and mentor to younger and older runners. The point being is I tried to share my love for running and life with others so that they might do the same. To give the idea that life is about others and the change we can make and impact we can have when we put others first and use our talents and abilities to make a difference.
As the internet will show, I didn’t win, but I experienced something that changed my life and way of thinking. I met some truly amazing friends that have much more amazing stories than my own. And that’s what makes running so amazing. Each race we run has a limited number of runners. Those runners all have stories of how that got to that starting line. Badwater has shown this each year it’s run.
Since the Runner’s World Contest, my professional life has gone from Running Store owner and race director to a running coach and podcaster. It took me a number of years to find a name for my brand that felt suitable for who I am, what I do, and what I represent. It wasn’t until I watched Ted Lasso and saw the joy the character Danny Rojas exhibited for life and fútbol that I understood and found a name that resonated with me… “Running is Life”! That simple phrase/name struck a cord so deep that it’s hard to express how much it reflects my love for it and how it affects my thoughts, actions, and deeds. How such a simple few words can say everything. Running is Life!
My story may not be the most compelling, but instead of remaining an individual, I’ve become part of the community. I serve that community with my experience. As I try to reach each finish line, I know that I will help countless others do the same by learning from my own experiences. All I need is the opportunities to continue to grow, to learn, and to evolve. I believe Badwater is one of those experiences that will do so!
As I mentioned earlier, my story is incomplete. Will one of those blank chapters be filled with pages about the Badwater 135? Again, it’s up to a committee to decide what’s added to my story.
In races, we don’t deserve anything but the experience of what the day gives us. All we ask is for that opportunity to see what that day has in store for us. I know running Badwater is in part for my own sake, but I realize, and I hope I’ve conveyed, that it will impact many other lives in the process and aftermath as well.
I sincerely appreciate your time & consideration! I hope to see you in 2025!
Respectfully
Aaron Saft
Crew/Pacer for Dave Horner 10th Place 2008 Badwater 135
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Saturday May 04, 2024
Saturday May 04, 2024
Hellbender 100 Miler is upon us! In this episode I take a deep dive into the course and some tips and strategies to employ if you're racing!
Good luck to everyone toeing the line & thank you to all the volunteers & race staff!
Volunteer for Hellbender Here - https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=115039
Flight of the Falcon 24 Hour Event - https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=115101
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!
Thursday May 02, 2024
Thursday May 02, 2024
Tim Nooney runs for a couple of companies, but his main sponsor is La Sportiva. La Sportiva was my first contractual trail specific sponsor back in 2008. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be sponsored, and what are the responsibilities that come along with a sponsorship, and what the brands are doing to sport not only athletes, but our sport and our world in general!
Tim's been on other podcasts as well:
Adventure Jogger - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/tim-nooney-from-climbing-walls-to-breaking-through-them/id1512991688?i=1000653265500
Facing Vert - https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/034-lessons-learned-tim-nooney/id1683554617?i=1000638718873
Youtube Video from Psgah Players - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq0FUbjCyrw
Flight of the Falcon 24 Hour Event
On Aug. 3, 2024, I'm excited to bring The Flight of the Falcon 24 Hour Event to the West Henderson High School Track!
This is a fundraising event for the West Henderson high School Cross Country and Track & Field Teams. Entry fee is $200 and we ask each participant to raise an additional minimum of $250 to go into a building fund for the athletes locker rooms (currently they do not have anywhere to change or store their belongings during practice).
25 Participants will have 24 hours to complete as much distance as they can. Running direction will switch every four hours.
Each Participant will receive:
-
One Pair of Goodr Sunglasses thanks to our friends at Foot Rx
-
A hooded sweatshirt with name & distance accomplished on sleeve (shipped after completion of event of course)
-
Food & drinks during the event
Awards:
-
Those that finish 50k will receive a local handmade mug
-
Those that finish 50-miles to 100k will receive the mug and a embossed belt
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Those that finish 100-miles will receive the mug, the belt, and a race logo belt buckle
Participants are allowed 2 crew members at the event. Weighted 10 x 10 (no stakes) are permitted on the infield of the track.
Other Event Taking Place
West Henderson HS athletes will be running throughout the event. We'll have 2 hour blocks for them to participate in small numbers so as to not affect those running in the 24 hour event.
Facility
The location includes:
-PA for music & announcements
-Restrooms
-Parking
-Concession Stand for Food & Drink
-Infield for each runners tent
-Lighting for night running
Please come join us! If you can't, please spread the word!
Registration link - https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=115101
An online donation website is in the works.
If you'd like to volunteer, please let me know!
Please email me with any questions!
Aaron's information:
- If you'd like to learn more about Patreon or to donate, please visit https://www.patreon.com/RunningIsLife
- My Socials, Channels, & Newsletter:
- Email - coachsaft@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you for listening!
Please share the Podcast and please leave a review, rate, & subscribe if you haven't done so already!
THANK YOU!
Aaron Saft
Running Is Life Coaching & Podcast
I'd be remiss not to thanks to my Patrons for their continued support!