Zach Miller

This is part of Freetrail's coverage of the 2024 Hardrock 100 - the iconic mountain ultramarathon in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. Our coverage is made possible with the support of our sponsors:

Welcome Back!  

The Boulder Boys Show Ep. 13

We have an exciting episode this week.  Zach Miller joins us to weigh in on the hand holding epidemic in trail running and more!!

Any suggestions or topics you'd love to hear?  Let us know by commenting or dropping a voice memo in our instagram DMs.  

We rolled up our shorts to their full upright and locked positions for this spicy episode! A big topic was the final installment in our trilogy of updates on tensions surrounding UTMB. The letter sent by Kilian Jornet and Zach Miller to fellow pros added fuel to a fire that started at the grassroots level, finally leading to a response from UTMB. We provide some context that will be fascinating whether you're interested in trail running or just the business side of things, before coming to an ultimately optimistic conclusion. Hopefully, the UTMB empire has the best interests of the community at heart... and they aren't building a Death Star.

While our shorts were rolled up, we didn't waste the opportunity to let some big opinions and emotions out into the world! Other topics: our picks for the Olympic Marathon Trials, great health news, grief and athletics, the best athletic news of the week, cross training and climbing in running, the booming business of trail running, our favorite coaches, studies on leadership, what we look for in leaders, the bonkers Chipotle Challenge, the seismic shifts in the media landscape, body image and confidence, and hot takes.

This episode is like the best burrito. It's shockingly stuffed and ready to party!

For a weekly bonus episode (and weekly science post, plus merch), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! HUZZAH!

Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap

Try Athletic Greens: drinkAG1.com/swap

Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

Precision Hydration discount link: pfandh.com (code "SWAP")

Do you want to have a monster aerobic engine? No matter what your level of experience, you can learn how to build volume safely and implement intensity to get the most from your training miles.

Zach Bitter was formerly the 100-mile world record holder, and is currently the American record holder in the 100-mile and 12-hour events. He's a four time national champion at the 50-mile, 100k and 100-mile distances between 2012 and 2021.

Zach has won some of the country’s most competitive ultra races and competed on Team USA’s 100k world team on three occasions. He is also a coach and host of the popular podcast, Human Performance Outliers.   

Our conversation today focuses on:

• Zach’s journey to 100+ mile weeks
• The process of learning to truly race a 100 miler
• How Zach maximizes his benefits from zone 2 running
• Understanding how and when to train in zone 3
• The holy grail of distance running: how to run faster at a lower heart rate
• Zach’s preparation heading into a fast 100 miler
• How Zach uses cross-training in various ways through the training cycle
• Advice for new and lower mileage runners to take their training to the next level

No matter what distance you're training for or where you are at in your running journey, my discussion with Zach will help you build your own massive endurance engine!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Learn more about Zach’s training and coaching 
• Follow Zach on Instagram and Facebook
• Listen to Zach’s podcast: Human Performance Outliers 
• Follow Zach’s training on Strava
• Check out our YouTube channel for more actionable advice to reach your endurance goals

Thank you Previnex!

After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m optimizing for longevity. I want to be my healthiest self for as long as possible and I’m excited to partner with Previnex to make that happen.

Previnex uses the most bioavailable, clinically tested ingredients, the optimal form and dose of each ingredient, pharmaceutical grade manufacturing, testing of raw ingredients and finished products. For every purchase you make, they also donate vitamins to kids in need.

Their new Muscle Health Plus is something I'm now taking. Turning 40 - and having a thin frame - has made me realize that I need to prioritize lean muscle mass to stay healthy and age well. Muscle Health Plus has creatine, essential and branched chain amino acids, and it's designed in a way to maximize protein synthesis and the absorption of amino acids.

Muscle Health Plus will help you prevent muscle damage, which is particularly important for aging runners who want to protect themselves from muscle loss and recover faster after hard workouts. As is true for all of their products, Previnex adheres to the highest of standards: their ingredients are clinically proven to do what they say they’re going to do.

Previnex offers a 30-day money back guarantee. If you don't feel the benefits of their product, you get your money back no questions asked. With their focus on quality and customer satisfaction, I hope you’ll try it! Use code jason15 for 15% off your first order at Previnex!

Thank you CXP SPORT!

Our newest sponsor is CXP Sport. They make the world’s most advanced underwear, engineered specifically for optimal sports performance with their patented pressure regulation technology.

CXP Sport collaborated with ultra runner Zach Miller to create an amazing product. It has no-chafe, bonded seams, 4-way stretch sweat wicking fabric, and temperature regulating features that keep you cool when you start to get hot.

For me, CXP’s performance underwear is snug, fits well, and most importantly, I just don’t think about them when I go running. They're that comfortable. For endurance runners who have to run for a long time, the goal is to have gear so good that it works without any problems!

You can check out their Endurance XP, Run XP, and React XP performance underwear collection for the most comfortable pair of underwear you’ve ever worn. Use discount code CXPStrength for 20% off all their products at CXP Sport.

We had fire (and iron) flowing through our veins for this awesome episode! There is a big development in the UTMB controversy: reports that legends Kilian Jornet and Zach Miller sent a letter to some of the best athletes in the world considering a boycott of this year's races. We talk about what we think it means through the lens of negotiation theory. This shift in leverage could be a turning point in the UTMB drama!

We also discussed emerging evidence that endurance training fundamentally alters long-term gene and protein expression. Combined with studies on trained v. untrained twins, new science may give the ultimate justification for consistent endurance: we can fundamentally alter how our physiology acts, 10 minutes at a time.

And this episode was jam-packed with our favorite subjects! Other topics: why it's Tough B season, Megan's big life decision and next steps, blood values for health and performance, testosterone and SHBG, choosing running surfaces in training, Zone 1 v. Zone 2 for easy training, our spicy feelings on Ultra Runner of the Year voting, and hot takes.

In Hot Takes, David has an opinion on temperature and wind chill that is so wrong that it's almost impressive. Can a Hot Take be awful enough that it's actually cold? Tune in to find out.

For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter, plus merch), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! HUZZAH!

Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap

Try Athletic Greens: drinkAG1.com/swap

Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

Precision Hydration discount link: pfandh.com (code "SWAP")

In this episode, Buzz and Corrine marvel over Jim Walmsley, Courtney Dauwalter, and Zach Miller’s performances at UTMB.

Then, Corrine talks with artist Brendan Leonard (often known as Semi-Rad) about his ultimate trail race. It includes Dropbag Jeff and all the French toast. You can see Brendan’s illustrations on UltraSignup.

Buzz chats with two callers. First, he speaks with Mark from Minnesota. They agree that baked beans are not ideal running fuel. Buzz makes the case for sugar.

Buzz and Laura from Portland talk about ultrarunning after cancer treatment.  Here are the links to the organizations Laura mentioned.

Susan G Komen:  https://www.komen.org/

Pink Lemonade Project:  https://www.pinklemonadeproject.org/

This very special episode is coming to you from Chamonix, right after the finish of the UTMB races! We were all around the courses, screaming until our voices gave out, gathering up all the inspiration from the incredible athletes. Our goal is to transport you to France with us for the most historic year ever! For the optimal listening experience, consume this podcast with a warm baguette.

The main stories were Courtney Dauwalter and Jim Walmsley at UTMB. Courtney redefined what is humanly possible this summer, and we discuss whether she is the best athlete ever across sports. Jim went all-in for his victory, moving to France to train on these trails. That course record is the payoff after years of hard work and belief. We are living in a moment of running history that will be talked about 100 years from now, and part of that future discussion will revolve around this year's race. How cool is it to be living history in real time?!

And there were so many other awe-inspiring things to talk about! Topics: Zach Miller's ability to dig deep, the importance of confidence, the power of being a hype squad, our European experience, France hot takes, training thoughts, why we are attending the CHURCH OF THE BIG QUADS, how age may not be the limiter that some previously thought, the benefit of cross training, and so much more.

We are extremely sleep-deprived, but more full of life than we have ever been before. The highs and lows of UTMB are metaphors for life, and this episode aims to bring you a steaming baguette of existence. We love you all! HUZZAH!

For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon.

Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap

Try Athletic Greens: drinkAG1.com/swap

Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

Precision Hydration discount link: https://visit.pfandh.com/swap

This interview is part of Good Morning, Mont Blanc. This is the inaugural year of Freetrail’s daily morning show, kicking off with the 20th anniversary of the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB), the most important global event in the sport of trail running. The show is hosted each day by professional athlete, Dylan Bowman. Every afternoon, Dylan interviews top athletes and favorites for the races. 

Dylan talks to Zach about his incredible second place finish at the 2023 UTMB. Zach finished just under 20 hours and ran the entire race with his signature gusto. We were blown away by his performance and so eager to hear him recount the race from his perspective. We hope you enjoy!

Freetrail Pro

Interested in joining the best community in trail running? Are you a veteran trail runner or new to the sport and looking to learn more? You’ve come to the right place! Freetrail Pro is the best global community of passionate and dedicated trail runners. Members get access to exclusive content, training plans, early access to races, discounts from partners, and more. Best of all? We have an incredible online community that lives and breathes in Slack - members talk about training, nutrition, racing, mental health, and so much more. Don’t just listen to us. Sign up with a free trial now and see for yourself. 

Kia ora e te whānau. HOLY HECKA we’ve got a stacked show for you this week. From the shores of Lake Okataina (literally) to the village green where we interviewed a galaxy of this sport’s brightest stars, Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB always brings the goods and this year was no different. Eugene and Matt were on MC duties from Saturday evening until Sunday morning, and in between they managed to catch up with 10000 people, record a podcast, go for some sweet runs, share the stories and emotions with a tonne of athletes and sit down to talk with Hayden Hawks, Caitlin Fielder, Ryan Montgomery, Zach Friedley, Troy Sachs, Lucy Bartholomew, and Zach Miller. You can thank us later, we’re off to bed.  Enjoy.

Episode Links 

Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB

Hayden Hawks on Instagram 

Caitlin Fielder on Instagram 

Ryan Montgomery on Instagram 

Zach Friedley on Instagram

Troy Sachs on Instagram 

Lucy Bartholomew on Instagram 

Zach Miller on Instagram 

SCOTT Running 

Coros NZ

Julbo Eyewear 

UltrAspire

irunfar

Givealitle for Kerry’s Rehab 

Dirt Church Radio on Instagram

Dirt Church Radio on Twitter 

Dirt Church Radio on Facebook 

Dirt Church Radio on Patreon

Ciele

Further Faster New Zealand

It's Thursday and you know what that means

I got 99 problems but a stitch ain't one

Our penultimate stop on the road to 100 is here and its a great one

In the main event Rob sits down with the founder of Pockit apparel, Jack Miller. We talk about his budding career as a youth footballer, how injury forced him to change his trajectory, the process of starting his own running brand and some of the challenges that the business have faced recently

Plus we have a very special new entry to the Wildy Nation, An international parkrun segment with Ben and Emma and SMJ has a product that Rob actually seems to want to buy...cause he's weird. 

The boys are raising money this year for the amazing Make-A-Wish UK foundation - if you enjoyed this weeks show then 'buy us a pint' by donating directly to our directly to our JUST GIVING page - thank you so much for all your support so far

Remember you can join our Fartlek Family at any time, be part of our 100+ strong community of amazing people, organising meet ups, catch ups and general nonsense all year round

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Music by: Graham Lindley

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