In this episode of the West Coast Ultra Podcast, I’m joined once again by previous guest (S2E2) and friend of the show Andy Darling — a seriously fast road runner who has made a brilliant transition into the world of trail and ultra running.

If you didn’t catch Andy’s first appearance on the show, don’t worry. I get him to reintroduce himself, talk about his background as both a runner and a personal trainer, and share what pulled him away from the road‑PB mindset and into the adventure, unpredictability, and challenge of the trails.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Andy’s journey from road speed to trail resilience
• The mindset shift from chasing times to chasing experiences
• How his training has evolved — physically and mentally
• What surprised him most about the ultra world
• A full breakdown of his recent Borders 8 Hour race
• His pacing, nutrition, highs, lows, and the lessons he’s taking forward
• How his road background helped him — and where it didn’t
• What’s next for him, including his 2026 race calendar and long‑term goals

I also share some coaching insights from my own work with athletes making the same transition, and talk about the common pitfalls I see when road runners step into the ultra world.

🔗 Connect with Andy

Instagram: @andyd_thept

🔗 Connect with Me

Coaching via Team RunRun — just search David Taylor

Instagram: @davidultrarunner

If you’re stepping into ultras, coming back from injury, or looking to build sustainable endurance, I coach athletes of all levels and would love to support your journey.

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