This week on the Dirt and Vert Podcast, we are joined by a woman who literally rewrote the history books: Ashley Paulson.

Ashley recently stunned the running world by setting the 100-mile World Record, and in this episode, she pulls back the curtain on how she did it. We move past the surface-level talk and dive into the "meticulous" planning required to maintain world-record pace for 100 miles. Ashley shares her specific fueling protocols, the high-volume training strategies that hardened her body, and the "dark room" of mental toughness she enters when the miles get heavy.

From her early days to her future goals of pushing the limits of human potential even further, this is a deep dive into the mind of the fastest 100-mile woman on the planet.

This week on the Dirt and Vert Podcast, we are entering the "Yellow Gate." We’re sitting down with Jason Bailey to deconstruct his journey from the local trails to the most elusive race on the planet: The Barkley Marathons.

Jason takes us behind the scenes of Frozen Head State Park, detailing the grueling progression of his running career and the hyper-specific training required to even stand a chance in Tennessee’s toughest woods. We dive into the "Barkley specific" skillset—navigating by map and compass, the adrenaline-fueled hunt for hidden books, and the legendary traditions that make this race a psychological battlefield.

This isn’t just about miles; it’s about the profound meaning found in the struggle and the mental resilience required to face a race designed to make you fail.

This week on the Dirt and Vert Podcast, we are joined by one of the most versatile and high-performing athletes in the ultra world: Meg Eckert.

Meg is a force to be reckoned with, whether she’s running circles at Desert Solstice, tackling the furnace of Badwater 135, or preparing for the 250-mile journey at Cocodona. We go deep into the "how" of her training—from the calculated suffering of sauna sessions to the mental flexibility required to survive a 6-day race. Meg also highlights the incredible rise of the female ultra-running community and the deep emotional bonds that make races like Snowdrop so much more than just a distance on a map.

If you want to know what it takes to perform at the elite level while maintaining a deep passion for the community.