Art and Phred talk winter survival mode: dodgy road conditions, shoulder rehab, fitness dips, and why flexible training beats heroic stupidity this time of year. We also review a Canadian Trail Running (Fishing) Magazine article about How to Be a Lifelong Runner. And take a quick yard sale dive into Skimo, just before we thank our Patreons. We finish with a dope Suno generated 112 song.

• Art's snowy van saga + recovery update
• Winter marathon training reality checks
• Cut 112 is happening sign up, crew, pace, or suffer responsibly
• The Real King of Pain run incoming (stream crossings + party, home by kickoff)
• Snowy trails vs rocks: pick your poison
• SKIMO hits the Olympics trail runners invading winter sports
• Running long-term: avoid dumb injuries, run happy, not wrecked
• Burrito League envy and community run shenanigans
• Shoutouts to the Cultra crew Patreons grinding through winter miles

Bottom line: stay active, stay kind, don't take yourself too seriously, and we'll see you out there.

Link to How to Be a Lifelong Runner

Link to Burrito League

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Intro music by Nick Byram

Outro Music by Suno

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The Cultra Crew welcomes New Hampshire–based author and risk management executive Ty Gagne for a wide-ranging conversation on mountain rescues, decision-making, and human behavior in the backcountry. How can we have fun, and live to tell about it?

Why This Episode Matters

Whether you're an ultrarunner, hiker, or weekend adventurer, this episode digs into the uncomfortable but essential truths about preparedness, accountability, and how quickly things can go wrong in the mountains we love. We also open with some details about the Vermont 100 Lottery, and close with some Patreon love!

Hosts: AFB, Anna G, Josh G

Episode Highlights

• Ty Gagne's 2008 Franconia Ridge experience and how it changed his relationship with risk
• What mountain rescues reveal about human decision-making under stress
• Key themes from That's Where You'll Find Me, The Last Traverse, and The Lions of Winter
• Experience vs. expertise: why time in the mountains doesn't always equal good judgment
• The role of ego, optimism, and groupthink in backcountry incidents
• Leadership and communication failures that commonly precede emergencies
• Practical takeaways for runners, hikers, and winter athletes in the White Mountains

Thank you to Forrest from The Mountain Wanderer Maps and Books for lending me your personal copy of Lions of Winter!

Learn more about Ty Gagne at https://www.fullconditionsnh.com/ty-gagne-about

Follow Ty on Instagram @fullconditionsnh

Vermont 100 Info

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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More Information on the #CUT112

Phred recaps finishing the Across the Years Ultra in Arizona, logging another 100-mile effort and marking his 19th consecutive year with a 100-mile finish. The crew swaps ultra lore, legendary runner sightings, and stories from the deep end of endurance running. Plus we shout out our Cultra Fam. Then we go from hot to cold.

The conversation shifts into winter running survival mode, covering traction options, screw shoes, Gore-Tex debates, layering strategies, and knowing when to run, walk, or rethink bad ideas on ice.

They also preview the Real King of Pain trail run, discuss cold-weather mistakes, alternative winter sports, and even fire-building skills required for upcoming winter races.

Topics Covered

• Across the Years Ultra recap
• Fred's 19 straight 100-mile finishes
• Ultrarunning legends & absurd mileage
• Winter traction: spikes, screws, Yaktrax
• Layering rules that (mostly) work
• Gore-Tex pros & cons
• Real King of Pain trail preview
• Winter survival & fire-building

Coming Up

Next episode features an interview with Author Ty Gagne on decision-making in extreme winter conditions.

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Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

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Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112

This solo episode is equal parts major announcement, status update, and classic Cultra over-share. AFB checks in on where the show has been, announces a big geographic expansion for Cultra TRP, lays out full details for the 2026 #CUT112 / #CUT50, and closes with a personal update on a long-overdue shoulder replacement.

Intro music by Nick Byram

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Twitter @BlueBlazeRunner

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Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112

Ian Golden from The Trails Collective, Finger Lakes Running Co., Red Newt Racing joins Evil Becky Burke to talk about the challenges of coaching runners of all ages and abilities.

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Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

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More Information on the #CUT112

Author Jared Beasley can tell a great story! Including his encounters with Lazarus Lake, where he earned access to cover the Barkley and Backyard World Championship. Jared shares what he learned: Laz isn't testing fitness—he's testing willpower. Jared's new book The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley & a Race with No End covers all this and more.

The Beauty of Breaking Down

Whether dropping at mile 75 or missing a story deadline, Jared finds the same lesson; failure fuels growth. He also recalls witnessing raw humanity at the Backyard, when a Japanese runner and his crew shared a powerful moment of empathy and exhaustion.

The Birth of Backyard Ultra

The crew dives into how Laz dreamed up the last-man-standing format back in high school and how it's evolved into a worldwide endurance experiment in pain, strategy, and survival.

Listen in for:

• The real story behind In Search of Al Howie
• Why Laz Lake embraces failure
• What theater and ultras have in common
• How you might win a free copy of his new book

Buy a copy of The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley & a Race with No End

Jared on Instagram: @Jaredbnewyork

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

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Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112

AFB and Phred cover highlights from the Cat's Tail Marathon, NotchView Invitational, SRT and Barclay Fall Classic, and Shan Riggs's run across Connecticut (114 of 169 towns done!).

AFB shares a knee-busting White Mountains hiking story, his adventures at the Glastonbury Senior Center gym, where he scores a gift basket, and a Woodstock RV trip featuring The Black Crowes. Phred recalls a cross-country road trip full of quirky running stops — from the Corn Palace to the Spam Museum.

They rant about Patreon frustrations, pay tribute to Dr. Jack Daniels, and compare Jack LaLanne's stunts to today's fitness influencers — all with that signature Cultra chaos and trail humor.

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Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids

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Buy Fred's Book Running Home

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Andrew Drummond is the heartbeat of the White Mountain trail running community -ultrarunner, ski mountaineer, and race director who set the FKT on the Direttissima, summiting all 48 NH 4,000-footers in under five days. We dive into his adventures in ultramarathons, backcountry skiing, and community building in Jackson, NH, including the White Mountain 100, Bubba's Backyard Ultra, and guiding Scott Jurek through the toughest terrain in the East.

As our conversation with Andrew unfolds, what emerges isn't just a tale of mountains or miles, but a love story-of place, of lifestyle, of belonging. It's about finding connection, losing it, and carrying that emptiness until the trail brings you back to what makes you whole.

White Mountain Ski Company

Video of Andrew's Ski Presi

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Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids

Sign up for a race at Live Loud Running and feel better

Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112