In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, David, Matt, & Mary are joined by our good friend, fellow race director, and the creative force behind Yeti Trail Runners, Jason Green.

With the first-ever joint ECA and Yeti event—the Smoky Mountain 24 Hour Challenge—just around the corner, we sit down to talk about how a shared love for the Appalachian spirit and Dolly Parton sparked the creation of this massive new race.

The core of this episode is a complete masterclass in ultra crewing. Drawing from decades of combined experience as both runners and race directors, we break down exactly what not to do when crewing a 100-miler. We talk about the dangers of overloading a fatigued runner with choices, the importance of preloading GPS maps, and why giving your runner too much empathy at mile 80 can end their race. We also dive into the emotional side of the sport, sharing our personal "whys," how hitting rock bottom led us to the trails, and why the ultra community's relentless support is the ultimate antidote to a disconnected world.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert trail running podcast, we sit down with ultra runner Joey Patoray to talk about his unbelievable journey into endurance sports. If you are searching for ultramarathon motivation, mindset strategies for overcoming trauma, or tips on running 100-mile races, this episode delivers.

After a traumatic construction accident left him fighting for his life in the hospital for 31 days with six surgeries and twelve blood transfusions, Joey went from being unable to walk to the parking lot to finishing the legendary Leadville 100 ultramarathon in under 24 hours. We dive deep into his gritty mindset for endurance training and how he leverages extreme trail running challenges to unplug from life and build resilience. Joey shares the raw reality of pushing the human body to its absolute limit, including running the Georgia Death Race on a fractured foot, surviving the brutal humidity of the Cherokee 130K with three hernias, and crushing a 171-mile PR at a 48-hour timed race. Discover what it takes to stop making excuses and tackle the hardest backyard ultras and point-to-point endurance events on the East Coast and beyond.

Inside the Episode, We Break Down:

• 🏥 The Comeback: Fighting back from near-death to running 100-milers and refusing to settle for mediocrity.

• 🏔️ Leadville vs. Cherokee: Why the brutal humidity, slick rocks, and running with three hernias at the Cherokee 130K made Leadville feel like a breeze.

• 🦴 Running on Broken Bones: Grinding out 51 miles of the Georgia Death Race on a fractured foot because quitting wasn't an option.

• ⏱️ Backyard Mindset: Overriding a blown plantar fascia by digging a massage gun into his heel every 4 miles to hit 108 miles—just in time to make it to his kid's birthday party.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, Matt and I sit down with an amazing runner, coach, and longtime friend of East Coast Adventures: Leslie Cockrell.

We first met Leslie back at the 2023 Fort Frenzy 12-hour, and since then, she has been an absolute fixture in our running community. Leslie takes us through her entire progression—starting out running during COVID, jumping into a 22-mile mountain retreat in Glacier National Park, and diving headfirst into the ultra scene with a 52-miler and two 100-mile finishes in her very first year of racing.

We talk about the hard physical lessons learned along the way: fixing severe glute imbalances, navigating waist-deep water in Florida mangrove swamps at the Vero Beach Octopus 50K, and pacing her husband Jeremy through the brutal climbs of the Cherokee 70K. Leslie also gets real about her first DNF at the Great Divide, opening up about the mental traps that convince us to quit, why the regret of stopping hurts ten times worse than the physical pain, and how failing forward gives you the belief to tackle your next 100.

Key Topics

Leslie's journey from casual runner to ultra marathoner

Training and race preparation for ultras

Lessons learned from race experiences and DNF moments

Importance of community and support in ultra running

Heat training and race day strategies

Balancing personal development and athletic goals Leslie's transition from rodeo to ultrarunning

Crewing experiences and lessons learned

The emotional and physical challenges of ultramarathons

The importance of community and support in racing

How to handle a DNF and learn from it

Race directing and creating positive race experiences

Balancing coaching with personal racing goals

The mental strategies for endurance sports

The significance of race environment and organization

Leslie's future race goals and motivations

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, David & Matt sit down with an absolute grinder, good friend, and recent champion of the Inkom Last Man Standing: Brian Baker.

Brian opens up about the road that brought him into this sport. After a devastating 2021 ATV accident on his family farm broke his pelvis, fractured his spine, and claimed the life of his senior firefighter and close friend Pat Mahan, Brian was left battling heavy survivor's guilt. He turned to suffering to cope—first putting his head down to complete a full year of daily CrossFit Hero WODs in Pat's honor, and eventually taking that drive to ultra running, where he found a deeper path to Christ and learned to stop using suffering as a punishment.

We dive deep into the brutal reality of the short-loop format at Midstate Mile and Inkom Last Man Standing, where you have to line up every 20 minutes and make the conscious choice to suffer again. Brian shares his massive progression from 70 miles at Midstate Mile in 2025 to throwing down 127.6 miles over 39 hours and 40 minutes at Inkom Last Man Standing to take the overall win. We break down the danger of the "micro-quit" on the climbs, how an impromptu crew of friends helped him stay in the fight, and the raw emotion of taking that solo victory lap knowing the work finally paid off.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, Matt and I sit down with a longtime friend in the Southeast trail community, and two-time No Business 100 finisher, Keith Overbay.

Keith’s journey is one a lot of us can relate to—starting out in his 30s to get back into shape after a divorce, finding the trail community through Nashville's Dirtbags group, and eventually tackling brutal 100-milers like No Business and Cruel Jewel. But earlier this year, Keith went through something none of us saw coming. While casually riding his bike through Nashville to cheer on friends at the marathon, he felt a bad side stitch that turned out to be a spontaneous collapsed lung.

We dive deep into Keith’s medical scare, the reality of having a tube put in your chest and getting surgery to rough up lung tissue, and the patience it takes to rebuild after back-to-back setbacks. We also talk about the mental grit required to survive 32 hours of hallucinations on a 100-mile course, learning to stop making excuses during 24-hour loops, and why ultra running is the single greatest tool for emotional growth and problem solving.

Key Takeaways

• Finding the Outlet: How a life pivot and divorce in Keith’s 30s sparked a return to running that eventually led straight into the ultra community.

• The Spontaneous Pneumothorax: The wild story of riding a bike, feeling what seemed like a minor cramp, and ending up in the ER with a collapsed lung requiring surgery and chest tubes.

• Listening to Your Body: Recognizing when something isn't normal pain, trusting your gut, and seeking medical care before a bad situation turns deadly.

• Hallucinations at Mile 80: What happens to the mind after 30 hours in the woods—from imaginary hot dog carts to seeing pirate ship masts in the trees.

• Problem Solving for 30 Hours: Keith’s perspective on why ultra running isn't just physical—it’s an ongoing test in staying patient, troubleshooting issues, and keeping a positive mindset.

• No Business 100: Looking back at the grit, weather, and deep relationships that make finishing a mountain 100 so meaningful

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, David & Matt sit down with fellow East Coast Adventures running team member, athlete, and coach Taylor Williams. Taylor shares her unfiltered story of stepping into the ultra world, from running her first 50K at Firewater to tackling one of the most brutal mountain races on the East Coast—the Cherokee.

Taylor pulls back the curtain on her massive training block leading into this year's Cherokee 130K, the mental hurdle of stepping onto the course alone, and navigating high heat, extreme humidity, and severe chafing that ultimately brought her day to a halt at mile 61. We dive deep into why a DNF doesn't define who you are, the power of leaning into a mentorship under Mary Cates, and how stepping out of your comfort zone builds lasting grit and grace.

Learn more about Taylor and coaching here:

https://www.endurecoach.com

email: endurecoachingknox@gmail.com

Key Takeaways

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  The Cherokee Experience: What it truly takes to prepare for and face 10,000+ feet of climb in the middle of summer humidity.

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  Overriding Imposter Syndrome: How Taylor moved past self-doubt to embrace huge miles, solo training runs in the Smokies, and leading other runners as a coach.

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  The Reality of a DNF: Why walking away with gas left in the tank teaches you where your real boundaries are and sets the stage for future growth.

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  Power Hiking Mastery: The strength of using the uphill as a tool to control heart rate and manage fatigue late in an ultra.

• Grit & Grace in Action: How finding a running family transforms your mindset on race day and keeps you grounded when things get tough.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, Mike and I sit down with legendary ultra runner, coach, podcaster, and former race director Aaron Saft. Aaron called in live from his truck while towing his camper across the country to prepare for the Rocky Mountain Slam—giving us an authentic, unfiltered look into a career that spans over two decades in endurance sports.

Aaron takes us way back to the early, pre-UltraSignup days of the sport, when paper registrations, cash on race day, and low-cut hiking boots were the norm. We dive into his vast resume—from winning sub-ultra trail national championships to completing the Grand Slam and Bigfoot 200—and talk about his annual "Misogi" challenges, like running a calendar club challenge that capped off with a food-poisoning-fueled Christmas day effort. Aaron also shares the terrifying time he stood eye-to-eye with a 10-foot brown bear at the Canadian Death Race, why a high-carb strategy doesn't work for every stomach, and how decades of trail miles have deepened his relationships with his family and friends.

Key Takeaways

• Before the Tech Era: What trail racing looked like in the early 2000s, handing out Janji gear before it was cool, and how the sport has evolved from paper sign-ups to live-streamed commercial events.

• The Canadian Death Race Encounter: Standing 6 feet away from a 10-foot brown bear with two cubs, sprinting 40 miles into the race, and trading a coin to a ferryman to cross a glacial river.

• Annual Misogi Challenges: Why Aaron sets one challenge a year with a 50% chance of failure—and how he survived running a 172-mile week in December through a bout of severe food poisoning.

• Nutritional Pivot for Older Athletes: Learning that high-carb intake isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and why incorporating fats and proteins early can save an aging gut.

• Grieving a DNF: Why every runner needs a grace period to process a failed race, make a "what went right vs. wrong" list, and use the community to problem-solve.

• The Intrinsic 'Why': Why true motivation comes from the deep, unfiltered connections forged with family and crew out in the dark miles.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we sit down with two-time Cherokee Ultra 130K finisher Aden Rogers. Aden is one of only four runners to earn the coveted Cherokee double buckle, and her story from this year's race is a masterclass in relentless forward progress.

Aden breaks down her journey into trail running—from picking up the sport to find time for herself as a mom to winning her very first 100-miler at Pinhoti. We go deep into her experience on the Cherokee course this year, where brutal heat and humidity forced her to battle extreme dehydration and stomach issues starting at mile 15. Aden shares what went through her mind on the dark stretch of Doc Rogers Road, how she navigated the fine line between safety and quitting, and why she refuses to give up on herself when things get dark.

• The Cherokee Double Buckle: Aden breaks down what it took to finish one of the toughest mountain courses on the East Coast for the second time.

• Battling the Heat: Managing severe dehydration and humidity, dealing with stomach issues from mile 15, and finding a way to keep moving forward.

• The Dark Miles: The mental strategy Aden used on the Doc Rogers Road section when quitting felt like the only option.

• Refusing to Give Up: Why Aden believes hardships in life and running are temporary, and how pushing through dark moments builds lasting strength.

• Pinhoti to Cherokee: Reflections on her background, from winning her first 100-miler at Pinhoti to tackling brutal technical vert.