Weathering The Run

In this episode of Weathering The Run, we sit down with Paul Johnson—a former Naval officer turned ultrarunner who's not only run across the United States but also set a world record by completing 100 miles in Antarctica in under 24 hours. Paul shares how running became his outlet for managing anxiety and depression after his military service. We discuss his 2024 transcontinental run, where he covered over 3,000 miles in just over 51 days, raising more than $500,000 for Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit supporting veterans' mental and physical health. Now based in California, Paul is embracing new challenges, including mountain running, and continues to advocate for mental health awareness.Connect with Paul:Website: pauljohnson.runInstagram: @pauijohnsonYouTube: Paul JohnsonLearn more about Team Red, White & Blue: teamrwb.orgWatch Paul's Antarctica 100-Mile World Record Run: YouTube VideoTune in to hear Paul's inspiring journey and how he's using endurance sports to make a difference.

This year is the 45th running of the Columbus Marathon and it was great to catch up with the race director, Darris Blackford. He has run more than 200 marathons and other ultramarathons. I have been wanting to have Darris on since his wife, Star Blackford, was on Episode 3 of Weathering The Run. We chatted a lot about the ins and outs of race directing and then about his extensive experience of running through dangerously cold conditions along with running across Death Valley during Badwater. If you are interested in running the 45th Columbus Marathon, be sure to sign up before it sells out!

Matt Chilcote, or "Chilly", got into running just a few years ago, but has already completed several 100 mile races. He has also completed the Midwest Grand Slam of 100 milers. Running started as a way to keep him and his friend accountable, but it quickly escalated. He has some great stories to share about his experience running in some intense weather. Follow along Matt's journey, on ⁠his Strava⁠. He is also part of Team Heart and Sole, which helps provide inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities, their families and friends, to participate in endurance racing events across Ohio.

Sometimes you meet people and you can tell they will have some good stories. I met Andre at the Ohio Backyard Ultra (OBU) because we were crewing different runners. Our runners went on into the second day so I had the chance to chat with Andre and I wanted to have him on the podcast to talk about his style of backyard ultra that he race directs in Canada, along with race directing a race similar to the Barkley Marathons that Lazarus Lake puts in in Frozen Head State Park each spring. The races are very similar, but also some notable differences. We share all the secrets that Andre is willing to share in the episode and hope you enjoy it!Bush Bitches Backyard (BBBackyard) website: https://www.bbbackyard.com/BB Trail Running Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbbackyardultra

Jason Profitt started running to lose weight, but he gained so much more. He has now surrounded himself in the running community and continues to inspire others while learning how to tackle longer and longer distances. Follow along his journey: Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/112286808Instagram (creator channel with Zach) - https://www.instagram.com/2dudes1runInstagram (personal) - http://instagram.com/jprof7

A Derecho is defined as a severe thunderstorm that has severe criteria winds (60+ mph) for more than 240 straight miles. Chase Smith found himself on a bike ride during this severe storm and thankfully had the help of a couple gentleman in a work van. Chase is an avid trail runner and we share stories about some of the crazy weather he has also ran through. Enjoy!

Shelley Leone has overcome many challenges in her life, like addition. After getting some help from a good friend, running is her new passion and has been for many years. She joins us to share some of her story and what keeps her motivated to keep pushing on, when there are obstacles in her path. Follow her story, on her Instagram: @ShelleyLeone.

Gary Sines is this year's Columbus Chipotle Strava Segment winner. He ran the short segment of Lane Avenue more than 500 times and secured himself 52 free entrees. He is an experienced runner and often will set up his own ultras on short looped courses to challenge himself physically and mentally. I had the honor to run the first marathon of his first 100 mile run, so it was great to catch up with him. Hope you enjoy the episode!

No one has won more 100 mile races than Karl Meltzer. He is a legend in trail and ultra running and it was an honor to pick his brain about some of the weather he has experienced in his many years of running. Hope you enjoy some of his many stories, shared in this episode. Please feel free to share the episode, so other can enjoy it as well!Check out Karl on hiswebsite,shop,Instagram,Facebook, andTwitter(X).

If you follow the sport of trail or ultrarunning then you have seen his photos. I am honored to have Howie Stern join me on the fiftieth episode of Weathering The Run. Howie has a long history of running ultra races and he captures so many historical moments in the sport. Check out his photos on his website or his Instagram.

It is always a treat when I get a recommendation to have a special guest on Weather The Run podcast. This guest, Darin Dunham, did not disappoint. He gives a weather briefing to all the Hellgate 100k runners at the dinner before the race begins. He has ran every Hellgate since it started. He is also a pilot, so he has a vast knowledge of the weather and its impacts on the race. Hope you enjoy!

What better way to start the new year of 2025 than with someone who has the pulse on the trail and ultrarunning scene. Finn Melanson from the Singletrack Podcast shared some of his time to talk about his thoughts on the year ahead with some huge races coming up. We also talked about the races that he and his wife are race directing: Twisted Fork Trail Festival. They are bringing back an event with some unique ideas and concepts. Hope you enjoy the episode. Check out the Singletrack Podcast and the Twisted Fork Trail Festival!

I have never met anyone who volunteers at more running events and races that Kristian Mines. She volunteers at dozens of races across the county each year. You cannot miss her infectious energy and enthusiasm as she cheers on other runners and racers. It was a pleasure to spend some time chatting with her since she has given so much to the sport, especially during the season of giving. Hope you enjoy the episode!

This year's Javelina Jundred 100 mile race was one of the hottest on record, with the temperature reaching the triple digits. It is a race I have wanted to try for a while. I love the format at the vibes of the race. So it was great to catch up with Rachel and hear her story about running through the heat. Her last name may be familiar because we talked to her husband, Brian Papay, in Episode 30.

Steve Moore from Run Moore running store in Westminster, Maryland joins us for the holiday shopping episode. He has some great advice with it comes to buying a gift for the runner in your life, SO SHARE THIS EPISODE with your significant other! (Wink wink) Steve has been a runner most of his life and opened up a running store because he felt like his community had a need for it. The run store also has some amazing shoe review videos on their YouTube channel. The videos often have shoes about a month before they come out and he gives honest feedback along with some funny one-liners or song lyrics if you listen closely. Enjoy the episode!

I took my gear on the road and did some pre-race interviews at the 2024 running of the No Business 100 miler. I managed to snag the runner who came in first place along with the race director and other runners to hear the craziest weather they have run through. I did have one post-race interview with a very inspirational runner that was out there on the course as well. Hope you enjoy!

Ian Koenig just set the new self-supported Fastest Known Time on the Buckeye Trail. So he was responsible for sourcing and carrying all of his own hydration and nutrition while he circumnavigated the state of Ohio on the 1,444 mile trail. This has been an exceptionally dry year for Ohio and it was a challenge for Ian to find water at times since many streams and creeks were dry due to the drought. Follow Ian on https://www.strava.com/athletes/36842117or https://www.instagram.com/koenigian/?hl=en, and find out more about the https://www.buckeyetrail.org/.

Ever ran a race in a mine? Today's guest has! Laura Sherrer-Townsend is joining us from Canada with her experience running a 24 hour race in a tunnel, called The Dark. She is also the race director for the 24 hour SurvivorFest race! Her running in Canada also makes her an expert at running through some bitterly cold temperatures.

Doing a special bonus episode drop with Tara Dower again. She just completed the Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail(2,189 miles). This was a stout record that other elite athletes have attempted. She completed the AT in 40 hours, 18 hours, and 6 minutes, which comes out to about 54 miles each day. It required her to wake up at 3AM each day to log miles before the sun came up and keep running until after the sun went down. I helped out by providing weather forecasts for her and her team. Her new record beats all other times, male/female, northbouth/southbound, for the new overall record. She is inspiring in so many ways and she was also doing this to help raise money for Girls on The Run. Check out Tara's Instagram or the Instagram account set up for the AT FKT called ChumpChangeFKT.

Buckle up because Blackbeard has some revenge to reckon. Patrick Lloyd joined us to chat about his experience running Blackbeard's Revenge 100 miler this year in torrential rain and whipping winds. He also hosts a podcast called Carolina Ultra Runners Podcast. You can check him out on Strava. He also has a Facebook page for his podcast, of you can find it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

I hope to still be running races when I am in my 60s or 70s, just like today's guest: Ruth Kohstall. She got into running in her 40s when she was playing soccer and decided to challenge herself on the trails by running longer and longer distances. In the last episode we talked with the race director about how Eastern States was cancelled due to flooding and a state of emergency. Ruth was signed up for Eastern States, but then tried to run another 100 mile race a couple weeks later, since she had been training. That race ended up with her needing stitches, so at 70 years old she decided a couple weeks later to go run a "fatass" (unsanctioned & self-supported) race. The running community came out to cheer her on and run some of the night loops with her as she set out to run 100 miles.

No one wants a race to be cancelled, but sometimes mother nature, in this instance named Tropical Storm Debby, has other thoughts. Ben Mazer is the race director with dozens of races under his belt. This year he had his work cut out for him the days leading up to Eastern States 100 mile race. Heavy rain from the storm forced them to make course alterations several times leading up to race day, but ultimately the Governor of Pennsylvania made a declaration of emergency and the race had to be cancelled. The race organizers still tried to make the best of the situation and Ben goes into that. If you are interested in running Eastern States 100 next year, check out their website for more details.

Stephen uses the mentality of "No Take" when it comes to rock climbing and running some tough races. His first 100 mile race was Hellbender, which is one of the toughest races in the Eastern United States. He recounts the crazy weather as he was cresting Mount Mitchell during the race. Check him out on Instagram, Strava, or his Not Take Mafia climbing adventures on Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Chances are you have come across Laura Green on your social media feeds or one of your running buddies shared one of her hilarious videos with you. Laura took a leap and is fully dedicating her workload to creating fun content for the running realm in a fun and quirky way. Brands have taken note and are teaming up with her and this was a really fun episode to chat with her. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! You can find her on Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok.

Tara Dower has some huge goals set this year! After winning Run Rabbit Run last year and securing the FKT for the Colorado Trail, she is cranking up the challenge for this year. She is ready to throw it down at Hardrock 100 this year and she is also attempting to go after the Appalachian Trail FKT in August. We talked about her journey getting into ultra running, why she goes by Candy Mama, and her Altra sponsorship. You can follow along her journeys on Instagram. Episode image taken by @windingtrailphotography at Ohio's Backyard Ultra.

It would be a safe bet that Ryan Van Duzer has logged more miles on a bike than anyone who listens to this episode. His first big trek was a 4,000 mile ride from Honduras back to his hometown of Boulder, Coloardo after he finished a couple years in the Peace Corps. His book, A Long Way Home, documented his return ride home. He has done many multi-thousand mile trips on a bike and most have been documented on his YouTube channel: DuzerTV. He is not just an ultra-cyclist, but also an ultrarunner. Check out his website or Instagram for more of his adventures.

This was a real treat to catch back up with Ciara Lucas. She worked with me in Columbus at ABC6 and FOX28 and she even had her own workout segment called Good Day Workout. She was heavily involved with the Columbus Westside Running Club. She has moved on and is now doing health and wellness reporting in New York City. She was also recently on the Today Show and just recently completed the London Marathon along with the Big Sur Marathon a week later. Hope you enjoy this episode! Check out her Instagram or Linktree to check out some of her other work.

DeadSkout, or Skout, ran across America in the fall of 2023 from Los Angeles to New York City. It was a solo effort with no crew, so he was very minimalistic with his gear that he carried in his backpack. Skout is an artist and his avatar, for the character he is representing, is a sad panda. So he is running across the country as a character and wearing a motorcycle helmet with a decal of a panda to represent the hardship that the panda character deals with. So the run was dedicated towards mental health and suicide prevention awareness. Skout wants to attempt the run again this coming fall and hopes to have a crew this time to help. He is selling some gear on his website to help raise funds: https://deadskout.com/

Anytime I visit Northeast Ohio to visit family I always love running with a group called Trail Enthusiasts for Burning River. They have a Facebook group and post weekend trail runs so I leading up to my visit I can see where the Saturday and Sunday trail runs will be to see what fits into my schedule while visiting family. Bob Smaltz is 62 and always a pleasure to chat with while running on the trails and has a wealth of knowledge to share on the sport. Hope you enjoy this episdode!

Brian Papay ran 5125 miles in 2023, but didn't get serious into running until 2020 when COVID shut down the gyms. He pushes hard with minimal attention or gear. You will often see him running a hundred mile race in shoes, shorts, and a handheld water bottle. He has big goals on the horizon to push himself more.

Excited to chat with Jonathan Levitt, the host of For The Long Run podcast. We talk about his experiences growing up in the Boston area and how the weather is so much different than what he experiences living in Boulder, Colorado now. He also travels a lot with his work, so he gives us some other areas to put on a bucket list for amazing runs. You can find him on social media at: @jwlevitt.

It is hard to find someone that is as positive and smiles as much as Justin Boggs. He is a very active running in the Columbus community, but just a few years ago he weighed 420 pounds. With diet and lifestyle changes he weighs less than 180 now. Crazy weather seems to follow the races he signs up to run, but he continues to persevere. Connect with Justin on Instagram: jj_boggs

You may have heard about the “CHIPOTLE SEGMENT CHALLENGE SERIES” contest that just occurred in January. The two companies teamed up and made Strava segments a little less than a quarter of a mile long that ended at Chipotle restaurants in LA, NYC, DC, Chicago, Denver, and Columbus. Each city had their own unique story of how the competition went to see who could run those segments the most during the month of January. I sat down to talk about it all with the winner of the Columbus segments. A modest runner that goes by the name of "Fern". Fern doesn't want a lot of spotlight, but he ran the 0.2 mile segment 1,000 times over the month of January to win a year of free Chipotle (52 free entrees). Columbus had some rollercoaster winter weather and the segment also was unique since it runs along the edge of Ohio State's main campus. Great chat for someone willing to lay down some serious miles just to get bragging rights along with some free burritos. Really enjoyed this chat. For more on the rules: https://www.chipotle.com/strava-segment-challenge

Aneta co-founded Empower Ultra with Jennifer Russo, who was a guest on Episode 4 of Weathering The Run. Aneta and Jennifer set up their races with generous cut-offs and other parameters to ensure a high finishing rate. Two of my 100+ mile races occurred at their races. Aneta signs up to run some very difficult races and has an extensive list of race finishes over the last decade, including Badwater 135. She was also featured in a recent documentary running Western States, called "Nettie From Ohio". Aneta is also very active on Instagram and Strava, if you would like to follow her journey.

Most of the world has 24 hours in a day, but Scott Kummer somehow seems to get 36 hours of work done 1 day. You may know him from his podcast Ten Junk Miles or from one of the races that he race directs with Ten Junk Miles Racing. His podcasts have helped me get through some long solo runs. He dives deeper than most podcasts with questions that his guests typically do not get asked. Scotty is a lawyer for a living and he said that helps with thinking of questions to dive below the surface with some of the guests. Sometimes they don't even get around to talking about running or their latest accomplishments. It was a pleasure getting the chance to pick his brain about his career in running. He has run some of the toughest winter endurance races around. He also is a big volunteer helping others in their quests to challenge themselves. He shared some expert tips on running in extreme cold weather and I tested out some of his methods just this last week and man was it a game changer! Hope you enjoy this episode!

Elizabeth Long says in the episode that her sister, Bridgett Shoemaker, is the runner. But Elizabeth is running every race across the state of Ohio with her sister. It is a way for them to see all of Ohio and meet some awesome people. They always try to find a local hidden restaurant to eat at, after the race. So far they have completed 77 of the 88 counties. The rules they made: minimum distance is a 5k (3.1 miles) and it must be a sanctioned event. Some counties only have a race or two every year, so they have to lace up and run the event. It was great hearing about their favorite races and most memorable locations. Great bonding for the two of them and it inspires me to do more memorable things with my family.

I have had the pleasure of running with Rick Hohman a few times while visiting family in Northeast Ohio over the last few years. He is always very inviting when I pop into town. He is not a very outspoken person, but he has some amazing stories to share. He also runs quite a few tough 100 mile races each year and has yet to drop out of a race. And these are some very challenging races, like Hellgate, Potawatomi 200 miler, Grindstone, Hellbender, Bear, IMTUF, Ouray, Ute, and so many others. So he does not back down from tough races and grinds it out. He also has completed Eastern States 100 and was just selected to run Western States 100 in 2024. He is pretty minimalist when it comes to gear, but he does have a few essential items that he will carry for these long training runs and events. Buckle up for a great episode! Rick Hohman's Strava

Jeff Henderson is hard to miss at local races or running events. He is 6' 11" tall and he owns the Columbus area Fleet Feet stores, so he is always out and about helping other runners and coaching as well. We talk about his running experience and how he helped develop and cut local trails at a nearby state park. He also is instrumental in getting free shoes on the feet of the youth, with Girls On The Run. He also goes over some great gear ideas for any running acquaintances you have in your life, if you are looking for a gift for someone.

It is a real treat to sit down and chat with Ryan Ploeckelman, the host of The Adventure Jogger podcast. Ryan has a long history of running and pacing ultra races. So we turn the mics around for me to ask him some questions. The Adventure Jogger website.

It would be hard to find someone as passionate about severe weather and understanding it like Dr. Ariel Cohen. When I knew him at Ohio State he was not a runner, but he picked it up and he has great advice on trails to run across the country since his career in meteorology has taken him to all corners of the United States. He has some great advice and we talk about the public's understanding of weather and how we can better communicate the weather forecast.

Two teachers really stick out in my memory through grade school and college. One of them is Dr. Jay Hobgood from when I was at Ohio State. I am excited to talk with Dr. Hobgood about his knowledge of hurricanes and his history with running. He has a tropical blog, where he writes about the current active storms in the tropics: jayhobgood.com. You can also find him on Facebook as Jay Hobgood along with X (Twitter): @JayHobgood.

I have followed Brad Lindeberg for several years and only interacted on social media until we chatted for this episode. He has run races across the country and is full of stories. He considers himself a non-practicing meteorologist because his career now is helping people with their taxes. But don't let that fool you because he still gets out there and storm chases. Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/18429735 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradrunsfar/ X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/BradRunsFar

Dr. Jana Houser is a runner & a leading research scientists on tornadogenesis. This episode gets into the science of tornado formation. She will continue her research, thanks to a $1.7 million grant she just landed, through Ohio State, to build a mobile radar system. Her research has already sampled more than a dozen tornadoes with most rotating at the ground first. Really honored to chat with her and about the robust meteorology program Ohio State has to offer young minds. Here is a link to her most recent research article titled: "Additional Evaluation of the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Rotation during Tornadogenesis Using Rapid-Scan Mobile Radar Observations": https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/150/7/MWR-D-21-0227.1.xml

Joe Fitzwater is a Chief Meteorologist at WVNS 59 News in Beckley, WV. He reached a point in his life where he felt he needed to make a change, so he started by trying to run one mile and kept trying to challenge himself to push farther. He gives us an inside look at how running and weather are related and connected. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meteojoe Twitter: https://twitter.com/meteojoe

You will have a hard time trying to find someone more positive than Erin Arnett. She is a mother of 4 and a great role model in the community. She shares some stories with us about how she got into running and some of the most challenging running elements she has had to endure. She also has lost a few of her best friends that were also runners, but she dedicates runs to them in remembrance and to celebrate that every run is a gift. She also records all of her runs to help raise money with the Linda W Daniel Foundation. For every mile walked/run or 15 minutes of working out then it counts as 1 beat. You record your beats each Monday on their website and LWDF raises $1 to support select cancer organizations on a one-for-one basis to match your beats. IG: @momrunmomrepeat

One of the nicest and fastest people you will ever meet: Arlen Glick. He is a self-proclaimed 100 miles specialist & joins us with his recent big adventures at Western States and Hardrock. We also chat about his future plans like UTMB and what 2024 may look like for him. He represents Ohio well and all of his followers like to call themselves Arlen's darlins. This year he ran Western States 100 and finished 14th place, after finishing 3rd place in 2022. This was also his first year running Hardrock 100 and he finished 5th place and first place for American males. Arlen does not have social media for personal reasons, so some sponsors passed him up. However Craft Sports signed him as a sponsored athlete and they are getting more attention than normal athletes because it funnels the curiosity through their channels.

Honored to chat with Rob Steger and Marianne Hogan. I have followed Rob's work with Training for Ultra with his podcast and book for several years. He also just released a documentary on Marianne, called Marianne Runs, that followed her 2022 Western States and UTMB double. We got to chat about the opposites of weather that they have endured and about Marianne's return to running after overcoming injury. A few sponsors they would like to shoutout would be Naak, Ciele, Salomon, Hammer, XOSKIN, Tanri Outdoors.

This episode is jam packed! I sit down with Harvey Lewis, just days after his finish at Badwater 135. And his Badwater run across Death Valley was less than 2 weeks after his 375 miles that he ran at Dead Cow Gully backyard ultra in Australia. We also talk about his documentary that just game out: Like Harvey Like Son, where he attempted the fastest known time, FKT, to run the entirety of the Appalachian Trail. I also found out that he ran the Arrowhead 135, which is a race across the frozen landscape of International Falls, Minnesota where temps have dipped to -45°F during the race. Harvey has also ran in the last two runnings of the Barkley Marathons, which is an invite-only 100-ish mile orienteering race at Frozen Head State Park that has only been completed 21 times by 17 runners. Again, so much to get to and I hope you enjoy this episode. I feel like there is a lot more to uncover with Harvey and more stories to share, but we try to uncover more of his adventures and the worst weather he has had to endure. Harvey partners with RoadiD, Newton, Tailwind, 2XU, and All Day Running. Follow Harvey on social media by looking up Harvey Lewis Ultrarunner on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok⁠. You can find the documentary "Like Harvey, Like Son" on Amazon Prime Video. Also, if you are interested in checking out his travel running company, check out Run Quest Travel.

Chikage Windler is the Chief Meteorologist at the CBS Austin TV station. She has been running for years, as she has traveled around the country forecasting the weather. She is a great example for the community and helps share information to the public about exercise responsibly. Texas has recently been going through a prolonged heatwave with temperatures 100°F and hotter, for more than a couple weeks. Find Chikage on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube & Facebook at @ChikageWeather.

Fred Doyle was a treat to have on the podcast. He has a long history with running and coaching, including 25 years at Nike as the Director of Running Commerce and then Saucony for another eight years as VP. Most recently he has been the high school running coach at Tewksbury High School, in the Boston area. He has witnessed the big running boom first hand and the gear enhancements over the last few decades. Fred shared some amazing stories about some interesting weather situations like running to the top of Mount Washington, but there was no safe way to get runners back to the bottom, once they reached the finish at the top. He also encountered some rough seas that gave him a challenge to get to the starting line of another race and how about trying to get beat up mid-race, but his sweat saved him. Sit back, or lace up, and enjoy! Fred coach running camps in the Boston area. If you are interested in checking them out: XC Project & The Speed Project