Episode 334: Judy Proteau and the Race for the Refuge This week we’re joined by the one and only Judy Proteau—ultrarunner, race director, Highland City Strider, kicker for the NFL, and all-around trail badass. Judy’s here to talk about her first year directing the Race for the Refuge , happening September 28th at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, MA. (You bet your ass...abet!)We get into the behind-the-scenes of putting on a race, tribal land permissions, course marking, vol...
Aug 14, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Season 8Ep. 334
AFB and Evil Becky Burke are back at it, serving up a full platter of ultra goodness from Vermont to Rhode Island, with detours through the Catskills, Soapstone, Notchview, and the Squatchy Surprise in NJ. We’re breaking down the highs, lows, and bug bites from recent races, plus dishing on who crushed it, who gutted it out, and who set new course records. Art wrestles with “The Yips” on technical trails, Evil Becky relives her sandy Ocean State Ultra dropout at mile 50, and we both agree-some c...
Aug 04, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Season 8Ep. 333
332: The Vermont 100 “Miler” Endurance Race Our very own podcast famous Jamie Miler, a.k.a., Jamie Miller recently ran VT100, one of the oldest and most iconic trail races in the US, so we take some time to get all the explicit details from Jamie and her crew. This is a great episode to listen to during a long run, and in preparation to either Crew, or run the Vermont 100. We also take some time to recognize the top finishers and some of the friends of the podcast who participated, and in some c...
Jul 25, 2025•2 hr 29 min•Season 8Ep. 332
In this episode, AFB and Evil Becky dive deep into the madness and method behind prepping for their 48-hour showdown at Notch View. With ice towels, grilled quesadillas, and hallucination avoidance on the menu, the duo breaks down their pacing strategies, sleep plans, nutrition math, and mental game-while still finding time to argue over pee bottles and AI coaching. Art unveils his “douche canoe” plan to knock out 75 miles in the first 24 hours, relying on hydration tricks and skills gleaned fro...
Jul 11, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 8Ep. 331
We take a minute, minute and a half to say thank you to all of our patreons, and to see what some of them are up to. Highlander Hustle Portland High Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! 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...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 8Ep. 330
Phred is Back, BIGTIME and he finally reels in his “white whale” guest longtime friend and ultrarunning enigma Steven Tursi. Steven and Phred blab about running streaks, hashing adventures, body image, and a lifelong evolution of what it means to be a runner and a friend. Was Steve the original Johnny Appleseed for Cultra? Enjoy this fabulous Bootleg Cultra (Think Grateful Dead Barton Hall, Cornell University, May 8, 1977) Episode Highlights: Running Streaks and Ultramarathons Steven shares insi...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Season 8Ep. 329
AFB welcomes El Niño a.k.a. the chosen one a.k.a. Tobias Tello a.k.a. Tobi and Abel Murphy, hosts of The Colder Boys podcast, to break down Western States 100. In This Episode: Meet The Colder Boys: Tobias and Abel share their backgrounds in trail and ultra running, how their podcast started, and the elite-level analysis East Coast scene. Beast Coast Trail Talk: A breakdown of favorite Connecticut trails like Sleeping Giant and West Rock, plus a plug for the underrated Blue to Blue Challenge . W...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 8Ep. 328
Ross Bielak from Littleton Colorado is Cultra #PodcastFamous and a dear friend of our community. When he signed up for the #CUT112 in 2021 after doing his own Western CUT in 2020, he felt that he was a bit undertrained. So very logically, (WTF) he decided to attempt the never before completed Double #CUT112. Although this attempt resulted in a visit to the hospital, he tried it again, and then finally again in 2025. We hear the story of the power of the trail running community as around 40 peopl...
Jun 13, 2025•2 hr 26 min•Season 8Ep. 327
Whether its road running versus trail running, Garmin versus Coros, iPhone versus Android or Democrats versus Republicans, why does it sometimes feel so hard for us to actually listen to each other? We look at what it means to find common ground, and to be genuinely curious. And why it is sometimes so difficult to remain curious. We also take a look at our mental maps and try to figure out why it can be so difficult for us to change our perspective. This is a conversation that some would rather ...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 8Ep. 326
When most of us think of “running blind”, we envision a state of panic where one must proceed without having a clear understanding of what lies ahead. Trail running can be challenging enough even when we can see the rocks and roots that can trip us up. John Robert Mckay, AKA The Blind Donkey Runner does not let that stop him. We hear the details of how he is able to avoid “rock in 3-2-1, ROCK” with the aid of guides. We hear about his journey to qualify and run The Boston Marathon, his racing on...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Season 8Ep. 325
Let’s talk about dropping. When we drop something it’s like we are forgetting to hold on. We sign up for the 100k and sometimes want to drop to a 50 mile. And some times we help each other pause for a moment and remember why we do what we do and we avoid dropping .(Now the tricky part) Sometimes we decide to pause and not drop any more and others remind us that perhaps it’s time to take a deeper look and drop a new episode of The Cultra Trail Running Podcast . We are glad to be back! We talk abo...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Season 8Ep. 324
Life is constantly changing and we are all very different people than we were 6 or 7 years ago, and right now it feels like its time to take a break, continue to seek professional help, and decide whats next. So for now, we are hitting pause (paws), but before we go, lets use this episode to take a look back, just in case this turns out to be our final episode. This podcast started as a wild idea among friends—a way to celebrate the absurdity, struggle, and joy of ultra running in a way that was...
Mar 03, 2025•55 min•Season 7Ep. 323
Former soldier Tim Hardy shares his approach to making his life choices. He has at times deliberately chosen a difficult path that includes some of the most arduous and hot multi-day races, like Vol State, and HOTS, and also cold races like the Arrowhead 135. Tim has recently taken a look at what makes a great experience for him in terms of community, travel time, course, and cost. He gives us a lot to consider as we make our own life choices. Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TR...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 7Ep. 322
For the 1st time (and hopefully not the last), this episode features the solo efforts of Evil Becky. Do you have 40 minutes? Do you want see what the back of your eyes look like? If you said yes, then this is the episode for you. EB goes through last weeks running superlatives and reports on what you the listeners think about yourselves and others. There are some flashback moments (que the Scooby Doo music) of looking back on our past runner selves and the insight and advice we would give to our...
Feb 07, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 321
So Dad (Art) is away and the kids (CULTRA crew) decided to play. We changed the episode rules and decreed this to be episode #8675309. We also determined Who are you. Yes, you. We went through a list of stereotypical runner types and made judgments of who fit the bill. But what do YOU think? Who are you? And who are those other runners around you? Join in and pass some friendly and silly judgement. Added bonus! We kept the train on the tracks and paced ourselves to an impressive hour - hour and ...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 7Ep. 320
319: New Trail Runner’s Guide (Northeast Edition) Are you a road runner looking to start trail running, a hiker intent on picking up your pace, or an experienced trail running veteran who is curious to see if you could pick up a new idea? This episode covers the Trail Running Basics, the Northeast Regional specifics, trail etiquette and safety, training & fitness and even gives some pro tips on pooping in the woods. Trail Running basics answers the questions of what gear do I need to start t...
Jan 12, 2025•1 hr 51 min•Season 7Ep. 319
Ellie Pell is back to talk some smack on AI and the great cereal mix debate. How will this impact our sport? Will trail running ever be the same? Can't we all just get along? Qualifying for Boston Marathon and the Olympic Marathon Trails anyone? Plus Patreon Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! 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 he...
Jan 07, 2025•2 hr 16 min•Season 7Ep. 318
Candy cigarettes! Ramen noodles and a Patreon review. The Crew discusses upcoming running races, including the Newport Marathon on April 19th and the Real King of Pain race in Glastonbury in early February, which includes an icy double stream crossing and twice the elevation of the King of Pain road version. Jimmy announces he will likely run the Newport Marathon. Celeste shares details about the Newport Marathon course. They reminisce about past experiences at races like getting medals shaped l...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Season 7Ep. 317
What does it take to finish the SRC Back Yard Ultra? How do you approach it if you have never done one before? New York State based Jordan Buck traveled to the SRC Backyard Ultra in Long Island and gave it a shot as a first timer. Jordan also shares his experiences of being lost during races and fighting to come back. There is something special about discovering trail running for the first time, and Jordan shares this perspective so well. We also learn about his upcoming adventure to run across ...
Dec 22, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 7Ep. 316
Tower Tag Challenge is a 4 hour or 8 hour event that uses the carriage trail of the iconic Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden Connecticut. Second place Male finisher and NY based Aaron Heath joins RD Brian Vanderheiden (whisper voice) to find out what it was like to compete in this inaugural event. Aaron has more than 70 Ultra events to his credit and we have a blast hearing about his origin story and his quest to become one of New England’s Finest (Hartford Marathon Foundation) as he ran a 2:3...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 55 min•Season 7Ep. 315
The Mesh Penis Fiasco unveiled! If you wanted any running content, then this is not the episode you are looking for. But if for no logical reason you are looking for some funny shit, followed by 90 minutes of drunken rambling inebriated babble, with very little nutritional, or educational value, then… whatever. I don’t know what to say, so here is what AI gleaned: The team discussed various topics including ultramarathons, aid stations,pickleball, and the Manchester Road Race, and discussed the ...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 56 min•Season 7Ep. 314
Join us as we celebrate 6 years of Jackassing around. @gazzellie joins the crew in what might (allegedly) be the most offensive, explicit and raw like the trails we run on episode ever. Either way you will never look at a donut the same way again. We talk JFK 50, and laugh our asses off as we, do what we do but even better. Try not to pee. We have been 112% listener supported since the beginning. Thank you to all of our supporters, past and present! f you are a new supporter, a past supporter, o...
Nov 27, 2024•2 hr 23 min•Season 7Ep. 312
The Crew joins forces with On The Runs Podcast's Erika, Eric and First time Ultra TaraDactyl to run a few more loops of the Dumbest Race in New Hampshire! We bring in some graduate level guests including Ultra durable Jennifer Whynot, Fan Favorite A Markus, Slurpee Runner Matt Cooper, Young Gun Roaming Roman Volpe and overall 30 HR race winner and quality human Michael LoPresti! We are excited to release this episode to Cultra Trail Running peeps, and On The Runs folks. Hamster Wheel Results On ...
Nov 14, 2024•2 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 313
Are you tired of bonking, throwing up on yourself and your friends, because you got no fueling plan? In this episode, we discuss with a Certified Nutritionist Alex Larson the fueling megatrends that have contributed to the shit ton of records falling in running, and cycling. How many grams of carbs should you take per hour? Whats up with the new fueling products? How many boxes of baking soda should you be shoveling down your gullet before during and after your next ultra? If its good enough for...
Nov 05, 2024•2 hr 10 min•Season 7Ep. 309
Did Connecticut boycott Midstate Massive? Spooky shit scheduled for Nov 29th in the Meshomasic (Mesh) Forest! Ben Quatromoni takes some time off of Ben Nephew's long standing North South Trail FKT. This episode is a beautiful disaster as Art and Fred payback our Patreons. The rest of the Cultra Crew is on probation... North South Trail FKT Site Big Wigs Band Midstate Massive Results Page Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become ...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 7Ep. 311
Nipmuck Trail Marathon RD’s Cherie Bilbie and Kelsey Eng join the Cultra Crew as we take deep dive into the 41st edition of one of New Englands most beloved trail races. Jimmy Mac shares what it was like to race in the top ten and arrive at the “Alpacaville” aid station to see AFB and Ding-Dong. We also reveal plans for our upcoming Monster Mesh night trail run. Cat’s Tail Trail Marathon Nipmuck Trail Marathon Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro musi...
Oct 11, 2024•1 hr 46 min•Season 7Ep. 310
Lenny’s Mom (Jenna Gould) gives a first hand perspective of what it was like to run and finish the 2024 Barkley Fall Classic! Be prepared to cry as you laugh at the absurd stories of Rat Jaw, Testicle Spectacle, and so much more. She shares details of her exploits in the Chattenooga trail scene after leaving CT. Jenna keeps up with the Crew as this "dog mom" is fast on the trails and quick witted too. Jenna Gould Ultra Signup Results Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag ...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 7Ep. 308
Not as big as the fight between Evil Becky and Hundo discussing Vermont 100, but this episode gets AFB fired up enough that he hardly lets anyone else speak as he defends Camille and attempts to slay the would be cancel dragons of social media. Honestly hard to watch this happen within our ranks and makes us wonder if the doling of punishment is more harmful to the community than the original allegedly unpardonable sin. Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! ...
Sep 30, 2024•53 min•Season 7Ep. 307
Running sock experts Tanya and Bert Pictor share the secrets of fit, wicking, cushioning, materials, and design that go into their Jogology brand socks. After founding and selling off the revolutionary sock brand Balega, this delightful and powerful couple took their industry experience and created a new brand of sock called Jogology. We hear some great stories from Bert as he shares (yarns?!) about his 8 Comrades Marathon finishes. AND EVIL BECKY BURKE IS BACK! This episode is a great companion...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 7Ep. 306
We talk about Steep Endurance Macedonia Trail Races 50k 25k and 12k. Allegedly some of the sweetest singletrack to be had. Then we dive into the The Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness Then we pay respect to our Patreons with our typical schenanigans and abuse. A fun discussion suited for a long drive or run. Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store! Outro music by Nick Byram Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we w...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 7Ep. 305
