Sassquad Trail Runners
74 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago -Every run is a trail party! Our squatchtastic podcast celebrates our amazing trail running community. And of course, answers deep questions like "Does Sasquatch eat Taylor Ham or Pork Roll?" "Do Unicorns prefer scrunchies or hair ties?" "What kind of bear is best?" We host trail races all around New Jersey and welcome runners of all paces and ages from around the country to our community. https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunners
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Episodes
Sarah Strong - Running Isn't Therapy
March 28, 2024 20:51 - 1 hour - 59.1 MB"Running isn't therapy" ...Wait, what?! Listen to this squatchtastic conversation with Sarah Strong to find out what that statement means! Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, UESCA certified ultrarunning coach and mom based in the Colorado Front Range. Through walk and talk sessions and virtual therapy, Sarah helps individuals cultivate self awareness, self belief and self acceptance by reconnecting them to themselves and the natural world around them. As an ambassador for Bigger...
Callie Gensel - Flying Black Bears!
March 01, 2024 17:15 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBCallie Gensel starting running ten years ago when she signed up for a 5K with her teacher colleagues. A decade later, Callie crossed the finishline for the Wild Goose 100 in September of 2023! Hear all about her journey to ultra including some squatchtastic stories from the Wild Goose, including a black bear falling out of tree and landing right in front of her!
Trails, Therapy & Meds
February 26, 2024 16:58 - 10 minutes - 9.85 MB"Running is my therapy." Can running really be the answer to all of our problems? .....Maybe it'll work for a little while, but using running as our only coping skill is not a sustainable and effective way to heal. Tune-in to this episode to hear Sassquad Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky talk about her mental health journey through running, therapy and meds. To learn more about Bigger Than the Trail and cost-free therapy, visit their website https://bttt.run Sassquad Trail Running trail...
Lynn Maki - Crew & Pacer Rookie of the Year!
February 08, 2024 16:06 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBIn 2023, ultrarunner Lynn Maki found herself sidelined by injuries and decided to turn lemons into lemonade by jumping into the world of crewing and pacing. She dove into the deep end with four sleepless days/nights of crewing Kim Levinsky during her 358 mile NY Long Path FKT and got to pace Kim around mile 250. A few months later, Lynn crewed and paced three friends at the Sassquad Wild Goose 100 and then finished off the year by serving as a Guide for her friend Beth Rissmeyer at the New Y...
Matty Tahoe - Freedom Through Recovery
January 31, 2024 15:41 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBMatt Klein's life "blew up in spectacular fashion" in 2006 when he woke up handcuffed to a hospital bed. Several months removed from that fateful event he found the healing and transformative power of running when he trained for and completed the NYC Marathon later that year. Combined with the support of a loving fellowship, a sponsor, his wife, family and friends - Matty tapped into a power greater than himself and has been in active recovery for nearly 18 years. Among his running accomplis...
Carolina Rubio-MacWright - Freedom Through Running
January 11, 2024 18:29 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBCarolina Rubio-MacWright is an artist, immigration lawyer and activist fighting for immigrant and humanitarian rights. She was born in Bogota, Colombia where she lived until, at the age of 20, she needed a safer place to call home. She attended art school and law school in the United States, and throughout was active in her local immigrant community. She has worked as an immigration attorney in Miami, Oklahoma and New York City. Her experience as an attorney opened her eyes to inequities in ...
Justin Lewandowski - The Vert Pig
January 03, 2024 22:29 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBJustin Lewandowski has only been around the ultra-scene for the last few years but he has already tackled the toughest trail races on the (B)east Coast! This year he amassed over 800,000 feet of elevation gain through his training and racing and completed (and won for the second year in a row!) the Tammany 10, Breakneck Point 42K, Manitou's Revenge, Eastern States 100 & the Hudson Highlands Hell No Hell Hole Hundo plus several other local ultramarathons produced by Two Punk Kids. Through all...
Sassquad: Looking Back & Looking Ahead
December 27, 2023 21:48 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBJoin us for this recap on 2023! We highlight some of the exciting things that happened this past year and then look ahead to what's coming up in 2024. Sassquad Trail Running Instagram Facebook [email protected]
L'Mani Viney - Educator, Advocate and Trail Runner
December 22, 2023 01:22 - 1 hour - 80.3 MBJoin us for this squatchtastic conversation with NJ trail runner L'Mani Viney! L'Mani has been in education for over 20 years and currently serves as the Dean of Students in Piscataway, NJ. As an avid trail runner, L'Mani draws on his experiences on the trails to help him navigate situations in and out of the classroom. We also chat about his involvement with Black Men Run and ways that our community can make the trails more accessible. Sassquad Trail Running Instagram Facebook trailpar...
Lizzy Mack - Escaping Iceland
December 13, 2023 20:58 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBCheck out our latest episode to hear all about how Lizzy Mack tried to escape her backpacking trip in Iceland. We chat all things trail & road running, finding community and the joys of going party pace. This was a really fun episode and we were so excited to hear Lizzy share that she will be doing the Wild Goose 100 in September for her first hundo!
Crystal Jackson - Age Is Just A Number
December 06, 2023 12:23 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBIf you've been to a trail race or OCR in the tri-state area, chances are you have met Crystal Jackson! Crystal can be found on the starting lines of trail and OCR events throughout the year and is a Sassquad-regular. We sat down with Crystal to hear all about how she got into running and why she continues to run and race so much. Sassquad Trail Running Instagram Facebook [email protected]
Cole Crosby - Bay Circuit Trail FKT 230M
November 24, 2023 20:43 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBHear all about Cole Crosby's recent FKT on the 230 mile Bay Circuit Trail! The BCT extends through 37 towns around Boston, linking parks and open spaces in fifty-seven communities. Cole was supported by a rock-star crew that was led by Chaos Crewing. Follow Cole on Instagram! Sassquad Trail Running Instagram Facebook [email protected]
Relaunch of the Sassquad Podcast!
November 21, 2023 16:05 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBWe are excited to relaunch the Sassquad Trail Runners Podcast! Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky is here to fill you in on what's been going on at Sassquad and what is on the calendar for 2024. Thanks for tuning in - we are excited to be back!
Lee Connor and Karmell Ohlrogge - Women's 100 Miler Project
September 28, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBThis is the recording from our FB Live Interview on Wednesday September 28, 2022 with Lee Connor and Karmell Ohlrogge! Lee and Karmell are seasoned ultra runners who are making an incredible impact on our sport! It'll take you a while to scroll through each of their UltraSignUp results as both Lee and Karmell have completed over 100 events combined (and that's just UltraSignUp!). After we got the backstory on each of their running journeys, we spent the rest of the interview chatting abou...
Renee Perry - Overcoming Addiction Through Trail Running
August 21, 2022 23:00 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBThis is the recording from our Facebook Live interview on August 21, 2022. Renee is a Sassquad OG! She is at the starting line of just about every Sassquad Trail Party and consistently places in the top 5 (often overall!). Renee recently celebrated 13 years of Recovery and we were honored that her celebration was the same weekend of our most recent Trail Party, the Thunder Chicken Squatch. We'll chat about trail running and Recovery during this interview - you don't want to miss it!
Helgi Olafson - Mighty Gallatin: Big Sky 350
August 18, 2022 23:30 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBWe chat all things trail and ultra with Helgi and learn about his inspiring life story as an ultra runner and professional yacht chef. At the age of 19, Helgi was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a form of degenerative arthritis affecting the spine and other joints. Since then, he has inspired, advocated, and raise money for others with AS through ultrarunning. Most recently, Helgi completed 2900 miles in 60 days, including three 200+ mile races. Helgi is one of the masterminds b...
Lynn Maki - New Jersey Appalachian Trail
July 08, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBThis is the recording of our Facebook Live interivew on Thursday July 7, 2022 with Lynn Maki who recently completed the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail! Lynn is a long-time Sassquader who can been found at our trail parties as a runner or volunteer (and sometimes both!). You can read Lynn's recap of her runventure here.
Kim Levinsky - Tahoe 200 Mile Endurance Run
July 01, 2022 22:13 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBThis is the recording from our Tuesday June 28th interview with Sassquad Race Director Kim Levinsky! Kim was in the hot seat and shared about her experience at the Tahoe 200 mile race. After training for more than 640 days, Kim completed Tahoe with the help of her Crew and the support of her Community. 204+ miles in 96 hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Sassquader and 2021 Triple Crown Finisher (Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 200, Moab 240) Matt Klein led the interview with guest appearances from some of...
Steve Lange - Devils Path FKT
June 09, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBSteve recently established the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the gnarly Devils Path in the Catskills! The time has now been lowered to a blistering 4 hours, 34 minutes and 54 seconds. This 24.2 miles long trail boasts 8,000+ vertical feet of climbing, and is considered by many to be the toughest hiking trail in the Eastern US.
Scott Snell, Backyard Champ and BIGS-BOUND!
June 07, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBScott won the inaugural Backyard Squatch in August of 2021 and earned a ticket to the Capital Backyard Ultra in Virginia. Scott just won Capital in May of 2022 by completing 254.16 miles! With the win, Scott has earned a spot on Team USA for the fall of 2022. Along with his Backyard accolades, Scott has some other very impressive running feats under his belt, including multiple finishes of the Egg Nog Slog All Star Classic and the Hot Dog Run. Oh, and also outright wins at Keystone Backyard...
Sports Dietitian Dina Griffin, The Nutrition Mechanic - Round 2!
June 02, 2022 00:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBThis is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on June 1, 2022... · As a Sports Dietitian, Dina works with athletes one-on-one (including Sassquad RD Kim Levinsky!) to fine-tune their daily nutrition framework and optimize their sports nutrition and hydration strategies. She specializes in working with female endurance athletes. · Dina’s company The Nutrition Mechanic provides nutrition and hydration coaching for all peoples of all ages and all genders. · Dina is an accomplished ul...
Outdoorable Annie Hughes
February 02, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBThis is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on February 2, 2022. We chat all things trail and ultra running and hear all about Annie's adventures on the trail, which include her recent big wins at Leadville 100 and Moab 240. Annie is sponsored by Hoka One One. You can follow Annie on Instagram: @outdoorableannie
Sarah KOOLADE!
January 06, 2022 01:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBSarah KOOLADE earned her "trail name" by her inspiring journey over the last year. Tune-in to hear all about how and why she dove into the squatchtastic world of trail and ultra running!
Art Byram - CULTRA & CUT112
December 23, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 82 MBArt Byram is the host of the weekly podcast, CULTRA. CULTRA is a "weekly podcast that shares the unique perspective of the North East, Beast Coast Ultra running scene: raw, impulsive, and irreverent. The Cultra Trail Running Podcast is a place where we can get together and discuss all the fun stuff that happens on the trails that most normal people don't care about. Join the Cult! or maybe you already have without realizing it... resistance is futile." Art is also the mastermind behind the a...
Sonia Szczesna - God Speed, Los Polacos!
December 09, 2021 01:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBSonia Szczesna is a New Jersey-based producer, photographer, and environmental advocate. Sonia brings her experience as a community organizer and activist into her work in film and photography at Sourland Studios. Her most recent project, Godspeed, Los Polacos!, is currently in festivals. To learn more about Sonia, visit https://www.soniasz.com/
GAGZ!
November 18, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBMichael Gagliardi, aka Gagz, is an ultrarunner, a story teller, and a proud Philadelphian. Gagz has become a nationally recognized and accomplished Ultrarunner, with 13 finishes of 100 miles or greater, including the famous Tahoe 200 and the fabled Leadville 100, plus many victories, course records, and podium finishes. He was awarded 2020 Best of Philly for his philly4corners run, a 76 mile walk/bike/run friendly route he created that traces the perimeter of Philadelphia. His podcast, "Runn...
Matt Klein - Triple Crown of 200's
October 21, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 75.7 MBMatt Klein just completed the Triple Crown of 200's: Bigfoot 200 (WA) in August, Tahoe 200 (canceled, so Matt and his crew completed this on their own in Colorado) in September and the Moab 240 (UT) in October. That's 640+ miles in less than three months!
Trisha Ignatowski - 360 mi Erie Canalway Trail FKT
October 21, 2021 00:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBTrisha recently earned the FKT (Fastest Known Time) for the 360 mi long Erie Canalway Trail!! We heard all about the highs and lows, and of course, about ICE CREAM! Check out Trisha's FKT here: https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/trisha-ignatowski-erie-canalway-trail-ny-2021-09-25
Kim Levinsky - Hudson Highlands Hell No Hell Hole Hundo
October 10, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBThis is our interview from Sunday October 10th with Sassquad's Race Director, Kim Levinsky. The tables were turned as Sassquader Keilynn Hopkins dished out the questions to Kim! Kim shared all about her runventure hundo in the Hudson Highlands. She covered 96 miles and 22,000 ft of climbing in a little over 40 hours.
Grayce Langheine - Empowering women to hit the trails!
September 30, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBThis is our interview from Wednesday September 29th with PA Ultrarunner Grayce Langheine, AKA HOT PANTS! We chat all things trail and ultra AND hear about how Grayce is empowering other women to hit the trails!
Nick Thompson, Ultrarunner and CEO of The Atlantic
September 02, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBThis is our interview with Nick Thompson on Wednesday September 1, 2021! Thompson has long been a competitive runner; in 2019, he was ranked as one of the top 20 masters marathoners in the world, and in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race. Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic and the former editor-in-chief of WIRED. Under his leadership, WIRED won numerous awards for design and reporting and launched a highly successful paywall. Thompson also wrote many fea...
Don Weise, NYNJTC Trail Ninja
July 29, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBThis is our interview from July 28, 2021 with Don Weise! Don is the Director of Donor Advising for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Don is an author, hike leader, environmental advocate, and Trail Conference Life Member; he joined the NYNJTC staff in 2011. Don is the leader of the monthly NYNJTC group runs which welcomes runners of all paces to explore beautiful trails in New York in New Jersey. Don has become a great friend to Sassquad Trail Running and has served as the squatchtas...
James Leitner - 2 Weeks-14 Marathons-45lbs of Water
July 22, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBThis is our interview with ultra runner James Leitner! James is the founder of the non-profit MissionCleanWater. MCW provides clean drinking water and sanitation to under-served communities around the world! Sassquad Trail Running is a proud sponsor of MissionCleanWater and has supported James in his efforts to raise funds for clean drinking water! This summer, James completed a marathon a day, for 14 days, while carrying 45 pounds of water!
Sports Dietitian Dina Griffin, The Nutrition Mechanic
July 15, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBThis is our FB Live Interview on Wednesday July 14, 2021 with Sports Dietician Dina Griffin! As a Sports Dietitian, Dina works with athletes one-on-one (including Sassquad RD Kim Levinsky!) to fine-tune their daily nutrition framework and optimize their sports nutrition and hydration strategies. She specializes in working with female endurance athletes. Dina has a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Colorado State University and has worked as a Registered Die...
Sports Dietician Dina Griffin, The Nutrition Mechanic
July 15, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBThis is our FB Live Interview on Wednesday July 14, 2021 with Sports Dietician Dina Griffin! As a Sports Dietician, Dina works with athletes one-on-one (including Sassquad RD Kim Levinsky!) to fine-tune their daily nutrition framework and optimize their sports nutrition and hydration strategies. She specializes in working with female endurance athletes. Dina has a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Colorado State University and has worked as a Registered Die...
Rebecca Fitzgerald - NJ State Park Superintendent
July 01, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBThis episode is the recording from our Facebook Live interview on Wednesday June 30, 2021 with Rebecca Fitzgerald! Rebecca is a NJ State Park Superintendent, trail runner and a great friend to Sassquad Trail Running!! We will hear all about the in's and out's of NJ State Parks as well as Rebecca's trail running and hiking stories. To learn more about the State Parks in New Jersey, visit: https://www.njparksandforests.org/ Follow NJ State Parks on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/NewJ...
Stephanie Langner, Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike
June 23, 2021 17:17 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBToday's episode is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on Wednesday June 16th with thru-hiker Stephanie Langner! We chatted with with Stephanie about her upcoming thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Stephanie has thru hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Northville Placid Trail, Long Trail, and the Long Path! You can learn more about Stephanie by checking out her blog: https://tinyurl.com/cupkp8pr
Kim Levinsky, Rim2Rim2Rim
June 07, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBSassquad RD Kim Levinsky is in the hot seat sharing about her recent runventure at the Grand Canyon! Keilynn Hopkins did a fantastic job dishing out the questions for this interview. On Thursday April 15th, Kim covered 54 miles and 12,200 ft gain and 12,200 ft loss as she traversed the Grand Canyon solo traveling down the Bright Angel Trail, across the box, up to the North Rim, back down and then up the South Kaibab Trail. You can check out the youtube video that Kim put together here: ht...
Toni Ruesch, “You Can Go Any Distance If You Go Slow Enough!”
May 28, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 67 MBToday's episode is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview Series on Thursday May 27, 2021 with Toni Ruesch! Toni just completed her first 50K on Sunday and is now an official Ultramarathon Woman!! Not only did she finish her first 50K, she completed it self-supported and solo! Toni is the mom of a very active toddler and is a police dispatcher in New Jersey.
Miriam Weiskind - The Ultrarunning Pizzaiola
May 06, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBMiriam Weiskind, aka "The Za Report", is an underground pizziola baking up a generous storm of pizza in NYC amidst the pandemic to help keep New Yorkers in need, happy and full of pizza. Originally from Ohio, she moved to NYC to pursue a career in graphic design. In 2011, she met Scott Weiner, of Scott’s Pizza Tours, where she would then lead pizza tours all around NYC until spring of 2020 when the pandemic struck. In early 2020, she decided to trade in a career as an Art Director to pursue ...
Virginia Morin - Living the Van Life!
April 29, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBVirginia Morin recently moved out to Colorado from NJ and has just begun her new life on the road in her van! Virginia and her boyfriend have outfitted their 2020 AWD Ford Transit and are on the road adventuring! You can follow Virginia on Instagram: www.instagram.com/simbasing
Ian Golden - The Trails Collective
April 22, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBLaunched in February 2020, the Trails Collective provides regional coverage of trail events and updates, volunteer opportunities, links to entities forming the Collective such as coaches and shops, gear reviews, an event calendar with mapping integration, communication message boards, and multiple video channels celebrating all of the above. Red Newt Racing hosts over a half dozen events in NY, including the Breakneck Point Trail Runs and the Cuyahoga Trails 50. You can learn more about Th...
Hillary Allen - Survival Against All Odds
April 08, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 70 MBIn 2017, world-class ultrarunner Hillary "Hillygoat" Allen was at the top of her sport--and it felt like she was running on top of the world as she competed in Norway's Tromsø Skyrace. Allen was nearly halfway through the 50K race when she fell 150 feet off an exposed ridge, fracturing her back and breaking multiple ribs, both feet, and both of her lower arms. Ten days and two surgeries later, Hillary flew home and underwent three more surgeries in Colorado. She was told she might never run ...
Trishul Cherns - Ultrarunning Legend
April 01, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBTrishul is one of Canada's most accomplished ultra marathoners; in 1985 he held every Canadian record from 300K-1,000 miles and still holds many of these records today! He has completed the Self-Transcendence 3,100 mile race three times with personal best of 50 days, 3 hours in 1999. As of February 2021, Trishul has completed 280 ultra marathons totaling 44,338 ultra marathon racing miles. His first ultra was a hilly 47 mile road race on August 27, 1978 where he placed third out of 58 starte...
Samantha Des Rosier - US Army Soldier and Ultra Runner
March 18, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBToday's episode is the recording from our March 17, 2021 Facebook Live Interview Series. We sat down with active-duty US Army soldier Samantha Des Rosier to hear all about her trail and ultra running adventures while serving in the military.
Patty Murphy - Leadership Under Fire
March 04, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBPatti Murphy is the host and producer of the "Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast". A native of Staten Island, NY, Patti started her career covering news across the five boroughs for a 24-hour television news channel. In 2014, she joined the Fire Department of New York’s Office of Public Information, managing their internal website, DiamondPlate, which plays a critical role in disseminating timely training and preparedness information. She also produces content for the...
Sara Fioravanti - Appalachian Trail Thru Hike
February 18, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 75.2 MBToday’s episode is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview Series on Wednesday February 17, 2021. We sat down will Sara Fioravanti to hear all about her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. You can check out the infographic she discuses here! And Sara's blog here!
Jessica Simao - Trail Maintainer and Ultra Runner
February 04, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBThis episode is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on Wednesday February 3, 2021. We sat down with ultra runner Jessica Simao. Jessica is a very active member of our trail running community as both a runner and a volunteer. She serves as a trail maintainer at Mt. Tammany and can regularly be found volunteering her time at local trail races in the tri-state area. Jess shared all about her volunteering experiences and explained how important it is to give back to the local trail ru...
Cole Crosby - 197 Mile Run Across New Jersey
January 22, 2021 01:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBThis episode is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on Thursday January 21, 2021. We sat down with ultra runner Cole Crosby to hear about his epic 197 mile run across New Jersey! Cole ran from the High Point Monument at 1:58AM Saturday 1/9/21 and arrived at the Cape May Lighthouse 44 hours, 42 minutes, 21 seconds later — a pace of 13 minutes and 36 seconds per mile! Cole's longest run prior to January 9th was 86 miles. He attributes much of his success to the power of the running...
2020 Sassquad Recap
December 14, 2020 01:00 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBThis episode is the recording from our Facebook Live on Sunday December 13, 2020! We shared a squatchtastic recap of all that went down in 2020 here at Sassquad Trail Running. We loved having a few special guests join us at the end of the evening - Sasquatch himself, plus a unicorn and narwhale!