The Stubborn Tortoise
People often ask me why I love trail running. It's all about the stories. You meet a different kind of person on the trails: connects with nature, doesn't mind slowing down if someone is in need, says, "Good job, runner."
Trail runners are competitive, for sure. But it's also egalitarian. Seldom will you find the elites separated from the regular folk. Everyone gets lost at some point. Everyone falls. These are our badges of passage. This is my take on trail culture.
Logo: Kevin Stich
Music: "Our Sky," by Overland (via Free Music Archive)
- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 35 minutes
- Episodes
- 257
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
El Course-o Loco
Saturday's race was full of surprises: a race director dressed as a taco, a guy in a taco truck on the trails and pretty much everyone getting lost. It was the inaugural El Taco Loco race, held just …
Trail v. Road
Ah, the question for the ages: which do you prefer, trail or road?
Me, I think the answer is pretty clear. I'd rather be out in the woods than on a city street most any day. There are benefits to bot…
Respect the Distance
Sometimes, you have to make a call to reset your expectations because the training isn't there. This happened to me this weekend as I decided to drop from 50K to 25K in two weeks. Life has gotten in…
Do the Hokey Pokey and Turn Yourself Around aka Getting Lost
I have managed to get lost trying to find the start of a race, to adding miles to a race, to getting lost on a 1,000-acre ranch. Somehow, I've lived to tell about it.
A Tale of Two 50-Milers
My first attempt at a 50-miler ended disastrously and with my quickest DNF in history. It included a trip to the ER with a super-caffeinated, fast-talking crazy man and four stitches.
The next time, …
Three Muddy Ultras and an Inspiration
This episode chronicles my first three ultras: each one an epic mudfest.
The first was just a beginner's stupidity. The second one got VERY personal and emotional. The third, I wanted to quit but was…
Atonement, Sinatra and Fireball and Other Stories of That Aid Station Life
Being on the other side of the table is almost as much fun as the race. This is a three-parter about some of my experiences providing assistance to sweaty, muddy, dirty trail runners. Many cameo appe…
Not Today, DNF Fairy
There are times when the DNF FaIry appears during a race and you have to ignore her/him. Had it not been for a new friend dressed like an elf, I probably wouldn't have made it through my second 50-mi…
Do You Still Have a Little Shuffle Left in You?
The DNF (did not finish) fairy was whispering to me hard at a tough weekend race....I had a couple of people inspiring me and I finished.
The Expensive, the Sodden and the Ugly
Running would seem like an inexpensive sport...until you factor in the extras.
Also, if you're high maintenance, running is probably not for you.
I attempt to strike a lopsided balance between being …
The Cheaters
I have no idea why people cheat at races, but they do. It's not a good idea.
The Mental Sherpa
This one is in three parts: how one friend mentally sherpa-ed me through my first 20-miler, then I repaid the favor a few months later by pacing him at his first attempt at a hundred-miler. From that…
Vivir con miedo, es como vivir a medias
Running along the US-Mexico border is full of adventures that most runners don't experience: Border Patrol agents flying above you in helicopters, agents looking for migrants and smugglers, and once …
Redemption After a DNF
Sometimes, races don't go the way we plan them. In this case, I cut my losses early and was overcome with a variety of emotions: relief, self-doubt, self-flagellation. The good part is, there's usual…
Trail Foes and Friends
This is a story in contrasts.
I start off talking about a guy who may or may not have unwittingly cost me a race with his negative viewpoints and attitude. (11/12)
But it ends well.
Next, I tell you …
Runcation in San Saba + Chasing Mental Demons
This story is from August 2013. I'm publishing it now because the Capt'n Karl's nighttime race at Colorado Bend is coming up on Aug. 3.
This is about the adventures of a handful of runners from the R…
A Few Things About The Stubborn Tortoise Podcast
Welcome to the first episode! I'm pretty much an average trail runner with above-average enthusiasm for the sport. These are my stories and I hope you enjoy them.