Touching the Trail Podcast show

Touching the Trail Podcast

Summary: Our mission is to help you be better daily through mind, body, and soul by learning together how to live our truest selves. So join me, Jarod Contreras a 19-year-old storyteller, as we work to be better. From mountain tops to canyon floors these are conversations on adventure, on health, on life, and on change. Change that is positive, lasting, and true. To make change listen in as everything from endurance and adventure sports to vegan living, yoga, and meditation are covered in these episodes through all forms of conversation and discussion. Following and living your truest trail must be your number one priority so let us all create a community centered around peace, presence, and perseverance.

Podcasts:

 Touching the Trail: Update | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:05:58

Update! The Touching the Trail Podcast will be taking a hiatus for the summer. I, the host Jarod Contreras, feel that I need to take this time to refocus and reevaluate where I’m at and where I’m headed. To give myself the space and the opportunity to figure some things out that I’ve been neglecting figuring out for quite awhile. Thank you all so much for listening and remember that this is not the end, Touching the Trail and I will return. I hope that you take the time as well to refocus, reevaluate and to always keep in mind the journey of bettering yourself. I will see you again when Touching the Trail returns. Muchas gracias. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 181- Ultra Romance: Man & Myth | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:35:30

“The bicycle gear, and the wheel, and everything it just increases your own power and makes you a superhero!” -Ultra Romance Ultra Romance is known by many names, Ronnie, Benedict, Poppi, etc., and this Instagram sensation, if that is even the right word, has captured the fascination of thousands through his depiction of the bicycle as lifestyle. A few years ago he captured my fascination and I have been following his human-powered, bikepacking adventures ever since. The ultra-endurance cyclist spends most of his time traveling the country, riding far. Today Ronnie, as he asked me to call him, and I sit down to pull back the curtain on the character, the myth, the persona that he presents on Instagram and delve into the philosophy he has built through all of the time that he has spent in the saddle, living simply. Consider this episode as part one of my discussion with Ronnie, as I have much more that I want to explore and discuss with this fascinating man. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find Ultra Romance: ronsbikes.com Instagram: @ultraromance instagram.com/ultraromance/  Instagram: @ultraromance_mach2 instagram.com/ultraromance_mach2/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 180- Steve House: Training for the New Alpinism | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:09:00

“You can really make huge strides just by sticking to the simple concept of consistency.” -Steve House This week’s episode is the complement to last week’s, as it tells the other half of the story behind Training for the New Alpinism and Uphill Athlete. Steve House was the climber who Scott Johnston, last week’s podcast guest, was coaching when they both decided to share with the world the training techniques that had been so beneficial for Steve. That idea eventually became Training for the New Alpinism, their new book Training for the Uphill Athlete, and their coaching company Uphill Athlete. Steve himself is an accomplished climber who built a name for himself through practicing alpinism, ascending mountains via the most aesthetic lines while leaving as little a trace as possible. While the idea of alpinism may sound simple, it is actually one of, if not the, hardest and most complex endeavors that a human being can attempt and Steve became one of the best in the world at it. He brought that experience in the mountains into his work with Scott to build a training framework that is both practical and beneficial. Today Steve and I delve into his story, the sport of alpinism, community, overcoming challenges, consistency, and how to train smart to achieve your goals. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find Steve: stevehouse.net/ uphillathlete.com/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 179- Scott Johnston: On Training | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:14:00

“Every good training program needs to have qualities to it: continuity/consistency, progression, and modulation.” -Scott Johnston Scott Johnston is the co-author, along with alpinist Steve House, of the bestseller Training for the New Alpinism: A Manual for the Climber as Athlete (2014) and the recently released Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers (2019). Both Scott and Steve are the co-founders of the endurance and mountain sports coaching company Uphill Athlete, as well. I first heard about Scott and Steve by hearing about Training for the New Alpinism, which changed the training landscape for alpinism and endurance sports in general by applying tried and true training techniques from more conventional sports to endurance sports. With their new book, Training for the Uphill Athlete, they are continuing to shift the sports’ perspective on training for the better. Today Scott and I sit down to discuss his story, his experience with skiing and climbing, and how he became fascinated by training. We explore how he developed his own training framework, how he took that framework to successfully coach athletes like Steve House, and how he and Steve took that framework and provided it to the world with their books and coaching. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find Scott: uphillathlete.com/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 178- The Born to Run Special | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:15:28

Each year in May, the Born to Run Ultramarathon Extravaganza draws people from the world over to a small valley, nestled amongst oak woodlands, on the Central Coast of California. After stepping onto that ranch, you enter an entirely different world, a world of passion and of community. Born to Run is a highlight of my year and is now much like a family reunion for me. This year was hallmarked by a juxtaposition between wild, chaotic moments, like wheelchair jousting, lucha libre wrestling, or moshing to Metalachi, and quiet, calm moments, like running 30 miles, making new friends, and simply hanging out. That dynamic shaped my Born to Run experience for the positive because it gave me a healthy mix of both sides of the spectrum. Today I tell the story of my Born to Run adventure, incorporating various voices from the event answering the simple question, “What is Born to Run to you?” Gracias, Jarod Contreras Special Thanks: Luis Escobar Chris “Tarzan” Clemens Tyler Clemens Michelle Evans Chris Harper Fraser Koroluk Kaori Peters Scott Kufferath Tracy Thomas Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail Music: purple-planet.com/

 Episode 177- JB Benna: At the Intersection of Ultrarunning and Christianity | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:56:00

“Suffering purifies you if you accept it as God’s will.” -JB Benna Over the past two years since the last time my friend JB Benna, ultrarunner and filmmaker, and I spoke on this podcast, we have both undergone quite dramatic shifts in our personal journeys. Shifts that have been both good and bad but that have both landed with spirituality. Today JB and I explore that journey and how Christianity has come to play a major role in JB’s life. Now I know for some of you, reading that we are going to discuss Christianity may rub you the wrong way. However, I advise you to keep an open mind and listen with curiosity to this conversation that, when it comes down to it, explores the relationship between spirituality and ultrarunning. JB and I delve into what God and Christianity mean to him and to me, how suffering can be seen as a teacher, and the various forms that spirituality can take in one’s life. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find JB: journeyfilm.com/ tmrrealestate.com/ Instagram: @jbbenna instagram.com/jbbenna/ Twitter: @jbbenna twitter.com/jbbenna?lang=en Facebook: JB Benna facebook.com/jbbenna Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 176- Trust in Those Around You | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

After heading back home to Los Angeles for Mother’s Day weekend I began to think a lot about the people in my life and what roles they play in helping me to be my best. Those that are in my circle, my friends and family, are those that I turn to for advice and support and they do the same to me. Trusting in that support from the people in your life that mean the most to you is a vital tool in living better. Bottling everything up or solely working through it on your own are not healthy tactics. Instead, rely on the people around you who are positive influences on your life and work to be the same to them. Join me today in a quick reminder of the importance of your circle. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 175- On the Importance of Functional Exercise | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:30:04

Throughout my journey of personal betterment, I have found that a key tool is to list out what is working and what I can improve upon. This tactic led me to realize that I am have not been incorporating functional exercises, bodyweight workouts, at all into my running regimen. To improve as a runner you cannot only focus on running, you must also put in work outside of the run. Strengthening muscles throughout the entirety of your body allows you to become a more well-rounded runner that can confidently and safely tackle any challenge. Your body is a machine and you have to care for the entire machine, not only a few parts. The complex mechanics of that machine require a runner to be strong from their head to their toes. Today I explore why building strength outside of the run is a vital tool to becoming a better runner. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 174- "Sherpa" John Lacroix: The Honest Voice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:35:00

“The race doesn’t matter, the experience does and we shouldn’t be creating situations where there’s exclusivity, we should instead be creating experiences where there’s inclusivity.” -”Sherpa” John Lacroix John Lacroix, known in the ultrarunning world by his nickname “Sherpa John,” is the founder of the Human Potential Race Series, the largest race series in Colorado and the fifth largest in the nation. This series focuses on providing an “old school” atmosphere to their events and incorporating a strong sense of community into the experience. Preferential treatment is not given to front runners at the event, every finisher is given the same award, there is no prize money, and times are recorded by pen and paper. John’s unique approach to his races extends to the approach that he takes to the ultrarunning world at large. He is unafraid to speak his mind openly and honestly, always making sure to support his opinions with evidence. This propensity towards brutal honesty has led John to rub some people the wrong way and for him to become a polarizing figure within the sport. John’s experience in the sport, having run or race directed ultramarathons for the past 15 years, leads him to speak wisely on all things ultrarunning, which is exactly what he does in today’s wide-ranging discussion. AUM, Jarod Contreras humanpotentialrunning.com/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 173- Discipline For the Little Things | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:22:06

Sometimes a quick reminder that the small things matter too can be the best help. Join me today as I explore why the little things that you do in life, like crossing the street or pushing in your chair after a meal, are what count. Those are the moments when you train your self-discipline and commitment. By paying attention to the little things, you better yourself to be disciplined in the big things, like a daily workout or meditation. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 172- Itemize Your Life | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:36:46

Having spent the past two weekends camping, in Pinnacles National Park and at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, I have had quite a full plate during the weekdays. I wanted to have a present mindset to best enjoy the beauty and adventure of Pinnacles and the chaos and wildness of Sea Otter but in order to do that, I had to make sure that I took care of all of my responsibilities before Friday each week. If you’ve never heard of Pinnacles National Park, it’s a magnificent place filled with incredible trailrunning amongst massive rock formations and views of soaring condors. If you’ve never heard of the Sea Otter Classic, it is regarded as the largest cycling festival in the world and I attended with friends of mine from here at Cal Poly. For their individual draws, I wanted to be present when I was camping in Pinnacles and hanging out at Sea Otter, which led my weeks to be filled with many things to get done. There were a few moments where I was on the verge of becoming overwhelmed and stressed but by applying mindfulness lessons and the all-important tool of to-do lists I was able to stay focused and accomplish what I needed to get done. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 171- Robert Thurman: A Buddhist Perspective | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:33:00

“Learn about how to look at the quality of the instrument itself with which [you] learn things.” -Robert Thurman Robert Thurman is a renowned Buddhist scholar and the father of actress Uma Thurman. He is the founder of Tibet House US, which is a non-profit dedicated to helping preserve Tibetan culture in exile and to be active against China’s control of Tibet, and founder of Menla Mountain Retreat, which is a healing arts center grounded mainly in the Tibetan healing tradition. Thurman’s extensive knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism, coupled with his deep study of various other philosophies and traditions, allows him to speak eloquently and intelligently on a wide variety of topics. He is able to take the state of our world and frame it in a Buddhist perspective. That way the listener can better understand how damaged our world currently is and how we can improve it through the lessons that can be learned from Buddhism. He uses logic and reason to expose the flaws in many different aspects of our society, from politics, consumerism, and capitalism to science, philosophy, and understanding knowledge, so that we can better go about healing our society. Today’s conversation is a wonderfully wide-ranging discussion that uses Buddhism as the lens to view what is wrong and what is right with the world that we live in today. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find Robert: bobthurman.com/ tibethouse.us/ menla.us/ Instagram: @Bob_Thurman instagram.com/bob__thurman/ Twitter: @BobThurman twitter.com/bobthurman Facebook: Robert Thurman facebook.com/Robert.A.F.Thurman Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 170- Nine Trails 35 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:33:08

Throughout my time here in college, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I have often felt like I have lost running. Now I don’t mean that I stopped running, I have run a substantial amount while here in SLO. What I mean is that I have been plagued by the recurring feeling that I have lost the running ability that I had during times of my life like the lead up to the Bryce Canyon 100 in June of 2017. That feeling of setting out for a run, knowing that you will enter that pain cave but remaining confident in your fitness to bring you through the discomfort and emerge on the other side better for it. I spent so long tying those two concepts, discomfort and enlightenment, so closely together through running that when I lost that fitness, due to the various challenges I have faced here in college that led running to take a backseat in my life, I felt like I lost running. However, since the New Year I have been training with focus and drive for one goal: the Santa Barbara Nine Trails 35 Mile Endurance Run, which took place a week and a half ago. The race, with the 11,700’ of elevation gain that a runner covers across the 35 miles, is known for its difficulty and I was determined to use the race as a platform to reset my outlook, perspective, and mindset on running and on what I was capable of. Stepping across that finish line was a deeply emotional experience for me because it told me that I could still run far, that I still loved it, that I wanted to do more with it, and that I could still learn from it. Join me today as we explore Nine Trails, my experience with that race, and what it taught me. AUM, Jarod Contreras Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 169- Andy Van Bergen: The Man Behind Everesting | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:16:00

“I’m in pain and I’m suffering here and it’s a wonderful thing.” -Andy Van Bergen In all the time that I have spent adventuring in the outdoors, I have always had a fascination with going up. Running, riding, or clawing my way up the most elevation gain that I can find is always my focus. In many senses I don’t particularly even like the flat or downhill sections, to me it’s all about the uphill and the discomfort that it brings. Thankfully there are many other people in the world who share my fascination and cyclist Andy Van Bergen is one of them. Andy is the head of the Hells 500, a cycling group focused on and almost obsessed with epic hill climbing adventures, one of which is Everesting. Andy himself is the creator of Everesting, the concept where over one continuous run or ride activity the athlete does enough hill repeats, on one hill of their choosing, to match their elevation gain to the altitude of Mt. Everest: 29,029’ (8,848 m). This idea has taken the world by storm in the five years since its inception because of its brutal simplicity. Anybody, anywhere on the planet can attempt this challenge, all you need is a mindset that will propel your body up and down a hill enough times to climb Everest. This idea and the straightforward difficulty of it captured my imagination as well and in today’s episode, we explore what it means to go upwards powered only by your own body and mind. We delve into who Andy is, why he continuously seeks to push his limits, and the mindset that it takes to endure seemingly impossible tasks. AUM, Jarod Contreras hells500.com/ everesting.cc/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

 Episode 168- Christian Isakson: Going Deeper | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:10:00

“It’s amazing to me how little some have and amazing even more that the people that have, don’t do.” -Christian Isakson My friend Christian Isakson was the very first guest that I ever had on this show, back on Ep. 8 in early 2016. Only a few weeks before that first conversation Christian had crashed on his bike at Ultraman Hawaii, which practically destroyed his body, breaking bones and puncturing a lung. Now three years later, after a long and arduous recovery journey, Christian has returned to Ultraman, racing Ultraman Florida in February and placing 3rd. I realized after he completed the race that it was about time that I should catch up with Christian. In today’s conversation, we delve not into a recap of the race per se but more into an exploration of the mindset behind Christian Isakson. We explore who he is and what drives him to push his body to its limits and beyond. The importance of finding a deeper meaning for racing beyond a T-shirt or medal is vital and Christian is a firm believer in this idea. Today’s episode is a wide-ranging discussion on everything from how he prepared for and executed Ultraman Florida, to the role that his Christian faith plays in his life, to racing for something more than yourself, and to how to endure. AUM, Jarod Contreras Find Christian: christianisakson.com Instagram: @luke920 instagram.com/luke920/ Twitter: @lukeninetwenty twitter.com/lukeninetwenty Facebook: @luke920 facebook.com/luke920/ Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signup Instagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrail Twitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrail Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

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