Nick Triolo on Running For No Reason and Not Chasing The Top

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This week on The Trailhead, Zoë and Brendan sit down with writer and ultrarunner Nick Triolo, author of The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere. From circumnavigating mountains to ditching Strava and racing for a year, Nick shares what it means to move through landscapes differently, choosing circles over summits, presence over performance, and curiosity over metrics.

We talk about why loops feel so satisfying, how creative practice overlaps with running, and what happens when you stop measuring progress and start running just to run. Plus, the crew debates their favorite loops and why “there’s nowhere else to go” might be the ultimate running mantra

🏃‍♀️ Featured Race: Cowboy Yeti in Bastrop, Texas—20K loops, mild winter weather, and maybe even Brendan’s birthday bash.

👟 Sponsor: Thanks to Sidas for supporting this episode. Keep your feet happy on every loop with high-performance socks, insoles, and blister protection—UltraSignup listeners get 20% off at sidas.us.