Trail Runner Nation

Jim Walmsley was attempting his first 100 mile race at Western States in 2016. Shortly after the start, he captured and maintained the lead for the first 92 miles extending his lead by nearly 50 minutes AND on pace to break Timmy Olsen's course record. But then the unthinkable happened, he missed a turn and ran 2-1/2 miles in the wrong direction. Jim joins The Nation to talk about his preparation for the race, his strategy, his execution and how he finished the race. His splits (courtesy of John Medinger) Red Star to Robinson Flat, 1:54 - Fastest ever Robinson Flat to Last Chance, 1:35 - Fastest ever Last Chance to Devils Thumb, 0:48 - 3rd fastest Devils Thumb to Michigan Bluff, 1:14 - 2nd fastest Michigan Bluff to Foresthill, 0:51 - Fastest ever Foresthill to River crossing, 2:10 - 3rd fastest Photo courtesy of Gary Wang

2016 Western States is in the books. Like every year the race treats us to a number of stories. The trail is the stage for tales of racing for the Top Ten positions, racing the cut off or simply completing an epic challenge. Join Andy Jones Wilkens and Bethany Patterson (F7) as we discuss some of the moments that make this 30 hours so special.

This year's Western States 100 is a few short days away. Andy Jones-Wilkins joins The Nation to talk about the field of runners that have been training hard and will be toeing the line on June 25 His 9-month journey from hip surgery to his lean preparation for Hardrock 100 in less than 1 month. How to train and race in the heat "Master Carnage Sweeper" AJW's tips for racing on a HOT day AJW's "Intriguing Stories at the 2016 WS100" iRunFar's Western States 100 Women Preview iRunFar's Western States 100 Men Preview Rob Krar's Ultra Training Camp

Tim Tollefson is joins The Nation to talk about his rise from a local cross country athlete to 2014 USA 50K Trail National Champion, finishing 2nd at the 2015 Courmayeur Champex Chamonix (101K) and team member of the Nike Trail Team. He leaks his Simple Rules to performing at a high level and his success. Tim's 2nd Place Finish at CCC 101K Mammoth Sports Center Tim on Twitter Tim on Instagram

Sally McRae sets out on the WS100 trail for a simple 15 mile out and 15 mile back and ends off course. Crawling through brush, standing an a ledge with a 50 foot drop, melting snow to hydrate, rock climbing and riding a tram was NOT part of the original plan. Fresh off the trail and straight to the microphone we hear first hand of "What happened out there Sally?!!"

Wish you were tougher mentally? Tough enough to achieve some goals that may throw mental or physical road blocks in your way? Dr. Duncan Simpson is Assistant Professor in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and is the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology Program. He joins The Nation to explain how research has uncovered 10 ways you can become mentally tough. Here is our first podcast with : "Getting in Your Head"

Keira Henninger is a Mom, elite ultra-runner, race director, nutritionist, coach and amateur chef. Whew! She joins The Nation to talk about her struggle, diagnosis and recovery from adrenal fatigue. You can read more about her story HERE. She praises her Doctor, Dr. Alex Tuggle for listening and showing her a path to repairing her adrenal glands and return to the activity level she loves. Find out more about Divas & Dudes Running Club Women's Trail Running & Nutrition Join her at one of her many RACES

This is the first in the series of podcasts talking about SIMPLE RULES. Let's face it, trail and ultrarunning can be very complex, especially when the adrenaline is pumping, the legs and mind are weary, or the sun sets on a early morning start. Kathleen Eisenhardt, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford, explains the advantages of developing simple rules for life and business in a podcast that we recently listened to. We extrapolated her premise to the sport we love. Get the Book Get the Audio Book

iRunFar.com has been entertaining and educating trail and ultrarunners for 11 years. Founder, Bryon Powell, joins The Nation to discuss his latest book, co-authored by Meghan Hicks, "Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running" Meghan and Bryon rely on their decades of trail experience to help the beginner and the veteran trail runner excel and enjoy the trail more. Meghan and Bryon working hard at Western States 100 Find more information about "Relentless Forward Progress" Check out the photos on TrailPorn.com Warren Pole reporting on his 3.3 Lessons Learned from the 33 Shake American Tour.

The Nation's East-Coast producer and favorite headmaster, Andy Jones-Wilkins, joins a lively discussion on over training. How to recognize it (in yourself and your friends) How to avoid it How to come back from it Some key words that we talk about: Puddle of Muck Eeyore-ish Blitzkrieg Brain Housing Group Conditioning Blubber Join AJW in his Taproom here