For The Long Run: Exploring the Why Behind Running

Maria Chevalier has run a marathon in 48 states, finished the Boston Marathon 17 times, and a few weeks ago ran it twice in the same day, starting at 3 a.m. in reverse from Boston to Hopkinton, resting for a few hours, and then lining up with everyone else for the actual race. 52.4 miles total.
But the distance is almost beside the point. What makes this conversation worth listening to is how Maria thinks about hard things and why she keeps choosing them.
She's navigated four wrist reconstructions that ended her music career before it fully started. Nine DNFs at Vermont 100 before finally finishing on the tenth try. A medical history that took away choices she thought were hers to make. And through all of it, she kept finding a way to keep moving forward.
This conversation goes deep and is a must listen!
Topics covered:
How running found Maria after she couldn't make the team in any other sport
What drew her to the 50 States and why she's two away from finishing
Why road marathons and trail ultras attract fundamentally different people
The dashboard effect — why people share their most vulnerable things on long runs
Her DNF at Vermont 100 at mile 65 and quietly finishing her first hundred in Boulder months later
Nine DNFs at Vermont before finishing on attempt number ten
Wrist reconstructions that ended her path to a music career
Learning she couldn't have children and how she found her way through it
Why she stopped listening to people telling her what she couldn't do
What she told her surgeon in the pre-op room that says everything about who she is
The Gap and the Gain — looking back at progress instead of forward at the gap
How Double Boston came together with Mount to Coast and the Trail Animals Running Club
What it felt like to start a marathon at 3 a.m. and feel fresh enough to run another one
What's coming up: Vermont 100, Manchester Monadnock 55, and the final two states
This episode is supported by:
Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.
Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.
Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!
Eternal - The app I've been waiting for is finally here. Your labs, your wearable, your training, all in one place that actually does something with it. Download Eternal Health in the app store at eternalhealth.app.
Vacation Races - The Rocky Mountain Half and 5K in Estes Park, Colorado this August. Run both and earn the Elk Double. Use code FTLR when you register at vacationraces.com.

Dan Green is a trail athlete for Salomon who grew up running in West Virginia, spent years working at a running shop, and recently finished Cocodona 250 — a race he'd wanted to do for years before finally deciding to stop waiting. In this conversation, Dan talks about how running has given him everything that matters in his life, what it actually took to get sponsored, and why being yourself is both the simplest and hardest thing to do in this sport.
Topics covered:
How Dan got into running (his football teammates basically told him to leave)
Going from college cross country with no track program to chasing a pro career
Why he was anti-trail in college and what changed that
His first ultra: a 24-hour race on a concrete loop with zero plan
Early results at Black Canyon and Javelina and when he started thinking pro was possible
Setting realistic goals versus big swinging ones
Crewing his buddy Ryan at Cocodona before deciding he had to do it himself
What it's actually like to be on mile 120 and know you have more left than you've run
How running has given him his college, his fiancée, his friendships, and his career
The path to getting sponsored and why the East Coast made it harder
Why Cocodona's live stream changed everything for his visibility
Bargain Boys Media and why unpolished content fits trail running
Shoe fitting guidance from someone who's spent years doing it
The gravel shoe category and who it's actually for
His high school coach Lance Pledger and what real belief looks like
Advice for runners curious about going longer
Stay connected:
Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danisgreen/?hl=en
This episode is supported by:
Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.
Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.
Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!
If you’re in Boulder for BolderBoulder week, come hang with us at two community events:
• Thursday, May 21 at Skratch Labs Table: free shakeout run with Chelsea Sodaro and the MomForward Movement benefiting For All Mothers, followed by a live FTLR panel with Chelsea and Kara Goucher. Raffle prizes from On, Coros, Rapha, and Oiselle. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/momforward_movement_unlockingyes
• Friday, May 22 at Otto and Co on Pearl: “Fueling the Long Run,” presented by ProBio and FTLR with Hillary Allen, Charlie Sweeney, and Dr. Marc Bubbs. Shakeout at 6:30 p.m., panel at 7:15 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Athletics Project. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/probio-fueling-the-long-run

Dr. Teddy Bross is a practicing family medicine physician at Highpoint Direct Care where he focuses on the treatment of athletes and active adults in Colorado and select surrounding states. He is an avid mountain ultra trail athlete, husband and father. Happiest in the company of friends and indulging in small joys, Dr. Teddy is a seeker of wild flowers, avid reader and consumer of poetry, and frequent DIY project manager, including the building of a dreamy Finnish basement sauna.
In this episode, Teddy and Jon talk about the massive gaps that exist in traditional medicine for endurance athletes and why so many runners are struggling with fatigue, low energy availability, recurring injuries, and burnout without getting meaningful answers.
They dive into the realities of modern healthcare, why most runners wait too long to seek help, and how Teddy approaches athlete care differently through direct primary care. The conversation also explores ferritin and iron deficiency, underfueling, GI issues in endurance sports, why so many athletes are chronically exhausted, and how curiosity plays a role both in medicine and in running.
Teddy also shares stories from pacing David Roche at Leadville, witnessing the emotional moment at Foresthill during Western States, and what excellence really looks like behind the scenes.
This episode is a deep look at athlete health, performance, consistency, and the systems that either support or fail runners trying to stay healthy long term.
Stay connected:
Learn more about Highpoint Direct Care: https://www.highpointdirectcare.com/aboutus
Dr. Teddy Bross on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run.doctor/
This episode is supported by:
Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.
Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.
Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. We heard you! The code IRON is now worth $40 and offers the ability to try out a box before subscribing, but if you want to jump in on a subscription you get $100 off the first three months (total) plus a free bonus protein. Visit goodranchers.com to start shopping!
Tifosi Optics - If you've been curious, now's a great time to try them. Head to tifosioptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to tell ‘em i sent you!
If you’re in Boulder for BolderBoulder week, come hang with us at two community events:
• Thursday, May 21 at Skratch Labs Table: free shakeout run with Chelsea Sodaro and the MomForward Movement benefiting For All Mothers, followed by a live FTLR panel with Chelsea and Kara Goucher. Raffle prizes from On, Coros, Rapha, and Oiselle. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/momforward_movement_unlockingyes
• Friday, May 22 at Otto and Co on Pearl: “Fueling the Long Run,” presented by ProBio and FTLR with Hillary Allen, Charlie Sweeney, and Dr. Marc Bubbs. Shakeout at 6:30 p.m., panel at 7:15 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Athletics Project. Learn more here: https://www.movemint.cc/events/probio-fueling-the-long-run

Joe Corcione is an ultrarunner, coach, and host of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, where he helps runners of all levels improve not just physically, but mentally. His path into the sport didn’t follow a traditional trajectory. He found running during a period of major life change, using it as a way to rebuild structure, discipline, and a sense of direction.Since then, Joe has gone on to complete some of the most demanding races in the sport, including 200+ mile events, while also building a coaching business focused on helping athletes push beyond what they think is possible.In this conversation, Joe shares how fear has shaped his approach to both running and life. Instead of treating it as something to avoid, he’s learned to see it as a signal that something meaningful is on the other side. That mindset shows up in how he chooses goals, how he approaches competition, and how he thinks about long-term growth.He also talks about what it takes to stay in the sport over time. Not just chasing big race-day moments, but committing to the process that happens in between. Training, setbacks, and the repetition that most people don’t see are what ultimately shape the outcome.The episode is a look at how Joe has built both his running career and his life around that idea, continuing to lean into discomfort, learn from failure, and keep moving forward.This was recorded live at the Boston Marathon, at an event hosted by Mount to Coast ahead of their double Boston Campaign.
Stay connected:
Joe's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-ultra/id1600327047
Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecorcione/
This episode is supported by:
Precision Fuel & Hydration - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at www.precisionhydration.com.
Mount to Coast - Built for runners who go long. From Badwater to Boston, Mount to Coast is designing footwear for the demands of real endurance. Learn more at mounttocoast.com and use code FTLR for 10% off.
Boulderthon - Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.
Good Ranchers - Better training starts with better inputs. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality, American-sourced meat and seafood so you can stay consistent with your protein and iron. We heard you! The code IRON is now worth $40 and offers the ability to try out a box before subscribing, but if you want to jump in on a subscription you get $100 off the first three months (total) plus a free bonus protein. Visit goodranchers.com to start shopping!
Vacation Races - Run where you play and chase the extraordinary. Use code “FTLR” for 15% off their half marathons, ultras, and trail fests at vacationraces.com through the end of 2026.

After transitioning from oncology physical therapy to full-time running, Rachel Entrekin discovered her true calling was not in conquering traditional hundred-mile races, but in pushing the boundaries of human endurance across multiple days and hundreds of miles.
Rachel has been running since 2009, gradually making her way up from road 10ks to multi-day trail races. While born and raised in the southeast US, she currently resides in Colorado, where there is exactly zero humidity. 
This episode was recorded in person in February 2026.
Jon chats with Rachel about:
her running journey from college marathons to ultramarathons

the transition from physical therapy to professional running career

200-mile race strategy and mental approach at Cocodona

sports nutrition partnership with Precision Fuel and Hydration

philosophy on process versus outcome-focused racing goals

Stay connected:

Follow Rachel:
https://www.instagram.com/rachel__entrekin/

Rachel’s Blog:
https://blondeidiotrunning.wordpress.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAPvkdJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacg8Fo31S7ggaU3zfdCDjsLlJYiyLYgJY33CdsPkrAAlbSiiguTikjxlNsSkg_aem_MZqdK3OHod6Qgy6-yC4ZEA

Vagabond Trails TMB tour: https://www.vagabond-trails.com/tmb-rachel-entrekin?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAPvke5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaf4YWwaHMYnTW0Zrm-N4lN1TD0jl_dTVUiwIYFT_rYsVNAp8pgqd23CSj_bPw_aem_jYSHI0G1B9zMyz_Qz9VL7A

This is episode is supported by:
Skej My favorite tool to help schedule meetings. Check out skej.com/longrunlabs for a very special offer!
Precision Fuel & Hydration⁠ - Dial your fueling in this year. Use code “LONGRUN26” for 15% off your first order at ⁠www.precisionhydration.com⁠.
Boulderthon: Our favorite Colorado race event with a variety of distances. Use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the marathon or half marathon when you register at www.boulderthon.org.
AmazFit Check out the T-Rex 3 and a selection of GPS watches at https://us.amazfit.com/discount/FTLR2026 and use code “FTLR2026” for 10% off.