This is the recording of our Wild Goose Trail Festival Pre-Race Q&A on Monday September 16, 2024! The panel included Trail Party Directors Kim Levinsky and Joe Brandine plus a few folks who were at the 2023 Wild Goose: Kathy Carroll, Michael Feldman and Sarah Zieden-Weber.

www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/wildgoose

Is running therapy? What should you do when you feel burned out? How do you calm those pre-race jitters? Join us for this Q&A with therapist Sarah Strong to find out! Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, UESCA certified ultrarunning coach and mom based in the Colorado Front Range.

https://www.thetrailtherapist.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_trail_therapist/

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of the final day!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about how you can get access to cost-free therapy through Bigger than the Trail, visit: https://bttt.run

Check out the good work that our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are doing: https://www.nynjtc.org

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 9!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about how you can get access to cost-free therapy through Bigger than the Trail, visit: https://bttt.run

Check out the good work that our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are doing: https://www.nynjtc.org

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 8!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about how you can get access to cost-free therapy through Bigger than the Trail, visit: https://bttt.run

Check out the good work that our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are doing: https://www.nynjtc.org

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 7!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about how you can get access to cost-free therapy through Bigger than the Trail, visit: https://bttt.run

Check out the good work that our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are doing: https://www.nynjtc.org

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 6!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about how you can get access to cost-free therapy through Bigger than the Trail, visit: https://bttt.run

Check out the good work that our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference are doing: https://www.nynjtc.org

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning
  

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 5!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com

https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 4!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com

https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 3!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com

https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 2!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com

https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We are doing a special mini-series this week! Tune-in to hear recaps of the 358M NY Long Path FKT from Sassquad's Trail Party Director, Kim Levinsky! Kim established and set the women's supported FKT for the Long Path in July of 2023. Supported by a team of 20+ friends, the FKT took 9 days and 10 hours to complete. This episode is a recap of Day 1!

The New York Long Path (LP) is a 358 mile long distance trail that extends from John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York, down to the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City.  The Long Path is one of the most diverse trails in the entire country! With over 140,000 ft of elevation change, the LP has every type of terrain imaginable.

To learn more about Sassquad, visit:

https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com

https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

This is the recording from our Q&A with Chaos Crewing on September 4, 2024. This interactive Q&A session covered your questions about safety, gear, travel, organizing, and the nitty-gritty logistics of crewing and pacing. To learn more about Chaos Crewing, check out their website! Sassquaders can save 15% on their services.

In this squatchy chat, Sassquad OG Jeff Bock shares his wild ride into the wacky world of trail running. Jeff unpacks his military service and subsequent post-service years that eventually led him to make some drastic lifestyle changes in 2018. Thanks to the help of his furry rescue pup, Harry Potter references and the Sassquad community, Jeff said goodbye to video games, smoking and his sedentary lifestyle! These days, Jeff is thriving in the trail running community, soaking in all the good vibes. As an educator with a mission, he plants seeds of trail running passion in his students, sharing the transformative power of movement in nature. Jeff's story shines as a beacon of how hitting the trails can work magic in lives and knit together a close-knit family of runners and hikers!

Our mission is to welcome all peoples, paces and ages to our Trail Parties! To learn more about Sassquad Trail Running, visit: sassquadtrailrunning.com and say hello to us over on social media: facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Have you recently experienced a DNF ("Did Not Finish")? This episode is for you! It's been said that a DNF is a rite of passage in trail and ultra, but that doesn't make it any easier to work through. The disappointment can be difficult to handle and often times, those feelings stick around for weeks or months after the DNF. We put a call out to our community for folks to submit their personal DNF stories... We received so many submissions that we are breaking this episode up into two parts.

To learn more about Sassquad Trail Running, visit sassquaddtrailrunning.com You can find us on social media over at facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning and instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

We really enjoyed this squatchy chat with our friend Merritt Hopper of Race 2 Adventure! Merritt has been at the helm of Race 2 Adventure for the past 17 years. R2A orchestrates running trail vacations around the world! The 8-day international adventures include daily trail races (5K-10K) followed by an immersive exploration of the local culture. Upcoming trips include Morocco 2025⁠, ⁠Scotland 2025⁠, and ⁠South Africa 2026⁠. There is even a trip to the ⁠2024 Olympic Games in Paris⁠!

Race 2 Adventure is hosting a 4 day trail running camp in the Berkshires of MA this coming September (2024). There is trail running/hiking each day, a Navigation 101 class, yoga, awesome food AND all of the summer camp activities like water skiing, archery, arts & crafts, kayaking, bonfires and of course- S'MORES! This is a choose-your-own-adventure long weekend: fill up the weekend with trail running and hiking, read a book, go water-skiing. There is definitely an activity for everyone! R2A has extended some generous discounts for our Sassquad Community! To learn how you can save up to $600, visit https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/camp   To learn more about Sassquad Trail Running, visit ⁠sassquaddtrailrunning.com⁠ You can find us on social media over at ⁠facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning⁠ and ⁠instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Have you recently experienced a DNF ("Did Not Finish")? This episode is for you! It's been said that a DNF is a rite of passage in trail and ultra, but that doesn't make it any easier to work through. The disappointment can be difficult to handle and often times, those feelings stick around for weeks or months after the DNF. We put a call out to our community for folks to submit their personal DNF stories... We received so many submissions that we are breaking this episode up into two parts.

To learn more about Sassquad Trail Running, visit sassquaddtrailrunning.com You can find us on social media over at facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning and instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

"Running isn't therapy" ...Wait, what?! Listen to this squatchtastic conversation with Sarah Strong to find out what that statement means!

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, UESCA certified ultrarunning coach and mom based in the Colorado Front Range. Through walk and talk sessions and virtual therapy, Sarah helps individuals cultivate self awareness, self belief and self acceptance by reconnecting them to themselves and the natural world around them. 

As an ambassador for Bigger Than The Trail, Sarah is passionate about shining a light on mental heealth through the platform of trail and ultra running. In this chat, we talk about the deep connection between mental health and running, the challenges of working through an injury and the "post-race-blues". Find out how you can get help if you're struggling right now and learn about what you can do for a friend who may be walking through a tough time.

You can learn more about Sarah's work on her website thetrailtherapist.com and connect with her on Instagram: instagram.com/the_trail_therapist

Here at Sassquad Trail Running, we welcome all peoples, paces and ages to our Trail Parties in New York and New Jersey.

Connect with us!

trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com

sassquadtrailrunning.com

instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Callie Gensel starting running ten years ago when she signed up for a 5K with her teacher colleagues. A decade later, Callie crossed the finishline for the Wild Goose 100 in September of 2023! Hear all about her journey to ultra including some squatchtastic stories from the Wild Goose, including a black bear falling out of tree and landing right in front of her!

"Running is my therapy." Can running really be the answer to all of our problems? .....Maybe it'll work for a little while, but using running as our only coping skill is not a sustainable and effective way to heal. Tune-in to this episode to hear Sassquad Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky talk about her mental health journey through running, therapy and meds.

To learn more about Bigger Than the Trail and cost-free therapy, visit their website https://bttt.run

Sassquad Trail Running

• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/
  
• 
  https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

In 2023, ultrarunner Lynn Maki found herself sidelined by injuries and decided to turn lemons into lemonade by jumping into the world of crewing and pacing. She dove into the deep end with four sleepless days/nights of crewing Kim Levinsky during her 358 mile NY Long Path FKT and got to pace Kim around mile 250. A few months later, Lynn crewed and paced three friends at the Sassquad Wild Goose 100 and then finished off the year by serving as a Guide for her friend Beth Rissmeyer at the New York City Marathon. Tune-in to this squatchtastic episode to hear about everything that Lynn learned from these experiences. You'll be sure to pick-up some golden nuggets to help you on your next crewing and pacing endeavor!

Sassquad Trail Running

• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/
  
• 
  https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Matt Klein's life "blew up in spectacular fashion" in 2006 when he woke up handcuffed to a hospital bed. Several months removed from that fateful event he found the healing and transformative power of running when he trained for and completed the NYC Marathon later that year. Combined with the support of a loving fellowship, a sponsor, his wife, family and friends - Matty tapped into a power greater than himself and has been in active recovery for nearly 18 years. Among his running accomplishment during that time, he has completed more than 50 marathons, a dozen 100 milers and five races longer than 200 milers (including the Triple Crown of 200's in 2021). Matty is an active member in his community and within our Sassquad family through his volunteer work as an Aid Station Captain at several of our events. He's a believer that "if I can do this anyone can," and he's always willing to share his experience, strength and hope. You can connect with Matty through Instagram ⁠@thekleininator⁠ or through email: ⁠mattscottklein@gmail.com⁠

Sassquad Trail Running

• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/
  
• 
  https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Carolina Rubio-MacWright is an artist, immigration lawyer and activist fighting for immigrant and humanitarian rights. She was born in Bogota, Colombia where she lived until, at the age of 20, she needed a safer place to call home. She attended art school and law school in the United States, and throughout was active in her local immigrant community. She has worked as an immigration attorney in Miami, Oklahoma and New York City. Her experience as an attorney opened her eyes to inequities in our laws and racial power struggles, and how the two intersect. She believes that art is often the most powerful way of explaining these legal inequities. She has thus mixed her law and art experiences into performances, installations and workshops that serve a dual purpose - empowering vulnerable communities and educating more powerful ones. Whether working on policy campaigns for non-profits, performing public art pieces, speaking at events or organizing her community, she is guided by a simple principle: anything is possible when inspiring ideas and passionate people come together.

Carolina has been developing workshops that mix legal rights empowerment and hands-on experimental arts mediums, such as clay and cooking. These workshops have now developed into a platform for mixing unlikely communities together, the name is Touching Land. Through this artistic practice, the participants share a storytelling platform, bringing our humanity to the forefront as common traits and experiences are highlighted. This, in turn, enables participants to re-sculpt their political, social, and cultural barriers.

Carolina lives in NJ and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Connect with Carolina:

• https://www.carolinamacwright.me/
• www.instagram.com/carustol

Sassquad Trail Running

• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/
  
• 
  https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Imagine that you are at the starting line of the hundred miler that you've been training for the last several years... And you hear the announcement that the race is canceled due to extreme weather conditions! What would you do? Would you go out and do your own hundo? Well, that's exactly what happened to Jennifer Rankin this past August when Eastern States 100 was canceled by the state of PA due to dangerous flooding! Jennifer and her crew decided to head back home to the Hudson Highlands of New York and complete the hundred miler there! Tune-in to this super squatchtastic episode to hear all about Jennifer's epic runventure!

Justin Lewandowski has only been around the ultra-scene for the last few years but he has already tackled the toughest trail races on the (B)east Coast! This year he amassed over 800,000 feet of elevation gain through his training and racing and completed (and won for the second year in a row!) the Tammany 10, Breakneck Point 42K, Manitou's Revenge, Eastern States 100 & the Hudson Highlands Hell No Hell Hole Hundo plus several other local ultramarathons produced by Two Punk Kids. Through all of these experiences on trail, Justin has tapped into the power of self-resiliance and perseverence. Most recently with the Hudson Highlands Hell Hole Hundo, Justin tapped into the power of community and has opened the door to a whole new world within ultrarunning. Listen-in to hear all about it!

https://ultrasignup.com/results_participant.aspx?fname=Justin&lname=Lewandowski

Sassquad Trail Running

• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com
• https://www.sassquadtrailrunning.com/
  
• https://www.facebook.com/sassquadtrailrunning
• https://www.instagram.com/sassquadtrailrunning

Join us for this recap on 2023! We highlight some of the exciting things that happened this past year and then look ahead to what's coming up in 2024.

Sassquad Trail Running

• Instagram
• Facebook
• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com

Join us for this squatchtastic conversation with NJ trail runner L'Mani Viney! L'Mani has been in education for over 20 years and currently serves as the Dean of Students in Piscataway, NJ. As an avid trail runner, L'Mani draws on his experiences on the trails to help him navigate situations in and out of the classroom. We also chat about his involvement with Black Men Run and ways that our community can make the trails more accessible.

Sassquad Trail Running

• Instagram
• Facebook
• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com

Check out our latest episode to hear all about how Lizzy Mack tried to escape her backpacking trip in Iceland. We chat all things trail & road running, finding community and the joys of going party pace. This was a really fun episode and we were so excited to hear Lizzy share that she will be doing the Wild Goose 100 in September for her first hundo!

If you've been to a trail race or OCR in the tri-state area, chances are you have met Crystal Jackson! Crystal can be found on the starting lines of trail and OCR events throughout the year and is a Sassquad-regular. We sat down with Crystal to hear all about how she got into running and why she continues to run and race so much.

Sassquad Trail Running

• Instagram
• Facebook
• trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com

Hear all about Cole Crosby's recent FKT on the 230 mile Bay Circuit Trail! The BCT extends through 37 towns around Boston, linking parks and open spaces in fifty-seven communities. Cole was supported by a rock-star crew that was led by Chaos Crewing. Follow Cole on Instagram!

Sassquad Trail Running

Instagram

Facebook

trailpartydirector@sassquadtrailrunning.com

We are excited to relaunch the Sassquad Trail Runners Podcast! Trail Party Director Kim Levinsky is here to fill you in on what's been going on at Sassquad and what is on the calendar for 2024. Thanks for tuning in - we are excited to be back!

This is the recording from our FB Live Interview on Wednesday September 28, 2022 with Lee Connor and Karmell Ohlrogge! 

Lee and Karmell are seasoned ultra runners who are making an incredible impact on our sport! It'll take you a while to scroll through each of their UltraSignUp results as both Lee and Karmell have completed over 100 events combined (and that's just UltraSignUp!).

After we got the backstory on each of their running journeys, we spent the rest of the interview chatting about The Women's 100 Miler Project that Lee and Karmell created. The Facebook Group has over 600 women! Read on to learn more about this incredible group:

"EMPOWERING WOMEN IN ULTRARUNNING!
The Women’s 100 Miler Project Started as a low budget grassroots video project where we follow five women on their journey to their first 100 miler over the course of a year, under the training and guidance of established ultrarunner Lee Conner, in an effort to get more women interested in running 100s. In launching this project it became abundantly clear, however, that there’s no shortage of women WANTING to run 100s, there’s a shortage of women with the confidence to commit to or begin training. One of the biggest things holding them back was being overwhelmed with the conflicting information out there, and not knowing where to start. We decided to open up the training to all women, not just those in our video project. Our mission is to streamline and simplify information and training, in a supportive and encouraging environment, in order to facilitate making a 100 miler an achievable goal for as many women as possible."

https://thewomens100milerproject.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/268691585272178

This is the recording from our Facebook Live interview on  August 21, 2022. Renee is a Sassquad OG! She is at the starting line of just about every Sassquad Trail Party and consistently places in the top 5 (often overall!). Renee recently celebrated 13 years of Recovery and we were honored that her celebration was the same weekend of our most recent Trail Party, the Thunder Chicken Squatch. We'll chat about trail running and Recovery during this interview - you don't want to miss it!

We chat all things trail and ultra with Helgi and learn about his inspiring life story as an ultra runner and professional yacht chef. At the age of 19, Helgi was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a form of degenerative arthritis affecting the spine and other joints. Since then, he has inspired, advocated, and raise money for others with AS through ultrarunning.

Most recently, Helgi completed 2900 miles in 60 days, including three 200+ mile races. Helgi is one of the masterminds behind the Mighty Gallatin 350 mile endurance run in Montana from September 5-11, 2022.

Sassquad Race Director Kim Levinsky and Sassquaders Matt Klein and Doug Wilson will be joining Helgi in Montana for the Mighty Gallatin!

You can learn more about the Mighty Gallatin 350 here: https://www.mightygallatin.com/

Heather Houskeeper: the Botanical Hiker, herbalist, forest therapy guide, author, and yoga teacher! Tune-in to this episode to learn more about how we can become more connected to the trails!

Heather's Background and Achievements

• Founder of The School of Plant and Place Connection
• Graduated in Herbal Medicine, Plant Identification, Taxonomy, and Medicine Making from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine.
• Certified Forest Therapy guide from the Forest Therapy School.

Hiking Accomplishments

• Thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, Mountains to Sea Trail (twice), Finger Lakes Trail System, Long Path, Florida Trail, Mid State Trail, and Tuscarora Trail.

Publications

• Authored three books on edible and medicinal plants and hiking experiences: A Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Mountains to Sea Trail (2014) and A Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Finger Lakes Trail (2016) and Love and the Long Path (2021)

• Currently working on a book about the 1,100-mile Florida Trail.

Writing Contributions

• Wild Food columnist for Dirt Magazine (2017-present).
• Author of The Botanical Hiker blog (2011-present).

This is the recording of our Facebook Live interivew on Thursday July 7, 2022 with Lynn Maki who recently completed the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail! Lynn is a long-time Sassquader who can been found at our trail parties as a runner or volunteer (and sometimes both!). You can read Lynn's recap of her runventure here.

This is the recording from our Tuesday June 28th interview with Sassquad Race Director Kim Levinsky! Kim was in the hot seat and shared about her experience at the Tahoe 200 mile race. After training for more than 640 days, Kim completed Tahoe with the help of her Crew and the support of her Community. 204+ miles in 96 hours, 5 minutes and 45 seconds.

Sassquader and 2021 Triple Crown Finisher (Tahoe 200, Bigfoot 200, Moab 240) Matt Klein led the interview with guest appearances from some of Kim’s Crew Members, Grace DiPaolo and Robin Chase. 

You can check out Kim's Tahoe 200 Vlog that she's been updating since April of 2021 here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_c5oG3sQ7vH_GL0t54ajSQ

Steve recently established the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the gnarly Devils Path in the Catskills! The time has now been lowered to a blistering 4 hours, 34 minutes and 54 seconds. This 24.2 miles long trail boasts 8,000+ vertical feet of climbing, and is considered by many to be the toughest hiking trail in the Eastern US.

Scott won the inaugural Backyard Squatch in August of 2021 and earned a ticket to the Capital Backyard Ultra in Virginia. Scott just won Capital in May of 2022 by completing 254.16 miles! With the win, Scott has earned a spot on Team USA for the fall of 2022.

Along with his Backyard accolades, Scott has some other very impressive running feats under his belt, including multiple finishes of the Egg Nog Slog All Star Classic and the Hot Dog Run. Oh, and also outright wins at Keystone Backyard Ultra, Run Ragged Last Person Standing, 24 Hour Adventure Trail and the Squatchung Surprise!

Check out Scott's blog here: https://www.beastcoasttrailrunning.com/

This is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on June 1, 2022... · As a Sports Dietitian, Dina works with athletes one-on-one (including Sassquad RD Kim Levinsky!) to fine-tune their daily nutrition framework and optimize their sports nutrition and hydration strategies. She specializes in working with female endurance athletes.

· Dina’s company The Nutrition Mechanic provides nutrition and hydration coaching for all peoples of all ages and all genders.

· Dina is an accomplished ultrarunner, triathlete and marathoner with finishes including the Leadville 100, the Boston Marathon and NYC Marathon.

· As well as an impressive crewing/pacing resume including Badwater, UTMB and soon to be Tahoe 200!

· Dina is the co-host of the podcast "Inside Sports Nutrition" with Bob Seebohar

This is the recording from our Facebook Live Interview on February 2, 2022. We chat all things trail and ultra running and hear all about Annie's adventures on the trail, which include her recent big wins at Leadville 100 and Moab 240. Annie is sponsored by Hoka One One. You can follow Annie on Instagram: @outdoorableannie

Sarah KOOLADE earned her "trail name" by her inspiring journey over the last year. Tune-in to hear all about how and why she dove into the squatchtastic world of trail and ultra running!

Art Byram is the host of the weekly podcast, CULTRA. CULTRA is a "weekly podcast that shares the unique perspective of the North East, Beast Coast Ultra running scene: raw, impulsive, and irreverent. The Cultra Trail Running Podcast is a place where we can get together and discuss all the fun stuff that happens on the trails that most normal people don't care about. Join the Cult! or maybe you already have without realizing it... resistance is futile." Art is also the mastermind behind the annual CUT 112 fat ass event. 

Sonia Szczesna is a New Jersey-based producer, photographer, and environmental advocate. Sonia brings her experience as a community organizer and activist into her work in film and photography at Sourland Studios. Her most recent project, Godspeed, Los Polacos!, is currently in festivals. To learn more about Sonia, visit https://www.soniasz.com/ 

Michael Gagliardi, aka Gagz, is an ultrarunner, a story teller, and a proud Philadelphian. Gagz has become a nationally recognized and accomplished Ultrarunner, with 13 finishes of 100 miles or greater, including the famous Tahoe 200 and the fabled Leadville 100, plus many victories, course records, and podium finishes. He was awarded 2020 Best of Philly for his philly4corners run, a 76 mile walk/bike/run friendly route he created that traces the perimeter of Philadelphia. His podcast, "Running Times" centers around the growing Ultrarunning community by featuring a colorful cast of athletes who are pushing the sport's bounds.

Ken Posner, also known as Barefoot Ken, is a versatile individual with a wide range of talents. He is recognized as a financial analyst, runner, writer, and resident of Ulster County, NY. Ken has accomplished an impressive feat of completing 100 marathons and ultramarathons. Notably, he holds fastest known time records for the 358-mile NY Long Path and the 294-mile Badwater Double. As a hiker, he has conquered the Catskills Grid, the Adirondack High Peaks, and the John Muir Trail barefoot. Ken has authored a book titled "Running the Long Path: A Journey of Discovery in New York's Hudson Valley" detailing his Long Path thru-run and maintains a blog at www.thelongbrownpath.com. He actively promotes land preservation and stewardship, contributing as a volunteer and director at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Ken currently serves as the race director for the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run.

• BarefootKen.com
• Ken Posner on Instagram
• Ken Posner on X (Twitter)
• Ken's YouTube Channel
• Ken's Writings
• Barefoot Autism Challenge
• New York New - Jersey Trail Conference
• RunWild, Inc.
• Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run

Matt Klein just completed the Triple Crown of 200's: Bigfoot 200 (WA) in August, Tahoe 200 (canceled, so Matt and his crew completed this on their own in Colorado) in September and the Moab 240 (UT) in October. That's 640+ miles in less than three months!

Trisha recently earned the FKT (Fastest Known Time) for the 360 mi long Erie Canalway Trail!! We heard all about the highs and lows, and of course, about ICE CREAM!

Check out Trisha's FKT here: https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/trisha-ignatowski-erie-canalway-trail-ny-2021-09-25

This is our interview from Sunday October 10th with Sassquad's Race Director, Kim Levinsky. The tables were turned as Sassquader Keilynn Hopkins dished out the questions to Kim! Kim shared all about her runventure hundo in the Hudson Highlands. She covered 96 miles and 22,000 ft of climbing in a little over 40 hours.

This is our interview from Wednesday September 29th with PA Ultrarunner Grayce Langheine, AKA HOT PANTS! We chat all things trail and ultra AND hear about how Grayce is empowering other women to hit the trails!